Methods, systems, and products for monitoring athletic performance

• US 9,415,265 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A., Ruckart, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, LoAn H
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANESAN, SUNDHARA M
• Application Number:
  US12/909,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 702/160, 702/141, 702/176, 600/587, 600/595, 377/24.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0661 arranged on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/20 Swimming
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• 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 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products monitor athletic performance. Location information is acquired that indicates a device is in movement. A level of difficulty associated with the location information is retrieved and associated to a distance traversed during the movement. The distance traversed and the level of difficulty are stored in a database.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring athletic performance, comprising:

receiving, by a device having a global positioning system, global positioning system information indicating the device is in movement;

determining, by the device, a velocity of the movement and a distance traversed during the movement based on the global positioning system information received from the global positioning system;

retrieving, from a local memory operating in the device, a threshold velocity below which exercise is assumed;

retrieving, from the local memory, a cumulative distance associated with the device;

comparing, by the device, the velocity of the movement determined from the global positioning system information to the threshold velocity retrieved from the local memory;

determining, by the device, the velocity of the movement is less than the threshold velocity;

adding, by the device, the distance traversed determined from the global positioning system information to the cumulative distance in response to the velocity of the movement being less than the threshold velocity;

querying, by the device, an electronic geography database for the global positioning system information received from the global positioning system, the electronic geography database having electronic database associations between different topographical information and different global positioning system information including the global positioning system information received from the global positioning system;

retrieving, by the device, topographical information from the electronic geography database, the topographical information having an electronic database association to the global positioning system information;

querying, by the device, an electronic database of difficulty for the topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database, the electronic database of difficulty having other electronic database associations between different levels of difficulty and the different topographical information including the topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database;

retrieving, by the device, a level of difficulty from the electronic database of difficulty, the level of difficulty having another electronic database association with the topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database; and

storing, by the device in the local memory, an electronic association between the level of difficulty to the distance traversed during the movement.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing an electronic performance matrix that tracks the distance traversed at the different levels of difficulty.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising tracking a cumulative time spent exercising at each one of the different levels of difficulty.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising comparing the distance traversed to a distance goal associated with the level of difficulty.

5. A system for monitoring athletic performance, comprising:

a processor;

a global positioning system operatively coupled to the processor, the global positioning system receiving global positioning system information; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

determining, from the global positioning system information, that the system is in movement;

determining, from the global positioning system information, a velocity of the movement and a distance traversed during the movement;

retrieving a threshold velocity that distinguishes human exercise from vehicular transportation;

comparing the velocity of the movement determined from the global positioning system information to the threshold velocity;

if the velocity of the movement determined from the global positioning system information is less than or equal to the threshold velocity, then;

determining the movement is exercise;

retrieving a cumulative distance;

adding the distance traversed determined from the global positioning system information to the cumulative distance;

querying an electronic geography database for the global positioning system information, the electronic geography database having electronic database associations between different topographical information and different global positioning system information;

retrieving electronic topographical information from the electronic geography database, the electronic topographical information having an electronic database association with the global positioning system information;

querying an electronic database of difficulty for the electronic topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database, the electronic database of difficulty having other electronic database associations between different levels of difficulty and the different topographical information including the electronic topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database;

retrieving a level of difficulty from the electronic database of difficulty, the level of difficulty having another electronic database association with the electronic topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database; and

electronically associating the level of difficulty to the distance traversed during the movement, as determined from the global positioning system information;

if the velocity of the movement determined from the global positioning system information is greater than the threshold velocity, then;

determining the movement is the vehicular transportation; and

ignoring the movement determined from the global positioning system information as unrelated to human performance.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise storing an electronic performance matrix that tracks the distance traversed at the different levels of difficulty.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise tracking a cumulative time spent exercising at each one of the different levels of difficulty.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise comparing the distance traversed to a distance goal associated with each one of the different levels of difficulty.

9. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor operating in a mobile device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving global positioning system information generated by a global positioning system operating in the mobile device;

determining a movement associated with the mobile device based on the global positioning system information;

determining a velocity of the movement and a distance traversed by the mobile device based on the global positioning system information;

retrieving a threshold velocity having a value that distinguishes exercise from vehicular transportation;

comparing the velocity of the movement determined from the global positioning system information to the threshold velocity;

if the velocity of the movement determined from the global positioning system information is less than or equal to the threshold velocity, then;

determining the movement is exercise;

retrieving a cumulative distance;

adding the distance traversed determined from the global positioning system information to the cumulative distance;

querying an electronic geography database for the global positioning system information, the electronic geography database having electronic database associations between different topographical information and different global positioning system information;

retrieving electronic topographical information from the electronic geography database, the electronic topographical information having an electronic database association with the global positioning system information;

querying an electronic database of difficulty for the electronic topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database, the electronic database of difficulty having other electronic database associations between different levels of difficulty and the different topographical information including the electronic topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database;

retrieving a level of difficulty from the electronic database of difficulty, the level of difficulty having another electronic database association with the electronic topographical information retrieved from the electronic geography database; and

electronically associating the level of difficulty to the distance traversed during the movement as determined from the global positioning system information;

if the velocity of the movement determined from the global positioning system information is greater than the threshold velocity, then;

determining the movement is the vehicular transportation; and

ignoring the movement determined from the global positioning system information as unrelated to human performance.

10. The memory device according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise storing an electronic performance matrix that tracks the distance traversed at the different levels of difficulty.

11. The memory device according to claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise tracking a cumulative time spent exercising at each one of the different levels of difficulty.