Athletic Activity User Experience and Environment

• US 20120041767A1
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoffman, Michael T., Lakovic, Tomislav, Engelberg, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,940,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• 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 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 2071/0641 with a marker advancing in function of the exercise
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• 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 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• 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 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 : P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 : calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 : Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 : Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 : American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/09 : Weight-lifting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/18 : Skating
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/19 : Skiing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/20 : Swimming
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0059 : Exercising apparatus with reward systems
• 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 43/00 : Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 : for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/06 : for rowing or sculling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 : Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/12 : for the body or the legs , e.g. for the shoulders A63B71/081 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 : Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 : Education
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 : in connection with sports or games
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

User activity including both athletic activity (e.g., running, walking, etc.) and non-athletic activity (shopping, reading articles, etc.) may be monitored and tracked by an athletic monitoring and tracking device and service. The user activity may be used to award a user with an amount of virtual currency to encourage the user to continue various activities. In one example, users may use the virtual currency to purchase or otherwise acquire various products, services, discounts and the like. A user may track an amount currency earned and/or needed relative to an amount required to acquire a desired product or service. Additionally or alternatively, a visual appearance of a user device (e.g., a watch or athletic activity band) may change based on the user'"'"'s activity level, an amount of virtual currency earned and the like.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an activity monitoring device configured to detect and store athletic activity information corresponding to athletic activity performed by a user; and

an activity monitoring and tracking system remote from the activity monitoring device and configured to;

receive the athletic activity information of the user from the activity monitoring device;

determine a source of the received athletic activity information;

select a first conversion rate from a plurality of conversion rates for determining an amount of virtual currency to award the user based on the received athletic activity information; and

award the user with the determined amount of virtual currency.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined amount of virtual currency corresponds to a first type of currency and wherein the activity monitoring and tracking system is further configured to:

receive additional athletic activity information; and

determine a second conversion rate for determining an amount of virtual currency of a second type to award the user based on the additional athletic activity information, wherein the second conversion rate is different from the first conversion rate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the conversion rate is selected based on the determined source of the received athletic activity information.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the determined source includes one of:

a certified device, a non-certified device and manual user entry.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity monitoring device is further configured to convert the athletic activity information into an estimated amount of virtual currency.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity monitoring device is further configured to detect non-athletic activity.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein determining the amount of currency of the first type to award the user is further based on the detected non-athletic activity.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the activity monitoring and tracking system is further configured to customize a display for the user based on the athletic activity information and detected non-athletic activity.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein customizing the display includes:

determining one or more user interests based on one or more of the athletic activity information and detected non-athletic activity; and

selecting content to be displayed based on the one or more user interests.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity monitoring device is configured to:

determine a goal defined for the user, wherein the goal corresponds to a goal amount of virtual currency;

determine whether an total amount of accumulated virtual currency of the user meets a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is defined relative to the goal amount of virtual currency; and

modifying at least one visual aspect of a display of the monitoring device in response to determining that the total amount of accumulated virtual currency of the user meets the first threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the activity monitoring device is further configured to:

determine whether the total amount of accumulated virtual currency of the user meets a second threshold; and

modifying the at least one visual aspect of the display in response to determining that the total amount of accumulated virtual currency of the user meets the second threshold.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one visual aspect of the display includes a color of at least a portion of a display interface.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one visual aspect includes a font size of text displayed in the display.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, by an athletic activity monitoring device, athletic activity information of the user from the activity monitoring device;

determining, by the athletic activity monitoring device, a source of the received athletic activity information;

selecting, by the athletic activity monitoring device, a first conversion rate from a plurality of conversion rates for determining a first amount of virtual currency to award the user based on the received athletic activity information; and

awarding, by the athletic activity monitoring device, the user with the determined first amount of virtual currency.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determined first amount of virtual currency corresponds to a first type of currency and wherein the activity monitoring and tracking system is further configured to:

receive additional athletic activity information; and

determine a second conversion rate for determining an amount of virtual currency of a second type to award the user based on the additional athletic activity information, wherein the second conversion rate is different from the first conversion rate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the conversion rate is selected based on the determined source of the received athletic activity information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determined source includes one of:

a certified device, a non-certified device and manual user entry.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the activity monitoring device is further configured to convert the athletic activity information into an estimated amount of virtual currency.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the user has completed an athletic activity goal; and

in response to determining that the user has completed the athletic activity goal, awarding the user with a second amount of virtual currency.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving non-athletic activity information for the user;

selecting a second conversion rate from the plurality of conversion rates, wherein the second conversion rate corresponds to non-athletic activity and the first conversion rate corresponds to athletic activity; and

determining a second amount of virtual currency to award the user using the second conversion rate.

21. A wearable activity monitoring device, comprising:

a processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the activity monitoring device to;

determine a first amount of activity performed by a user;

determine a first amount of virtual currency earned from the determined amount of activity performed;

determine a total amount of virtual currency earned by the user including the determined amount of virtual currency earned from the first amount of activity performed by the user; and

modifying at least one non-textual visual aspect of an interface displayed on the device based on the total amount of virtual currency earned by the user.

22. The wearable activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein modifying the at least one non-textual visual aspect of the interface includes:

determining a goal set for the user, wherein the goal corresponds to a goal amount of virtual currency;

determining whether the total amount of virtual currency earned by the user meets a first threshold amount of virtual currency; and

in response to determining that the total amount of virtual currency earned by the user meets the first threshold amount of virtual currency, modifying the at least one non-textual visual aspect of the interface in a first manner.

23. The wearable activity monitoring device of claim 22, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the activity monitoring device to:

determine a second amount of virtual currency to award the user based on a second amount of activity performed by the user;

update the total amount of virtual currency to include the second amount of virtual currency;

determine whether the updated total amount of virtual currency meets a second threshold amount of virtual currency; and

in response to determining that the updated total amount of virtual currency meets the second threshold amount of virtual currency, modify the at least one non-textual visual aspect of the interface in a second manner.

24. The wearable activity monitoring device of claim 23, wherein the first manner includes a first color and the second manner includes a second color.

25. The wearable activity monitoring device of claim 23, wherein the first manner includes a first position of a fuel gage needle and the second manner includes a second position of the fuel gage needle.

26. The wearable activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein determining the first amount of virtual currency earned from the determined amount of activity performed includes receiving notification of the first amount of virtual currency from an activity monitoring server through a network.

27. The wearable activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein determining the first amount of virtual currency earned from the determined amount of activity performed includes estimating the first amount of virtual currency based on the first amount of activity performed by the user.

28. The wearable activity monitoring device of claim 21, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the activity monitoring device to transmit activity information to an activity monitoring service including an identification of a type of device through which the activity information was recorded.