US20180176339A1 - Network architecture for multiple data stream management and endpoint visualization - Google Patents

Abstract

Network architecture with a plurality of data streams, wherein at least one of the data streams includes data updated in real-time; a plurality of protocol interfaces each connected to at least one of the data streams; a processor coupled with the protocol interfaces; an output interface coupled to a display for showing a graphical user interface; and a memory coupled to the processor including instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, multiplex a plurality of signals from the plurality of data streams via the protocol interfaces into a single output, wherein the multiplexing is executed based on an identity of the one of the data stream from which the signal originated, and output the single output to the graphical user interface via the output interface.

Description

BACKGROUND
• Related art network hub infrastructure often includes processors and related transient memory and/or cache connected with one or more servers and network-side databases under its control. The servers, or potentially ports or other types of interfaces, at the hub communicatively connect to one or more spoke data sources or streams for the hub. For example, a network hub may connect to third-party hosts, other databases, and/or services that provide signals to the network hub. Each of these spoke data sources may require unique signal management, authentication, and/or communications protocol, for which each server, port, or other hub-side interface must be configured, either with hardware matching and satisfying the protocol and/or software configured to provide hub-side authentication, interaction, and data-management with the sources and streams.
• Dynamic third-party spokes provide information or services that may change or be updated over time, potentially in real-time for data to match current physical conditions or occurrences. For example, a spoke relational database may update read-only-memory in real-time with new or updated entries as detected physical characteristics change, updated calculations are completed, and/or new data becomes available. Or, for example, a spoke third-party service may return new response signals in response to hub-side server queries. Or, for example, a spoke data stream may transmit information in real-time as generated or received, such as network status, client interactions, processor actions, etc. These dynamic network spokes require the hub processor to concomitantly handle dynamic signal input in multiples equal to spoke number, often requiring hub processing power to exceed that of any spoke service.
• On the other side of the network hub, servers, or potentially ports or other types of interfaces, communicatively connect to one or more spoke clients or users. The same types of configuration for protocol, authentication, data management, etc. with regard to spoke clients and users must be implemented at the hub for each spoke client. The hub may act as a simple multiplexor feeding signals from each spoke data source to each spoke client in composite or multiplexed fashion. Similarly, information may be aggregated in a hub-side database and analyzed for retrieval by spoke clients, potentially through operator or processor query from client members in the network. In the instance of data streams, the network architecture may provide continuous signals to clients in visual or formatted fashion so that operators at client spokes may more easily display, such as through light signals emanating from a substrate surface forming a GUI, and consume all data incoming from potentially several spoke data streams.
• Examples of related art network architectures handling data streams in real time and/or from multiple spoke-side sources having heterogenous configurations can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,800,608 to Korunsky et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 9,437,022 to Vander Broek; U.S. Pat. No. 9,348,876 to Paranjpe et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,083,770 to Drose et al., all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties.
SUMMARY
• Example embodiments include a network architecture with a plurality of data streams, wherein at least one of the data streams includes data updated in real-time; a plurality of protocol interfaces each connected to at least one of the data streams; a processor coupled with the protocol interfaces; an output interface coupled to a display for showing a graphical user interface; and a memory coupled to the processor including instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, multiplex a plurality of signals from the plurality of data streams via the protocol interfaces into a single output, wherein the multiplexing is executed based on an identity of the one of the data stream from which the signal originated, and output the single output to the graphical user interface via the output interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of fields, and wherein the single output populates at least one of the fields based on the identity of the one of the data stream in real-time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
• Example embodiments will become more apparent by describing, in detail, the attached drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus do not limit the example embodiments herein.
• FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example embodiment network architecture.
• FIG. 2 is an illustration of a profile screen of an example embodiment graphical user interface (GUI).
• FIG. 3 is an illustration of a selected profile screen of the example embodiment GUI.
• FIG. 4 is an illustration of a multiple-field screen of the example embodiment GUI.
• FIG. 5 is an illustration of a second page of the multiple-field screen of the example embodiment GUI.
• FIG. 6 is an illustration of a third page of the multiple-field screen of the example embodiment GUI.
