Mobile social fitness networked game

• US 8,353,770 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fletcher Lu
• Original Assignee: Fletcher Lu
• Inventors: Lu, Fletcher
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US13/022,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20110195780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 434247-255, 463/42, 463/39
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8005 Athletics
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile fitness device and method of use are presented. The mobile fitness device includes a controller having a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium has instructions encoded thereon to record performance data that is based upon a performance of a physical activity by a user of the mobile fitness device and to transmit a communication, including the performance data, to a social network or to others for fitness, socialization, and potential game playing.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium has instructions encoded thereon to;

record performance data that is based upon a performance of a physical activity by a user of the mobile fitness device; and

transmit a communication comprising the performance data;

a housing wherein the processor is located within the housing; and

a module in communication with the processor and located external to the housing, the module being selected from the group consisting of;

an accelerometer configured to generate movement data based upon a movement of a user of the mobile fitness device; and

a Global Positioning System (GPS) configured to generate location data based upon a location of the user of the mobile fitness device;

wherein the performances data comprises one of the movement data and the location data.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the module is an accelerometer, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises a dynamic monitoring system in communication with the accelerometer and the processor, wherein the dynamic monitoring system is configured to receive, from the accelerometer, movement data and to transmit the movement data to the processor.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication module in communication with the processor.

4. A mobile communication device comprising:

a controller comprising a first processor, a first non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the first processor, and computer readable program code encoded in said first non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect;

recording performance data that is based upon a performance of a physical activity by a user of the mobile communication device; and

transmitting a communication comprising the performance data to a server comprising a second processor and a second non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the second processor, wherein the second non-transitory computer readable medium has instructions encoded thereon to do at least one of;

determine a score based upon the performance data; and

generate a statistic based upon the performance data;

a housing wherein the processor is located within the housing; and

a module in communication with the processor and located external to the housing, the module being selected from the group consisting of;

an accelerometer configured to generate movement data based upon a movement of a user of the mobile fitness device; and

a Global Positioning System (GPS) configured to generate location data based upon a location of the user of the mobile fitness device;

wherein the performance data comprises one of the movement data and the location data.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 4, further comprising a wireless communication module in communication with the first processor, wherein the first non-transitory computer readable medium has instructions encoded thereon to wirelessly transmit the communication to the server, wherein the second non-transitory computer readable medium has instructions encoded thereon to wirelessly receive the communication from the mobile fitness device.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 4, wherein the second non-transitory computer readable medium further has nominal performance data encoded thereon, wherein the score is further based upon the nominal performance data, wherein the statistic is further based upon the nominal performance data.

7. A method comprising:

providing a mobile communication device comprising;

a controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium has instructions encoded thereon to;

record performance data that is based upon a performance of a physical activity by a user of the mobile communication device; and

transmit a communication comprising the performance data;

a housing wherein the processor is located within the housing; and

a module in communication with the processor and located external to the housing, the module being selected from the group consisting of;

an accelerometer configured to generate movement data based upon a movement of a user of the mobile fitness device; and

a Global Positioning System (GPS) configured to generate location data based upon a location of the user of the mobile fitness device;

wherein the communication further comprises one of the movement data and the location data;

generating, using the mobile communication device, the performance data; and

transmitting, using the mobile communication device, the communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises an accelerometer module in communication with the processor, wherein the accelerometer module is configured to generate movement data based upon a movement of the user of the mobile communication device, wherein the communication further comprises the movement data, the method further comprising generating, using the accelerometer module, movement data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) module in communication with the processor, wherein the GPS module is configured to generate location data based upon a location of the user of the mobile communication device, wherein the communication further comprises the location data, the method further comprising generating, using the GPS module, location data.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises a wireless communication module in communication with the processor, wherein said transmitting further comprises wirelessly transmitting, using the wireless communication module, the communication.

11. A method comprising:

providing a server comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium has instructions encoded thereon to do at least one of;

determine a score based upon performance data, wherein the performance data is based upon a performance of a physical activity by a user of a mobile communication device;

generate a statistic based upon the performance data; and

generate a message based upon the performance data;

receiving, using the server, a first communication comprising the performance data;

determining, using the server, at least one of;

a score based upon the performance data; and

a statistic based upon the performance data;

generating the message; and

posting the message to a social network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has instructions encoded thereon to generate an event in a virtual game based upon the performance data, the method further comprising generating the event.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has instructions encoded thereon to generate a video clip based upon the performance data, the method further comprising:

generating the video clip; and

posting the video clip to social network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has instructions encoded thereon to generate a second communication based upon the performance data, the method further comprising:

generating the communication; and

transmitting the communication to a mobile performance device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has nominal performance data encoded thereon, wherein said determining further comprises calculating the score based upon the nominal performance data.