System and method for archiving records

• US 8,234,251 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Making Everlasting Memories, LLC (Service Corporation International)
• Original Assignee: Making Everlasting Memories, LLC (Service Corporation International)
• Inventors: Mindrum, Gordon Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M
• Application Number:
  US12/178,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.104, 707/107, 707/673, 707/672, 707/671, 707/667, 707/665, 707/661, 715/866, 715/764, 715/762, 715/733, 715/722, 715/721, 715/720, 715/719, 715/717, 715/716, 725/143, 725/135, 725/105, 725/86, 358/442, 386/262
• US Class Current: 707/661
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 13/003 Funeral monuments, grave sites curbing or markers not making part of vaults E04H13/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method of archiving recordations includes providing a storage device in communication with a network. A plurality of recordations are received from a first user, and relate to a specific person. The plurality of recordations include medical records, and are transmitted from the first user via the network from a first remote computer. The recordations are stored on the storage device. A second user is given access to at least a portion of the stored recordations through a second remote computer via the network. A method may also include receiving hard copies of medical records from a customer. The hard copies may be digitized, which may include scanning the hard copies or copying information from the medical records onto a computer in communication with the storage device. The hard copies may be returned to the customer, along with the digitized medical records in a computer readable form.

Claims

1. A method of archiving recordations, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of recordations from a first user, wherein the plurality of recordations comprise medical records, wherein the plurality of recordations are transmitted from the first user via a network from a first remote computer, wherein the plurality of recordations relate to a specific deceased person;

(b) storing the recordations related to the deceased person on a storage device, wherein the storage device is in communication with the network; and

(c) providing tiered access to at least a portion of the stored recordations at a second remote computer via the network, wherein the act of providing tiered access comprises;

(i) establishing identifiers for a plurality of users, wherein a second user selected from the plurality of users is associated with one of the identifiers,

(ii) analyzing the identifier associated with the second user, and

(iii) providing access to a selected one of a first portion of the recordations or a second portion of the recordations based at least in part on the identifier associated with the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recordations further comprise audio recordations and video recordations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers comprise passwords.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of providing tiered access to at least a portion of the stored recordations to the second user comprises presenting scanned medical documents to the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific person has a medical history, wherein the act of providing tiered access to at least a portion of the stored recordations to the second user comprises presenting textual information about the specific person'"'"'s medical history.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) receiving hard copies of information from the first user, wherein the hard copies of information relate to the specific person;

(b) scanning the hard copies of information to create digitized copies of the information; and

(c) storing the digitized copies of the information on the storage device;

wherein the act of providing tiered access to at least a portion of the stored recordations to the second user comprises providing access to the digitized copies of the information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the hard copies of information comprise one or both of photographs or documents relating to the specific person.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending the hard copies of information back to the first user after the act of scanning.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) storing at least a portion of the recordations on a portable computer readable medium; and

(b) sending the portable computer readable medium to one or both of the first user or the second user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the portable computer readable medium comprises a CD.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the recordations are unrelated to medical records, the method further comprising:

(a) presenting a screen having a plurality of selection options to the second user, wherein the selection options are operable to select recordation types, wherein the recordation types include a medical records recordation type and a recordation type that is unrelated to medical records;

(b) receiving a recordation type selection from the second user; and

(c) presenting one or more of the recordations to the second user in response to the recordation type selection received from the second user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the recordations that are unrelated to medical records include one or more of audio clips, video clips, or photographs.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical records include a plurality of medical recordations, wherein the act of providing tiered access to at least a portion of the stored recordations to the second user comprises permitting the second user to page through the plurality of medical recordations.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of recordations from a plurality of first users via the network, wherein the plurality of recordations comprise medical records relating to a plurality of specific persons;

(b) storing the plurality of recordations from the plurality of first users on the storage device; and

(c) providing access to the stored plurality of recordations from the plurality of first users to a plurality of second users at remote computers via the network.

15. A method of archiving medical records, the method comprising:

(b) receiving hard copies of medical records from a customer, wherein the hard copies of medical records are sent by the customer from a location remote from the storage device;

(c) digitizing the hard copies of the medical records, wherein the act of digitizing comprises one or both of scanning the hard copies or copying information from the medical records onto a computer in communication with a computer readable storage device;

(d) storing the digitized medical records on the storage device;

(e) returning at least a portion of the hard copies of the medical records to the customer; and

(f) providing at least a portion of the digitized medical records to the customer in a computer readable form, wherein the at least a portion of the digitized medical records are configured to provide a biographical account of a deceased individual, wherein the act of providing at least a portion of the digitized medical records to the customer comprises storing at least a portion of the digitized medical records on a portable computer readable medium, and sending the portable computer readable medium to the customer.