U.S. patent application number 10/794137 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-08 for system and method for utilizing a bicycle computer to monitor athletic performance.
Invention is credited to White, Russell W..
Application Number | 20050195094 10/794137 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34912193 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050195094 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
White, Russell W. |
September 8, 2005 |
System and method for utilizing a bicycle computer to monitor
athletic performance
Abstract
A system and method are disclosed for utilizing a bicycle
computer to monitor athletic performance. A system that
incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for
example, a housing component at least partially defining an
enclosure. A local area wireless transceiver capable of receiving a
signal from a sensor coupled to a bicycle may be located within the
enclosure. A performance engine may also be located within the
enclosure and may be communicatively coupled to the local area
wireless transceiver. In operation, the performance engine may
utilize the signal from the sensor to generate a performance metric
like current speed, distance traveled, or cadence. The system may
also include an output mechanism such as a display device
associated with the housing component. The output mechanism or
display device may be capable of presenting the performance metric
to a user. In preferred embodiments, the system may also include a
wide area wireless transceiver located within the enclosure. This
wide area wireless transceiver may allow the user to send and
receive information across a geographically disperse network such
as a cellular telephone network.
Inventors: |
White, Russell W.; (Austin,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOLER & LARSON & ABEL L.L.P.
5000 PLAZA ON THE LAKE STE 265
AUSTIN
TX
78746
US
|
Family ID: |
34912193 |
Appl. No.: |
10/794137 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/870.01 ;
340/432; 482/8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 3/08 20130101; G01C
22/002 20130101; A63B 2024/0025 20130101; G06F 1/163 20130101; H04M
1/72412 20210101; A63B 2244/20 20130101; H04M 2250/06 20130101;
A63B 2220/34 20130101; H04M 1/21 20130101; A63B 2220/13 20130101;
H04W 84/10 20130101; H04M 1/72442 20210101; A63B 2225/20 20130101;
G01C 21/10 20130101; A63B 2071/0625 20130101; H04M 1/72448
20210101; A63B 2225/50 20130101; G06F 3/011 20130101; A63B 2220/12
20130101; A63B 69/16 20130101; A63B 2071/063 20130101; A63B 71/0622
20130101; A63B 2220/30 20130101; H04M 2250/12 20130101; G01C 22/006
20130101; H04M 2250/02 20130101; A63B 24/0021 20130101; A63B
71/0686 20130101; A63B 2220/20 20130101; A63B 69/0028 20130101;
A63B 2220/836 20130101; H04B 1/3822 20130101; A63B 2024/0071
20130101; A63B 2220/17 20130101; A63B 24/0062 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/870.01 ;
340/432; 482/008 |
International
Class: |
H04B 001/08; H04Q
007/20; G08C 019/16; A63B 071/00; B62J 003/00; B62J 006/00 |
Claims
1. A performance monitoring system comprising: a housing component
at least partially defining an enclosure; a local area wireless
transceiver located within the enclosure and operable to receive a
signal from a bicycle motion sensor; a performance engine located
within the enclosure and communicatively coupled to the local area
wireless transceiver, the performance engine operable to utilize
the signal to generate a performance metric; a display device
associated with the housing component and operable to present the
performance metric to a user; and a wide area wireless transceiver
located within the enclosure and operable to receive an incoming
telephone call for the user.
2. The system of claim 1, farther comprising a cradle formed to
receive the housing component, the cradle comprising a coupling
mechanism formed to securely mount the cradle to a bicycle.
3. The system of claim 2, further comprising the sensor, wherein
the sensor comprises a local area Bluetooth communication device
operable to communicate the signal to the local area wireless
transceiver.
4. (Original The system of claim 1, wherein a cellular telephone
comprises then housing component, the local area wireless
transceiver, the performance engine, the display device, and the
wide area wireless transceiver.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the local area wireless
transceiver is operable to communicate information using a spread
spectrum technology in a frequency range greater than 2.3 GHz.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wide area wireless
transceiver is operable to communicate information using a code
division multiple access technology.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance metric is
selected form a group consisting of a cadence metric, a speed
metric, and a distance metric.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heart rate sensor
operable to communicate heart rate information for the user to the
local area wireless transceiver, wherein the performance engine is
further operable to utilize the heart rate information to generate
a heart rate metric.
