Fitness activity monitoring systems and methods

• US 9,643,050 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Werner, Jon Harald, DiBenedetto, Christian, Black, Stephen John, Vaterlaus, Amy Jones
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/335,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 463 6, 700 91, 482 51, 482 57, 482 74, 482900, 482902, 3405731
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• 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: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• 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 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/42 rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 temperature
• 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 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 10/65 : Entertainment or amusement; Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 20/10 : relating to the environment, e.g. temperature; relating to location
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 40/60 : Positioning; Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods for tracking the location of an individual during a fitness activity are disclosed. A method of tracking a participant engaged in a fitness activity includes determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the participant; determining a location of a spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator; from a server, sending an alert to a spectator at a spectator device during the fitness activity indicating that the participant is within a predetermined distance of the spectator; and sending an alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity indicating that the spectator is within a predetermined distance of the participant.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a pre-identified participant engaged in a fitness activity who is pre-identified by a spectator, comprising:

determining a location of the pre-identified participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the pre-identified participant;

determining a location of the spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator;

determining whether the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant; and

if the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant, sending a first alert to the spectator at the spectator device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the pre-identified participant location, wherein the first alert indicates that the pre-identified participant is within a first predetermined distance of the spectator,

wherein at least one of determining the location of the pre-identified participant, determining the location of the spectator, determining whether the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant, and sending the first alert is performed using at least one processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising at a server, receiving pre-identified participant location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fitness activity includes a predetermined route.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fitness activity is a competitive event including a plurality of participants.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the fitness activity is a marathon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fitness activity is a fitness activity scheduled by the pre-identified participant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fitness activity includes a route created by the pre-identified participant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first alert is a visual alert.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first alert is an audible alert.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first alert is a tactile alert.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first alert indicates the distance from the spectator to the pre-identified participant.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first alert indicates an estimated time of arrival of the pre-identified participant at the spectator location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data received at the portable fitness device and the data received at the mobile spectator device comprises at least one of global positioning system data and acceleration data.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving registration information from the spectator, wherein the registration information comprises spectator identification information,

wherein determining that the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant comprises determining that the spectator is a member of the pre-identified participant'"'"'s social network, the social network being accessible via the Internet.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-identified participant is a particular user identified prior to the fitness activity.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-identified participant is identified by name.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-identified participant is identified by bib number.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-identifying the participant based on identification by a first user of a particular second user to track, wherein the particular second user is the participant engaged in the fitness activity.

19. The method of claim 1, comprising:

if the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant, sending a second alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the pre-identified participant location, wherein the second alert indicates that the spectator is within a second predetermined distance of the pre-identified participant.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second alert indicates the spectator location.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the first predetermined distance is different from the second predetermined distance.

21. A method of tracking a participant who is pre-identified by a spectator using a portable fitness device

during a fitness activity, comprising:

prior to the fitness activity sending an invitation to the spectator to participate in electronically tracking the participant during the fitness activity

determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity using the portable fitness device;

determining a location of the spectator during the fitness activity using a mobile spectator device; and

sending a first alert to the spectator at the spectator device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the participant location, wherein the first alert indicates that the participant is within a first predetermined distance of the spectator, and wherein sending the first alert occurs after a determination that an acceptance of the invitation has been received,

wherein at least one of sending the invitation, determining the location of the participant, determining the location of the spectator, and sending the first alert is performed using at least one processor.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising:

sending a second alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the participant location, wherein the second alert indicates that the spectator is within a second predetermined distance of the participant, and wherein sending the second alert only occurs in response to a determination that an acceptance of the invitation has been received.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein sending the first alert only occurs in response to a determination that an acceptance of the invitation has been received before a beginning of the fitness activity.

24. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein for causing one or more processors to track a pre-identified participant engaged in a fitness activity who is pre-identified by a spectator, the computer program logic comprising:

first computer readable program code for determining a location of the pre-identified participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the pre-identified participant;

second computer readable program code for determining a location of the spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator;

third computer readable program code for determining whether the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant; and

fourth computer readable program code for sending a first alert to the spectator at the spectator device during the fitness activity if the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant, wherein the first alert is based on the spectator location and the pre-identified participant location, and wherein the first alert indicates that the pre-identified participant is within a first predetermined distance of the spectator.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, comprising:

fifth computer readable program code for sending a second alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity if the spectator is registered to track the pre-identified participant, wherein the second alert is based on the location of the spectator and the location of the pre-identified participant, wherein the second alert indicates that the spectator is within a second predetermined distance of the pre-identified participant.

27. A method of tracking a participant engaged in a fitness activity who is pre-identified by a spectator, comprising:

determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the participant;

determining a location of the spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator;

sending a first alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the participant location, wherein the first alert indicates that the spectator is within a first predetermined distance of the participant; and

sending a second alert to the spectator at the spectator device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the participant location, wherein the second alert indicates that the participant is within a second predetermined distance of the spectator, wherein at least one of determining the location of the participant, determining the location of the spectator, sending the first alert, and sending the second alert is performed using at least one processor, and

wherein at least one of the first alert and the second alert is based on participant athletic performance data and provides a representation of the athletic performance data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the athletic performance data comprises heart rate data of the participant.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the athletic performance data comprises acceleration data.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the athletic performance data comprises at least one of pedometer data, pulsimeter data, breath rate data, gyroscope data, magnetometer data, hydration data, and thermometer data.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the athletic performance data comprises heart rate data, and

wherein at least one of the first alert and the second alert is triggered by the heart rate data exceeding a heart rate threshold.

32. A method of tracking a participant engaged in a fitness activity who is pre-identified by a spectator, comprising:

determining a location of the participant during the fitness activity based on data received at a portable fitness device used by the participant, wherein the location of the participant is measured based on a position of the participant relative to a route;

determining a location of the spectator during the fitness activity based on data received at a mobile spectator device used by the spectator;

sending a first alert to the portable fitness device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the participant location, wherein the first alert indicates that the spectator is within a first predetermined distance of the participant; and

sending a second alert to the spectator at the spectator device during the fitness activity based on the spectator location and the participant location, wherein the second alert indicates that the participant is within a second predetermined distance of the spectator, wherein at least one of determining the location of the participant, determining the location of the spectator, sending the first alert, and sending the second alert is performed using at least one processor.