US20120095776A1 - Payments in providing assistance related to health - Google Patents

Abstract

In one aspect, a method related to health-related data management. In addition to the foregoing, other method and system and program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• The present application is related to, claims the earliest available effective filing date(s) from (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications; claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications), and incorporates by reference in its entirety all subject matter of the following listed application(s) (the “Related Applications”) to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith; the present application also claims the earliest available effective filing date(s) from, and also incorporates by reference in its entirety all subject matter of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Application(s) to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith. The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to the effect that the USPTO's computer programs require that patent applicants reference both a serial number and indicate whether an application is a continuation or continuation in part. Stephen G. Kunin, Benefit of Prior-Filed Application, USPTO Electronic Official Gazette, Mar. 18, 2003 at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/og/2003/week11/patbene.htm. The present applicant entity has provided below a specific reference to the application(s) from which priority is being claimed as recited by statute. Applicant entity understands that the statute is unambiguous in its specific reference language and does not require either a serial number or any characterization such as “continuation” or “continuation-in-part.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, applicant entity understands that the USPTO's computer programs have certain data entry requirements, and hence applicant entity is designating the present application as a continuation in part of its parent applications, but expressly points out that such designations are not to be construed in any way as any type of commentary and/or admission as to whether or not the present application contains any new matter in addition to the matter of its parent application(s).
RELATED APPLICATIONS
• 1. For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation in part of currently co-pending U.S. patent application entitled Providing Assistance Related to Health, naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., and Lowell L. Wood, Jr., as inventors, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/283,548, filed Nov. 17, 2005.
• 2. For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation in part of currently co-pending U.S. patent application entitled User Interface for Providing Assistance Related to Health, naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., and Lowell L. Wood, Jr., as inventors, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/285,753, filed Nov. 22, 2005.
• 3. For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation in part of currently co-pending U.S. patent application entitled User Interface for Providing Assistance Related to Health, naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., and Lowell L. Wood, Jr., as inventors, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/285,500, filed Nov. 22, 2005.
• 4. For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation in part of currently co-pending U.S. patent application entitled Subscriptions for Providing Assistance Related to Health, naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., and Lowell L. Wood, Jr., as inventors, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/314,764, filed Dec. 21, 2005.
• 5. For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation in part of currently co-pending U.S. patent application entitled Research in Providing Assistance Related to Health, naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., and Lowell L. Wood, Jr., as inventors, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/314,949 filed Dec. 21, 2005.
TECHNICAL FIELD
• The present application relates, in general, to health-related data management.
SUMMARY
• In one aspect, a method related to health-related data management includes but is not limited to transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.
• In one aspect, a system related to health-related data management includes but is not limited to circuitry for transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.
• In one or more various aspects, related systems include but are not limited to circuitry and/or programming and/or electro-mechanical devices and/or optical devices for effecting the herein-referenced method aspects; the circuitry and/or programming and/or electro-mechanical devices and/or optical devices can be virtually any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer skilled in the art.
• In one aspect, a program product includes but is not limited to a signal bearing medium bearing one or more instructions for transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information. In addition to the foregoing, other program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.
• In addition to the foregoing, various other method, system, and/or program product aspects are set forth and described in the teachings such as the text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawings of the present application.
• The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes and/or other subject matter described herein will become apparent in the teachings set forth herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
• FIG. 1 depicts one implementation of an exemplary environment in which the methods and systems described herein may be represented;
• FIG. 2 depicts alternative exemplary embodiments;
• FIG. 3 illustrates alternative exemplary embodiments;
• FIG. 4 illustrates alternative exemplary embodiments;
• FIG. 5 depicts alternative exemplary aspects of embodiments;
• FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary view of aspects of an embodiment;
• FIG. 7 depicts an alternative exemplary view of the aspects of the embodiment depicted inFIG. 6;
• FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary view of aspects of an embodiment;
• FIG. 9 depicts an alternative exemplary view of the aspects of the embodiment depicted inFIG. 8;
• FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary view of aspects of an embodiment.
• FIG. 11 depicts an alternative exemplary view of aspects of the embodiment depicted inFIG. 10;
• FIG. 12 depicts a high-level logic flowchart of an operational process;
• FIG. 13 shows several alternative implementations of the high-level logic flowchart ofFIG. 12; and
• FIG. 14 shows several alternative implementations of the high-level logic flowchart ofFIG. 13.
• The use of the same symbols in different drawings typically indicates similar or identical items.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1 illustrates anexemplary environment100 in which embodiments may be used. The end-user102 is a person who wishes to access information regarding pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances, procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens. The end-user interface device104 may be a keyboard, mouse, trackball, monitor, microphone and speakers, and/or other interface device or devices for a human to interface with the end-user logic106 ofcomputer108. The end-user logic106 may include at least a portion of the hardware/software/firmware of thecomputer108. Thecomputer108 may be used by the end-user102 to access such information via another computer or computers represented by thenetwork110.
