Fitness activity monitoring systems and methods

• US 10,252,107 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Werner, Jon Harald, Dibenedetto, Christian, Black, Stephen John, Vaterlaus, Amy Jones
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US15/179,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20160279474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 463 6, 700 91, 482 51, 482 57, 3405731
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/42 rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 10/65 : Entertainment or amusement; Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 20/10 : relating to the environment, e.g. temperature; relating to location
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 40/60 : Positioning; Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods for tracking the location of an individual during a fitness activity are disclosed. A method of tracking a participant engaged in a fitness activity includes determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the participant; determining a location of a spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator; from a server, sending an alert to a spectator at a spectator device during the fitness activity indicating that the participant is within a predetermined distance of the spectator; and sending an alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity indicating that the spectator is within a predetermined distance of the participant.

Claims

1. A method of tracking an individual using a portable fitness device during a fitness activity, comprising:

at a server, receiving fitness activity registration information from a spectator of a fitness activity, wherein the registration information includes information about a participant in the fitness activity;

determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity using the portable fitness device; and

sending an alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity that a predetermined spectator parameter threshold has been reached.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, from the portable device, sending an invitation to the spectator to register for tracking the participant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined spectator parameter is time based.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the predetermined spectator parameter threshold has been reached based on athletic performance data about the participant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is sent from a server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration information is received before the fitness activity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an alert to the spectator when the participant is within a predetermined distance of the spectator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the spectator, the participant, and the fitness activity are associated with a social network accessible by a plurality of users via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the social network is associated with a fitness database accessible by a plurality of users via the Internet.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the spectator and the participant are connected via the social network.

11. A method of tracking a participant engaged in a fitness activity who is pre-identified by a spectator, comprising:

determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the participant;

determining a location of the spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator;

calculating an estimated time of arrival of the participant at the spectator location, based on the spectator location and the participant location; and

sending a first alert to the spectator at the spectator device during the fitness activity based on the estimated time of arrival, wherein the first alert indicates that the participant is within a first predetermined estimated time of arrival at the spectator location,

wherein at least one of determining the location of the participant, determining the location of the spectator, calculating the estimated time of arrival, and sending the first alert is performed using at least one processor.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a second alert to the participant at the portable fitness device during the fitness activity based on the estimated time of arrival, wherein the second alert indicates-that the participant is within a second predetermined estimated time of arrival at the spectator location.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising at a server, receiving participant location information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first alert and the second alert includes one or more of a visual alert, an audible alert and a tactile alert.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first alert indicates a location of the participant.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising at a server, receiving participant location information.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the fitness activity includes a predetermined route.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the fitness activity is a competitive event including a plurality of participants.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the fitness activity is a fitness activity scheduled by the participant.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the fitness activity includes a route created by the participant.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising, from the portable device, sending an invitation to the spectator to register for tracking the participant.

22. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving fitness activity registration information from the spectator, wherein the registration information includes information about the participant; and

sending a second alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity that a predetermined spectator parameter threshold has been reached.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the predetermined spectator parameter is distance based.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining that the predetermined spectator parameter threshold has been reached based on athletic performance data about the participant.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the registration information is received before the fitness activity.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more of the spectator, the participant, and the fitness activity are associated with a social network accessible by a plurality of users via the Internet.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the spectator and the participant are connected via the social network.

28. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimated time of arrival is calculated based on performance data of the participant.

29. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimated time of arrival is calculated based on a current pace of the participant.

30. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimated time of arrival is calculated based on a current pace of the participant and a predetermined route.

31. A system for tracking a participant engaged in a fitness activity, adapted for performing a method in accordance with claim 11.

32. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein for causing one or more processors to track a participant engaged in a fitness activity, the computer program logic comprising instructions for implementing a method in accordance with claim 11.

33. A method of tracking a participant engaged in a fitness activity who is pre-identified by a spectator, comprising:

determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the participant;

determining a location of the spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator;

calculating an estimated time of arrival of the participant at the spectator location, based on the spectator location and the participant location; and

sending an alert to the participant at the portable fitness device during the fitness activity based on the calculation of the estimated time of arrival, wherein the alert indicates that the participant is within a predetermined estimated time of arrival at the spectator location,

wherein at least one of determining the location of the participant, determining the location of the spectator, calculating the estimated time of arrival, and sending the alert is performed using at least one processor.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the estimated time of arrival is calculated based on performance data of the participant.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the estimated time of arrival is calculated based on a current pace of the participant.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the estimated time of arrival is calculated based on a current pace of the participant and a predetermined route.