• FIG. 7 is an illustration of a selected analytics multiple-pane screen of the example embodiment GUI.
• FIG. 8 is an illustration of a selected pane screen of the example embodiment GUI.
• FIG. 9 is an illustration of a third-party output screen of the example embodiment GUI.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Because this is a patent document, general broad rules of construction should be applied when reading it. Everything described and shown in this document is an example of subject matter falling within the scope of the claims, appended below. Any specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely for purposes of describing how to make and use examples. Several different embodiments and methods not specifically disclosed herein may fall within the claim scope; as such, the claims may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only examples set forth herein.
• It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited to any order by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another; where there are “second” or higher ordinals, there merely must be that many number of elements, without necessarily any structural or functional difference or other relationship. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments or methods. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The use of “etc.” is defined as “et cetera” and indicates the inclusion of all other elements belonging to the same group of the preceding items, in any “and/or” combination(s).
• It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” “mated,” “attached,” “fixed,” etc. to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected,” “directly coupled,” etc. to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). Similarly, a term such as “communicatively connected” includes all variations of information exchange and routing between two electronic devices, including intermediary devices, networks, etc., connected wirelessly or not.
• As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include both the singular and plural forms, unless the language explicitly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, characteristics, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not themselves preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, characteristics, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
• The structures and operations discussed below may occur out of the order described and/or noted in the figures. For example, two operations and/or figures shown in succession may in fact be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. Similarly, individual operations within example methods described below may be executed repetitively, individually or sequentially, so as to provide looping or other series of operations aside from single operations described below. It should be presumed that any embodiment or method having features and functionality described below, in any workable combination, falls within the scope of example embodiments.
• The inventors have recognized that data streams are often operated and controlled by disparate organizations and entities operating under different communications protocols and having distinct information interfaces. As such, no single network is able to aggregate and combine all information from the various streams, which may be dynamic and change in real time, into a single output that interrelates all relevant data for a operator query or parameter. Thus, there is a need for a network architecture that can interface with multiple data streams operating on distinct protocols and offering different but related data and provide the same through a single output interface. To overcome these newly-recognized problems as well as others, the inventors have developed example embodiments and methods described below to address these and other problems recognized by the Inventors with unique solutions enabled by example embodiments.
• The present invention is a network architecture presenting a graphical user interface with multiple endpoints populated with content from disparate data streams. In contrast to the present invention, the few example embodiments and example methods discussed below illustrate just a subset of the variety of different configurations that can be used as and/or in connection with the present invention.
• FIG. 1 depicts an exampleembodiment network architecture1081. As shown inFIG. 1, several different data sources and/orstreams1250,1251,1252, etc. provide signals carrying various types of information, potentially updated in real time. Stores indata streams1250,1251,1252, etc. may be interrelated, with arrows showing each stream potentially providing signals to and updating portions or partitions in other stores in other streams, all or any of which may be communicatively connected. For example, a live feed fromdata stream1252 may be updated in relevant portion intoanother stream1250, ordata stream1251 could be a universal store, for example, aggregating all entries and database updates from each other data store. Various information sources interact and intercommunicate withinstreams1250,1251,1252, etc., for example, over networks disposed therewith. The streams may include any of a variety of data producers, exchangers, and consumers.
• Multiple interfaces1302,1303, etc. receive and analyze signals carrying information fromdata streams1250,1221,1252, etc. to which interfaces communicatively connect.Universal interface1302 may intercept, receive, and analyze all signals generated and passed among all streams and potentially identify and analyze relevant data across several different types of sources and protocols.Universal interface1302 may be configured with several protocols and test, or sample, signals and output fromdata streams1250,1251,1252, etc. to determine an operating protocol and properly interface and analyze data in the protocol.Specialized protocol interface1303 may operate in accordance with a specific protocol including data format, connection type, encryption type, and communications standards. In thisway example network1081 is capable of communicatively connecting to and interfacing with several different types ofdata streams1250,1251,1252, etc. and parsing signals and information from the same.
