Service offering for the delivery of information to the right receivers at the right time

• US 7,321,860 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Toohey, James J., Allard, David J., Szabo, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer; Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Nancy T.
• Application Number:
  US11/025,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/51
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A method for providing information to requestors that includes the step of receiving a request from a remotely located information requestor. The request can be associated with an information controller and with a designated purpose. A transaction can be initiated to handle the request and to deliver a result to an information receiver. A record store can be queried for information associated with the information controller and associated with the designated purpose. The information requestor and the information receiver may not be authorized to directly access content of the record store. At least one request result can be generated based at least in part upon information returned from the querying step. Each request result can correspond to each information receiver and be tailored for information privileges of the information receiver. The information privileges can be established by the information controller. The request result can be conveyed to the information receiver.

Claims

1. A method for an information service to provide information to requestors at a later designated time comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for information from a remotely located information requestor, the request associated with information controlled by an information controller and specifying a designated purpose thereby providing the requested information, the designated time for providing the requested information, and a request life span for the providing access to the requested information;

initiating a transaction to handle the request in accordance with the designated purpose, the designated time, and the request life span, wherein the transaction identifies at least one remotely located information recipient to receive a request result, wherein the transaction actuates a plurality of tasks to be performed by a plurality of distinct information providers, each task being performed by a corresponding information provider different from the information requestor and information controller, and wherein the transaction determines for each task a start time when the task is to be commenced and a delivery time that determines when a task result that is tailored for information privileges granted to the information recipient by the information controller in accordance with the designated purpose is to be conveyed from the corresponding information provider to the information recipient such that the information service sends the plurality of tasks to the plurality of distinct information providers which process the tasks and subsequently respond to the information service with a plurality of task results that are then conveyed to the information recipient within the start time and an end time corresponding to the request life span;

generating a plurality of transaction identifiers, each transaction identifier specifying (a) a transaction type, (b) at least one of the plurality of information providers, (c) a particular task to be performed by a particular information provider, (d) a time when the particular task is to be performed, (e) a location at which a result of the particular task performed is to be conveyed, (f) a time at which a particular task result is to be returned to the information service within the request life span, and (g) a task life span during which the particular task result is valid, the particular task result being disposed of at an end of the task life span;

querying a record store for information associated with the information controller and associated with the designated purpose, wherein the information requestor and the information recipient are not authorized to directly access content of the record store;

generating at least one request result based at least in part upon information returned from the querying step, each request result corresponding to an information recipient and tailored for information privileges of the information recipient, wherein the information privileges are established by the information controller; and

conveying the at least one request result to the information recipient proximate to the designated time for providing the requested information, wherein the conveyed request result has an associated delete time at which time the request result is deleted from a data store accessible by the information recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated purpose is a business transaction between the information controller and the information recipient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the record store includes at least one of confidential and protected privacy information of the information controller.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information requestor is the information controller.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the information requestor is the information recipient.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one information recipient includes a different information recipient, wherein the different information recipient is the information controller.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

the transaction conveying a task query to a remotely located information provider and responsively receiving a task response, wherein the generating step generates the at least one result based at least in part upon the task response, and wherein the information provider is an entity other than the information requestor, the information controller, and the at least one information recipient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information provider is not authorized to directly access content of the record store, and wherein the information provider is selected from the group consisting of an information service, an Internet resource, and a private network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

said transaction actuating a plurality of tasks, each task generating a task response, wherein the generating step generates the at least one result based at least in part upon the task responses.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the designated purpose has been satisfied; and

responsive to the determining step, automatically deleting the request result from a data store accessible by the information recipient.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the designated purpose comprises an appointment between the information recipient and the information controller.

