Lifestyle companion system

• US 20080086318A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pacurariu, Mihnea Calin, Gilley, Glenn Gregory, Ubillos, Randall Hayes, Dorogusker, Jesse Lee, Brody, Sarah A., Borchers, Robert Edward, Ginsburg, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 8,956,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• 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 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/921 Diet management

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a lifestyle companion system are provided. The lifestyle companion system can provide a platform to conduct a user interview. Based on the user interview responses, the system can suggest activities, references, and/or plug-in modules. During performance of activities, the system can provide audio and/or visual cues related to the activities and collect data indicative of the user'"'"'s performance. Based on the collected data, the system can dynamically adapt the user'"'"'s goals and/or activities the user is performing or will perform. In some embodiments of the present invention, the lifestyle companion system of the present invention can be applied to fitness, nutrition, and/or medical modules. The system also can be used to facilitate synchronous group activities.

Claims

1. A method for suggesting one or more activities for a user to perform, the method comprising:

providing a platform for conducting a user interview;

generating a user profile based on user interview responses;

collecting sensor data from sensors associated with the user profile; and

suggesting at least a first activity based on the sensor data and the user profile, wherein the sensor data is indicative of the user'"'"'s performance metrics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein suggesting at least a first activity comprises suggesting at least a first fitness activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein suggesting at least a first activity comprises suggesting at least a first nutrition activity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein suggesting at least a first activity comprises suggesting at least a first medical activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein suggesting at least a first activity comprises suggesting an activity for which sensor data has previously been collected, wherein the previously collected sensor data indicates unsatisfactory performance of the activity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein suggesting at least a first activity comprises suggesting an activity that the collected sensor data indicates the user has not performed over a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein suggesting at least a first activity comprises suggesting a first activity, a first reference, a first plug-in module, or a combination thereof based on the sensor data and the user profile.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein further comprising providing a personal website customized for the user, wherein suggesting a first reference comprises including the first reference on the personal website.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal website further comprises one or more of the following:

a journal, a blog, and a secure data vault.

10. An electronic fitness system comprising:

a first electronic device having;

a receiver for collecting sensor data indicative of a user'"'"'s performance metrics;

memory for storing sensor data and a user profile, wherein the user profile comprises information about at least a first suggested fitness activity, wherein the first suggested fitness activity is suggested based on previously-collected sensor data; and

a first controller for providing media cues related to the first suggested fitness activity.

11. The electronic fitness system of claim 10, further comprising a second electronic device having a second controller configured to provide a platform for conducting a user interview and to select the first suggested fitness activity from a database of fitness activities, wherein the second controller is configured to select the first suggested fitness activity based on the previously-collected sensor data and user interview responses.

12. The electronic fitness system of claim 11, wherein the first and second electronic devices are the same device.

13. The electronic fitness system of claim 11, further comprising a third electronic device having a database of fitness activities from which the second controller can select the first suggested fitness activity.

14. The electronic fitness system of claim 13, wherein the second and third electronic devices are the same device.

15. The electronic fitness system of claim 13, wherein the first, second, and third electronic devices are the same device.

16. A computer readable medium for assisting a user in planning a fitness regiment, the computer readable medium comprising:

a first instruction code for conducting a user interview;

a second instruction code for storing a user profile based on user interview responses; and

a third instruction code for selecting multiple suggested fitness activities from a database of fitness activities, wherein the third instruction code is configured to select the multiple suggested fitness activities based on the user interview responses; and

a fourth instruction code for providing graphics indicative of the multiple suggested fitness activities.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising a fifth instruction code for permitting the user to select one or more of the multiple suggested fitness activities to compose a workout compilation.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the third instruction code is configured to select multiple suggested fitness activities by selecting a pre-compiled workout compilation from a database of workout compilations.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein:

each of the multiple suggested fitness activities has at least one adjustable parameter associated therewith; and

a sixth instruction code for setting a value for at least one of the adjustable parameters based on the user interview responses.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein at least one of the multiple suggested fitness activities has at least a first user adjustable parameter associated therewith, the computer readable medium comprising a seventh instruction code for setting the value of the first user adjustable parameter based on a user-specified value.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the third instruction code is configured to select at least one of the suggested fitness activities by pseudo-randomly selecting the suggested fitness activity from a subset of the database of fitness activities.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the third instruction code is configured to select multiple suggested fitness activities by selecting at least one of the suggested fitness activities based on sensor data indicative of the user'"'"'s performance metrics.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the fourth instruction code is configured to provide a repetition indicator that indicates the number of times a user is to repeatedly perform one or more of the suggested fitness activities.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising an eighth instruction code for permitting a user to associate one or more entertainment media files with one or more of the suggested fitness activities.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising a ninth instruction code for selecting one or more entertainment media files for association with the multiple suggested fitness activities, wherein:

each entertainment media file has an energy rank based on energy level; and

the ninth instruction code is configured to select the one or more entertainment media files based on expected intensity levels of the multiple suggested fitness activities and the energy levels of the entertainment media files.

26. A computer readable medium comprising:

a first instruction code for conducting a first user interview;

a second instruction code for generating a first user profile based on user responses to the first user interview;

a third instruction code for accepting data from a second user profile;

a fourth instruction code for supplementing the first user profile with data from the second user profile; and

a fifth instruction code for suggesting at least a first suggested activity based on the supplemented first user profile.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the first suggested activity comprises a medical activity.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the first suggested activity comprises a fitness activity.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the first suggested activity comprises a nutrition activity.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the fifth instruction code is configured to suggest at least a first suggested activity based on data collected from at least one sensor associated with the first user profile.

31. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display;

storage for storing a user profile, wherein the user profile comprises data generated from user interview responses; and

a controller configured to suggest food-related selections based on the user profile and to communicate the suggested food-related selections on the display.

32. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein the user profile comprises data about a user'"'"'s medical conditions, weight loss goals, or a combination thereof.

33. The portable electronic device of claim 32, wherein the user profile comprises data about a user'"'"'s financial condition.

34. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein the suggested food-related selections comprise menu selections.

35. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein the controller is configured to provide a visual cue related to one or more of the menu selections, wherein the visual cue comprises information on suggested portion size.

36. The portable electronic device of claim 34, further comprising a communication module, wherein the controller is configured to accept data about a menu through the communication module and to suggest menu selections by cross-referencing the user profile with the menu data.

37. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein the suggested food-related selections comprise recipes.

38. The portable electronic device of claim 31, wherein the suggested food-related selections comprise restaurant recommendations.

39. A computer readable medium for assisting a user in planning a fitness regiment, the computer readable medium comprising:

a first instruction code for providing graphics indicative of multiple fitness activities, wherein at least a first fitness activity is associated with at least a first user-adjustable parameter;

a second instruction code for accepting user input for selecting one or more of the fitness activities;

a third instruction code for accepting user input for indicating a temporal order in which the user would like to perform the one or more selected fitness activities; and

a fourth instruction code for setting a value for the first user-adjustable parameter based on user input.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, further comprising a fifth instruction code for providing visual instructions that describe how to perform a fitness activity.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 39, further comprising a sixth instruction code for accepting user input for associating at least a first entertainment playlist with one or more fitness activities.