Mobile computing weight, diet, nutrition, and exercise management system with enhanced feedback and goal achieving functionality

• US 9,728,102 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2016
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SmarTEN LLC
• Original Assignee: SmarTEN LLC
• Inventors: Nusbaum, Mark E., Pera, Jr., Vincent, Rhoads, Jan E., Nusbaum, Jennifer L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/361,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20170084196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 255 Days
• Field of Search: 434127, 128921, 128905, 705 2, 705 3, 707802
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• 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: 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 19/0092 Nutrition
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/125 the stations being mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An illustrative mobile computing device executing weight, nutrition, health, behavior and exercise application software serves as a simulated combination personal trainer and dietician/nutritionist for the user using comprehensive databases storing personalized health, nutrition and exercise information. A mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, executing such software monitors, tracks and/or adjusts caloric intake, energy expenditure taking into account nutritional information and behavioral factors. The mobile computing device receives food consumption, exercise-related, behavior and other input using speech input and the device'"'"'s GPS subsystem to ease data entry burden on users and to promote continued long-term usage. The system rewards user goal achievement in an automatic, seamless manner, through, for example, downloading music, books, or other media. In illustrative implementations, the system assists users to make healthy food and exercise choices by using a comprehensive color code system to identify good choices, bad choices and those in between.

Claims

1. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device having a housing sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand comprising:

a storage subsystem for storing health-related information including a user profile, said storage subsystem being operable to store health information about a user, including body weight, height, pulse rate information, a body fat-related parameter, a calories burned goal, and handicap-related information, said storage subsystem being further operable to store food-related information including nutrient data, and to store physical activity-related information including exercise data;

a touch screen display in said housing operable to display food-related information and physical activity-related information to said user;

a user interface operable to receive input from said user and to communicate output to said user, said user interface including a plurality of user interface displays displayable on said touch screen display, said user interface being operable to display;

a user profile-related symbol, a food-related symbol, and a physical activity-related symbol;

said user interface further including an audio input device being operable to receive speech signals from a user, and wherein said storage subsystem includes memory locations storing a set of instructions for performing speech recognition;

a digital camera in said housing being operable to generate image data;

a GPS receiver in said housing operable to receive GPS data;

a pedometer in said housing operable to generate step-related data;

a communication interface operable to communicate with external devices over the Internet, said communication interface being operable to receive user health-related information over the Internet;

a processing subsystem, operatively coupled to said user interface, said digital camera, said GPS receiver, said pedometer, said communication interface, said touch screen display, and said storage subsystem, said processing subsystem including;

a food monitor, operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and being operable to track nutrient data related to a user-selected food including the amount of protein and fat;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a nutritional rating based at least in part on a combination of nutrient parameters in said user-selected food, wherein said nutritional rating, with respect to at least one health-related goal, ranges from a rating indicating a relatively undesirable combination of nutrient parameters to a rating indicating a relatively desirable combination of nutrient parameters;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a display of said nutritional rating to said user via said user interface on said touch screen display;

said food monitor being further operable to store nutrient data including the amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a display of said amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food; and

a physical activity monitor, operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and being operable to receive physical activity-related information including data related to a first exercise expected to be performed by said user;

said physical activity monitor being operable to store the calories expected to be burned by said user upon performing said first exercise;

said physical activity monitor being operable to receive physical activity-related information including data related to a second exercise expected to be performed by said user;

said physical activity monitor being operable to store the calories expected to be burned by said user upon performing said second exercise;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to add the calories burned by said user upon performing said second exercise to the calories burned by said user upon performing said first exercise, to provide cumulative calories burned information;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to store said cumulative calories burned information by said user in said storage subsystem;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to generate a display of said cumulative calories burned information and said calories burned goal, to thereby show progress made by said user towards meeting said calories burned goal;

said physical activity monitor being further operable, utilizing user location data received from said GPS receiver, to determine the current location of a motion-related exercise and to determine user distance traveled during said motion-related exercise;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to link each of a plurality of motion-related exercises with an associated plurality of exercise parameter combinations;

said plurality of motion-related exercises ranging from a slow walking exercise associated with an exercise parameter combination that may be performed by users with a relatively low fitness level, to further motion-related exercises associated with exercise parameter combinations that require increasingly higher user fitness levels to perform, based upon a comparison of exercise parameter combinations associated with said further motion-related exercises;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to receive said step-related data from said pedometer and to determine the number of steps taken by said user;

said touch screen display being further operable to display said amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food, to display said cumulative calories burned information, to display said calories burned goal, and to display the number of steps taken by said user.

2. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 1, wherein said storage subsystem is operable to store medications of said user.

3. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 1, wherein said handicap information indicates whether the user utilizes a wheelchair.

4. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 1, wherein said food monitor is operable to store data relating to the amount of selenium in a user-selected food and being further operable to generate a display of the amount of selenium in said user-selected food.

5. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management system according to claim 1, wherein said body fat-related parameter is a waist measurement.

6. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 1, wherein said processing subsystem is further operable to communicate at least one food-related recommendation and at least one exercise-related recommendation to said user.

7. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 1, wherein said storage subsystem includes:

a first set of memory locations for storing data related to a plurality of user-selectable foods, wherein each of said foods is associated with a unique food identifier, for storing a plurality of descriptors associated with each of said user-selectable foods, wherein said plurality of descriptors includes the quantity of each user-selectable food, and for storing data related to the calories consumed by said user for each user-selectable food, based in part upon user input; and

a second set of memory locations for storing data related to a plurality of user-selectable exercises, for storing a plurality of descriptors associated with at least one of said user-selectable exercises, wherein said plurality of descriptors includes data indicative of distance traveled during at least one motion-related exercise based upon data received from said GPS receiver, and for storing data related to the calories burned by said user during said at least one of said user-selectable exercises.

8. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 1, wherein said processing subsystem is operable to store in said storage subsystem, health-related information received from a health practitioner over the Internet via said communication interface.

9. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 1, wherein said digital camera is operable to capture food-related bar code information, and wherein said food monitor is operable to receive said barcode information from said digital camera.

10. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 1, wherein said processing subsystem further includes a reward generating subsystem being operable to automatically select a reward for said user if a health-related goal has been met by said user.

11. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 1, wherein said processing subsystem further includes a behavioral subsystem that generates requests for input from said user regarding dietary issues, and generates dietary recommendations in response to the user'"'"'s input.

12. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 1, wherein said processing subsystem generates a recommendation to a user to make healthier food choices.

13. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device having a housing sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand comprising:

a storage subsystem for storing health-related information including a user profile, said storage subsystem being operable to store health information about a user, including body weight, height, pulse rate information, a body fat-related parameter, a calories burned goal, a daily calories consumed goal, and handicap-related information, said storage subsystem being further operable to store food-related information including nutrient data and to store physical activity-related information including exercise data;

a touch screen display in said housing operable to display food-related information and physical activity-related information to said user;

a user interface operable to receive input from said user and to communicate output to said user, said user interface including a plurality of user interface displays displayable on said touch screen display, said user interface being operable to display;

a user profile-related symbol, a food-related symbol, and a physical activity-related symbol;

said user interface further including an audio input device being operable to receive speech signals from a user, and wherein said storage subsystem includes memory locations storing a set of instructions for performing speech recognition;

a digital camera in said housing being operable to generate image data;

a GPS receiver in said housing operable to receive GPS data;

a pedometer in said housing operable to generate step-related data;

a communication interface operable to communicate with external devices over the Internet, said communication interface being operable to receive user health-related information over the Internet;

a processing subsystem, operatively coupled to said user interface, said digital camera, said GPS receiver, said pedometer, said communication interface, said touch screen display, and said storage subsystem, said processing subsystem including;

a food monitor, operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and being operable to track nutrient data related to a user-selected food including the amount of protein and fat, and the calories consumed;

said food monitor being operable to store nutrient data including the amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a display of said amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food; and

a physical activity monitor, operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and being operable to receive physical activity-related information including data related to a first exercise expected to be performed by said user;

said physical activity monitor being operable to store the calories expected to be burned by said user upon performing said first exercise;

said physical activity monitor being operable to receive physical activity-related information including data related to a second exercise expected to be performed by said user;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to store the calories expected to be burned by said user upon performing said second exercise;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to add the calories burned by said user upon performing said second exercise to the calories burned by said user upon performing said first exercise, to provide cumulative calories burned information;

said physical activity monitor being operable to store said cumulative calories burned information by said user in said storage subsystem;

said physical activity monitor being operable to generate a display of said cumulative calories burned information and calories burned goal, to thereby show progress made by said user towards meeting said calories burned goal;

said physical activity monitor being further operable, utilizing user location data received from said GPS receiver, to determine the current location of a motion-related exercise and to determine user distance traveled during said motion-related exercise;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to link each of a plurality of motion-related exercises with an associated plurality of exercise parameter combinations;

said plurality of motion-related exercises ranging from a slow walking exercise associated with an exercise parameter combination that may be performed by users with a relatively low fitness level, to further motion-related exercises, associated with exercise parameter combinations that require increasingly higher fitness levels to perform based upon a comparison of exercise parameter combinations associated with said further motion-related exercises;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to receive said step-related data from said pedometer and to determine the number of steps taken by said user;

said processing subsystem being operable to determine the amount of calories left to be consumed during the day to meet said daily calories consumed goal, taking into account both calories consumed and calories burned during the day;

said touch screen display being further operable to display said amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food, to display said cumulative calories burned information, to display said calories burned goal, and to display said calories left to be consumed.

14. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 13, wherein said storage subsystem is operable to store medications of said user.

15. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 13, wherein said handicap information indicates whether the user utilizes a wheelchair.

16. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 13, wherein said food monitor is operable to store data relating to the amount of selenium in a user-selectable food and being operable to generate a display of the amount of selenium in said user-selectable food.

17. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 13, wherein said processing subsystem is operable to store in said storage subsystem health-related information received from a health care professional.

18. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 13, wherein said physical activity monitor is operable to monitor the pace of the user during a motion-related exercise and to notify the user if said pace was faster than the pace of at least one previously completed motion-related exercise.

19. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device having a housing sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand comprising:

a storage subsystem for storing health-related information including a user profile, said storage subsystem being operable to store health information about a user, including age, body weight, height, pulse rate information, a body fat-related parameter;

a calories burned goal, and handicap-related information, said storage subsystem being further operable to store food-related information including nutrient data and to store physical activity-related information including exercise data;

a touch screen display in said housing operable to display food-related information and physical activity-related information to said user;

a user interface operable to receive input from said user and to communicate output to said user, said user interface including a plurality of user interface displays displayable on said touch screen display, said user interface being operable to display;

a user profile-related symbol, a food-related symbol, and a physical activity-related symbol;

said user interface further including an audio input device being operable to receive speech signals from a user, and wherein said storage subsystem includes memory locations storing a set of instructions for performing speech recognition;

a digital camera in said housing being operable to generate image data;

a GPS receiver in said housing operable to receive GPS data;

a pedometer in said housing operable to generate step-related data;

a communication interface operable to communicate with external devices over the Internet, said communication interface being operable to receive user health-related information over the Internet;

a processing subsystem, operatively coupled to said user interface, said digital camera, said GPS receiver, said pedometer, said communication interface, said touch screen display, and said storage subsystem, said processing subsystem including;

a food monitor, operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and operable to track nutrient data related to a user-selected food including the amount of protein and fat;

said food monitor being operable to store nutrient data including the amount protein and fat in said user-selected food;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a display of said amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food; and

a physical activity monitor, operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and being operable to receive physical activity-related information including data related to a first exercise;

said physical activity monitor being operable to store the calories expected to be burned by said user upon performing said first exercise;

said physical activity monitor being operable to receive physical activity-related information including data related to a second exercise;

said physical activity monitor being operable to store the calories expected to be burned by said user upon performing said second exercise;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to add the calories burned by said user upon performing said second exercise to the calories burned by said user upon performing said first exercise, to provide cumulative calories burned information;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to store said cumulative calories burned information by said user in said storage subsystem;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to generate a display of said cumulative calories burned information and said calories burned goal, to thereby show progress made by said user towards meeting said calories burned goal;

