Abstract:
A method and system for transcribing recorded information and delivering transcriptions reduces the costs associated with traditional transcription service providers. A network is used to transfer sound files from a client computer to a transcription service provider server. A background process on the client computer scans for completed sound files and automatically transmits them to the transcription service provider server. A sound file is assigned to a transcriber and when a transcription document is completed, a notification is sent to the client computer to notify the client that the transcript is available.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to transcription systems, and more specifically, to a method and system for transcribing recorded information and delivering transcriptions.  
           [0003]    2. Background of the Invention  
           [0004]    Present-day network transcription systems permit doctors, attorneys and other professionals requiring hard-copy or electronic transcripts of recorded verbal information to obtain them from a service provider. Standards such as the Health E Professionals Association (HEPA) standards for medical transcriptions require auditing capabilities  
           [0005]    Typically, the recorded verbal information takes the form of tapes that are made with a dictation recorder or other recording device. The tapes are made by a client then coded and delivered to a transcription service provider who creates a hard copy document or electronic document from a recording. The document is then delivered to the client via mail or electronic mail.  
           [0006]    Costs associated with present-day transcription systems include the delays associated with the above-described process, mailing costs for the tapes, cost of the tapes and the time consumed in packaging and transferring the tapes to the transcription service provider. Additionally, the transcription service provider must assign the tape to a transcriber and return the document created by the transcriber to the client.  
           [0007]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and system for transcribing recorded information and delivering transcripts that reduces the delay and cost of transferring the information to and from a transcription service provider.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The above objective of reducing delay and costs associated with transcribing recorded information and delivering transcripts is achieved in a method and system that transfers recorded information to a service provider over a network. The method transmits a sound file from a client to a transcription service provider via a computer network and delivers a completed transcript to the client via the computer network.  
           [0009]    The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a networked computer system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting functional blocks within computer programs implementing a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting operation a client-side process in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting operation a service-side process in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]    Referring now to the figures and in particular to FIG. 1, a networked computer system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. A client computer  13  is coupled to a transcription service provider server  10  by a client network connection  12 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, network connection  12  is an Internet connection, providing access to world-wide web (WWW) pages hosted by transcription service provider server  10 . Client computer  13  has memory and at least one processor, providing for the execution of client programs  14  that are resident in the memory of client computer  13 . Client computer also includes a sound interface  15  generally comprising an audio multimedia peripheral card coupled to a peripheral bus within client computer  13 . Sound interface  15  is used to record sound files for later transcription, such as medical treatment logs or legal dictation recordings.  
         [0015]    A transcription service provider uses transcription service provider server  10  to provide transcription services to clients such as doctors, hospitals, lawyers, etc. Client computer  13  is generally owned by the client and is installed on their premises with client network connection  12  providing access to the Internet via Digital Subscriber Link (DSL) modem, cable modem, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) modem, or plain old telephone system (POTS) modem. Client network connection may include routers, bridges or other devices used to provide local-area network (LAN) services or wide-area network (WAN) services at the client facility. While the illustrative embodiment is depicted with client computer  13  running client programs  14  coupled to transcription service provider server  10  via an Internet connection, the present invention is applicable to anc contemplates other possible embodiments, such as “dumb terminal” connections at the client facility, or other network connections such as a dedicated WAN for enhanced security.  
         [0016]    Transcribers provide services to the clients by producing written documents corresponding to recorded information represented in sound files produced by clients. A transcriber uses transcriber computer  17  to receive and play sound files and to operate word-processing software to produce a transcriber document. Transcriber computer  17  is coupled to transcriber network connection  16 , which may be an Internet connection similar to that described above for client network connection  12 . An Internet connection is particularly useful for transcriber network connection  16  where transcribers are contractors providing services through the transcription service provider. Transcriber network connection  16  may alternatively be a LAN connection co-located with transcription service provider server  10  with employee transcribers located within the same facility. The LAN configuration may be preferable for increased security when transcribers are located conveniently in the transcription service provider facility.  
         [0017]    Transcriber computer  17  includes memory and at least one processor for execution of transcriber programs  19  within the memory of transcriber computer  17 , and transcriber computer  17  also includes a sound interface  18  to provide playback and possible editing of transcription sound files.  
         [0018]    Transcription service provider server  10  manages the operation of the complete transcription system. Server programs  11  executing from a memory by one or more processors within transcription service provider server  10  manage system operation. Security for connections to client computer  13  and transcriber computer  17  is provided by security management within transcription service provider server  10 . Transcription service provider server  10  receives sound files from client computer  13  and delivers the sound file to transcriber computer  17 . After the transcriber has generated a transcription document, the document is transmitted from transcriber computer  17  to transcription service provider server  10 , which can then deliver the document to client computer  13  after the transcriber has released the document. The transcription document may be posted to the transcription service provider server  10  before release if the transcriber has open issues that preclude the actual release of the document to the client.  