9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audio player engine
located within the enclosure, the audio player engine operable to
play a file format selected from the group consisting of an MP3
file, a .WAV file, a MIDI file, and a .AU file.
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a headset formed to
couple to an ear of the user, the headset comprising a speaker
assembly, a microphone assembly, and a wireless transceiver
operable to participate in a Bluetooth Pair with the local area
wireless transceiver.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a headset formed to
couple to an ear of the user, the headset comprising a speaker
assembly, a microphone assembly, and a wireless transceiver
operable to participate in a Bluetooth pair with the local area
wireless transceiver, and an audio player engine located within the
enclosure, the audio player engine operable to play a file format
selected from the group consisting of an MP3 file, a .WVAV file, a
MDI file, and a .AU file, to generate a player signal representing
music, wherein the local area wireless transceiver is operable to
output the player signal via the Bluetooth pair to the headset such
that the user can listen to the music.
12. A method of athletic performance monitoring, comprising:
receiving a signal corresponding to movement of a bicycle
component; generating a performance metric from the signal;
utilizing an output device to communicate the performance metric to
a user; receiving an incoming call signal indicating an incoming
call to the user; and outputting a call indicator with the output
device to inform the user of the incoming call
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing a collection
of performance metric information representing athletic performance
generated during a period time.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving a request
to communicate the collection of performance metric information;
and communicating at least a portion of the collection of
performance metric information in response to the request.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising utilizing a local
area transceiver to wirelessly communicate the collection of
performance metric information.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising accepting the
incoming call.
17. The method of claim 12, fierier comprising: receiving Caller
Identification information associated with the incoming call; and
presenting the Caller Identification information on the output
device.
18. A performance monitoring system, comprising: a sensor
comprising an output device and a mounting mechanism operable to
secure the sensor to a member, the sensor operable detect a
movement relatively to the member and to communicate a signal via
the output device in response to detecting the movement; a wireless
telephone having a performance engine and a first input operable to
receive the signal and a second input operable to receive an
indication of an incoming telephone call, the performance engine
operable to generate a performance metric in response to receipt of
the signal; and a cradle assembly formed to interact with a housing
component of the wireless telephone and to secure the wireless
telephone proximate to the sensor.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the member comprises a portion
of a bicycle and the cradle is coupled to a different portion of
the bicycle.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein the cradle assembly comprises a
fastening mechanism operable to secure the cradle assembly to a
human body part.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to athletic
equipment, and more particularly, to a system and method for
utilizing a bicycle computer to monitor athletic performance.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many bicyclists make use of bicycle computers that act as
speedometers, odometers, and cadence counters. These devices
typically receive information from sensors mounted with respect to
the moving elements of a bicycle and convert this information into
a bike speed value or some other desired metric. Many of these
conventional bicycle computers are special purpose devices that
have a display and are fixed to the handlebars of a bicycle to
allow a rider to view displayed information while riding.
[0003] In addition to the bicycle-related information mentioned
above--namely speed, distance, and cadence--some conventional
bicycle computers may also display the current time and/or heart
rate information for the rider. While these conventional systems
represent a nice option for many cyclists, these systems have
several shortcomings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of
illustration, elements illustrated in the Figures have not
necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of
some of the elements are exaggerated relative to other elements.
Embodiments incorporating teachings of the present disclosure are
shown and described with respect to the drawings presented herein,
in which:
[0005] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a cycling information system
that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure;
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates a cut away view of a cellular telephone
incorporating teachings of the present disclosure in order to act
as a computing device for monitoring athletic activity; and
[0007] FIG. 3 presents a flow diagram for a cycling performance
tracking process incorporating teachings of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Embodiments discussed below describe, in part, different
approaches for monitoring athletic performance. Though many of the
embodiments discussed below focus on systems in which the athletic
performance includes bicycling, other activities may also be
monitored in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein. For
example, runners may benefit from the systems and processes
described below. A runner and/or walker may employ the teachings
disclosed herein to provide an improved pedometer that may, for
example, display steps taken, provide customized distance and
calories burned calculations, and include time/date information
and/or a stopwatch feature. In some cases, a pedometer may show
personalized distance covered and calories burned information,
which may have been calculated by taking into account a user's
stride length and/or weight.
