SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING ACTIVITY BASED SUGGESTIVE (ABS) MESSAGES

• US 20130188809A1
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motivational Health Messaging, LLC
• Original Assignee: Martin Kelly Jones, Scott A. Horstemeyer
• Inventors: Jones, M. Kelly, Horstemeyer, Scott Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,069,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/119
• 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: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission

Abstract

A personal electronic device (PED) is provided with a system for delivering activity based suggestive (ABS) messages (e.g., a motivational message, etc.) to a user based upon the current or anticipated activity of the user. In some embodiments, the user can define user preferences, which determine when and how ABS messages are initiated. In some embodiments, the message selection is based upon a detected activity, location, or speed of the user. In some embodiments, the message selection is based upon a detection of a local environmental event.

Claims

1. A method for implementing in a personal electronic device (PED) that has an media player, comprising the steps of:

enabling a user to input one or more user preferences;

determining a user activity associated with the user;

playing media; and

initiating output of one or more activity based suggestive (ABS) messages based at least in part upon the user preferences and the user activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling, determining, playing, and initiating steps are part of a first electronic based intelligence function and further comprising the steps of:

enabling the user to perform a second electronic based intelligence function that is different than the first electronic based intelligence function;

determining that an event has occurred in a local environment associated with the PED by analyzing data measured by one or more transducers situated in or communicatively coupled to the PED; and

determining the user activity based at least in part on the event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is determined by any one or more of the following:

accelerometer data, GPS data, and map data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a user interface having a keyboard and display that enables the user to select or input the user preferences.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ABS message is input or selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ABS messages are provided between audio tracks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ABS messages are provided during an audio track.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of lowering volume associated with the audio track while playing the ABS messages.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of accessing a remote computer server and retrieving the one or more ABS messages.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring location data; and

initiating an ABS message based at least in part on the location data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

communicating the location data to a remote server computer system; and

receiving the ABS message that is selected by the remote server computer system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of mixing an audio signal and the ABS message signal so that the audio and ABS message are played concurrently on the same one or more speakers.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining an activity associated with a user of the PED; and

initiating an ABS message based at least in part on the determined activity.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a speed associated with the PED; and

determining an ABS message that is based at least in part on the speed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining steps of:

determining a location associated with the PED; and

wherein the ABS message is determined based at least in part upon the location in addition to the speed.

16. A method for implementing in a personal electronic device (PED) having one or more audio outputs, comprising the steps of:

enabling a user to perform a first electronic based intelligence function; and

enabling the user to perform a second electronic based intelligence function, comprising;

enabling the user to input one or more user preferences that will cause the PED to play in the future one or more activity based suggestive (ABS) messages; and

initiating output of the one or more ABS messages based upon the user preferences to the one or more audio outputs.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of permitting concurrent operation of the first and second electronic based intelligence functions.

18. A method for implementing in a personal electronic device (PED) having one or more audio outputs, a GPS receiver, and map data, comprising the steps of:

enabling a user to perform a first electronic based intelligence function;

enabling the user to perform a second electronic based intelligence function, comprising;

receiving location information from the GPS receiver;

determining an activity status based upon the location information and the map data, the activity status relating to an activity associated with the user; and

initiating output of the one or more ABS messages based upon the activity status to the one or more audio outputs.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of selecting the one or more ABS messages.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

communicating the location information to a remote computer system; and

receiving the one or more ABS messages from the remote computer system.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the activity status is one of the following:

the activity has commenced, the activity has terminated, or the activity has changed.

22. A method for implementing in a personal electronic device (PED) having one or more outputs, comprising the steps of:

enabling a user to perform a first electronic based intelligence function; and

enabling the user to perform a second electronic based intelligence function, comprising;

sensing a signal in a local environment associated with the PED;

converting the sensed signal to sensed data;

detecting an event, at least in part, by comparing the sensed data with reference data that corresponds to the event; and

initiating output of the one or more activity based (ABS) messages to the one or more outputs based, at least in part, upon the detected event.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing identification information relating to a plurality of events; and

enabling the user to select the event from the stored identification information relating to the plurality of events.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

determining location information associated with the PED; and

using the location information to assist with detecting the event.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

storing user preferences; and

selecting the message based upon user preferences.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of concurrently outputting the media and the one or more ABS messages on the same one or more outputs devices.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the media comprises an audio signal and further comprising the step of adjusting a volume associated with the one or more messages so that the volume is lower than that associated with the audio signal associated with the media.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of outputting the one or more ABS messages on the one or more outputs devices between tracks associated with the media.