BICYCLE COMPUTER HAVING POSITION-DETERMINING FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20090063049A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Swisher, Sarah L., Downey, David J., Lovitt, John H., Stevenson, Claudette D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/221 Ergometry, e.g. by using bicycle type apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0641 with a marker advancing in function of the exercise
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• 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 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• 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: A63B 24/0075 : Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 : for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/002 : for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications

Abstract

A bicycle computer having position-determining functionality is described. In an implementation, an apparatus includes a housing configured to attach to a bicycle. The apparatus has one or more modules to store training metrics of a user of the bicycle as a function of geographic position.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a housing configured for use in conjunction with a bicycle, and having one or more modules to store metrics of a user of the bicycle as a function of geographic position.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the position is determined through use of position-determining functionality that uses one or more Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the training metrics are stored in real time.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to store metrics that include at least one of distance, time, speed, incline or altitude gain of a plurality of said geographic positions.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the training metrics are selected from a group consisting of heart rate, cadence and power output.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to output the training metrics that are stored as a function of the geographic position at a later point in time at similar geographic positions.

7. A bicycle computer comprising:

a housing;

a display disposed on the housing; and

one or more modules, disposed within the housing, to;

output a map having an indication of a current geographic position, that is determined using one or more Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques, in real time on the display; and

output one or more training metrics of a user of a bicycle in real time on the display.

8. A bicycle computer as described in claim 7, wherein the training metrics are selected from a group consisting of heart rate, cadence and power output.

9. A bicycle computer as described in claim 7, wherein the modules are configured to receive at least one said training metric wirelessly from a device that collects data describing the at least one said training metric.

10. A bicycle computer as described in claim 9, wherein the device is configured to be attached to the user.

11. A bicycle computer as described in claim 7, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to output at least one training metric that was previously stored by the one or more modules that corresponds to the current geographic position.

12. A bicycle computer comprising one or more modules, disposed within a housing, to:

store one or more training metrics of a user of a bicycle as a function of geographic position; and

output information related to the one or more training metrics and the geographic position.

13. A bicycle computer as described in claim 12, wherein the one or more training metrics are stored at predetermined intervals.

14. A bicycle computer as described in claim 12, wherein the information includes at least one of the training metrics.

15. A bicycle computer as described in claim 12, wherein the information includes at least one of the training metrics stored previously at the geographic position by the one or more modules.

16. A bicycle computer as described in claim 12, wherein the one or more modules are configured to determine the geographic position using one or more Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques.

17. A method comprising:

determining a geographic position of a bicycle computer; and

outputting a virtual training partner, having one or more training metrics, by the bicycle computer based on the determined geographic position.

18. A method as described in claim 17, wherein the virtual training partner is illustrated on a map that includes the determined geographic position.

19. A method as described in claim 17, further comprising outputting the determined geographic position by the bicycle computer.

20. A method as described in claim 17, further comprising outputting at least one said training metric of a current user of a bicycle having the bicycle computer concurrently with the virtual training partner.

21. A method as described in claim 17, wherein the determining is performed through use of one or more Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques.

22. A method comprising:

outputting on a bicycle computer;

one or more training metrics collected in real time as a function of geographic position on a bicycle computer; and

at least one training metric that was previously collected in real time at the geographic position.

23. A method as described in claim 22, wherein the at least one training metric is output as a virtual training partner in conjunction with a map that includes the geographic position.

24. A method as described in claim 23, wherein the geographic position is indicated on the map as a current position of a user of the bicycle concurrently with the virtual training partner.

25. A method as described in claim 22, further comprising determining the geographic position using one or more Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques.