Systems and method to monitor health of employee when positioned in association with a workstation

• US 9,844,344 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• 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:
  US13/540,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20130012788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6889 Rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Provided are embodiments of systems, computer medium and computer-implemented methods for monitoring the health of an employee while the employee is located in an employee workstation. A method for monitoring the health of an employee including collecting, from a plurality of biometric sensors disposed throughout an employee workstation, biometric health data indicative of biometric characteristics of the employee. The method including determining an employee biometric health profile including biometric health characteristics, biometric health conditions and/or biometric health risks for the employee based at least in part on the collected biometric health data. The method including generating a health plan for the employee based at least in part on the biometric health profile, and displaying the employee biometric health profile and the health plan to the employee.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring health of an employee, the system comprising:

an employer computer associated with an employer of the employee, the employer computer comprising a display;

an employee workstation comprising;

an employee computer comprising a display;

a work surface positioned above and parallel to a floor of the workstation;

a computer mouse positioned on the work surface;

a chair disposed on the floor of the workstation;

a floor mat disposed on the floor of the workstation; and

a plurality of biometric sensors disposed throughout the employee workstation, the plurality of biometric sensors configured to sense biometric characteristics of the employee and output corresponding biometric health data indicative of the biometric characteristics of the employee,

wherein the plurality of biometric sensors comprise chair sensors comprising;

a chair temperature sensor integrated in the chair and configured to sense a body temperature of the employee seated in the chair;

a chair force sensor integrated in the chair and configured to sense a force applied to the chair by the employee seated in the chair; and

a chair body fat sensor integrated in the chair and configured to sense a body fat of the employee seated in the chair,

wherein the biometric health data comprises chair health data corresponding to the body temperature of the employee sensed by the chair temperature sensor, the force sensed by the chair force sensor, and the body fat of the employee sensed by the chair body fat sensor,

wherein the plurality of biometric sensors comprise floor mat sensors comprising;

a floor mat temperature sensor integrated in the floor mat and configured to sense a body temperature of the employee seated in the chair;

a floor mat force sensor integrated in the floor mat and configured to sense a force applied to the floor mat by the employee seated in the chair; and

a floor mat body fat sensor integrated in the floor mat and configured to sense a body fat of the employee seated in the chair,

wherein the biometric health data comprises floor mat health data corresponding to the body temperature of the employee sensed by the floor mat temperature sensor, the force sensed by the floor mat force sensor, and the body fat of the employee sensed by the floor mat temperature sensor,

wherein the plurality of biometric sensors comprise computer mouse sensors comprising;

a computer mouse temperature sensor integrated in the computer mouse and configured to sense a body temperature of the employee;

a computer mouse blood pressure sensor integrated in the computer mouse and configured to sense a blood pressure of the employee; and

a computer mouse blood condition sensor integrated in the computer mouse and configured to sense a blood oxygen saturation of blood of the employee,

wherein the biometric health data comprises computer mouse health data corresponding to a body temperature of the employee sensed by the computer mouse temperature sensor, a blood pressure of the employee sensed by the computer mouse blood pressure sensor, and a blood oxygen saturation of blood of the employee sensed by the computer mouse blood condition sensor; and

a biometric health monitoring server configured to;

continuously collect the biometric health data comprising the floor mat health data, the chair health data, and the computer mouse health data;

determine, in real time, a biometric health profile for the employee based on the biometric health data collected, the biometric health profile for the employee comprising one or more of biometric health characteristics, biometric health conditions and biometric health risks for the employee;

generate, in real time, a health plan for the employee based on the biometric health profile for the employee determined;

serve, in real time to the employee computer, health content indicative of the biometric health profile for the employee and the health plan for the employee, wherein the employee computer is configured to display the health content;

determine, based in part on the biometric health data collected, a group health report for an employee group comprising a plurality of employees common to one or more of a facility, a region, a division and a team, the employee group including the employee, the group health report including a statistical assessment of a health status of the employee group based in part on the biometric health data of the employee;

