Patent Publication Number: US-2015073897-A1

Title: Advertising based medical digital imaging

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/194,897, filed Jul. 29, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/368,927, filed on Jul. 29, 2010, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to providing data, and more particularly to systems, methods, and computer-program products for providing medical digital images. 
     2. Related Art 
     Medical care often requires imaging to determine patients&#39; problems as well as the correct course of action for treating them. However, physicians and other care providers, e.g., orthopedic surgeons, etc, are often off-site when patients visit the hospital with injuries requiring treatment. While their expertise is often necessary to optimize patient care, often off site care providers cannot provide or oversee optimal care without imaging, e.g., x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), pictures of patients&#39; injuries, etc. While the internet and technology may be used to enable offsite care providers to access images for providing care, most hospitals and most of the orthopedic community have limited access to digital imaging solutions for this problem. In fact, there are few applications available for care providers to access radiographic and other images while on call from outside of the hospital and only a minority of care providers and hospitals have implemented these applications. 
     SUMMARY 
     In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a method and computer readable medium are disclosed. 
     A method for providing a medical digital image on a device according to an embodiment of the current invention includes receiving the medical digital image from an image depot, receiving an advertisement, presenting the advertisement on a display of the device, and presenting the medical digital image on the display of the device. 
     Another method for providing a medical digital image according to an embodiment of the current invention includes receiving a medical digital image from an image provider, receiving an advertisement from an advertisement device, determining that the medical digital image should be sent to a user device, sending the medical digital image in response to the determination, and sending the advertisement to the user device in response to the determination. 
     A medium according to an embodiment of the current invention includes holds computer-executable instructions for operating a programming environment using a computer, where the instructions include instructions for receiving a medical digital image from an image provider, associating the medical digital image with a user account, receiving an advertisement from an advertisement device, receiving an image request associated with a user of a user device, verifying that the user associated with the user device corresponds with the user account associated with the image request, sending the medical digital image based on the verification, and sending the advertisement to the user device based on the sending of the medical digital image. 
     Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various exemplary embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an advertising based medical digital imaging system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates exemplary processing for providing medical digital imaging according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a computer system that may be configured to practice an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment of the present invention facilitates telemedicine to allow a care provider to provide medical care remotely from a provider of a medical digital image. 
     There are two main factors that limit access for most care providers to digital images that would optimize patient care. First, the costs of such systems are prohibitive for most care providers. Second, while applications for general image transmission are available, few applications are tailored to the needs of the on-call or off site physician. 
     Conventional systems for medical digital image transmission place the burden of cost from access to digital imaging on hospitals and/or care providers. Hospitals that want to provide Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and other digital imaging services to care providers (e.g., orthopedic surgeons) must pay either large upfront costs and/or relatively large subscription fees. If the hospitals are unwilling to underwrite these costs, the care providers must do so. Since hospitals and care providers generally have limited financial reserve, the investment capital necessary to provide or obtain access to digital imaging is often unavailable. Consequently, conventional technological solutions to provide medical imaging access for off-site physicians are not economically practical. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention solves the problem of excessive costs for access to medical digital imaging in two ways. First, it uses a subscription model for a digital imaging service that provides immediate access to images taken at emergency rooms, hospitals, urgent cares, etc. In contrast to many of the current PACS systems that require upfront expenditures from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars, the embodiment employs a “pay as you go” subscription service for a nominal fee. The second feature is that the embodiment derives revenue stream from sales of online advertisements that are delivered to a target audience in concert with image transmission. Since a large proportion of revenue comes from advertising, subscription costs can be minimized or eliminated. The embodiment solves the problem of a relative void in care provider specific digital imaging applications by providing a low cost, easy to use application readily accessible by cell phones and other mobile computing alternatives. Again since revenue is derived from advertising, this care provider specific application can be provided for a nominal cost. 
     Online advertising revenue offsets the costs of medical digital imaging services. The system of the present invention transfers the expense of providing digital imaging access to advertisers. Online advertisement revenue not only underwrites the cost of image transmission and access, but makes low cost applications for modern cell phones and mobile computers both feasible and profitable. With online advertising revenue, a profit on the sale of the “application” enabling the medical digital imaging may not be needed. With each application purchased or contracted, the system increases the targeted audience it can deliver to its advertising clients. Thus, the system utilizes low cost applications for digital imaging to increase profit margins for the imaging service provider while simultaneously decreasing costs to hospitals, care providers, and our healthcare system. 