• Data stream engine1402 multiplexes or otherwise aggregates incoming signals or extracted data frominterfaces1302,1303, etc.Data stream engine1402 may convert or adapt signals based on protocol to a universal or otherwise processable state. For instance,data stream engine1402 may be programmed and interfaced with a specialized protocol ofinterfaces1303 or adapt to the protocol detected byuniversal interface1302. In this waydata stream engine1402 may control or be able to configure signal portions and connection type withinterfaces1302,1303 etc., and vice versa, in order to achieve full communicative connection.Data stream engine1402 may thus receive and process real-time signals from several data sources and provide the same todata cluster1525.
• Data cluster1525 includes at least one hardware processor and associated memory such as a cache, transient memory, and read-only memory, as well as necessary busses and input/output ports, up to potentially several server farms and multiple processors working in parallel. Storage incluster1525 may be a dedicated drive or may be a partition of a general larger farm or cloud in which relevant information fromstreams1250,1251,1252, etc. and/or device operations and raw data can be saved. This may be, for example, random access memory, read only memory, programmable read only memory, erasable programmable read only memory, electronically erasable programmable read only memory, flash memory, a hard disk, a processor cache, optical media, and/or other non-transient computer readable media.
• Data cluster1525 may categorize, organize, store, and/or retrieve real-time and requested data provided fromdata stream engine1402 as well as previously-stored information.Data cluster1525 may also control retrieval or querying ofdata streams1252 acting as data sources byengine1402 and/orinterfaces1302,1303, etc. In this way,data cluster1525 may receive, monitor, and/or request any type of data from local or remote data stores for single-line network processing and analysis.
• Data cluster1525 determines a destination, or endpoint, of received and analyzed signal based on the determined data content and well as member/client input, such as in the form of notification parameters.Data cluster1525 may also be configured to store or dispose a portion of the signals and information received based on data content and client input. That is,data cluster1525 is configured to both filter and direct output signals from multiple diverse data streams based on several parameters, potentially in real-time. Signals and data for output may be provided tooutput engine1625 along with endpoint control, including for example, a computer IP or MAC address, I/O identifier, or other direction.
• Output engine1625 may format the output signal in accordance with the endpoint. For example,output engine1625 may include graphical instruction or depictions for portions ofGUI1700 as an endpoint.Output engine1625 may include a server or other interface for a third-party operator ofGUI1700 in order to connect and output relevant signals for endpoint arrangement. In one example,data streams1250,1252, and1252 may be HL7 or CCDA configured networks, including an HIE and encounter facilities, generating and storing numerous records and EHR signals, for which protocols specializedprotocol interface1303 may be configured and connected in standard-specific ways. US Patent Publications to Antony et al. 2014/0278483; 2015/0242574; 2015/0242568; 2015/0242569; 2016/0034641; 2017/0098043; and 2017/0220742 all describe further example configurations for exampleembodiment network architecture1081 and specific graphical returns that may be displayed onGUI1700 and are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
• GUI1700 may display graphical output fromoutput engine1625 in specific fields, surfaces, places, and manners as dictated bycluster1525 andengine1625.GUI1700 may include several specific endpoints itself for particular data, includingworkspace1701,input interface1725, andgraphical charts1702.Workspace1701 may render specific data directed to different fields in appropriate forms, such as via drop-down menus, pop-up menus, line or a radio button, text input field etc. forinput interface1725, into which an operator may enter a query or control command. Based on the query or in response to a satisfied notification parameter provided by the user,output engine1625 returns a response for display onGUI1700 in an appropriate surface field, such as chart1720 or as a table for numerical data. In this way, numerical data may be rendered inGUI1700 as interactive tables, graphical data as interactive charts1006, alert or notification data as pop-ups or prompt icons updating the tables and charts, etc. Each of these displays may be in separate fields based on their data stream origin and information type, as determined and controlled bydata cluster1525 andoutput engine1625.
• FIG. 2 is an illustration of anexample embodiment GUI1700 showing one screen or collection of fields as different endpoints with origin-specific contents. As seen inFIG. 2,several navigation sections1741,1742,1743,1744, and1745 may be displayed on a single surface, allowing an operator to select, click, enter, or otherwise navigate to different sections as operator input.FIG. 2 showsexample embodiment GUI1700 with “Care Profile” navigation section1742 selected withcorresponding workspace1701 graphically displayed onGUI1700. Inworkspace1701, a search resultsfield1730 is shown, responsive to on-screen entry ininput interface1725. Data cluster1525 (FIG. 1) may direct output engine1625 (FIG. 1) to return a list of matching search results from a connected memory or data stream for a particular query, including near matches and matches with related and partial data field entry matches, which is selectively displayed infield1730 as an endpoint, only based on the nature of the returned values.GUI1700 may also support authentication or operator login operation and identification throughlogin selection1750 in order to determine access to particular data streams and contents thereof.
