Energy Expenditure Device

• US 20150057942A1
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Self, Christina S., White, Kristen L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,188,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• 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 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6895 Sport equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Athletic activity may be tracked and monitored while providing encouragement and maintaining an individual'"'"'s interest in continuing to perform athletic activity. For example, energy expenditure values and energy expenditure intensity values may be calculated based on the duration and type of activity performed by an individual. These values and other movement data may be displayed on an interface in a manner to motivate the individual and maintain the individual'"'"'s interest. Other individuals (e.g., friends) may also be displayed on an interface through which a user'"'"'s progress is tracked. This may allow the user to also view the other individuals'"'"' progress toward completing an activity goal and/or challenge.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving movement data of a first user along a plurality of axes for a first time period and a second time period;

for each time period, classifying the movement data of the first user into one of a plurality of predefined activity categories;

calculating a first energy expenditure value for the first time period and a second energy expenditure value for the second time period based upon the movement data and the activity category the movement data was classified into;

quantifying the energy expenditure values obtained during a unitary time frame that includes the first time period and the second time period to obtain a first energy expenditure intensity value; and

displaying a representation of the quantified energy expenditure values and a representation of the first energy expenditure intensity value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a communication inviting one or more other users to participate in an activity challenge;

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a representation of the first energy expenditure intensity value further comprises:

visually modifying a portion of a user interface to indicate the first energy expenditure intensity value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving movement data of a second user along a plurality of axes for a third time period and a fourth time period;

for each time period, classifying the movement data of the second user into one of the plurality of predefined activity categories;

calculating an energy expenditure value for the third time period and the fourth time period based upon the movement data and the activity category the movement data was classified into; and

quantifying the energy expenditure values obtained during the time frame that includes the third time period and the fourth time period to obtain a second energy expenditure intensity value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the representation of the first and second energy expenditure intensity values comprises a color variable.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the representation of the quantified energy expenditure values comprises a size variable.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the first user'"'"'s energy expenditure intensity value is greater than the second user'"'"'s energy expenditure intensity value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting an electronic signal to a first electronic device associated with the first user and a second electronic device associated with the second user, indicative of whether the first user'"'"'s energy expenditure intensity value is greater than the second user'"'"'s intensity value.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

based at least in part on the determination, visually modifying one or more virtual objects representing a time period within the time frame.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving multi-dimensional movement data of a first user during a first time period and a second time period;

calculating an energy expenditure value for the first time period and the second time period based upon the movement data;

determining an energy expenditure intensity value for the first and second time periods based on a quantity of energy expenditure values obtained during the respective time period;

receiving locational data of the first user during the first time period and the second time period; and

associating the energy expenditure value for the first time period and the second time period with the respective locational data to create a first and a second locational energy expenditure value, respectively.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

quantifying the energy expenditure values calculated from the movement data while the first user was within a first geographic region.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a representation of the quantified energy expenditure values on a map of the first geographic region.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a representation of the energy expenditure intensity values obtained in the first geographic region simultaneously with the representation of the quantified energy expenditure values.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using the locational data, associating a physical landmark within the first geographic region with athletic activity performed by the first user.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the movement data is received from a sensor embedded in a mobile electronic device.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a GPS sensor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform operations comprising;

receiving multi-dimensional movement data of a first user during a first time period and a second time period;

calculating an energy expenditure value for the first time period and the second time period based upon the movement data;

determining an energy expenditure intensity value for the first and second time periods based on a quantity of energy expenditure values obtained during the respective time period;

receiving, from the GPS sensor, locational data of the first user during the first time period and the second time period;

associating the energy expenditure value for the first time period and the second time period with the respective locational data to create a first and a second locational energy expenditure value, respectively;

quantifying the energy expenditure values calculated from the movement data while the first user was within a first geographic region; and

displaying a representation of the quantified energy expenditure values on a map of the first geographic region.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to display a representation of the energy expenditure intensity values obtained in the first geographic region simultaneously with the representation of the quantified energy expenditure values.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the representation of the energy expenditure intensity values comprises a color variable.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the representation of the e quantified energy expenditure values comprises a size variable.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to associate a physical landmark within the first geographic region with athletic activity performed by the first user.