[0009] In several embodiments, a computing device is used as part
of the monitoring system, and this computing device is described as
having wide area wireless communication functionality. For example,
the device may be capable of acting as a cellular telephone or some
other wireless communication device, including, for example, other
telephonic devices, smart telephones, personal digital assistants
(PDA's), or Blackberry.TM.-like electronic mail devices. Including
some wide area communication capability in performance tracking
computing devices may provide athletes with a cost effective and
convenient way to protect themselves.
[0010] As mentioned above, cycling is an example of an athletic
activity that may be monitored. In practice, prudent cyclists may
elect to carry a wireless telephone with them while cycling. If a
tire goes flat, if the cyclist has or witnesses an accident, and/or
if someone needs to get a hold of the cyclist, the wireless
telephone may prove invaluable. Such a prudent cyclist may elect to
carry the telephone in a pocket located on the back of his or her
cycling jersey or a catch-all bag located on the seat post under
the saddle. Many cyclists consider either location to be
sub-optimal. Carrying the phone in the jersey pocket may be
annoying and may make it difficult to know if someone is calling.
While using a catch-all bag may remove some of the annoyance, it
may also make it even more difficult to know if someone is
calling.
[0011] Many of the same cyclists that bring a telephone with them
on long rides may also have a bicycle computer fixed to the
handlebars of their bike. The cyclist may have paid hundreds of
dollars for the telephone and hundreds of dollars for the computer.
And, by fixing the computer to the bicycle, the cyclist may
unwittingly enhance the likelihood that the computer is stolen. If,
for example, the cyclist leaves the bicycle unattended for some
period of time, the cyclist may return to find the computer
missing.
[0012] By employing the teachings disclosed herein, cyclists may
able to choose a bike computer that has wide area wireless
communication capabilities. In some embodiments, the bicycle
computers may actually be embodied in cellular telephones or other
wireless communication devices. For example, a system incorporating
teachings of the present disclosure may provide a cradle securable
to a bicycle and capable of releasably coupling with a wireless
telephone that has bicycle computer capabilities. The cradle may
provide a better place for carrying a telephone while cycling. The
cradle may also make it easier for cyclists to leave their bike
unattended without fear of having their bicycle computer stolen.
Cyclists may simply disengage their telephones from the cradle and
take the phones with them.
[0013] In some embodiments, the cradle may also be capable of
triggering the telephone to switch into a bike computer mode and
further capable of facilitating communication of bike information
from a sensor to the telephone. For example, the cradle may be
physically connected or wired to one or more sensors tracking the
movement of a bicycle component. By cradling the telephone, the
information communicated from sensors to the cradle may be passed
along to a processor in the telephone. In addition to the many
above-referenced advantages, incorporating communication
capabilities into a bicycle computer may also save the cyclists
money--they no longer need both a computer and a telephone.
[0014] As mentioned above, FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a cycling
information system 10 that incorporates teachings of the present
disclosure. As depicted, system 10 may include, for example, a
housing component 12 at least partially defining an enclosure 14. A
local area wireless transceiver 16 capable of receiving a signal
from a sensor 18 coupled to a bicycle (not shown) may be located
within enclosure 14. A performance engine 20 may also be located
within enclosure 14 and may be communicatively coupled to local
area wireless transceiver 16. In operation, performance engine 20
may utilize a signal from sensor 18 to generate a performance
metric like current speed, distance traveled, or cadence.
