OA19868A - Computerized reward system of digital assets. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application describes a computerized reward system based on decentralized ledger block-chain technology for rewarding user behaviour beneficial to health. The system is comprised by a monitoring unit (2) that includes sensor means adapted to collect physical parameters (6) from a user (1), in order to create a physical activity record (3), a validation unit (4) with processor means programmed to correlate the parameters of the physical activity record (3) in order to detect the execution of a physical activity by the user (1) and a reward dispensing system (5) comprising a peer-to-peer network configured to manage a decentralized ledger blockchain distributed computing platform for inter-node communication. Said reward dispensing system (5) is programmed to generate and distribute peer-to-peer digital asset rewards (8) in case of detection of a valid physical activity (7) executed by the user (1).

Description

COMPUTERIZED REWARD SYSTEM OF DIGITAL ASSETS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The présent application generally relates to remote monitoring Systems, and in particular to a computerized reward system of digital assets for rewarding user behaviour bénéficiai to health.

PRIOR ART

Global human population counttoday, is around 7.6 Billion. Most projections estimate a rise to more than 9.8 Billion before the year 2050 and 11.2 billion by the year 2100 [1]. Moving forward in time, the rapid rate of innovation and technology in fields such as robotics, automation and artificial intelligence will most likely increase the rate of human technological unemployment [2].

In the past 50 years alone we humans hâve consumed more resources than the whole of humanity before us [3]. This ongoing direction will only increase the strain on public health as well as on the planets eco Systems.

The fundamental problem surrounding global warming and ail its conséquences is not just CO2 émissions alone, it is the logic of endless growth that is built into our problematic économie Systems [4]. This endless growth target is un-sustainable in a finite resource planet and has overall very négative effects on our social and ecological Systems.

Regarding Public health, several scientific studies now show that stress related problems account for most of hospital visits [5], making it a very serious Public Health concern. Several natural solutions are available to help reduce stress and anxiety, and today, it is a well-known scientific fact that regular breathing, méditation and Yoga

-2practice reduces the bod/s stress response, by strengthening the relaxation response and lowering stress hormones like cortisol. For this reason today we see the rise in demand for yoga and méditation classes worldwide [6].

In connection to this, solutions exist in the art, such as the case of patent application US20170177833 Al, which discloses an apparatus for implicit triggering of feedbacks relatingto user's physical activities, including detecting scanning, in real-time, of a body of a user during one or more physical activities, such as yoga, gymnastics, weight lifting. The application WO2013113036 Al, discloses a System for processing motion-related sensor data for health application, examining motion-related signal from a physical activity sensor located on a subject on a frame-by-frame basis to detect physical activities performed by the subject. The motion-sensing and motion-récognition algorithm of the sensor physical activity data processing engine is able to recognize a basis set of motions into which ail human motions can be categorized due to skeletonconnective tissue structures of human anatomy. None of the existing solutions compléments the physical activity monitoring with a reward mechanism to motivate users in practicing regular breathing, méditation, yoga practices or other physical activity that can be monitored.

In the context of reward Systems, the application US6151586 A provides a computerized reward System for encouraging an individual to participate in a customized health management program, comprising monitoring means for collecting compliance data on an individual participating in the health management program, memory means for storing the compliance data, évaluation means for comparing the compliance data with évaluation criteria to détermine whether or not the individual is compilant, and a reward to be given to the individual who is deemed compilant. The reward given to the compilant individual can be a coupon, an electronic reward credited to a data card, or an electronic reward credited to the individual's account at a participating financial institution or retail account. However, none of the reward

- 3 Systems known from the art is based on digital assets and implemented by means of a decentralized server to perform rewards distribution.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an object of the présent application to describe a computerized reward system based on decentralized ledger blockchain technology for rewarding user behaviour bénéficiai to health, such as long-term breathing, méditation or yoga practices, ail activities with scientifically proven health benefits.

