Sensor systems and methods for activity evaluation

• US 10,713,729 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amigo, Andrew J., Gingrave, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Curtis J
• Application Number:
  US16/564,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20190392529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/105 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Systems and methods are discussed for providing sensor enhanced safety, recovery, and activity evaluation systems. Sensors that monitor user activity and behavior are worn by a user and/or placed in the user environment. Data from the sensors are processed to obtain a safety, recovery, and/or activity evaluation. Based on the evaluation, recommendations or adjustments to the terms of an insurance policy covering the user, the user'"'"'s employer, or a facility providing health care to the user, aer generated, to accurately reflect the risks associated with the user, employer, and/or facility. In embodiments, an alert may be generated when a failure to conform with activity guidelines is detected.

Claims

1. An activity evaluation system, comprising:

a communications device configured to receive remote sensor data based on at least one sensor proximate to an individual associated with and distinct from a covered entity;

a data storage device storing at least one activity guideline associated with the individual;

a computer hardware server, in communication with the communications device and the data storage device, and operated by a risk management entity remote from the at least one sensor, configured to;

analyze the received sensor data to determine activity characteristics of the individual;

output an activity evaluation based on the activity characteristics and the at least one stored activity guideline;

adjust data corresponding to a parameter of a risk management policy covering the covered entity based on the sensor data and the activity evaluation, wherein the computer hardware server is configured to adjust the data corresponding to the parameter so as to provide an adjustment favorable to the covered entity responsive to the activity evaluation being indicative of conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline; and

responsive to the activity evaluation being indicative of non-conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline, transmit an alert to a computing device of the covered entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from the covered entity comprises an employee of the covered entity returning from an injury;

wherein the at least one activity guideline comprises a recovery plan prescribed for the employee;

wherein the sensor data comprises data indicative of one or more of body movement, body orientation, frequency of movement, duration of movement, movement distance, and calories expended, calculated based upon raw sensor data;

wherein the computer hardware server is further configured to determine conformance or non-conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline, the determining comprising determining, based on the sensor data, whether the employee has conformed with the recovery plan prescribed for the employee; and

wherein transmitting the alert to the covered entity comprises, responsive to a negative determination that the employee has conformed with the recovery plan, transmitting the alert to a local computer at the covered entity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the raw sensor data comprises data obtained from one or more three-axis accelerometers worn by the employee;

and

wherein the computer hardware server is further configured to;

calculate a frequency of movement based on a series of the sensor data received from the one or more three-axis accelerometers; and

calculate a duration of movement based on a weighted average of movements over time identified in the series of the sensor data;

wherein the computer hardware server is configured to adjust the data corresponding to the parameter of the risk management policy based upon the calculated frequency of movement and the calculated duration of movement.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from the covered entity comprises an employee of the covered entity;

wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of RFID scanner data, GPS data, and photo recognition data corresponding to the employee;

wherein the at least one activity guideline comprises workplace safety guidelines at a workplace of the covered entity;

wherein the computer hardware server is further configured to determine conformance or non-conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline, the determining comprising determining whether the employee is wearing personal protective equipment in a hazardous area designated at the workplace; and

wherein transmitting the alert to the covered entity comprises, responsive to a negative determination that the employee is wearing personal protective equipment in a hazardous area, transmitting the alert to a local computer at the covered entity.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the RFID scanner data comprises data indicative of whether RFID-tagged personal protective equipment was sensed in an area of the workplace accessed by the employee.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein transmitting the alert to the local computer at the covered entity comprises transmitting the alert to one of more of a local computer at the workplace of the covered entity, an audio buzzer at the workplace configured to output an audio signal responsive to receipt of the alert, a flashing light at the workplace configured to flash responsive to receipt of the alert, and a vibrating device worn by the employee configured to vibrate responsive to receipt of the alert.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from the covered entity comprises a patient at a health care facility;

wherein the at least one activity guideline comprises prescribed motion for the patient;

wherein the sensor data comprises data indicative of one or more of horizontal body positions, vertical body positions, turning of a body, twisting of a body, sitting postures, and standing postures calculated based upon raw sensor data;