said physical activity monitor being further operable, utilizing user location data received from said GPS receiver, to determine the current location of a motion-related exercise and to determine user distance traveled during said motion-related exercise;

said physical activity monitor being further operable to receive said step-related data from said pedometer, to determine the number of steps taken by said user;

said processing subsystem being operable to communicate at least one food-related recommendation to said user and to communicate at least one exercise-related recommendation to said user;

said touch screen display being further operable to display said amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food, to display said cumulative calories burned information, to display said calories burned goal, and to display the number of steps taken by said user.

20. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 19, wherein said handicap information indicates whether the user utilizes a wheelchair.

21. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 19, wherein said food monitor is operable to store data relating to the amount of selenium in a user-selected food and being further operable to generate a display of the amount of selenium in said user-selected food.

22. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management system according to claim 19, wherein said food monitor is further operable to generate a nutrition-related rating for at least one food item and to communicate said rating to said user via said user interface.

23. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 19, wherein said processing subsystem is operable to store in said storage subsystem health-related information about said user received from a physician.

24. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 19, wherein said physical activity monitor is operable to monitor the pace of the user during said motion-related exercise, and to notify the user if said pace was faster than the pace of at least one previously completed motion-related exercise.

25. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device according to claim 19, wherein said processing subsystem communicates a recommendation to a user to make healthier food choices.

26. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management computing device having a housing sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand comprising:

a storage subsystem for storing health information including a user profile, said storage subsystem being operable to store health information about a user, including body weight, pulse rate information, at least one food-related goal including a calorie-related daily goal, and a physical activity-related goal including an exercise-related goal;

said storage subsystem being further operable to store data relating to a plurality of user-selectable foods and to store data relating to a plurality of user-selectable exercises;

a touch screen display operable to display food-related and exercise-related information to said user;

a user interface operable to receive input from said user and to communicate output to said user, said user interface including a plurality of user interface displays displayable on said touch screen display;

said user interface being operable to selectively initiate entry into said user profile or at least one food-related operation or at least one exercise-related operation, said user interface including a plurality of user-selectable symbols;

said user-selectable symbols being operable to initiate entry into said user profile or at least one food-related operation or at least one exercise-related operation;

a digital camera in said housing being operable to generate image data;

a GPS receiver in said housing operable to receive GPS data;

a pedometer in said housing operable to generate step-related data;

a communication interface operable to communicate with a remotely located computing device over the Internet, said communication interface being operable to establish communication over the Internet between said user and a health professional, and to receive responses from said health professional to health-related queries from said user;

said user interface being operable to display on said touch screen display in said housing;

a food mode symbol, and a plurality of user selectable exercise-related symbols for a user to select an exercise for data entry, said user interface being operable to permit a user to select an exercise that uses position coordinate information based upon said input GPS data, and to select an exercise that does not use position coordinate information based upon said input GPS data;

a processing subsystem, operatively coupled to said user interface, said digital camera, said GPS receiver, said pedometer, said touch screen display, and said storage subsystem, said processing subsystem including;

a food monitor operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and being operable to receive food-related data from said user, via said user interface, including data identifying a first set of foods input by said user, and being operable to link said first set of foods to a specific user meal, said first set of foods including a first food and a quantity-related parameter identified by said user;

said food monitor being operable to determine the calories expected to be consumed by said user upon eating said first food, and to store food-related information in said storage subsystem relating to said first food, including information relating to the nutritional content of said first food and the calories consumed by said user upon eating said first food, based in part on said food-related data from said user;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a nutritional rating based at least in part on a combination of nutrient parameters in said first food of said first set of foods;

said nutritional rating being further based upon nutritional rating values ranging from low values, indicating a relatively undesirable combination of nutrient parameters, with respect to at least one health-related goal, to high values, indicating a relatively desirable combination of nutrient parameters, with respect to said at least one health-related goal;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a display of said nutritional rating to said user via said user interface on said touch screen display;