10. A method for an information service to provide information at a later designated time comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for information from a remotely located information requestor, the request associated with information controlled by an information controller and specifying a designated purpose thereby providing the requested information, the designated time for providing the requested information, and a request life span for the providing access to the requested information;

initiating a transaction to handle the request in accordance with the designated purpose, the designated time, and the request life span, wherein the transaction identifies at least one remotely located information recipient to receive a request result, wherein the transaction actuates a plurality of tasks to be performed by a plurality of distinct information providers, each task being performed by a corresponding information provider different from the information requestor and information controller, and wherein the transaction determines for each task a start time when the task is to be commenced and a delivery time that determines when a task result that is tailored for information privileges granted to the information recipient by the information controller in accordance with the designated purpose is to be conveyed from the corresponding information provider to the information recipient such that the information service sends the plurality of tasks to the plurality of distinct information providers which process the tasks and subsequently respond to the information service with a plurality of task results that are then conveyed to the information recipient within the start time and an end time corresponding to the request life span;

the transaction generating a plurality of transaction identifiers, each transaction identifier specifying (a) a transaction type, (b) at least one of the plurality of information providers, (c) a particular task to be performed by a particular information provider, (d) a time when the particular task is to be performed, (e) a location at which a result of the particular task performed is to be conveyed, (f) a time at which a particular task result is to be returned to the information service within the request life span, and (g) a task life span during which the particular task result is valid, the particular task result being disposed of at an end of the task life span;

querying a record store for information associated with the information controller and associated with the designated purpose, wherein the information requestor and the information recipient are not authorized to directly access content of the record store;

generating at least one request result based at least in part upon information returned from the querying step, each request result corresponding to an information recipient and tailored for information privileges of the information recipient, wherein the information privileges are established by the information controller; and

conveying the at least one request result to the information recipient proximate to the designated time for providing the requested information, wherein the information recipient and the information requestor comprise different entities, and wherein the conveyed request result has an associated delete time at which time the request result is deleted from a data store accessible by the information recipient.

11. A method for an information service to provide information at a later designated time to requestors comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for information from a remotely located information requestor, the request associated with information controlled by an information controller and specifying a designated purpose thereby providing the requested information, the designated time for providing the requested information, and a request life span for the providing access to the requested information;

initiating a transaction to handle the request in accordance with the designated purpose, the designated time, and the request life span, wherein the transaction identifies at least one remotely located information recipient to receive a request result, wherein the transaction actuates a plurality of tasks to be performed by a plurality of distinct information providers, each task being performed by a corresponding information provider different from the information requestor and information controller, and wherein the transaction determines for each task a start time when the task is to be commenced and a delivery time that determines when a task result that is tailored for information privileges granted to the information recipient by the information controller in accordance with the designated purpose is to be conveyed from the corresponding information provider to the information recipient such that the information service sends the plurality of tasks to the plurality of distinct information providers which process the tasks and subsequently respond to the information service with a plurality of task results that are then conveyed to the information recipient within the start time and an end time corresponding to the request life span;

the transaction generating a plurality of transaction identifiers, each transaction identifier specifying (a) a transaction type, (b) at least one of the plurality of information providers, (c) a particular task to be performed by a particular information provider, (d) a time when the particular task is to be performed, (e) a location at which a result of the particular task performed is to be conveyed, (f) a time at which a particular task result is to be returned to the information service within the request life span, and (g) a task life span during which the particular task result is valid, the particular task result being disposed of at an end of the task life span;

querying a record store for information associated with the information controller and associated with the designated purpose, wherein the information requestor and the information recipient are not authorized to directly access content of the record store;

generating at least one request result based at least in part upon information returned from the querying step, each request result corresponding to an information recipient and tailored for information privileges of the information recipient, wherein the information privileges are established by the information controller; and

conveying the at least one request result to the information recipient proximate to the future time for providing the requested information, wherein the conveyed request result has an associated delete time at which time the request result is deleted from a data store accessible by the information recipient.