wherein the computer hardware server is further configured to determine conformance or non-conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline, the determining comprising determining whether the prescribed motion for the patient has been performed; and

wherein transmitting the alert to the covered entity comprises, responsive to a negative determination that the prescribed motion for the patient has been performed, transmitting the alert to a user terminal at the health care facility.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the raw sensor data comprises data obtained from one or more of wearable sensors worn by the patient, and cameras and motion sensors at the health care facility.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes the at least one sensor configured to monitor the activity of the individual associated with and distinct from the covered entity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises one of a sensor worn by the individual, a sensor on a piece of equipment, a gyroscopic sensor, an accelerometer, a motion sensor, a pressure sensor, a chemical sensor, and a GPS sensor.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from the covered entity comprises a patient at a health care facility;

wherein the at least one activity guideline comprises prescribed motion for the patient;

wherein the sensor data comprises data indicative of one or more of horizontal body positions, vertical body positions, turning of a body, twisting of a body, sitting postures, and standing postures calculated based upon raw sensor data;

further comprising determining, by the computer hardware server, conformance or non-conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline comprises determining, based on the sensor data, whether the prescribed motion for the patient has been performed; and

wherein transmitting the alert to the covered entity comprises, responsive to a negative determination that the prescribed motion for the patient has been performed, transmitting the alert to a user terminal at the health care facility.

11. A computer-implemented method for activity evaluation, comprising:

receiving, by a communications device, remote sensor data based on at least one sensor proximate to an individual associated with and distinct from a covered entity;

analyzing, by a computer hardware server, in communication with the communications device and the data storage device, and operated by a risk management entity remote from the at least one sensor, the received sensor data to determine activity characteristics of the individual; and

outputting, by the computer hardware server, an activity evaluation based on the activity characteristics and at least one stored activity guideline associated with the individual stored in a data storage device in communication with the computer hardware server;

responsive to the activity evaluation being indicative of conformance with the at least one activity guideline by the individual, adjusting, by the computer hardware server, data corresponding to a parameter of a risk management policy so as to provide an adjustment favorable to the covered entity; and

responsive to the activity evaluation being indicative of non-conformance with the at least one activity guideline by the individual, transmitting, by the computer hardware server, an alert to a computing device of the covered entity.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from the covered entity comprises an employee of the covered entity returning from an injury;

wherein the at least one activity guideline comprises a recovery plan prescribed for the employee;

wherein the sensor data comprises data indicative of one or more of body movement, body orientation, frequency of movement, duration of movement, movement distance, and calories expended, calculated based upon raw sensor data;

further comprising determining by the computer hardware server conformance or non-conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline, the determining comprising determining, based on the sensor data, whether the employee has conformed with the recovery plan prescribed for the employee; and

wherein transmitting the alert to the covered entity comprises, responsive to a negative determination that the employee has conformed with the recovery plan, transmitting the alert to a local computer at the covered entity.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from the covered entity comprises an employee of the covered entity;

wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of RFID scanner data, GPS data, and photo recognition data corresponding to the employee;

wherein the at least one activity guideline comprises workplace safety guidelines at a workplace of the covered entity;

further comprising determining, by the computer hardware server, conformance or non-conformance by the individual with the at least one activity guideline, the determining comprising determining whether the employee is wearing personal protective equipment in a hazardous area designated at the workplace; and

wherein transmitting the alert to the covered entity comprises, responsive to a negative determination that the employee is wearing personal protective equipment in the hazardous area, transmitting the alert to a local computer at the covered entity.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the alert to the local computer at the covered entity comprises transmitting the alert to one of more of a local computer at the workplace of the covered entity, an audio buzzer at the workplace configured to output an audio signal responsive to receipt of the alert, a flashing light at the workplace configured to flash responsive to receipt of the alert, and a vibrating device worn by the employee configured to vibrate responsive to receipt of the alert.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the sensor data comprises one or both of raw sensor data directly from the at least one sensor configured to monitor activity of the individual and preprocessed sensor data based on the raw sensor data from the at least one sensor.