Context dependent application/event activation for people with various cognitive ability levels

• US 9,335,904 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Junqua, Jean-Claude, Teixeira, Ricardo, Wang, Mike, Koo, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/096,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/309.4, 340/539.12, 340/457, 340/522, 340/691.3, 707/796, 715/747
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The patient device, designed for use by patients of reduced cognitive or physical ability, integrates with the network-based portal, designed for use by family members or nursing staff to customize the user experience of the patient. Using the portal the family member pushes user interface customizations as well as content and applications to be run on the patient device. The family member can also control the patient device remotely via the portal. The patient device collects usage data on the set of customizable interface components, and on the pushed content and applications. These data are sent as feedback to the portal, allowing the portal to show the family member which user interface features, content and applications are being used and which are not. Aggregate data collected via the portal generate ranking metrics used to aid in user interface feature selection.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for assisting persons of reduced cognitive or physical ability comprising:

a patient device having a display, a processor coupled to the display, and a communication port;

a portal computer that communicates with the patient device through the communication port;

the portal computer having a processor and associated memory storing a plurality of user interface components according to a predefined data structure that associates a patient ability metric with each user interface component;

the portal computer being programmed to present the plurality of user interface components to a user of the portal computer in a presentation arrangement based on the ability metric;

the portal computer being programmed to allow the first user to select from the arranged presentation of user interface components at least one interface component and then to push said selected user interface component to the patient device,

wherein the processor of the patient device is programmed to provide feedback data to the portal computer regarding the patient'"'"'s ability to use the selected user interface component pushed to the patient device,

wherein the portal computer is further programmed to report the feedback data to an aggregator computer that compiles statistics on user interface suitability for different levels of patient ability, and

wherein the portal computer is programmed to update the patient ability metric associated with a user interface component based on user interface usage data collected and aggregated from a plurality of patients.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the portal computer is programmed to present a plurality of applications to the first user of the portal computer;

and

wherein the portal computer is programmed to allow the first user to select at least one application and then to configure and push said application to the patient device to be run by the processor of the patient device.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the portal computer is programmed to present a plurality of applications to the first user of the portal computer in a presentation arrangement based on the ability metric;

and

wherein the portal computer is programmed to allow the first user to select from the arranged presentation of applications at least one application and then to push said application to the patient device to be run by the processor of the patient device.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the aggregator computer is in communication with the portal computer and programmed to supply said ability metrics to the portal computer.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the aggregator computer is in communication with the portal computer and programmed to receive usage data from the portal computer, to compute ability metrics based on said usage data and to supply said computed ability metrics to the portal computer.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the portal computer stores application programs adapted to be run on the patient device and wherein the portal computer is programmed to push selected ones of the stored applications to the patient device.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 6 wherein the portal computer associates an ability metric with each of the stored application programs.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 6 wherein the portal computer associates an ability metric with each of the stored application programs and presents those applications to the user of the portal computer in a presentation arrangement based on the ability metric.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the ability metric is a cognitive ability metric.

10. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the ability metric is a physical ability metric.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the portal computer automatically suggests user interface components to be pushed to the patient device, using knowledge of the patient'"'"'s ability and using the ability metrics in formulating the suggestion.

12. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the portal computer automatically selects and pushes user interface components to the patient device, using knowledge of the patient'"'"'s ability and using the ability metrics in making the selection.

13. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the portal computer communicates through the communication port of the patient device to effect remote control over the patient device.

14. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the portal computer stores application programs adapted to be run on the patient device selected from the group consisting of calendar, messages, picture viewing, video viewing, music, weather, audio chat and audio-video chat.