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

• US 20100228561A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virgin Pulse, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Virgin Healthmiles Incorporated (Liberty Global Plc)
• Inventors: Boylan, Richard M., Boyce, Christopher R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,192 B2
• 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:

a member data store storing information about members, including a respective member account per member;

a sponsor data store storing sponsor data of multiple sponsors, for each sponsor the sponsor data store indicating (i) qualifying members, (ii) qualifying healthy activities for which qualifying members are to be rewarded and (iii) reward rate for each qualifying healthy activity; and

a rewards engine responsive 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 for the completed healthy activity, wherein the respective member account accumulates units awarded to the subject member by different sponsors for different qualifying healthy activities, said accumulating being at an increased potential due to multiple potential sponsors, thereby promoting participation in healthy activities by the members.

2. A computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the qualifying healthy activities include qualifying healthy purchases;

and

the input data include indications of the qualifying healthy purchases.

3. A computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input data includes file feeds from sponsors.

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

5. A computer-based health, wellness, and fitness promotion system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a voucher process in which:

a sponsor purchases member account units in the form of a voucher;

the sponsor issues the voucher to a member in reward for completing a sponsor-specified healthy activity; and

the member is able to redeem the voucher to credit his member account.

6. A 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. A 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. A 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. A 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 healthy items for which the frequent shopper program provides certain benefits/rewards.

10. A 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.

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

storing information about members, including a respective member account per member, in a member data store;

storing sponsor data of multiple sponsors in a sponsor data store, the sponsor data including indications for each sponsor of (i) qualifying members, (ii) qualifying healthy activities for which qualifying members are to be rewarded and (iii) reward rate for each qualifying healthy activity;

responding, with a rewards engine, to input data that effectively indicates qualifying healthy activity completed by a subject member;

determining, with 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; and

accumulating units awarded to the subject member in the respective member account by different sponsors for different qualifying healthy activities, said accumulating being at an increased potential due to multiple potential sponsors, thereby promoting participation in healthy activities by the members.

12. A computer method as claimed in claim 11 wherein storing sponsor data includes storing qualifying healthy purchases;

and

responding to input data includes responding to indications of qualifying healthy purchases.

13. A computer method as claimed in claim 11 wherein responding to input data includes responding to file feeds from sponsors.

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

15. A computer method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising:

enabling a sponsor to purchase member account units in the form of a voucher;

enabling the sponsor to issue the voucher to the subject member in reward for completing a sponsor-specified healthy activity; and

enabling the subject member to redeem the voucher to credit his member account.

16. A computer 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. A computer 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. A computer method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

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

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

20. A computer 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.