Patent Application
20200099740
An exemplary embodiment comprises systems and methods for providing an on-line service referred to herein for convenience as “Happify.” Happify is a science-based online service and social community for engaging, learning and training the skills of happiness. It may be offered through a variety of devices including PC, tablet and mobile.
In an exemplary embodiment, a Happify service is based on a framework developed by psychologists and researchers in the science of happiness (which includes positive psychology and neuroscience), and assists users in the development of certain happiness skills: e.g., Savor, Thank, Aspire, Give and Empathize (or S.T.A.G.E.™). Each skill may be developed using various activities, ordered in increasing skill level, that gradually unlock as the user progresses in building that skill.
In an exemplary embodiment, users who use Happify may be given a range of activities from the S.T.A.G.E. skills, from reflective blogging and science-based games and quizzes, to real-life tasks they are asked to perform and report back on. Each activity is backed by scientific studies that are directly accessible to the user.
An exemplary aspect may comprise a system and method for providing on-line services. The system and method comprise: a server for receiving information from a plurality of sources of data via a network, the plurality of sources of data comprising a plurality of attributes; a storage device for storing the information received from the plurality of sources of data; and a processor for tracking the plurality of sources of data. The processor determines attribute levels for each of the plurality of attributes and transmits updated information to the plurality of sources of data to increase the determined attribute levels.
In one or more exemplary system and method embodiments: (1) the plurality of attributes are based on human psychological happiness skills; and (2) the processor calculates a match score between at least two of the plurality of sources of data based on the determined attribute levels.
Happify is a science-based online service and social community for engaging, learning and training the skills of happiness. Happify activities may be offered to users in several ways. Two examples described below are “Tracks” and “Personal Recommendation and a la Carte.”
Tracks:
Tracks contain sets of activities programmed to address a specific life situation or goal (“Cope better with stress; “Enjoy parenting more”, etc.) in, for example, a 4-week time period. Upon signing up, users may complete self-assessments that give them their initial happiness level as well as an initial recommended track. Users may complete approximately one part of a track each week, spanning 4 weeks altogether. When users finish a track part, they may win, for example, a badge that represents their level of activity in that track part.
Personal Recommendation and a La Carte:
When not in a track, a user may be offered a personalized daily activity (an unlocked activity from a skill they haven't accessed in the past week). They also may pick activities from a skill menu and choose any unlocked activity of their choice.
As users perform their activities, they may create activity posts that are saved in their personal profile and build up a ‘digital happiness wallet’ they can reflect on. Posts may include the type of activity performed by the user, any text and images the user added, other people involved, if any, as well as the time and location for the post. Posts also may appear on various activity feeds on the service, which allows other users to read, draw inspiration from, and offer encouragement in the form of comments and likes.
Users may also follow activities posted by other users they find interesting if those users allow themselves to be followed or mark their post “public”. Periodically, the service may make suggestions for users to follow other users whose profiles match in terms of demographics and psychographics, as well as level of activity on the site.
Users can keep track of their progress on Happify, thanks to periodic, scientifically-designed self-assessments that present them with their current happiness level compared to past levels.
Over time, Happify computer systems and software may build a ‘Happiness Graph’ for each user, consisting of activities, people, places and things correlated with the impact they had on the user's happiness levels. This information may be used to optimize the user experience and the activities the service suggests.
Happify is a science-based online service and social community for engaging, learning and training the skills of happiness. It is offered through a variety of devices including PC, tablet and mobile.
The service is based on a framework developed by psychologists and researchers in the science of happiness (which includes positive psychology and neuroscience), and consists of 5 essential happiness skills: Savor, Thank, Aspire, Give and Empathize (or S.T.A.G.E.™). Each skill contains various activities, ordered in increasing skill level, that gradually unlock as the user progresses in building that skill.
Users who join Happify are given a range of activities from the S.T.A.G.E. skills, from reflective blogging and science-based games and quizzes, to real-life tasks they are asked to perform and report back on. Each activity is backed by scientific studies that are directly accessible to the user.
