System and methods for providing a healthcare industry trade show via internet

• US 7,941,322 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brown H. Stephen, John S. Shelton
• Original Assignee: Brown H. Stephen, John S. Shelton
• Inventors: Brown, H. Stephen, Shelton, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEP VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/040,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,297 Days
• Field of Search: 705/20, 705/2, 705/3, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A system or method for providing a 3-D virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet including at least one server computer for collecting, assembling, storing, correlating, or otherwise processing information desired by a participant of the healthcare industry, and at least one other computer used by the participant of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to conduct transactions with other participants or exhibitors of the healthcare industry trade show. Other embodiments include means for leaving any facility or any activity in progress and then return to at the same location, timing to continue without starting from the beginning of the visit or activity, means for creating a 3-D virtual Continuing Education facility, and means for disseminating FDA permitted off-label product promotions which are scientific and educational in nature to medical community as delivered by independent third parties in the formats of clinical trials, special studies, and grand rounds.

Claims

1. A system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet, comprising:

at least one server computer for providing healthcare sources of information, products or services desired by participants of the healthcare industry trade show, said at least one server computer having an access-limiting software element for conditionally controlling access to said healthcare industry trade show by said participants, said access-limiting software element of said at least one server computer including a verification and authorization software component including computer-executable instructions for limiting access to said virtual healthcare trade show based on access-limiting requirements from individual healthcare sources, on access-limiting requirements of applicable laws and regulations, and on access-determining credential data provided by each of said participants and attendees so as to ensure that each of said participants of the healthcare industry and said attendees is appropriately authorized to conduct transactions of access-limited information, products or services with other so authorized participants of the healthcare industry trade show or attendees;

at least one other computer used by any of said participants of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to said at least one server computer to conduct transactions via said healthcare industry trade show; and

a plurality of communication vehicles adapted to be selectably used by attendees of said healthcare industry trade show, and operatively connectable to communicate directly with and through said at least one server computer via the internet so as to conduct transactions with at least one of said healthcare sources and said participants via said healthcare industry trade show, wherein communication between any of said healthcare sources and participants of the healthcare industry facilitated through said at least one server computer with said attendees and others of said participants of the healthcare industry uses any of said plurality of communication vehicles, at the option of any of said participants of the healthcare industry or said attendees, whereby said communication between said healthcare sources, said participants and said attendees form a virtual trade show independent of any non-virtual activities in the healthcare industry, and

said server computer includes;

a software component and data storage configured to create virtual representations of facilities of said healthcare industry trade show and for supporting different browsers of said at least one other computer to view said virtual representations;

a software component and data storage configured to facilitate an attendee signing off any facility or any activity in progress and then returning to said facility or activity to resume the visit or activity at the same location, timing to continue visit the facility or resuming the activity without starting from the beginning of the visit or activity; and

a software component and data storage configured to collect and disseminate FDA permitted off-label product promotions which are scientific and educational in nature to medical community as delivered by independent third parties in the formats of clinical trials, special studies, and grand rounds.

2. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to play per-recorded corresponding information when a selected one of displayed facilities is being shown.

3. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to provide and display a menu icon for bringing out a menu bar or calling up a Concierge menu screen, said menu bar or menu screen having bottom for browse, search, bookmark, or ask for recommendation, or to view facilities visited by an Attendee previously.

4. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to update displayed information in said healthcare industry trade show by revising from said at least one other computer.

5. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to link at least one keyword, or paragraph, or article in displayed information to a on-line information source to thereby synchronize contents thereof.

6. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to collect and display most frequented browsed articles, class, lecture, booth, room, or hall by predetermined categories or sub-categories of said participants of the healthcare industry.

7. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to collect and display recommended articles, class, lecture, booth, room, or hall by predetermined categories or sub-categories of exhibitors which sponsor virtual booths in said healthcare industry trade show.

8. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to collect and display a number of virtual posters with visual, self-explanatory presentations of recent research findings interesting to participants of the healthcare industry in a virtual poster room.

9. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 8, wherein said poster room is predetermined to designate for a particular subject matter by said healthcare industry trade show or is organized and assembled for an attendee on demand.

10. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 8, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to reduce or increase the number of virtual posters in the poster room based upon a request by an attendee.

11. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 8, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to change the virtual posters in the poster room based upon a search requested by an attendee.

12. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage for data mining configured to develop in-depth attendee information based upon preliminary information provided by the attendee during registration, additional personal information available from other sources, and Attendee'"'"'s visiting history of said healthcare industry trade show.

13. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 1, wherein the software component and data storage are configured to create 3-D visual virtual representations of the facilities of said healthcare industry trade show and for supporting different browsers of said at least one other computer to view said 3-D visual virtual representations.

