Athletic monitoring system and method

• US 20060189360A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Affinity Labs of Texas, LLC
• Inventors: White, Russell W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.600
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• 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 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/20 Swimming
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/10 : by using measurements of speed or acceleration G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/002 : for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 : Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 : Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 : specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 : Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 : for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 : with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 : including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 : including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 : Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for monitoring the athletic performance of a user while also providing the user with entertainment such as an outputting of music. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a housing component at least partially defining an enclosure. A performance engine may be located within the enclosure and may utilize a signal from a motion sensor to generate a performance metric like current speed, distance traveled, or cadence. The system may also include an audio and/or a visual output mechanism such as a speaker assembly or a display device. The output mechanism may be capable of presenting the performance metric to a user.

Claims

1. A performance monitoring system comprising:

a housing component at least partially defining an enclosure;

a performance engine located within the enclosure, the performance engine operable to utilize a signal from a bicycle motion sensor to generate a performance metric;

an audio file player located within the enclosure; and

an audio output interface operable to simultaneously output a first audio output signal representing an audio file played by the audio file player and a second audio output signal representing the performance metric.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cradle formed to receive the housing component, the cradle comprising a coupling mechanism formed to mount the cradle to a bicycle.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising the bicycle motion sensor, wherein the bicycle motion sensor is operable to communicate the signal across an interface selected from a group consisting of a wired interface and a wireless interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a cellular telephone comprises the housing component, the performance engine, and a display device operable to present the performance metric to a user.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a local area wireless transceiver fixed within the enclosure and operable to communicate information using a spread spectrum technology in a frequency range greater than 2.3 GHz.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wide area wireless transceiver located within the enclosure and operable to receive an incoming telephone call.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance metric is selected form a group consisting of a cadence metric, a speed metric, a heart rate performance metric, and a distance metric.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heart rate sensor operable to communicate heart rate information for the user to the performance engine, wherein the performance engine is further operable to utilize the heart rate information to generate a heart rate performance metric.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio file player is operable to play a file format selected from the group consisting of an MP3 file, a .WAV file, a MIDI file, and an .AU file.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a headset, the headset comprising a speaker assembly and a wireless transceiver operable to participate in a Bluetooth Pair with a local area wireless transceiver fixed within the enclosure.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a speaker assembly operable to communicatively couple with the audio output interface.

12. A method of athletic performance monitoring, comprising:

(a) receiving a signal corresponding to movement of a bicycle component;

(b) generating a performance metric from the signal;

(c) playing an audio file; and

(d) utilizing an output device to simultaneously communicate the performance metric and a playing of the audio file to a user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing a collection of performance metric information representing athletic performance generated during a period time.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an incoming call signal indicating an incoming call to the user; and

outputting a call indicator with the output device to inform the user of the incoming call.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a cellular telephone performs steps (a), (b), (c), and (d).

16. A performance monitoring system comprising:

a housing component at least partially-defining an enclosure;

a performance engine located within the enclosure, the performance engine operable to utilize a signal indicating motion to generate a performance metric;

an audio file player fixed within the enclosure; and

,

an audio output interface operable to output a first audio output signal representing an audio file played by the audio file player in combination with a second audio output signal representing the performance metric.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the performance metric is selected form a group consisting of a cadence metric, a speed metric, a heart rate performance metric, and a distance metric.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the audio output interface comprises local area wireless transceiver.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the audio output interface is operable to communicatively couple with a speaker assembly.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a motion sensor operable to output the signal indicating motion.