Researchers Submit Patent Application, “Multi-Computer Processing System for Compliance Monitoring and Control”, for Approval (USPTO 20220122448): Allstate Insurance Company

2022 MAY 09 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Washington, D.C., NewsRx journalists report that a patent application by the inventor Yegavolla, Tirumala Reddy (Wheeling, IL, US), filed on October 15, 2021, was made available online on April 21, 2022.

The patent’s assignee is Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Aspects of the disclosure relate to processing systems. In particular, aspects of the disclosure relate to processing systems having automated compliance monitoring and control.

“In some instances, individuals may wish to determine whether a business or retail establishment is following recommended hygiene protocols prior to entering the establishment. In many instances, however, besides a hygiene rating in the form of a letter or a number displayed at entrances of food-serving establishments summarizing their most recent health inspection, for example, it is difficult for consumers to assess hygiene practices of an establishment, understand hygiene ratings of non-food-serving establishments, and the like. In addition, in some instances, businesses with low hygiene ratings might not display their rating. In many instances, businesses are not required to display their ratings or are not given ratings. Further, compliance with one or more protocols may be based, in conventional systems, on self-reporting and/or in-person inspections. This may make assessing compliance with protocols difficult and may cause inefficiencies and inaccuracies in controlling compliance.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent application: “Aspects of the disclosure provide effective, efficient, scalable, and convenient technical solutions that address and overcome the technical problems associated with a multi-computer processing system for compliance monitoring and control.

“In accordance with one or more embodiments, a computing platform having at least one processor, a communication interface, and memory may receive hygiene-related information from one or more data sources. In addition, the one or more data sources may include one or more sensors for capturing the hygiene-related information. Subsequently, the computing platform may analyze based on the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources. In turn, the computing platform may generate a hygiene compliance score. In addition, the hygiene compliance score may indicate an extent to which the hygiene-related information matches a plurality of guidelines. Next, the computing platform may store the hygiene-related information in a database. Then, the computing platform may output the hygiene compliance score in response to a request.

“In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include one or more of: a video camera, a security camera, a microphone, an infrared sensor, a thermometer, a hygrometer, an accelerometer, an air quality sensor, an activity recognition sensor, and a face detection sensor.

“In some embodiments, the hygiene compliance score may be requested via a mapping application and output to the mapping application.

“In some embodiments, the hygiene compliance score may be requested via a mapping application on a client computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and output to the mapping application for display on a user interface of the client computing device. The hygiene compliance score may be requested via a client computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and output for display on a user interface of the client computing device.

“In some embodiments, the received data may be processed to identify the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources for analysis. The received data may be processed via at least one of filtering or smoothing the received data. The received data may be processed via at least one of filtering the received data or controlling an amount of the received data captured based on a type of establishment, a time of day, or combinations thereof. The type of establishment may comprise a food-serving establishment or a non-food-serving establishment. The time of day may comprise during business hours or after business hours.

“In some embodiments, the one or more data sources may further comprise an enterprise user computing device configured to capture hygiene-related information via a graphical user interface. The hygiene-related information captured via the graphical user interface of the enterprise user computing devices may comprise at least one of information input regarding how often equipment is sanitized, whether mask wearing is enforced, whether handwashing stations are available, or an indoor air quality index rating. The indoor air quality index rating may be configured to be input via a selection on a sliding scale on the graphical user interface of the enterprise user computing device.

“In accordance with another embodiment, a computing platform may comprise at least one processor, a communication interface, a client computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and comprising a user interface, an enterprise user computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and comprising a graphical user interface, and memory storing computer-readable instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the computer-readable instructions may cause the computing platform to: receive hygiene-related information from one or more data sources, wherein the one or more data sources includes one or more sensors for capturing the hygiene-related information and the enterprise user computing device configured to capture hygiene-related information via the graphical user interface, analyze the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources, generate a hygiene compliance score, wherein the hygiene compliance score indicates an extent to which the hygiene-related information matches a plurality of guidelines, store the hygiene-related information in a database, and output the hygiene compliance score in response to a request, wherein the hygiene compliance score is requested via a mapping application on the client computing device and output to the mapping application for display on the user interface of the client computing device.

“In accordance with yet another embodiment, a method may include receiving, via a processor of a computing platform, hygiene-related information from one or more data sources, wherein the one or more data sources includes one or more sensors for capturing the hygiene-related information, analyzing the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources, generating, via the processor of the computing platform, a hygiene compliance score, wherein the hygiene compliance score indicates an extent to which the hygiene-related information matches a plurality of guidelines, storing the hygiene-related information in a database, and outputting the hygiene compliance score in response to a request.

