Pet and People Care Management System

• US 20120166322A1
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pet Check Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pet Check Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Simon, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 9,165,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A pet or human care management system and method are provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a portable electronic device carried by a care service provider to scan a care customer bar code at the location of a care visit to indicate the start and/or end of the care visit. The portable electronic device also includes a GPS component and transmits its location at a plurality of times during the care visit, such as to indicate the path of a scheduled walk. A website is employed to administrate the care management system, including scheduling walks, licensing care providers, and creating customer and care provider accounts.

Claims

1. A pet and human care management system comprising:

a portable electronic device including a microprocessor, a memory, a geographic location sensing mechanism, and a code input mechanism;

the microprocessor programmed with instructions to

receive a customer code input by a user to identify a care customer;

receive input from the user to mark the start of a care visit to the care customer;

cause to be stored the time at which the visit start input is received;

cause to be stored the sensed geographic location of the portable device at a plurality of times during the care visit;

receive input from the user to mark the end of the care visit; and

cause to be stored the time at which the visit end input is received.

2. The system of claim 1, the portable electronic device further including a clock, and the microprocessor further programmed with instructions to read and store in the portable electronic device memory, as a care visit start time and end time, respectively, the times from the clock when the visit start input is received and when the visit end input is received.

3. The system of claim 2, the microprocessor further programmed with instructions

to store the sensed geographic locations in the portable electronic device memory;

and

to read and store the corresponding times from the clock when the geographic location of the portable device is sensed in the portable electronic device memory.

4. The system of claim 1, the instruction to cause to be stored the times at which the visit start and end inputs are received comprising an instruction to immediately transmit, to a remotely located server, data indicating a visit start when the visit start input is received and data indicating a visit end when the visit end input is received.

5. The system of claim 1, the instruction to cause to be stored the sensed geographic location of the portable device comprising an instruction to immediately transmit, to a remotely located server, data indicating the geographic location at each of the plurality of times at which the geographic location is sensed.

6. The system of claim 4, the portable electronic device further comprising a clock, and the microprocessor further programmed with instructions

to detect whether a transmission signal is available to transmit the visit start or end data when the respective input is received;

and

if a transmission signal is unavailable,

to read and store the time from the clock when the input is received; and

to transmit the start or end data and the corresponding stored time from the clock to the remotely located server when a transmission signal becomes available.

7. A pet and human care management system comprising:

a server including a microprocessor, a memory, means for receiving data input, and a display;

the memory storing a code identifying a care customer; and

the microprocessor programmed with instructions to

input a received care customer code,

compare the received care customer code to the stored care customer code,

if the received care customer code equals the stored care customer code, store a care visit start time, input a received care visit end message, store a care visit end time, input received data indicating the geographic location of a portable electronic device at a plurality of times between the care visit start time and the care visit end time, and

display on the display the care visit start time, care visit end time, and received geographic locations of the portable electronic device.

8. The system of claim 7, the microprocessor further programmed with instructions to transmit a message to a remotely located customer device indicating the care visit start time, care visit end time, and input geographic locations of the portable electronic device.

9. A method of providing managed care to a pet or human customer comprising:

providing a portable electronic device having a microprocessor, a memory, a geographic location sensing mechanism, and a code input mechanism at the site where care is provided to the care customer;

inputting into the portable electronic device a customer code identifying the care customer;

inputting into the portable electronic device data marking the start of the care visit;

providing a care service to the care customer comprising traveling along a care service path, while transporting the portable electronic device along the care service path;

causing a sensed geographic location of the portable electronic device to be stored at a plurality of locations along the care service path; and

inputting into the portable electronic device data marking the end of the care visit.

10. The method of claim 9, where transporting the portable electronic device along the care service path comprises a care service provider carrying the portable electronic device along the care service path.

11. The method of claim 9, where transporting the portable electronic device along the care service path comprises providing the electronic device to the care customer for the care customer to carry along the care service path.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a second portable electronic device to the care customer for the care customer to carry along the care service path, and causing a geographic location sensed by the second device to be stored at a plurality of locations along the care service path.

13. A method of administrating a care visit to a pet or human customer comprising:

providing a server including a microprocessor, a memory, means for receiving data input, and a display, the memory storing a code identifying a care customer;

causing the server to

input a care customer code received from a remotely located portable electronic device,

compare the received care customer code to the stored care customer code,

if the received care customer code equals the stored care customer code, store a care visit start time corresponding to a care visit start signal received from the portable electronic device, store a care visit end time corresponding to a care visit end signal received from the portable electronic device, store data received from the portable electronic device indicating the geographic location of the portable electronic device at a plurality of times between the care visit start time and the care visit end time, and

display on the display the care visit start time, care visit end time, and the input geographic locations of the portable electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing to be transmitted from the server to a remotely located customer device a message indicating the care visit start and end times and the input geographic locations of the portable electronic device.