Personal trend management

• US 9,459,938 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trendm3 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trendme Incorporated
• Inventors: Denton, Aaron, Lunceford, Shane T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kerzhner, Aleksandr
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMAN, SABANA
• Application Number:
  US12/964,596
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 707/740
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for personal trend management is provided. A request is received to associate a template with a user. The template includes instructions that define one or more data analysis strategies. Data associated with a data collection device that includes time stamped events associated with the user is received. Based on a strategy defined in the template and the data received from the data collection device, a result that conveys information relating to one or more trends involving the events is generated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to associate a first template with a first user, wherein templates include instructions that define one or more data analysis strategies;

receiving first data associated with a first data collection device, wherein the first data includes;

a) one or more first events associated with the first user; and

b) one or more first time stamps, wherein each of the one or more first time stamps is associated with at least one of the one or more first events;

based on a first data analysis strategy defined by instructions stored in the first template and the first data, generating a first result that conveys information relating to one or more trends involving the one or more first events;

receiving a request to associate a second template with the first user;

receiving second data, wherein the second data includes;

a) one or more second events associated with the first user, wherein each of the one or more second events is a different type of event than the one or more first events; and

b) one or more second time stamps, wherein each of the one or more second time stamps is associated with at least one of the one or more second events;

based at least in part on the second data and a second data analysis strategy defined by instructions stored in the second template, generating a second result that conveys information relating to one or more trends involving the one or more second events;

receiving, from the first user, input that defines a composite reporting strategy, wherein the composite reporting strategy includes;

a) relationships between templates and trend categories in a first trend hierarchy; and

b) weight metrics associated with one or more templates included in the composite reporting strategy;

wherein trend categories represent nodes for organizing templates in a template hierarchy;

generating a composite report that includes a trend category metric for each trend category included in the composite reporting strategy based at least in part on the composite reporting strategy, wherein the one or more strategies defined in each template included in the strategy is factored into one or more trend category metrics for one or more related trend categories, wherein the degree to which the strategy of each template is reflected in a trend category metric is based at least in part on the weight metric associated with that template in the composite reporting strategy;

wherein the composite report is based at least in part on the first result and the second result;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first template is a first child of a first trend category in the first trend hierarchy;

determining that the second template is a second child of the first trend category;

generating a first trend category metric for the first trend category based at least in part on;

a) a first template metric that is generated in accordance with the first data analysis strategy, b) a second template metric that is generated in accordance with the second data analysis strategy, and c) a first weight metric associated with the first template;

based at least in part on the first trend category metric and a second trend category metric, generating a composite report.

3. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving a request to associate a first template with a first user, wherein templates include instructions that define one or more data analysis strategies;

receiving first data associated with a first data collection device, wherein the first data includes;

a) one or more first events associated with the first user; and

b) one or more first time stamps, wherein each of the one or more first time stamps is associated with at least one of the one or more first events;

based on a first data analysis strategy defined by instructions stored in the first template and the first data, generating a first result that conveys information relating to one or more trends involving the one or more first events;

receiving a request to associate a second template with the first user;

receiving second data, wherein the second data includes;

a) one or more second events associated with the first user, wherein each of the one or more second events is a different type of event than the one or more first events; and

b) one or more second time stamps, wherein each of the one or more second time stamps is associated with at least one of the one or more second events;

based at least in part on the second data and a second data analysis strategy defined by instructions stored in the second template, generating a second result that conveys information relating to one or more trends involving the one or more second events;

receiving, from the first user, input that defines a composite reporting strategy, wherein the composite reporting strategy includes;

a) relationships between templates and trend categories in a first trend hierarchy; and

b) weight metrics associated with one or more templates included in the composite reporting strategy;

wherein trend categories represent nodes for organizing templates in a template hierarchy;

generating a composite report that includes a trend category metric for each trend category included in the composite reporting strategy based at least in part on the composite reporting strategy, wherein the one or more strategies defined in each template included in the strategy is factored into one or more trend category metrics for one or more related trend categories, wherein the degree to which the strategy of each template is reflected in a trend category metric is based at least in part on the weight metric associated with that template in the composite reporting strategy;

wherein the composite report is based at least in part on the first result and the second result.

4. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions further include instructions for:

determining that the first template is a first child of a first trend category in the first trend hierarchy;

determining that the second template is a second child of the first trend category;

generating a first trend category metric for the first trend category based at least in part on;

a) a first template metric that is generated in accordance with the first data analysis strategy, b) a second template metric that is generated in accordance with the second data analysis strategy, and c) a first weight metric associated with the first template;

based at least in part on the first trend category metric and a second trend category metric, generating a composite report.