• Vendor112 is a person and/or persons and/or entity and/or entities that may supply pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances, procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens. Thevendor interface device114 may be a keyboard, mouse, trackball, monitor, microphone and speakers, and/or other interface device or devices for a human to interface with thevendor logic116 ofcomputer118. Thevendor logic116 may include at least a portion of the hardware/software/firmware of thecomputer118. Thevendor112 may use thecomputer118 to provide information and channels, making thevendor112 available to provide pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substance, procedure, processes, and/or practices of interest, via another computer or computers represented by thenetwork110, to, among others, the end-user102.
• Publisher120 is a person and/or persons and/or entity and/or entities that may supply information about pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens, and/or about authorities having expertise or claimed expertise regarding pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens. Thepublisher interface device122 may be a keyboard, mouse, trackball, monitor, microphone and speakers, and/or other interface device or devices for a human to interface with thepublisher logic124 ofcomputer126. Thepublisher logic124 may include at least a portion of the hardware/software/firmware of thecomputer126. Thepublisher120 may use thecomputer126 to provide such information about pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substance, procedure, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens, via another computer or computers represented by thenetwork110, to, among others, the end-user102. Thepublisher120 represents a wide variety of information providers, including but not limited to magazine publishers, book publishers, website maintainers, weblog proprietors, experts, research organizations, and users of the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens.
• End-users102,vendors112, andpublishers120 are not mutually exclusive categories. One person, group of persons, entity, or group of entities may be categorized as an end-user102,vendor112, and/orpublisher120 simultaneously or at different times. End-users102,vendors112, andpublishers120 are exemplary parties and do not represent all users. Exemplary descriptions including the end-user102 are not limiting and do not preclude use of an embodiment byvendors112 and/orpublishers120.
• FIG. 2 depicts alternative exemplary embodiments of a data entity, including depiction of alternative exemplary embodiments of health regimen data entities associated with some amount of additional information. This additional information may include but is not limited to an item of associative information, e.g., a linkage or a resolvable reference, to one or more other health regimen data entities in the data structure/data structures (e.g., which may be distributed data structures), e.g., a pointer, identifier, and/or a link. InFIG. 2 and the other figures, items of associative data are depicted by lines and/or arrows between health regimen data entities, or are implicit of the relationship between a nesting health regimen data entity and any health regimen data entity nested within or at any depth; such implicit items of associative data are shown by the illustrated nesting. The additional information may also include but is not limited to substantive information, e.g., where the health regimen data entity includes the identity of a substance and the additional information describes a potential use or specifies a dosage. Here healthregimen data entity202 includes an identifier for the element lithium (Li). The healthregimen data entity204 illustrates an alternative exemplary embodiment of the healthregimen data entity202. The end-user102 may select the healthregimen data entity202 to access additional information that is included in association with the healthregimen data entity202. The additional information may be organized in some defined way, as illustrated inorganizational structure206, or unorganized as incollection208. The healthregimen data entity210 shows another alternative exemplary embodiment of the healthregimen data entity202. Here the additional information is illustrated as being included in anorganizational structure212. One of the items of additional information associated with theorganizational structure212 is depicted as another healthregimen data entity214 “nested” within healthregimen data entity212. Another of the items of additional information associated with the healthregimen data entity212 is linked by an item ofassociative information216 to another healthregimen data entity218. Organizational principles such as those illustrated by the relationship between healthregimen data entity212 and healthregimen data entity214, and by the relationship between healthregimen data entity212, item ofassociative information216, and healthregimen data entity218, may be replicated at any level of an organizational structure, or in an unorganized collection such ascollection220. It is to be understood that in substantially all examples referring to “an identifier for lithium” herein, analogous examples utilizing the alternatives such as those fromFIG. 2, will be recognized by those of skill in the art. Such examples are not expressly set forth herein for the sake of clarity.
• The additional information discussed in the immediately previous paragraph may include, or may be included in, one or more characterization tags associated with one or more health regimen data entities. Further, a characterization tag may include, or may be included in, one or more health regimen data entities.
• FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative exemplary embodiment of a health regimen data entity. Depicted is nesting healthregimen data entity300, which includes additional information relevant in the context of the nesting healthregimen data entity300, here, “constituent 1.” The identity ofconstituent 1 is not nested within nesting health regimen data entity, but an item ofassociative data302 links to a healthregimen data entity304 identifying lithium (“Li”). Also illustrated is a healthregimen data entity306 having additional information detailing personal notes from users ofconstituent 1. Shown are nested healthregimen data entities312 and314. The healthregimen data entity312 is linked to the nesting healthregimen data entity300 by an item ofassociative data308 and to the healthregimen data entity304 by an item ofassociative data310.
