Patent Publication Number: US-2017348583-A1

Title: Wearable technology for enhancing kinesthetic performance

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Despite technological advances in wearable articles that include electronics, not many such articles have gained widespread acceptance in many athletic and therapeutic contexts. Even dedicated and knowledgeable exercise enthusiasts routinely forego the use of such technologies, in fact, because most perceive that all of the cost-effective implementations available are too obtrusive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a system in which one or more inventive technologies may be present in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  depicts the pants of  FIG. 1  in greater detail, in a rear view. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a front view of pants like those of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  depicts a left-side view of shorts that can be worn over the pants. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a right-side view of shorts that can be worn over the pants. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a server in which one or more technologies may be implemented. 
         FIG. 7  depicts a client device in which one or more technologies may be implemented. 
         FIG. 8  depicts various special purpose circuitry that may be incorporated into various electronic components described herein. 
         FIG. 9  depicts an elongate actuator assembly in which one or more technologies may be implemented. 
         FIG. 10  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including a wearable article. 
         FIG. 11  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including a wearable athletic or therapeutic garment. 
         FIG. 12  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including a wearable article for use in regard to exercising a knee of a human subject. 
         FIG. 13  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including a wearable article for selective haptic feedback to a subject&#39;s lower body. 
         FIG. 14  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including a mechanism for haptic feedback to address undesirable sacral skew. 
         FIG. 15  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including technology for accommodating geographically dispersed participants in an event. 
         FIG. 16  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including technology for responding to a signal of initialization. 
         FIG. 17  depicts a system in which one or more technologies may be implemented, including technology for accommodating participants in a competitive event. 
         FIGS. 18-27  each depict a respective method of using a physiological feedback system in accordance with one or more respective embodiments, each described with reference to one or more of the above-described systems. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As used herein, the phrases “in one embodiment, “in one or more embodiments,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like may be used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous open descriptors except where the context dictates otherwise. The detailed description that follows primarily comprises concisely described, select examples intended to facilitate rapid understanding of content herein that is not widely known. 
     Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described, including all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, whether or not explicitly illustrated and/or described, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In various alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a system  100  in which one or more inventive technologies may be present as described below. System  100  includes (at least) athletic pants  110 , shorts  120  configured to be worn over the pants and provide appropriate access, and a shirt  130  as described below. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown rear view of the athletic pants  110  of  FIG. 1  in which one or more technologies may be present. Pants  110  may (optionally) support a pair of haptic hip actuators  221 ,  222  on the left and right sides or a pair of haptic ankle actuators  251 ,  252  on the left and right sides as shown (or both). Pants  110  may likewise include one or more elastic fabric wrapped portions  281 ,  282  (as a legging or similar sleeve, e.g.) and control circuitry  245  wired to the haptic actuators of the pants  110 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown front view of athletic pants  310  that optionally exemplify the pants  110  of  FIG. 1 . The right side of the pants  310  (on the left side of the figure) has a pocket  386  large enough to hold a handheld mobile device (smartphone, e.g.). The right legging of the pants  310  has left and right haptic knee actuators  341 ,  342  mounted at the knee. The left side of the pants  310  (on the right side of the figure) has an appliance docking slot  388 . The left legging of the pants  310  has left and right haptic knee actuators  331 ,  332  mounted at the knee as shown. An instance of special-purpose circuitry  800  (depicted in  FIG. 8 , e.g.) is wired to and controls the operation of the haptic knee actuators and (if present) the haptic hip actuators  221 ,  222  or haptic ankle actuators  251 ,  252  also. 
     In some variants, system  100  may comprise a physiological feedback system configured to be worn by a human subject. The system includes a first garment (pants  110 , e.g.) configured to support a first left lateral actuator adjacent a left side of a body part (an upper body, lower body, or individual limb, e.g.) of the human subject while supporting a first right lateral actuator adjacent a right side of the body part of the human subject. The system further includes control circuitry  245  supported by the first garment and configured to remind the wearer of at most a single selected side of the body part by energizing only one of the first left lateral actuator or the first right lateral actuator without energizing the other actuator of the first left and right lateral actuators. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown left-side view of the shorts  120  of  FIG. 1  being worn over athletic pants  110 ,  310  as described above. With a zippered aperture  477  opened so as to provide the wearer with pass-through access to slot  388 , a flat electrical appliance  478  can be removed and replaced when recharged. 
