Device, system and method for providing feedback to a user relating to a behavior of the user

• US 10,102,769 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Lacroix, Joyca Petra Wilma, Saini, Privender Kaur, Vinkers, Charlotte, Kleppe, Mieke
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US15/081,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20160293043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for providing feedback to a user relating to a behavior of the user, said device comprising, a data interface for obtaining context data indicative of a context of the user; a processor for determining whether the obtained context data are characterized by a context pattern, wherein the context pattern characterizing context data relating to a particular behavior of the user; a user interface configured to obtain a behavior input indicative of a currently performed behavior or of an urge to perform a behavior; and a database for storing the behavior input along with context data obtained simultaneously to the behavior input and/or along with context data obtained prior to the behavior input; wherein the processor is configured to determine a context pattern based on the content of the database; and wherein the user interface is configured for providing feedback to the user if the obtained context data are characterized by the context pattern.

Claims

1. A device configured to provide electronic pet avatar feedback to a user related to a target behavior of the user, the device comprising:

a data interface configured to obtain context information from one or more context sensors configured to generate output signals conveying the context information, the context information being indicative of a context of the user, the context information related to one or more of a location of the user, an orientation of the user, movement of the user, physical surroundings of the user, an ambient environment around the user, urges of the user, or vital signs of the user; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine, based on the context information, one or more context parameters related to the location of the user, the orientation of the user, the movement of the user, the physical surroundings of the user, the ambient environment around the user, the urges of the user, and/or the vital signs of the user;

determine whether the context parameters are characterized by a context pattern that indicates the user is about to engage in the target behavior, the context pattern comprising behavior criteria related to the target behavior of the user; and

determine that the user is about to engage in the target behavior responsive to the context parameters satisfying the behavior criteria related to the target behavior; and

cause, via a user interface, an electronic pet avatar associated with the user to provide pet-like-behavior feedback corresponding to the target behavior to the user responsive to the determination that the user is about to engage in the target behavior, the pet-like-behavior feedback being configured to cause the user to avoid the target behavior.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the context pattern by applying a pattern recognition algorithm to content of a database.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising the user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to obtain the target behavior of the user.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the user interface includes a display configured to display the electronic pet avatar.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising the one or more context sensors, wherein the one or more context sensors include a galvanic skin response sensor for measuring the skin conductivity of the user.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the one or more processors are configured to derive a stress context parameter based on output signals from the galvanic skin response sensor, the stress context parameter indicating a level of stress of the user; and

the one or more processors are configured to control the user interface to provide the pet-like-behavior feedback that causes the user to avoid the target behavior responsive to (1) the determination that the user is about to engage in the target behavior and (2) the stress context parameter indicating a stress level in the user that is above a predefined threshold.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein

the one or more processors are configured to compare the context parameters to the behavior criteria, and to determine a degree of similarity based thereupon, wherein, responsive to the degree of similarity breaching a predefined similarity threshold, the one or more processors indicate that the context parameters satisfy the behavior criteria.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the context parameters further comprise context parameters related to a time of day, a location of the user, a noise level in the vicinity of the user, an acceleration signal measured at a body part of the user, and/or ambient weather including an air pressure and/or a humidity.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a mobile unit including at least one of the one or more context sensors;

and a human machine interface in communication with the user interface, for interacting with the user.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the human machine interface is a touchscreen of the user interface.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive, via the user interface, information from the user indicating the user is about to engage in the target behavior, the information indicating the user is about to engage in the target behavior comprising petting or stroking of the electronic pet avatar via the user interface.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, responsive to receiving the information from the user indicating the user is about to engage in the target behavior, cause the electronic pet avatar to react to the user with one or more of empathetic actions, distracting actions, by providing insight related to the context parameters, or by taking actions associated with actionable advice.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the electronic pet avatar is a dog.

11. A method for providing electronic pet avatar feedback to a user relating to a target behavior of the user with a feedback device, the feedback device comprising a data interface, and one or more processors, and a user interface, said method comprising:

obtaining, with the data interface, context information from one or more context sensors configured to generate output signals conveying the context information, the context information indicative of a context of the user, the context information related to one or more of a location of the user, an orientation of the user, movement of the user, physical surroundings of the user, an ambient environment around the user, urges of the user, or vital signs of the user;

determining, based on the context information, with the one or more processors, one or more context parameters related to the location of the user, the orientation of the user, the movement of the user, the physical surroundings of the user, the ambient environment around the user, the urges of the user, and/or the vital signs of the user;

determining, with the one or more processors, whether the context parameters are characterized by a context pattern that indicates the user is about to engage in the target behavior;

wherein the context pattern comprises behavior criteria relating to the target behavior of the user;

determining, with the one or more processors, that the user is about to engage in the target behavior responsive to one or more of the determined context parameters satisfying the behavior criteria related to the target behavior;

causing, with the one or more processors, the user interface to provide pet-like-behavior feedback to the user that corresponds to the target behavior and causes the user to avoid the target behavior, the pet-like-behavior feedback provided responsive to the determination that the user is about to engage in the target behavior, the pet-like-behavior feedback provided to the user by the user interface in the form of an electronic pet avatar associated with the user, the electronic pet avatar displayed by the user interface.

12. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of a feedback device storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors effectuate operations comprising:

obtaining, context information from one or more context sensors configured to generate output signals conveying the context information, the context information indicative of a context of the user, the context information related to one or more of a location of the user, an orientation of the user, movement of the user, physical surroundings of the user, an ambient environment around the user, urges of the user, or vital signs of the user;

determining, based on the context information, one or more context parameters related to the location of the user, the orientation of the user, the movement of the user, the physical surroundings of the user, the ambient environment around the user, the urges of the user, and/or the vital signs of the user;

determining whether the context parameters are characterized by a context pattern that indicates the user is about to engage in the target behavior, wherein the context pattern comprises behavior criteria relating to the target behavior of the user;

determining that the user is about to engage in the target behavior responsive to one or more of the determined context parameters satisfying the behavior criteria related to the target behavior; and

causing a user interface to provide pet-like-behavior feedback to the user that corresponds to the target behavior and causes the user to avoid the target behavior, the pet-like-behavior feedback provided responsive to the determination that the user is about to engage in the target behavior, the pet-like-behavior feedback provided to the user by the user interface in the form of an electronic pet avatar associated with the user, the electronic pet avatar displayed by the user interface.