Activity monitoring base station

• US 10,478,668 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Welker, Michael, Nikula, Arto
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Courtney L
• Application Number:
  US14/552,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20160144233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G06F 2218/00 Aspects of pattern recognition specially adapted for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/036 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3855 carried in a belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0234 Feet; Stands; Pedestals, e.g. wheels for moving casing on floor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20009 using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/205 Heat-dissipating body thermally connected to heat generating element via thermal paths through printed circuit board [PCB] details of PCBs relating to heat transfer H05K1/0201

Abstract

A base station for an activity monitoring system that facilitates live monitoring of a plurality of individuals. The base station may include a ventilation channel and a heat sink for cooling a control module disposed within the base station. The base station may be water resistant so as to protect the control module from water damage. The base station may also have an egg-shape for facilitating the drainage of water off the base station and to reduce the force of an impact on the base station.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring a plurality of individuals, the device comprising:

a base station in communication with a plurality of sensors worn by the plurality of individuals during a fitness activity, the base station comprising;

a housing comprising;

a top central opening located at a proximal end of the housing,

a bottom central opening located at a distal end of the housing,

a ventilation channel comprising a ventilation channel wall defining the top central opening, the bottom central opening, and a through hole extending through the housing between the top central opening and the bottom central opening, and

a sloped circumferential wall located at the proximal end of the housing and configured to funnel water into the top central opening and through the ventilation channel;

a control module disposed within the housing around an outer surface of the ventilation channel wall and configured to monitor the plurality of individuals; and

a heat sink disposed within the ventilation channel.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a plurality of fins.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the fins are disposed radially about a center of the ventilation channel.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the fins are coupled to an inner surface of the ventilation channel wall and extend towards a center of the ventilation channel.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is in direct contact with the control module.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the ventilation channel wall is defined by a wall of the control module.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the heat sink defines a central aperture configured to receive at least one of:

a portion of a stand and a portion of an antenna.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the antenna comprises a first connector and the stand comprises a second connector;

and

wherein the central aperture is configured to removably receive a portion of the first connector and the second connector.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a first part and a second part;

wherein the first part is disposed within the ventilation channel; and

wherein the second part defines a portion of an outer surface of the housing.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first part is thermally coupled to the second part.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a cover and a base;

and

wherein the cover and the base define a portion of the ventilation channel.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the control module is disposed between the cover and the base.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the cover and the base are removably attached.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein in the antenna is removably attached to the base station.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising a stand.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the stand is removably attached to the base station.

33. The device of claim 1, wherein the top central opening and the bottom central opening are defined by an outermost surface of the base station.

18. A monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of individuals, comprising:

a plurality of individual sensors worn by the plurality of individuals during a fitness activity;

a base station, the base station comprising;

a housing comprising;

a top central opening located at a proximal end of the housing,

a bottom central opening located at a distal end of the housing,

a ventilation channel comprising a ventilation channel wall defining the top central opening, the bottom central opening, and a through hole extending through the housing between the top central opening and the bottom central opening, and

a sloped circumferential wall located at the proximal end of the housing and configured to funnel water into the top central opening and through the ventilation channel;

a control module disposed within the housing around an outer surface of the ventilation channel wall, the control module configured to monitor the plurality of individuals by receiving information from and transmitting information to the plurality of individual sensors; and

a heat sink disposed within the ventilation channel.

19. A base station for monitoring a plurality of individuals, the base station comprising:

a housing comprising a cover coupled to a base, the cover comprising;

an inner circumferential wall, an outer circumferential wall, and a circumferential peak connecting the inner circumferential wall and the outer circumferential wall;

wherein the inner circumferential wall, the outer circumferential wall, and the circumferential peak define a hollow interior therebetween, the hollow interior being sealed so as to be water resistant;

wherein the inner circumferential wall defines at least a portion of a ventilation channel; and

wherein the circumferential peak defines a top opening of the ventilation channel;

a control module disposed within the hollow interior of the housing and configured to monitor the plurality of individuals by receiving information from one or more sensors worn by the plurality of individuals; and

a heat sink disposed within the ventilation channel.

20. The base station of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the inner circumferential wall and the outer circumferential wall have a slope in the range between 1°

and 89°

measured relative to the circumferential peak and in a direction orthogonal to the top opening of the ventilation channel.

21. The base station of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the inner circumferential wall and the outer circumferential wall have a slope in the range between 1°

and 45°

measured relative to the circumferential peak and in a direction orthogonal to the top opening of the ventilation channel.

22. The base station of claim 19, wherein the inner circumferential wall has a non-constant slope measured relative to the circumferential peak and in a direction orthogonal to the top opening of the ventilation channel.

23. The base station of claim 19, wherein the outer circumferential wall has a non-constant slope measured relative to the circumferential peak and in a direction orthogonal to the top opening of the ventilation channel.

24. The base station of claim 19, wherein the base station is portable.

25. The base station of claim 19, wherein the housing is water resistant.

26. The base station of claim 19, wherein the heat sink comprises a first part and a second part;

wherein the first part is disposed within the ventilation channel; and

wherein the second part defines a portion of the base of the housing.

27. The base station of claim 26, wherein the second part is the base of the housing.

28. The base station of claim 19, wherein the housing has an egg-shape.

29. The base station of claim 19, wherein the cover is removably coupled to the base.

30. The base station of claim 19, wherein the ventilation channel is a through hole extending from a proximal end of the housing to a distal end of the housing to allow the ventilation of air through the housing.

31. The base station of claim 19, wherein the ventilation channel comprises the top opening located at a proximal end of the housing and a bottom opening located a distal end of the housing;

and

wherein the ventilation channel extends from the proximal end of the housing, through the control module, to the distal end of the housing.

32. A device for monitoring a plurality of individuals, the device comprising:

a base station in communication with a plurality of sensors worn by the plurality of individuals during a fitness activity, the base station comprising;

a housing having a ventilation channel extending through the housing;

a control module disposed within the housing and configured to monitor the plurality of individuals; and

a heat sink disposed within the ventilation channel,

wherein the heat sink defines a central aperture configured to receive at least one of a portion of a stand and a portion of an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises a first connector and the stand comprises a second connector; and

wherein the central aperture is configured to removably receive a portion of the first connector and the second connector.