[0015] To facilitate communication of performance metric
information to a user, system 10 may also include an output
mechanism such as display device 22 associated with the housing
component. An output mechanism like display device 22 may be
capable of presenting the performance metric to a user. In
preferred embodiments, the system may also include a wide area
wireless transceiver 24 located within enclosure 14. Wide area
wireless transceiver 24 may allow the user to send and receive
information across a geographically disperse network such as a
cellular telephone network. In operation, a user may want to place
a telephone call and may use transceiver 24 to "connect" to a
cellular network node 26. This "connection" may involve Radio
Frequency (RF) communication that complies with some wide-area RF
technology like CDMA, GPRS, EDGE, or 3GSM.
[0016] Whatever the form factor of the computing device, a user may
want the device to be rugged. A typical cellular telephone, for
example, may not handle the abuse generated while running, cycling,
and/or performing some other activity. As such, a cellular
telephone incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may
enjoy a more rugged and/or water resistant design. Additionally, a
user may desire to interact with the device and may do so using one
or more of several types of input mechanisms including, for
example, a microphone 28, a touch screen, keypad, and toggle disks
30. In operation, a microphone assembly 28 associated with
computing device 32 may be capable of receiving voice commands, a
mouse mechanism (not shown) may allow a user to point and click
icons on a display screen, and/or a touch screen may facilitate
receiving inputs from a stylus.
[0017] Depending on implementation detail, computing device 32 may
have any of several components located within enclosure 14. For
example, computing device 32 may include a microprocessor and a
memory located within its cavity. In some embodiments, the memory
may hold an application that embodies the performance engine and
converts information received via one or more remote sensors like
sensor 18 into a performance metric like speed, distance, cadence,
etc. As shown, sensor 18 may include a pick-up 34 that "recognizes"
movement of a bicycle component. Pick-up 34 may be tracking wheel
revolutions, crank revolutions, front and/or rear derailer motion,
bike and/or body tipping, and/or some combination thereof. The
tracking mechanism of pick-up 34 may take several forms. It may be
optical, magnetic, mechanical, etc. To facilitate presentation of
performance metric information to the user, sensor 18 may include a
local area wireless communication module 36, which may make use,
for example, of Bluetooth technology. Sensor 18 may also rely on
wired connections in addition and/or in lieu of wireless
connections to communicate with device 32.
[0018] As mentioned above, a bicycle computer like computing device
32 may include any of several different components. For example, it
may have a wireless wide area transceiver 24, which may be part of
a multi-device platform for communicating data using RF technology
across a large geographic area. The platform may be a GPRS, EDGE,
or 3GSM platform, for example, and may include multiple integrated
circuit (IC) devices or a single IC device. Similarly, bicycle
computer 32 may have a wireless local area transceiver 16, which
may communicate using spread-spectrum radio waves in a 2.4 GHz
range, 5 GHz range, or other suitable range. Wireless local area
transceiver 16 may also be part of a multi-device or single device
platform and may facilitate communication of data using low-power
RF technology across a smaller geographic area.
[0019] For example, if wireless local area transceiver 16 includes
a Bluetooth transceiver, the transceiver may have a communication
range having approximately a one hundred foot radius. If the
wireless local area transceiver includes an 802.11(x) transceiver,
such as an 802.11(b) or Wi-Fi transceiver, the transceiver may have
a communication range having approximately a one thousand foot
radius.
[0020] One skilled in the art will also recognize that wireless
local area transceiver 16 and wireless wide area transceiver 24 may
be separate or part of the same chipset. For example, a bike
computer chipset may package a Bluetooth, an 802.11(b), and a GSM
cellular technology, like GPRS, into a single chipset. In many
embodiments, the bike computer may also include display device 22,
which may be operable to present a graphical user interface (GUI)
to a user. In an embodiment where the bike computer can also
operate as a telephone, the telephone may include a speaker
assembly 38. The telephone may also be executing a local software
application to allow the telephone to receive an input indicating a
desire to toggle from a telephone mode to a bike computer mode. In
such an embodiment, the bike computer may include a
computer-readable medium having computer-readable data to direct a
wireless telephone processor to receive a signal from a sensor
indicating some physical activity, to utilize the signal to
generate a performance metric, and to initiate presentation of a
rendering of the performance metric on a display device.