“These features, along with many others, are discussed in greater detail below.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computing platform comprising: at least one processor; a communication interface; and memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: receive hygiene-related information from one or more data sources, wherein the one or more data sources includes one or more sensors for capturing the hygiene-related information; analyze the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources; generate a hygiene compliance score, wherein the hygiene compliance score indicates an extent to which the hygiene-related information matches a plurality of guidelines; store the hygiene-related information in a database; and output the hygiene compliance score in response to a request.

“2. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of: a video camera, a security camera, a microphone, an infrared sensor, a thermometer, a hygrometer, an accelerometer, an air quality sensor, an activity recognition sensor, and a face detection sensor.

“3. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the hygiene compliance score is requested via a mapping application and output to the mapping application.

“4. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the hygiene compliance score is requested via a mapping application on a client computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and output to the mapping application for display on a user interface of the client computing device.

“5. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the hygiene compliance score is requested via a client computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and output for display on a user interface of the client computing device.

“6. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: process received data to identify the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources for analysis.

“7. The computing platform of claim 6, wherein the received data is processed via at least one of filtering or smoothing the received data.

“8. The computing platform of claim 6, wherein the received data is processed via at least one of filtering the received data or controlling an amount of the received data captured based on a type of establishment, a time of day, or combinations thereof.

“9. The computing platform of claim 8, wherein the type of establishment comprises a food-serving establishment or a non-food-serving establishment.

“10. The computing platform of claim 8, wherein the time of day comprises during business hours or after business hours.

“11. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the one or more data sources further comprises an enterprise user computing device configured to capture hygiene-related information via a graphical user interface.

“12. The computing platform of claim 11, wherein the hygiene-related information captured via the graphical user interface of the enterprise user computing devices comprises at least one of information input regarding how often equipment is sanitized, whether mask wearing is enforced, whether handwashing stations are available, or an indoor air quality index rating.

“13. The computing platform of claim 12, wherein the indoor air quality index rating is configured to be input via a selection on a sliding scale on the graphical user interface of the enterprise user computing device.

“14. A computing platform comprising: at least one processor; a communication interface; a client computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and comprising a user interface; an enterprise user computing device communicatively coupled to the computing platform and comprising a graphical user interface; and memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: receive hygiene-related information from one or more data sources, wherein the one or more data sources includes one or more sensors for capturing the hygiene-related information and the enterprise user computing device configured to capture hygiene-related information via the graphical user interface; analyze the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources; generate a hygiene compliance score, wherein the hygiene compliance score indicates an extent to which the hygiene-related information matches a plurality of guidelines; store the hygiene-related information in a database; and output the hygiene compliance score in response to a request, wherein the hygiene compliance score is requested via a mapping application on the client computing device and output to the mapping application for display on the user interface of the client computing device.

“15. The computing platform of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of: a video camera, a security camera, a microphone, an infrared sensor, a thermometer, a hygrometer, an accelerometer, an air quality sensor, an activity recognition sensor, and a face detection sensor.

“16. The computing platform of claim 14, wherein the memory stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing platform to: process received data to identify the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources for analysis.

“17. The computing platform of claim 16, wherein the received data is processed via at least one of filtering or smoothing the received data.

“18. The computing platform of claim 16, wherein the received data is processed via at least one of filtering the received data or controlling an amount of the received data captured based on a type of establishment, a time of day, or combinations thereof.

“19. The computing platform of claim 14, wherein the hygiene-related information captured via the graphical user interface of the enterprise user computing devices comprises at least one of information input regarding how often equipment is sanitized, whether mask wearing is enforced, whether handwashing stations are available, or an indoor air quality index rating.

“20. A method, the method comprising: receiving, via a processor of a computing platform, hygiene-related information from one or more data sources, wherein the one or more data sources includes one or more sensors for capturing the hygiene-related information; analyzing the hygiene-related information received from the one or more data sources; generating, via the processor of the computing platform, a hygiene compliance score, wherein the hygiene compliance score indicates an extent to which the hygiene-related information matches a plurality of guidelines; storing the hygiene-related information in a database; and outputting the hygiene compliance score in response to a request.”

For additional information on this patent application, see: Yegavolla, Tirumala Reddy. Multi-Computer Processing System for Compliance Monitoring and Control. Filed October 15, 2021 and posted April 21, 2022. Patent URL: https://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220220122448%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20220122448&RS=DN/20220122448

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