Selective access to medical symptom tracking data using dispersive storage area network (san)

Abstract

A method of monitoring symptoms of a person includes repeating, over a period of time, the steps of: selecting, by the person, one or more symbolic representations corresponding to one or more symptoms from a predefined set of symbolic representations presented to the person; and electronically recording data regarding the one or more symbolic representations selected by the person such that the data is electronically accessible later for generating a history of the symptoms of the person over the period of time. The data is transferred over virtual networks using virtual dispersive routing and stored in dispersive storage area networks (SANs). The data is classified as trusted, corrupted, invalid or uncertain, and/or as trusted, ambiguous and inadequate.

1 - 179 . (canceled) 
     
     
         180 . A method for storing and accessing information in a dispersive storage area network, comprising
 (a) storing information from an electronic device by,
 (i) breaking up, at the electronic device, the information into a plurality of portions; 
 (ii) providing a plurality of virtual network connections at the electronic device by spawning a plurality of virtual machines that each virtualizes network capabilities of a network interface of the electronic device, and 
 (iii) storing each portion of the plurality of portions at a respective storage device of a plurality of storage devices by, for each respective portion, communicating data packets containing the respective portion of the information to the respective storage device from the electronic device using one of the provided virtual network connections; and 
   (b) thereafter accessing, by the electronic device, the stored information by,
 (i) providing a plurality of virtual network connections at the electronic device by spawning a plurality of virtual machines that each virtualizes network capabilities of a network interface of the electronic device, 
 (ii) receiving data packets communicated from a respective storage device of the plurality of storage devices using one of the provided virtual network connections, the received data packets containing data representing one of the portions of the information, and 
 (iii) assembling the received data packets into the stored information; 
   (c) wherein data in at least some portions of the plurality of portions is redundant to other data in the at least some portions of the plurality of portions such that the stored information can be reassembled even if data is not received from all of the storage devices of the plurality of storage devices.   
     
     
         181 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the electronic device is disposed at a first location, and each of the storage devices is disposed at a location remote from the first location. 
     
     
         182 . The method of  claim 181 , wherein the electronic device is disposed at a first medical facility. 
     
     
         183 . The method of  claim 182 , wherein the first medical facility is a hospital. 
     
     
         184 . The method of  claim 182 , wherein the first medical facility is a doctor's office. 
     
     
         185 . The method of  claim 182 , wherein one of the storage devices is disposed at a second medical facility. 
     
     
         186 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the electronic device comprises a phone. 
     
     
         187 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein one of the storage devices comprises a phone. 
     
     
         188 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the electronic device comprises a tablet. 
     
     
         189 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein one of the storage devices comprises a tablet. 
     
     
         190 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the electronic device comprises an Internet-enabled television. 
     
     
         191 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the electronic device comprises a laptop. 
     
     
         192 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the electronic device comprises a server. 
     
     
         193 . A method for storing and accessing medical information in a dispersive storage area network, comprising
 (a) storing medical information from an electronic device by,
 (i) breaking up, at the electronic device, the medical information into a plurality of portions; 
 (ii) providing a plurality of virtual network connections at the electronic device by spawning a plurality of virtual machines that each virtualizes network capabilities of a network interface of the electronic device, and 
 (iii) storing each portion of the plurality of portions at a respective storage device of a plurality of storage devices by, for each respective portion, communicating data packets containing the respective portion of the medical information to the respective storage device from the electronic device using one of the provided virtual network connections; and 
   (b) thereafter accessing, by the electronic device, the stored medical information by,
 (i) providing a plurality of virtual network connections at the electronic device by spawning a plurality of virtual machines that each virtualizes network capabilities of a network interface of the electronic device, 
 (ii) receiving data packets communicated from a respective storage device of the plurality of storage devices using one of the provided virtual network connections, the received data packets containing data representing one of the portions of the medical information, and 
 (iii) assembling the received data packets into the stored medical information; 
   (c) wherein data in at least some portions of the plurality of portions is redundant to other data in the at least some portions of the plurality of portions such that the stored medical information can be reassembled even if data is not received from all of the storage devices of the plurality of storage devices.   
     
     
         194 . The method of  claim 193 , wherein the electronic device is disposed at a first location, and each of the storage devices is disposed at a location remote from the first location. 
     
     
         195 . The method of  claim 194 , wherein the electronic device is disposed at a first medical facility. 
     
     
         196 . The method of  claim 195 , wherein the first medical facility is a hospital. 
     
     
         197 . The method of  claim 195 , wherein the first medical facility is a doctor's office. 
     
     
         198 . The method of  claim 195 , wherein one of the storage devices is disposed at a second medical facility. 
     
     
         199 . The method of  claim 193 , wherein the method further comprises displaying, at the electronic device, one or more symbolic representations corresponding to one or more symptoms from a predefined set of symbolic representations, and receiving user input corresponding to a selection of one or more symbolic representations of the predefined set, the medical information that is stored and accessed in the dispersive storage area network comprising the received user input.