• FIG. 4 illustrates a number of alternative exemplary health regimen data entities organized in the data structure according to different organizational schemes. Shown is nesting healthregimen data entity400, including three nested healthregimen data entities402,404, and406, for three components of a “Brand X” vitamin regimen. Depicted is nesting healthregimen data entity408, including a nested and nesting health regimen data entity410. Nested and nesting health regimen data entity410 includes nested healthregimen data entities412,414, and416, components of a “Brand Y” vitamin regimen. Illustrated is nesting healthregimen data entity408 associated with healthregimen data entity306 with an item ofassociative data418, linking the personal notes of healthregimen data entity306 with the “Brand Y” vitamin regimen of nesting healthregimen data entity408. Illustrated is healthregimen data entity420, pertaining to “constituent 1,” including additional information about personal notes, dosage, and substances. The healthregimen data entity420 is shown linked to healthregimen data entity422, identifying Lithium, by an item ofassociative data424. The healthregimen data entity406 is shown linked to another healthregimen data entity404 by an item ofassociative data426. The healthregimen data entity314 is shown linked to the healthregimen data entity416 by an item ofassociative data428. The healthregimen data entity314 is also shown linked to healthregimen data entity408 by an item ofassociative data430.
• The nesting as illustrated inFIGS. 2,3, and4 is accomplished with items of associative information that are associated with either the nesting health regimen data entity or with one or more of the illustrated nested health regimen data entities. The nesting health regimen data entity might represent, e.g., the name of a vitamin supplement, and the nested health regimen data entities might represent, e.g., five constituent supplements comprised by the named vitamin supplement. In another example, the nesting health regimen data entities might represent identifiers of taxonomic classifications to which the constituent belongs, such as chemical classes (such as water soluble or fat soluble vitamins), classes of effect or action (such as beta-blockers, neurotransmitters, or strength enhancers).
• A health regimen data entity may be associated with another health regimen data entity in a variety of ways. The first health regimen data entity may be associated with the second health regimen data entity with an item of associative information associated with one or the other or both. The first health regimen data entity may be associated with the second health regimen data entity as well as with additional health regimen data entities simultaneously. The multiply-referenced health regimen data entity may actually be multiple health regimen data entities in the data structure, or it may be a single health regimen data entity with multiple items of associative information used to reference it.
• FIG. 5 depicts a number of alternative exemplary topics which may be used in the data structure. The identity of a topic may be represented by a health regimen data entity, and association with a topic accomplished by use of an item of associative information. At least some health regimen data entities may be associated with topics of interest to the end-user102 to provide a schema with which to begin use of the information in the data structure. Each of the topics is exemplary, but they serve to illustrate a particular application which is not limiting. An end-user102 may start retrieving data from the data structure by starting with any topic in the data structure. Each item of data stored in association with each topic may have associated using an item of associative information with another item of data associated with the same topic or with another topic, such that an end-user102 starting with an item of data in a particular topic, e.g., a name of Substance A under the topic Substances/Procedures500, may choose to retrieve another item of data associated with Substance A via an item of associative information to a health regimen data entity associated with another topic, e.g., a function of Substance A, relief of joint pain, associated with the topic Functions502. The end-user102 may continue by selecting an item of data associated with a third topic, e.g., a Substitute B for Substance A for the relief of joint pain, associated with the topic Substitutes504. The end-user102 may continue in this fashion through all of the data items in the topics in the data structure associated via items of associative information to the selections of the end-user102.
• Although shown for clarity inFIG. 5 as discrete topics, generally, topics may be associated with or even be composed of other topics, and a given topic or reference to that topic may be associated with another discrete topic.
• Thetopic500, “Substances/Procedures,” may include common, generic, commercial, and/or trade names and/or descriptions for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances, procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens to an end-user102.
• Thetopic502, “Functions,” may include one or more descriptions of functions for which the substances of thetopic500, “Substances/Procedures” may be used by humans in connection with human physical and/or mental conditions, and/or veterinary purposes.
• Thetopic504, “Substitutes,” may include common, generic, commercial, and/or trade names and/or descriptions for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances, procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens to an end-user102, which may be substituted to perform functions associated with thetopic502, “Functions.”
• Thetopic506 “Supporting Reasons,” may include explanations for the functionality of the substances/procedures and substitutes included in thetopics500, “Substances/Procedures” and 504, “Substitutes.”
• Thetopic508, “Supporting Authorities,” may include the identities and credentials of people and/or entities which endorse the use of substances/procedures and substitutes for various functions. The supporting authorities may include medical and/or veterinary professionals and/or experts of various kinds (“gurus”), and/or manufacturers and/or distributors of substances/procedures and substitutes. Thetopic508, “Supporting Authorities,” may also include testimonials and/or reports and/or anecdotal evidence from other end-users102, and may include descriptors of factors associated with those end-users102 to permit manual or automatic correlation of their experience with the potential experience of the end-user102 consulting the data structure.
• Thetopic510, “Supporting Literature,” may include references to published articles and/or other publicly available information, by citation and/or hyperlink and/or other reference means, e.g., referred journal articles and/or magazine articles and/or website articles, pertaining to the functionality of substances/procedures and substitutes.
• Thetopic512, “Extant Conditions,” may include one or more selections of descriptors that describe internal physical and/or mental and/or environmental and/or spiritual and/or metaphysical factors of interest to the end-user102 and of possible relevance to the functionality of substances/procedures and substitutes. Internal physical factors may include body temperature, medical condition, genetic information, and/or substances/procedures or substitutes ingested or to be ingested. Mental factors may include a diagnosed mental condition, a subjective mental state, genetic information, and/or substances/procedures or substitutes ingested or to be ingested. Environmental factors may include external temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, ambient light intensity, and, for some, the date, the positions of the planets, geographical factors such as those relevant to feng shui, and/or other factors relevant to disciplines, traditions, and arts considered relevant by the end-user102 and/or by a contributor of information to the data structure and/or by a third-party authority such as an expert or a source for acquisition. Where feasible, values for external factors may be provided to the data structure in the form of health regimen data entities representing the output of instrumentation, e.g., weather instrumentation or medical instrumentation.
