System and method for the display of restricted information on private displays

• US 10,223,523 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2018
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: DR Systems Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Fram, Evan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shin-Hon (Eric)
• Application Number:
  US15/875,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for restricting data, or portions thereof, to specific display devices when accessed by a user. Furthermore, the system and method of the invention are directed, in part, to evaluating in real time, the access level of a device and restricting the availability of sensitive information on the device according to the access level as determined by device location and hardware configuration.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing inadvertent violations of confidentiality, the method comprising:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

determining, fora dataset including patient medical information wherein the dataset includes a first visual feature and a second visual feature, a first access restriction level of the first visual feature and a second access restriction level of the second visual feature;

receiving, from a display device, a request for the dataset;

accessing data indicating a physical size of the display device;

determining, based at least in part on the physical size of the display device, an access restriction level of the display device;

comparing the access restriction level of the display device and the first access restriction level of the first visual feature;

comparing the access restriction level of the display device and the second access restriction level of the second visual feature;

in response to comparing the access restriction level of the display device to the first access restriction level of the first visual feature of the dataset,

communicating the first visual feature of the dataset to the display device when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device satisfies a first threshold physical size associated with the first access restriction level of the first visual feature, and

restricting the display device from accessing the first visual feature of the dataset when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device fails to satisfy the first threshold physical size associated with the first access restriction level of the first visual feature;

in response to comparing the access restriction level of the display device to the second access restriction level of the second visual feature of the dataset,

communicating the second visual feature of the dataset to the display device when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device satisfies a second threshold physical size associated with the second access restriction level of the second visual feature, and

restricting the display device from accessing the second visual feature of the dataset when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device fails to satisfy the second threshold physical size associated with the second access restriction level of the second visual feature;

monitoring a hardware configuration of the display device; and

in response to a change in the hardware configuration that causes a change in the physical size of the display device

dynamically updating the access restriction level of the display device based on the change in the physical size of the display device,

comparing the access restriction level of the display device as dynamically updated and the first access restriction level, and

dynamically updating data communicated to the display device for display based on the results of comparing the access restriction level of the display device as dynamically updated and the first access restriction level, wherein updating the data communicated to the display device includes at least one selected from a group consisting of communicating the first visual feature to the display device for display when access to the first visual feature by the display device was previously restricted and restricting access to the first visual display feature by the display device when the first visual display feature was previously communicated to the display device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is associated with access credentials from a user, the method further comprising:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

receiving, from a second display device that is smaller than the first threshold physical size, a second request for the dataset, wherein the second request is associated with the access credentials;

accessing second data indicative of a physical size of the second display device;

determining, based at least in part on the physical size of the second display device, a second access restriction level of the second display device;

comparing the second access restriction level of the second display device and the first access restriction level of the first visual feature; and

in response to the comparison of the second access restriction level of the second display device and the first access restriction level of the first visual feature, communicating the first visual feature to the second display device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the physical size is an area or a length associated with a dimension of the display device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

authenticating a user of the display device; and

updating the access restriction level of the display device in response to authenticating the user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the physical size is an area or a length associated with a dimension of a display screen of the display device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the access restriction level of the display device further comprises:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

determining the access restriction level of the display device based at least in part on a location of the display device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

receiving, from the display device, a request for an audio feature associated with the dataset;

determining an audio configuration of the display device; and

in response to determining that the audio configuration is not configured to output audio through a private audio device, denying the request for the audio feature.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

receiving, from the display device, a request for an audio feature associated with the dataset;

determining an audio configuration of the display device; and

in response to determining that the audio configuration is configured to output audio through a private audio device, communicating the audio feature to the display device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

receiving input data from the display device when the access restriction level of the display device satisfies a threshold; and

updating the dataset to include the input data.

