Mobile Computing Weight, Diet, Nutrition, and Exercise Management System With Enhanced Feedback and Goal Achieving Functionality

• US 20170323582A1
• Filed: 07/16/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmarTEN LLC
• Original Assignee: SmarTEN LLC
• Inventors: Nusbaum, Mark E., Pera, JR., Vincent, Rhoads, Jan E., Nusbaum, Jennifer L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,134,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• 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 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• 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: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/125 the stations being mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An illustrative mobile computing device executing weight, nutrition, health, behavior and exercise application software serves as a simulated combination personal trainer and dietician/nutritionist for the user using comprehensive databases storing personalized health, nutrition and exercise information. A mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, executing such software monitors, tracks and/or adjusts caloric intake, energy expenditure taking into account nutritional information and behavioral factors. The mobile computing device receives food consumption, exercise-related, behavior and other input using speech input and the device'"'"'s GPS subsystem to ease data entry burden on users and to promote continued long-term usage. The system rewards user goal achievement in an automatic, seamless manner, through, for example, downloading music, books, or other media. In illustrative implementations, the system assists users to make healthy food and exercise choices by using a comprehensive color code system to identify good choices, bad choices and those in between.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system, having a processing subsystem, a storage subsystem, and a touchscreen display, for enhancing user goal achievement comprising:

storing, in said storage subsystem, health information about a user, including a first weight loss-related goal for a first time window spanning a relatively short period of time, and a second weight loss-related goal for a second time window spanning a relatively longer period of time than that of said first time window;

acquiring, via said touchscreen display, data indicative of a first food of a first set of foods constituting a first meal consumed by said user during said first time window in response to said user identifying said first food;

generating, by said processing subsystem, data indicative of the calories consumed by said user as a result of eating said first food and said first meal;

acquiring data, via said touchscreen display, indicative of an exercise performed during said first time window, in response to said user identifying a first exercise;

determining, by said processing subsystem, the calories burned by said user as a result of performing said first exercise;

determining, by said processing subsystem, the amount of calories that may be consumed by said user during a second meal expected to occur within said first time window in order to meet said first weight loss-related goal, based upon the current calorie total during said first time window, including calories consumed by said user as a result of eating said first meal and the calories burned by said user as a result of performing exercise during said first time window including said first exercise; and

displaying, via said touchscreen display, the amount of calories that may be consumed by said user during said second meal in order to meet said first weight loss-related goal.

2. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, further including assigning an ideal weight for said user taking into account the user'"'"'s height, gender and frame size;

and

storing said ideal weight for said user in said storage subsystem.

3. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, further including storing a desired weight database in said storage subsystem relating user height to a desired weight for a range of body frame sizes for both men and women.

4. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, wherein said first weight loss-related goal relates to a daily goal and said displaying step includes displaying to the user the amount of calories that may be consumed at dinner in order to meet said first weight loss-related goal, based upon the calories consumed at breakfast and lunch minus the calories burned during exercise performed in said first time window.

5. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, further including the steps of determining if at least one of said first weight loss-related goal and said second weight loss-related goal has been met, accessing an ideal weight database to determine an ideal weight of said user, wherein said step of determining at least one of said first weight loss-related goal and said second weight loss-related goal has been met includes the step of assessing the progress made by the user in reaching said ideal weight over successive time windows.

6. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, further including associating a digital value indicative of a first color code associated with a first health-related rating of said first food and a second digital value indicative of a second color code associated with a second health-related rating of said first food, wherein said first health-related rating and said second health-related rating relate, respectively, to the amount of first and second nutrients contained in said first food.

7. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system includes a GPS receiver, and said data indicative of an exercise performed by said user is generated in part based upon device location data generated by said GPS receiver.

8. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, wherein said processing subsystem includes a behavioral subsystem, further including generating at least one question about the user'"'"'s diet, receiving input in response to said at least one question from said user relating to the user'"'"'s diet, and generating recommendations in response to the user'"'"'s input via said touchscreen.

9. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 1, further including determining if a food or exercise-related goal has been met by said user based at least in part on calories consumed and/or calories burned by said user, wherein said processing subsystem includes a reward generating subsystem, and wherein said method further includes automatically selecting digital entertainment content to be downloaded to said mobile computing system based data relating to expected calories consumed and/or calories burned by said user.

10. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system for enhancing user goal achievement comprising:

storing, in a first set of storage locations, health information about a user including a user'"'"'s food and exercise data during a first time window and a first intermediate weight loss-related goal for said first time window covering a first period of time;

storing, in a second set of storage locations, a user'"'"'s food and exercise data during a second time window and a second intermediate weight loss-related goal covering a second period of time subsequent to said first period of time;

storing, in a third set of storage locations, a third weight loss-related loss goal;

acquiring data indicative of food expected to be consumed by said user during said first time window;

generating data indicative of the calories consumed by said user as a result of eating said food, and storing said data indicative of calories consumed in said first set of storage locations;

acquiring data indicative of exercises performed by said user during said first time window;

determining the calories burned by said user as a result of performing said exercises during said first time window and storing said calories burned in said first set of storage locations;

prompting the user to enter a current weight at the end of the first time window; and

determining if at least one of said first intermediate weight loss-related goal, said second intermediate weight loss-related goal, or said third weight loss-related goal has been met.

11. A method according to claim 10, further including the step of assessing the user'"'"'s performance with respect to achievement of said first intermediate weight loss-related goal, and changing said first intermediate weight loss-related goal depending in part on said assessing step.

12. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 10, further including providing feedback to the user relating to progress towards achieving each of said first weight loss-related goal and said second weight loss-related goal.

13. A method according to claim 10, further including maintaining a daily record relating to foods consumed during said first time window.

14. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 10, further including associating a digital value indicative of a first color code associated with a first health-related rating of said first food, and a second digital value indicative of a second color code associated with a second health-related rating of said first food, wherein said first health-related rating and said second health related rating relate, respectively, to the amount of first and second nutrients contained in said first food.

15. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to claim 10, wherein said mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system includes a GPS receiver, and data indicative of at least one exercise performed by said user is generated in part based upon device location data generated by said GPS receiver.

16. A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system for enhancing user goal achievement comprising:

storing, in at least one storage system, health information about a user including multiple weight loss-related goals;

acquiring data indicative of a first food in response to said user identifying a first food expected to be consumed by said user;

associating a digital value indicative of a health-related color code rating of said first food using multiple colors to distinguish between multiple categories of foods, including a very healthy food category covering foods having a very high nutrient-related rating and a good food category covering foods with a good nutrient-related rating but which are rated lower than the very healthy foods with a very high nutrient-related rating;

determining whether said first food expected to be consumed by the user has an associated color code from a category other than said very healthy food category;

recommending to said user at least one food associated with a color code in a healthier color code category than said first food, if said determining step indicates that said first food has an associated color code that is not as high as said very healthy food category;

acquiring data indicative of a first exercise in response to said user identifying a first exercise expected to be performed by said user;

determining the calories expected to be burned by said user during said first exercise;

determining if at least one of said multiple weight loss-related goals has been met; and

displaying to said user information about calories expected to be consumed, or calories expected to be burned, and at least one color code.

17. A method according to claim 16, further including the step of associating a digital value indicative of a health-related color code rating of said first exercise using multiple colors to distinguish between multiple health-related categories of exercises, including a very healthy exercise category covering exercises with a very high health-related rating and a good exercise category covering exercises that have a good health-related rating but which are rated lower than exercises with a very high health-related rating, and further including:

determining whether said first exercise expected to be performed by the user has an associated color code other than the color code for a very healthy exercise, and

recommending to said user at least one exercise associated with a color code that is in a healthier color code category than the color code associated with said first exercise, if said first exercise was determined to be in a category other than said very healthy exercise category.

18. A method according to claim 16, further including:

inputting by said user a first set of foods constituting a meal;

associating each food that has been input as part of a meal with a digital color code using multiple colors to distinguish between categories of very healthy foods and moderately healthy foods;

determining whether any of the foods expected to be consumed by the user had an associated color code from a category other than a very healthy food category,

recommending to said user at least one food associated with a color code that is in a healthier color code category if it is determined that a food expected to be consumed as part of said meal had an associated color code indicative of other than a very healthy food.

19. A method according to claim 16, further including associating a first color code with said first food, if said food identified is determined to be one of a small number of top foods having a superior nutrient-related rating and associating a different color code if said food identified has a nutrient-related rating higher than other foods with a good nutrient-related rating but lower than the superior nutrient-related rating of said top foods.