• Thetopic514, “Sources for Acquisition,” may include identities of, contact information for, and/or channels of communication with persons and/or entities from which substances/procedures or substitutes may be purchased or otherwise acquired by the end-user102. Such sources may pay to be included in the data structure in association with this topic.
• Thetopic516, “Taxonomic Classes,” may include various categories with which substances/procedures and/or substitutes may be associated, e.g. acids, derivatives from X, etc.
• Thetopic518, “Synergies,” may include substances/procedures, substitutes, activities, and/or extant conditions that, acting together with a substance or substitute, enhance the functionality of the substance or substitute; favorably change the amount or timing of the substance or substitute needed for the desired functionality; and/or provide one or more additional desirable functionalities beyond those associated with the substance or substitute taken by itself.
• Thetopic520, “Things to Avoid,” may include substances/procedures, substitutes, activities, and/or extant conditions that, acting together with a substance or substitute, detracts from the functionality of the substance or substitute; unfavorably changes the amount or timing of the substance or substitute needed for the desired functionality; and/or provides one or more additional undesirable functionalities beyond those associated with the substance or substitute taken by itself.
• Thetopic522, “Dosing,” may include information pertaining to the mode, amount, conditions, and/or timing of the delivery of a substance or substitute to achieve the desired functionality, along with synergies and things to avoid, e.g., 200 mg capsules of Substance A, taken twice daily when sunny and thrice daily when cloudy or raining; or once daily under any conditions no matter the weather, and never to be taken when Substance B has been taken within 24 hours. Beyond that simple example, thetopic522, “Dosing,” may include a procedure for determining an amount and/or timing for the substance to be taken, rather than a simple fixed value, along with factors that give the end-user102 options based on probabilities and other factors such as extant conditions, e.g., when the weather is hot and the end-user102 is feeling irritable, an option to reduce a lithium dose by one pill per day, and if that does not work, by two pills per day, but never by more than two pills per day. These options and alternatives to them may also be accessed by associations with other health regimen data entities, including, e.g., hot days, lithium, and/or irritability.
• Thetopic524, “Formulations,” may include information pertaining to the constituents of a substance, including but not limited to the identities of the constituents, the amounts of the constituents present per unit of the substance, and/or the method(s) for combining the constituents to form the substance. In particular, the amounts of the constituents may be represented by listing the amounts numerically, and/or by a formula or formulas from which each constituent amount may be derived either by the end-user102 or by computational resources associated with the data structure. In an embodiment, the end-user102 may follow items of associative information to health regimen data entities and/or additional information that provide information on the sources of formulary information, e.g., an article on an experiment, or on the instruments that provided the formulary information, e.g., an indication of what the underlying methodology of selection is at least partially based upon studies (e.g., animal studies, human studies, in silico studies), speculation, anecdotal information, historical accounts, traditions, cultural practices, native practices, etc.
• Thetopic526, “Delivery,” may include information on methods of delivery, e.g., orally by capsule, orally by liquid dose, epidermally by patch, injection by syringe, and/or internally by timed release from an implanted reservoir, and on formulations, dose sizes, and dose timings associated with various delivery methods.
• FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary way to view a pathway of an end-user102 through data in the data structure. The end-user102 in this exemplary view starts with taxonomic classes, e.g. vitamins, selects a vitamin, e.g., Vitamin X, and selects an associated function, e.g., increased energy. The end-user102 finds a substitute for Vitamin X for increasing energy, e.g., Substance Y, refers to supporting authorities, e.g., a particular columnist for a magazine, supporting literature, e.g., an article in JAMA, and supporting reasons, e.g., a web-based explanation for the effects of Substance Y on energy. From there, the end-user102 calls up information on synergies, e.g., Substance Z as being synergistic with Substance Y, providing increased memory when they are used together, along with things to avoid, e.g., not using Substance W in conjunction with Substance X because such conjunctive use causes impotence. The end-user102 may consult “Extant Conditions” to learn that Substance X has an increased effect at lower altitudes and/or when certain planets are in a particular astrological configuration. The end-user102 may consult the “Dosing” topic for information on dosing under various conditions, and she may peruse sources for acquisition to select a mode of purchase, to conclude the purchase, and to arrange for delivery.
• FIG. 7 depicts an alternative exemplary way to view the pathway of an end-user102 through data in the data structure depicted inFIG. 6, using as a template the depiction ofFIG. 5.
• FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary view of the pathway of an end-user102 through data in the data structure. The end-user102 starts with a substance, e.g., Substance M, and looks up functions for Substance M, e.g., protection against cancer. The end-user102 then looks up substitutes for Substance M for protection against cancer, e.g., Substance N. The end-user102 then becomes interested in Substance N for other purposes. Going back to the topic “Substances/Procedures” to learn about Substance N, the end-user102 learns that Substance N is a member of a particular taxonomic class, e.g. acids. The end-user102 reassures himself of the efficacy of Substance N for some other purpose, e.g., prevention of hair loss, by consulting a supporting authority, e.g., a famous cancer researcher, supporting literature, e.g., aScientific Americanarticle, and supporting reasons, e.g., a published explanation of why Substance N prevents hair loss. The end-user102 retrieves information on synergies from the use of Substance N and Substance O, e.g., enhanced prevention of hair loss and fresher breath, and on things to avoid, e.g., the use of Substance N with, e.g., Substance P, which would lead to decreased efficacy for hair loss and extensive skin rashes. The end-user102 calls up the effects of extant conditions on the use of Substance N, e.g., amplification of any already-present schizophrenia when certain planets are in a particular astrological configuration. The end-user102 finishes by retrieving dosing information and proceeding to purchase through a source for acquisition.
• FIG. 9 depicts an alternative exemplary way to view the pathway of an end-user102 through data in the data structure depicted inFIG. 8, using as a template the depiction ofFIG. 5.
• FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary way to view a branched pathway of an end-user102 through data in the data structure. The end-user starts with a substance, e.g., Substance P, and looks up taxonomic classes associated with Substance P, e.g., water soluble vitamins. The end-user102 then looks up supporting authorities for the use of water soluble vitamins for protection against cancer, such as a columnist in a well-known health magazine, and moves on to supporting literature, e.g., articles in reference journals, and supporting reasons, e.g., explanations of the functionality of water soluble vitamins for prevention of cancer. At this point, the end-user102 remembers that a friend had been asking about the use of water soluble vitamins for other purposes, such as prevention of hair loss, especially in combination with certain procedures for their use. Leaving aside his original search, the end-user102 takes up his friend's question and looks up synergies with regard to water soluble vitamins. After perusing synergies, he selects a procedure, e.g., taking a particular water soluble vitamin in conjunction with a food such as a particular fruit. He looks up supporting authorities for the efficacy of the water soluble vitamin in conjunction with the fruit for preventing hair loss, e.g., a medical society. He then checks for things to avoid, such as the use of a second vitamin that would reduce the effectiveness of the first vitamin and the fruit, and extant conditions, such as humidity, which might affect the usefulness of the water soluble vitamin. Finally, he looks at the appropriate dosing for the water soluble vitamin. Having investigated his friend's question, he returns to his original search. He had been looking up supporting reasons for the use of water soluble vitamins to prevent cancer. He resumes his research at that point and moves on to investigate appropriate dosing. Finally, he moves to sources for acquisition of the Substance P.
• FIG. 11 depicts an alternative exemplary way to view the pathway of an end-user102 through data in the data structure depicted inFIG. 10, using as a template the depiction ofFIG. 5.
• The end-user102 may search the data structure for patterns, finding correlations between health regimen data entities that would otherwise not be discoverable or that would be very difficult to discover. For example, the end-user102 may search for effects of Substance A on skin rashes in conditions of high humidity, searching, among other health regimen data entities, those including anecdotal evidence from users of Substance A in high humidity, where the users of Substance A also had skin rashes and reported apparent effects of Substance A on those rashes. Such searches for correlations may include information and observations added to the data structure by all or any of the end-users102,vendors112, and/orpublishers120 using the data structure. Such searches may be used to test hypotheses about the efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, dietary, and/or nutritional substances, procedures, processes, and/or practices of interest for use in a health regimen or regimens.
• As mentioned above, end-users102 may add health regimen data entities to the data structure to report experiences with the use of substances/procedures. For example, an end-user102 may integrate a report of an experience, e.g., partial success with the use of Substance B for reduction of hair loss in low-humidity conditions but little success in conditions of high-humidity, by selecting pre-existing health regimen data entities with which to associate new health regimen data entities that represent relevant elements of his report, and/or by associating new health regimen data entities that represent relevant elements of his report with pre-existing annotations to pre-existing health regimen data entities added by other end-users102 with similar reports. An end-user102 may also add health regimen data entities representing the results of correlative searches such as those described above, e.g., by adding health regimen data entities representing the results of such a search and associating them with pre-existing health regimen data entities associated with, e.g., a Substance C used to alleviate heartburn in connection with particular dietary conditions.
• In using the data structure, the end-user102 may impose his own schema on the information searched and on the output of the search. The end-user102 may explicitly include or exclude for search purposes health regimen data entities representing factors such as weather information or astrological information. He may include or exclude for search results reporting purposes various complexities, e.g., including tables of correlations for further study, but excluding such information and including only lists of ingredients and instructions for purposes of making a particular substance for use or lists of dosages to serve as input into medical dispensing devices, either indirectly through human input to devices or automatically through direct input of dosage information to devices.
• FIG. 12 depicts a high-level logic flowchart of an operational process.Operation1200 shows transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring a monetary amount from a checking account using a debit card number, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• FIG. 13 shows several alternative implementations of the high-level logic flowchart ofFIG. 12.Operation1200—transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information—may include one or more of the following operations:1300,1302,1304,1306,1308,1310,1312,1314,1316,1318,1320, and/or1322.
• Operation1300 illustrates transferring a monetary payment (e.g., transferring a monetary payment, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as accepting a credit card number and an amount to be charged to the credit card account, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/orcomputer126 where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1302 shows transferring a permission to use additional information provided and/or to be provided by a payor (e.g., transferring a permission to use additional information provided and/or to be provided by a payor, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/orcomputer126, such as transferring a permission to use information contributed and/or to be contributed by a payor in partial exchange for the desired health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1304 illustrates transferring data authenticating an identity of a payor (e.g., transferring data authenticating an identity of a payor, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring a user name and/or password from the payor, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1306 depicts transferring additional information (e.g., transferring additional information, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring information, in partial exchange for the desired health regimen information, about the context of the use of the health regimen information (such as the weather conditions and/or the mental condition of the user), and/or about the intention of the use of the health regimen information (such as a description of the condition the intended use is designed to address), possibly including continuing updates of additional information to permit monitoring or information about the use of the health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1308 shows transferring an endorsement (e.g., transferring an endorsement, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring an endorsement concerning the use of health regimen information in return of the desired health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1310 illustrates transferring a credibility unit (e.g., transferring a credibility unit, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring a rating of one's expertise with regard to health regimen information as determined by some recognized rating authority, on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 representing no expertise and 10 representing the highest expertise available, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1312 shows transferring compensation for an update to the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for an update to the health regimen information, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for updated health regimen information as improvements to the health regimen information are discovered or detected, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1314 illustrates transferring compensation for an update to information that is relevant to a use of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for an update to information that is relevant to a use of the health regimen information where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for health regimen information that may show advantages and/or drawbacks to the use of the health regimen information provided and/or to be provided, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1316 shows transferring compensation for an alert relevant to a use of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for an alert relevant to a use of the health regimen information where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for health regimen information that may show dangers to the use of the health regimen information to be provided and/or to be provided under the subscription, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1318 depicts transferring compensation for credibility information relevant to a use of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for credibility information relevant to a use of the health regimen information, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for information that indicates the creditability of the health regimen information to be received under the subscription, including but not limited to a rating of credibility from a trusted authority, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1320 depicts transferring compensation for a reference to non-subscribed information relevant to a use of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a reference to non-subscribed information relevant to a use of the health regimen information, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for additional information at additional cost, not to be provided under the subscription, including but not limited to research reports on a particular substance, the use of which is included in the subscribed health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1322 illustrates transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a version of the health regimen information tailored to answer a specific condition and/or conditions that may vary person to person or circumstance to circumstance, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• FIG. 14 shows several alternative implementations of the high-level logic flowchart ofFIG. 13.Operation1322—transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information—may include one or more of the following operations:1400,1402,1404,1406,1408,1410, and/or1412.
• Operation1400 shows transferring compensation for a variation of a specification of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of a specification of the health regimen information, where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or avendor112 and/orpublisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/orvendor interface device114 and orpublisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/orvendor logic116 and/orpublisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information that details a procedure step and/or an ingredient that is substantively similar to a corresponding procedure step and/or an ingredient, respectively in some baseline subscribed health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored oncomputer108 and/orcomputer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1402 depicts transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a medical condition of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a medical condition of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., the medical condition need merely be an indicated medical condition, and could be, for example, associated with an objective medical condition, a proxied medical condition (e.g., enthused instead of manic), a perceived medical condition, an imagined medical condition, and/or a suspected medical condition, etc.; the user might be an indicated user, and could be, for example, the user of a system or some hypothetical specified user having one or more defined traits), where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or a vendor112 and/or publisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/or vendor interface device114 and or publisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/or vendor logic116 and/or publisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information that corresponds to the presence of diabetes in a user of the health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored on computer108 and/or computer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1404 illustrates transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a psychological condition of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a psychological condition of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., the psychological condition need merely be an indicated psychological condition, and could be, for example, associated with an objective psychological condition, a proxied psychological condition (e.g., lethargic instead of depression), a perceived psychological condition, an imagined psychological condition, and/or a suspected psychological condition, etc.; the user might be an indicated user, and could be, for example, the user of a system or some hypothetical specified user having one or more defined traits), where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or a vendor112 and/or publisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/or vendor interface device114 and or publisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/or vendor logic116 and/or publisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information that corresponds to the presence of chronic depression in a user of the health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored on computer108 and/or computer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1406 depicts transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a genetic profile of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a genetic profile of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., the genetic profile need merely be an indicated genetic profile, and could be, for example, associated with an objective genetic profile (e.g., arising from scientific analysis), a proxied feature of a genetic profile (e.g., designation of gene “X” in place of gene “Y”), a perceived/inferred genetic profile (e.g., a profile chosen based on real and/or imagined criteria), an imagined genetic