Methods And Apparatus For Analyzing User Information To Identify Conditions Indicating A Need For Assistance For The User

Abstract

Systems and techniques for analyzing information relating to a user to determine whether the user requires assistance. Information for a user is received from sources selected to provide information relating to the user's activities and analyzed to determine whether conditions exist indicating a possible need for assistance for the user. User location, motion, and activity information is received and analyzed against expected information stored in the user profile and analyzed to determine if assistance is needed. If a determination is made that the user's behavior indicates that assistance may be needed, communication is initiated to summon appropriate assistance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of user monitoring, comprising:
 receiving, at a data processing device, behavior information relating to a user's behavior through wireless communication with one or more devices providing information relating to the user, the behavior information including:
 scheduled activities retrieved from an electronic calendar feature, and 
 participation information relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in the scheduled activities; 
   analyzing, at the data processing device, the behavior information to compare the user's participation or nonparticipation in the scheduled activities with expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities and to analyze deviations from the expectations to determine whether such deviations indicate a need for assistance for the user;   refining the expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities by monitoring additional participation information over time, to produce refined expectations; and   analyzing subsequent behavior information to compare the user's subsequent participation or nonparticipation in subsequent scheduled activities with the refined expectations and to analyze deviations from the refined expectations to determine whether such deviations indicate a need for assistance for the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein refining the expectations relating to the user's participation or non-participation in the scheduled activities includes monitoring user behavior with respect to adherence to schedules. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving behavior information relating to the user's behavior includes receiving information relating to the user's pattern of movements and analyzing the user's behavior includes analyzing the user's pattern of movements taking historical patterns of accidents in the user's current environment into account to determine whether the pattern of movements indicates a need for assistance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities are stored in a user profile. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising summoning assistance upon determination that assistance may be needed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein summoning assistance comprises analyzing the deviations from the user's behavior expectations to identify a condition indicating a need for assistance and following procedures stored in a user profile for the identified condition. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deviations are determined to indicate a need for assistance for the user when the behavior information indicates that the user arrived at a predetermined location but failed to participate in scheduled activities at the location. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions for user monitoring, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving behavior information relating to a user's behavior through wireless communication with one or more devices providing information relating to the user, the behavior information including:
 scheduled activities retrieved from an electronic calendar feature, and 
 participation information relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in the scheduled activities; 
   analyzing the behavior information to compare the user's participation or nonparticipation in the scheduled activities with expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities and to analyze deviations from the expectations to determine whether such deviations indicate a need for assistance for the user;   refining the expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities by monitoring additional participation information over time, to produce refined expectations; and   analyzing subsequent behavior information to compare the user's subsequent participation or nonparticipation in subsequent scheduled activities with the refined expectations and to analyze deviations from the refined expectations to determine whether such deviations indicate a need for assistance for the user.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein refining the expectations relating to the user's participation or non-participation in the scheduled activities includes monitoring user behavior with respect to adherence to schedules. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein receiving behavior information relating to the user's behavior includes receiving information relating to the user's pattern of movements and analyzing the user's behavior includes analyzing the user's pattern of movements taking historical patterns of accidents in the user's current environment into account to determine whether the pattern of movements indicates a need for assistance. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities are stored in a user profile. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , further comprising summoning assistance upon determination that assistance may be needed. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein summoning assistance comprises analyzing the deviations from the user's behavior expectations to identify a condition indicating a need for assistance and following procedures stored in a user profile for the identified condition. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein deviations are determined to indicate a need for assistance for the user when the behavior information indicates that the user arrived at a predetermined location but failed to participate in scheduled activities at the location. 
     
     
         15 . A central exchange for monitoring user activities, comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:   receiving behavior information relating to a user's behavior through wireless communication with one or more devices providing information relating to the user, the behavior information including:
 scheduled activities retrieved from an electronic calendar feature, and 
 participation information relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in the scheduled activities; 
   analyzing the behavior information to compare the user's participation or nonparticipation in the scheduled activities with expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities and to analyze deviations from the expectations to determine whether such deviations indicate a need for assistance for the user;   refining the expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities by monitoring additional participation information over time, to produce refined expectations; and   analyzing subsequent behavior information to compare the user's subsequent participation or nonparticipation in subsequent scheduled activities with the refined expectations and to analyze deviations from the refined expectations to determine whether such deviations indicate a need for assistance for the user.   
     
     
         16 . The central exchange of  claim 15 , wherein refining the expectations relating to the user's participation or non-participation in the scheduled activities includes monitoring user behavior with respect to adherence to schedules. 
     
     
         17 . The central exchange of  claim 15 , wherein receiving behavior information relating to the user's behavior includes receiving information relating to the user's pattern of movements and analyzing the user's behavior includes analyzing the user's pattern of movements taking historical patterns of accidents in the user's current environment into account to determine whether the pattern of movements indicates a need for assistance. 
     
     
         18 . The central exchange of  claim 15 , wherein the expectations relating to the user's participation or nonparticipation in scheduled activities are stored in a user profile. 
     
     
         19 . The central exchange of  claim 15 , further comprising summoning assistance upon determination that assistance may be needed. 
     
     
         20 . The central exchange of  claim 19 , wherein summoning assistance comprises analyzing the deviations from the user's behavior expectations to identify a condition indicating a need for assistance and following procedures stored in a user profile for the identified condition.