ADJUSTABLE FITNESS ARENA

• US 20140179385A1
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Homsi, Kristopher L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,498,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2063/002 variable in size
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/50 Force related parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/80 Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• 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 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/42 rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 : Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 : Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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 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 63/00 : Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/007 : Target zones without opening defined on a substantially horizontal surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 : for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0053 : Apparatus generating random stimulus signals for reaction-time training involving a substantial physical effort
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 : Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 19/02 : Shaping of the surface of courts according to the necessities of the different games surface construction E01C
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure relate to systems and methods for conducting sport-specific activities. Illustrated systems may be adjustable to permit a performance of different sport-specific activities. Further aspects relate to using sensor data to evaluate a user'"'"'s performance and determine sport-specific fitness parameters. Various fitness parameters may measure reactive agility and/or the physiological state of the user, such as when in an exhausted state. Illustrated systems may have structures with an output device and a sensor. The structure may include a vertically-arranged planar surface to form a wall. Several structures may be configured to form a boundary. The boundary may be automatically adjustable, for example, depending on one or more specific fitness routines to be implemented. Calculated fitness parameters may be visually mapped on the structures of the system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of structures configured to form a boundary of vertically-extending walls defining an inner region, wherein the plurality of the structures each comprise;

a first surface facing the interior region of the apparatus;

a first display device on or in proximity to the first surface, such as to be displayable to a user within the interior region; and

a sensor operatively connected to the first display device configured to detect an impact force;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform;

operating at least one of the display devices to instruct a first user to perform a first fitness activity configured to simulate a first sporting action of a specific sport;

using electronic data to determine an impact force resulting from a sporting device contacting a location of the first surface of a structure;

receiving physiological data from a physiological sensor;

determining a sport-specific fitness parameter by using detected impact forces from at least one sporting device contacting at least a portion of the first surfaces of the structures; and

operating at least one of the display devices to instruct a first user to perform a second fitness activity configured to simulate a second sporting action of the specific sport.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the physiological data is selected from the group consisting of:

heart rate, respiration, temperature, velocity, acceleration, sweat content, blood content, and combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the electronic data is received from a sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a sensor of a device operatively connected to the first user, a sensor of a mobile terminal device, the sensor operatively connected to the first display device, and combinations thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electronic data comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

velocity, direction, force units, and combinations thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform:

determining that the first user is in an exhaustive state; and

selecting a fitness activity to be the second fitness activity based upon the determination that the user is in an exhaustive state.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the operating of the at least one of the display devices to instruct a first user to perform a second fitness activity configured to simulate a second sporting action of the specific sport is initiated in response to a determination that the user is in an exhausted state.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform:

using at least a portion of the display devices, visually mapping the location of the determined impact forces.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the data is received from an image capturing device of a mobile terminal device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selected from the group consisting of:

velocity, direction, force units, and combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform:

during the first time frame, altering the operational state of at least one display device to instruct a second user to perform a second fitness activity configured to simulate a sporting action of the specific sport, wherein a combination of instructional cues to the first user and the instructional cues to the second user are configured replicate interaction of the first user and the second user during a sporting event of the specific sport.

6-8. -8. (canceled)

14-16. -16. (canceled)

17. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of structures configured to form an adjustable perimeter surrounding an interior region, each structure comprising;

a first surface facing the interior region of the apparatus;

a first display device on or in proximity to the first surface, such as to be displayable to a user within the interior region; and

a sensor operatively connected to the first display device configured to detect an impact force;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform;

during a first time frame, altering an operational state of at least one of the display devices to instruct a first user to perform a first fitness activity that configured to simulate a first sporting action of a specific sport, wherein first fitness activity requires the first user to project a sporting device towards a specific display device.

determining, from electronic information, an impact force from a sporting device contacting a location of the first surface of a structure; and

determining a sport-specific fitness parameter comprising the utilization of detected impact forces from at least one sporting device contacting at least a portion of the first surfaces of the structures.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, at least a portion of the electronic data is received from a sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a sensor of a device operatively connected to the first user, a sensor of a mobile terminal device, the sensor operatively connected to the first display device, and combinations thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the electronic information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

velocity, direction, force units, and combinations thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the data is received from an image capturing device of a mobile terminal device.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein determining the sport-specific fitness parameter comprises a determination of whether the first user projected the sporting device with a left or right extremity.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first sporting device is a ball and the operational state of the at least a first display device is altered to instruct the first user to kick the ball towards a specific display device.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform:

receiving sensor information from at least one of the sporting devices and a sensor operatively connected to the first user; and

wherein at least one of the sensor information from the sporting device and the sensor information from the sensor operatively connected to the first user is utilized in the determination of at least one fitness parameter.

28. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform:

receiving sensor information from a sensor operatively connected to the first user, wherein the sensor information comprises physiological data; and

using the calculated fitness parameter and the physiological data in determining a second fitness activity to be executed by the first user.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the physiological data is selected from the group consisting of:

heart rate, respiration, temperature, velocity, acceleration, sweat content, blood content, and combinations thereof.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform:

during the first time frame, altering the operational state of at least one display device to instruct a second user to perform a second fitness activity configured to simulate a sporting action of the specific sport, wherein the combination of the instructional cues to the first user and the instructional cues to the second user are configured to replicate interaction of the first user and the second user during a sporting event of the specific sport.

23-24. -24. (canceled)

26-27. -27. (canceled)

31-42. -42. (canceled)