Location-aware fitness training device, methods, and program products that support real-time interactive communication and automated route generation

• US 7,805,149 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Werner, Jon H., Doyle, Scot
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/857,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/440, 455/436, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/457, 701/207, 701213-216, 34235701-35709, 3423571-35747
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 temperature
• 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 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A portable fitness device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver that receives GPS signals, a wireless wide-area network transmitter supporting communication over-the-air to a wireless communication network, and a processing unit coupled to the GPS receiver and the wireless wide-area network transmitter. The processing unit receives the time-stamped waypoints from the GPS receiver and determines athletic performance information and route information from the time-stamped waypoints. The processing unit further outputs at least one of the athletic performance information and the route information to the wireless communication network during a human fitness activity via the wireless wide-area network transmitter.

Claims

1. A mobile phone, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

a wireless wide-area network transmitter capable of supporting communication to a wireless communication network;

a processing unit coupled to said GPS receiver and said wireless wide-area network transmitter, wherein said processing unit is capable of receiving from said GPS receiver data describing waypoints within a route of a fitness activity, capable of determining athletic performance information associated with multiple of the waypoints, and capable of outputting at least some of the data describing the waypoints and at least some of the athletic performance to said wireless communication network via said wireless wide-area network transmitter; and

a wireless wide-area network receiver, coupled to said processing unit, capable of receiving communication from said wireless communication network.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein:

said GPS receiver comprises an assisted GPS receiver;

said wireless wide-area network receiver is capable of receiving route-related information; and

said processing unit is capable of determining at least some of the athletic performance information utilizing the route-related information.

3. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said wireless wide-area network receiver is capable of receiving from said wireless wide-area network route regarding a predetermined route for the fitness activity, and wherein the mobile phone further includes a presentation device that is capable of presenting the route information.

4. The mobile phone of claim 3, wherein said presentation device is capable of presenting the route information in audio format.

5. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said wireless wide-area network receiver is capable of receiving a training recommendation from said wireless wide-area network during the fitness activity, and wherein the mobile phone further includes a presentation device that is capable of presenting the training recommendation to a user during the fitness activity.

6. The mobile phone of claim 5, wherein the training recommendation is capable of being received in audio format, and wherein said presentation device is capable of presenting the training recommendation in audio format.

7. The mobile phone of claim 6, wherein said wireless wide-area network receiver is capable of receiving the training recommendation in a voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) session.

8. The mobile phone of claim 5, and further comprising a microphone to sense audio inputs, wherein said wireless wide-area network transmitter is capable of transmitting the audio inputs to a wireless communication network.

9. The mobile phone of claim 1, and further comprising a data storage device coupled to said processing unit, wherein said processing unit is capable of storing at least some of the athletic performance information within said data storage device.

19. The mobile phone of claim 5, wherein the training recommendation capable of being received and presented is a training recommendation that conveys information other than directional information.

20. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein the athletic performance information capable of being stored pertains to particular ones of the waypoints, and wherein the athletic performance information is capable of being stored in association with the particular ones of the waypoints.

24. The mobile phone of claim 1, and further comprising:

an athletic performance sensor coupled to said processing unit capable of providing sensed athletic performance information independent of the waypoints, wherein said processing unit is capable of associating the sensed athletic performance information with particular ones of the waypoints and transmitting the sensed athletic performance information to said wireless communication network in association with the particular ones of the waypoints.

27. The mobile phone of claim 1, further comprising:

a local wireless interface capable of wirelessly communicating with a sensor supported by a user carrying the mobile phone during traversal of the route, wherein said sensor is physically separate from and in wireless communication with the mobile phone.

28. The mobile phone of claim 27, wherein said sensor is coupled to the user'"'"'s shoe.

29. The mobile phone of claim 27, wherein said sensor is a heart rate monitor.

10. A program product for controlling a mobile phone, said program product comprising:

a non-transitory data processing system-usable medium, said data processing system-usable medium including;

first instructions capable of causing the mobile phone, responsive to receiving data describing global positioning system (GPS) time-stamped waypoints within a route of a fitness activity, to determine athletic performance information associated with multiple of the waypoints;

second instructions capable of causing the mobile phone to automatically transmit at least some of the data describing the waypoints and at least some of the athletic performance information to a remote recording device via a wireless wide-area communication network; and

third instructions capable of causing the mobile phone to process communication received from the wireless wide-area communication network.

