SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING VERBAL AND GRAPHICAL INSTRUCTION FROM A REMOTE HEALTHCARE MONITORING SERVICE HELPDESK

• US 20100055656A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Lemmers, Johannes Hendrikus Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/529,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20100055656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

When installing a remote healthcare network system (10) in a users residence, a user input device, such as a remote control (26) for a home-end device (HED) (12) includes a helpdesk button (56) that the user (16) may depress to request a helpdesk session with a service provider helpdesk employee (20). The session is carried out using a network connection upon which a VoIP connection is built between the parties to permit verbal communication. Additionally, graphical information is exchanged using a broadband connection or the like. The HED (12) stores screenshots that represent actions the user (16) has performed during setup, and provides the screenshots to the helpdesk employee (20) during the session to assist the employee (20) in diagnosing the users problem. The employee (20) additionally sends graphical instructions or screen shots that are presented to the user (16) to instruct the user regarding a next action to resolve the issue. Additionally, when a reboot of the HED (12) is necessary to resolve the issue, the helpdesk session is automatically resumed upon reboot.

Claims

1. A system (10, 40) for providing verbal and graphical instruction from a remote healthcare monitoring service helpdesk, including:

a home-end device (HED) (12) with a communication link with a centralized server (18), and a memory that stores historical information associated with user actions during installation or operation of the HED (12);

a GUI (22) that presents graphical images to the user (16); and

a speaker (24) through which audio information is output to the user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the HED (12) further includes a wireless component (44) that receives wireless signals from a remote control (26).

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the system (10, 40) further includes a helpdesk button (56) that the user actuates to initiate a helpdesk session with a helpdesk employee (20) at the centralized server (18).

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the HED (12) receives a wireless helpdesk session signal from the remote control (26), enters helpdesk mode, and sends a helpdesk session request to the centralized server (18).

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the HED (12) transmits the stored historical information to the server (18) for review by the helpdesk employee (20).

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the historical information includes at least one of screenshots, a history of buttons pressed by the user, received measurement data, or systems status.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the screenshot is at least one of a bitmap image or a description of screen elements.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein user privacy-sensitive information is removed from the screenshot.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the screenshots are stored at the server (18) and protected against viewing by unauthorized personnel.

10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the helpdesk employee (20) sends graphical instructions from the server (18) to the HED (12) for presentation to the user (16) on the GUI (22).

11. The system according to claim 5, wherein the helpdesk employee (20) provides verbal instructions to the user (16) via the VoIP connection, and wherein the verbal instructions are presented to the user (16) through the speaker (24) coupled to the GUI (22).

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the HED (12) automatically resumes an interrupted helpdesk session with the server (18) upon reboot of the HED (12) using the stored historical information, and wherein the memory that stores historical information is located in at least one of the HED (12) or the server (18).

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the HED (12) includes a VoIP component (46) that provides a VoIP communication link with the server (18), and a microphone (14) into which a user (16) speaks during VoIP communication.

14. The system according to claim 1, further including:

a routine or means (62) for receiving a helpdesk session request at the centralized server (18);

a routine or means (64) for initiating a VoIP session between the helpdesk and the user;

a routine or means (66) for receiving VoIP information related to the user'"'"'s issue over a VoIP connection and system status information related to the user'"'"'s issue over a broadband connection;

a routine or means (68) for transmitting VoIP or graphical information from the centralized server (18) to the HED (12);

a routine or means (70) for presenting graphical instruction to the user (16); and

a routine or means (72) for storing screenshots related to user actions and receiving the stored screenshots at the centralized server (18) for review by the helpdesk employee (20).

15. A method of communicating using the system (10, 40) of claim 1, including:

receiving a request for a helpdesk session from the user (16);

initiating a session between the helpdesk and the user (16);

receiving information from the user (16) describing the user'"'"'s problem;

providing real-time video of a helpdesk employee (20) to the user (16);

providing graphical and verbal instruction to the user (16) via the GUI (22);

periodically evaluating whether the user'"'"'s problem has been resolved;

continuing the helpdesk session if the user'"'"'s problem has not been resolved or terminating the helpdesk session if the user'"'"'s problem has been resolved; and

storing helpdesk session information and automatically restoring the helpdesk session using the stored information if the system is rebooted during the helpdesk session.

16. A method for resolving a user problem using the system (10, 40) of claim 1, including:

storing screenshots associated with user actions during setup or use of the HED (12);

receiving a request for help from the user (16);

initiating a helpdesk session between the HED (12) and the centralized server (18);

recording the helpdesk session at the centralized server (18) for retrieval via a unique device recognition identification in the event of a system reboot;

updating the server (18) with information related to actions taken at or on the HED (12) during the helpdesk session;

providing real-time video of a helpdesk employee (20), and graphical instructions, to the user (16);

receiving the stored screenshots at the centralized server (18);

storing the helpdesk session in the HED (12);

and updating status changes at the HED (12);

employing the stored screenshots to determine feedback information in response to the help request; and

terminating the helpdesk session upon resolution of the issue that prompted the user request for the helpdesk session.

17. The method according to claim 16, further including resuming the helpdesk session if the HED (12) is rebooted.

18. The method according to claim 16, further including at least one of storing the screenshot information at the server (18) or stripping the screenshots of user privacy-sensitive information.

19. A method for troubleshooting installation and normal operation of a remote healthcare system (10, 40), including:

storing screenshots that describe HED (12) installation actions that a user (16) has completed;

optionally stripping privacy-sensitive information from the screenshot information and storing the screenshots at a server (18);

receiving a request for a user helpdesk session;

initiating the helpdesk session and providing a connection between the HED (12) and the server (18), which enables bi-directional communication between the user (16) and a helpdesk employee (20);

providing real-time video of a helpdesk employee to the HED (12) for display to the user (16) on the a GUI (22) coupled to the HED (12);

receiving the stored screenshots at the server (18) for review by the helpdesk employee (20); and

providing graphical instructions to the HED (14) and displaying them on the GUI (22).

20. The method according to claim 19, further including providing a VoIP connection and verbal instructions to the user (16) via the VoIP connection and a speaker (24) in the GUI (22), and receiving verbal information from the user (16) over the VoIP connection.

21. The method according to claim 19, further including recording information associated with the helpdesk session at the server (18) and at the HED (12).

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein recording information associated with the helpdesk session includes storing screenshots associated with user-completed actions.

23. The method according to claim 21, further including instructing the user (16) to reboot the HED (12) during the helpdesk session, and automatically resuming the helpdesk session after the HED (12) has rebooted.

24. The method according to claim 21, further including employing the helpdesk session information stored at the server (18) to make decisions related to healthcare service provided to the user (16).

25. A processor (48) or computer medium (50) programmed to perform the method of claim 19.

26. A system for communicating verbally and graphically with a remote patient, including:

means (52) for storing screenshots describing user activities performed during operation of an HED (12);

means (42) for receiving graphical and verbal instruction from a helpdesk employee (20), and for transmitting screenshots to a centralized server (18) for evaluation by the helpdesk employee (20); and

means (22, 24) for presenting received graphical or verbal instructions to the user for execution.

27. The system according to claim 26, further including means (26) for permitting the user (16) to enter information into an HED (12), the means (26) includes a means (14) for receiving audio input from the user and a means (56) for requesting a helpdesk session with a helpdesk employee (20).

28. The system according to claim 26, further comprising means (46) for communicating using a VoIP protocol.