Athletic performance sensing and/or tracking systems and methods

• US 9,636,566 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Riley, Raymond W., Hoffer, Kevin W., Berner, William E., Schrock, Allan M., Niegowski, James A., Rauchholz, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): GANESAN, SUNDHARA M
• Application Number:
  US14/724,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/74 Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient indicating measured values G01D7/00; user input means input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• 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 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/00 Measuring of physical parameters relating to sporting activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0059 Exercising apparatus with reward systems
• 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 24/0087 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 : for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 : for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• 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: A63B 71/0686 : Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 : by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 : Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 : Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 : Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 : with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 : with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Athletic performance sensing and/or tracking systems include components for measuring or sensing athletic performance data and/or for storing and/or displaying desired information associated with the athletic performance to the user (or others). Such systems can allow users a wide variety of options in creating workouts, selecting and presenting media content during the athletic performance, etc., e.g., to help keep users entertained and motivated. In some instances, user feedback may be used, optionally in combination with objective data relating to a workout, to control features of the workout routine, to control the music or other media content selected and/or presented, and/or to control features of future workout routines and/or the presented media content.

Claims

1. A method performed by an athletic performance tracking system comprising:

activating, by a processor associated with a user device of the athletic performance tracking system, a sensor of the athletic performance tracking system to measure performance of a first user as the first user performs an activity;

providing, at the processor, playback of first motivational content to the first user as the first user is performing the activity;

determining, at the processor, that the playback of the first motivational content has ended;

determining, at the processor, a first characteristic of the first motivational content;

identifying, at the processor, second motivational content that has a second characteristic that is similar to the first characteristic of the first motivational content;

based upon identification of the second motivational content having the second characteristic that is similar to the first characteristic, adding the second motivational content to a playlist of the first user;

providing, at the processor, playback of the second motivational content to the first user as the first user is continuing to perform the activity;

storing the first characteristic and performance data from the sensor specific to playback of the first motivational content;

storing the second characteristic and performance data from the sensor specific to playback of the second motivational content; and

responsive to receiving a user display request, providing an activity level display to the user device showing performance data of the first user associated with playback of the first motivational content and performance data of the first user associated with playback of the second motivational content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motivational content and the second motivational content comprise motivational songs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic comprises a beat associated with the first motivational content and the second characteristic comprises a beat associated with the second motivational content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the processor, whether a predefined condition associated with the performance data during playback of the first motivational content has been met; and

in response to determining that the predefined condition has not been met, identifying, at the processor, third motivational content that has a third characteristic that is dissimilar to the first characteristic of the first motivational content;

adding the third motivational content to the playlist of the first user; and

providing, at the processor, playback of the third motivational content to the first user as the first user is continuing to perform the activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first motivational content has a first beat that matches a second beat of the first user as the first user is performing the activity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a remote server to identify the second motivational content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the second motivational content to a motivational content library associated with the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic comprises a genre associated with the first motivational content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic comprises an artist associated with the first motivational content.

10. A method comprising performed by an athletic performance tracking system:

activating, by a processor associated with a user device of the athletic performance tracking system, a sensor of the athletic performance tracking system to measure performance of a first user as the first user performs an activity;

providing, at the processor, playback of a first motivational song to a first user as the first user is performing an activity;

determining, at the processor, that the playback of the first motivational song has ended;

determining, at the processor, a first characteristic of the first motivational song;

accessing, at a memory, a selection history of the first user for other motivational songs;

determining, at the processor, which of the other motivational songs have the first characteristic;

based upon determination of one of the other motivational songs having the first characteristic, selecting the one of the other motivational songs that has the first characteristic;

providing playback of the one of the other motivational songs that has the first characteristic to the first user as the first user is continuing to perform the activity;

storing performance data from the sensor specific to playback of the first motivational song and performance data from the sensor specific to playback of the one of the other motivational songs; and

responsive to receiving a user display request, providing an activity level display to the user device showing performance data of the first user associated with playback of the first motivational song and performance data of the first user associated with playback of the one of the other motivational songs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first characteristic comprises a beat of the first motivational song.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first characteristic comprises at least one of:

a genre of the first motivational song or an artist associated with the first motivational song.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the selection history of the first user for the other motivational songs comprises motivational songs associated with a high user activity level during a previous activity.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the accessing the selection history of the first user for the other motivational songs comprises accessing the selection history of the first user for the other motivational songs while the first user was performing the activity.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a sensor;

a display; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to at least perform;

activate the sensor to measure performance of a first user as the first user performs an activity;

provide playback of first motivational content to the first user as the first user is performing the activity;

determine that the playback of the first motivational content has ended;

determine a first beat associated with the first motivational content;

identify second motivational content that has a second beat that is similar to the first beat associated with the first motivational content;

based upon identification of second motivational content having a second beat that is similar to the first beat associated with the first motivational content, add the second motivational content to a playlist of the first user;

provide playback of the second motivational content to the first user as the first user is continuing to perform the activity;

storing the first beat and performance data from the sensor specific to playback of the first motivational content;

storing the second beat and performance data from the sensor specific to playback of the second motivational content; and

responsive to receiving a user display request, provide, to the display, an activity level display showing performance data of the first user associated with playback of the first motivational content and performance data of the first user associated with playback of the second motivational content.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first motivational content and the second motivational content comprise motivational songs.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor further performs:

communicate with a remote server to access the second motivational content.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second motivational content further belongs to at least one of a same genre as the first motivational content or a same artist as the first motivational content.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores further computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine whether a predefined condition associated with the performance data during playback of the first motivational content has been met; and

in response to determining that the predefined condition has not been met, identify third motivational content that has a third beat that is dissimilar to the first beat of the first motivational content;

add the third motivational content to the playlist of the first user; and

provide playback of the third motivational content to the first user as the first user is continuing to perform the activity.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores further computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

continue playback of the second motivational content until the first user begins another activity.