Monitoring and Tracking Athletic Activity

• US 20110098928A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Crankson, Kwamina, Nims, Jason, Hoffman, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/5
• 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 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0647 Visualisation of executed movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0661 arranged on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0056 the pivoting movement being in a vertical plane, e.g. steppers with a horizontal axis platforms for rocking motion about a horizontal axis A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0076 Rowing machines for conditioning the cardio-vascular system seats moving during exercise A63B22/0087; training appliances for rowing or sculling on boats A63B69/06
• 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 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 : Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 : Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 : with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• 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 2225/54 : Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 : Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 : heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 : P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 : calorie expenditure
• 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 69/0028 : for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0697 : Reservation devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 : External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 : the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 : Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

Athletic activity may be tracked and monitored while providing encouragement and maintaining an individual'"'"'s interest in continuing to perform athletic activity. For example, a themed workout plan may be implemented to motivate the individual and maintain the individual'"'"'s interest. The theme may include geographic locations, food items, technology, sports and the like and may include multiple categories or groupings of goals. For example, the categories may correspond to geographic locations. In each category, multiple goals may be defined. The goals may further be represented by real-world objects such as buildings, food items, technology products, sports equipment and the like. A user may progress through each category by completing each of the goals within that category. Other individuals (e.g., friends) may also be displayed on an interface through which a user'"'"'s progress is tracked. This may allow the user to also view the other individuals'"'"' progress in the same workout plan.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

display a plurality of geographic locations in an interface, each of the plurality of geographic locations including at least one athletic activity goal;

receive a user selection of a first geographic location from the plurality of locations; and

in response to receiving the selection, display a progress map corresponding to the first geographic location, the progress map comprising a plurality of athletic activity goals, and wherein the progress map represents an amount of athletic activity required for the first geographic location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the athletic activity goals is represented by a physical landmark in the first geographic location.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a user'"'"'s progress in completing an athletic activity goal is visually represented by an appearance of a corresponding landmark.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a second geographic location is locked from user selection prior to completion of the amount of athletic activity required in the first location.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the amount of athletic activity required in the first geographic location includes an amount of athletic activity required to complete each of the plurality of athletic activity goals and an amount of athletic activity required to progress between the plurality of athletic activity goals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a number of athletic activity goals defined for the first geographic location corresponds to at least one of:

a physical size of the first geographic location and a population of the first geographic location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to display an indicator in the progress map, the indicator identifying a location of another individual and a progress of the other individual in completing the amount of athletic activity required in the first geographic location.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine if an amount of athletic activity performed by the user is greater than or equal to an amount of athletic activity required to reach a first athletic activity goal in the progress map; and

in response to determining that the amount of athletic activity performed by the user is greater or equal to an amount of athletic activity required to reach a first athletic activity goal, prompting the user to initiate the first athletic activity goal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

visually represent a first athletic activity goal by a virtual object; and

modify an appearance of the virtual object based on an amount of athletic activity the user has performed in completing the first athletic activity goal.

10. A method comprising:

displaying, by a computing device, a plurality of geographic locations in an interface, each of the plurality of geographic locations including at least one athletic activity goal;

receiving, by the computing device, a user selection of a first geographic location from the plurality of locations; and

in response to receiving the selection, displaying, by the computing device, a progress map corresponding to the first geographic location, the progress map comprising a plurality of athletic activity goals, and wherein the progress map represents an amount of athletic activity required for the first geographic location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the athletic activity goals is represented by a physical landmark in the first geographic location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a user'"'"'s progress in completing an athletic activity goal is visually represented by an appearance of a corresponding landmark.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a second geographic location is locked from user selection prior to completion of the amount of athletic activity required in the first location.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the amount of athletic activity required in the first geographic location includes an amount of athletic activity required to complete each of the plurality of athletic activity goals and an amount of athletic activity required to progress between the plurality of athletic activity goals.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a number of athletic activity goals defined for the first geographic location corresponds to at least one of:

a physical size of the first geographic location and a population of the first geographic location.

16. One or more computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

display a plurality of geographic locations in an interface, each of the plurality of geographic locations including at least one athletic activity goal;

receive a user selection of a first geographic location from the plurality of locations; and

in response to receiving the selection, display a progress map corresponding to the first geographic location, the progress map comprising a plurality of athletic activity goals, and wherein the progress map represents an amount of athletic activity required for the first

17. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to display an indicator in the progress map, the indicator identifying a location of another individual and a progress of the other individual in completing the amount of athletic activity required in the first geographic location.

18. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine if an amount of athletic activity performed by the user is greater than or equal to an amount of athletic activity required to reach a first athletic activity goal in the progress map; and

in response to determining that the amount of athletic activity performed by the user is greater or equal to an amount of athletic activity required to reach a first athletic activity goal, prompting the user to initiate the first athletic activity goal.

19. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

visually represent a first athletic activity goal by a virtual object; and

modify an appearance of the virtual object based on an amount of athletic activity the user has performed in completing the first athletic activity goal.

20. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the amount of athletic activity required in the first geographic location includes an amount of athletic activity required to complete each of the plurality of athletic activity goals and an amount of athletic activity required to progress between the plurality of athletic activity goals.