System and method for measuring and distributing monetary incentives for weight loss

• US 7,541,547 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Incentahealth, LLC
• Original Assignee: Incentahealth, LLC
• Inventors: McGuire, Todd J., Rule, Jack D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson; Randy W
• Application Number:
  US10/738,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.82, 177 2511- 2517, 177/25.19, 177/245, 128/921
• US Class Current: 177/25.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/921 Diet management

Abstract

An automated identification, weight measurement and data reporting system that allows users to have their weight measured at a remote location and sent electronically to a data center. The invention can use biometric identification technology to confirm the identity of the user at the time of the measurement of the user'"'"'s weight. The user'"'"'s body weight may be measured via an electronic scale connected to the biometric identification device. The measurement data is then sent via a network (such as the Internet) to a central database. This secure weight measurement data is then used to offer incentives to individuals to lose weight. The more weight an individual loses, the larger the earned incentives. The invention also includes programs to measure health functions and to provide incentives to improve their health including body fat reduction, quitting smoking, reducing their blood pressure, or other health function.

Claims

1. An automated health monitoring station to obtain health data of a person, comprising:

a. a computer operatively coupled to a connection configured to receive data from and communicate data to a data center over a network;

b. an automated weighing device communicatively coupled to the computer, the weighing device configured to communicate with the computer, the automated weighing device adapted to receive the person'"'"'s feet as the person steps on the automated weighing device; and

c. an image capture device communicatively coupled to the computer, the image capture device positioned with respect to the automated weighing device to obtain an image of a full length of the person, the image capture device configured to capture said image of the person while the person is on the automated weighing device.

2. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 1, wherein the automated weighing device is a digital scale.

3. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 1, wherein the image of the person obtained by image capture device is used by the computer to identify the person.

4. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 1, further comprising a height measuring device.

5. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 4, wherein the height measuring device is a mechanical armature that lowers onto a person'"'"'s head.

6. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 4, wherein the height measuring device is an optical device that identifies a top of a person and determines a height of the person using the identification.

7. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 4, wherein the height measuring device is an electronic device that identifies a top of a person and determines a height of the person using the identification.

8. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 1, wherein the image capture device is one of an automated camera system, a web camera, a digital camera, or a video camera.

9. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 1, wherein the network is one of a WAN, a LAN, an intranet, an internet, or a wireless system.

10. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 1, wherein the computer includes one or more of a man machine interface, a processor, a memory, a printing device, or a display device.

11. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 1, wherein the computer receives data from the person.

12. The automated health monitoring station according to claim 11, wherein the computer stores data from the person and the automated weighing device.

13. A method for automatically weighing a person, comprising:

a. providing an automated health monitoring station to the person, the automated health monitoring station comprising a computer operatively coupled to a connection, the connection configured to communicate with a data center over a network and one or more devices;

an automated weighing device communicatively coupled to the computer, the weighing device enabled to communicate with the computer, the weighing device adapted to receive the person'"'"'s feet; and

an image capture device communicatively coupled to the computer and positioned relative to the weighing device to capture an image including a view of a full length of the person while the person is standing on the weighing device to confirm an accurate weight;

b. presenting the person for weighing;

c. verifying the identity of the person;

d. automatically weighing the person;

e. during the weighing operation, capturing the image of the full length of the person;

and

f. transmitting a weight and the image to a data center.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein presenting the person includes one of the person entering a room or area, the person removing their shoes, the person arriving at a scheduled time, or the person stepping onto the automated weighing device.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein verifying the identity of the person further comprises verifying with a biometric identification device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the biometric identification device is one of a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, a blood typing device, a DNA identification device, a handprint scanner, a footprint scanner or a login password.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein verifying the identity of the person is done by the person entering an identifying log-in into the computer.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the identifying log-in includes a unique log-in name and a unique password.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein automatically weighing a person comprises using a digital scale.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising automatically measuring a height of the person.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the height of the person is measured with a height measuring device.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the height measuring device is a mechanical armature that lowers onto a person'"'"'s head.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the height measuring device is an optical device that identifies a top of a person and determines a height of the person using the identification.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the height measuring device is an electronic device that identifies a top of a person and determines a height of the person using the identification.

25. The method according to claim 13, wherein the image capture device is one of an automated camera system, a web camera, a digital camera, or a video camera.

26. The method according to claim 13, wherein transmitting the data occurs over a connection to a network.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the network is one of a WAN, a LAN, an intranet, an internet, or a wireless system.

28. The method according to claim 13, further comprising storing the data on the computer.

29. The method according to claim 13, wherein the computer includes one or more of a man machine interface, a processor, a storage device, a printing device, or a display device.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the computer receives data from the weighing device and the image capture device.

31. The method according to claim 13, wherein the computer transmits the data to the data center.

32. The method according to claim 13, wherein the computer receives data from the person.

33. The method according to claim 13, wherein automatically weighing the person and verifying the identity of the person occurs in temporal proximity.

34. An apparatus for obtaining health related data, the apparatus comprising:

a computer comprising a connection device, the connection device enabled to transmit data to and receive data from a database and one or more devices;

a weighing device operatively coupled to the computer, the weighing device enabled to calculate a weight of a user and communicate with the computer; and

an image capture device operatively coupled to the computer and the weighing device, the image capture device positioned relative to the weighing device to capture a substantially full length image of a user, the image capture device configured to capture said image while the user is being weighed by the weighing device, the image capture device enabled to communicate with the computer.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the image capture device is a camera.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the weighing device is a digital scale.

37. The apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising a biometric device to confirm an identity of the user.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the biometric device comprises one or more of a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, a blood typing device, a DNA identification device, a handprint scanner, a footprint scanner, voice recognition device or a facial recognition device.

39. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the network is one of a WAN, a LAN, an intranet, an internet, or a wireless system.