     An “electrical appliance” as used herein has a largest cross sectional Area that is larger than 2 square centimeters. An electrical appliance is “flat” if its Volume “V” (expressed in cubic centimeters) is less than its Area “A” (expressed in square centimeters). Therefore a “flat electrical appliance” is one that is larger than 2 square centimeters in area and has a ratio of V to A that is less than 1 centimeter. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown right-side view of the shorts  120  of  FIG. 1  being worn over athletic pants  110 ,  310 . With a zippered aperture  577  opened so as to provide pass-through access, a handheld device  581  carried in pocket  386  can be removed and replaced when not in use as a telephone. In several embodiments below, however, such devices provide significant functionality for implementing inventive methods herein, and it is accordingly submitted that in those variants such a device may be an important component of system  100 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a server  600  in which one or more technologies may be implemented. As shown in  FIG. 6 , exemplary server  600  includes one or more processing units  602  in data communication with one or more memories  610  via one or more buses  616 . Each such memory  610  generally comprises some or all of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a permanent mass storage device, such as a disk drive, flash memory, or the like. Server  600  may also include one or more instances of network interfaces  606 , of user inputs  604 , of displays  612 , or of speakers (not shown). 
     As shown, memory  610  of exemplary server  600  may store an operating system  608 , as well as program code for a number of software applications, such as a hosting service  614 . Hosting service  614  is a software application by which, under server control, client devices  700  can present data to users and transmit data from users. These and other software components, as well as various data files (not shown) may be loaded into memory  610  via network interface  606  (or via a selectively removable computer readable storage medium  618 , such as a memory card or the like). 
     In operation, operating system  608  manages the hardware and software resources of the server  600  and provides common services for various software applications, such as hosting service  614 . For hardware functions such as network communications via network interface  606 , obtaining data via user input  604 , rendering data via display  612  or speaker (see  FIG. 8 ), allocation of memory  610  to various resources, and invoking one or modules of download circuitry  624  or other special-purpose circuitry  800 , operating system  608  may act as an intermediary between software executing on server  600  and the server&#39;s hardware. 
     For example, operating system  608  may cause a representation of locally available software applications, such as hosting service  614 , to be rendered locally (via display  612 , e.g.). If operating system  608  obtains, e.g. via user input  604 , a selection of hosting service  614 , operating system  608  may instantiate a hosting service  614  process (not shown), i.e. cause processing unit  602  to begin executing the executable instructions of hosting service  614  and allocate a portion of memory  610  for its use. In some variants, one or more local text editors (in the case of comma-separated-value spreadsheet files, e.g.) or spreadsheet applications (Microsoft Excel, e.g.) may be configured to allow offline editing of a downloaded spreadsheet that defines thresholds or other workout profile attributes as described herein. 
     Although an exemplary server  600  has been described, a server  600  may be any of a great number of computing devices capable of executing program code, such as the program code corresponding to hosting service  614 . Alternatively or additionally, the structures described with reference to  FIG. 6  may likewise be implemented by a special-purpose peer computer in a peer-to-peer network. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a client device  700  in which one or more technologies may be implemented. In respective embodiments, client device  700  may be a general-purpose computer or may include special-purpose components. As shown in  FIG. 7 , exemplary client device  700  includes one or more processing units  702  in data communication with one or more memories  710  via one or more buses  716 . Each such memory  710  generally comprises some or all of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a permanent mass storage device, such as a disk drive, flash memory, or the like. Client device  700  may also include one or more instances of network interfaces  706 , of user inputs  704 , of displays  712 , or of speakers (see  FIG. 8 ). 
     As shown, memory  710  of exemplary client device  700  may store an operating system  708 , as well as program code for a number of software applications, such as a browser application  714  or client application  722 . Browser application  714  is a software application by which, under client device control, client devices  700  can present data to users and transmit data from users. These and other software components, as well as various data files (not shown) may be loaded into memory  710  via network interface  706  (or via a selectively removable computer readable storage medium  718 , such as a memory card or the like). 
     In operation, operating system  708  manages the hardware and software resources of the client device  700  and provides common services for various software applications, such as browser application  714 . For hardware functions such as network communications via network interface  706 , obtaining data via user input  704 , rendering data via displays  712  or speakers, allocation of memory  710  to various resources, operating system  708  may act as an intermediary between software executing on client device  700  and the client device&#39;s hardware. 
