SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REVENUE SHARING WITH A FITNESS CENTER

• US 20100036736A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Expresso Fitness
• Original Assignee: Expresso Fitness
• Inventors: Peterson, Peter, McGee, Ian J., Button, Brian, Thompson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/242,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.550
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Systems and methods for revenue sharing with a fitness center are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, to incentivize purchase of internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment by a fitness center. One embodiment can include, assessing a fee from a user of the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment, collecting at least a portion of the fee from the user, and sharing the at least a portion of the fee with the fitness center where the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment is physically located.

Claims

1. A method to incentivize purchase of an internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment by a fitness center, comprising:

assessing a fee from a user of the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment;

collecting at least a portion of the fee from the user; and

sharing the at least a portion of the fee with the fitness center where the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment is physically located.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment is purchased or leased by the fitness center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment is associated with a unique ID.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, a predetermined percentage of the at least a portion of the fee is shared with the fitness center.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, registering the user as a member of a tiered service level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, providing different features via the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment based on the tiered service level for which the user is being assessed a fee.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein, the fitness center in which the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment is physically located is determined by the hardware ID.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein, the fitness center where the user operates the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment is determined by the hardware ID.

9. A method of sharing revenue with a fitness center, comprising:

optionally determining eligibility of a fitness center to share revenue generated from membership fee of a plurality of service subscribers;

wherein the membership fee is assessed from a service subscriber of the plurality of service subscribers to utilize web-features of an eligible-type of exercise equipment physically located in the fitness center;

in response to verifying eligibility of the fitness center, computing a portion of the revenue to be shared with the fitness center; and

sharing the portion of the revenue with the fitness center.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, the eligibility is determined by an amount of revenue generated from the membership fee of the plurality of service subscribers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, the fitness center is eligible if the amount of revenue exceeds a predetermined value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, the eligibility is determined by a number of the eligible-type of exercise equipment operable for use at the fitness center;

wherein the eligible-type of exercise equipment are purchased or leased.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, the fitness center is eligible if the number of the eligible-type of exercise equipment exceeds a predetermined number.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein, the portion of the revenue to be shared with the fitness center is a predetermined percentage of the revenue.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein, the revenue is determined based on collected portion of the membership fee assessed from the plurality of service subscribers.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising, registering the service subscriber as a member of a tiered service level based on an amount of the membership fee that is assessed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, providing different web-based features via the eligible-type of exercise equipment based on the tiered service level that the service subscriber has enrolled in.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, offering a first set of web-based features to a zero-th tier service level service subscriber.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, further offering a first additional set of web-based features to a first-tier service level service subscriber.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, further offering a second additional set of web-based features to a second-tier service level service subscriber.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein, the offering of the first set of web-based features comprises, generating a report of exercise data of the zero-th tier service level service subscriber over a predetermined time period.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein, the first set of web-based features further comprises, generating a report of exercise data of the zero-th tier service level service subscriber over a predetermined time period.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, the report is delivered to the zero-th tier service level service subscriber via email or in real-time.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein, the report is graphical.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein, the first set of web-based features further comprises, enabling the zero-th tier service level service subscriber to participate in contests or events.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein, the first set of web-based features further comprises, providing the zero-th tier service level service subscriber with performance benchmarking data.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein, the first set of web-based features further comprises, sending the zero-th tier service level service subscriber targeted advertisement and personalized messages.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein, the first additional set of web-based features comprises, a report of exercise data of the first tier service level service subscriber over an extended time period over the predetermined time period for the zero-th tier service level service subscriber.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first additional set of web-based features further comprises, providing demographic specific exercise data of service subscribers.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein, the first additional set of web-based features further comprises, enabling the first tier service level service subscriber to participate in additional contests or additional events.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein, the first additional set of web-based features further comprises, providing the first tier service level service subscriber with ghost riders.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein, the first additional set of web-based features further comprises, enabling the first tier service level service subscriber to personalize settings.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein, the second additional set of web-based features comprises, a multi-player racing session in real-time.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein, the second additional set of web-based features further comprises, a team racing session in real-time.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the real-time session is VoIP-enabled.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein, the second additional set of web-based features further comprises, advanced training support.