Happify activities are offered to users in two ways:
Tracks:
Personal Recommendation and a-La-Carte:
As users perform their activities, they create activity posts that are saved in their personal profile and build up a ‘digital happiness wallet’ they can reflect on. Posts include the type of activity performed by the user, any text and images the user added, other people involved, if any, as well as the time and location for the post. Posts also appear on various activity feeds on the service, which allows other users to read, draw inspiration from, and offer encouragement in the form of comments and likes.
Users can also follow activities posted by other users they find interesting if those users allow themselves to be followed or mark their post “public”. Periodically, the service makes suggestions for users to follow other users whose profiles match in terms of demographics and psychographics, as well as level of activity on the site.
Users can keep track of their progress on Happify, thanks to periodic, scientifically-designed self-assessments that present them with their current happiness level compared to past levels.
Over time, Happify builds a ‘Happiness Graph’ for each user, consisting of activities, people, places and things correlated with the impact they had on the user's happiness levels. This information is used to optimize the user experience and the activities the service suggests.
Exemplary embodiments comprise computer components and computer-implemented steps that will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, calculations and communications can be performed electronically, and results can be displayed using a graphical user interface.
An exemplary such system is depicted in
Other components and combinations of components may also be used to support processing data or other calculations described herein as will be evident to one of skill in the art. Server 130 may facilitate communication of data from a storage device 140 to and from processor(s) 150, and communications to computers 100. Processor 150 may optionally include or communicate with local or networked storage (not shown) which may be used to store temporary or other information. Software 160 can be installed locally at a computer 100, processor 150 and/or centrally supported for facilitating calculations and applications.
For ease of exposition, not every step or element of the present invention is described herein as part of a computer system, but those skilled in the art will recognize that each step or element may have a corresponding computer system or software component. Such computer system and/or software components are therefore enabled by describing their corresponding steps or elements (that is, their functionality), and are within the scope of the present invention.
Moreover, where a computer system is described or claimed as having a processor for performing a particular function, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that such usage should not be interpreted to exclude systems where a single processor, for example, performs some or all of the tasks delegated to the various processors. That is, any combination of, or all of, the processors specified in the description and/or claims could be the same processor. All such combinations are within the scope of the invention.
Alternatively, or in combination, processing and decision-making may be performed by functionally equivalent circuits such as a digital signal processor circuit or an application specific integrated circuit.
Many routine program elements, such as initialization of loops and variables and the use of temporary variables, are not described in detail herein for brevity. Moreover, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that unless otherwise indicated, the particular sequence of steps described is illustrative only and can generally be varied without departing from the scope of the invention. Unless otherwise stated, the processes described herein are unordered—that is, the processes can be performed in any reasonable order.
All steps described herein will and should be understood by those skilled in the art as being capable of implementation by software, where feasible. Moreover, such software will be understood by those skilled in the art to be storable on a non-transitory computer readable medium and implementable by one or more computer processors.
Framework was developed by leading happiness scientists. The STAGE framework captures the essence of the science of positive psychology (hundreds of studies) and allows for presentation to mainstream consumers in an accessible way.
Each STAGE skill is associated with a characteristic color and iconography to simplify and reinforce its identity.
According to an exemplary embodiment, skills comprise the following:
The framework offers different types of science-based activities to users. The following provides a sample list, with the complete list provided in the product directory:
Users can view the shared posts of other people who are doing the track and like/comment on them or follow the authors of those posts.
Happify offers special tracks created by experts and thought leaders in the field of emotional well-being and happiness science as Premium Tracks.
The following provides a sample list of tracks:
Each skill assessment is composed of an ‘affinity’ and a ‘mastery’ assessment for a group of skill categories. The skill ‘Give’, for example, includes skill categories ‘Forgiveness’, ‘material things’ and ‘immaterial things’.
The user answers a set of questions for affinity and mastery in each of the skill categories by specifying a number between 1 and 7.
The user's skill affinity profile is presented as a list of skill categories in decreasing order of average score as answered by the user. Higher average score in a skill category corresponds with a higher level of affinity with that category.