[0021] In some embodiments, a bike computer like device 32 may
include a global positioning system (GPS) component that
facilitates location-based and tracking functionality. Device 32
may also include a Bluetooth module that sniffs for other
Bluetooth-enabled devices. This sniffing may allow device 32 to
"find" sensor 18. It may also allow device 32 to find headset 40.
If device 32 recognizes a headset or athletic activity sensor as a
Bluetooth-enabled device, device 32 may engage in a process to
"pair" with the identified device(s).
[0022] In an embodiment that includes a headset like headset 40, it
may be advantageous to enhance computing device 32 by adding a
built in audio player capable of playing a playable file format
like .WAV, MP3, MIDI, .AU, and/or some other format. As such, a
cyclist or other athlete may be able to listen to music via headset
40 while performing. In practice, device 32 may be simultaneously
functioning: as a bike computer--displaying information like speed
and cadence; as an MP3 player--outputting music or other audio
signals to the user; and, as a wireless communication
device--providing the user with the ability to send and receive
information.
[0023] In practice, headset 40 may include a battery 42, wireless
transceiver 44, a speaker assembly 46, and a microphone assembly
48. Though system 10 includes a device 32 with a display 22, which
facilitates the communication of performance information to the
user, some systems may elect to enhance and/or replace the visual
presentation approach with an audible or speech based interface. As
such, a user may be able to "ask" device 32 a question by speaking
into microphone assembly 48. For example, a user may ask "what is
my current cadence?", and device 32 may respond with "your cadence
is 82."
[0024] Such features may simplify operation of a device like device
32. Additional ease of use may be added by including various GUI
icons on display 22. For example, GUI icon 50 may be used to
indicate that device 32 is in bike computer mode, and GUI icon 52
may be used to indicate that device 32 has recognized the existence
of an incoming call. As such, a user listening to music from device
32 on headset 40 may have the option of pausing the music and
answering the telephone call.
[0025] Though described above in a cycling application where device
32 can be cradled in cradle 54, device 32 may also be used by
runners and other sport enthusiasts. Device 32 may receive and/or
generate a signal indicating that a step has been taken by a user
and convert this signal into a presentable sport's metric.
Occasionally, a user may not want to utilize cradle 54. The user
may want some level of flexibility in locating device 32. A user
may, for example, want to secure device 32 to an arm with a
mounting system 55, which may include an elastic strap 56 and a
rubberized device holder portion 58. The strap and holder portion
may be formed of other materials and may include some clasping
mechanism. In some embodiments, device 32 may have some sensitivity
to moisture, and the mounting portion may surround device
32--insulating device 32 from contacting the user's skin, while
providing sufficient support and access to some or all of the
Input/Output mechanisms of device 32.
[0026] As described above, device 32 may operate as a bicycle
computer, an MP3 player, and a cellular telephone. As such, device
32 may be very attractive to an avid cyclist. If the cyclist elects
to take up running or begins training for a triathlon, the cyclist
may want device 32 to be expandable--to be capable of accepting new
and/or different performance monitoring functions or modules. The
cyclist turned triathlete may now want device 32 to operate as a
pedometer. The cyclist may also want to add other useful features
to device 32. For example, a cyclist may want device 32 to act as a
garage door opener. If the cyclist begins a ride from home and
stores her bicycle in the garage, the cyclist may want to close the
garage door behind her. As such, the cyclist may want device 32 to
act as a garage door remote--communicating an open and/or close RF
signal to a garage door opener.
[0027] As mentioned above, bike computer 32 may include or be
capable of executing software applications, which may be coded, for
example, as a BREW application or a Java application. In some
embodiments, the bike computer functionality may be implemented by
a Java application that was downloaded over the air and may be
executing on a computing device's operating system (OS), which may
be a Symbian OS, Pocket PC, Linux-based, a Palm OS, or other
suitable computing device OS.
