Interactive athletic equipment system

• US 8,088,044 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Tchao, Michael, Nims, Jason, Robinette, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Loan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GINSBERG, OREN ISAAC
• Application Number:
  US12/397,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20100048358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1, 482 3- 9, 482/2, 482901-902, 434/247, 434/255, 700 91- 92, 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• 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 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• 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 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and techniques for the collection and display of athletic information. Athletic data relating to a single person or group of people is collected at a central location, and subsequently displayed at a desired remote location so that the person or people can review and critique their performance. In addition, athletic data for multiple persons can be collected at a central location, and subsequently displayed to a user at a desired remote location, so that the user can compare his or her athletic activities to others.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an athletic performance device having;

a first portion configured to remain stationary during performance of athletic activity by a user using the athletic performance device;

a second portion comprising one or more moveable mechanical devices through which the user performs the athletic activity;

a processor; and

a storage module, wherein the athletic performance device is configured to;

selectively retrieve historical athletic activity data for one or more previous workouts of the user based on a type of the athletic performance device from at least one of;

a remote network site and a portable user device, wherein the historical athletic activity data is selectively retrieved from a plurality of historical athletic activity data including a first set of historical athletic activity data recorded for a first type of athletic performance device and a second set of historical athletic activity data recorded for a second type of athletic performance device different from the first type of athletic performance device;

detect and store the athletic activity of the user, wherein detecting the athletic activity of the user includes measuring an amount of the athletic activity based on movement of the one or more moveable mechanical devices of the athletic performance device; and

electronically communicate data corresponding to the detected athletic activity of the user to a portable user device separate from the athletic performance device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device includes a physical connection module configured to receive the portable user device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device includes a transceiver configured to communicate with the portable user device wirelessly.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device is further configured to receive the historical athletic activity data from the portable user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable user device is a digital music player.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable user device has a USB connector.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device further includes a network adapter configured to connect to the remote network site.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device is configured to connect to the remote network site through the portable user device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device is further configured to automatically and selectively retrieve data for a best workout of the user performed on a type of athletic equipment corresponding to the athletic performance device, wherein selectively retrieving data for a best workout includes:

determining whether a metric of the best workout is one of;

a highest among a plurality of workouts performed on the type of athletic equipment corresponding to the athletic performance device and a lowest among the plurality of workouts performed on the type of athletic equipment corresponding to the athletic performance device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the data for the best workout is received from the portable device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the data for the best workout is received from the remote network site.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the athletic performance device is further configured to display the athletic activity data of the user in comparison to the data for the best workout.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device is further configured to receive additional athletic activity data from at least one other athletic performance device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device is further configured to:

measure the athletic activity in units of calories burned; and

store the athletic activity in a common unit used for multiple types of athletic activity, wherein the common unit is different from a unit in which the athletic activity is measured.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the athletic activity is displayed on the remote network site in the common unit and the unit in which the athletic activity is measured, and wherein the athletic activity in the common unit is displayed visually differently than the athletic activity in the unit in which the athletic activity is measured.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote network site is configurable to display the athletic activity in only the common unit or in only the unit in which the athletic activity is measured.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the value of the common unit is equal to 100 calories burned.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the athletic performance device is configured to provide the portable user device with a network connection to the remote network site such that data intended for the remote network site is initially received by the athletic performance device from the portable user device and subsequently transmitted to the remote network site by the athletic performance device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the athletic performance device is further configured to display data associated with a most recent workout.

20. A method comprising:

selectively retrieving, by an athletic performance device having one or more mechanical devices moveable independently of another portion of the athletic performance device, historical athletic activity data for one or more previous workouts of the user based on a type of the athletic performance device from at least one of;

a remote network site and a portable user device, wherein the historical athletic activity data is selectively retrieved from a plurality of historical athletic activity data including a first set of historical athletic activity data recorded for a first type of athletic performance device and a second set of historical athletic activity data recorded for a second type of athletic performance device different from the first type of athletic performance device, and wherein the another portion of the athletic performance device is configured to be stationary during performance of the athletic activity;

measuring an amount of athletic activity performed by a user based on actuation of the one or more mechanical devices; and

displaying, during the athletic activity performed by the user, a comparison between the retrieved historical activity data and the measured amount of athletic activity performed by the user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating the athletic activity of the user to the portable user device through a physical connection between the athletic performance device and the portable user device.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising wirelessly communicating the athletic activity of the user to the portable user device.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the portable user device includes a digital music player.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the portable user device includes a USB connector.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting the athletic activity data to the remote network site using a network adapter of the athletic performance device.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting the measured athletic activity to the remote network site through the portable user device.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selectively extracting data, by the athletic performance device, for a best workout performed by the user on a type of athletic equipment corresponding to the athletic performance device by comparing a performance metric among a plurality of previously performed workouts; and

comparing the measured athletic activity performed by the user with the extracted best workout data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the data for the best workout is selectively extracted from the remote network site.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the data for the best workout is selectively extracted from the portable device.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying the athletic activity data in comparison to the data for the best workout.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the athletic performance device is further configured to receive historical athletic activity data from at least one other athletic performance device.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing the athletic activity in a common unit used for multiple types of athletic activity, wherein the common unit corresponds to a number of miles run regardless of athletic activity type.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising displaying the athletic activity is on the remote network site in the common unit and the unit in which the athletic activity is measured, and wherein the athletic activity in the common unit is displayed visually differently than the athletic activity in the unit in which the athletic activity is measured.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the unit in which the athletic activity is measured includes a number of calories burned and wherein 1 mile run is equal to 100 calories burned.

35. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying a goal and a current progress in achieving the goal based on the athletic activity data of the user.

36. An athletic performance device comprising:

a first portion configured to remain stationary during performance of athletic activity by a user;

a second portion including one or more mechanical components configured for movement during performance of the athletic activity on the athletic performance device, wherein the one or more mechanical components are moveable independently of the first portion;

at least one processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the athletic performance device to;

selectively retrieve historical athletic activity data for one or more previous workouts of the user based on a type of the athletic performance device from at least one of;

a remote network site and a portable user device, wherein the historical athletic activity data is selectively retrieved from a plurality of historical athletic activity data including a first set of historical athletic activity data recorded for a first type of athletic performance device and a second set of historical athletic activity data recorded for a second type of athletic performance device different from the first type of athletic performance device;

measure an amount of athletic activity performed by a user based on actuation of the one or more mechanical components;

display, during the athletic activity performed by the user, a comparison between the retrieved historical activity data and the measured amount of athletic activity performed by the user;

transmit athletic activity data corresponding to the measured amount of athletic activity to the remote network site through a network connection.

37. The athletic performance device of claim 36, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the athletic performance device to:

convert the measured amount of athletic activity to a distance run regardless of a type of athletic activity performed.