To accomplish that, the computerized reward system distributes digital assets to users that hâve performed physical activities validated by the system. The system is comprised by a monitoring unit that includes sensor means adapted to collect physical parameters from a user, such as physiological, motion and body posture parameters. A 15 validation unit with processor means programmed to correlate the parameters collected by the monitoring unit, is used to detect the execution of a physical activity by the user. Such détection is performed comparing the correlated parameters with physical activity performance models used to characterize ail of the physical activities admitted by the system.

To implement an usefs reward scheme, the system further comprises a reward dispensing system comprising a peer-to-peer network configured to manage a decentralized ledger blockchain distributed computing platform for inter-node communication. Said reward dispensing system is programmed to generate and 25 distribute peer-to-peer digital asset rewards in case of détection of a physical activity executed by the user.

In an advantageous configuration of the computerized reward system now disclosed, the monitoring unit comprises a body posture sensorial module and a respiratory effort 30 sensor. The body posture sensorial module is adapted to collect inertial measurements,

-4being comprised by a set of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers. The respiratory effort sensor is configured to detect the inhaling and exhaling breathing periods, and together with the body posture sensorial module data, allow the monitoring unit to collect a complété set of parameters, used to characterized the execution of a certain physical activity, that will be used by the validation unit. In another advantageous mode of the computerized reward system now disclosed, the monitoring unit is enclosed in a wearable strap preferably to be attached to the chest or stomach of a user.

The présent application also describes a method for operating the computerized reward system described, said method being comprised the following steps:

- Monitoring unit collects physical parameters from a spécifie user, generating a physical activity record;

- Validation unit performs a physical activity validation by matching standard keyparameters of a spécial corrélation scheme with key-parameters resulting from said spécial corrélation scheme applied to the physical activity record;

- If the physical activity record is valid, meaning that for a spécial corrélation scheme, a match was detected between the respective standard keyparameters and the key-parameters resulting from corrélation of the physical activity record, the physical activity record assigned to the spécifie user is uploaded to a reward dispensing system;

- Reward dispensing system generates and distributes digital asset rewards to the spécifie user.

In an advantageous configuration of the method, the physical activity is performed by the user during a physical activity session, said session comprising an initial stage and a final stage during which the monitoring unit collects physical parameters to generate a physical activity session record.

-5DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Figure 1 illustrâtes a block diagram of the computerized reward system of digital assets, wherein the reference signs represents:

1-user;

- monitoring unit;

- physical activity record;

4-validation unit;

- reward dispensing system;

- physical parameters of the user;

-valid physical activity record;

- digital asset reward.

Figure 2 shows a flow chart representing the operation of the computerized reward system of digital assets, of the présent application.

Figure 3 illustrâtes an embodiment of the monitoring unit of the computerized reward system, wherein the reference signs represent:

- monitoring unit;

- interactive LED;

10-strap;

- respiratory effort sensor;

- battery;

- inertial measurement unit;

14-communication module;

15-vibration means.

-6DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The more general and advantageous configurations of the technology now developed are described in the Summary. Such configurations are detailed below in accordance with other advantageous and/or preferred embodiments of implémentation of the technology developed.

In a preferred embodiment, the computerized reward System of digital assets of the présent application uses a decentralized ledger blockchain technology in order to generate and distribute peer-to-peer digital assets, rewarding user behaviour bénéficiai to health.

The System comprises a monitoring unit including sensor means adapted to collect physical parameters from a user. Said physical parameters can be related to physiological, motion and body posture, and whose corrélation allows to characterize and identify physical activities. In the context of the présent application, a physical activity is any bodily movement produced by the skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure, and encompasses ail the activities, at any intensity, able to be monitored, such as but not limited to gardening, farming, cooking, cleaning, long-term breathing, méditation or yoga practices. In order to collect the desired set of parameters, the monitoring unit can be comprised by a body posture sensorial module and a respiratory effort sensor. This set of sensors are capable of detecting user⁷ s posture using an inertial measurement unit, comprised by at least one accelerometer, at least one gyroscope and at least one magnetometer, and the expansion and contraction of the chest/stomach. The monitoring unit may also comprise a communication module programmed to establish a bidirectional wireless communication link with an external device, such as a smartphone or any other type of processing device adapted to control the operation of the monitoring unitthrough said bidirectional wireless communication link. The communication link can be performed over a wide area network, a local area network or a Personal area network, such as Bluetooth. In one embodiment of the

