Chair pad system and associated, computer medium and computer-implemented methods for monitoring and improving health and productivity of employees

• US 10,058,285 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Horseman, Samantha J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAHAKIS, MANOLIS Y
• Application Number:
  US14/180,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4842 Monitoring progression or stage of a disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Provided are embodiments of systems, computer medium and computer-implemented methods for sensing health characteristics of a user using a chair pad including a set of health sensors integrated therewith and including temperature sensors, body position sensors, and body fat sensors. A method for sensing health characteristics of a user including receiving, from the temperature sensors, temperature data corresponding to a sensed body temperature of the user, receiving, from the body position sensors, body position data corresponding to a sensed body position of the user, receiving, from the body fat sensors, body fat data corresponding to a sensed body fat of the user, and transmitting, to a computer workstation, health data corresponding to the temperature data, the body position data, and the body fat data for use in determining the body temperature, the body position, and the body fat of the user.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring employee health, the method comprising:

providing an employee workstation associated with the employee, the employee workstation comprising;

a chair disposed on a floor of the employee workstation;

an employee computer comprising a display;

a chair pad disposed in the chair, the chair pad comprising;

a chair pad controller;

a seat-pad disposed on a seat portion of the chair;

a back-pad coupled to the seat pad and disposed on a back portion of the chair; and

a set of chair pad health sensors integrated within at least one of the seat-pad and the back-pad, the set of chair pad health sensors comprising;

one or more chair pad temperature sensors configured to sense a body temperature of the employee;

one or more chair pad body position sensors configured to sense a body position of the employee, wherein the one or more chair pad body position sensors comprise one or more chair pad force transducers configured to sense force applied to the chair pad by the employee seated in the chair; and

one or more chair pad body fat sensors configured to sense a body fat of the employee; and

a floor mat disposed on a portion of the floor of the employee workstation that is proximate the chair, the floor mat comprising;

a floor mat controller; and

a set of floor mat health sensors integrated within the floor mat, the set of floor mat health sensors comprising one or more floor mat force transducers integrated within the floor mat, the one or more floor mat force transducers configured to sense forces associated with feet of the employee seated in the chair disposed on an upper surface of the floor mat;

a computer mouse disposed on a work surface of the employee workstation, wherein the computer mouse comprises;

one or more computer mouse temperature sensors configured to sense the body temperature of the employee while the employee is in contact with the computer mouse;

one or more computer mouse blood pressure sensors configured to sense a blood pressure of the employee while the employee is in contact with the computer mouse; and

one or more computer mouse blood condition sensors configured to sense a blood oxygen saturation of blood of the employee while the employee is in contact with the computer mouse;

sending, by the employee computer to the chair pad controller of the chair pad via wireless communication, a request for chair pad health data;

receiving, by the chair pad controller of the chair pad from the employee computer via the wireless communication, the request for chair pad health data;

in response to the chair pad controller receiving the request for chair pad health data from the employee computer;

collecting, by the chair pad controller from the one or more temperature sensors, temperature data corresponding to the body temperature of the employee sensed by the one or more chair pad temperature sensors;

collecting, by the chair pad controller from the one or more chair pad body position sensors, chair pad body position data corresponding to the body position of the employee sensed by the one or more chair pad body position sensors, wherein the chair pad body position data comprises chair pad force data corresponding to forces sensed by the one or more chair pad force transducers;

collecting, by the chair pad controller from the one or more chair pad body fat sensors, chair pad body fat data corresponding to the body fat of the employee sensed by the one or more chair pad body fat sensors; and

transmitting, by the chair pad controller via wireless communication;

to the employee computer, health data corresponding to the chair pad temperature data, the chair pad body position data, and the chair pad body fat data collected for use in determining a body temperature, a body position, and a body fat of the employee;

receiving, by the floor mat controller of the floor mat from the employee computer via wireless communication, a request for floor mat health data; and

in response to the floor mat controller receiving the request for floor mat health data from the employee computer;

collecting, by the floor mat controller from the one or more floor mat force transducers, floor mat force data corresponding to forces sensed by the one or more floor mat force transducers; and

transmitting, by the floor mat controller wirelessly to the employee computer, floor mat health data corresponding to the floor mat force data;

receiving, by the employee computer wirelessly from the chair pad controller, the chair pad health data;

receiving, by the employee computer from the computer mouse, computer mouse data, wherein the computer mouse data corresponds to the body temperature of the employee sensed by the one or more one or more computer mouse temperature sensors, a blood pressure of the employee sensed by the one or more computer mouse blood pressure sensors, and a blood oxygen saturation of blood of the employee sensed by the one or more computer mouse blood condition sensors;

receiving, by the employee computer wirelessly from the floor mat controller, the floor mat health data;

determining, by the employee computer, a body weight of the employee based on the chair pad force data and the floor mat force data;

determining, by the employee computer based on the chair pad health data received, the computer mouse data received, the floor mat health data received, and the body weight of the employee determined, a health profile for the employee;

determining, by the employee computer, a predicted a health risk for the employee based on the health profile;

determining, by the employee computer, a health plan for the employee comprising an exercise for the employee corresponding to the predicted health risk; and

displaying, by the employee computer via the display of the employee computer, the health profile for the employee and a coaching avatar comprising an animated demonstration of the exercise for the employee.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more chair pad temperature sensors comprise one or more temperature transducers located in at least one of a right portion of the seat-pad, a left portion of the seat-pad, a right portion of the back-pad, and a left portion of the back-pad.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more forces transducers are located in a right portion of the seat-pad and a left portion of the seat-pad.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more chair pad body fat sensors comprise one or more conductive contacts located in at least one of a right portion of the seat-pad, a left portion of the seat-pad, a right portion of the back-pad, and a left portion of the back-pad.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more chair pad force transducers are integrated within the seat-pad of the chair pad such that the one or more chair pad force transducers are configured to sense forces associated with the employee seated in the chair sitting on the seat-pad of the chair pad.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the body weight of the employee is determined based on a summation of forces indicated by the chair pad force data and the floor mat force data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

serving, to an employer computer associated with an employer of the employee and for display to the employer, the health profile for the employee.

8. The method of claim 1, the employee workstation further comprising a camera, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the employee computer from the camera, camera data,

wherein the camera is configured to capture images of the employee seated in the chair and to transmit, to the employee computer, camera data comprising images of the employee captured by the camera, and

wherein the health profile for the employee comprises the body position of the employee determined based on the images of the employee, the chair pad force data and the floor mat force data.