Communication network for an athletic activity monitoring system

• US 8,923,202 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Strecker, Markus, Nickelsberg, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSE, KERRI M
• Application Number:
  US13/555,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication network for facilitating monitoring of an athletic activity. In one exemplary embodiment, such a communication network includes a base station and a first monitor configured to be coupled to an individual, wherein the base station is configured to transmit a first beacon message, wherein, in response to receipt of the first beacon message, the first monitor is configured to transmit an endpoint message including a characteristic of the individual, and wherein the base station is configured to receive the endpoint message, and, if the base station does not receive the endpoint message by a determined time, the base station is configured to transmit a second beacon signal, the second beacon signal including instructions to a second monitor to transmit the endpoint message (i.e., the same endpoint message transmitted by the first monitor).

Claims

1. A communication network for facilitating monitoring of an athletic activity, the network comprising:

a base station;

a first monitor configured to be coupled to a first individual; and

a second monitor configured to be coupled to a second individual,

wherein the base station is configured to transmit a first beacon message,

wherein, in response to receipt of the first beacon message, the first monitor is configured to transmit an endpoint message including data relating to characteristics of the first individual,

wherein the second monitor is configured to receive the endpoint message from the first monitor,

wherein, in response to not receiving the endpoint message from the first monitor by a determined time, the base station is configured to transmit a second beacon message instructing the second monitor to transmit the endpoint message, and

wherein, in response to receipt of the second beacon message, the second monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message.

2. The communication network of claim 1, further comprising:

a third monitor configured to be coupled to a third individual, wherein the third monitor is configured to receive the endpoint message from the second monitor,

wherein, in response to not receiving the endpoint message from the second monitor by a determined time, the base station is configured to transmit a third beacon message instructing the third monitor to transmit the endpoint message,

wherein, in response to receipt of the third beacon message, the third monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message.

3. The communication network of claim 2, wherein the base station is configured to transmit the first beacon message during a beacon message timeslot of a first frame, to transmit the second beacon message during a beacon message timeslot of a second frame, and to transmit the third beacon message during a beacon message timeslot of a third frame,

wherein the first monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message during an endpoint message timeslot of the first frame, and

wherein the second monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message during a repeat message timeslot of the second frame.

4. The communication network of claim 3, wherein the repeat message timeslot of the second frame is assigned by the base station and communicated to the second monitor via the second beacon message.

5. The communication network of claim 3, wherein the third monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message during a repeat message timeslot of the third frame.

6. The communication network of claim 5, wherein the repeat message timeslot of the third frame is assigned by the base station and communicated to the third monitor via the third beacon message.

7. A communication network for facilitating monitoring of an athletic activity, the communication network comprising:

a base station; and

a first monitor configured to be coupled to an individual,

wherein the base station is configured to transmit a first beacon message,

wherein, in response to receipt of the first beacon message, the first monitor is configured to transmit an endpoint message including a characteristic of the individual, and

wherein the base station is configured to receive the endpoint message, and, if the base station does not receive the endpoint message by a determined time, the base station is configured to transmit a second beacon signal, the second beacon signal including instructions to a second monitor to transmit the endpoint message.

8. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the second monitor is configured to receive the endpoint message transmitted by the first monitor, and

wherein, in response to receipt of the second beacon signal, the second monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message.

9. The communication network of claim 7, wherein, in response to receipt of the first beacon signal, the first monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message during a first timeslot of a first frame,

wherein, in response to receipt of the second beacon signal, the second monitor is configured to transmit the endpoint message during a second timeslot of a second frame.

10. The communication network of claim 9, wherein the first timeslot is an endpoint message timeslot, and wherein the second timeslot is a repeat message timeslot.

11. The communication network of claim 9, wherein the second timeslot is assigned by the base station if the base station does not receive the endpoint message during the first frame.

12. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the first and second monitors are portable with respect to the base station.

13. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the first monitor includes a sensor for sensing a characteristic of the individual.

14. A communication network for facilitating monitoring of an athletic activity, the communication network comprising:

a base station;

a first monitor configured to be coupled to a first individual; and

a second monitor configured to be coupled to a second individual,

wherein the base station is configured to transmit a first beacon signal during a first frame,

wherein, in response to receipt of the first beacon signal, the first monitor is configured to transmit first data representing first characteristics of the first individual during the first frame,

wherein, in response to receipt of the first beacon signal, the second monitor is configured to transmit second data representing second characteristics of the second individual during the first frame,

wherein the first monitor is configured to receive the second data,

wherein the base station is configured to receive the first data and the second data during the first frame, and, if the base station does not receive the second data during the first frame, the base station is configured to transmit a second beacon signal during a second frame, the second beacon signal including instructions to the first monitor to transmit the second data during the second frame, and

wherein, in response to receipt of the second beacon signal, the first monitor is configured to transmit the second data during the second frame.

15. The communication network of claim 14, wherein the first monitor is configured to transmit the first data during an assigned first timeslot of the first frame,

wherein the second monitor is configured to transmit the second data during an assigned second timeslot of the first frame, and

wherein the first monitor is configured to transmit the second data during an assigned third timeslot during the second frame.

16. The communication network of claim 15, wherein the first and second timeslots are timeslots reserved for initial data transmissions, and wherein the third timeslot is a timeslot reserved for repeat data transmissions.

17. The communication network of claim 14, wherein, in response to receipt of the second data, the first monitor is configured to transmit an indication that the first monitor has received the second data.

18. The communication network of claim 17, wherein the first monitor is configured to transmit the indication during a third frame, and

wherein the third frame occurs after the first frame and before the second frame.

19. The communication network of claim 17, wherein the base station selects the first monitor to instruct to transmit the second data during the second frame in response to receipt of the indication that the first monitor has received the second data.

20. A method for monitoring athletic activity, the method comprising:

transmitting, via a base station, a first beacon message;

transmitting, via a first monitor in response to receipt of the first beacon message by the first monitor, an endpoint message including data indicative of a characteristic of an individual;

storing the endpoint message at the base station, if the endpoint message transmitted by the first monitor is received by the base station;

receiving, at a second monitor, the endpoint message transmitted by the first monitor;

transmitting, via the base station, a second beacon message, including instructions for the second monitor to transmit the endpoint message, if the endpoint message transmitted by the first monitor is not received by the base station by a determined time;

transmitting, via the second monitor in response to receipt of the second beacon message, the endpoint message; and

storing the endpoint message at the base station, if the endpoint message transmitted by the second monitor is received by the base station.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, at a third monitor, the endpoint message transmitted by the second monitor;

transmitting, via the base station, a third beacon message, including instructions for the third monitor to transmit the endpoint message, if the endpoint message transmitted by the second monitor is not received by the base station by a determined time;

transmitting, via the third monitor in response to receipt of the third beacon message, the endpoint message; and

storing the endpoint message at the base station, if the endpoint message transmitted by the third monitor is received by the base station.