Deliverables
Integrated platform of services for the D&E, aimed at delivering a number of services to the D&E at home by means of the TV. The SAID platform implements a social assistance infrastructure assisted by human personnel from a control post and aided by automatic supervision procedures implemented using the technology of intelligent agents. On top of the basic infrastructure, a number of services specifically designed for the D&E has been implemented covering aspects such as communications, entertainment, education, home delivered services, etc.
The platform is composed of a server node, several client nodes, a control post, the social assistants console and the mobile nodes. The client node is composed of a TV + remote controller + digital decoder + webcam (if videoconferencing services are supported). The platform includes services for: the end user (D&E), the social assistants and the console operator. The following services are included for the D&E: reminder, information (interactive and active), alarms, video monitoring, automatic monitoring system, games, household services, videoconferencing, videoemail, etc. The services for the social assistant includes: reminder configuration, alarm browsing, user configuration, insertion of information topics, agenda, planner, mobile route planner, mobile access to DB, alarm redirection to mobile. The services for the console operator include: real-time alarm management, information management and access to DB, alarm redirection to mobiles or email, bi-directional videoconferencing with the end-users, video monitoring, etc.
Interactive Information Service. The SAID "interactive" information access point uses intelligent agents technology to elaborate filtered lists of topics personalised according to each user¿s profile (see figure). The user can navigate through the information tree while the system automatically prunes the search path in order to present to the user only those options that are potentially interesting for him. Each topic is automatically classified according to his personal preferences and a graphical rank mark is presented to aid the user in his selections (only in the Java Client). At any moment the user may command the system to stop searching and present a suggestion or present the unfiltered list of topics (only in the Java Client).
As opposed to the "Active" information service, the Interactive service requires the user to take the initiative to ask the system for information and search for subjects potentially interesting for him. The Interactive Information service is based on an aided search engine. It is based on a search tree approach involving topics and sub-topics whose contents may change dynamically. The topics lists are personalised according to the user profile. That is, each user will have a different search tree (both in the core nodes and its leaves) depending on its original user profile and information the system has acquired automatically about the user. The system supports both: topics added to the lists automatically by the intelligent agents and topics manually introduced in the system by, for example, the social assistant. Using this approach search processes are simplified and search times are dramatically reduced. See the Agent's Server section in this document for more information on the intelligent agents capabilities. The Final Prototype supports a search tree with an unlimited number of levels.
Active Information Service. The SAID "active" information service is implemented via pop-up suggestions appearing on the screen while the user is watching his favourite TV program. The service is active because information comes to the user without the need to explicitly request it. The intelligent agents software permanently monitors the net for topics of potential interest for the user. When it detects something interesting a suggestion is sent to the user (e.g. I know you like opera. Would you like information about an interesting play near your home?). First a flashing icon alerts the user the system has something for him. Then it is his option to attend the request and watch the pop-up message superimposed on the TV program. Suggestions can have associated questions becoming a powerful method the Agents software can use to get feedback from the users about their preferences in order to refine the user profiles. The Social Assistants can also send suggestions to the users. Great care is taken to assure suggestions are little disturbing (e.g. not too frequent), relevant (important for the user, timely delivered) and issued whenever possible within the context of the current TV program.
We must point out the active information system is not a kind of push advertising. On the contrary, the SAID active information system has a whole community of intelligent agents components working in the background for the benefit of each user with no relation to third parties or interests strange to the user's benefit.
Using personal information stored in a user profile the tool search for TV information potentially interesting to the user. The system offers two method to deliver the information to the user:
-Automatic suggestions via pop up messages over the TV programming.
-Interactive search tool. It automatically filters the list of TV programs according to the preferences of the user. Only the subjects potentially interesting for the user are displayed. The complete list can be displayed on demand. The user may request the system to give him a suggestion.
The user profile is automatically refined by means of intelligent agents technology.
