Systems and methods for sensor-enhanced activity evaluation

• US 9,256,906 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• 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:
  US14/143,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20140114699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 to accurately reflect the risks associated with the user, employer, and/or facility.

Claims

1. An activity evaluation system for use in managing an insurance-related process, comprising:

a communications module operated by the insurance company comprising at least one processor configured to receive sensor data from at least one sensor configured to monitor activity of an individual associated with and distinct from an insured entity and an activity evaluation for the individual;

a computer processor, operated by the insurance company and in communication with the communications module, configured to;

adjust a term of an insurance policy covering the insured entity based on the sensor data and the activity evaluation, wherein the computer processor is configured to adjust the term so as to provide an adjustment favorable to the insured entity responsive to the activity evaluation being indicative of desired activity by the individual; and

an output device configured to provide an insurance recommendation to one or both of the insured entity and a healthcare provider that is based at least in part on the activity evaluation, wherein the insurance recommendation comprises one of a loss-control recommendation, an exposure management recommendation, an insurance risk evaluation recommendation, an underwriting workflow recommendation, and a claims management workflow recommendation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the received activity evaluation is based at least in part on demographic information about the individual, wherein the demographic information about the individual comprises one or more of height, age, weight, and stride length of the individual.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the insurance recommendation comprises a loss-control recommendation, and the loss-control recommendation comprises one or more of a patient intake decision for the individual, an initial diagnosis for the individual, care instructions for the individual, a patient progress determination for the individual, a determination of sufficient activity for the individual, and a determination of activity conformance for the individual.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the individual is an employee, and the loss-control recommendation comprises the determination of sufficient activity for the individual to determine if the individual is healthy, and adjusting the term of the insurance policy comprises adjusting a workers compensation premium associated with the insured entity.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the individual is an employee recovering from an injury, the loss-control recommendation comprises the determination of activity conformance for the individual based on the activity evaluation being indicative of the individual'"'"'s activity conforming to one of prescribed activity guidelines and personalized threshold guidelines applicable to the individual.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the individual is a patient, the loss-control recommendation comprises the determination of sufficient activity for the individual based on the activity evaluation being indicative of the individual'"'"'s activity conforming to one or more of ulcer prevention movement guidelines, prescribed movement guidelines, activity guidelines, and movement threshold guidelines applicable to the individual.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the term of the insurance policy comprises adjusting or determining at least one of a premium, a deductible, a limit, services associated with the insurance policy, costs of the services associated with the insurance policy, rating plan parameters, and dividend plan parameters.

8. A method for evaluating activity of an individual associated with and distinct from an insured entity for use in managing an insurance-related process, comprising:

receiving by a server, the server comprising at least one processor, activity data derived at least in part from at least one sensor monitoring activity of the individual associated with and distinct from the insured entity; and

adjusting by a computer processor an insurance-related parameter associated with the insured entity based at least in part on an activity analysis based on the received activity data and demographic information about the individual, the adjusting comprising adjusting the parameter so as to provide an adjustment favorable to the insured entity responsive to the activity analysis being indicative of desired activity by the individual; and

providing, by an output device, an insurance recommendation to one or both of the insured entity and a healthcare provider that is based at least in part on the activity analysis, wherein the insurance recommendation comprises one of a loss-control recommendation, an exposure management recommendation, an insurance risk evaluation recommendation, an underwriting workflow recommendation, and a claims management workflow recommendation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the demographic information about the individual comprises one or more of height, age, weight, and stride length of the individual.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the insurance recommendation comprises a loss-control recommendation, and the loss-control recommendation comprises one or more of a patient intake decision for the individual, an initial diagnosis for the individual, care instructions for the individual, a patient progress determination for the individual, a determination of sufficient activity for the individual, and a determination of activity conformance for the individual.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the individual is an employee, and the loss-control recommendation comprises a determination of sufficient activity for the individual to determine if the individual is healthy, and adjusting the insurance-related parameter associated with the insured entity comprises adjusting a workers compensation premium associated with the insured entity.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the individual is an employee recovering from an injury, and the loss-control recommendation comprises a determination of activity conformance for the individual based on the activity analysis being indicative of the individual'"'"'s activity conforming to one of prescribed activity guidelines and personalized threshold guidelines applicable to the individual.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the individual is a patient, and the loss-control recommendation comprises a determination of sufficient activity for the individual based on the activity analysis being indicative of the individual'"'"'s activity conforming to one or more of ulcer prevention movement guidelines, prescribed activity guidelines, activity guidelines, and movement threshold guidelines applicable to the individual.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the insurance-related parameter associated with the insured entity comprises adjusting or determining at least one of a premium, a deductible, a limit, services associated with the insured entity, costs of the services associated with the insured entity, rating plan parameters, dividend plan parameters, and a renewal decision.

15. An activity evaluation system for use in managing an insurance-related process, comprising:

a data storage device storing demographic information about a plurality of individuals associated with and distinct from an insured entity;

an activity evaluation module comprising at least one processor configured to;

receive sensor data from at least one sensor configured to monitor activity of a plurality of individuals associated with and distinct from an insured entity;

analyze the sensor data to determine activity characteristics of the plurality of individuals; and

output an activity evaluation based on the determined activity characteristics and the demographic information about the plurality of individuals to an insurance company system for adjusting a term of an insurance policy covering the insured entity;

wherein the sensor data comprises raw sensor data and further comprising a preprocessing module for preprocessing the raw sensor data before it is received by the activity evaluation module, wherein the preprocessing comprises processing the raw sensor data to generate sensor 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.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the demographic information about the plurality of individuals comprises one or more of height, age, weight, and stride length for each of the plurality of individuals.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising providing an insurance recommendation to one or both of the insured entity and a healthcare provider that is based at least in part on the activity evaluation.