     Digital imaging access may be provided in a variety of ways. A provider may use the internet or online advertisement as a primary or secondary source of revenue. Profit in internet advertisement is based on the sale of access of target audiences to advertisers. Hospitals, off-site care providers, and on site care providers in different locations that require image transmission are a captive and reproducible target audience. 
     Hospitals and care providers have varied capacity with regards to image access. Some have no investment in digital imaging and some have expensive comprehensive systems. Image depot  102  provides digital imaging access to care providers without regard to their prior or current capacity. Image depot  102 , which employs online advertising, may attract hospitals and/or care providers to switch from a conventional service provider because of cost savings, and similarly, may cause care providers to switch their cellular phone service because of a less expensive plan. 
     Conventional imaging service providers generally make their profits by selling expensive PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems.) and, therefore, do not have an incentive to conceptualize or adopt an advertising based medical digital imaging system. These companies depend on limited access and increased demand to drive their profit model. The implementation of another model that offers widespread access to this technology for minimal cost would directly undermine profits from their established business. In the advertising based model described herein, increased access results in increased ads and consequently increased revenue for an advertising based image service provider. In contrast, increased access will decrease demand for the services of conventional providers, resulting in decreased sales profits for conventional providers Additionally, the introduction of a low-cost advertising based imaging will also take away market share of conventional imaging service providers, further reducing their revenues. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an advertising based medical digital imaging system  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. System  100  includes image depot  102 , advertiser device  110 , image provider  120 , user device  130 , and user device  132 . 
     Image depot  102  is a computing device which manages advertisements, medical digital images, and communications between advertiser device  110 , image provider  120 , user device  130 , and user device  132 . Advertisements include wallpaper advertisements, video advertisements, pop-up advertisements, polite advertisements, interstitial advertisements, etc. Medical digital images include a single two-dimensional image, a single three-dimensional image, a still image, a group of images, a series of images, a video, etc. Medical digital images include: radiographs and other more advanced medical imaging, e.g, X-ray computed tomography (CT), MRI, etc., and photographic based images. 
     Image depot  102  also ensures security of at least one of advertisements, medical digital images, or communications. For example, image depot  102  encrypts data stored within image depot  102  and encrypts communications sent by image depot  102 . Image depot  102  may also authenticate and/or authorize access to image depot  102  by at least one of advertiser device  110 , image provider  120 , user device  130 , or user device  132 . In one embodiment, image depot  102  also provides for collaboration between a user of user device  130  and a user of user device  132 . 
     Image depot  102  includes content management system  104  and application server  106 . Content management system  104  permits communications to be established with advertiser device  110  and image provider  120 . Content management system  104  additionally manages the storage and transmission of advertisements, digital medical images, information regarding the advertisements, and digital medical images. For example, in one embodiment content management system  104  determines the advertisement transmitted to user device  130  based on at least one of the contents of the medical digital image, patient data associated with the medical digital image, user data associated with a user authorized to receive the medical digital image, or user device data. Patient data includes at least one of name, age, height, weight, race, address, medical history, etc. User data includes at least one of name, age, height, weight, race, address, medical speciality, etc. User device data includes at least one of type of device, applications installed on device, device history usage, device location, etc. Application server  106  of image depot  102  handles communications between image depot  102 , user device  130  and/or user device  132 . 
     Advertiser device  110  is a computing device which enables an advertiser to transmit advertisements to image depot  102 . Advertising device  110  includes an interface where the advertiser may specify the advertisement to transmit to image depot  102 . Advertising device  110  may also include an interface where the advertiser may specify preferences or criteria for when or how the advertisement may be displayed on user device  130  and transmit the specifications to image depot  102 . Advertising device  110  may additionally provide an interface for advertisers to view data regarding the presentation of the advertisement and pay for the advertising. Advertising device  110  may be owned by an owner of image depot  102  or a separate entity of a web based or other advertising business or service with which the owner of image depot  102  contracts or employs to derive advertising revenue. In one embodiment, advertiser device  110  directly transmits advertisements to user device  130 . 
     Image provider  120  is a device which enables medical digital images to be sent to image depot  102 . Image provider  120  is capable of generating a medical digital image or a computing device capable of receiving a medical digital image generated by an imaging device. Image provider  120  may be a PACS machine, digital x-ray machine, scanner, camera, server, home and business computer, mobile computer, mobile phone, other mobile computing devices, e.g., NetPads, iPads, etc. For example, image provider  120  may be an iPad with an application installed from Apple&#39;s App Store which enables the iPad to send medical digital images to image depot  102 . Image provider  120  may be owned by or located in a hospital, but may also be located in a clinic, doctor&#39;s office, health center, etc. The user of an image provider may be a technician, technologist, nurse, health care provider, etc. Image provider  120  may also receive advertisements from image depot  102  and may present the received advertisements to a user of image provider  120 . Image provider  120  may also include an interface where the user of image provider  120  may indicate a patient associated with a medical digital image. The interface may also permit the user to indicate a care provider authorized to view data and/or images regarding the patient. 