One of the most important shortcomings in the TV environment is the difficulty to use text-based tools. The possibility to post short video messages to other SAID users or users outside the system from your TV is a favourable substitute for traditional communications tools such as email.
VideoEmail can be used for personal communications with other users or relatives, to get in contact with social services, etc. The VideoEmail application is extremely simple to use:
-Supports two functionalities: send an email, receive an email;
-Uses the same address book used by the Videoconferencing application;
-Is compatible with users external to the system (e.g. can send emails to relatives or friends not subscribed to SAID);
May attach predefined subject of the message, etc.
The tool has been designed to be used with only aid of a TV remote controller.
The Mobile service module provides social assistants with mobile devices (PDA) connecting via GPRS to the server and using GPS for position finding. Services comprise a round trip planner in order to give support to a social assistant in his daily activities visiting the SAID users.
On the server side, a social worker administrates personal data of the users and requests for visits. The social workers currently in charge are located by their GPS and their position is displayed on a city map. If a user wishes to be visited, the social worker on the server side sends a request for a visit of a certain user to all or a reasonable subgroup of the social assistants. If one of the social worker accepts, the visit is assigned and displayed in the list.
On the PDA, the social assistant administrates the daily or weekly schedule for the next visits. If the server sends a request for a visit, the social assistant can decide whether to accept or reject the request. If she accepts, the visit is automatically or manually scheduled and integrated into the daily plan. The PDA also allows to access information about the user.
Software for automatically searching, classifying and filtering information according to a user profile. Based on intelligent agents technology, the software automatically search for the relevant information in internet, databases, etc. Implemented in the form of a standalone module, communicates with the application layer by means of a well-defined XML protocol. The software can be used in multiple applications where personalised information is required: TV, Internet, mobiles, etc.
The software includes a tool for automatically acquiring and refining a user profile. Using feedback from the users, the profiling tool modifies the ranking of the topics managed in order to adjust it to the users preferences.
The videoconferencing application is aimed at low cost real-time communications. It implements a simplified user interface where the user will only need to select from a mosaic of photographs the picture of the person he would like to talk to. Videoconferencing can be used for a number of daily tasks: personal communications, communications with social or health services, remote rehabilitation sessions (requires special equipment), request for home delivery services, etc. The tool has been designed to be used with only aid of a TV remote controller.
Diary application based on video information. Organised in the form of a personal diary the tool will allow the user to record short videos describing the happenings of the day. The user will be able to record videos, browse the diary pages, add or delete pages, share the diary pages with other users, etc. Aimed at D&Es with memory problems, children or any person who would like to keep a diary comfortably from his TV set. The tool has been designed to be used with the only aid of a TV remote controller.
The games has been designed to be used with only aid of a TV remote controller. Chess game on the TV. A simple chess game has been developed. The game requires an opponent located remotely at another client terminal. The interface is very easy to use. In order to get in contact with other users the application uses the same address book also used in the video applications. He just needs to select a photo from the address book and the connection is established. Then, the game starts. The player may even cheat, provided his opponent doesn't complain.
Magician Series. It has been implemented a series of games on magic. Two titles have been developed in the Magician series: Guess my card, Guess where I have hided the objects. The idea is to have available a new game periodically so that the elder may play with friends or relatives.
Personalised newspaper on the TV. Using the information stored in a personal user profile, the tool will automatically select the news of the day potentially most attractive for the user. The tool will also select the heading of the paper by selecting the news with highest ranking. The user will only need to pass the pages of the electronic newspaper to read the news. He may also selected specific news or share a report with other users. He may also see the complete list of news upon demand. The user profile is automatically refined using intelligent agents technology.
The tool has been designed to be used with the only aid of a TV remote controller.
An interesting application designed to show classified sets of images has been developed. The application can be customized as a photo album (photos of friends or family), collections (e.g. stamps), etc. The user interface is direct and extremely simple to use. The application is very convenient since the user can visualize the photos directly on the TV screen. The images are stored in a database that can be located at the user decoder or centralised at the system server.
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