Patent Issued for Systems And Methods For Automated Body Mass Index Calculation To Determine Value (USPTO 10,426,378)

2019 OCT 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Ross, Gareth (Amherst, MA); Ben-Zvi, Yaron (Hastings on Hudson, NY); Merritt, Sears (Groton, MA), filed on November 14, 2017, was published online on October 14, 2019.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 10,426,378, is Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Springfield, Massachusetts, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Body mass index (BMI) is a wide known indicator employed in health insurance. Health insurance companies look at body mass index for insurance rating purposes for the reason that BMI is a significant factor correlated with health risk conditions, such as obesity and heart disease. Individuals applying for an insurance plan may be classified in different categories depending on their respective BMI, which may affect life insurance premiums set to the individuals.

“Currently, many insurance companies require paramedical examiners to visit potential clients for the purpose of administering one or more tests, including BMI samples. BMI samples could include acquiring bodily fluids (e.g., blood, urine) from the potential clients. These tests imply potential delays in gathering the information required, and may be subject to human error. Although a BMI calculation requires only a few pieces of information from potential clients, such as height and weight, and potential clients are able to provide this information through any communication technology available, there is still a need to validate the information provided by the potential clients.

“Thus, there is a need for providing systems methods to address these and other concerns.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Systems and methods for an automated body mass index calculation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system architecture may include components, such as one or more computing devices connected to one or more servers via a network connection. In this embodiment, the one or more servers include an analytical engine that coordinates multiple algorithms for data fetching, image processing tasks, and predictive analytics. The aforementioned algorithms may be executed by the server processor and/or the computing device processor. In one or more embodiments, the one or more servers are in communication with a database so that the analytical engine has access to relevant multimedia data associated with a potential client.

“In another embodiment, a method for an automated body mass index calculation may include a computing device that allows an agent to request a body mass index calculation of a specific potential client. In this embodiment, the request is processed by a server. Further to this embodiment, the server is in communication with a database containing relevant multimedia information associated with a customer, and includes an analytical engine coordinating multiple algorithms. In one or more embodiments, the analytical engine includes a data extraction module and a data processing module. In these embodiments, the data extraction module fetches relevant multimedia information regarding a potential client, and makes the relevant multimedia information available to the data processing module. In one embodiment, the data processing module performs feature detection over the multimedia information, computes one or more feature values or feature vectors, normalizes the feature values, and uses the normalized feature values along with one or more regression algorithms for calculating the body mass index associated with a potential client.

“One embodiment of a computer-implemented method may include receiving height and weight data of a potential customer. Upon receipt of the height and weight data, a request may be made for an image of the potential customer to be captured from a remote computing device, where the requested image includes a standard sized object positioned in the image according to at least one reference point. An image of the potential customer may be received, where the image is captured and transmitted from the remote computing device, where the image includes a standard sized object positioned in the image according to the at least one reference point. Upon receipt of the image, at least one anatomical region of the potential customer may be detected, a calculation of a feature value of the detected at least one anatomical region of the potential customer in comparison to the standard sized object positioned in the image according to the at least one reference point may be made, where the calculation includes utilizing at least one image processing technique on the detected at least one anatomical region of the potential customer and on the standard sized object positioned in the image according to the at least one reference point feature value, the feature value may be normalized, a body mass index (BMI) of the potential customer may be predicted based on the normalized feature value, and the BMI may be caused to be transmitted to a computing device. In transmitting the BMI, the BMI may be caused to be displayed on a graphical user interface.

“One embodiment of a system and computerized-method may include receiving height and weight data of a potential customer. Upon receipt of the height and weight data, a request may be made for a first electronic image of the potential customer to be captured from an image capture device of the potential customer, where the requested image includes a standard sized object positioned in the image according to at least one reference point for the first image. An first electronic image of the potential customer may be received via a communications network from the image capture device of the potential customer at a first time, where the first image is captured and transmitted from the image capture device, where the first image includes a standard sized object positioned in the image according to the at least one reference point for the first image. A baseline body mass index (BMI) of the potential customer may be computed as a function of the height and weight data and the first image inclusive of the standard sized object positioned in the image according to the least one reference point for the first image. A determination of a baseline underwriting value (e.g., for an insurance policy) may be made as a function of the computed BMI for the potential customer (e.g., to be an insured under an insurance policy).

“Updated height and weight data of the insured may be received at a second time. Upon receipt of the updated height and weight data, a request may be made for a second electronic image of the potential customer to be captured from the image capture device of the potential customer, where the requested image includes a standard sized object positioned in the image according to at least one reference point for the second image. A second electronic image of the potential customer may be received via the communications network from the image capture device of the potential customer at a second time, where the second image is captured and transmitted from the image capture device, where the second image includes a standard sized object positioned in the image according to the at least one reference point for the second image. The standard sized objects in the first and second images may be the same or different standard sized objects. An updated BMI of the insured may be computed as a function of the updated height and weight data and the second image inclusive of the standard sized object positioned in the image according to the least one reference point for the second image. A determination of an updated value (e.g., underwriting value) may be made (e.g., for an insurance policy) as a function of the computed updated BMI.