     User device  130  is a computing device which enables advertisements and medical digital images to be presented to a user of user device  130 , e.g., a health care provider. For example, user device  130  may be a mobile phone, mobile or personal computer, or other mobile computing devices, e.g., NetPads, iPads, etc. For example, user device  130  may be an iPad with an application installed from Apple&#39;s App Store which enables the iPad to present advertisements and medical digital images to a user. User device  130  receives advertisements and medical digital images from image depot  102  and presents the advertisements and medical digital images to the user via a display of user device  130 . 
     User device  132  is a device used by a second user of system  100  similar to user device  130 . User device  132  and user device  130  are used so that the user of user device  130  and the user of user device  132  may collaborate together. For example, a medical digital image may be sent to both user device  130  and user device  132 . The two users may then communicate with each other to make a decision on medical care based on the medical digital image. System  100  may also include additional user devices which may correspond to additional users of system  100 . 
     Image depot  102 , advertiser device  110 , image provider  120 , user device  130 , and user device  132  are in communication via the internet. However, communication may also be established via other configurations, for example, direct connections, an intra-net, or a combination. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates exemplary processing  200  for providing medical digital imaging according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     Process  200  begins with image depot  102  receiving a medical digital image from image provider  120  (block  202 ). The medical digital image may be an image obtained directly from a medical imaging device, e.g., an X-ray machine, a MRI machine, etc. The medical digital image may also be an image obtained from a non-medical imaging device, for example, a photo of an X-ray or a photo of patient&#39;s injury captured by a point and shoot camera. The photo may be transferred onto image provider  120  from the non-medical imaging device and then transmitted to image depot  102 . Image provider  120  may also transmit information to image depot  102  corresponding to the medical digital image. For example, image provider  120  may transfer information identifying the patient the medical digital image corresponds to, identifying one or more care providers authorized to view the medical digital image, etc. 
     Image depot  102  associates the image received from image provider  120  with a user account (block  204 ). The user account is an account of a care provider. Image depot  102  associates the image with the user account by storing data noting that the user account is authorized to access the medical digital image. Image depot  102  may also associate the medical digital image with a patient and associate the patient with the user account, thus indirectly associating the medical digital image with the user account. 
     Image depot  102  receives an advertisement from advertiser device  206  (block  206 ). Image depot  102  may also receive information specifying preferences or criteria for when or how the advertisement may be displayed. Image depot  102  associates the advertisement with an advertising account of the advertiser and stores the advertisement. 
     Image depot  102  may directly transmit an image with or without a voice or text message to user device  130 , or notify user device  130  that a message and image is available to be seen. Additionally, a user of user device  130  may be notified by another means, e.g., phone call, text, page, etc., that an image/ message is available for review: 
     In another embodiment, user device  130  queries image depot  102  for notifications (block  208 ). Notifications include a notice to the user that an image that needs to be seen by a user of user device  130  has been received by image depot  102 . User device  130  may query image depot  102  for notifications at intermittent intervals, for example, every minute. 
     Image depot  102  receives the query for notifications from user device  130  (block  210 ). Image depot  102  determines if a notification should be sent to user device  130 . For example, image depot  102  may identify the user account associated with the query and determine if any medical digital images stored by image depot  102  and associated with the user account have not been viewed by the user, or if any medical digital images should be viewed by the user again. In an alternate embodiment, the image depot  102  determines if a notification should be sent to user device  130  when an image is received by image depot  102  from image provider  120 , without first receiving a query for notifications from user device  130 . 
     If image depot  102  determines a notification should be sent to user device  130 , image depot  102  sends a notification to user device  130  (block  212 ). Examples of a notification include a text message, a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message, an electronic mail, etc. Image depot  102  may also initiate a telephonic call to user device  130  to notify a user of an image. 
     User device  130  receives the notification from image depot  102  that an image needs to be viewed by the user of user device  130  (block  214 ). User device  130  presents the received notification to the user. The notification may be presented by an audio alert, a visual alert, or a tactile alert. For example, user device  130  may generate a sound, may display a pop-up message, or may vibrate. 