10. A system for preventing inadvertent disclosure of private information, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith; and

one or more processors configured to execute the program instructions to cause the one or more processors to;

receive, from a display device, a request for a dataset of patient medical information, wherein the dataset includes a first visual feature and a second visual feature;

determine a first access restriction level of the first visual feature and a second access restriction level of the second visual feature;

access data indicative of a physical size characteristic of the display device;

determine, based at least in part on the physical size characteristic of the display device, an access restriction level of the display device;

compare the access restriction level of the display device and the first access restriction level;

compare the access restriction level of the display device and the second access restriction level;

in response to the comparison of the access restriction level of the display device to the first access restriction level, communicate the first visual feature of the dataset to the display device;

in response to the comparison of the access restriction level of the display device to the second access restriction level, restrict the display device from accessing the second visual feature to prevent the display device from displaying the second visual feature when the physical size characteristic of the display device is larger than a threshold physical size associated with the second access restriction level;

monitor a hardware configuration of the display device; and

in response to a change in the hardware configuration that causes a change in the physical size characteristic of the display device,

dynamically update the access restriction level of the display device based on the change in the physical size characteristic of the display device,

compare the access restriction level of the display device as dynamically updated and the second access restriction level, and

in response to the comparison of the access restriction level of the display device as dynamically updated and the second access restriction level, communicate the second visual feature of the dataset to the display device in response to the physical size characteristic of the display device as changed satisfying the threshold physical size associated with the second access restriction level.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first visual feature and the second visual feature show different categories of medical information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the program instructions to further cause the one or more processors to:

access data indicative of a physical size characteristic of a second display device;

determine, based at least in part on the physical size characteristic of the second display device, an access restriction level of the second display device;

compare the access restriction level of the second display device and the first access restriction level of the first visual feature; and

in response to the comparison, communicate the first visual feature of the dataset to the second display device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the physical size characteristic includes at least one of:

a display screen length of the display device;

a display screen area of the display device;

or

a category of device type, wherein the device type is associated with a range of display sizes.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the access restriction level of the display device further comprises:

determining the access restriction level of the display device based at least in part on a location of the display device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the program instructions to further cause the one or more processors to:

in response to the comparison of the access restriction level of the display device to the second access restriction level, cause the display device to show an indicator that the access of the second visual feature is restricted.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to:

determine, based at least in part on patient medical information in a dataset, a first access restriction level of a first visual feature of the dataset and a second access restriction level of a second visual feature of the dataset;

receive, from a display device, a request for the dataset;

access data indicative of a physical size characteristic of the display device;

determine, based at least in part on the physical size characteristic of the display device, an access restriction level of the display device;

compare the access restriction level of the display device and the first access restriction level of the first visual feature of the dataset;

compare the access restriction level of the display device and the second access restriction level of the second visual feature;

in response to comparing the access restriction level of the display device to the first access restriction level of the first visual feature of the dataset,

communicate the first visual feature of the dataset to the display device when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device satisfies a first threshold physical size associated with the first access restriction level of the first visual feature, and

restrict the display device from accessing the first visual feature of the dataset when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device fails to satisfy the first threshold physical size associated with the first access restriction level of the first visual feature;

in response to comparing the access restriction level of the display device to the second access restriction level of the second visual feature of the dataset,

communicate the second visual feature of the dataset to the display device when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device satisfies a second threshold physical size associated with the second access restriction level of the second visual feature, and

restrict the display device from accessing the second visual feature of the dataset when the physical size of the display device associated with the access restriction level of the display device fails to satisfy the second thres hold physical size associated with the second access restriction level of the second visual feature;

monitor a hardware configuration of the display device; and

in response to a change in the hardware configuration that causes a change in the physical size of the display device

dynamically update the access restriction level of the display device based on the change in the physical size of the display device,

compare the access restriction level of the display device as dynamically updated and the first access restriction level, and

dynamically update data communicated to the display device for display based on the results of comparing the access restriction level of the display device as dynamically updated and the first access restriction level, wherein updating the data communicated to the display device includes at least one selected from a group consisting of communicating the first visual feature to the display device for display when access to the first visual feature by the display device was previously restricted and restricting access to the first visual display feature by the display device when the first visual display feature was previously communicated to the display device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are executable by one or more processors to further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request for an audio feature associated with the dataset;

determine an audio configuration of the display device; and

in response to determining that the audio configuration is configured to output audio through a private audio device, communicate the audio feature to the display device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are executable by one or more processors to further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request for an audio feature associated with the dataset;

determine an audio configuration of the display device; and

in response to determining that the audio configuration is not configured to output audio through a private audio device, restricting access of the audio feature from the display device.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein data indicative of the physical size characteristic includes at least one of:

a length;

an area; and

a category of device type, wherein the device type is associated with a range of display sizes.