Search and Retrieval of Real-Time Terminal States Maintained Using a Terminal State Database

Abstract

A system for providing a device independent communication layer for connecting two remote telemedicine terminal devices at least partly based on searching a terminal state database for device independent, real-time terminal states of remote telemedicine terminal devices, comprising: one or more databases for storing data entries with data indicative of terminal states of a plurality of first remote telemedicine terminal devices; a tracking module configured for detection of real-time terminal states of the plurality of first remote telemedicine terminal devices for communication with the system; a terminal state aggregation module configured to collect real-time indications of terminal states; a search module for searching the data entries and the stored data; a device independent communication layer for coordinating communications between remote telemedicine terminal devices; and a device connection module for establishing connections, over the device independent communication layer, between one remote telemedicine terminal device and another remote telemedicine terminal device.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for providing a device independent communication layer for connecting two remote telemedicine terminal devices at least partly based on searching a terminal state database for device independent, real-time terminal states of remote telemedicine terminal devices, comprising:
 one or more databases for storing data entries with data indicative of terminal states of a plurality of first remote telemedicine terminal devices;   a tracking module configured for detection of real-time terminal states of the plurality of first remote telemedicine terminal devices for communication with the system;   wherein the tracking module is further configured to detect a plurality of different communication modes by which the first remote telemedicine terminal devices are enabled for communication, wherein the communication modes comprise one or more of a text mode, a voice mode, or a data-network-facilitated video mode, wherein the tracking module is further configured to detect terminal states comprising (i) on-line with an established connection to the system and without an established communication channel through the system, (ii) on-line with an established connection to the system and with an established communication channel through the system in one or more of the plurality of communication modes, (iii) offline from the system;   a terminal state aggregation module configured to collect, from the tracking module, real-time indications of terminal states for the plurality of first remote telemedicine terminal devices and to update, in real-time as the real-time indications are received from the tracking module, data entries with data indicative of the terminal states of the first remote telemedicine terminal devices;   a search module for receiving a request, from a second remote telemedicine terminal device, for a real-time consultation with a first remote telemedicine terminal device, wherein, prior to the request, the first remote telemedicine terminal device and its communication capabilities and real-time connection status are unknown to the second remote telemedicine terminal device;   one or more databases for storing data representing device-independent attributes associated with remote telemedicine terminal devices;   wherein the search module further is configured for searching the data entries and the stored data to identify first remote telemedicine terminal devices associated with terminal states of on-line with an established connection to the system and without an established communication channel through the system, and (ii) associated with one or more device-independent attributes;   wherein the search module is further configured for searching data associated with the identified first remote telemedicine terminal devices to generate a subset of the identified first remote telemedicine terminal devices by evaluating the identified first remote telemedicine terminal devices against a rule set that filters the identified first remote telemedicine terminal devices in accordance with one or more device-independent attributes selected by the second remote terminal device;   a device independent communication layer for coordinating communications between remote telemedicine terminal devices, wherein the device independent communication layer is configured to coordinate communications in the text mode, the voice mode and the data-network-facilitated video mode; and   a device connection module for establishing connections, over the device independent communication layer, between one remote telemedicine terminal device and another remote telemedicine terminal device, wherein the device connection module is configured to establish connections for a plurality of different communication modes;   wherein the device connection module is configured to (i) receive, from the second remote telemedicine terminal device, a request to connect to an identified one of the first remote telemedicine terminal devices in the subset, and (ii) establish, over the device independent communication layer with a determined communication mode, a real-time, on-demand connection between the identified one of the first remote telemedicine terminal devices and the second remote telemedicine terminal device.