Game pod

• US 20050227811A1
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Case, Charles Whipple Jr., Schrock, Allan M., Shum, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 8,956,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 999/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 2300/1012 : involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 : using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 : for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 : for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 : for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A system for promoting physical activity for video game players. A video game player wears an article of footwear with a physical activity monitor or “game pod” mounted thereon while exercising or performing some other type of physical activity. The game pod measures the amount of the player'"'"'s physical activity, and records that amount in a memory. When the player desires to play a video game according to the invention, the player disengages at least the memory from the article of footwear, and then engages the memory with the computer hosting the video game through a computer interface. The computer then obtains the recorded amount of physical activity, and provides a computer function associated with the recorded amount of physical activity. The computer function may include the initiation of the video game itself, the instantiation of a specified gaming environment within the video game, the instantiation of one or more specified characteristics for the player'"'"'s avatar within the video game, a lengthened playing time for the user'"'"'s avatar, allowing the player to access data associated with the video game, or a combination of two or more of these functions.

Claims

1. A physical activity monitor, comprising:

a physical activity detector for measuring a user'"'"'s physical activity;

a memory for recording an amount of physical activity measured by the physical activity detector;

a computer interface for transferring the recorded amount of physical activity to a computer; and

a mount for mounting at least the physical activity detector to an article of footwear.

2. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying an indication of the amount of recorded physical activity.

3. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 1, further comprising a first capsule containing the physical activity monitor, and a second capsule containing the memory and the computer interface, the second capsule being removably attached to the first capsule.

4. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 3, wherein the second capsule is incorporated into the article of footwear.

5. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 1, wherein the physical activity detector is selected from the group consisting of:

an accelerometer, a pressure detector, and a motion detector.

6. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 5, wherein the physical activity detector measures an amount of the user'"'"'s physical activity selected from the group consisting of:

a number of steps taken by the user, a distance traveled by the user,

7. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 1, wherein the computer interface is selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus interface, a radio frequency interface, an infrared frequency interface, an ultrasonic frequency interface, a light frequency interface, a PS/2 bus interface, a PC/AT bus interface, a parallel bus interface, and an RS-232 interface.

8. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 1, wherein the computer interface is formed by electrical contacts provided on the memory.

9. The physical activity monitor recited in claim 8, wherein the memory and interface are separable from the physical activity monitor.

10. A method of employing a computer, comprising:

mounting physical activity monitor recited in claim 1 on an article of footwear;

performing a physical activity while wearing the article of footwear;

engaging the computer interface with a computer, such that the computer can obtain an amount of physical activity recorded by the memory; and

employing a function provided by the computer based upon the recorded amount of physical activity obtained from the memory.

11. The method of employing a computer recited in claim 10, further comprising connecting the user interface with a computer by separating a first capsule containing the memory and the computer interface from a second capsule containing the physical activity monitor, and connecting the computer interface with a corresponding device interface provided in the computer.

12. The method of employing a computer recited in claim 11, wherein connecting the computer interface with a corresponding device interface includes forming a physical connection between the computer interface and the corresponding device interface.

13. The method of employing a computer recited in claim 11, wherein connecting the computer interface with a corresponding device interface includes establishing a wireless communication channel between the computer interface and the corresponding device interface.

14. The method of employing a computer recited in claim 10, further comprising activating a transfer switch to transfer the recorded amount of physical activity from the memory to the computer.

15. The method of employing a computer recited in claim 10, wherein the function relates to a computer game.

16. A method of controlling the functionality of a computer, comprising:

measuring an amount of physical activity using a physical activity detector mounted on an article of footwear;

storing the measured amount of physical activity in a memory; and

transferring the stored amount of physical activity to a computer.

17. The method of controlling the functionality of a computer recited in claim 16, further comprising controlling a display to display the stored amount of physical activity.

18. The method of controlling the functionality of a computer recited in claim 16, further comprising transferring the stored amount of physical activity to a computer by wirelessly transmitting the stored amount of physical activity.

19. A method of providing computer functionality, comprising:

obtaining an amount of recorded physical activity from a memory;

identifying a computer function corresponding to the obtained amount of recorded physical activity; and

performing the identified computer function.

20. The method of providing computer functionality recited in claim 19, further comprising identifying the computer function includes selecting the computer function from among a first computer function corresponding to a first amount of recorded physical activity and a second computer function corresponding to a second amount of recorded physical activity.

21. The method of providing computer functionality recited in claim 19, wherein the computer function is the initiation of a video game.

22. The method of providing computer functionality recited in claim 19, wherein the computer function is the instantiation of a specified gaming environment within a video game.

23. The method of providing computer functionality recited in claim 19, wherein the computer function is the instantiation of one or more specified characteristics for a user'"'"'s avatar within a video game.

24. The method of providing computer functionality recited in claim 19, wherein the computer function is allowing a user to access specified data associated with a video game.

25. A video game apparatus, comprising:

a game module that executes operations of a video game;

a supplemental functionality module that provides one or more additional functions to the video game based upon an amount of physical activity recorded in a memory of the player'"'"'s game pod; and

a functionality determination module that selects one or more of the additional functions of the video game corresponding to the amount of physical activity stored in the game pod memory.