Swim watch

• US 8,638,229 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Downey, David J., Massoth, Kristin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/022,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/850, 340/573.6, 340/693.5, 340/539.13, 368/108, 368/109, 368/10, 368/14, 701/213, 701/25, 701/207, 701/468, 701/500, 702/182
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• 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 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/60 Apparatus used in water
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/20 Swimming
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/26 involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 : Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 : Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 : for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 : using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R

Abstract

A watch device for use by a swimmer while swimming in a body of water. The watch device may generally comprise a housing, a location determining component disposed within the housing and operable to receive one or more satellite signals to determine a current geographic location of the housing, and a processing system. The processing system may synchronize the location determining component with the swimmer'"'"'s arm movement so that the location determining component can determine the current geographic location of the housing.

Claims

1. A watch device for use by a swimmer while swimming in a body of water, the watch device comprising:

a housing;

a location determining component disposed within the housing and operable to generate location information for the housing; and

a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled with the location determining component, the processing system operable to—

determine a heading of the housing based on the location information generated by the location determining component,

determine a variation in the heading of the housing, and

identify a future swim route based on the location information generated by the location determining component and the variation in the heading of the housing.

2. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the location determining component comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and an antenna.

3. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the location determining component is operable to determine current location information for the housing and the processing system is operable to identify the future swim route using the current location information and the variations in the heading of the housing.

4. The watch device of claim 1, further including a user interface operable to present an indication of the future swim route and receive course information.

5. The watch device of claim 4, wherein the processing system is operable to alter the future swim route using the location information, the variation in the heading of the housing, and the course information.

6. The watch device of claim 1, further including a user interface operable to present an indication of the future swim route.

7. The watch device of claim 1, further including a memory disposed within the housing and operable to store previous location information for the housing, wherein the processing system is operable to identify the future swim route using the location information generated by the location determining component, the variation in the heading of the housing, and a bearing determined from the previous location information.

8. The watch device of claim 1, further including a memory disposed within the housing and operable to store previous location information for the housing, wherein the processing system is operable to identify the future swim route using the location information generated by the location determining component, the variation in the heading of the housing, and the previous location information.

9. The watch device of claim 1, further including a user interface operable to receive information from the swimmer, wherein the processing system is operable to identify the future swim route using the location information generated by the location determining component, the variation in the heading of the housing, and the received information.

10. The watch device of claim 9, wherein the received information is selected from the group consisting of a starting location, an ending location, one or more waypoints, a total distance, total laps, total time, a lap distance, and a total distance.

11. The watch device of claim 1, further including a memory disposed within the housing and operable to store previous geographic locations of the housing, wherein the location determining component is operable to determine a current location information of the housing and the processing system is operable to identify a deviation in the identified future swim route by comparing the current geographic location of the housing with the previous geographic locations of the housing.

12. The watch device of claim 11, wherein the processing system is operable to identify a desired correction to guide the swimmer back towards the identified future swim route.

13. The watch device of claim 12, further including a display disposed within the housing and operable to present an indication of the desired correction.

14. The watch device of claim 12, further including a speaker disposed within the housing and operable to audibly communicate an indication of the desired correction.

15. The watch device of claim 12, further including a vibrating element disposed within the housing and operable to vibrate to indicate the desired correction.

16. The watch device of claim 12, further including a heads-up display operable to guide the swimmer back towards the identified future swim route.

17. The watch device of claim 16, further including light emitting portions presented within the heads-up display and operable to guide the swimmer back towards the identified future swim route.