COMPUTER METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROMOTING HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND FITNESS WITH MULTIPLE SPONSORS

• US 20130117041A1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Virgin Pulse, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Virgin Healthmiles Incorporated (Liberty Global Ltd.)
• Inventors: Boyce, Christopher R., Boylan, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US13/669,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20130117041A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved automated system and corresponding computer method of promoting and maintaining health, wellness, and fitness. Multiple sponsors per member participant are enabled. Each sponsor defines respective qualifying healthy behavior (activities, purchases, other) and reward rate for each such activity and purchase. A rewards engine operates on member accounts adding units per member completion of qualifying healthy activities or purchases, thereby encouraging members to adopt healthy habits. This, in turn, leads to better health, wellness, and fitness for the subject members. The combination of different and multiple sponsors having different qualifying activities/purchases provides increased member incentive.

Claims

1. A computer-based health, wellness, and fitness-promotion system, comprising:

in one or more computers;

a member data store storing in memory information about members, including a respective member account per member and (ii) health and wellness information per member;

a sponsor data store storing in memory sponsor data of one or more sponsors, for each sponsor the sponsor data store including an indication of qualifying healthy activities for which members are to be rewarded;

a rewards engine executable by a processor, and in response to input data effectively indicating qualifying healthy activity completed by a subject member, the rewards engine using the sponsor data as stored in the sponsor data store and determining number of units to add to the respective member account of the subject member as a reward for the completed healthy activity, wherein the respective member account accumulates units awarded to the subject member by one or more different sponsors for different qualifying healthy activities;

an assessment module executable by the processor and in response to the input data of the subject member, the assessment module generating at least one of;

(i) an indication of member adherence to a plan and (ii) a personalized action plan; and

a user interface operable by the subject member through a mobile device, wherein the user interface is configured to display to the subject member any combination of;

(i) the indication of member adherence to the plan, (ii) the generated personalized action plan, and (iii) reward status, in a manner that motivates healthy activity and ties healthy activity to sponsor rewards.

2. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indication of member adherence to a plan generated by the assessment module is an indication of member adherence to an exercise plan.

3. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input data includes file feeds from any combination of sponsors and data capture partners.

4. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input data includes point-of-sale data from sponsors.

6. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a rebate process enabling the subject member to make a certain healthy purchase;

and

the rewards engine being responsive to the certain healthy purchase and crediting to the respective member account a number of units having a value equivalent to a percentage of the purchase price.

7. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the different sponsors include combinations of employer, health club, insurer, retailers, manufacturers, government entities, healthcare profession service providers, and pharmaceutical entities.

8. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least one retailer has a frequent shopper program in which the subject member participates;

and

the sponsor data store cross references the subject member by a frequent shopper program identification of the subject member.

9. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least one retailer has a frequent shopper program in which the subject member participates;

and

the qualifying healthy activities include purchasing items for which the frequent shopper program provides certain benefits/rewards.

10. The computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a portal in communication with the member data store, the portal configured to enable a member to access his respective member account.

5. (canceled)

11. A computer method for promoting health, wellness, and fitness via a computer environment, comprising:

in a processor;

storing information about members, including (i) a respective member account per member and (ii) health and wellness information per member, said storing being in a member data store in computer memory;

storing sponsor data of one or more sponsors in a sponsor data store in computer memory, the sponsor data including indications for each sponsor of qualifying healthy activities for which qualifying members are to be rewarded;

responding to input data that effectively indicates qualifying healthy activity completed by a subject member, said responding being by a rewards engine executed by the processor;

determining, by the rewards engine, a number of units to add to the respective member account of the subject member for healthy activity completed by a subject member using the sponsor data;

accumulating units awarded to the subject member in the respective member account by one or more different sponsors for different qualifying healthy activities;

in response to the input data of the subject member, generating at least one of;

(i) an indication of member adherence to a plan, and (ii) a personalized action plan, said generating being by an assessment module executable by the processor; and

displaying through a user interface operable by the subject member through a mobile device, any combination of;

(i) the indication of member adherence to the plan, (ii) the generated personalized action plan, and (iii) reward status, in a manner that motivates healthy activity and ties healthy activity to sponsor rewards.

12. The computer method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the indication of member adherence to a plan generated by the assessment module is an indication of member adherence to an exercise plan.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein responding to input data includes responding to file feeds from any combination of sponsors and data capture partners.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein responding to input data includes responding to point-of-sale data from sponsors.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising:

enabling the subject member to receive a rebate upon making a certain healthy purchase; and

crediting to the respective member account a number of units having a value equivalent to a percentage of the purchase price with the rewards engine.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the different sponsors include combinations of employer, health club, insurer, retailers, manufacturers, government entities, healthcare profession service providers, and pharmaceutical entities.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

cross-referencing the subject member by a frequent shopper program identification of the subject member.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the qualifying activities include purchasing items for which the frequent shopper program provides certain benefits/rewards.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

enabling a member to access his respective member account via a portal in communication with the sponsor data store.

15. (canceled)