Patent Application Titled “Fitness Systems And Methods” Published Online (USPTO 20240099655): Patent Application

2024 APR 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx journalists, a patent application by the inventors Cooper, Tyler Clark (Dallas, TX, US); Ussery, III, Terdema (Dallas, TX, US), filed on November 27, 2023, was made available online on March 28, 2024.

No assignee for this patent application has been made.

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “The existing fitness or health systems dry not provide an accurate measurement of fitness in a standardized and verifiable way. Exercise type measurements such as the number of push up or the time it takes to run a distance provide certain evidence of fitness, but there is no overall measure fitness or biometric fitness, and none is accurate or verifiable. Physiological or overall determination of fitness can be complex and could involve many different factors. Most of the fitness systems also do not incorporate fitness in the set of medical diagnostics and patient evaluation. Known existing systems have other deficiencies such as being too complex, involving too great a startup effort, and being unable to actually affect fitness by way of its implementation in a practical sense. Existing systems require knowing a multitude of factors from the user, such as drinking, smoking, and eating habits, family medical history, filling out questionnaire etc. in order to make a fitness determination. Other deficiencies relate to the was or mechanism in which the software or system interacts with the users. Such systems can, for example, rely on in-app communications of performance data or status which can create engagement hurdles and isolated silos of interaction or communications. Another potential deficiency in existing system relates to the lack of integration of and management of a group of individuals. Existing system an known to focus on individuals and lack broader integration such as at a company level. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved fitness or health system that addresses at least some of the above problems. There are also other deficiencies that can be remedied based on illustrative descriptions provided herein.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent application, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “In accordance with principles of the invention, a system for determining physical fitness is contemplated. In one embodiment, the system comprises a device wearable by a user having a sensor configured to conduct a physical measurement of the user. The system also comprises a mobile device including a transceiver configured to receive a physical measurement via a first communications network and transmit data via a second communications network, a geographical position calculating device configured to measure a distance traveled by the user, a timer configured to set a period of time, and a fitness application: The fitness application configures the mobile device to receive a physical measurement from the wearable device and provide options via a user interface to select one or more physical tests to be performed by the user. In response to a selection of the test, the fitness application instructs the mobile device to measure, via the geographical position calculating device, the distance traveled by the user during the performance of the test, measure, via the timer, the time spent by the user during the performance of the test, instruct the wearable device to conduct a physical measurement, and transmit a predicted long oxygen volume max (pmVO2) or information representative of pmVO2 of the user from the physical test administered by the fitness application to another system.

“In one embodiment, the system further comprises a management computer system that included a database and a central subsystem. The database is configured to store health information of a plurality of individuals and a fitness scale. The health information includes pmVO2s of the individuals and health conditions associated with their pmVO2s and the fitness scale includes multiple grades for classifying the user. The central subsystem is configured to assign a threshold pmVO2 to each grade based on the health information, analyze the pmVO2 or information representative of pmVO2 received from the mobile device in view of the pmVO2 and health information stored in the database, and determine a grade from the fitness scale to classify the user based on the analysis.

“The management system is configured to receive a roster of individuals from an enterprise computer. The individuals on the roster are users of the wearable device and the mobile deice and authorized users of the fitness application. The management system is also configured to verify that persons attempting to user the fitness application are authorized users can the roster. The management system is further configured to collect and aggregate the pmVO2 or information representative of pmVO2 of the one or more authorized users in the database and remove information identifying the one or more authorized users so that the pmVO2 or information representative of pmVO2 is saved in the database anonymously. Additionally, the management system is configured to determine a grade using the collected pmVO2 or information representative of pmVO2 and the fitness scale to classify the one or more authorized users.

“In another embodiment, the system further comprises a management computer system that includes a database, a central subsystem, and an artificial intelligence (AI) subsystem. The database is configured to store health information of a plurality of individuals and a fitness scale. The health information includes pmVO2s of the individuals and health conditions associated with their pmVO2s and the fitness scale includes multiple grades for classifying the user. The central subsystem is configured to assign a threshold pmVO2 to each grade based on the health information, analyze the pmVO2 or information representative of pmVO2 received from the mobile device in view of the pmVO2s and health information stored in the database, and determine a grade from the fitness scale to classify the user based on the analysis. The AI subsystem is configured to communicate suggestions via a chatbot that generates natural language messages using the database and the central subsystem. The suggestions include action items to be completed by the user that can move the user from the determined grade to a higher grade.

“The management system is configured to receive a roster of individuals from a computer. The computer may be an enterprise computer of an entity that employs the individuals (employees), a hospital or clinic that provides medical and surgical treatment to the individuals (nations), government that conducts medical testing on the individuals, an insurance company that screens the individuals (e.g., life or health insurance candidates) or has accepted the individuals (e.g., life; or health insurance members), or other entities that are made up with other individuals or groups. The individuals can be other group of people and be associated with other entities via other relationships. The individuals are users of the wearable device and the mobile device. The management system is further configured to identify a subset of users that have a fitness grade in the fitness scale that impacts a predicted healthiness of the individuals in the roster as whole and transmit a message containing an alert to the enterprise computer. The management system is further configured to generate and transmit my sages containing suggestions provided by the AI subsystem to the mobile devices of the subset of users via the chatbot. The management system is further configured to control the operation of the AI subsystem, chatbot and related generation and transmission of the messages to be directed substantially only to the subset of users relative to the other users from that entity. The management vent system is further configured to monitor level of activity and fitness grades of the subset of users via the chatbot and finless application after transmitting the messages containing the suggestions and use the monitored information in the AI subsystem in responding to an individual user’s monitored activity and generating new messages by the chatbot. The management system is further configured to reclassify one or more users in the subset of users that have a new fitness grade that impacts the predicted healthiness to a higher fitness grade based on the monitored activity and fitness grades and remove the one OT more reclassified users from the subset.