-7monitoring unit, the sensor means adapted to collect physical parameters are enclosed in a wearable strap attachable to the chest or stomach of the user. In this embodiment, the monitoring unit further comprises battery means, vibration means and an interactive LED installed in its surface. Yet în another embodiment of the monitoring unit, it is further comprised by a méditation pad, suitable to perform méditation practices, being a smart interactive méditation pad, equipped with LEDs for interactive chromo therapy sessions. Said méditation pad includes a proximity sensor that detects if the user is sitting on it, battery means, vibration means and an illuminated surface configured to émit visible light for relaxing purposes, and wherein the visible light emitted by the pad's surface can vary according to the parameters collected from the respiratory effort sensor. The interactive méditation Pad is equipped with ail visible light spectrum range with 16.8 Million possible colors. These colors are used to create a relaxing and peaceful atmosphère that will help create a peaceful State of mind, necessary for an effective guided méditation session.

The validation unit comprises processor means programmed to correlate the parameters collected by the monitoring unit in order to detect the execution of a physical activity by the user. To achieve this purpose, the processor means is comprised by a database structure and a corrélation engine. The database structure is configured to store physical activity performance models characterizing ail the physical activities admitted by the system. A physical activity performance model is formed by a set of standard key-parameters that identifies unequivocally a physical activity, and resuit from a spécial corrélation scheme applied to certain physical parameters of the user. The corrélation engine is programmed to correlate the physical parameters collected from the user according to spécial correlating schemes, in order to access if the résultant key-parameters match with the respective standard key-parameters of a physical activity performance model. The physical parameters correlated can be any of the parameters collected from the respiratory effort sensor, from the set of at least one accelerometer, at least on gyroscope and/or at least one magnetometer.

-8The reward dispensing system, is in communication with the validation unit, and is comprised by a peer-to-peer network configured to manage a decentralized ledger blockchain distributed computing platform for inter-node communication. The reward dispensing system is programmed to generate and distribute peer-to-peer digital asset rewards if the validation unit detects a physical activity executed by the user. The digital asset can be anything that exists in a binary format and can include but are not exclusive to digital documents, audible content, motion picture and other relevant digital data such as a cryptocurrency. In one embodiment of the system the decentralized ledger blockchain distributed computing platform is Ethereum based and the digital asset is

Ether.

The computerized reward system further comprises a web user interface electronic platform, provided in a network-based system. Said platform is suitable to provide user access to reward system contents by means of a web application configured to 15 communicate with said network-based system. The reward system contents can be related to activity session records, physical activity guiding sessions and reward data records. Besides that, the platform is capable of connecting users who want to practice physical activities together, by attending to group sessions. In one embodiment, the dispensing system rewards the users of a group practice in proportion of the size of the group. In order to identify a group practice, the system will validate the users that hâve performed the respective enrolment through the platform. Ail the group sessions are registered in the platform along with its respective GPS locations.

The present application also describes a method for operating the computerized 25 reward system described above. The monitoring unit collects physical parameters from a spécifie user and generates a physical activity record. Then, the validation unit performs a physical activity validation comprised by two stages: first, the parameters ofthe physical activity record are correlated according to spécial corrélation schemes. Each corrélation scheme has associated standard key-parameters defining a physical 30 activity performance model, that is stored in the database structure of the validation

-9unit, which unequivocally identify the execution of a physical activity by the user being monitored. In stage two, said standard key-parameters are matched with the corrélation results of stage one, in order to access if the user is performing or not the physical activity characterized by the physical activity performance model. Therefore, a physical activity record is considered valid when, for a spécial corrélation scheme, a match was detected between the respective standard key-parameters and the keyparameters resulting from corrélation of the physical activity record. In this case, the physical activity record is uploaded to a reward dispensing system which will generate and distribute digital asset rewards to the spécifie user.