The user's skill mastery profile is presented as a list of skill categories in decreasing order of average score as answered by the user. Higher average score in a skill category corresponds with a higher level of affinity with that category.
In addition to the ordered lists, the system flags categories that have these score combinations:
High Affinity/High Mastery—These categories are both preferred by, and mastered by the user. The user may benefit from increasing awareness and using this skill category.
High Affinity/Low Mastery—These categories are liked by the users but not yet mastered by them. The user may benefit from engaging in and building their skill level in this category.
What types of savoring experiences do you like?
Please rate the extent to which each of the following is true for you (1=not at all true, 7=very true)
Rate, on a scale of 1-7 (1=not at all, 7=completely), the extent to which you are able to appreciate—with deliberate effort, in the moment or in retrospect—the complexities of:
Please rate the extent to which the following statements are true for you (1=not at all true, 7=very true)
In the last week, how frequently did you engage in each of the following behaviors (1=not at all, 7=as frequently as humanly possible):
While most people are grateful for other people in their lives, they may not actually FEEL that gratitude on a daily basis. In the last week, did you feel grateful for the following, and if so, how often (1=very rarely, 7=all the time)
Please rate the extent to which the following statements are true for you (1=not at all true, 7=very true)
Involving things that are happening or that have already happened:
In the past, how successful have you been at finding meaning in each of the following (1=not successful, 7=very successful):
How frequently do you engage in the following behaviors (1=never, 7=very frequently)
How frequently do you engage in the following behaviors (1=never, 7=very frequently)
Please rate the extent to which the following statements are true for you (1=not at all true, 7=very true)
I care about.
In general, how often do you do each of the following when you have the opportunity (1=not at all, 7=very frequently)
Please rate the extent to which the following statements are true for you (1=not at all true, 7=very true)
In general, how difficult is it for you to do each of the following (1=not difficult at all, 7=extremely difficult):
In general, how difficult is it for you to do each of the following (1=not difficult at all, 7=extremely difficult):
In general, how difficult is it for you to do each of the following (1=not difficult at all, 7=extremely difficult):
The assessment is composed of five subscales with 6 items each, each with user rating on a scale of 1 to 7.
Users would be classified based on which of the two subscales are highest for them:
For each of the statements below, please choose the degree to which it describes what you are like, from 1 (“very much unlike me”) to 7 (“very much like me”):
Some benefits of the embodiments described herein are:
The following attributes are unique to Happify compared to other digital well-being services:
User is asked to reflect on an aspect of their life an write a few sentences about it. For example—what they are grateful for, what is the true meaning of their job or in what ways they make the life of their spouse better.
User is given an activity to do in real life and write a few sentences about how it felt to do it. This could be giving a small gift to someone, savoring their favorite food or spending an hour doing something meaningful to them.
Allow the user to build a list of their closest people who affect their happiness the most, then direct the users to do certain activities with the Inner Circle—like sharing posts and experience boards (see below) etc.
Quick report of user's mood from mobile or web, show stats/people nearby on map
Recommends activities for users based on the Happiness Graph (=happiness ‘GPS’)
Identify and share the music that makes you happy. User picks a decade they love, scan through top music by year/genre and build their happy music wallet.
Introduction to mindfulness/meditation: user picks a beautiful video scene they like, and just relaxes for 2 to 5 minutes
User sends a quick gratitude note to a friend, tasking them to continue the chain of thanks Present leaderboards with longest chains and map view.
Balloons containing positive/negative emotions launch into the game board, user needs to only click the ones with positive emotions
Send an e-Gift
Allow users to give a small gift to a friend directly from the site
Allow users to make a donation directly from the site
A Happify track consists of sets of activities programmed together to address a specific life issue or goal.
A track name is actionable and concise (5 words max). A track description (140 words max) introduces the user to the track and explains what the user will achieve by completing the track.
The partner may write an intro OR provide key messaging points for Happify staff to write the introduction to the track.
Each track consists of 4 parts—each of which takes approximately one week for users to complete. (If they run out of time, they have the option to extend their time by another week.)
Each Part of a track contains a balanced mix of “reporter” activities and “light” activities (see explanation below). The reporter activities gradually increase in difficulty as users progress through each of the 4 Parts.
