Audible content with training information

• US 7,741,975 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Vissia, Gregory, Shum, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk; Samuel J
• Application Number:
  US11/142,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20050266961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/692, 340/573.1, 482/3, 482 8- 9, 377/24.2, 702/182
• US Class Current: 340/692
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means

Abstract

An audible playback device that allows an athlete, such as a runner, to conveniently listen to audible content and receive athletic performance information. A single device may be employed to both playback audible content and provide monitored performance information to a user. The performance information may be provided to a user audibly, so that the user does not need to move the monitoring device'"'"'s user interface to a viewable position.

Claims

1. A method of providing training information with audible content, comprising:

playing audible content at a first volume at an audio playback device;

receiving training information from an athletic performance monitor different from the audio playback device at a first preset interval, wherein the athletic training information received from the athletic performance monitor includes at least one measure of athletic activity;

pausing, at the audio playback device, playing of the audible content at a second preset interval;

providing, by the audio playback device, a user with the received training information at the second preset interval; and

after providing the user with the received training information, resuming playing of the audible content at the audio playback device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the training information, reducing playing of the audible content to a second volume lower than the first volume.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the audible content is music.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the audible content is music played back from a storage device of the audio playback device.

5. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the audible content is music played from a wireless transmission received at the audio playback device.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the audible content is voice content.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the audible content is voice content played back from a storage device.

8. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the audible content is voice content played from a wireless transmission.

9. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the training information by audibly playing the training information.

10. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the training information by visually displaying the training information.

11. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the training information includes biometric information for a user.

12. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the training information includes positional information.

13. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the training information includes temporal information.

21. The method recited in claim 1, the second preset interval further comprising a time interval, a distance of travel interval, or a combination thereof.

14. An audible playback device, comprising:

an athletic performance monitor interface to receive athletic performance information for a user from an athletic performance monitor at a first preset interval, wherein the athletic performance monitor is different from the audible playback device;

an athletic performance user interface to provide the received athletic performance information to the user at a second preset interval different from the first preset interval; and

an audible content playback module to play audible content to the user.

15. The audible playback device recited in claim 14, further comprising an athletic performance data storage for storing the received athletic performance information.

16. The audible playback device recited in claim 14, wherein the audible playback device is a wireless telephone.

17. The audible playback device recited in claim 14, wherein the audible playback device is an electronic file music player.

18. The audible playback device recited in claim 14, wherein the audible playback device is an optical disc player.

19. The audible playback device recited in claim 14, wherein the athletic performance user interface control received athletic performance information that is visually provided to the user.

20. The audible playback device recited in claim 14, wherein the athletic performance user interface control received athletic performance information that is audibly provided to the user.

22. The audible playback device recited in claim 14, the second preset interval further comprising a time interval, a distance of travel interval, or a combination thereof.

23. A method of providing training information with audible content, comprising:

playing, by an audio playback device, audible content at a first volume;

receiving, at the audio playback device, training information from an athletic performance monitor separate from the audio playback device at a first preset interval;

pausing, at the audio playback device, playing of the audible content at a second preset interval different from the first preset interval;

providing, by the audio playback device, the received training information at the second preset interval to the user; and

after providing the user with the received training information, resuming playing of the audible content by the audio playback device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first preset interval is defined by a combination of a time interval and a distance of travel interval.