SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROMOTING AND TRACKING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG A PARTICIPATING GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS

• US 20120042070A1
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Greenberg, Christian Ludwig, Frank Napolitano
• Original Assignee: Andrew Greenberg, Christian Ludwig, Frank Napolitano
• Inventors: Napolitano, Frank, Greenberg, Andrew, Ludwig, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0081 Coaching or training aspects related to a group of users
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• 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 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• 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

Abstract

A system and method of tracking physical activity of a person in order to help motivate that person to add more exercise to their lives. Each participant is provided a motion sensor that detects forces incurred by the participant. The motion sensor creates electronic data that corresponds to the forces detected. The data is analyzed to determine whether or not exercise has been performed. The analysis can also determine the type of exercise performed, when the exercise was performed, and the duration of the exercise performed.

Claims

1. A system for tracking physical activity, comprising:

at least one computing system comprising at least a processor and a memory;

a user interface resident on the at least one computing system accessible over a computer network responsive to an instruction to said user interface indicated by the processor, wherein at least two participants are each assigned at least one identification code associated with at least one challenge as indicated to said user interface by at least one administrator;

at least one portable monitoring unit associated with each of the assigned identification codes in at least the memory of the computing system; and

at least one remote transceiver communicatively optionally coupled to at least one portable monitoring unit and couple to the at least one computing system over the computer network;

wherein information from the at least one portable monitoring unit is correlated with at least one challenge and is thereby indicative of a performance of the participant having the assigned identification code of the portable monitoring unit correspondent to the information in the challenge.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one challenge is a physical activity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one challenge is between at least two users.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one challenge is virtual.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one reward is provided to a participant upon completion of at least one challenge.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one reward is provided to a user based upon the performance of the participant.