In another embodiment of the method, a physical activity is performed by the user during a physical activity session, comprising an initial stage and a final stage during which the monitoring unit collects physical parameters to generate a physical activity session record. In this context, the validation unit performs a physical activity session validation, by correlating the parameters of the physical activity session record. The physical activity session is validated if the validation unit, for a spécial corrélation scheme, detects a match between the key-parameters resulting from the corrélation of the physical activity session record and the standard key-parameters associated to the respective physical activity performance model. In this case, the physical activity session record assigned to the spécifie user is uploaded to a reward dispensing system. The initial and the final stage can be defined automatically by the monitoring unit when the parameters being monitored vary around a threshold considered as resting level. In another embodiment, the user interacts directly with the monitoring unit in order to define the initial and the final stage of a session.

In another embodiment the amount of digital asset rewards that a spécifie user receives is a function between the total number of users with valid physical activity record or valid physical activity session record and the daily number of digital assets that the reward dispensing system generates. The digital asset is distributed to the users in 30 periodic batches, for example with a daily frequency.

-10As an example of the operation of the computerized reward system, it is considered a user performing a méditation practice. Before each méditation practice, the users starts off with a breathing exercise, so the system validâtes the breathing exercise. After this phase the data coming from the body posture sensorial module ensures that the user is not moving abruptly. Combining the data from the respiratory effort sensor and the body posture sensorial module, according to a spécifie corrélation scheme, the validation unit is able to detect a méditation practice. In case of a Yoga practice, the body posture sensorial module measures and reports a body's spécifie force, angular rate, and the magnetic field surrounding the body, using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes and also magnetometers. The users starts a guided Yoga session using a smartphone, after the session starts, the user mimics the guided Yoga positions, while the system vérifiés the data from the inertial measurement unit and the respiratory effort sensor. By combining the system with a smartphone, the user is able to access to interactive contents, such as physical activities guided lessons and to manage his physical activity records progression during time.

As will be clear to one skilled in the art, the présent invention should not be limited to the embodiments described herein, and a number of changes are possible which remain within the scope of the présent invention.

Of course, the preferred embodiments shown above are combinable, in the different possible forms, being herein avoided the répétition ail such combinations.

References

[1] United Nations Department of économie and social affairs, World Population Prospects: The 2017 Révision, https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2017 KeyFindings.pdf

[2] McKinsey Global Institute, A Future That Works: Automation, Employment, and Productivity, https://tinyurl.com/ybbywquw

-11[3] Australian Academy of Science, Population and environment: a global challenge,

Professor Stephen Dovers. Director, FennerSchool of Environment and Society, College of Medicine, Biology & Environment, Australian National University

[4] A Critical Analysis of Chromo therapy and Its Scientific Evolution. Samina T. Yousuf

Azeemi* and S. Mohsin Raza

[4] University of Michigan, Global warming: New research blâmes économie growth http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/20369-global-warming-new-research-blames- economic-growth

[5]How Mindfulness can change your brain and improve your health, Harvard Medical School https://hms.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/assets/Harvard%20Now%20and%20Zen%

20Reading%20Materials.pdf

[6] National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/mind-body/meditation

Claims (9)

1. A computerized reward system of digital assets for rewarding user behaviour bénéficiai to health characterised in that it comprises:

- A monitoring unit including sensor means adapted to collect physical parameters from a user, the physical parameters being related to physiological, motion and/or body posture parameters; wherein the sensor means comprise a body posture sensorial module and a respiratory effort sensor configured to detect the inhaling and exhaling breathing periods of the user, and the body posture sensorial module comprises at least one accelerometer, at least one gyroscope and at least one magnetometer; and wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to generate a userfs physical activity record from the physical parameters collected;

- A validation unit comprising processor means programmed to correlate the useras physical activity record generated by the monitoring unit in order to detect the execution of a physical activity by the user;

