Exercise-related device data sent indirectly through intermediary device to first remote server or directly sent to second remote server for processing

• US 9,700,760 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Poyhtari, Petteri, Rantanen, Simo
• Primary Examiner(s): Peyton, Tammara
• Application Number:
  US14/095,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 713 1, 713 2, 710 8- 10, 710 36, 710 17- 19, 709220-223, 705 2
• 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: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method includes executing a data processing application including a static part for performing at least the following functions: determining at least one identifier of an exercise monitoring device which is connected to the computing device, wherein the connected exercise monitoring device comprises exercise-related data; indicating the determined at least one identifier to a first server over a network, wherein the first server stores operational attributes for a plurality of different exercise monitoring devices; and receiving information indicating operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device from the first server, wherein the indicated operational attributes form an exercise monitoring device-specific dynamic part of the data processing application. The method also includes performing, by the dynamic part, at least one operation to the exercise-related data on the basis of the indicated operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device.

Claims

1. A server computer, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the server computer to perform operations comprising;

storing operational attributes for a plurality of different exercise monitoring devices;

causing a reception of information from a static part of a data processing application of a computing device applied by a user, wherein the information indicates at least one identifier of an exercise monitoring device connected to the computing device, an identity of the connected exercise monitoring device determined using an identification circuitry;

determining, using an operational attribute determination circuitry, determined operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device on the basis of the at least one identifier and the stored operational attributes; and

causing a transmission of information indicating the determined operational attributes to the computing device, wherein the determined operational attributes indicate at least an identification of a second server or a target directory of the second server to which exercise-related data is to be transferred, in order to enable the computing device to transfer the exercise-related data from the connected exercise monitoring device to the computing device and to transfer the exercise-related data from the computing device to the second server.

2. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the determined operational attributes comprise an executable packet which auto-generate a dynamic part to the data processing application of the computing device.

3. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of the following with respect to the connected exercise monitoring device:

a type identifier, a model identifier, the serial number, an age identifier, a manufacturer identifier, a firmware version identifier.

4. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the server computer to

receive a request from the computing device to indicate the determined operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device on the basis of the at least one identifier each time upon connection of any exercise monitoring device to the computing device.

5. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the operational attributes indicate the types of exercise-related data available from the connected exercise monitoring device.

6. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the operational attributes indicate at least one of the following:

a data format applied by the connected exercise monitoring device for each available type of exercise-related data, coding applied by the connected exercise monitoring device for each available type of exercise-related data, a communication protocol applied by the connected exercise monitoring device for the transfer of the exercise-related data.

7. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the types of exercise-related data available from the connected exercise monitoring device comprise location specific exercise data.

8. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the types of exercise-related data available from the connected exercise monitoring device comprise activity information.

9. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the types of exercise-related data available from the connected exercise monitoring device comprise at least one of the following:

heart rate zones, heart rate samples, heart rate variation samples, fat consumption, calorie consumption, activity zones, activity samples, speed and/or pace samples, power samples, cadence samples, altitude samples, temperature samples, location samples, pedal index, left-right balance, running index, training load, galvanic skin response samples, fluid balance, skin temperature samples, music samples.

10. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the transmitted information indicating the determined operational attributes enable the computing device to further perform at least one of the following operations to the exercise-related data:

decode at least part of the exercise-related data, encode at least part of the exercise-related data, reorganize at least part of the exercise-related data, delete at least part of the exercise-related data, add information to the exercise-related data, display or output at least part of the exercise-related data, store at least part of the exercise-related data to the computing device.

11. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the server computer to

cause a transmission of configuration information to the computing device, wherein the configuration information indicates the to-be-applied configuration of the computing device when connected to the identified exercise monitoring device in order to enable the computing device to configure the computing device at least partly on the basis of the transmitted configuration information, wherein the configuration information indicates at least one of the following:

functionalities and appearance of the user interface, language setting for the user interface, a skin or a theme of the user interface, a communication protocol to be applied for the transfer of the exercise-related data.

12. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the content of the received configuration information is at least partly based on the identity of the computing device and/or the identity of the user associated with the computing device.

13. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the server computer to

cause a transmission of a set of exercise monitoring device-specific commands to the computing device in order to allow the computing device to control the functionalities of the connected exercise monitoring device by applying the transmitted set of commands.

14. A method, comprising:

storing, by a server computer, operational attributes for a plurality of different exercise monitoring devices;

receiving information from a static part of a data processing application of a computing device applied by a user, wherein the information indicates at least one identifier of an exercise monitoring device connected to the computing device;

determining determined operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device on the basis of the at least one identifier and the stored operational attributes; and

transmitting information indicating the determined operational attributes to the computing device, wherein the determined operational attributes indicate at least an identification of a second server or a target directory of the second server to which exercise-related data is to be transferred, in order to enable the computing device to transfer the exercise-related data from the connected exercise monitoring device to the computing device and to transfer the exercise-related data from the computing device to the second server.

15. A computer program product embodied on a distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when loaded into an apparatus, cause the apparatus to execute at least the following:

storing, by a server computer, operational attributes for a plurality of different exercise monitoring devices;

receiving information from a static part of a data processing application of a computing device applied by a user, wherein the information indicates at least one identifier of an exercise monitoring device connected to the computing device;

determining determined operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device on the basis of the at least one identifier and the stored operational attributes; and

transmitting information indicating the determined operational attributes to the computing device, wherein the determined operational attributes indicate at least an identification of a second server or a target directory of the second server to which exercise-related data is to be transferred, in order to enable the computing device to transfer the exercise-related data from the connected exercise monitoring device to the computing device and to transfer the exercise-related data from the computing device to the second server.

16. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising;

executing, in the computing device, a data processing application comprising a static part for performing at least the following functions when an exercise monitoring device is connected to the computing device;

determining at least one identifier of the connected exercise monitoring device, an identity of the connected exercise monitoring device determined using an identification circuitry, wherein the connected exercise monitoring device comprises exercise-related data;

causing an indication of the determined at least one identifier to a first server over a network, wherein the first server stores operational attributes for a plurality of different exercise monitoring devices; and

causing a reception of information indicating indicated operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device from the first server, wherein the indicated operational attributes form an exercise monitoring device specific dynamic part of the data processing application, and the computing device is further caused to perform operations comprising;

performing, with the dynamic part, at least one operation to the exercise-related data on the basis of the indicated operational attributes associated with the connected exercise monitoring device, wherein the indicated operational attributes indicate at least an identification of a second server or a target directory of the second server to which the exercise-related data is to be transferred, and the computing device is further caused to perform operations comprising;

transferring the exercise-related data from the connected exercise monitoring device to the computing device; and

transferring the exercise-related data from the computing device to the second server.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the static part performs at least the said functions each time any exercise monitoring device is connected to the computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

causing a reception of a set of commands for controlling the functionalities of the connected exercise monitoring device from the first server;

acquiring an indication to change at least partly the functionalities of the connected exercise monitoring device; and

controlling the functionalities of the connected exercise monitoring device by applying the received set of commands.