14. A system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet, comprising:

at least one server computer for providing healthcare sources of information, products or services desired by participants of the healthcare industry trade show, said at least one server computer having an access-limiting software element for conditionally controlling access to said healthcare industry trade show by said participants, said access-limiting software element of said at least one server computer including a verification and authorization software component including computer-executable instructions for limiting access to said virtual healthcare trade show based on access-limiting requirements from individual healthcare sources, on access-limiting requirements of applicable laws and regulations, and on access-determining credential data provided by each of said participants and attendees so as to ensure that each of said participants of the healthcare industry and said attendees is appropriately authorized to conduct transactions of access-limited information, products or services with other so authorized participants of the healthcare industry trade show or attendees;

at least one other computer used by any of said participants of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to said at least one server computer to conduct transactions via said healthcare industry trade show; and

a plurality of communication vehicles adapted to be selectably used by attendees of said healthcare industry trade show, and operatively connectable to communicate directly with and through said at least one server computer via the internet so as to conduct transactions with at least one of said healthcare sources and said participants via said healthcare industry trade show, wherein communication between any of said healthcare sources and participants of the healthcare industry facilitated through said at least one server computer with said attendees and others of said participants of the healthcare industry uses any of said plurality of communication vehicles, at the option of any of said participants of the healthcare industry or said attendees, whereby said communication between said healthcare sources, said participants and said attendees form a virtual trade show independent of any non-virtual activities in the healthcare industry, and

said server computer includes

a software component and data storage configured to create a virtual Continuing Education facility for providing continuing education to said participants of the healthcare industry;

a software component and data storage configured to facilitate an attendee signing off any facility or any activity in progress and then returning to said facility or activity to resume the visit or activity at the same location, timing to continue visit the facility or resuming the activity without starting from the beginning of the visit or activity; and

a software component and data storage configured to collect and disseminate FDA permitted off-label product promotions which are scientific and educational in nature to medical community as delivered by independent third parties in the formats of clinical trials, special studies, and grand rounds.

15. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 14, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to determine behavioral outcomes as a result of attending a Continuing Educational activity by comparing surveyed attendee behavior before and after attending the activity.

16. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 14, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to play per-recorded corresponding speech when a selected virtual classroom or lecture hall is being shown.

17. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 14, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to generate and display a sub-screen for showing a presentation outline of said speech of an on-going class or lecture.

18. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 14, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to manipulate said outline to be scrolled up or down for different slides or screenshots in conjunction with recorded speech corresponding with each slide or screenshot.

19. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 14, wherein said server computer further includes a software component and data storage configured to provide and display a menu icon for bringing out a menu bar or calling up a Concierge menu screen, said menu bar or menu screen having bottoms for browse, search, bookmark a class or lecture, or ask for recommendation, or to view classes or lectures taken by an Attendee previously.

20. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 14, wherein the software component and the data storage are configured to create a 3-D virtual Continuing Education facility for providing continuing education to said participants of the healthcare industry.

21. A system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via interne, comprising:

at least one server computer for providing healthcare sources of information, products or services desired by participants of the healthcare industry trade show, said at least one server computer having an access-limiting software element for conditionally controlling access to said healthcare industry trade show by said participants, said access-limiting software element of said at least one server computer including a verification and authorization software component including computer-executable instructions for limiting access to said virtual healthcare trade show based on access-limiting requirements from individual healthcare sources, on access-limiting requirements of applicable laws and regulations, and on access-determining credential data provided by each of said participants and attendees so'"'"'as to ensure that each of said participants of the healthcare industry and said attendees is appropriately authorized to conduct transactions of access-limited information, products or services with other so authorized participants of the healthcare industry trade show or attendees;

at least one other computer used by any of said participants of the healthcare industry connected via internet or intranet to said at least one server computer to conduct transactions via said healthcare industry trade show; and

a plurality of communication vehicles adapted to be selectably used by attendees of said healthcare industry trade show, and operatively connectable to communicate directly with and through said at least one server computer via the internet so as to conduct transactions with at least one of said healthcare sources and said participants via said healthcare industry trade show, wherein communication between any of said healthcare sources and participants of the healthcare industry facilitated through said at least one server computer with said attendees and others of said participants of the healthcare industry uses any of said plurality of communication vehicles, at the option of any of said participants of the healthcare industry or said attendees, whereby said communication between said healthcare sources, said participants and said attendees form a virtual trade show independent of any non-virtual activities in the healthcare industry,

wherein said server computer includes

a software component and data storage configured to create virtual representations of facilities of said healthcare industry trade show and for supporting different browsers of said at least one other computer to view said virtual representations;

a software component and data storage configured to facilitate an attendee signing off any facility or any activity in progress and then returning to said facility or activity to resume the visit or activity at the same location, timing to continue visit the facility or resuming the activity without starting from the beginning of the visit or activity; and

a software component and data storage configured to collect and disseminate FDA permitted off-label product promotions which are scientific and educational in nature to medical community as delivered by independent third parties in the formats of clinical trials, special studies, and grand rounds.

22. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 21, wherein said software component and data storage are further configured to disseminate as initiated by a manufacturer of the off-label product or requested by an attendee of said healthcare industry trade show.

23. The system for providing a virtual healthcare industry trade show via internet according to claim 21, wherein the software component and the data storage are configured to create 3-D visual virtual representations of facilities of said healthcare industry trade show and for supporting different browsers of said at least one other computer to view said 3-D visual virtual representations.