• FIG. 3 is an illustration of anexample embodiment GUI1700 showing a next screen or collection of fields as different endpoints with origin-specific contents. As seen inFIG. 3, upon selection fromfield1730 inFIG. 2, several differentexpandable profile options1731 for the selection. Anotherinput field1725 may allow an operator to select whichprofile options1731 to display for any particular selection. Eachoption1731, if expanded and/or selected, may display a selective field withinGUI1700 as a particular endpoint controlled bycluster1525 andengine1525; that is,cluster1525 may select, format, and display contents in an expanded field under a selectedoption1731 as an endpoint from only a single associateddata stream125X (FIG. 1). Or, for example, an operator may input a “show all” option and “Expand all” option, displayingGUI1700 with the screens ofFIGS. 4-6.
• As shown inFIG. 4,example embodiment GUI1700 may include severaldifferent endpoint fields1734,1733, and1732. For example,endpoint field1732 may graphically display one set of input updated in real-time for a historical period from a onedata stream1250, andendpoint field1734 may display a static input set from anotherdata stream1251 operating on potentially different protocols and interfaces. For example,endpoint field1732 may update with filtered, real-time HL7 signals and messages of a particular type responsive to an operator's parameters for a selected option fromFIG. 2, whileendpoint field1734 may display a table retrieved from an HIE, all based on origin as determined frominterfaces1302,1303, etc. and data stream engine1402 (FIG. 1). Afurther endpoint field1733 may display additional results associated with data displayed infield1732 from yet another stream or source. As shown inFIG. 5, a second page ofexample embodiment GUI1700 may includefurther endpoints1735,1736, and1737 inworkspace1701, displaying further contents from different streams that correlate with a selected option.FIG. 6 illustrates a thirdpage continuing endpoint1737 along withnew endpoints1738 and1739 each having potentially unique data stream sources updated in real time.
• As seen inFIGS. 2-6,example embodiment GUI1700 may display several different pieces of data, notification, and query results in a single graphical user interface with several different fields having related contents aggregated from several different data streams. Some endpoints inGUI1700, such asendpoint field1733, may be tabular with sortable headings and columns having data drawn from one data stream, and other endpoints, such aschart endpoint1732, may be dynamic graphical representations of related data from a different source. In this way, exampleembodiment network architecture1081 may connect to and interface with several distinct data streams from different owners and operators having related data and aggregate the same into asingle GUI1700, with different fields being populated based on stream origin, data type, and operator queries or parameters.
• FIG. 7 is an illustration ofexample embodiment GUI1700 upon selection ofnavigation section1743 for “CAliPHR” fromFIG. 2. As seen inFIG. 7,several analytics panes1751 and1752 inFIG. 2 are displayed inworkspace1701. In the example ofFIG. 7, several different conditions responsive to a time period and provider input throughinput field1725 are displayed.Graphical user interface1700 may display analyzed data created and retrieved bydata cluster1525 in asingle workspace1701. Both graphical elements and raw data may be presented in individual panes. For example, onepane1752 may graphically show values associated with a first condition, while anotherpane1751 may graphically show values associated with a second condition, such as readmissions for particular states in an input facility. As seen inFIG. 7, one ormore display controls1753 may allow the operator to export underlying data in raw, compressed, or tabulated format as well as add additional filters to display subgroups ofpanes1751,1752, etc.
• As seen inFIG. 8, selecting, such as by clicking, onpane1752 presents an expanded view of additional data associated with the condition, potentially from additional data streams. The user may move through tabs organizing the expanded contents by subject matter as well as interact withtools1753 to move to next panes, last panes, etc. Similarly, a user may export or save data from expanded view ofpane1752 inexample embodiment GUI1700.
• As shown inFIG. 2, throughnavigation selection1745 for “Report Dashboard”example embodiment GUI1700 may display third-party reports retrieved from different data streams and display them on the page shown inFIG. 9, which is an example third-party display page inGUI1700. For example, as shown inFIG. 9, a third-party data stream may offer analysis services with directly output graphical analysis inchart panes1761 and1764 as well as tabular data insortable table pane1762, responsive to reportselections1763 activated by a user.Cluster1525 may directly access and output the graphical and tabular elements inGUI1700 ofFIG. 9 through anappropriate interface1303 that interacts with the third-party service providing the graphics and tables. In this way, example embodiment architecture1081 (FIG. 1) may provide for asingular GUI1700 with direct third-party applications and outputs as aworkspace1701.
• As seen inFIGS. 2-9, example embodiment network architecture1801 ofFIG. 1 may this gather and discriminate among several different types and number ofdata streams125X providing dynamic or static data under several different operating standards and protocols, adapt the same for a single-stream output throughoutput engine1625, and display the various pieces of data, analysis thereof, graphical elements, and tabular values in asingle GUI1700 with user-friendly, navigable interfaces on a screen or through an operator input device. Different types of data from different sources may be populated into different on-screen fields based on their origin as determined bydata cluster1525. Moreover, analysis, filtering, and other data handling of potentially otherwise separately owned and operated information can be graphically gathered together onGUI1700 for comprehensive analysis by an operator.
