Method and apparatus for creating a virtual workout community

• US 20050192156A1
• Filed: 01/29/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beachbody LLC
• Original Assignee: Carl Daikeler
• Inventors: Hoppe, Erick V., Daikeler, Carl, Meier-Hull, Yvonne, Kelley, Caroline E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,699,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/10 Multi-station exercising machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• 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 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 having computer circuitry

Abstract

A method for creating a virtual online gym for providing members with a shared workout experience and decreasing the feeling of isolation when members are not all working out at the same physical location. The method including the steps of receiving a request for access to the virtual online gym and receiving a selection for a first exercise program from a plurality of available exercise programs from the first member. The method also includes the steps of determining a program length based on the selection of the first exercise program; presenting updated status information during a length of the program length; and, providing a notification when the program length has been reached. An apparatus and system for implementing the method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for creating a virtual workout community for providing members with a shared workout experience and decreasing the feeling of isolation when members are not all working out at the same physical location, the system comprising:

a server having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored therein that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a request for access to the virtual workout community from a first member at a first client computer;

receiving a selection for a first exercise program from a plurality of available exercise programs from the first member;

determining a program length based on the selection of the first exercise program;

presenting updated status information during a length of the program length; and

,

providing a notification when the program length has been reached.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of providing the first member with access to an online chat room.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first exercise program is associated with a start time and the instructions stored in the memory that causes the processor to perform the step of providing the first member with access to the online chat room further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of restricting the access to the online chat room to a predetermined period before the start time.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions stored in the memory that causes the processor to perform the step of providing the first member with access to the online chat room further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of directing the first member to the online chat room after the program length has been reached.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of receiving a goal selection from the first member.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the program length includes a delay period at the beginning portion of the program length.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of available exercise programs is limited to a portion of a full list of programs.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of limiting the plurality of available exercise programs based on a profile of the first member.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of receiving a request from the first member to a second member in a first workout group for a commitment to performing the first exercise program.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of sending a request notification to the second member.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of receiving a reply from the second member to the request by the first member.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of determining if both the first member and the second member fulfilled the commitment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions stored in the memory that causes the processor to perform the step of determining if both the first member and the second member fulfilled the commitment includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of:

determining if the first member begins the first exercise program within a first predetermined period of a start time of the first exercise program; and

,

determining if the second member also begins the first exercise program within the first predetermined period.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions stored in the memory that causes the processor to perform the step of determining if both the first member and the second member fulfilled the commitment includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of notifying both the first member and the second member of whether each of them respectively began the first exercise program within the first predetermined period.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the second member belongs to a first workout group and the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving a selection for the first member to join the first workout group; and

,

displaying a list of members that belong to the first workout group.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of receiving a request from the first member to join a first workout group.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the step of selecting the plurality of available exercise programs based on a list of exercise programs available to the first workout group.

18. A computer implemented method for creating a virtual online gym for providing members with a shared workout experience and decreasing the feeling of isolation when members are not all working out at the same physical location, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for access to the virtual online gym from a first member at a first client computer;

receiving a selection for a first exercise program from a plurality of available exercise programs from the first member;

determining a program length based on the selection of the first exercise program;

presenting updated status information during a length of the program length; and

,

providing a notification when the program length has been reached.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18, further comprising the step of providing the first member with access to an online chat room.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein the first exercise program is associated with a start time and the step of providing the first member with access to the online chat room further includes the step of restricting the access to the online chat room to a predetermined period before the start time.

21. A computer implemented method for creating a virtual online gym for providing members with a shared workout experience and decreasing the feeling of isolation when members are not all working out at the same physical location, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for access to the virtual online gym from a first member at a first client computer;

receiving a selection for a first exercise program from a plurality of available exercise programs from the first member;

receiving a request from the first member to a second member in a first workout group for a commitment to performing the first exercise program;

determining a program length based on the selection of the first exercise program;

presenting updated status information during a length of the program length; and

, providing a notification when the program length has been reached.