determine that a user is an employer having permission to review employee health information by verifying credentials data; and

in response to determining that the user is an employer having permission to review employee health information, serve, to the employer computer, the biometric health profile for the employee and the group health report for the employee group,

wherein the employer computer is configured to;

display an interactive employer review interface comprising;

an interactive employee selection element comprising an interactive listing of employees, the employees comprising the employee; and

an interactive employee group selection element comprising an interactive listing of a plurality of employee groups, wherein each of the employee groups is characterized by a plurality of employees common to a respective facility, region, division or team, and wherein the plurality of employee groups includes the employee group;

display, in response to receiving a user selection of the employee from the interactive employee selection element, the biometric health profile for the employee; and

display, in response to receiving a user selection of the employee group from the interactive employee group selection element, the group health report for the employee group; and

provide a notification based on the statistical assessment of the health status of the employee group.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric health profile for the employee comprises one or more predicted health issues, wherein determining the biometric health profile for the employee comprises determining the one or more predicted health issues based on the biometric health data collected, wherein the health plan comprises one or more exercises for alleviating the one or more predicted health issues, wherein the health content served to the employee computer comprises a coaching avatar comprising an animated demonstration of the one or more exercises, and wherein the employee computer is configured to display the coaching avatar comprising the animated demonstration of the one or more exercises.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric health monitoring server is further configured to:

determine whether an alert condition exists based on the biometric health data;

in response to determining that an alert condition exists, prompt the employee to select to override sending an alert indicative of the alert condition to an entity to be alerted;

in response to receiving a selection to override sending the alert, not send the alert to the entity to be alerted; and

in response to not receiving a selection to override sending the alert, send the alert to the entity to be alerted.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric health monitoring server is further configured to:

determine whether an alert condition exists based on the health data, wherein determining whether an alert condition exists based on the health data comprises;

determining whether the biometric health profile for the employee comprises an abnormal health characteristic or health condition;

in response to determining that the biometric health profile for the employee comprises an abnormal health characteristic or health condition, assessing other characteristics or conditions of the biometric health profile for the employee to determine whether the abnormal health characteristic or health condition is consistent with an alert condition;

in response to determining that the abnormal health characteristic or health condition is consistent with an alert condition, determining that an alert condition exists; and

in response to determining that the abnormal health characteristic or health condition is not consistent with an alert condition, determining that an alert condition does not exists; and

in response to determining that an alert condition exists;

provide an alert to the employee computer for presentation to the employee; and

provide an alert to an entity to be notified of the alert condition.

5. The system of claim 1,

wherein the chair sensors are configured to sense biometric characteristics of the employee via contact with a back or upper leg of the employee is seated in the chair,

wherein the floor mat sensors are configured to sense biometric characteristics of the employee via contact with feet the employee seated in the chair, and

wherein the computer mouse sensors are configured to sense biometric characteristics of the employee via contact with hands of the employee seated in the chair.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein the employer computer is further configured to:

display, in response to receiving the user selection of the employee from the interactive employee selection element, an interactive health test element for the employee that is user selectable to initiate a health test of the employee, wherein the health monitoring server is further configured to, in response to user selection of the interactive health test element;

initiate an updated health test of the employee comprising collecting updated biometric health data comprising updated floor mat health data, chair health data, and computer mouse health data output by the chair sensors, the floor mat sensors, and the computer mouse sensors;

determine an updated health profile for the employee using the updated biometric health data collected; and

serve, to the employer computer, the updated biometric health profile for the employee, wherein the employer computer is configured to display the updated biometric health profile for the employee.

