Lifespace data collection from discrete areas

• US 9,106,718 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
• Inventors: Bonasera, Stephen J., Goulding, Evan H., Schenk, A. Katrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia-Ching, Karina J
• Application Number:
  US13/876,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20130212168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles

Abstract

Techniques are described to collect data via a client device, such as a mobile phone. The data, referred to as “lifespace data,” comprises one or more measurements of an individual'"'"'s functionality, a transmitter identification associated with a transmitter positioned in a discrete area (e.g., a room in a subject'"'"'s residence), and a timestamp indicating when the transmitter identification was transmitted or received. One or more transmitters can be positioned in one or more discrete areas (e.g., throughout an individual'"'"'s residence or workspace), with each transmitter configured to transmit a unique transmitter identification. In implementations, a transmitter comprises a Bluetooth beacon, and a transmitter identification comprises a Bluetooth identification number. The client device may be configured to provide the lifespace data to a server for storage, analysis, and intervention functionalities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of transmitter identifications at a client device carried or worn by a subject, the transmitter identifications transmitted to the client device by a plurality of transmitters positioned in respective discrete areas of an interior space occupied by the subject, each received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject occupying a respective one of the discrete areas, each of the received transmitter identifications being received by the client device from a respective transmitter of the plurality of transmitters when the client device is within the respective discrete area wherein the respective transmitter of the plurality of transmitters is positioned;

acquiring lifespace data for the subject, the lifespace data indicative of a measurement of the subject'"'"'s functionality within the discrete areas based on the received transmitter identifications including at least a first received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject being within proximity of a first transmitter and a second received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject being within proximity of a second transmitter, the first transmitter being positioned within a first discrete area and the second transmitter being positioned within a second discrete area different from the first discrete area, the lifespace data including the transmitter identifications and timestamps indicating times when the transmitter identifications are received by the client device;

transmitting the lifespace data from the client device to a remotely located server, the server configured to provide the lifespace data for at least one of an analysis or an intervention;

receiving positioning information indicating a geographical location for the subject, and a timestamp indicating a time when the positioning information is received; and

transmitting the positioning information to the server only when the timestamp indicating the time when the positioning information is received does not match the timestamps indicating the times when the transmitter identifications are received by the client device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a Bluetooth beacon and the transmitter identification comprises a Bluetooth identification number.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the lifespace data further comprises at least one of:

a physiological measurement, an environmental condition, an activity count, or an orientation measurement.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the client device comprises a mobile phone.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to apply an econometric model to the lifespace data.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing device is further configured to quantify the lifespace data into a behavior based on the econometric model.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the discrete area is a room.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of transmitter identifications at a client device carried or worn by a subject, the transmitter identifications transmitted to the client device by a plurality of transmitters positioned in respective discrete enclosures, each received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject occupying a respective one of the discrete enclosures, each of the received transmitter identifications being received by the client device from a respective transmitter of the plurality of transmitters when the client device is within the respective discrete enclosure wherein the respective transmitter of the plurality of transmitters is positioned;

acquiring lifespace data for the subject, the lifespace data indicative of a measurement of the subject'"'"'s functionality within the discrete enclosures based on the received transmitter identifications including at least a first received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject being within proximity of a first transmitter and a second received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject being within proximity of a second transmitter, the first transmitter being positioned within a first discrete enclosure and the second transmitter being positioned within a second discrete enclosure different from the first discrete enclosure, the lifespace data including the received transmitter identifications and timestamps indicating times when the transmitter identifications are received by the client device;

providing the lifespace data for at least one of analysis or an intervention;

receiving positioning information indicating a geographical location for the subject, and a timestamp indicating a time when the positioning information is received; and

transmitting the positioning information to the server only when the timestamp indicating the time when the positioning information is received does not match the timestamps indicating the times when the transmitter identifications are received by the client device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the lifespace data comprises a Bluetooth beacon and the transmitter identification comprises a Bluetooth identification number.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the lifespace data further comprises at least one of:

a physiological measurement, an environmental condition, an activity count, or an orientation measurement.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein providing the lifespace data further comprises providing the lifespace data to a computing device for at least one of an analysis or an intervention.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the computing device is configured to analyze the lifespace data via an econometric model.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the computing device is further configured to analyze the lifespace data via the econometric model and provide a behavior based on the econometric model.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the intervention from the computing device; and

transmitting the intervention to the client device.

15. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising storing the lifespace data into a memory.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of transmitters disposed within an interior space having at least two discrete areas, each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters positioned within a respective discrete area of the interior space and configured to transmit a unique transmitter identification associated with the discrete area; and

a client device configured to be carried by a subject, the client device configured to receive the transmitter identifications, each of the received transmitter identifications being received by the client device from a respective transmitter of the plurality of transmitters when the client device is within the respective discrete area wherein the respective transmitter of the plurality of transmitters is positioned, each of the received transmitter identifications indicative of the client device and the subject occupying the respective discrete area of the interior space, the client device configured to acquire lifespace data for the subject, the lifespace data indicative of a measurement of the subject'"'"'s functionality within the discrete areas based on the received transmitter identifications including at least a first received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject being within proximity of a first transmitter and a second received transmitter identification indicative of the client device and the subject being within proximity of a second transmitter, the first transmitter being positioned within a first discrete area and the second transmitter being positioned within a second discrete area different from the first discrete area, wherein the lifespace data includes received transmitter identifications, timestamps indicating times when the received transmitter identifications are received by the client device, and at least one of a physiological measurement, an environmental condition, an activity count, or an orientation measurement associated with the subject;

wherein the client device is further configured to transmit the lifespace data to a server configured to provide the lifespace data for at least one of an analysis or an intervention;

wherein the client device is further configured to receive the at least one of the analysis or the intervention from the server;

wherein the client device is further configured to receive positioning information indicating a geographical location for the subject, and a timestamp indicating a time when the positioning information is received; and

wherein the client device is further configured to transmit the positioning information to the server only when the timestamp indicating the time when the positioning information is received does not match the timestamps indicating the times when the transmitter identifications are received by the client device.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the client device is configured to encrypt at least a portion of the lifespace data transmitted to the server.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the intervention comprises a behavior modifying text message configured to be received at the client device.