“In one embodiment, the chatbot is configured to communicate with the users without requiring the user to open the fitness application or have it running on the mobile device.

“In one embodiment, the one or more physical tests include a first physical test requiring the user to travel in a period of time and the total distance traveled by the user in the determined period of time is measured by the geographical position calculating device.

“In one embodiment, the fitness application is configured to instruct the wearable device to conduct and transmit the measurement upon expiration of the determined period of time.

“In another embodiment, the one or more physical tests include a second physical test requiring the user to travel a distance determined by the fitness application and the total time spent by the user to complete the determined distance is measured by the timer.

“In another embodiment, the fitness application is configured to instruct the wearable device to conduct and transmit the measurement upon completion of the determined distance.

“Counterpart method and commuter-readable medium embodiments would be understood front the above and the overall disclosure. Also, broader, narrower, or different combinations of the described features are contemplated, such that, for example features can be removed or added in a broadening or narrowing way.

“In some embodiments, the management system (and the fitness application) is configured to be accessible and usable by other individuals beyond those on the roster. For example, a mobile device user from the general public can download the fitness application from an app store (e.g., Google Play Store or Apple App Store), create his own login credentials, and use the fitness application as he wishes to improve his fitness level or other purposes, even though the user is not on the roster or is not related to the entity that uses the management system. The user’s fitness level can be compared to his previous measured fitness levels, fitness levels of other users in the general public, fitness levels of the individuals on a rosier, or other fitness levels toted in the management system.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system for determining physical fitness comprising: a management system comprising a database and a central subsystem, wherein the central subsystem is configured to: verify whether a user attempting to use a fitness application of a mobile device configured to communicate to with the management system is an authorized user by consulting a raster from the database or an enterprise computer; operate with the fitness application that provides options via a user interface allowing selection of one or more physical tests, wherein, in response to a selection of the one or more physical tests on the fitness application, the fitness application communicates with the mobile device to receive a physical measurement from a wearable or implant device of the user; collect in the database predicted max lung oxygen volume max (pmV02) of information representative of pmV02 of the user determined from the one or more physical tests and remove information identifying the user so that the pmV02 or information representative of pmV02 of the user is saved in the database anonymously; determine a fitness grade from a fitness scale based on health information, wherein the health information stored in the database comprises the collected pmV02 or information representative of pmV02 and health conditions associated therewith, and wherein the fitness scale stored in the database comprises multiple fitness grades for classifying the user; collect in the database new health information comprising new pmV02 or new information representative of pmV02 of the user determined from the one or more physical tests, or new health conditions associated therewith; update the fitness grade based on the new health information; and transmit the updated fitness grade or a change of fitness grades before and after the update to the mobile device.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management system further includes an artificial intelligence (AI) subsystem that is configured to communicate a suggestion via a chatbot that generates a natural language message using the database and the central subsystem.

“3. The system of claim 2, wherein the suggestion includes an action item to be completed by the user that can move the user to a higher fitness grade or a fitness grade desired by the user.

“4. The system of claim 3, wherein the management system is further configured to identify a subset of users that have a fitness grade in the fitness scale that impacts a predicted healthiness of individuals in a roster as whole.

“5. The system of claim 4, wherein the management system is further configured to generate and transmit messages containing suggestions provided by the AI subsystem to the mobile devices of a subset of users via the chatbot, wherein the management system is configured to control the operation of the AI subsystem, chatbot and related generation and transmission of the messages to be directed substantially only primarily to the subset of users relative to the other users.

“6. The system of claim 5, wherein the management system is further configured to monitor level of activity and fitness grades of the subset of users via the chatbot and fitness application after transmitting the messages containing the suggestions and use the monitored information in the AI subsystem in responding to an individual user’s monitored activity and generating new messages by the chatbot.

“7. The system of claim 2, wherein the chatbot is configured to communicate with a user without requiring the user to open the fitness application or have it running on the mobile device.

“8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more physical tests are configured to be conducted at a medical facility, a fitness center, or a clinic using treadmill.

“9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fitness application is configured to instruct the wearable or implant device to conduct and transmit the measurement upon expiration of a determined period of time.

“10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fitness application is configured to instruct the wearable or implant device to conduct and transmit the measurement upon completion of a determined distance.

“11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more physical tests include a second physical test requiring the user to travel a distance determined by the fitness application and the total time spent by the user to complete the determined distance is measured by a timer of the system.

“12. The system according to claim 1, wherein a user’s health information or fitness grade in the database is configured to be accessible by a third party or transmittable to a third party’s computer.

“13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the third party comprises a hospital, a clinic, a fitness center, an insurance company, and an individual thereof or affiliated therewith.

“14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the health information further comprises age, sex, weight, or other information the user.

“15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the health information further comprises age, sex, weight, or other information the user.

“16. The system according to claim 1, wherein pmV02 or information representative of pmV02 of a user is compared to pmV02 or information representative of pmV02 of an individual having the same or similar health information.

“17. The system according to claim 15, wherein pmV02 or information representative of pmV02 of a user is compared to pmV02 or information representative of pmV02 of an individual having the same or similar age, sex, weight, or other information.

“18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the health conditions comprise fatigue, heartburn, impotence, low back pain, depression, headaches, difficulty depression, illness, disease, cancer, or other medical conditions.

“19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the health conditions comprise mortality or morbidity.

“20. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification system that is configured to communicate with the management system that notifies individuals and entities related to the system.”

For more information, see this patent application: Cooper, Tyler Clark; Ussery, III, Terdema. Fitness Systems And Methods. U.S. Patent Application Number 20240099655, filed November 27, 2023 and posted March 28, 2024. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(20240099655)&db=US-PGPUB&type=ids

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