     User device  130  receives a request from the user to view the medical digital image (block  216 ). User provides the request to user device  130  through an interface of user device  130 . For example, a displayed notification may include a button to click to view a medical digital image, and the user&#39;s click of the button is a request received by user device  130 . In another example, the user may specify the patient or medical digital image the user desires to view. 
     User device  130  sends an image request to image depot  102  in response to receiving the request from the user (block  218 ). The image request includes information with which image depot  102  determines the medical digital image to transmit to user device  130 . For example, the image request may specify one or more specific medical digital image to be transmitted to user device  130  or may specify a patient whose medical digital images are to be transmitted to user device  130 . 
     Image depot  102  receives the request to view an image from user device  130  (block  220 ) and image depot  102  sends the image and an advertisement to the user device  130  (block  222 ). In sending, image depot  102  identifies one or more images to send to user device  130  based on the request and may also identify one or more advertisements to send to user device  130  based on at least one of the contents of a medical digital image, patient data associated with the medical digital image, user data associated with a user authorized to receive the medical digital image, or user device data. In one embodiment, image depot  102  sends an image and advertisement without receiving an image request from user device  130 . For example, when sending a notification, image depot  102  may automatically also send the image associated with the notification and send an advertisement. 
     User device  130  receives the image and advertisement from image depot (block  224 ). The image and advertisement may be received at separate times. Advertisements may be presented to the target audience as a prelude to image transmission, during image transmission or after image transmission. In one embodiment, user device  130  displays the advertisement after the care provider is finished with viewing the image. For example, the image appears and the doctor makes a diagnosis. After the diagnosis is made, the doctor chooses to view an advertisement. In this example, the image may be sent by image depot  102  before the advertisement is sent by image depot  102 . 
     In another embodiment, an advertisement is first sent by image depot  102  and the advertisement is displayed on user device  130  while the image is being received by user device  130 . In this example, the advertisement may automatically disappear once the image has finished being received by user device  130 . In yet another embodiment, the advertisement may remain on the display until the user closes the advertisement, enters an acknowledgement the user has viewed the advertisement, or navigates away from the advertisement. The user may also be given the option to delay presentation of an advertisement. For example, the user may select to view an advertisement before viewing an image or after viewing the image. For viewing an advertisement after an image, the user may choose to view the advertisement a duration of time after viewing the image, for example, a few minutes or hours. 
     In one embodiment, user device  130  displays the image even if an advertisement fails to be presented by user device  130 , fails to be received by user device  130 , or fails to be acknowledged by a user of user device  130 . An advertisement may also be displayed on user device  130  when an application for viewing the images is launched on user device  130 . 
     User device  130  notifies image depot  102  the advertisement was presented to the user (block  226 ). User device  130  sends the notification once the advertisement is displayed on user device  130 . However, the notification may also be sent at a later point in time. 
     Image depot  102  receives the notification the advertisement was presented (block  228 ). Image depot  102  uses the notification to keep track of payment due by an advertiser for sending the advertisement to user device  130 . Payment may also be tracked in other ways. Income may also be derived from advertisers in a number of ways. For example, income may be derived from payment based on cost per Mille (CPM) where advertisers pay for exposure of their message to a target audience, Cost per click (CPC) or pay per click where advertisers pay for each time someone clicks on their advertisement, Cost per visitor (CPV) where advertisers pay a fee for each visitor to their website, Cost per engagement (CPE) where advertisers pay when their advertisement is engaged, and Cost per action (CPA) where advertisers pay when an action is taken (e.g., a transaction is completed). Again, image depot  102  may interface with established advertising venues (e.g. Adsense, etc.) for advertiser and advertisement procurement, collection and distribution of advertising revenue, etc. Accordingly, in one embodiment, image depot  102  does not manage advertisements and advertiser device  110  directly interacts with user device  130  for the presentation of advertisements. 
     System  100  also enables real-time communication for diagnosis in a collaborative setting. 
     Messages are communicated between user device  130  and user device  132 . User device  130  user receives a notation from a user. For example, a notation may be a presumed diagnosis, a comment describing the history, physical exam, or other information. The notation may be comments regarding the medical digital image as well. The notation may also specify another user which the notation should be sent to. The notation is received by user device  130  from the user via an interface of user device  130 . 
     User device  130  sends the notation to image depot  102  (block  232 ) and the notation is received by image depot  102  (block  234 ). The notation is associated with the medical digital image and/or patient and may be stored by image depot  102 . 
