Method and apparatusfor utilizing control points to manage a user to a desired state

Abstract

The system is an interactive control system that uses multiple control points to manage a user toward a desired state through coaching, feedback, and feed-forward mechanisms. They system uses push and pull from a user to dynamically determine which control points to utilize and emphasize to guide the user to a desired state. The system creates Topics that are generated out of Content Elements. These topics are referenced by Rules and are arranged in a queue so that a planned succession of Topics can be presented proactively to a user in a prioritized and logical manner to guide the user to a desired state. The Rules include Dynamic Rules that allow real time modification of the queue to present Topics relevant to user state and progress toward the desired state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing behavioral control comprising:
 in a processing system on a mobile device;
 defining a User Pathway that includes defining a plurality of Control Points representing actions and states of the user, wherein each of the plurality of Control Points is an indicator of whether a user is heading towards or away from a desired state; 
 defining a plurality of Rules, each of which references a Topic; 
 defining a plurality of dynamic Rules which represent a subset of the Control Points and are expressed in Meta-Data contained in Content Elements; 
 defining a plurality of Topics related to the User Pathway for guiding a user to the desired state, where each Topic is comprised of one or more Content Elements, wherein the plurality of Topics is presented to the user in a coaching program; 
 defining a plurality of Content Elements that contain text to display to the User, at least one of which includes Meta-Data for the dynamic Rules wherein a User interaction with a Content Element triggers a dynamic Rule in at least one Content Element of the plurality of Content Elements; 
 defining a Queue of Rules that contain a subset of the plurality of Rules in an initial preferred order for controlling the order of presentation of the plurality of Topics; 
 the processing system on the mobile device automatically and dynamically changing the Queue of Rules to a new order and new subset of the plurality of Rules in response to the interaction; 
 causing the presentation of at least one of the plurality of Topics in an order based on the new order of the Queue of Rules; 
 wherein the User State is generated in response to a query that is embedded in a Content Element. 
   
     
     
         2 . A method of providing behavioral control comprising:
 in a processing system on a mobile device;
 defining a User Pathway that includes defining a plurality of Control Points representing actions and states of the user, wherein each of the plurality of Control Points is an indicator of whether a user is heading towards or away from a desired state; 
 defining a plurality of Rules, each of which references a Topic; 
 defining a plurality of dynamic Rules which represent a subset of the Control Points and are expressed in Meta-Data contained in Assessments; 
 defining a plurality of Topics related to the User Pathway for guiding a user to the desired state, where each Topic is comprised of one or more Content Elements, wherein the plurality of Topics is presented to the user in a coaching program; 
 defining a plurality of Content Elements that contain text to display to the User and contain Meta-Data that can launch an Assessment wherein a User interaction with a Content Element triggers an Assessment in at least one Content Element of the plurality of Content Elements; 
 defining a plurality of Assessments that contain questions to display to the User and Meta-Data for setting User State and generating dynamic Rules, wherein User State and a dynamic Rule are generated via a user completing at least one Assessment of the plurality of Assessments; 
 defining a Queue of Rules that contain a subset of the plurality of Rules in an initial preferred order for controlling the order of presentation of the plurality of Topics; 
 the processing system on the mobile device automatically and dynamically changing the Queue of Rules to a new order and new subset of the plurality of Rules in response to the completed Assessment; 
 causing the presentation of at least one of the plurality of Topics in an order based on the new order of the Queue of Rules.