Fitness monitoring methods, systems, and program products, and applications thereof

• US 9,392,941 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Powch, Maya Ann, Black, Stephen John, Hope, Tony, Dibenedetto, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Justine
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANESAN, SUNDHARA M
• Application Number:
  US12/836,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,197 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• 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: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

Fitness monitoring methods, systems, and program products are disclosed. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for providing a new workout for an athlete utilizing a fitness monitoring service includes the steps of granting an athlete access to an account of the fitness monitoring service, maintaining a schedule of workouts for the athlete to complete in association with the account, receiving the new workout from a coach, adding the new workout to the schedule of workouts, and exchanging information related to the new workout with a portable fitness monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method for generating a workout routine, comprising:

receiving, at a server, personal information associated with an athlete from a portable fitness monitoring device;

receiving, at the server, performance information associated with the athlete from the portable fitness monitoring device;

generating, at the server, a workout routine at a first time based on the personal information and the performance information, wherein the workout routine includes a plurality of intervals;

generating, with the portable fitness monitoring device, new performance information as the athlete performs the workout routine;

displaying a target bar having a first portion and a second portion connected to the first portion, wherein the first portion graphically indicates the athlete'"'"'s current activity level and the second portion graphically indicates a goal activity level for the athlete during an interval of the workout;

modifying the target bar display by changing the position of the entire first portion relative to the second portion based on the new performance information to indicate that the athlete should modify their current activity level to meet the goal activity level, wherein changing the position of the entire first portion relative to the second portion comprises changing the position of the entire first portion without changing the position of the second portion;

receiving, at the server, new performance information associated with the athlete from the portable monitoring device;

modifying, at the server, the plurality of intervals at a second time based on the new performance information; and

sending, at the server, the modified workout routine to the portable fitness monitoring device,

wherein each of the steps are executed using at least one processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal information is at least one member selected from the group of:

the athlete'"'"'s age, the athlete'"'"'s gender, the athlete'"'"'s weight, and the athlete'"'"'s height.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information was recorded by the portable fitness monitoring device during an activity conducted by the athlete.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information is at least one member selected from the group of:

information related to the athlete'"'"'s heart rate, information related to the athlete'"'"'s pace, and information related to the athlete'"'"'s speed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the performance information is at least one member selected from the group of:

the athlete'"'"'s maximum heart rate during an activity and the athlete'"'"'s maximum speed during an activity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is a mobile phone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the workout routine includes a target time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the workout routine includes a target distance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each interval has an intensity goal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the intensity goal is heart rate based.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the intensity goal is speed based.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the intensity goal is pace based.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal information and the performance information are received from the portable fitness monitoring device at the same time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the workout routine is additionally modified based on information about the user'"'"'s present location.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the workout routine is additionally modified based on weather information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the workout routine is additionally modified based on information about an upcoming organized athletic event.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the workout routine is an assessment workout, and wherein the new performance information obtained as a result of the assessment workout.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein guiding the athlete through an assessment workout comprises instructing the athlete to run at their maximum speed for a period of time.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein guiding the athlete through an assessment workout comprises instructing the athlete to run at a percentage of their maximum speed for a period of time, wherein the percentage is less than 100%.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion numerically indicates the athlete'"'"'s current activity level and the second portion numerically indicates the goal activity level for the athlete during the interval of the workout routine.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion indicates the athlete'"'"'s current activity level relative to the goal activity level for the athlete during the interval of the workout routine using a directional indicator.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion indicates the athlete'"'"'s current activity level by displaying a color associated with the current activity level and the second portion indicates the goal activity level for the athlete during the interval of the workout routine by displaying a color associated with the interval goal.

23. A system for generating a workout routine, comprising:

a network;

a portable fitness monitoring device, wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is adapted to transmit personal information associated with an athlete and performance information associated with the athlete via the network; and

a server,

wherein the server is adapted to receive the personal information associated with the athlete and the performance information associated with the athlete via the network at the same time,

wherein the server is adapted to generate a workout routine at a first time based on the personal information and the performance information, wherein the workout routine includes a plurality of intervals,

wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is adapted to generate new performance information as the athlete performs the workout routine,

wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is adapted to display a target bar having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is adapted to graphically indicate the athlete'"'"'s current activity level and the second portion is adapted to graphically indicate a goal activity level for the athlete during an interval of the workout,

wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is adapted to modify the target bar display by changing the position of the entire first portion relative to the second portion based on the new performance information to indicate that the athlete should modify their current activity level to meet the goal activity level, wherein changing the position of the entire first portion relative to the second portion comprises changing the position of the entire first portion without changing the position of the second portion,

wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is adapted to display a progress bar for tracking the athlete'"'"'s progress through the workout routine, wherein the progress bar visually depicts the plurality of intervals of the workout routine in chronological order and in series, and display a progress mark moving along a side of the progress bar, wherein the movement of the progress mark corresponds to the athlete'"'"'s progression through the plurality of intervals during the workout routine,

wherein the server is adapted to receive new performance information associated with the athlete via the network,

wherein the server is adapted to modify the plurality of intervals at a second time based on the new performance information,

wherein the server is adapted to transmit the modified workout routine to the portable fitness monitoring device via the network, and

wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is adapted to receive the workout routine.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the personal information is at least one member selected from the group of:

the athlete'"'"'s age, the athlete'"'"'s gender, the athlete'"'"'s weight, and the athlete'"'"'s height.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the performance information was recorded by the portable fitness monitoring device during an activity conducted by the athlete.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the performance information is at least one member selected from the group of:

information related to the athlete'"'"'s heart rate, information related to the athlete'"'"'s pace, and information related to the athlete'"'"'s speed.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the portable fitness monitoring device is adapted to transmit personal information and to receive the modified workout routine using a wireless transceiver.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein each interval has an intensity goal.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the first portion is adapted to numerically indicate the athlete'"'"'s current activity level and the second portion is adapted to numerically indicate the goal activity level for the athlete during the interval of the workout routine.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the first portion is adapted to indicate the athlete'"'"'s current activity level relative to the goal activity level for the athlete during the interval of the workout routine using a directional indicator.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the first portion is adapted to indicate the athlete'"'"'s current activity level by displaying a color associated with the current activity level and the second portion is adapted to indicate the goal activity level for the athlete during the interval of the workout routine by displaying a color associated with the interval goal.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the workout routine comprises a plurality of consecutive intervals.