Remote Biometric/Positional Feedback System

Abstract

A system for gathering and communicating information relative to a person includes sensors associated with the person for sensing characteristics relative to movement of a person over a time period, and a communication arrangement for communicating data representative of the one or more characteristics during the time period to a remote location. The communication arrangement also communicates feedback information to the person from the remote location, based on the sensed characteristics. The feedback may be based on an analysis of the sensed characteristics performed at the remote location. The sensors are interconnected with the person or with an item of equipment carried or operated by the person, and may be operable to sense characteristics such as heart rate, breathing rate, applied power, speed, pace, distance traveled, energy expenditure, and position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the information gathering and communication system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components incorporated in the local CPU;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of data to and from the local CPU; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic pictorial view of a representative application for the information gathering and communication system in accordance with the present invention, in the form of a bicycle.

Claims

1. A system for gathering and communicating information relative to a person, comprising: one or more sensors associated with the person for sensing characteristics relative to movement of a person over a time period; anda communication arrangement for communicating data representative of the one or more characteristics during the time period to a location remote from the person.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication arrangement is configured and arranged to communicate information back to the person from the remote location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the information communicated back to the person from the remote location comprises feedback based on the sensed characteristics.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the feedback is based upon an analysis of the sensed characteristics performed at the remote location.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the data is communicated to and from the remote location by a communication system selected from the group consisting of cellular telephony, wireless internet transmission, and satellite communication.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors are associated with the person by interconnecting the one or more sensors with the person or with an item of equipment carried or operated by the person.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more sensors are operable to sense one or more of the following characteristics relative to movement of the person: heart rate, breathing rate, applied power, speed, pace, distance traveled, energy expenditure, and position.

8. A system for gathering and communicating information relative to a person, comprising: sensing means associated with the person for sensing characteristics relative to movement of a person over a time period; andcommunication means for communicating data representative of the one or more characteristics during the time period to a location remote from the person.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication means is configured and arranged to communicate information back to the person from the remote location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information communicated back to the person from the remote location comprises feedback based on the sensed characteristics.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback is based upon an analysis of the sensed characteristics performed at the remote location.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the communication means is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephony, wireless internet transmission, and satellite communication.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensing means is associated with the person by interconnecting the sensing means with the person or with an item of equipment carried or operated by the person.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensing means is operable to sense one or more of the following characteristics relative to movement of the person: heart rate, breathing rate, applied power, speed, pace, distance traveled, energy expenditure, and position.

15. A method of gathering and communicating information, comprising the acts of: sensing one or more characteristics relative to movement of a person; andcommunicating data representative of the one or more characteristics to a location remote from the person.

16. The method of claim 15, including the act of communicating information back to the person from the remote location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of communicating information back to the person from the remote location comprises communicating feedback information to the person based on the data.

18. The method of claim 17, including the act of analyzing the data at the remote location, and wherein the act of communicating feedback information to the person from the remote location comprises communicating feedback information based on the analysis of the data at the remote location.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the acts of communicating data representative of the one or more characteristics to a location remote from the person, and communicating information back to the person from the remote location, are carried out by one of cellular telephony, wireless internet transmission, and satellite.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of monitoring the one or more characteristics of the person is carried out by measuring the one or more characteristics directly from the person or by measuring the one or more characteristics from an item of equipment carried by or operated by the person.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of sensing the one or more characteristics relative to movement of the person is carried out by monitoring one or more of the person's heart rate, breathing rate, applied power, speed, pace, distance traveled, energy expenditure, and position.