         [0019]    Referring now to FIG. 2, functional blocks within various computer programs implementing a preferred embodiment of the invention are depicted. Server programs  11  include a security module  25 , an encrypted file I/O system  26 , a transcribed assignment module  27  and an archive management module  24 . The security module manages file access and log-in for accesses over client network connection  12  and transcriber network connection  16 . Accesses may be made via web pages tailored to the needs of transcribers and clients, or dedicated programs within client computer  13  and transcriber computer  17  may “hide” the file-based nature of the system from the transcribers and clients.  
         [0020]    Client programs  14  include a registration component  20 , a sound file recorder  21 , a sound file transmitter  22  and a transcript retriever  23 . Sound file recorder  21  may be an embedded system function such as that included within Windows (a Microsoft, Inc. product) or other operating system, or may be a dedicated hardware interface within client programs  14 . Sound file recorder  21  produces a binary file containing recorded information representing the transcription source. An application framework embodying client programs  14  may use the operating system or other component to direct sound interface  15  to record client information via a microphone input coupled to sound interface  15 . Sound file transmitter  22  comprises a background process that is started after registration component  20  registers the client with transcription service provider server  10 . At registration time, the client selects a directory in which sound files will be stored within client computer  13  (or the directory may be established transparently by client programs  14 ). The background process of sound file transmitter  22  periodically scans the directory for completed sound files. A completed sound file is detected when the lock status of the sound file is “unlocked.” Sound file transmitter  22  transmits the completed sound file to transcription service provider server  10  as permitted by security module  25 . Generally, the sound file will be encrypted before transmission by sound file transmitter  22  for increased security. Secure socket layer (SSL) encryption is used in the preferred embodiment to provide public/private key encryption. The keys may be distributed to the clients via embedded keys within client programs  14 , may be generated at registration, or may be distributed by other mechanisms.  
         [0021]    When transcription service provider server  10  receives the sound file from client computer  13 , the sound file is assigned to a transcriber. Transcriber assignment module  27  maintains a database that links clients to transcribers. Assignment of the sound file to a transcriber may be made automatically and the transcriber may be notified by e-mail or other mechanism such as a notification indicator in a user interface of transcriber programs  19 . Alternatively, for a web-based transcriber interface, the sound file may be inserted as a download link within a web page accessible by the transcriber. Sound file retriever  28  receives and decrypts the encoded sound file so that sound interface  18  may be used to playback the recorded information while the transcriber generates the transcription document.  
         [0022]    When the transcriber has completed the transcription document, transcript posting  29  encrypts and posts the completed document to transcription service provider server  10  through encrypted file I/O system  26 . The completed document is tracked by archive management  24  so that subsequent edits, reads and replacements of the document by either the client or the transcriber are fully auditable and version-controlled. When the transcriber has posted and released the completed document, transcript retriever  23  may retrieve the completed document to client computer  13  permitting the client to view, edit and make hard copies of the transcript. The client may be notified of transcript completion via e-mail, an indicator within an application framework of client programs  14 , or as a link appearing on a web page accessible by the client.  
         [0023]    Thus, a complete system of sound file recording, transcriber assignment and transcript delivery is achieved in a networked computer system. Transcription service provider server  10  provides other useful features such as database search and retrieval of information for clients, transcribers and the transcription service provider via a searchable database incorporated by archive management  24 . Billing and account management, search of transcripts for keys such as medicines within the body of the transcript or client, patient or transcriber within file header information provide easy access to transcripts or sound files containing the search keys. Additionally, transcription service provider server  10  may manage accounts by groups of clients, permitting shared access to the documents, read-only permissions to other clients, or temporary access settings by a client to permit another professional to temporarily access their account, individual transcripts or individual patient records. These features are useful when the client is on vacation, or in instances such as when a patient is being assisted by a doctor in a location far from home and that remote doctor needs to share information with the patient&#39;s regular physician. These features also permit physicians to share information with specialists for particular patients.  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 3, operation of the client-side processes of client programs  14  is depicted in a flowchart. At installation and set-up (or at other intervals as determined by the implementation of server programs  11 ), the client computer registers with transcription service provider server  10  (step  30 ). As required, the recording system within client computer  14  generates sound files (step  31 ). A background process scans the sound file directory for completed sound files (step  32 ) and if a completed sound file is found (decision  33 ), the completed sound file is transmitted to transcription service provider server  10  (step  34 ). At intervals, the transcription service provider server  10  is polled for completed transcript documents and the documents are received when transmitted by transcription service provider server  10  (step  35 ).  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIG. 4, operation of the server-side processes of server programs  11  is depicted in a flowchart. If a registration request is received from client computer  13  (decision  50 ), the client is registered (step  51 ). When a sound file is received from a registered client computer (decision  52 ), the sound file is assigned to a transcriber by matching the transcriber list for that client (step  53 ). When the transcriber has posted and released a completed transcript (decision  54 ) the completed transcript is transmitted to the client computer when polled by the client (step  55 ).  
         [0026]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form, and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.