• Signals including data for selective endpoint display, in each of the network components, means, modules, mechanisms, units, devices etc. ofexample network architecture1081 may be ‘encrypted’ and suitably ‘decrypted’ when required. Encryption can be accomplished using any encryption technology, such as the process of converting digital information into a new form using a key or a code or a program, wherein the new form is unintelligible or indecipherable to a user or a thief or a hacker or a spammer. The term ‘encryption’ includes encoding, compressing, or any other translating of the digital content. The encryption of the digital media content can be performed in accordance with any technology including utilizing an encryption algorithm. The encryption algorithm utilized is not hardware dependent and may change depending on the digital content. For example, a different algorithm may be utilized for different websites or programs. The term ‘encryption’ further includes one or more aspects of authentication, entitlement, data integrity, access control, confidentiality, segmentation, information control, and combinations thereof.
• Exampleembodiment network architecture1081 can be made accessible through a portal or an interface which is a part of, or may be connected to, an internal network or an external network, such as the Internet or any similar portal. The portals or interfaces are accessed by one or more of users through an electronic device, whereby the user may send and receive signals to the portal or interface which gets stored in at least one memory device or at least one data storage device or at least one server. The configuration described herein may be optionally executed from functional data structures on one or more of a non-transitory, computer readable medium, in relation with, and in combination with such pieces of hardware. Such executable configurations may manifest as a website, an executable software program, or a software application. A non-transitory, computer readable medium may comprise media such as magnetic storage medium (e.g., hard disk drives, floppy disks, tape, etc.), optical storage (CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical disks, etc.), volatile and non-volatile memory devices (e.g., EEPROMs, ROMs, PROMs, RAMs, DRAMs, SRAMs, Flash Memory, firmware, programmable logic, etc.), etc. The code implementing the described operations may further be implemented in hardware logic (e.g., an integrated circuit chip, Programmable Gate Array (PGA), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), etc.).
• An operator may provide user input through any suitable input device or input mechanism such as but not limited to a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touchpad, a virtual keyboard, a virtual data entry user interface, a virtual dial pad, a software or a program, a scanner, a remote device, a microphone, a webcam, a camera, a fingerprint scanner, a cave, pointing stick, etc. Communicative connections and control among network structures may use Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wimax, near-field communications, optical signals, etc.
• Actions throughout example embodiment network architectures may include user authentication, data verification, privacy controls, and/or content screening. This will also extend to use an authentication key or access key or electronic device based unique key or any combination thereof. In this way, one or more operators can be blocked or denied access to one or more of the aspects of the invention. For example, operators may never be provided with identifying information of the one another, such that a party creating entries in a data stream and/or a party consuming the same throughGUI1700 may remain anonymous to the other. Data may be encrypted and not retained at one or all points in example methods, such that there may be no discoverable record of signals fromdata streams125X, independent media, origin and/or limitation information in regard to such content, existence, performance, etc. As to verification, example methods may take advantage of an operator login model requiring user authentication with a password over a secured connection and/or using operating-system-native security control and verification on communications devices, to ensure only verified, permitted operators gain access. Example embodiment network architectures may also require payment verification, such as credit card or bank account authentication, to verify identity and/or ability to pay before allowing access and may use location and input verification available through operating system controls or other network functionalities, potentially in combination with user feedback, to prevent or punish location spoofing, user account compromising, bot access, and/or harassment or waste.
• Some examples described here, it is understood that one or more example methods may be used in combination and/or repetitively to produce multiple options and functionalities for operators of networks connected among several different types of streams and sources for differing signals through proper computer programming or hardware configuring of networks and communications devices to perform example selective endpoint display on example embodiment GUIs, at any number of different processor-based devices that are communicatively connected.
• Example methods and embodiments thus being described, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that example embodiments may be varied through routine experimentation and without further inventive activity. Variations are not to be regarded as departure from the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (14)