“Numerous other aspects, features and benefits of the present disclosure may be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A computer-implemented method comprising: upon receiving, by a processor, height and weight data of a user, requesting, by the processor, an electronic image of the user to be captured from an image capture device associated with a computing device operated by the user, the requested electronic image being inclusive of a standard sized object positioned in the electronic image according to at least one reference point for the electronic image; receiving, by the processor, the electronic image of the user via a communications network from the computing device; computing, by the processor, a baseline body mass index (BMI) of the user as a function of the height and weight data and the electronic image inclusive of the standard sized object positioned in the electronic image according to the at least one reference point for the electronic image; and determining, by the processor, a baseline value as a function of the computed BMI for the user.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: upon receiving, by the processor, updated height and weight data of the user, requesting, by the processor, a second electronic image of the user to be captured from the image capture device associated with the computing device operated by the user, the requested second electronic image being inclusive of a standard sized object positioned in the second electronic image according to at least one reference point for the second electronic image; receiving, by the processor, the second electronic image of the user via the communications network from the computing device; computing, by the processor, an updated BMI of the user as a function of the updated height and weight data and the second electronic image inclusive of the standard sized object positioned in the second electronic image according to the least one reference point for the second electronic image; and determining, by the processor, an updated value as a function of the computed updated BMI.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: determining, by the processor, a baseline premium for the user based on the baseline value; and determining, by the processor, an updated premium based on the updated value.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: determining a baseline premium based on the baseline value; and determining an updated premium by determining, by the processor, that the updated BMI is an improvement over the baseline BMI and in response to determining that the updated BMI is an improvement over the baseline BMI, determining the updated premium to be lower than the baseline premium, otherwise, determining the updated premium is the same as the baseline premium.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein computing the baseline BMI comprises: detecting, by the processor, at least one anatomical region of the user from the electronic image; calculating, by the processor, a feature value of the detected at least one anatomical region of the user; normalizing, by the processor, the feature value; and wherein calculating the baseline BMI includes calculating the baseline BMI as a function of the normalized feature value.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: setting, by the processor, a notification date for notifying the user to submit another image; and communicating, by the processor, a notification to the user to submit another image on the notification date.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the processing unit computes the BMI of the user using one or more regression algorithms.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein computing the baseline BMI further comprises image processing, by the processor, the electronic images using the standard sized objects to determine a scale of the electronic image to enable at least one anatomical region to be scaled and measured.

“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the electronic image being inclusive of the standard sized object positioned in the electronic image according to the at least one reference point for the electronic image comprises: receiving, by the computing device, a request to capture the electronic image of the user; displaying, by the computing device, the at least one reference point for the electronic image; conveying, by the computing device, a message requesting the user to hold the standard sized object up against an anatomical part of the user; conveying, by the computing device, a message requesting the user to align the standard sized object with the at least one reference point for the electronic image; and capturing, by the image capture device associated with the computing device, the electronic image of the user holding the standard sized object that is aligned with the at least one reference point for the electronic image.

“10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the standard sized objects comprise rulers, credit cards, and identification cards.

“11. A system comprising: a memory unit; an image capture device; and a processor in communications with said memory unit and image capture device, and configured to: receive height and weight data of a user; request an electronic image of the user to be captured from the image capture device associated with a computing device operated by the user, the requested electronic image being inclusive of a standard sized object positioned in the electronic image according to at least one reference point for the electronic image; receive the electronic image via a communications network from the computing device; compute a baseline body mass index (BMI) of the user as a function of the height and weight data and the electronic image inclusive of the standard sized object positioned in the electronic image according to the at least one reference point for the electronic image; and determine a baseline underwriting value as a function of the computed BMI for the user.

“12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive updated height and weight data of the insured; request a second electronic image of the user to be captured from the image capture device associated with the computing device operated by the user, the requested second electronic image being inclusive of a standard sized object positioned in the second electronic image according to at least one reference point for the second electronic image; receive the second electronic image via the communications network from the computing device; compute an updated BMI of the user as a function of the updated height and weight data and the second electronic image inclusive of the standard sized object positioned in the second electronic image according to the least one reference point for the second electronic image; and determine an updated value for the insurance policy as a function of the computed updated BMI.

“13. The system of claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to: determine a baseline premium for the user based on the baseline value; and determine an updated premium based on the updated value.

“14. The system of claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to determine a baseline premium based on the baseline value and determine an updated premium, wherein said processing unit, in determining the updated premium is configured to: determine that the updated BMI is an improvement over the baseline BMI, and in response to determining that the updated BMI is an improvement over the baseline BMI, determine the updated premium to be lower than the baseline premium, otherwise, determine the updated premium is the same as the baseline premium.

“15. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor, in computing the baseline BMI, is configured to: detect at least one anatomical region of the user from the electronic image, calculate a feature value of the detected at least one anatomical region of the user, and normalize the feature value, wherein the baseline BMI calculation is performed as a function of the normalized feature value.

“16. The system of claim 11 wherein said processor is further configured to: set a notification date for notifying the user to submit another image, and communicate a notification to the user to submit another image on the notification date.

“17. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor is further configured to compute the BMI of the user using one or more regression algorithms.

“18. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor, in computing the baseline BMI, is further configured to image process the electronic images using the standard sized objects to determine a scale of the electronic image to enable at least one anatomical region to be scaled and measured.

“19. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is configured to: receive a request to capture the electronic image of the user; display the at least one reference point for the electronic image; convey to the user a message requesting the user to hold the standard sized object up against an anatomical part of the user; convey to the user a message requesting the user to align the standard sized object with the at least one reference point for the electronic image; and capture the electronic image of the user holding the standard sized object that is aligned with the at least one reference point for the electronic image.

“20. The system of claim 11, wherein the standard sized objects comprise rulers, credit cards, and identification cards.”

For more information, see this patent: Ross, Gareth; Ben-Zvi, Yaron; Merritt, Sears. Systems And Methods For Automated Body Mass Index Calculation To Determine Value. U.S. Patent Number 10,426,378, filed November 14, 2017, and published online on October 14, 2019. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,426,378.PN.&OS=PN/10,426,378RS=PN/10,426,378

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