Method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity

• US 20040077462A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICON Health & Fitness Incorporated (HF HOLDINGS INC)
• Original Assignee: Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini, Michael Wayne Brown
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Lawrence, Kelvin Roderick
• Granted Patent: US 7,070,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, at least one type of exercise indicator signal associated with exercise performed by a particular user is received from a particular exercise machine in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system provided the particular user. Cumulative fitness activity is computed and stored for the particular user at the portable computer system utilizing the at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously accumulated fitness activity data at the portable computer system, such that an independent portable computer system associated with the particular user monitors the real-time cumulative fitness activity of the particular user from at least one type of exercise indicator signal received from at least one exercise machine over a period of time.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity for a user, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one type of exercise indicator signal associated with exercise performed by a particular user from a particular exercise machine in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system provided by said particular user; and

computing and storing current cumulative fitness activity for said particular user at said portable computer system utilizing said at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously stored cumulative fitness activity data from prior exercise by said particular user at a plurality of diverse exercise machines, such that said portable computer system associated with said particular user monitors the real-time cumulative fitness activity of said particular user from said at least one type of exercise indicator signal currently received from said particular exercise machine.

2. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said step of receiving at least one type of exercise indicator signal associated with exercise performed by a particular user from a particular exercise machine in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system provided by said particular user, further comprising the step of:

receiving said at least one type of exercise indicator signal in an extensible mark-up language data format.

3. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving exercise indicator signals indicating exercise performed by a particular user from monitoring systems that monitor exercise indicator signals for said particular user independent of said particular exercise machine.

4. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving exercise indicator signals indicating exercise performed by a particular user from user input to an input interface coupled to said portable computer system.

5. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said step of computing and storing current cumulative fitness activity for said particular user at said portable computer system utilizing said at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously stored cumulative fitness activity data, further comprising the step of:

computing said current cumulative fitness activity according to said at least one type of exercise indicator signal, said previously stored cumulative fitness activity data, and personal data for said particular user.

6. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said step of computing and storing current cumulative fitness activity for said particular user at said portable computer system utilizing said at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously stored cumulative fitness activity data, further comprising the step of:

computing said current cumulative fitness activity according to said at least one type of exercise indicator signal, said previously stored cumulative fitness activity data, and additional health factors detected for said particular user at said portable computer system.

7. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said step of computing and storing current cumulative fitness activity for said particular user at said portable computer system utilizing said at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously stored cumulative fitness activity data, further comprising the step of:

computing said current cumulative fitness activity according to said at least one type of exercise indicator signal, said previously stored cumulative fitness activity data, and environmental exposure detected for said particular user at said portable computer system.

8. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said step of computing and storing current cumulative fitness activity for said particular user at said portable computer system utilizing said at least one type of exercise indicator signal and previously stored cumulative fitness activity data, further comprising the step of:

distinguishing storage of said portion of said current cumulative fitness activity computed from use of said particular exercise machine.

9. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

retrieving said previously stored cumulative fitness activity data by distinct sessions of exercise performed by said particular user across said plurality of diverse exercise machines.

10. The method for monitoring cumulative fitness activity according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

prompting said particular user, at said portable computer system, to utilize said particular exercise machine according to a predetermined exercise schedule for said particular user.