[0028] As an example of one potential application/OS combination, a
developer may decide to develop a Java-based bike computer
application for a Symbian OS-based computing device, which may be a
cellular telephone or smart phone. The process of developing a Java
application for the Symbian platform may include three main steps:
(1) developing the Java code and supporting files, sound graphics,
etc. which may, in some cases, be tested on an emulator; (2)
creating the files to deploy the application to a Symbian interface
so that it has a GUI icon and can be run from a native interface;
and (3) packaging the application elements in a release file.
[0029] As indicated above, smart client applications may be written
in Java and run on a wide range of devices. For a smart client
application with Java on the client device, there may be two
preferred options of Java platforms: Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE)
and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). Applications based on J2SE are
often standalone Java applications, usually using Personal Java.
Personal Java is a subset of J2SE with a smaller Java Runtime
Environment (JRE) suitable for the limited storage capacity of
hand-held computing devices. Java Virtual Machines (JVMs) based on
J2SE may be available for a wide variety of client devices
including Pocket PC, Symbian OS, Linux and Palm OS devices.
[0030] In some embodiments, a bike computer file or application may
be based on a smaller version of the java platform, like MJDP,
which may be better for small footprint devices like cellular
handsets. Java applications that run on MIDP devices are called
MIDlets, and a MIDlet suite is a grouping of MIDlets that can share
resources at runtime. A suite usually includes at least two
separate files. The first may be a Java Application Descriptor
(JAD), which may be a file that tells the Application Management
Software (AMS), the piece of software on the hardware responsible
for managing J2ME applications, how to handle the controller
application. The JAD file may provide instructions for, among other
things, installation, identification, and retrieval. The second may
be a Java Archive (JAR), which may be a collection of the
controller application's compiled byte classes, resources, and
manifest files.
[0031] Occasionally and as mentioned above, a user may have an
existing cellular telephone and may want to download a bike
computer application capable of "turning" the cell phone into a
bike computer. This application may, in some cases, be downloadable
Over The Air (OTA) from a Web server-like environment. As such,
users may be able to "HTTP" their way to the URL where the JAD file
resides. In such embodiments, a computing device-side browser may
download the bike computer application into the Applications folder
and test it.
[0032] A more detailed picture of a wireless enabled device 60 that
may be operable as a bicycle computer is shown in FIG. 2. As
described above in the brief description of the figures, FIG. 2
depicts a cut away view of a cellular telephone incorporating
teachings of the present disclosure in order to act as a computing
device for monitoring athletic activity. To operate as an athletic
monitor, telephone 60 may be a ruggedized phone designed for
athletes. It may have better water resistant capabilities and
handle impacts and jostling better than other telephones. Telephone
60 may have a clam-shell design or a "candy bar" design as shown.
Though not shown in FIG. 2, telephone 60 may also include special
branding and/or markings to indicate that it is an "Athlete" phone.
For example, a cellular telephone manufacturer may elect to place
an Ironman.TM. logo on the phone or some other appropriate logo to
let user's know that the phone is athlete-ready or capable of
operating in a performance monitoring mode.
[0033] In the depicted embodiment, telephone 60 includes several
integrated circuits on a circuit board, an antenna 62, and a liquid
crystal display 64 presenting a bicycle computer display image 67.
The components of telephone 60 could include any of several
combinations of components. As depicted, telephone 60 includes a
wide area wireless platform 66, which may be, for example, a GPRS
and/or CDMA module. As shown, platform 66 includes a wide area
wireless transceiver 68, front end circuitry 70, and dual core
processor 72. Front end circuitry 70 may help ensure that the
baseband electronics will work well with transceiver 68. Dual core
processor 72 may include, for example, a Digital Signal Processing
(DSP) core as well as RISC or ARM capabilities. In some
embodiments, the components of telephone 60 may use dedicated
hardware and DSP firmware to help provide advanced
functionality.
[0034] Platform 60 may be communicatively coupled to an application
engine 74, which could be, for example, a Dragonball processor, and
a power circuit 76, which may manage among other things a battery
circuit 78. In some embodiments, battery circuit 78 may keep track
of the power available from battery 80. Application engine 74 may
be communicatively coupled to several different components and may
provide those components with additional processing capabilities.