     For example, operating system  708  may cause a representation of locally available software applications, such as browser application  714 , to be rendered locally (via display  712 , e.g.). If operating system  708  obtains, e.g. via user input  704 , a selection of browser application  714 , operating system  708  may instantiate a browser application  714  process (not shown), i.e. cause processing unit  702  to begin executing the executable instructions of browser application  714  and allocate a portion of memory  710  for its use. In some contexts, downloads may require an access control feature  724  configured to prevent unauthorized downloads and permit specially-configured client devices to access server  600 . One or more local text editors (in the case of comma-separated-value spreadsheet files, e.g.) or spreadsheet applications (Microsoft Excel, e.g.) may be configured to allow offline editing of a downloaded spreadsheet, for example, that defines thresholds, operating modes, or other workout profile attributes as described herein. Alternatively or additionally, such editing may occur “offline” in the sense that the client device  700  is temporarily disconnected from server  600 . 
     Although an exemplary client device  700  has been described, a client device  700  may be a mobile device or other device capable of executing program code, such as the program code corresponding to browser application  714 . Alternatively or additionally, the structures described with reference to  FIG. 7  may likewise be implemented by a special-purpose peer computer in a peer-to-peer network. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , there is shown special-purpose circuitry  800  some of which may reside in control circuitry  245  mounted in pants  110 , in appliance  478 , or in a handheld device  581  as described above in various embodiments. Such circuitry  800  may include one or more instances of measurement comparators  811  configured to determine whether a measurement signal (as described below) is below a minimum threshold; of measurement comparators  812  configured to determine whether a measurement signal is above a maximum threshold; of event counters  813 ; of accelerometers  814 ; of cameras  815 ; of selection inputs  821 ; of recognition modules  822 ; of graphic images  823 ; of microphones  824 ; of speakers  825 ; of selected modes  826 ; of heartrate sensors  831 ; of gyroscopic sensors  832 ; or of skew sensors  833  as described below. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , there is shown a special-purpose actuator assembly  900  providing an efficient mechanism for haptic energy transfer in a garment such as the elongate actuators shown in  FIGS. 2 &amp; 3 . Actuator assembly  900  includes a haptic motor  985  affixed to a proximal end  991  of a strand  990  having an inflexibility or a longitudinally distributed mass large enough so that strand  990  can carry vibration energy from the proximal end  991  to the distal end. This can occur, for example, in a context in which strand  990  is a substantially inelastic conduit that undergoes tension as the garment is donned by virtue of the garment being tight fitting and the distal end  992  being affixed to a portion of the garment opposite the haptic motor  985 . The body of strand  990  (between the ends  991 ,  992 ) is free to vibrate (longitudinally along its length or perpendicular to the portion of a garment to which it is mounted, e.g.) to facilitate the above-described energy transfer so that the haptic vibration from the motor  985  can be felt by the wearer even at the distal end  992 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , there is shown a system  1000  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented, optionally one in which one or more servers  600  reside in network  1005 . A “first” user  1071  wearing an article  1020  (presenting an image thereon with signals, selections, or other data as described herein to user  1071 , e.g.) in communication with any of three “second” users  1072 A-C via network  1005  and their respective client device  700 A-C. Wireless linkages as shown allow operations that include a selection  1001 , sensor data  1002 , and expert feedback  1003  to be transmitted via network  1005 , as further described below. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 11 , there is shown a system  1100  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented. User  1171  is using a touchscreen  1185  of a handheld device  700 D and wearing an athletic or therapeutic garment  1120  (pants  110  or a shirt  130  primarily comprising tight-fitting elastic fabric, e.g.) in communication with the handheld device  700 D via a wireless linkage  1175 . Garment  1120  supports a slot  1188  configured to receive a (nominally) flat electrical appliance  1178  having two oppositely positioned primary sides, a first primary side including an anode and a second primary side including a cathode. The garment  1120  includes first and second fabric layers forming the slot  1188  (like a pocket, e.g.) therebetween, lined on a first side with a first electrical contact and on a second side (of the slot) with a second electrical contact, wherein the slot can receive the flat electrical appliance  1178  only by the anode of the flat electrical appliance exerting an outward force upon the first electrical contact of the slot while the cathode of the flat electrical appliance exerts an opposite outward force upon the second electrical contact of the slot, and wherein an electrical element (elongate actuator assemblies  900  or other actuators as described herein, e.g.) affixed to the first garment is wired between the first and second electrical contacts of the slot (via control circuitry  1145  and wires  1101 ,  1102 , e.g.) and configured to receive electrical current from the flat electrical appliance  1178 . In some variants, a protrusion  1179  of the electrical appliance passes into an alignment aperture  1184  or similar recess into which the protrusion extends when seated, as shown. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 12 , there is shown a system  1200  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented. A human subject  1271  is using a handheld device  581  or other client device  700 E including (or in communication with) special-purpose circuitry  800  that includes one or more instances of flexion detectors  1211 , of extension detectors  1212 , of event counters  1213 , or of other control circuitry  1245 . Material stretch sensor  1217  adjacent (or otherwise configured to detect, on pants  110 ,  310  described herein, fabric stretch in a vicinity of) a knee of human subject  1271  is effectively able to detect leg angle  1255  or an equivalent scalar-valued characterization of knee position with only a modicum of calibration. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 13 , there is shown a system  1300  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented. Pants  1310  worn by a person  1371  practicing pilates are configured (as examples of one or more of the above-described pants  110 ,  310 , e.g.) with one or more haptic actuators (such as instances of haptic actuator assembly  900 , e.g.) selectively energized via control circuitry  1345 . One or more cameras  1315 , sensors, or other special-purpose circuitry  800  are mounted in a vicinity of person  1371  and configured to communicate (via a wired or wireless linkage  1375 , e.g.) with one or more servers  600  or remote client devices  700 F in network  1305  as shown. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 14 , there is shown a system  1400  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented. A client device  700 G is configured to monitor or otherwise interact with person  1471  (visually or via a wireless linkage  1475  to pants  110 ,  310 ,  1310  or other articles she is wearing, e.g.). In this context client device  700 G may obtain and act upon sacral-skew-indicative sensor input  1467  and interactions with (an instance of) server  600  residing in network  1405  to provide, in an appropriate context, a laterally asymmetric haptic actuator subset selection  1468  that identifies one or more of the available haptic actuators to remind her of the corresponding body part while she exercises. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 15 , there is shown a system  1500  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented. A geographically widespread plurality of client devices  700 H-J used by respective persons are operably coupled during a real-world workout or athletic contest with a server  600  residing in network  1505 . In some contexts, network  1505  overlaps other networks described herein such that some or all instances of server  600  described herein are embodied in a single machine. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 16 , there is shown a system  1600  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented. Pants  1610  (exemplifying one or more of the above-described pants  110 ,  310 ,  1310 , e.g.) are configured to interact with control circuitry  1645 . Circuitry  1645  includes one or more instances of signals of initialization  1667  or of temporally distributed pulse sequences  1668  (represented as voltage signals  1637  on respective electrical nodes/conduits of pants  1610 , e.g.) by which respective spatially distributed actuators are energized with a temporal offset  1636  large enough that a wearer of the pants  1610  perceives the activations as distinct events in sequence. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 17 , there is shown a system  1700  in which one or more inventive technologies may be implemented. A remote device  1701  associated with a remote human subject interacts with a local device  1702  (via one or more of the above-described networks  1005 ,  1305 ,  1405 ,  1505 , e.g.) that is operably coupled with electrical components of pants  1710  (exemplifying one or more of the above-described pants, e.g.) worn by a local human subject  1771 . 
       FIG. 18  illustrates an operational flow  1800  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. As will be recognized by those having ordinary skill in the art, not all events of information management are illustrated in  FIG. 18 . Rather, for clarity, only those steps reasonably relevant to describing the tabular data modification aspects of routine  800  are shown and described. Those having ordinary skill in the art will also recognize the present embodiment is merely one exemplary embodiment and that variations on that embodiment may be made without departing from the scope of the broader invention described herein. 
     Operation  1810  depicts receiving user input from a first user that identifies a second user (an instance of client device  700  receiving a selection  1001  from user  1071  that specifies user  1072 B individually, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which user  1071  reviews profiles of several users  1072 A-C of respective devices  700 A-C who are currently online (available electronically via network  1005 , e.g.) and available to serve as a remote coach for an imminent workout, in which user  1072 B is more qualifies than users  1072 A and  1072 C based on credentials user  1071  can review, in which user  1072 B is only available to support a limited number of feedback recipients at any one time, and in which the client device  700  relays the selection to network  1005 . 
     Operation  1855  describes responding in real time to first sensor data from a first article worn by the first user by transmitting the first sensor data via a wireless linkage to a remote device in a vicinity of the second user (the client device of user  1071  relaying sensor data  1002  via network  1005  less than 0.5 seconds after obtaining it, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the client device of user  1071  interacts with article  1020  locally (via a Bluetooth® or other short-range wireless connection, e.g.), in which the selected “second” user  1072 B actually sees the sensor data (including body position, pace, or biometric data about user  1071 , e.g.) immediately via her phone or tablet (device  700 B). In some contexts, user  1072 B may have an established relationship with user  1071  or may otherwise acquire access to background information about the goals and preferences of user  1071  during that interaction or session. 