7. A computer implemented method for monitoring health of an employee, the method comprising:

continuously collecting, by a biometric health monitoring server from a plurality of biometric sensors disposed throughout an employee workstation, biometric health data indicative of biometric characteristics of the employee, the plurality of biometric sensors configured to sense the biometric characteristics of the employee and output corresponding biometric health data indicative of the biometric characteristics of the employee,

the employee workstation comprising;

an employee computer comprising a display;

a work surface positioned above and parallel to a floor of the workstation;

a computer mouse positioned on the work surface;

a chair disposed on the floor of the workstation; and

a floor mat disposed on the floor of the workstation,

wherein the plurality of biometric sensors comprise chair sensors comprising;

a chair temperature sensor integrated in the chair and configured to sense a body temperature of the employee seated in the chair;

a chair force sensor integrated in the chair and configured to sense a force applied to the chair by the employee seated in the chair; and

a chair body fat sensor integrated in the chair and configured to sense a body fat of the employee seated in the chair,

wherein the biometric health data comprises chair health data corresponding to the body temperature of the employee sensed by the chair temperature sensor, the force sensed by the chair force sensor, and the body fat of the employee sensed by the chair body fat sensor,

wherein the plurality of biometric sensors comprise floor mat sensors comprising;

a floor mat temperature sensor integrated in the floor mat and configured to sense a body temperature of the employee seated in the chair;

a floor mat force sensor integrated in the floor mat and configured to sense a force applied to the floor mat by the employee seated in the chair; and

a floor mat body fat sensor integrated in the floor mat and configured to sense a body fat of the employee seated in the chair,

wherein the biometric health data comprises floor mat health data corresponding to the body temperature of the employee sensed by the floor mat temperature sensor, the force sensed by the floor mat force sensor, and the body fat of the employee sensed by the floor mat temperature sensor,

wherein the plurality of biometric sensors comprise computer mouse sensors comprising;

a computer mouse temperature sensor integrated in the computer mouse and configured to sense a body temperature of the employee;

a computer mouse blood pressure sensor integrated in the computer mouse and configured to sense a blood pressure of the employee; and

a computer mouse blood condition sensor integrated in the computer mouse and configured to sense a blood oxygen saturation of blood of the employee,

wherein the biometric health data comprises computer mouse health data corresponding to a body temperature of the employee sensed by the computer mouse temperature sensor, a blood pressure of the employee sensed by the computer mouse blood pressure sensor, and a blood oxygen saturation of blood of the employee sensed by the computer mouse blood condition sensor;

determining, in real time by the biometric health monitoring server, a biometric health profile for the employee based on the biometric health data collected, the biometric health profile for the employee comprising one or more of biometric health characteristics, biometric health conditions and biometric health risks for the employee;

generating, in real time by the biometric health monitoring server, a health plan for the employee based on the biometric health profile for the employee determined;

serving, in real time by the biometric health monitoring server to the employee computer of the employee workstation, health content indicative of the biometric health profile for the employee and the health plan for the employee, wherein the employee computer is configured to display the health content;

determining, by the biometric health monitoring server and based in part on the biometric health data collected, a group health report for an employee group comprising a plurality of employees common to one or more of a facility, a region, a division and a team, the employee group including the employee, the group health report including a statistical assessment of a health status of the employee group based in part on the biometric health data of the employee;

determining, by the biometric health monitoring server, that a user is an employer having permission to review employee health information by verifying credentials data;

in response to determining that the user is an employer having permission to review employee health information, serving, by the biometric health monitoring server to an employer computer associated with the user, the biometric health profile for the employee and the group health report for the employee group;

t

displaying, by the employer computer, an interactive employer review interface comprising;

an interactive employee selection element comprising an interactive listing of employees, the employees comprising the employee; and

an interactive employee group selection element configured to provide for selection of ones of employee groups, wherein each of the employee groups is characterized by a plurality of employees common to a respective facility, region, division or team, and wherein the plurality of employee groups includes the employee group;

displaying, by the employer computer in response to receiving a user selection of the employee from the interactive employee selection element, the biometric health profile for the employee;

displaying, by the employer computer in response to receiving a user selection of the employee group from the interactive employee group selection element, the group health report for the employee group; and

