Modular microprocessor-based appliance system
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Abstract
A system and method is described that enables a health care provider to monitor and manage a health condition of a patient. The system includes a health care provider apparatus operated by a health care provider and a remotely programmable patient apparatus that is operated by a patient. The health care provider develops a script program using the health care provider apparatus and then sends the script program to a remotely programmable patient apparatus through a communication network such as the World Wide Web. The script program is a computer-executable patient protocol that provides information to the patient about the patient'"'"'s health condition and that interactively monitors the patient health condition by asking the patient questions and by receiving answers to those questions. The answers to these health related questions are then forwarded as patient data from the remotely programmable patient apparatus to the health care provider apparatus through the communication network. The patient data may also include information supplied by a physiological monitoring device such as a blood glucose monitor that is connected to the remotely programmable patient apparatus. When the patient data arrives at the health care provider apparatus, the patient data is processed for further management of the patient'"'"'s health condition by the health care provider, such as forwarding another script program to the remotely programmable patient apparatus.
146 Citations
76 Claims
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1-53. -53. (canceled)
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54. A networked appliance system comprising:
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a programmable microprocessor;
at least one input mechanism;
a memory having instructions and/or other information;
a display;
at least one appliance having at least one monitor operable for monitoring a parameter associated with operation of the appliance and for producing digitally encoded signals representative of the monitored parameter;
a communications device connectable in signal communication with both the programmable microprocessor and the at least one monitor; and
program instructions for the programmable microprocessor that, (i) cause instructions and/or other information stored in the memory to be presented to a user on the display, (ii) collect data from a user interaction with the at least one input mechanism in response to the display and stores data in memory, (iii) collect data from the at least one monitor and stores the data in memory, (iv) transmit data to a remotely located server, (v) receive from the server instructions and/or other information stored on the server for transmission to the programmable microprocessor, and (vi) store instructions and/or other information in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A method of using a modular microprocessor networked appliance system comprising:
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(a) at a site employing at least one appliance, (i) using stored program instructions to generate appliance related information on at least one display;
(ii) collecting appliance related data using a programmable microprocessor;
(b) connecting at least one remotely located computing facility including at least one central server for communication with a communications device at the appliance site; and
(c) providing appliance data to at least one computer remotely located from and in signal communication with the central server, wherein hardware and software of the central server are configured to receive and store appliance-related data from a appliance site that can be viewed or retrieved by an authorized user from the remotely located computer. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A system for remotely monitoring an appliance, the system comprising:
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a) a server;
b) a remote interface for entering in the server a set of queries to be answered by a user of the appliance; and
c) a remotely programmable apparatus for interacting with the appliance, the remotely programmable apparatus being in communication with the server;
wherein the server comprises;
i) a script generator for generating a script program from the set of queries, the script program being executable by the remotely programmable apparatus to communicate the set of queries to a user of the appliance, to receive responses to the set of queries, and to transmit the responses from the remotely programmable apparatus to the server; and
ii) a database connected to the script generator, the database for storing the script program and the responses to the set of queries;
and wherein the remotely programmable apparatus comprises;
i) a communication device for receiving the script program from the server and for transmitting the responses to the server;
ii) a user interface for communicating the set of queries to the user and for receiving the responses to the set of queries;
iii) a memory for storing the script program and the responses to the set of queries; and
iv) a processor connected to the communication device, the user interface, and the memory for executing the script program to communicate the set of queries to the user, to receive the responses to the set of queries, and to transmit the responses to the server. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification