Method and system for graphically displaying consolidated condition data for equipment in a host facility

• US 7,774,211 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mullen, Paul L., Kathuria, Mobit S
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/681,475
• Time in Patent Office: 3,406 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/29, 705/22, 705/30, 705/2
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and process to manage and administer assets of an institution is provided and includes a graphical user interface to display urgent device alerts and scheduled tasks reminders. The system includes a consolidation engine that, at a centralized processing facility, receives and consolidates data from a number of auto-generation and manual-generated data sources, which are located within a host facility. A method to graphically display consolidated condition data for equipment of a host facility is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for remotely managing an institution comprising the steps of:

remotely collecting condition data representative of device status for a number of devices utilized in an institution, the condition data segregated into device diagnostic data and device reminder data;

storing the condition data on a database at a centralized facility;

reviewing the condition data to identify at least the device diagnostic data and the device reminder data; and

separately displaying and identifying on a graphical user interface (GUI) the device diagnostic data and the device reminder data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of automatically updating the GUI on one of user refreshing and user accessing of the GUI.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of indicating on the GUI the devices requiring immediate attention including identifying the devices in need of repair, servicing, and updating.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying on the GUI a reminder profile including a list of devices that require routine attention.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the institution is a medical institution and further comprising the step of displaying on the GUI news updates relating to the devices in the medical institutions.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of displaying news links to a number of news GUIs configured to display information about one of a device, a device technology, and a device development.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying on the GUI a device location within the medical institution and further comprising the step of displaying on the GUI one of a department and an individual responsible for immediate management and monitoring of the device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying on the GUI billing information for a device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the device diagnostic data includes alert data requiring immediate operator attention and the device reminder data includes reminder data for eventual operator attention.

10. A graphical user interface (GUI) for a remotely located host configured to display management information for a plurality of devices comprising:

an alert section having a number of alert indicators configured to indicate urgent items relating to a device;

a reminder section having a number of reminder indicators configured to display scheduled items relating to the device; and

a general information section having a number of general information textlinks configured to display product updates and technology news specific to the device.

11. The GUI of claim 10 wherein the number of alert indicators, the number of reminder indicators, and the number of general information textlinks automatically update with each user access.

12. The GUI of claim 10 wherein the number of alert indicators, the number of reminder indicators, and the number of general information textlinks are tailored to be specific to a particular user.

13. The GUI of claim 10 wherein a number of the alert indicators, a number of the reminder indicators, and a number of general information textlinks are further configured to link a user upon selection to a number of information specific GUIs.

14. The GUI of claim 10 configured to be accessed via an Internet connection.

15. The GUI of claim 10 further comprising a number of host navigational tabs including a “

Services Home”

tab, a “

Solution Services”

tab, a “

Services”

tab, an “

Asset Management”

tab, a “

Financial Services”

tab, an “

Education”

tab, and a “

Contact Device Provider”

tab, wherein the number of navigational tabs are configured to link a user to a number of service GUIs.

16. The GUI of claim 10 further configured to display a consolidation of automatically generated data and manually generated data including marketing data, customer-entered data, and messages from services and sales personnel.

17. The GUI of claim 10 wherein the host includes a medical institution.

18. A system to display consolidation information for a remote medical facility comprising;

a computerized network;

a readable memory electronically linked to the network;

a plurality of computers connected to the network wherein at least one of the plurality of computers displays electronic data to a user in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI);

a processing unit capable of calling a GUI on demand and causing a representation of condition data of a medical facility to be displayed upon request by a user;

a plurality of devices in a remote medical facility connected to a consolidation facility; and

a computer at the consolidation facility programmed to;

continually acquire condition data of the plurality of devices;

continually acquire reminder data wherein the reminder data includes a plurality of scheduled tasks;

display the condition data and the reminder data on a refreshable graphical user interface (GUI); and

enable data transmission to the remote medical facility in addition to the display of the condition data and the reminder data on the refreshable GUI.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer is further programmed to determine a number of devices in need of immediate attention.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer is further programmed to automatically display on the GUI updated condition data and the reminder data with each user access of the GUI.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer is further programmed to automatically consolidate data from a number of auto-generation systems and manual generation systems including marketing messaging information, messages from remote personnel, and customer input information, and display the consolidated data on the GUI.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the auto-generation systems include remote monitoring and diagnostic systems, network monitoring systems, dynamic asset tracking systems, billing, invoicing, and control management systems, and news providing systems.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer is further programmed to acquire the condition data and the reminder data via a LAN, a WAN, a telephone system, a cable communication system, and a wireless system.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer is further programmed to display on the GUI general information including industry news, device news, technology news, and news relating to the remote facility.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein the remote facility is a medical institution and the plurality of devices include medical diagnostic and medical imaging devices.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer is further programmed to enable data transmission to allow information to be provided to the plurality of devices in the remote medical facility.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the computer is further programmed to receive manually entered data and enable data transmission to allow information to be provided to the plurality of devices in the remote medical facility in response to receiving the manually entered data.