- A reward dispensing system, in communication with said validation unit, comprising a peer-to-peer network configured to manage a decentralized ledger blockchain distributed computing platform for inter-node communication; said reward dispensing system being programmed to generate and distribute peer-to-peer digital asset rewards if the validation unit detects a valid session record of physical activity executed by the user; the digital asset is a cryptocurrency;

wherein, the processor means of the validation unit comprises:

- a database structure adapted to store physical activity performance models, each of said models comprising a set of standard key-parameters that identifies unequivocally a certain physical activity; and

-13- a corrélation engine programmed to correlate the useris physical activity record according to spécial corrélation schemes and to match keyparameters resulting from one of said corrélation schemes with the respective standard key-parameters of a physical activity performance

5 model stored in the database structure.

2. Computerized reward system of digital assets according to any of the previous claims, wherein, the monitoring unit further comprises a communication module 10 programmed to establish a bidirectional wireless communication link with an external device; said external device being adapted to control the operation of the monitoring unit through said bidirectional wireless communication link; said wireless communication link is performed over a wide area network, a local area network or a Personal area network, such as Bluetooth; and wherein

15 the system further comprising a web user interface electronic platform, provided in a network-based system, said platform suitable to provide user access to reward system contents by means of a web application configured to communicate with said network-based system; wherein the reward system contents are related to activity session records, physical activity guiding sessions and reward data records.

²⁰

3. Computerized reward system of digital assets according to any of the previous claims, wherein the monitoring unit is enclosed in a strap; said strap being wearable and adapted to be attachable to the chest or stomach of the user.

25

4. Computerized reward system of digital assets according to any of the claims 1 to 2, wherein the monitoring unit further comprises a méditation pad, suitable to perform méditation practices; said méditation pad including a proximity sensor, battery means, vibration means and an illuminated surface configured to émit visible light for relaxing purposes; wherein the visible light

-14emitted by the pad's surface varies according to the parameters collected form the respiratory effort sensor.

5. Computerized reward system of digital assets according to any of the previous claims, wherein the decentralized ledger blockchain distributed computing platform is Ethereum’ based and the cryptocurrency is Ethereum.

6. Method for operating the computerized reward system of any of the claims 1 to 5, characterized by comprising the following steps:

- Monitoring unit collects physical parameters from a spécifie user, generating a physical activity record;

- Validation unit correlates the parameters of the physical activity record according to spécial corrélation schemes, each corrélation scheme comprising standard key-parameters defining a physical activity performance model, said model being stored in the database structure of the validation unit; wherein the physical activity is performed by the user during a physical activity session, said session comprising an initial stage and a final stage during which the monitoring unit collects valid physical parameters to generate a valid physical activity session record;

- Validation unit performs a physical activity validation by matching the standard key-parameters of a spécial corrélation scheme with key-parameters resulting from said spécial corrélation scheme applied to the physical activity record; the physical activity being validated if the validation unit, for a spécial corrélation scheme, detects a match between the key-parameters resulting from the corrélation of the physical activity record and the standard key-parameters associated to the respective physical activity performance model;

- If the physical activity session record is valid, the physical activity session record assigned to the spécifie user is uploaded to the reward dispensing system;

- Reward dispensing system generates and distributes digital asset rewards to the spécifie user in periodic batches.

-157. Method according to claim 6, wherein the amount of digital asset rewards that the spécifie user receives is a function of the total number of users with valid physical activity record and a daily number of digital assets that the reward dispensing System generates.

8. Method according to claim 6, wherein the validation unit performs a physical activity session validation, by correlating the parameters of the physical activity session record; the physical activity session being validated if the validation unit, for a spécial corrélation scheme, detects a match between the key-parameters resulting from the corrélation of the physical activity session record and the standard key-parameters associated to the respective physical activity performance model

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein if the physical activity session is valid the physical activity session record assigned to the spécifie user is uploaded to the reward dispensing System.

10. Method according to any of the previous claims 6 to 9, wherein the amount of digital asset rewards that the spécifie user receives is a function between the total number of users with valid physical activity sessions and a daily number of digital assets that the reward dispensing System generates.