profile (e.g., a hypothesized genetic profile), and/or a suspected genetic profile (e.g., based on certain traits, like inability to metabolize alcohol), etc.; the user might be an indicated user, and could be, for example, the user of a system or some hypothetical specified user having one or more defined traits), where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or a vendor112 and/or publisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/or vendor interface device114 and or publisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/or vendor logic116 and/or publisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information that corresponds to the presence of one or more particular genetic traits in a user of the health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored on computer108 and/or computer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1408 shows transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a diet of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a diet of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., the feature of a diet need merely be an indicated feature of a diet, and could be, for example, associated with an objective feature of a diet, a proxied feature of a diet, a perceived/imagined feature of a diet (e.g., indication of a “low fat” diet), and/or a suspected feature of a diet, etc.; the user might be an indicated user, and could be, for example, the user of a system or some hypothetical specified user having one or more defined traits), where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or a vendor112 and/or publisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/or vendor interface device114 and or publisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/or vendor logic116 and/or publisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information that corresponds to the presence of meat in the diet in a user of the health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored on computer108 and/or computer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1410 shows transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a substance intake of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a substance intake of a user of the health regimen information (e.g., the feature of a substance intake need merely be an indicated feature of a substance intake, and could be, for example, associated with an objective feature of a substance intake, a proxied feature of a substance intake (e.g., poppy seeds instead of an opiate), a perceived feature of a substance intake, an imagined feature of a substance intake, and/or a suspected feature of a substance intake, etc.; the user might be an indicated user, and could be, for example, the user of a system or some hypothetical specified user having one or more defined traits)), where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or a vendor112 and/or publisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/or vendor interface device114 and or publisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/or vendor logic116 and/or publisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information that corresponds to the presence of lithium in the substance intake of a user of the health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored on computer108 and/or computer118 and/or computer126).
• Operation1412 shows transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a condition external to a user of the health regimen information (e.g., transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a condition external to a user of the health regimen information (e.g., the condition external to a user might entail an indicated condition external to the user, and could be, for example, associated with an objective, perceived, and/or a suspected environmental condition and/or an objective, perceived, or suspected aspect external to the action and/or effect of health regimen information (e.g., a social perception that taking a particular type/brand of nutracuetical is “cool”, etc.), where any, some, or all of the author, owner, licensor, licensee, or distributor may be an end-user102 and/or a vendor112 and/or publisher120, via an end-user interface device104 and/or vendor interface device114 and or publisher interface device112 and end-user logic106 and/or vendor logic116 and/or publisher logic124, such as transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information that corresponds to the presence of rainy weather in the environment of a user of the health regimen information, where the health regimen information is stored on computer108 and/or computer118 and/or computer126).
• Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the art has progressed to the point where there is little distinction left between hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; the use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software can become significant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologies described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly software implementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles by which the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies described herein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any of which may vary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that optical aspects of implementations will typically employ optically-oriented hardware, software, and or firmware.
• The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, several portions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described herein applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordable type media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs, digital tape, and computer memory; and transmission type media such as digital and analog communication links using TDM or IP based communication links (e.g., packet links).
• In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various aspects described herein which can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, or optical-electrical equipment).
• Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such described devices and/or processes into image processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into an image processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a typical image processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing lens position and/or velocity; control motors for moving/distorting lenses to give desired focuses. A typical image processing system may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in digital still systems and/or digital motion systems.
• Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such described devices and/or processes into data processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a typical data processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, and/or control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity; control motors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A typical data processing system may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in data computing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.
• All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in any Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entireties.
• The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components.
• While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this subject matter described herein. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).