said food monitor being further operable to store nutrient data including the amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a display of said amount of protein and fat in said user-selected food;

said food monitor being operable to receive image data from said digital camera relating to said first food;

said food monitor, in response to user selection of said food mode symbol, being further operable to generate a food selection display screen identifying a plurality of meal category symbols that allow the user to select a meal category including a breakfast category symbol, a lunch category symbol, and a dinner category symbol;

said food monitor being further operable to generate a list of said user'"'"'s favorite foods in response to food-related inputs by said user during food selection for said specific user meal;

said food monitor being further operable to determine the amount of a nutrient in at least said first food, and to associate one color code of a plurality of color codes with the amount of said nutrient in at least said first food, each of said plurality of color codes being indicative of a range of nutrient amounts in at least said first food;

said plurality of color codes varying from a first color code indicative of a range of relatively low amounts of said nutrient, to a second color code indicative of a range of relatively high amounts of said nutrient; and

an exercise monitor being operatively coupled to said storage subsystem and, in response to user selection of at least one of said exercise-related symbols , being operable to receive exercise-related data from said user, via said user interface, including data identifying a first exercise expected to be performed by said user;

said exercise monitor being operable to determine the calories expected to be burned by said user upon performing said first exercise, and to store exercise-related information in said storage subsystem relating to said first exercise, including the calories burned by said user and an exercise quantity-related parameter upon said user performing said first exercise, based in part on data from said user;

said exercise monitor being operable to receive image data from said digital camera relating to said first exercise;

said exercise monitor being further operable, using said user location data received from said GPS receiver in said hand-held housing, to determine the current location of a motion-related exercise, to generate a visual depiction indicating the user traversing the path defined by said user location data, and to determine user distance traveled and duration traveled during said motion-related exercise;

said exercise monitor being operable to monitor the pace of a user during a running exercise, and to prompt the user to change the pace of said running exercise;

said exercise monitor being further operable to associate each of a plurality of exercise levels with at least one user-selectable exercise, said user-selectable exercise including an associated exercise parameter combination;

said plurality of exercise levels ranging from a low exercise level, linked to an exercise with an associated exercise parameter combination that may be performed by users having a relatively low fitness level, to a first high exercise level, linked to an exercise having an exercise parameter combination requiring a relatively high fitness level to perform;

said plurality of exercise levels including a second high exercise level, linked to an exercise requiring a relatively high fitness level to perform, where said second high exercise level is at a lower exercise level than said first high exercise level, but at a higher exercise level than other exercise levels in said plurality of exercise levels, based upon a comparison of exercise parameter combinations associated with exercises of respective exercise levels being compared;

said exercise monitor being further operable to receive said step-related data from said pedometer, to determine the number of steps taken by said user during a step-related exercise, and to calculate the distance traveled during said step-related exercise;

said processing subsystem being further operable to monitor said user'"'"'s weight over time, and being operable to receive user weight data from said user interface and to store said user weight data in said storage subsystem, said processing subsystem being further operable to generate a weight-related display visually depicting a plurality of instances of said user'"'"'s weight over time on said touch screen display;

said touch screen display being operatively coupled to said processing subsystem to display said nutritional rating, to display said amount of protein and fat in said first food, to display at least some of said user'"'"'s favorite foods to aid in food data entry by said user, and to display said visual depiction indicating the user traversing the path defined by said user location data.

27. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 26, wherein said user interface includes an audio input device being operable to receive a speech signal from a user, and wherein said storage subsystem includes memory locations being operable to store a set of instructions for performing speech recognition.

28. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 26, said processing subsystem being further operable to communicate food-related advice to said user and to communicate exercise-related advice to said user.

29. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 26, wherein said processing subsystem further includes a reward generating subsystem being operable to automatically select a reward for said user if a health-related goal has been met by said user.

30. A hand-held mobile nutrition and physical activity management device according to claim 26, wherein said exercise monitor is operable to monitor the pace of the user during a motion-related exercise and to notify the user if said pace was faster than the pace of at least one previously completed motion-related exercise.