Monitoring activity of a user in locomotion on foot

• US 20070208531A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Darley, Jesse, Blackadar, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/142
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/24 Ornamental buckles; Other ornaments for shoes without fastening function
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0031 provided with a pocket, e.g. for keys or a card
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6895 Sport equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 : using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 : using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 : Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 : Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• 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 2225/02 : Testing, calibrating or measuring of equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 : for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 : Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 : Elastic parameters, strength or force
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 : for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 : with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0922 : of the bending or flexing mode type
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 : for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

One disclosed method involves using at least one device supported by a user while the user is in locomotion on foot during an outing to automatically measure amounts of time taken by the user to complete respective distance intervals. During the outing, data representing the automatically measured amounts of time may be automatically stored in memory of the least one device. Another disclosed method involves using at least one device supported by a user while the user is in locomotion on foot during an outing to automatically identify occasions on which a user completes respective distance intervals. During the outing, the at least one device may display at least one of an average pace of the user since a most recently completed distance interval, an average speed of the user since the most recently completed distance interval, and a projected time to complete a current distance interval based on monitored performance since the most recently completed distance interval. Yet another disclosed method involves using at least one device supported by a user while the user is in locomotion on foot during an outing to monitor a distance traveled by the user. An input to the at least one device may be received that specifies a goal distance for the outing, and the at least one device may determine a remaining distance to be traveled to complete one of the specified goal distance for the outing and a calculated fraction of the specified goal distance for the outing.

Claims

1. A method, comprising steps of:

(a) with at least one device supported by a user while the user is in locomotion on foot during an outing, automatically measuring amounts of time taken by the user to complete respective distance intervals; and

(b) during the outing, automatically storing in memory of the least one device data representing the automatically measured amounts of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

(c) during the outing, displaying with the at least one device at least one of the automatically measured amounts of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

(c) during the outing, automatically displaying with the at least one device each of the automatically measured amounts of time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

(c) during the outing, displaying with the at least one device at least one of an average pace of the user and an average speed of the user since a most recently completed distance interval.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

(c) during the outing, automatically displaying with the at least one device at least one of an average pace of the user and an average speed of the user since a most recently completed distance interval.

6. A method, comprising steps of:

(a) with at least one device supported by a user while the user is in locomotion on foot during an outing, automatically identifying occasions on which a user completes respective distance intervals; and

(b) during the outing, displaying with the at least one device at least one of an average pace of the user since a most recently completed distance interval, an average speed of the user since the most recently completed distance interval, and a projected time to complete a current distance interval based on monitored performance since the most recently completed distance interval.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step (b) comprises automatically displaying with the at least one device the at least one of the average pace of the user since the most recently completed distance interval, the average speed of the user since the most recently completed distance interval, and the projected time to complete the current distance interval based on the monitored performance since the most recently completed distance interval.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step (b) comprises displaying with the at least one device at least one of the average pace of the user since the most recently completed distance interval and the average speed of the user since the most recently completed distance interval.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step (b) comprises displaying with the at least one device the projected time to complete the current distance interval based on the monitored performance since the most recently completed distance interval.

10. A method, comprising steps of:

(a) with at least one device supported by a user while the user is in locomotion on foot during an outing, monitoring a distance traveled by the user;

(b) receiving an input to the at least one device that specifies a goal distance for the outing; and

(c) determining with the at least one device a remaining distance to be traveled to complete one of the specified goal distance for the outing and a calculated fraction of the specified goal distance for the outing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step (c) comprises displaying with the at least one device the remaining distance to be traveled to complete the specified goal distance for the outing.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step (c) comprises displaying with the at least one device the remaining distance to be traveled to complete the calculated fraction of the specified goal distance for the outing.