Custom content delivery for networked exercise equipment

• US 20010051559A1
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eGym, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netpulse, LLC
• Inventors: Cohen, Michael Alvarez, Cahn, Jeffrey P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,971,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention, provide customized content to a consumer on a network-enabled exercise device, include providing an exercise device having a display console, the exercise device being connected to a network, receiving user profile information associated with a consumer operating the exercise device, receiving content information identifying available content for display on the display console, the content information including selection criteria for selecting content to be displayed from the available content, selecting content for display to the consumer based on the content information and the user profile information; and presenting an impression of the selected content to the consumer on the display console.

Claims

1. A method of presenting customized content to a consumer on a network-enabled exercise device, comprising:

providing an exercise device having a display console, the exercise device being connected to a network;

receiving user profile information associated with a consumer operating the exercise device;

receiving content information identifying available content for display on the display console, the content information including selection criteria for selecting content to be displayed from the available content;

selecting content for display to the consumer based on the content information and the user profile information; and

presenting an impression of the selected content to the consumer on the display console.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the user profile information includes demographic information about the consumer selected from the group of characteristics including age, gender, weight, height, income level, education level and geographic location.

3. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the user profile information includes psychographic information about the consumer identifying the consumer'"'"'s personal interests.

4. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the user profile information includes historical information relating to the consumer'"'"'s operation of one or more network-enabled exercise devices.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the user profile information includes current information relating to the consumer'"'"'s present operation of a network-enabled exercise device.

6. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the available content includes e-marketing service information.

7. The method of

claim 6

, wherein the e-marketing service information is selected from Web-based banner advertisements, Web-based content and service sponsorship information, and Web-based direct marketing information.

8. The method of

claim 6

, wherein the selection criteria include e-marketing campaign information specifying one or more characteristics of an intended target consumer of an e-marketing campaign.

9. The method of

claim 8

, wherein the e-marketing campaign information includes one or more parameters selected from the group of parameters including, age, sex, weight, height, income level, education level, geographic location, time of day, a user'"'"'s historical information, a user'"'"'s current information, and a user'"'"'s special interests.

10. The method of

claim 6

, wherein the selection criteria include e-marketing campaign metrics specifying one or more characteristics of an intended e-marketing campaign.

11. The method of

claim 10

, wherein the e-marketing campaign metrics include one or more parameters selected from the group of parameters including total number of impressions presented in a specified period, frequency of presentation of each impression to the consumer, total price of an e-marketing campaign based on a price and quantity of impressions presented, and quality of impact derived from the nature of the impression presented.

12. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

notifying a third-party that the impression of the selected content has been presented to the consumer.

13. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

receiving a user input in response to the impression of the selected content; and

communicating the user input to a third party.

14. The method of

claim 13

, wherein the user input includes a selection of e-marketing service information from the impression of the selected content.

15. The method of

claim 14

, further comprising:

presenting an impression of secondary content to the consumer in response to the user input, the secondary content including detailed information relating to the selected e-marketing service information.

16. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the secondary content is retrieved over the network and is presented to the consumer through a web-site from the World Wide Web.

18. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the available content includes control information for controlling the operation of the exercise device.

19. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the available content includes monitor information for monitoring a workout on the exercise device.

20. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the available content includes a directory of content selectable by the consumer.

21. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the available content includes information selected from the group of categories including arts and humanities, automotive, careers, email, entertainment, fitness, health, lifestyle, money, news, real estate, search engines, shopping, sports, technology, and travel.

22. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the available content includes content selected from the group including text, hypertext links, buttons, graphics, messages, audio information, video information, HTML, logos and branding.

17. The method of clam 1, wherein the user profile information is stored in memory when the consumer registers to use the network-enabled exercise device.

23. A computer program product on a computer-readable medium for presenting customized content to a consumer on a network-enabled exercise device having a display console, the program comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive user profile information associated with a consumer operating the exercise device;

receive content information identifying available content for display on the display console, the content information including selection criteria for selecting content to be displayed from the available content;

select content for display to the consumer based on the content information and the user profile information; and

present an impression of the selected content to the consumer on the display console.

24. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the user profile information includes demographic information about the consumer selected from the group of characteristics including age, gender, weight, height, income level, education level and geographic location.

25. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the user profile information includes psychographic information about the consumer identifying the consumer'"'"'s personal interests.

26. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the user profile information includes historical information relating to the consumer'"'"'s operation of one or more network-enabled exercise devices.

27. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the user profile information includes current information relating to the consumer'"'"'s present operation of a network-enabled exercise device.

28. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the available content includes e-marketing service information.

29. The computer program of

claim 28

, wherein the e-marketing service information is selected from Web-based banner advertisements, Web-based content and service sponsorship information, and Web-based direct marketing information.

30. The computer program of

claim 28

, wherein the selection criteria include e-marketing campaign information specifying one or more characteristics of an intended target consumer of an e-marketing campaign.

31. The computer program of

claim 30

, wherein the e-marketing campaign information includes one or more parameters selected from the group of parameters including, age, sex, weight, height, income level, education level, geographic location, time of day, a user'"'"'s historical information, a user'"'"'s current information, and a user'"'"'s special interests.

32. The computer program of

claim 28

, wherein the selection criteria include e-marketing campaign metrics specifying one or more characteristics of an intended e-marketing campaign.

33. The computer program of

claim 32

, wherein the e-marketing campaign metrics include one or more parameters selected from the group of parameters including total number of impressions presented in a specified period, frequency of presentation of each impression to the consumer, total price of an e-marketing campaign based on a price and quantity of impressions presented, and quality of impact derived from the nature of the impression presented.

34. The computer program of

claim 23

, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

notify a third-party that the impression of the selected content has been presented to the consumer.

35. The computer program of

claim 23

, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive a user input in response to the impression of the selected content; and

communicate the user input to a third party.

36. The computer program of

claim 35

, wherein the user input includes a selection of e-marketing service information from the impression of the selected content.

37. The computer program of

claim 36

, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

present an impression of secondary content to the consumer in response to the user input, the secondary content including detailed information relating to the selected e-marketing service information.

38. The computer program of

claim 37

, wherein the secondary content is retrieved over the network and is presented to the consumer through a web-site from the World Wide Web.

40. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the available content includes control information for controlling the operation of the exercise device.

41. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the available content includes monitor information for monitoring a workout on the exercise device.

42. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the available content includes a directory of content selectable by the consumer.

43. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the available content includes information selected from the group of categories including arts and humanities, automotive, careers, email, entertainment, fitness, health, lifestyle, money, news, real estate, search engines, shopping, sports, technology, and travel.

44. The computer program of

claim 23

, wherein the available content includes content selected from the group including text, hypertext links, buttons, graphics, messages, audio information, video information, HTML, logos and branding.

39. The computer program of clam 23, wherein the user profile information is stored in memory when the consumer registers to use the network-enabled exercise device.

45. An apparatus for presenting customized content to a consumer on a network-enabled exercise device, comprising:

a means for providing an exercise device having a display console, the exercise device being connected to a network;

receiving user profile information associated with a consumer operating the exercise device;

a means for receiving content information identifying available content for display on the display console, the content information including selection criteria for selecting content to be displayed from the available content;

a means for selecting content for display to the consumer based on the content information and the user profile information; and

a means for presenting an impression of the selected content to the consumer on the display console.