     Image depot  102  sends the notation to second user device  132  (block  236 ). The second user device  132  may be a user device of a user which the notation was specified to be shared with, or may be a user device of a user who is authorized to access images of the patient. 
     Image depot  102  sends the notation in real-time once the notation is received by image depot  102 . In another embodiment, image depot  102  sends the notation when second user device  132  queries image depot  102  for notifications. In yet another embodiment, notification of the notation is first sent to second user device  132  and the notation is sent to second user device  132  in response to a request for the notation from second user device  132 . 
     Image depot  102  receives a second notation from second user device  132  (block  238 ). 
     The second notation is associated with the medical digital image and/or patient and stored by image depot  102 . 
     Image depot  102  sends the second notation to user device  130  (block  240 ). The second notation is presented to the user on the display of user device  130 . 
     Image depot  102  may ensure that all or some images, messages, notifications are especially encrypted to ensure privacy. 
     In one embodiment, image depot  102  also sends advertisements to image provider  120  so the advertisements are displayed on image provider  120 . 
     Online advertisement revenue may also be generated from links to advertisements or websites. In one embodiment image depot  102  provides links to websites. Additional ads posted on these websites are sold to advertisers to derive an additional revenue stream. The same options described previously (e.g. CPM, CPC, CPA, etc.), are offered to advertisers at these linked websites. 
     In one embodiment, optimization of web traffic is achieved by cost minimization by providing access via either a subscription service model, single or multiple fees, or even for free. Traffic is also optimized by providing a user friendly interface including easy to use computer software or “applications” for cell phones and mobile computing devices. By minimizing cost and providing immediate and effortless access to images, traffic to the site is increased. Free and/or paid subscribers, or clients who pay an upfront cost have access. Convenient applications and ease of access ensure frequent site visitation, ensuring ad revenue since each site visit might allow for single, multiple ad revenue opportunities before, during and after image access. Revenue opportunities may also expand through links to other websites and additional fees and ads. 
     In one embodiment, as market share increases or image traffic increases, the costs of advertising are adjusted. Image depot  102  enables advertising space to be bid for by advertising device  110 . Bidding by competing companies for advertisement space may make costs for advertisements flexible. 
     The elements of provisioning of web and digital medical image access service and/or interface and use of online advertising for all or part of the revenue stream may be modified to include types of arrangements that could be made with image access customers and how they pay for the access, if at all. Image depot  102  may need not to provide all of the image transmission. Image depot  102  may simply serve as a conduit for transmission. Image depot  102  may simply provide access to imaging from another server or company. Such an agreement may allow customers of other image transmission companies to utilize image depot  102  for a fee or for the purposes of increasing traffic and in so doing increasing ad revenue. 
     Image depot  102  may interface with other applications, again with goals of increasing market share to increase ad revenues. 
     While one embodiment targets digital imaging transmission, internet advertising might be used in other forms of electronic medical records systems. For example, advertising might be linked to entire EMR systems, broadening advertiser access and in so doing, diminishing the cost to the care provider. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a computer system that may be configured to practice an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Image depot  102 , advertising device  110 , image provider  120 , user device  130  and user device  132  may be implemented with one or more computer systems  300 . 
     The present embodiments (or any part(s) or function(s) thereof) may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. In fact, in one exemplary embodiment, the invention may be directed toward one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. An example of a computer system  300  is shown in  FIG. 3 , depicting an exemplary embodiment of a block diagram of an exemplary computer system useful for implementing the present invention. Specifically,  FIG. 3  illustrates an example computer  300 , which in an exemplary embodiment may be, e.g., (but not limited to) a personal computer (PC) system running an operating system such as, e.g., (but not limited to) WINDOWS MOBILE™ for POCKET PC, or MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® NT/98/2000/XP/CE/7/VISTA, etc. available from MICROSOFT® Corporation of Redmond, Wash., U.S.A., SOLARIS® from SUN® Microsystems of Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.A., OS/2 from IBM® Corporation of Armonk, N.Y., U.S.A., Mac/OS from APPLE® Corporation of Cupertino, Calif., U.S.A., etc., or any of various versions of UNIX® (a trademark of the Open Group of San Francisco, Calif., USA) including, e.g., LINUX®, HPUX®, IBM AIX®, and SCO/UNIX®, etc. However, the invention may not be limited to these platforms. Instead, the invention may be implemented on any appropriate computer system running any appropriate operating system. In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention may be implemented on a computer system operating as discussed herein. Other components of the invention, such as, e.g., (but not limited to) a computing device, a communications device, a telephone, a smartphone (e.g., an iPhone, a Droid, etc.), a mobile computing device (e.g., an iPad or a netbook), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a handheld PC, client workstations, thin clients, thick clients, proxy servers, network communication servers, remote access devices, client computers, server computers, routers, web servers, data, media, audio, video, telephony or streaming technology servers, etc., may also be implemented using a computer such as that shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The computer system  300  may include one or more processors, such as, e.g., but not limited to, processor(s)  304 . The processor(s)  304  may be connected to a communication infrastructure  306  (e.g., but not limited to, a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network, etc.). Various exemplary software embodiments may be described in terms of this exemplary computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or architectures. 