37. A method of providing tiered service levels via a network-enabled exercise equipment, comprising:

providing a default set of features via the network-enabled exercise equipment, the default set of features comprising, multimedia content enhanced exercise environments; and

in response to determining identification of an operator of the network-enabled exercise equipment, providing a customized set of features, the customized set of features comprising, operator-specific performance feedback.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein, the identification of the operator is based on verifying an identifier submitted via the network-enabled exercise equipment.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the identifier comprises a unique username and password combination for the operator.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein, the operator-specific performance feedback is delivered via the network-enabled exercise equipment.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein, the customized set of features further comprises, operator-specific messaging.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein, the customized set of features further comprises, targeted advertising.

43. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

in response to receiving a request from the operator to receive web-based exercise-related information, requesting the operator for an email address to which correspondences are to be sent;

storing the email address for the operator;

sending the web-based exercise-related information for the operator to the email address.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein, the web-based exercise-related information comprises, a report of exercise data generated by the operator over a predetermined time period.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising, providing additional set of multi-media enhanced features.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein, the receiving the request is associated with receiving a membership request for a first-tier service level.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising, assessing a first-tier rate for membership in the first-tier service level.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising, assessing a second-tier rate for membership in a second-tier service level;

wherein the second-tier service level enables the operator to access a second additional set of multi-media enhanced features.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising, assessing a third-tier rate for membership in a third-tier service level;

wherein the third-tier service level enables the operator to access a third additional set of multi-media enhanced features.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein, the third additional set of multi-media enhanced features comprises, one or more of:

a multi-player exercise session provided in real-time or near real-time;

a team-based exercise session wherein the teams are user-specifiable; and

advanced training support.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein, the multi-player exercise session or the team-based exercise session is VoIP-enabled.

52. The method of claim 37, further comprising, assigning the tiered service levels based on the location or hardware ID of the networked exercise equipment.

53. The method of claim 37, wherein, different networked exercise equipments are associated with various levels of the tiered service levels.

54. The method of claim 37, further comprising, providing a license for the networked exercise equipment that allows the operator of the exercise equipment to access a predetermined tiered service level.

55. A system, comprising:

a multimedia content repository to store multimedia content;

a communications module communicatively coupled to a plurality of eligible-type of exercise equipments physically located in one or more fitness centers;

a content delivery module coupled to the multimedia content repository module and the communications module;

an eligibility module coupled to the communications module, wherein, when, in operation, determines if the one or more fitness centers are eligible for revenue sharing;

a revenue sharing module.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the media content comprises, multimedia enhanced virtual exercise environments.

57. The system of claim 55, further comprising, an analyzer module, communicatively coupled to the communications module and the content delivery module, wherein, when, in operation, processes data received from the plurality of eligible-type of exercise equipments.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the analyzer module is further communicatively coupled to the content delivery module, wherein, when, in operation, controls content transmitted from the content delivery module to the plurality of eligible-type of exercise equipments.

59. The system of claim 55, further comprising, a repository to store information related to the one or more fitness centers having the plurality of eligible-type of exercise equipments.

60. The system of claim 55, further comprising, a user data repository to store membership information.

61. The system of claim 60, further comprising, a fee assessment module coupled to the user data repository, wherein, when, in operation, assesses membership fee of a plurality of service subscribers;

wherein, the membership fee is assessed from a service subscriber of the plurality of service subscribers to utilize web-features of at least a portion of the plurality of eligible-type of exercise equipment physically located in the one or more fitness centers.

62. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to receive access to a feature via a networked exercise equipment, the request to be received based on an action performed by an operator of the networked exercise equipment;

identifying user information associated with the operator, the user information comprising billing information;

providing access to the feature via the networked exercise equipment; and

billing the operator for the feature using the billing information.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein, the action performed by the operator comprises a click of a button on the networked exercise equipment.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein, the request is received in real-time or near real-time by a server at a location remote from the networked exercise equipment.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein the request comprises, one or more of, a request to join a tournament, race, or contest.

66. The method of claim 62, wherein, the request comprises a request to purchase more digital objects.

67. A system to incentivize purchase of a internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment by a fitness center, the system, comprising:

means for, assessing a fee from a user of the internet and/or web-enabled exercise equipment;

means for, collecting at least a portion of the fee from the user; and

means for, sharing the at least a portion of the fee with the fitness center.

68. A system to facilitate revenue sharing with a fitness center, the system, comprising:

means for, determining eligibility of a fitness center to share revenue generated from membership fee of a plurality of service subscribers;

wherein the membership fee is assessed from a service subscriber of the plurality of service subscribers to utilize web-features of an eligible-type of exercise equipment physically located in the fitness center;

means for, verifying eligibility of the fitness center;

means for, computing a portion of the revenue to be shared with the fitness center; and

means for, sharing the portion of the revenue with the fitness center.