11. The program product of claim 10, wherein:

said third instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to process route-related information received from the wireless wide-area network; and

said first instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to determine at least some of the athletic performance information utilizing the route-related information.

12. The program product of claim 10, wherein:

said third instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to process information regarding a predetermined route received from the wireless wide-area network; and

said data processing system-usable medium further includes fourth instructions that are capable of causing the mobile phone to present some of the information regarding the predetermined route.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein said fourth instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to present some of the information regarding the predetermined route in audio format.

14. The program product of claim 10, wherein:

said third instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to process a training recommendation received from the wireless wide-area network during the fitness activity; and

said data processing system-usable medium further includes fourth instructions that are capable of causing the mobile phone to present the training recommendation to a user during the fitness activity in real time.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein the training recommendation is capable of being received in audio format, and wherein said fourth instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to present said training recommendation in audio format.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein said third instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to process the training recommendation that is received in a voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) session.

17. The program product of claim 14, wherein the mobile phone includes a microphone capable of sensing audio inputs, and wherein said computer readable medium includes fifth instructions capable of causing said mobile phone to transmit said audio inputs over-the-air to a wireless communication network.

18. The program product of claim 10, wherein the mobile phone includes a data storage device, and wherein said data processing system-usable medium further comprises fourth instructions capable of causing the mobile phone to store at least some of the athletic performance information within the data storage device.

21. The program product of claim 10, wherein the athletic performance information capable of being determined includes athletic performance information indicative of velocity.

22. The program product of claim 14, wherein the training recommendation capable of being received and presented is a training recommendation that conveys information other than directional information.

23. The program product of claim 18, wherein the athletic performance information capable of being stored pertains to particular ones of the waypoints, and wherein the athletic performance information is capable of being stored in association with the particular ones of the waypoints.

25. The program product of claim 10, wherein said third instructions are capable of causing the mobile phone to process a communication received from a remotely located human during traversal of the route.

26. The program product of claim 25, wherein the communication is a voice communication.

30. A mobile phone, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

a wireless wide-area network transmitter capable of supporting communication to a wireless communication network;

a processing unit coupled to said GPS receiver and said wireless wide-area network transmitter, wherein said processing unit is capable of receiving from said GPS receiver data describing waypoints within a route of a fitness activity, capable of determining athletic performance information associated with multiple of the waypoints, and capable of outputting at least some of the data describing waypoints and at least some of the athletic performance information to said wireless communication network via said wireless wide-area network transmitter;

a wireless wide-area network receiver, coupled to said processing unit, capable of receiving a training recommendation from said wireless communication network; and

a presentation device that is capable of presenting the training recommendation to a user.

31. The mobile phone of claim 30, wherein the training recommendation capable of being received and presented is a training recommendation that conveys information other than directional information.

32. The mobile phone of claim 31, further comprising:

a local wireless interface capable of wirelessly communicating with a sensor supported by the user carrying the mobile phone during traversal of the route, wherein said sensor is physically separate from and in wireless communication with the mobile phone.

33. A mobile phone, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

a wireless wide-area network transmitter capable of supporting communication to a wireless communication network;

a processing unit coupled to said GPS receiver and said wireless wide-area network transmitter, wherein said processing unit is capable of receiving from said GPS receiver data describing waypoints within a route of a fitness activity, capable of determining athletic performance information associated with multiple of the waypoints, and capable of outputting at least some of the data describing waypoints and at least some of the athletic performance information to said wireless communication network via said wireless wide-area network transmitter;

a wireless wide-area network receiver, coupled to said processing unit, capable of receiving communication from said wireless communication network; and

a local wireless interface capable of wirelessly communicating with a sensor supported by a user carrying the mobile phone during traversal of the route.

34. The mobile phone of claim 33, wherein said sensor is coupled to the user'"'"'s shoe.

35. The mobile phone of claim 33, wherein said sensor is a heart rate monitor.

36. The mobile phone of claim 33, wherein the local wireless interface is capable of communicating via the Bluetooth wireless protocol.

37. The mobile phone of claim 33, wherein said wireless wide-area network receiver is capable of receiving a training recommendation from said wireless wide-area network during the fitness activity, and wherein the mobile phone further includes a presentation device that is capable of presenting the training recommendation to the user during the fitness activity.