14. A system for providing information at a later designated time comprising:

an information service system to provide results in response to submitted requests, each request associated with an information controller and specifying a designated purpose thereby providing the requested information, the designated time for providing the requested information, and a request life span for the providing access to the requested information, wherein each result is associated with a recipient and tailored to authorization privileges granted by the information controller to the recipient, wherein the information service system comprises a central repository including information not directly accessible by a remote system to which each result it conveyed, wherein each of the provided result for requests has an associated delete time at which time the provided results are deleted from a data store accessible by an information recipient that received the provided results;

the system initiating a transaction to handle each request in accordance with the designated purpose, the designated time, and the request life span, wherein the transaction identifies at least one remotely located information recipient to receive a request result, wherein the transaction actuates a plurality of tasks to be performed by a plurality of distinct information providers, each task being performed by a corresponding information provider different from the information requestor and information controller, and wherein the transaction determines for each task a start time when the task is to be commenced and a delivery time that determines when a task result that is tailored for information privileges granted to the information recipient by the information controller in accordance with the designated purpose is to be conveyed from the corresponding information provider to the information recipient such that the information service sends the plurality of tasks to the plurality of distinct information providers which process the tasks and subsequently respond to the information service with a plurality of task results that are then conveyed to the information recipient within the start time and an end time corresponding to the request life span;

the system further generating a plurality of transaction identifiers, each transaction identifier specifying (a) a transaction type, (b) at least one of the plurality of information providers, (c) a particular task to be performed by a particular information provider, (d) a time when the particular task is to be performed, (e) a location at which a result of the particular task performed is to be conveyed, (f) a time at which a particular task result is to be returned to the information service within the request life span, and (g) a task life span during which the particular task result is valid, the particular task result being disposed of at an end of the task life span.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the information service system determines when the designated purpose has been completed, wherein results associated with the designated purpose are removed from the remote system to which each result is conveyed upon the determination that the designated purpose has been completed.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the central repository comprises:

a record store including information controlled by a plurality of information controllers and used by the information service system to provide results for requests, wherein information recipients are not granted direct access to content of the record store.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the central repository comprises:

at least one intelligent agent that is a software agent to manage a transaction, wherein a transaction is initiated by the request and responsively generates at least one of said results.

18. An information client for presenting information at a later designated time comprising:

an information presentation application for presenting results supplied by a remotely located information service system at the designated time, wherein the results are generated by the information service system responsive to information requests from a source other than the information client, wherein said results are specifically tailored to privileges an information controller granted to an information recipient corresponding to the information presentation application, wherein said results are automatically deleted upon the occurrence of an event, wherein the information presentation application is configured so as to be unable to retain a local copy of the results after the occurrence, wherein each result generated by the information service system has an associated delete time at which time the result is deleted from a data store accessible by the information presentation application;

wherein the information service system generates the results by initiating a transaction to handle each request in accordance with a designated purpose thereby providing information, the designated time for providing the information, and a life span for providing access to the information specified in each request, wherein the transaction identifies at least one remotely located information recipient to receive a request result, wherein the transaction actuates a plurality of tasks to be performed by a plurality of distinct information providers, each task being performed by a corresponding information provider different from the information requestor and information controller, and wherein the transaction determines for each task a start time when the task is to be commenced and a delivery time that determines when a task result is to be conveyed from the corresponding entity to at least one other entity such that the corresponding entity sends the plurality of tasks to the plurality of distinct entities which process the tasks and subsequently respond to the information service with a plurality of task results that are then conveyed to the information recipient within the start time and an end time corresponding to the request life span; and

wherein the information service system is further configured to generate a plurality of transaction identifiers, each transaction identifier specifying (a) a transaction type, (b) at least one of the plurality of information providers, (c) a particular task to be performed by a particular information provider, (d) a time when the particular task is to be performed, (e) a location at which a result of the particular task performed is to be conveyed, (f) a time at which a particular task result is to be returned to the information service within the limited time, and (g) a task life span during which the particular task result is valid, the particular task result being delivered proximate to the designated time for providing the requested information and being disposed of at an end of the task life span.

19. The information client of claim 18, further comprising:

a presentation engine for presenting the results;

a receiving engine for receiving the results from the information service system; and

a disposal engine for automatically deleting results from the information client upon the occurrence of the event, the occurrence established by the information service system.