Method and system for enhanced data transfer

• US 8,019,721 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hyden, Jason A., Markisohn, David Bradley, Allen, Janette Elaine, Baker, Christopher Richard, Young, Morris J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison; Jay A
• Application Number:
  US11/999,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200
• US Class Current: 707/617
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD

Abstract

A system and method for enhanced data transfer are disclosed, the method being applicable to a system comprising a computing device configured to transfer data from a portable device. In one embodiment, the computing device stores a fingerprint of the newest record downloaded from a portable device and stops downloading records from the device when a downloaded record matches the fingerprint. In another embodiment, the computing device stores a fingerprint of the newest record downloaded from a portable device and fully processes records that are downloaded from the device after a downloaded record matches the fingerprint. The system may include a portable device configured to adapt its operation responsive to a system fingerprint provided by the computing device. The portable device may be a medical device. The system may be a healthcare data management system.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing data transfers comprising the steps of:

determining a data transfer method utilized by a portable device as one of a LIFO and a FIFO sequential order;

retrieving a last record fingerprint from a computing device;

downloading records from the portable device in the one of the FIFO and LIFO sequential order;

transforming one of a downloaded record and the last record fingerprint to a same format as the other of the downloaded record and the last record fingerprint;

comparing each downloaded record to only the last record fingerprint to find a match; and

updating the last record fingerprint with a record fingerprint of a newest record downloaded,

wherein when the LIFO sequential order data transfer method is used no additional records are downloaded after a match is found, and wherein when the FIFO sequential order data transfer method is used a step of fully processing records that are downloaded after a match is found is performed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sequential order is a LIFO order, further including the steps of selecting previously downloaded records and downloading the selected records;

wherein no additional previously downloaded records are downloaded.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sequential order is a FIFO order, further including the steps of selecting previously downloaded records and fully processing the selected records.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the last record fingerprint is selected from the group consisting of a hash value of a record, an encrypted value of a record, and a record.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the last record fingerprint is downloaded from the portable device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the last record fingerprint is obtained by transforming a record downloaded from the portable device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable device is a medical device.

24. The method of claim 1, further including the step of associating the portable device with a patient, wherein the last record fingerprint is associated with the patient.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transforming comprises unencrypting one of the downloaded record and the last record fingerprint.

26. The method of claim 1, further including the step of determining a type of healthcare management software utilized by the portable device, wherein the last record fingerprint is associated with the type of healthcare management software.

8. A system for enhancing data transfers comprising:

a computing device configured to access and download data from a portable device; and

software configured to operate in the computing device and to;

recognize a data transfer method utilized by the portable device as one of a LIFO and a FIFO sequential order;

store and retrieve a last record fingerprint;

download records from the portable device in the one of the LIFO and the FIFO sequential order;

compare each downloaded record to only the last record fingerprint to find a match; and

update the last record fingerprint with a record fingerprint of a newest record from the portable device downloaded to the computing device, the record fingerprint comprising untransformed data of the newest record downloaded from the portable device,

wherein when the LIFO sequential order data transfer method is recognized no additional records are downloaded after a match is found, and wherein when the FIFO sequential order data transfer method is recognized a step of fully processing records that are downloaded after a match is found is performed.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the software is further configured to generate a last record fingerprint.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the last record fingerprint is selected from the group consisting of a hash value of a record, an encrypted value of a record, and a record.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the software is healthcare data management software and the portable device is a medical device.

27. The system of claim 8, wherein the software is further configured to transform one of a downloaded record from the portable device and the last record fingerprint to a same format as the other of the downloaded record and the last record fingerprint.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the software transforms one of the downloaded records and the last record fingerprint by unencrypting one of the downloaded record and the last record fingerprint.

29. The system of claim 8, wherein the software is further configured to associate the portable device with a patient, wherein the last record fingerprint is associated with the patient.

12. A data management system for enhancing data transfers comprising:

a computing device;

data management software configured to operate in the computing device and upload a system fingerprint to a portable device; and

a portable device configured to;

record data in records;

receive the system fingerprint from the data management software;

transform one of a record and a received system fingerprint to a same format as the other of the downloaded record and the system fingerprint;

compare each record to only the system fingerprint to find a match, the system fingerprint comprising a fingerprint of a newest record downloaded to the computing device;

transfer the records to the computing device in one of LIFO and FIFO sequential order, wherein when the LIFO sequential order is used no additional records are transferred after a match is found, and wherein when the FIFO sequential order is used records are only transferred after a match is found; and

adapt its operations with regard to the records based on a relationship between the system fingerprint and the records.

13. The system of claim 12 where the adaptation is responsive to a code encoded in the system fingerprint.

14. The system of claim 12 where the adaptation consists of preventing deletion of records not yet downloaded to the data management software.

15. The system of claim 12 where the adaptation consists of selecting and downloading records based on the type of data management system accessible to the portable device.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the system fingerprint further comprises a system identifier.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the system fingerprint further comprises a type of healthcare data management system.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the data management software is healthcare data management software.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the data management software is diabetes management software.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the portable device is a medical device.

30. The system of claim 12 where the adaptation consists of automatically transferring data records not yet transferred upon a next communication with the data management software.

21. A data management system for enhancing data transfers comprising:

a system interface adapted to communicate with at least one computing device;

a portable device adapted to record data in records, transfer the records in one of LIFO and FIFO sequential order to the computing device, communicate with the system interface and receive data from the system interface; and

a data management software adapted to operate in the computing device, the computing device configured to communicate with the system interface and upload a last record fingerprint to the portable device, the last record fingerprint comprising untransformed data of a newest record downloaded from the portable device to the computing device, the portable device configured to adapt at least one of its operations with regard to receipt of data from the system interface based on a comparison of the data to the fingerprint, wherein when the LIFO sequential order data transfer method is used no additional records are transferred to the computing device after a match is found, and wherein when the FIFO sequential order data transfer method is used records are transferred to the computing device after a match is found.

22. The data management system of claim 21, wherein the last record fingerprint further comprises at least one of a type of data and a type of software.

23. The data management system of claim 21, wherein the last record fingerprint further comprises a software code.