# US 2021/0279746 A1 · Information providing method

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- Number: US 2021/0279746 A1
- Document ID: US20210279746A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/220,404
- Filed: 2021-04-01
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-02
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
- Inventors: Masaki YAMAUCHI; Nanami FUJIWARA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210279746A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)}
- H04Q 9/00: Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)

## Abstract

An information providing method includes: generating first information indicating that a user is interested in the type of content corresponding to first content information output by an information device in the past and second content information currently being output by the information device when the type of content of the first and second content information is the same; obtaining, from a second information processing apparatus connected to the first information processing apparatus, information indicating first request content over a network; and when content of the first information is included in the first request content, outputting, to the second information processing apparatus, second information including information for identifying the user or the home, using the generated first information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information providing method that uses a first information processing apparatus which includes a processor and memory,
wherein an information device and a sensor are disposed in a home, and
the processor:
obtains, from the memory, first content information output by the information device in the past;
obtains, via the sensor, second content information currently being output by the information device;
when (i) a type of content of the first content information and a type of content of the second content information are a same type of content, generates first information indicating that a user is interested in the type of content corresponding to the first content information and the second content information;
obtains, from a second information processing apparatus connected to the first information processing apparatus, information indicating first request content over a network; and
when content of the first information is included in the first request content, outputs, to the second information processing apparatus, second information including information for identifying the user or the home, using the first information generated.

### Claim 2

An information providing method that uses a first information processing apparatus which includes a processor and memory,
wherein an information device and a sensor are disposed in a home, and
the processor:
obtains, from the memory, first content information output by the information device in a first past period;
obtains, from the memory, second content information output by the information device in a second past period closer to a current time than the first past period;
obtains, from the memory, information indicating a bedtime indicating a time the user went to bed in the past;
obtains current device activity information for the information device;
when (ii) a type of content of the second content information is different than a type of content of the first content information, (iii) the current device activity information indicates that the information device is inactive, and (iv) an amount of time from the current time to the bedtime is a given amount of time or longer, generates first information indicating that the user viewed content yesterday that is different in type than past content and that there is the given amount of time or longer before the bedtime of the user;
obtains, from a second information processing apparatus connected to the first information processing apparatus, information indicating first request content over a network; and
when content of the first information is included in the first request content, outputs, to the second information processing apparatus, second information including information for identifying the user or the home, using the first information generated.

### Claim 3

An information providing method that uses a first information processing apparatus which includes a processor and memory,
wherein a first electronic device and a first sensor are disposed in a dining space of a home, and
the processor:
obtains sensing information corresponding to a given period of time in the dining space via the first sensor;
when (v) the sensing information from the dining space includes an active period of time in the dining space indicating at least one of a user being present in the dining space or the first electronic device being active and (vi) the sensing information from the dining space includes, after the active period of time in the dining space, an inactive period of time in the dining space that is a threshold amount of time or longer and indicates at least one of the user being absent in the dining space or the first electronic device being inactive, generates the first information indicating that an eating-related activity by the user in the dining space is completed;
obtains, from a second information processing apparatus connected to the first information processing apparatus, information indicating first request content over a network; and
when content of the first information is included in the first request content, outputs, to the second information processing apparatus, second information including information for identifying the user or the home, using the first information generated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The information providing method according to claim 3,
wherein a second electronic device and a second sensor are disposed in a kitchen space of the home, and
the processor, further:
obtains second sensing information corresponding to the given period of time in the kitchen space via the second sensor; and
in the generating of the first information, when, in addition to (v) and (vi), (vii) the sensing information from the kitchen space includes an active period of time in the kitchen space that is earlier than the active period of time in the dining space and indicates at least one of the user being present in the kitchen space or the second electronic device being active and (viii) the sensing information from the kitchen space includes, after the active period of time in the kitchen space, an inactive period of time in the kitchen space that is a threshold amount of time or longer and indicates at least one of the user being absent in the kitchen space or the second electronic device being inactive, generates the first information.

### Claim 5

An information providing method that uses a first information processing apparatus which includes a processor and memory,
wherein a first electronic device and a first sensor are disposed in a first space including at least one of a dining space or a lavatory space of a home,
a second electronic device and a second sensor are disposed in a second space including an entrance space of the home, and
the processor:
obtains, from the memory, past first sensing statistical information corresponding to the first space;
obtains current first sensing information corresponding to the first space via the first sensor;
obtains, from the memory, past second sensing statistical information corresponding to the second space;
when (ix) a difference between a first time and a second time is a threshold amount of time or less and (x) a current time is equal to or earlier than a third time, generates first information indicating that it is almost a time that the user usually leaves the home, the first time being included in the current first sensing information and indicating at least one of the user being present in the first space or the first electronic device being active, the second time being included in the past first sensing statistical information and indicating at least one of the user being present in the first space or the first electronic device being active, and the third time being included in the past second sensing statistical information and indicating at least one of the user being present in the second space or the second electronic device being active;
obtains, from a second information processing apparatus connected to the first information processing apparatus, information indicating first request content over a network; and
when content of the first information is included in the first request content, outputs, to the second information processing apparatus, second information including information for identifying the user or the home, using the first information generated.