What is claimed is:

1. A network comprising:

a plurality of data streams, wherein at least one of the data streams includes data updated in real-time;

a plurality of protocol interfaces each connected to at least one of the data streams;

a processor coupled with the protocol interfaces;

an output interface coupled to a display for showing a graphical user interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor including instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to,

multiplex a plurality of signals from the plurality of data streams via the protocol interfaces into a single output, wherein the multiplexing is executed based on an identity of the one of the data stream from which the signal originated, and

output the single output to the graphical user interface via the output interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of fields, and wherein the single output populates at least one of the fields based on the identity of the one of the data stream in real-time.

2. The network ofclaim 1, wherein the graphical user interface includes input fields for an operator, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to,

receive input from the operator,

populate the at least one field with a different portion of the single output based on the input, and

reformat the at least one field based on the input.

3. The network ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of data streams include at least one HL7 system, and wherein the single output includes only HL7 ADTs and no other data from the HL7 system, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to,

discard other data from the HL7 system.

4. The network ofclaim 1, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of selectable panes presenting graphical and value data, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to,

receive a selection of one of the panes, and

reformat the graphical user interface to display only the selected page with additional related value data from at least two of the data streams.

5. The network ofclaim 1, wherein the graphical user interface includes one of a user-interactive table and a user-interactive chart.

6. The network ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the data streams provides a dynamic graphical element, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to,

directly display the dynamic graphical element in the graphical user interface.

7. The network ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of data streams each operates under a different standard and provides a different data type.

8. The network ofclaim 1, wherein the single output includes composite data generated from a plurality of signals output by different data streams of the plurality of data streams.

9. The network ofclaim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to be visually displayed on a single surface screen and interacted with via touchpad.

10. A network comprising:

a plurality of data sources operating on different protocols;

a plurality of protocol interfaces each connected to at least one of the data sources;

a processor coupled with the protocol interfaces;

an output interface coupled to a display for showing a graphical user interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor including instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to,

aggregate output from the data sources via the protocol interfaces into a single output, and

output the single output to the graphical user interface via the output interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of fields, and wherein the single output populates at least one of the fields with portions of the single output.

11. The network ofclaim 10, wherein the plurality of data sources include at least one HL7 system, and wherein the single output includes only HL7 ADTs and no other data from the HL7 system, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to,

discard other data from the HL7 system.

12. The network ofclaim 10, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of selectable panes presenting graphical and value data, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to,

receive a selection of one of the panes, and

reformat the graphical user interface to display only the selected page with additional related value data from at least two of the data sources.

13. The network ofclaim 10, wherein the graphical user interface includes one of a user-interactive table and a user-interactive chart.

14. The network ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the data streams provides a dynamic graphical element, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to,

directly display the dynamic graphical element in the graphical user interface.

Images