1. A clinical research management system, comprising:
a database of biometric sample information, at least some of the pieces of sample information having been received from a test-subject in a first clinical research effort, and each piece of sample information having a related pointer to clinical research information obtained during the first clinical research effort;
a check-in facility at a clinical research facility that is conducting a second clinical research effort, the check-in facility having a biometric reader;
a communication channel;
a microprocessor, programmed to: (a) receive from the communication channel, information corresponding to a biometric specimen received at the check-in facility, (b) compare the biometric specimen to the biometric sample information (c) determine whether the specimen matches at least one piece of the sample information to identify a matching piece of sample information, (d) identify the pointer related to the matching piece of sample information, (e) use the pointer to obtain the corresponding clinical research information obtained during the first clinical research effort, (f) provide the obtained corresponding clinical research information to the clinical research facility conducting the second clinical research effort.
2. The management system of claim 1, further comprising a second database, the second database having stored therein the clinical research information obtained from the test-subject during the first clinical research effort.
3. A clinical research management network, comprising:
a first database of biometric sample information, at least some of the pieces of sample information having been received from a test-subject in a first clinical research effort, and each of those pieces of sample information having a related pointer to clinical research information obtained during the first clinical research effort;
a plurality of check-in facilities, each check-in facility being located at a clinical research facility that is conducting clinical research that is not related to the first clinical research effort, and each check-in facility has a biometric reader;
a microprocessor in communication with the check-in-facilities and the first database, and programmed to: (a) receive a biometric specimen received at the biometric reader of one of the check-in facilities, (b) compare the biometric specimen to the biometric sample information (c) determine whether the specimen matches at least one piece of the sample information to identify a matching piece of sample information, (d) identify the pointer related to the matching piece of sample information, (e) use the identified pointer to obtain the corresponding clinical research information obtained during the first clinical research effort, (f) provide the obtained corresponding clinical research information to at least one of the clinical research facilities conducting clinical research that is not related to the first clinical research effort.
4. The management network of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of second databases, each of the second databases having stored therein clinical research information pointed to by the pointers of the first database, and wherein at least one of the second databases has the clinical research information obtained during the first clinical research effort.
5. A method of managing clinical research, comprising:
providing a database having biometric sample information, each piece of sample information having been received from a test-subject in a first clinical research effort, and each piece of sample information having a related pointer to clinical research information during the first clinical research effort;
providing a prospective test-subject at a clinical research facility conducting a second clinical research effort;
obtaining a biometric specimen from the prospective test-subject;
comparing the biometric specimen to the biometric sample information;
determining whether the specimen matches at least one piece of the sample information;
if the specimen matches at least one piece of sample information, then using the related pointer to obtain the corresponding clinical research information obtained during the first clinical research effort;
providing the obtained clinical research information to the clinical research facility conducting the second clinical research effort;
determining whether the obtained clinical research information indicates a problem with the prospective test-subject participating in the second clinical research effort, to provide a determination;
acting on the determination by allowing the prospective test-subject to participate in the second clinical research effort if the determination does not indicate a problem, or preventing the prospective test-subject from participating in the second clinical research effort if the determination indicates a problem.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pointer points to a database other than the database having biometric sample information.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a load check portion which checks communication loads at a plurality of radio relay stations; and
a connection processing portion which executes wireless connection with a radio relay station of a lowest communication load of the communication loads checked by the load check portion.
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the load check portion checks the communication loads of the plurality of radio relay stations by using information indicative of a destination and a sender contained in data frames transmitted and received by the plurality of radio relay stations.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display processing portion which displays statuses of the communication loads of the plurality of radio relay stations checked by the load check portion on a screen.
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display processing portion displays a connection relationship between each of the plurality of radio relay stations and an apparatus connected thereto.
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when an apparatus is newly connected to the radio relay station to which the information processing apparatus is connected, the display processing portion displays information indicative of presence of the newly connected apparatus.
6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection processing apparatus is configured to execute wireless connection with a radio relay station selected by an input operation.
7. A connection control method of controlling connection of an information processing apparatus configured to be connected to one of a plurality of radio relay stations, the method comprising:
checking communication loads at the plurality of radio relay stations; and
executing wireless connection with a radio relay station of a lowest communication load of the checked communication loads.
8. The connection control method according to claim 7, wherein the communication loads of the plurality of radio relay stations are checked by using information indicative of a destination and a sender contained in data frames transmitted and received by the plurality of radio relay stations.
9. The connection control method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying statuses of the checked communication loads of the plurality of radio relay stations on a screen.
10. The connection control method according to claim 9, further comprising displaying on a screen a connection relationship between each of the plurality of radio relay stations and apparatuses connected thereto.
11. The connection control method according to claim 10, further comprising, when an apparatus is newly connected to the radio relay station to which the information processing apparatus is connected, displaying information indicative of presence of the newly connected apparatus.
12. The connection control method according to claim 7, further comprising executing wireless connection with a radio relay station selected by an input operation.