Method and system for conveying medical information to a medical service person

• US 7,965,983 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: McKinney, David, Swan, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong; Dung
• Application Number:
  US11/633,236
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 4554142-4144, 455 411- 413, 705/2, 705/3, 128903-904
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method and system for securely conveying patient medical information to a medical service person is described. The conveyance may be conditional upon authentication of a unique code associated with a patient apparatus and a unique code associated with a medical service person apparatus. The patient medical information may be stored in a network server accessible by a medical information provider and conveyed in encrypted form to a medical service person apparatus via a patient apparatus. The medical information may be conveyed to the patient apparatus via a cellular communication and then conveyed to the medical service person'"'"'s apparatus via a short-range direct wireless connection such as BLUETOOTH or Wi-Fi. Once present on the medical service person'"'"'s apparatus, the medical information may decrypted and displayed.

Claims

1. A method of conveying medical information regarding a patient from a network server, via a first apparatus possessed by the patient to a second apparatus possessed by a medical service person, the method comprising:

receiving at the network server, via a cellular wireless connection from the first apparatus, a combination of (i) a first code that is associated with the first apparatus and that is stored on the first apparatus and (ii) a second code that is associated with the second apparatus and that the first apparatus received via a direct wireless connection from the second apparatus;

at the network server, using the combination as a basis to authorize transmission of the medical information to the first apparatus; and

at the network server, upon successful authorization of transmission of the medical information to the first apparatus, transmitting the medical information in an encrypted form to the first apparatus via the cellular wireless connection, for transmission of the medical information in turn from the first apparatus to the second apparatus via the direct wireless connection, for decryption and presentation to the medical service person of the medical information in turn by the second apparatus,

wherein the second apparatus has a decryption key that enables decryption and presentation of the medical information, and

wherein the first apparatus does not have a decryption key that enables decryption and presentation of the medical information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus is a cell phone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the direct wireless connection comprises a connection selected from the group consisting of a BLUETOOTH connection and a Wi-Fi connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct wireless connection is established when the second apparatus is in proximity to the first apparatus, and wherein the second code is conveyed from the second apparatus to the first apparatus after establishment of the direct wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second apparatus seeks to establish the direct wireless connection with the first apparatus in response to a request from the medical service person.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the combination is established by the first apparatus by a process comprising combining and encrypting the first code and the second code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein using the combination as a basis to authorize transmission of the medical information to the first apparatus comprises:

obtaining the first code from the combination, and validating the first code;

obtaining the second code from the combination, and validating the second code; and

authorizing the transmission in response to successful validation of the first code and successful validation of the second code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the decryption key that the second apparatus has is a master decryption key usable by the second apparatus to decrypt medical information regarding various patients.

9. A portable communication device possessed by a patient and usable for conveying medical information regarding the patient from a network server to an apparatus possessed by a medical service person, the portable communication device comprising:

a first wireless communication interface operable to engage in direct wireless communication;

a second wireless communication interface operable to engage in cellular wireless communication;

a processor;

data storage;

device data stored in the data storage and associated with the portable communication device; and

program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the processor (a) to receive apparatus data via the first wireless communication interface from the apparatus, the apparatus data being associated with the apparatus, (b) to send a combination of the device data and the apparatus data via the second wireless communication interface to the network server, (c) to then receive the medical information in an encrypted form via the second wireless communication interface from the network server, the network server having first used the combination to authorize transmission of the medical information to the portable communication device, and (d) to send the received medical information via the first wireless communication interface to the apparatus for decryption and presentation of the medical information in turn by the apparatus to the medical service person,

wherein the apparatus has a decryption key that enables decryption and presentation of the medical information, and

wherein the portable communication device does not have a decryption key that enables decryption and presentation of the medical information.

10. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the portable communication device is a cell phone.

11. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the direct wireless communication comprises a type of communication selected from the group consisting of BLUETOOTH communication and Wi-Fi communication.

12. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the program logic is executable to request the apparatus data from the apparatus after a direct wireless association is established between the portable communication device and the apparatus, and wherein the program logic is executable to receive the apparatus data in response to the request.

13. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the program logic is further executable to establish the combination by a process comprising combining and encrypting the apparatus data and the device data.

14. A method of conveying medical information regarding a patient, via a first apparatus possessed by the patient to a second apparatus possessed by a medical service person, wherein the first apparatus stores a first code associated with the first apparatus and the second apparatus stores a second code associated with the second apparatus, the method comprising:

establishing a direct wireless connection between the first apparatus and the second apparatus;

conveying the second code from the second apparatus to the first apparatus, via the direct wireless connection;

conveying a combination of the second code and first code from the first apparatus to a network server, via a cellular wireless connection;

at the network server, using the combination as a basis to authorize transmission of the medical information, and, upon successful authorization, transmitting the medical information in an encrypted form to the first apparatus via the cellular wireless connection; and

upon receipt by the first apparatus of the medical information transmitted from the network server, conveying the medical information from the first apparatus to the second apparatus via the direct wireless connection, for decryption and presentation of the medical information in turn by the second apparatus to the medical service person,

wherein the second apparatus has a decryption key that enables decryption and presentation of the medical information, and

wherein the first apparatus does not have a decryption key that enables decryption and presentation of the medical information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first apparatus is a cell phone.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein using the combination as a basis to authorize transmission of the medical information comprises:

obtaining the first code from the combination, and validating the first code;

obtaining the second code from the combination, and validating the second code; and

successfully authorizing the transmission in response to successful validation of the first code and successful validation of the second code.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising conveying from the first apparatus to the second apparatus additional medical information regarding the patient, wherein the additional medical information is stored on the first apparatus and is not received by the first apparatus from the network server.