Abstract: A method for monitoring the loneliness state of a subject includes receiving proximity information for a plurality of user devices and then generating a loneliness decision for subjects who use the devices based on the proximity information. In one case, the proximity information may be projected onto a lower dimensional space, distance values corresponding to the proximity information may be compared, and the user devices may be ranked based on the comparison. A user may then be determined to be lonely based on the ranking of the user devices. In other cases, clustering techniques may be applied relative to one or more centroids. Distances may then be calculated and compared for purposes of generating a loneliness decision. In other cases, resource information may be taken into consideration with distance information for generating a loneliness decision.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method (300, FIG. 3) for determining a level of interaction experienced by a subject (102).

Abstract: A method for monitoring the loneliness state of a subject includes receiving proximity information for a plurality of user devices and then generating a loneliness decision for subjects who use the devices based on the proximity information. In one case, the proximity information may be projected onto a lower dimensional space, distance values corresponding to the proximity information may be compared, and the user devices may be ranked based on the comparison. A user may then be determined to be lonely based on the ranking of the user devices. In other cases, clustering techniques may be applied relative to one or more centroids. Distances may then be calculated and compared for purposes of generating a loneliness decision. In other cases, resource information may be taken into consideration with distance information for generating a loneliness decision.

Abstract: A method and system for analyzing two related physiological signals to determine a time difference between them. The fundamental frequency components are analyzed to determine a time difference. This approach is robust against varying and different wave 5 shapes, providing a stable and accurate determination of a time difference.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and a method of operating the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a processor configured to acquire a time-stamped series of environmental property measurements from at least one sensor of a device and compare the time-stamped series of environmental property measurements acquired from the at least one sensor of the device to one or more time-stamped series of corresponding environmental property measurements acquired from at least one sensor that is separate from the device. The processor is also configured to determine contextual information for the device based on the comparison of the time-stamped series of environmental property measurements.