PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MANAGER

• US 20080300109A1
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Karkanias, Chris Demetrios, Hodges, Stephen Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,914,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0078 Exercise efforts programmed as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/04 with movable multiple steps , i.e. more than one step per limb, e.g. steps mounted on endless loops, endless ladders steppers with cantilevered support elements pivoting about an axis A63B22/0048
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/02 Testing, calibrating or measuring of equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• 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 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/30 blood pressure A63B2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• 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: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 : for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 : having computer circuitry

Abstract

A system that facilitates activity management and tracking with respect to an individual is disclosed. The innovation employs the notion of establishing a strategy to compress activity information into an identifying indicia (e.g., two-dimensional barcode) that can be processed (e.g., scanned) by a wide array of devices (e.g., mobile phone, personal data assistant). The innovation discloses a system that facilitates the ability to plan, monitor and log activity of an individual. The planning phase enables a user or third party (e.g., health-care professional) to proactively define an exercise or activity regimen for a user. The monitoring phase enables real-time fitness and/or activity tracking of an individual. Finally, the logging phase enables a user to log the information into a fitness log that can be subsequently used in health or fitness-related assessment.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates activity management, comprising:

an activity preparation component that incorporates a predefined regimen of activity into a configuration indicia; and

an activity information management component that interprets the configuration indicia and calibrates an apparatus as a function of the regimen;

wherein an entity employs the apparatus to engage in the regimen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration indicia is one of a barcode, magnetic strip, radio frequency identification tag (RFID) or memory device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a regimen generating component that facilitates identification of a plurality of events that define the regimen.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a subset of the events are based upon a user context.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising an indicia generation component that encodes the regimen into the configuration indicia.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a communication component that transfers the configuration indicia to the activity information management component.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an indicia management component that encodes activity information into a progress indicia; and

a communication component that conveys the progress indicia to a logging entity.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an information monitor component that dynamically monitors activity information via the apparatus; and

an information aggregation component that compiles the activity information, wherein the activity information represents a subset of a plurality of events.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising an indicia generation component that establishes the progress indicia that makes the activity information available to the logging entity.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an indicia analysis component that evaluates the progress indicia and determines an effective method of rendering the progress indicia.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a rendering component that delivers the progress indicia to the logging entity.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a protocol selection component that chooses a protocol type by which to deliver the identifying indicia, wherein the protocol type is at least one of instant message, email, short message service (SMS), Bluetooth transfer, peer-to-peer or infrared transfer.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising an activity information access component that employs an indicia processing component that obtains the activity information by way of the progress indicia.

14. The system of claim 13, the indicia processing component is at least one of a scanner, radio frequency information tag reader, magnetic card reader, or browser.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a log framework component that formats, categorizes and maintains the activity information.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a machine learning and reasoning component that employs at least one of a probabilistic and a statistical-based analysis that infers an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.

17. A computer-implemented method of managing activity information, comprising:

gathering activity information related to a physical event;

incorporating the activity information into an identifier; and

communicating the identifier to an activity device; and

assessing performance upon completion of the physical event as a function of the activity information.

19. A computer-executable system comprising:

means for analyzing an identifying indicia that represents activity information related to a plurality of physical events;

means for extracting the activity information from the identifying indicia; and

means for logging the activity information.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising scanning the identifier to access the activity information, wherein the identifier is a barcode.

20. The computer-executable system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for programming a regimen into a configuration indicia;

means for extracting the regimen from the configuration indicia; and

means for programming an apparatus as a function of the regimen.