     Computer system  300  may include a display interface  302  that may forward, e.g., but not limited to, graphics, text, and other data, etc., from the communication infrastructure  306  (or from a frame buffer, etc., not shown) for display on the display unit  330 . 
     The computer system  300  may also include, e.g., but may not be limited to, a main memory  308 , random access memory (RAM), and a secondary memory  310 , etc. The secondary memory  310  may include, for example, (but may not be limited to) a hard disk drive  312  and/or a removable storage drive  314 , representing a floppy diskette drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, a compact disk drive CD-ROM, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a write once read many (WORM) device, a flash memory device, etc. The removable storage drive  314  may, e.g., but not limited to, read from and/or write to a removable storage unit  318  in a well known manner. Removable storage unit  318 , also called a program storage device or a computer program product, may represent, e.g., but not limited to, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disk, a flash memory device, etc. which may be read from and written to by removable storage drive  314 . As will be appreciated, the removable storage unit  318  may include a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data. 
     In alternative exemplary embodiments, secondary memory  310  may include other similar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system  300 . Such devices may include, for example, a removable storage unit  322  and an interface  320 . Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as, e.g., but not limited to, those found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as, e.g., but not limited to, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM) and associated socket, and other removable storage units  322  and interfaces  320 , which may allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit  322  to computer system  300 . 
     Computer  300  may also include an input device  316  such as, e.g., (but not limited to) a mouse or other pointing device such as a digitizer, a keyboard or other data entry device (none of which are labeled), and/or a touchscreen integrated with display  330 , etc. 
     Computer  300  may also include output devices  332 , such as, e.g., (but not limited to) display  330 , and display interface  302 . Computer  300  may include input/output (I/O) devices such as, e.g., (but not limited to) communications interface  324 , cable  328  and communications path  326 , etc. These devices may include, e.g., but not limited to, a network interface card, and modems (neither are labeled). Communications interface  324  may allow software and data to be transferred between computer system  300  and external devices. Examples of communications interface  324  may include, e.g., but may not be limited to, a modem, a network interface (such as, e.g., an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, a transceiver, a global positioning system receiver, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface  324  may be in the form of signals  328  which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by communications interface  324 . These signals  328  may be provided to communications interface  324  via, e.g., but not limited to, a communications path  326  (e.g., but not limited to, a channel). This channel  326  may carry signals  328 , which may include, e.g., but not limited to, propagated signals, and may be implemented using, e.g., but not limited to, wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, an radio frequency (RF) link and other communications channels, etc. 
     In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer readable medium” may be used to generally refer to media such as, e.g., but not limited to removable storage drive  314 , a hard disk installed in hard disk drive and/or other storage device  312 , etc. These computer program products may provide software to computer system  300 . The invention may be directed to such computer program products. 
     Computer programs (also called computer control logic), may include object oriented computer programs, and may be stored in main memory  308  and/or the secondary memory  310  and/or removable storage drive  314 , removable storage unit  318 , removable storage unit  322 , also called computer program products. Such computer programs, when executed, may enable the computer system  300  to perform the features of the present invention as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, may enable the processor or processors  304  to provide a method to control and/or manage operation of a positioning effect detection device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, such computer programs may represent coordinators of the computer system  300 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the invention may be directed to a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having control logic (computer software) stored therein. The control logic, when executed by the processor  304 , may cause the processor  304  to perform the functions of the invention as described herein. In another exemplary embodiment where the invention may be implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into computer system  300  using, e.g., but not limited to, removable storage drive  314 , hard drive  312  or communications interface  324 , etc. The control logic (software), when executed by the processor  304 , may cause the processor  304  to perform the functions of the invention as described herein. The computer software may run as a standalone software application program running atop an operating system, or may be integrated into the operating system. 
     While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the described should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should instead be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.