Claims (34)

1. A method related to health-related data management, the method being at least partially implemented using one or more processing devices, the method comprising:

transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor for:

provision of health regimen information, including provision of one or more updates to the health regimen information based on improvements to the health regimen information, and one or more alerts relevant to a use of the health regimen information.

2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring a monetary payment.

3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring a permission to use additional information provided and/or to be provided by a payor.

4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring data authenticating an identity of a payor.

5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring additional information.

6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring an endorsement.

7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring a credibility unit.

8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring compensation for an update to the health regimen information.

9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring compensation for an update to information that is relevant to a use of the health regimen information.

10. (canceled)

11. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring compensation for credibility information relevant to a use of the health regimen information.

12. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring compensation for a reference to non-subscribed information relevant to a use of the health regimen information.

13. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information.

14. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of a specification of the health regimen information.

15. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a medical condition of a user of the health regimen information.

16. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a psychological condition of a user of the health regimen information.

17. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a genetic profile of a user of the health regimen information.

18. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a diet of a user of the health regimen information.

19. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a substance intake of a user of the health regimen information.

20. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprises:

transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a condition external to a user of the health regimen information.

21. A system related to related to health-related data management, the system comprising:

circuitry for transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor for:

provision of health regimen information, including provision of one or more updates to the health regimen information based on improvements to the health regimen information, and one or more alerts relevant to a use of the health regimen information.

22. A system related to health-related data management, the system comprising:

means for transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor for:

provision of health regimen information, including provision of one or more updates to the health regimen information based on improvements to the health regimen information, and one or more alerts relevant to a use of the health regimen information.

23. A program product, comprising:

a non-transitory signal-bearing medium bearing one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices, perform a process including:

transferring compensation to at least one of an author, an owner, a licensor, a licensee, or a distributor for provision of health regimen information, including provision of one or more updates to the health regimen information based on improvements to the health regimen information and one or more alerts relevant to a use of the health regimen information.

24-26. (canceled)

27. The program product ofclaim 23, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring a permission to use additional information provided and/or to be provided by a payor.

28-36. (canceled)

37. The program product ofclaim 23, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation to an author and/or owner and/or licensor and/or licensee and/or distributor for one or more subscriptions for provision of health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information.

38. The program product ofclaim 37, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of a specification of the health regimen information.

39. The program product ofclaim 37, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a medical condition of a user of the health regimen information.

40. The program product ofclaim 37, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a psychological condition of a user of the health regimen information.

41. The program product ofclaim 37, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a genetic profile of a user of the health regimen information.

42. The program product ofclaim 37, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a diet of a user of the health regimen information.

43. The program product ofclaim 37, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a feature of a substance intake of a user of the health regimen information.

44. The program product ofclaim 37, wherein the one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information further comprise:

one or more instructions for transferring compensation for a variation of the health regimen information corresponding to a condition external to a user of the health regimen information.

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