Example components may include a local area RF transceiver 82,
which may be Bluetooth-enabled, Wi-Fi enabled, etc. Other
components might be an image sensor 84, memory module 86, and
peripheral controller 88, which may manage keypad, LCD, CODEC,
IrDA, and other functionality. One skilled in the art will
recognize that the many of the above described components could be
combined or broken out into other combinations and that the memory
could include onboard and added memory components including RAM,
Flash, smart media, and others.
[0035] As mentioned above, FIG. 3 presents a flow diagram for a
cycling performance tracking process 90 incorporating teachings of
the present disclosure. At step 92, a manufacturer, programmer,
and/or user may procure a programmable wireless device. An
application for monitoring athletic performance may be developed at
step 94. The athletic performance may include cycling, running,
swimming, lifting, etc. In some embodiments, the application may be
made available, at step 96, for download from the Public Internet,
over the air via a wireless network, from a local computer, or in
some other manner.
[0036] At step 98, the application may be loaded on the wireless
device, and the wireless device may be located at step 100
proximate an activity sensor capable of communicating a signal
indicating some activity. At step 102, the device may receive a
signal form the proximate sensor. In preferred embodiments, the
sensor and the device may be part of a piconet. In some
embodiments, the sensor may actually be a part of the device.
[0037] At step 104, the device may utilize the developed
application to generate a performance metric from the sensor
signal. The performance metric may be presented to the user at step
106. The presentation may be graphical in nature and may make use
of a display associated with the wireless device. The presentation
could also be auditory in nature and spoken or played to the
user.
[0038] In some embodiments, the device may include a memory and may
save some portion of the performance metric data in that memory.
And, the saved data may be retrievable by a different device. For
example, a user may have a computer at home capable of retrieving
the performance metric data either directly and/or indirectly from
the device. Indirect retrieval may involve, for example, utilizing
the Public Internet to retrieve the information. Depending on
implementation detail, the performance tracking device may
communicate the saved metric data as an attachment to an electronic
mail message.
[0039] For example, if the device is operable as a smartphone and
capable of communicating voice calls and data calls, a user of the
device may elect to share the metric data with a friend and/or
other device via a wide area cellular network using. In some cases,
the performance metric data may include GPS and/or other location
identifying data. As such, the user may be able to generate a
visual and plotted representation of the tracked performance. A
software application may take the performance metric information
and associated GPS information as an input and output a map that
displays a performance route and performance metric information for
various points along the route. In some cases, the performance
metric information and associated GPS information may actually be
converted into an animated sequence by an animator application. As
such, the user may be capable of "watching" her performance.
[0040] At step 108, the wireless device may receive an indication
of an incoming telephone call or data call. The device may indicate
the existence of this call to the user, and the user may elect to
accept and/or participate in the call at step 110. As mentioned
above, the call may be a voice call or a data call. The call may
take the form, for example, of an email, a telephone call, an
Instant Messaging message, a Short Messaging Service message, a
Multimedia Messaging Service message, some other form, and/or a
combination thereof.
[0041] Whatever the messaging form, the user may elect not to
accept the message or may complete his or her interaction with the
message. As such, the user may terminate the call at step 112 and
resume use of the performance monitoring application and/or launch
a different application like an MP3 player.
[0042] In various embodiments, the telephones, computers, devices,
and/or engines, described above, may take forms including wireless
and cordless phones, personal digital assistants, cellular
telephones, mobile telephones, laptop computers, hardware,
firmware, software, other options having some level of computing
capability, and/or a combination thereof.
[0043] The methods and systems described herein provide for an
adaptable implementation. Although certain embodiments have been
described using specific examples, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to these few
examples. Note also, that although certain illustrative embodiments
have been shown and described in detail herein, along with certain
variants thereof, many other varied embodiments may be constructed
by those skilled in the art.
[0044] The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any
element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to
occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a
critical, required, or essential feature or element of the present
invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be
limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on the contrary,
it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and
equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and
scope of the invention as provided by the claims below.
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