A review of the literature enables us to conclude that the desirable frameworks combine conventional health care and new assistive technologies with home care solutions.。 After an extensive review of the state of the art, Gaßner and Conrad found that the scientific contributions regarding this aspect are mostly related to the subcategories “Assistance” and “Therapy”.。 Many projects address the development of home platforms that integrate different devices and allow for automatic communication by external persons (e.。g.。, to receive help, advice or support) (Gaßner and Conrad, 2010).。 In this kind of solutions and projects, the mobile phone is usually one component of the global system.。 For instance, Tamburini and Paggetti (2005) presents integrated home care services in the DGHome platform where the mobile phone is used to provide reminders to take medication.。 As another concrete example, the work of Sasaki et al.。 (2007) proposes a network that incorporates a safety confirmation system, a remote health care system, an emergency information system and other useful daily network services in the closed life area.。 The elderly person’s mobile phone is used to send text messages to a remote family member’s phone.。 In the same line, Kamel et al.。 (2007) introduces CAALYX—Complete Ambient Assisted Living Experiment, an EU-funded project that aims at increasing older people’s autonomy and self-confidence by developing a light, wearable device capable of measuring specific vital signs of the elderly, detecting falls and location, and communicating automatically in real-time with the inpidual’s care provider in case of an emergency, wherever the older person happens to be, at home or outside.。 Focusing on mobile phones, communication and mobile GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking functionalities are used.。 However, the authors advise that the system should use a more comprehensive and robust geo-positioning solution for older people, combining multiple geo-positioning technologies to cover locations where conventional GPS alone would fail.。
Obviously, these frameworks are entirely related to other aspects of the model, mainly “Safety, Security and Privacy” and “Mobility”.。
Safety, security and privacy—mobility
User location and tracking devices, telemonitoring systems and alarm systems are the most common products and services found in the analysis of the state of the art about safety, security and mobility.。
Since the mid-1980s, mobile telephone services have been considered key technology for user location and tracking (Clarke, 2001).。 Several patents reflect the importance that mobile telephone services have acquired in location and tracking.。 Yacenda et al.。 (1996) presented a telephone communication with a locator system for locating telephone users and generating location information.。 More recently, Toubia et al.。 (2001) described a system and method for locating missing persons, animals and objects that can be incorporated into a cellular mobile phone.。
Today, mobile applications are usually combined with other elements.。 The proposal of Calvo et al.。 (2009) is a recent example of integration: they try to assist elderly people and their families in situations where they can be lost in outdoor environments using standard mobile terminals (Android G1) equipped with GPS and compass devices.。 Their solution is based on the use of a mobile social network to create a virtual community to allow caregivers to communicate with the elder inpidual.。 In their follow-up work, they have begun integrating vital sign devices in the architecture,collecting data from the Android device and keeping the caregivers informed through the mobile social network (Calvo et al.。, 2009).。