“Light Activities” include:
Happify's psychologists have created 55 science-based activities to help users build 5 essential happiness skills (Happify's “S.T.A.G.E.” framework):
BELOW: Example of 11 activities that teach the skill of Giving. (Refer to Happify Activity spreadsheet for detailed list of all 55 activity descriptions)
New skills beyond S.T.A.G.E. skills cannot be added to a Happify track. In rare cases, a new activity may be added to an existing Happify skill ONLY if the creator can provide substantial scientific research on the intervention's effectiveness.
The key to programming a track is to select activities that will build happiness skills in the context of a specific life domain or goal.
The track creator can choose from the 55 activities (see Happily Activity spreadsheet for names, descriptions, skill levels) when programming a track.
In general, easier (level 1 and 2) activities are programmed towards the beginning of a track (Parts 1 and 2) and as a user progresses to the later Parts of a track, the activities become more difficult (level 4 and 5 activities), but this isn't required.
Users are awarded badges based on how many activities they complete in each Part of a track. (see chart below for explanations)
The basic structure of every Part of every Happify track is as follows: (Note that Games and activity quizzes already exist on Happify)
Once the “reporter” activities are determined for each track Part, come up with 2-3 suggested tasks for each activity. These tasks retain the essence and the science of the proven intervention activity, but make sense within the theme of the track. They're fun, yet give clear and concise directions. A user will pick ONE of these tasks to complete in order to get credit for the activity.
When a user selects this activity, s/he can choose one of the 2 suggested tasks or a 3rd “You Decide How” option (which already exists in the Happify system).
Partner may come up with general idea for the suggested task, and Happify's writers can flesh these out into 80-word instructions (OR, partner may wish to write all tasks in instruction form)
Each suggested task is accompanied by a “Why It Works” section, which includes science references and explains why the activity is useful and how it relates to happiness.
Think of the reason you first fell in love with your partner or spouse—a trait or characteristic he/she still holds today.
It could be his sense of humor, her kind generosity, or maybe his sex appeal. Jot down some thoughts and spend a minute appreciating those same traits today.
Think of one good thing that happened today involving your partner or spouse.
Write it down here and add a few details about how it made you feel and the role you played, if any, in the positive experience.
You Decide How: (already exists on Happify)
Think of something, great or small, that you feel grateful for and describe it in a few words. Add a photo, too!
Numerous studies show that gratitude is one of the strongest predictors of positive mental health. People who are grateful are more satisfied with their relationships with friends and family. They're happier, less depressed and less stressed. They feel more in control of their lives, have higher self-esteem and cope better with stress.
When the going gets tough, grateful people learn from the experience. They don't avoid the problem, deny there is a problem or blame themselves for the problem. That's probably why grateful people also sleep better!
In a 2005 study[T-2], some participants were asked to transcribe, every night for one week, three positive events that happened during their day, as well as the causes of these events. Compared to participants in the control group, participants who reflected on three positive events experienced more happiness.
Users only need to complete ONE of the task options in order to get credit for a given activity.
Step 4: Determine Quiz Topics and/or Write Quizzes
Each track typically has 3 multiple-choice quizzes, but this can be more or less if desired.
Each track typically contains 4 polls, one for each Part of the track. Again, track creator may suggest topics OR write the entire poll.
Each poll question has up to 4 possible answer choices, plus a 2-3 sentence summary citing any interesting research around that particular poll topic.
When a user signs up, they autofollow existing users according to the following method:
Same gender: pick 4 people at random from the top 20 matches of the user's same gender.
Opposite gender: pick 2 users at random from the top 10 matches of the other gender
While certain exemplary aspects and embodiments have been described herein, many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, exemplary aspects and embodiments set forth herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/284,229, filed May 21, 2014, entitled “Systems And Methods For Providing On-Line Services”, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/825,742, filed May 21, 2013, entitled “Systems And Methods For Providing On-Line Services.” The entire contents the above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61825742 | May 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14284229 | May 2014 | US |
| Child | 16600903 | US |