providing, by the employer computer, a notification based on the statistical assessment of the health status of the employee group.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the biometric health profile for the employee comprises one or more predicted health issues, wherein determining the health profile for the employee comprises determining the one or more predicted health issues based on the biometric health data collected, wherein the health plan comprises one or more exercises for alleviating the one or more predicted health issues, wherein the health content served to the employee computer comprises a coaching avatar comprising an animated demonstration of the one or more exercises, and wherein the method further comprises the employee computer displaying the coaching avatar comprising the animated demonstration of the one or more exercises.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether an alert condition exists based on the biometric health data;

in response to determining that an alert condition exists, prompt the employee to select to override sending an alert indicative of the alert condition to an entity to be alerted;

in response to receiving a selection to override sending the alert, not sending the alert to the entity to be alerted.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether an alert condition exists based on the biometric health data, wherein determining whether an alert condition exists based on the biometric health data comprises;

determining whether the biometric health profile for the employee comprises an abnormal health characteristic or health condition;

in response to determining that the biometric health profile for the employee comprises an abnormal health characteristic or health condition, assessing other characteristics or conditions of the biometric health profile for the employee to determine whether the abnormal health characteristic or health condition is consistent with an alert condition;

in response to determining that the abnormal health characteristic or health condition is consistent with an alert condition, determining that an alert condition exists; and

in response to determining that an alert condition exists;

provide an alert to the employee computer for presentation to the employee; and

provide an alert to an entity to be notified of the alert condition.

11. The method of claim 7,

wherein the chair sensors are configured to sense biometric characteristics of the employee via contact with a back or upper leg of the employee while the employee is seated in the chair,

wherein the floor mat sensors are configured to sense biometric characteristics of the employee via contact with feet the employee seated in the chair, and

wherein the computer mouse sensors are configured to sense biometric characteristics of the employee via contact with hands of the employee seated in the chair.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the employer computer;

displaying, in response to receiving the user selection of the employee from the interactive employee selection element, an interactive health test element for the employee that is user selectable to initiate a health test of the employee; and

the health monitoring server;

in response to user selection of the interactive health test element;

initiating an updated health test of the employee comprising collecting updated biometric health data comprising updated floor mat health data, chair health data, and computer mouse health data output by the chair sensors, the floor mat sensors, and the computer mouse sensors;

determining an updated health profile for the employee using the updated biometric health data collected; and

serving, to the employer computer, the updated biometric health profile for the employee;

the employer computer displaying the updated biometric health profile for the employee.

13. A system for monitoring employee health, the system comprising:

an employer computer associated with an employer, the employer computer comprising a display;

a plurality of employee workstations for a plurality of employees of the employer, each of the employee workstations associated with an employee of the plurality of employees, and each of the employee workstations comprising;

determine, based on the biometric health data collected, a biometric health profile for an employee associated with the employee workstation; and

serve, to the employee computer of the employee workstation, the biometric health profile for the employee associated with the employee workstation;

determine, based in part on the biometric health data collected for the plurality of employee workstations, a group health report for an employee group comprising a subset of the plurality of employees that is common to one or more of a facility, a region, a division and a team, the group health report including a statistical assessment of a health status of the employee group based in part on the biometric health data;

determine that a user is an employer having permission to review employee health information by verifying credentials data;

serve, to the employer computer associated with the employer, the biometric health profiles for the employees associated with the plurality of employee workstations and the group health report for the employee group,

the employee computer configured to display the biometric health profile for the employee, and the employer computer configured to;

display an interactive employer review interface comprising;

an interactive employee selection element comprising an interactive listing of the employees associated with the plurality of employee workstations; and

an interactive employee group selection element comprising an interactive listing of a plurality of employee groups, wherein each of the employee groups is characterized by a plurality of employees common to a respective facility, region, division or team, and wherein the plurality of employee groups includes the employee group;

display, in response to receiving a user selection of a first employee associated with one of the plurality of employee workstations from the interactive employee selection element, a biometric health profile for the first employee;

display, in response to receiving a user selection of a first employee group comprising an employee associated with one of the plurality of employee workstations from the interactive employee group selection element, a group health report for the first employee group; and

provide a notification based on the statistical assessment of the health status of the employee group.