SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REWARDING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• US 20130330694A1
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IFIT Incorporated (Amynta Agency, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ICON Health & Fitness Incorporated (HF HOLDINGS INC)
• Inventors: Watterson, Scott R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,460,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• 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

Abstract

A system incentivizes people to engage in physical activity. A person'"'"'s physical activity may be monitored over a period of time. Such monitoring may occur by using a sensing device carried or worn by the user. In the system, one or more thresholds for physical activity are established. Information tracked using the sensing device can be compared to the thresholds. A percentage of physical activity relative to the threshold can be translated to a reward established for the physical activity, and the percentage may be used to determine a reward value for an electronic device relative to a full available value. Rewards may include times or amounts. Time values may indicate durations during which particular activities or devices may be used. Amount values may indicate an amount of a battery charge, a number of communications, a currency value, or other values relative to use of an electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for incentivizing physical activity, comprising:

in a computing system that includes one or more processors;

tracking a person'"'"'s physical activity over a period of time;

comparing the person'"'"'s physical activity to a threshold for the period of time;

identifying a reward corresponding to the threshold; and

determining that the person'"'"'s physical activity is less than the threshold and, in response, authorizing a proportional amount of the reward, the proportional amount being scaled based on the person'"'"'s physical activity relative to the threshold.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein tracking person'"'"'s physical activity includes obtaining data from a sensing device carried or worn by the person.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein comparing the person'"'"'s physical activity to a threshold includes comparing a number of calories burned a threshold number of calories burned value.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold includes one or more of a distance or duration.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein comparing the person'"'"'s physical activity to a threshold includes comparing the person'"'"'s physical activity to a plurality of thresholds.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of thresholds correspond to a same reward.

7. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of thresholds correspond to different rewards.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the reward includes use of an electronic device.

9. The method recited in claim 8, wherein authorizing the reward includes authorizing a battery charge of the electronic device, the authorized battery charge being less than a full charge of the battery.

10. The method recited in claim 9, further comprising:

restricting the battery charge based on a proportion of the person'"'"'s physical activity relative to the threshold.

11. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the reward includes one or more of:

talk time;

text messaging;

email messages;

or

video game playing time.

12. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the reward includes educational credit for one or more school classes.

13. The method recited in claim 1, wherein identifying a reward corresponding to the threshold includes identifying a plurality of rewards corresponding to the threshold.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein authorizing the reward includes authorizing the plurality of rewards, the plurality of rewards collectively being proportional to the person'"'"'s physical activity relative to the threshold.

15. Computer-readable media for use with an electronic device used in encouraging users of the electronic device to engage in physical activity and exercise, comprising:

one or more storage media including thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processor components, causes the electronic device to;

receive a request from a user to use the electronic device;

access information about a reward available based on physical activity of the user, the reward including a restricted use of the electronic device;

display on a display device a portion of the reward available for redemption using the electronic device; and

monitor use of the electronic relative to the reward restricting use of the electronic device.

16. The computer-readable media recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the electronic device to:

send a message to an administrator computing device, the message indicating a portion of the reward redeemed on the electronic device.

17. The computer-readable media recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the electronic device to provide to the user encouragement to engage in additional physical activity to increase the reward.

18. The computer-readable media recited in claim 17, wherein the encouragement is at least partially based on current weather information.

19. The computer-readable media recited in claim 17, wherein the reward is available based on physical activity of the user relative to a threshold.

20. The computer-readable media recited in claim 19, wherein the reward has a redeemable value less than a full value, wherein a percentage of the redeemable value relative to the full value is about equal to a percentage of the physical activity of the user relative to the threshold.