     Operation  1870  describes automatically presenting information including selection input from the second user as a conditional response in real time to the selection input from the second user arriving via the remote device (the client device of user  1071  automatically presenting information to user  1071  as a real time response to the selected “second” user  1072 B providing feedback  1003  that includes her selection input  821  on behalf of user  1071 : which haptic actuator(s) to energize, which exercise profile to employ for the imminent workout, what musical or video content to present to user  1071  during the workout, or other such menu selections (arriving via client device  700 B into a vicinity of user  1071 , e.g.). 
       FIG. 19  illustrates an operational flow  1900  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  1940  describes obtaining a mode selection (mobile device  700 D of  FIG. 11  receiving a workout type, a selected pace, or some other such preference-indicative selection as a menu item control touched a user  1171  via touchscreen  1185 , e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which a client application  722  resident on device  700 D detects the selection of the menu item. 
     Operation  1960  describes automatically and conditionally responding to the mode selection by configuring a frequency at which a first series of haptic activations (pace-setting taps, e.g.) is delivered to a first limb (arm or leg, e.g.) of the human subject that is responsive to the mode selection (mobile device  700 D responding to a mode selection of “high speed” by configuring a “fast” step frequency at which a first series of haptic activations is delivered to haptic ankle actuator  251  of  FIG. 2 , e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which “medium speed” and “slow speed” options were presented but not selected, and in which user  1171  uses a recharged appliance  1178  that powers control circuitry  245  electrically coupled to haptic ankle actuator  251  (via wires  1101 , e.g.). 
     Operation  1985  describes automatically triggering a second series of haptic activations delivered to a second limb of the human subject in a phased relationship (nominally offset or otherwise, e.g.) with the first series of haptic activations (mobile device  700 D triggering a series of several activations being delivered to haptic ankle actuator  252  in alternation with those going to haptic ankle actuator  252  (for a runner or cyclist wearing pants  110 , e.g.). 
       FIG. 20  illustrates an operational flow  2000  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2015  describes repeatedly obtaining one or more range-of-knee-motion indicia for a human subject (control circuitry  1245  receiving a series of values from a material stretch sensor  1217  worn by a human subject  1271 , e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which sensor  1217  is mounted adjacent a kneecap of a garment having leggings made of an elastic material and in which such values reflect an extension that reduces a nominal limb angle  1255  (relative to a locked position) below a successful-extension-indicative threshold magnitude (less than 15 degrees, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, such values may reflect a flexion that increases a nominal limb angle  1255  above a successful-flexion-indicative threshold magnitude (more than 125 degrees or more than 135 degrees, e.g.). In some variants, moreover, control circuitry  1245  may include an event counter that tracks how many successful flexions or extensions (or matched pairs thereof) occur during a given event. 
     Operation  2090  describes automatically and conditionally responding to the one or more range-of-knee-motion indicia of the human subject crossing a first threshold by transmitting a Boolean signal indicating the one or more range-of-knee-motion indicia crossing the first threshold (extension detector  1212  or event counter  1213  generating a Boolean output indicative of (whether and) when human subject  1271  successfully completed her prescribed workout of 50 leg extensions, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which each extension is required to alternate with at least a nominal flexion (approximately correlated with a limb angle  1255  of more than 90 degrees as detected by flexion detector  1211 , e.g.), in which such exercises are prescribed as an at-home postoperative physical therapy, and in which the Boolean successful completion signal is transmitted in a digital message (in an email to her doctor via network  1005 , e.g.). 
       FIG. 21  illustrates an operational flow  2100  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2130  describes responding in real time to first sensor data depicting a first person wearing a first article by transmitting the first sensor data via a wireless linkage to a remote device in a vicinity of a second person (a ceiling-mounted camera  1315  sending a live graphic image  823  of a person  1371  wearing smart athletic pants  1310  via a wireless linkage  1375  to a client device  700 F in a vicinity of user  1072 A, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in which camera  1315  is local to the “first” person  1371 , in which device  700 F is the “remote” device, in which the graphic image  823  depicts more than just one person (an entire pilates class, e.g.), and in which in which user  1072 A has sufficient expertise in the correct form of practice to provide meaningful haptic feedback (via pants  1310  worn by the first person, e.g.) to whichever members of the class are wearing smart athletic pants that user  1072 A can signal (by control circuitry  1345 , e.g.). 
     Operation  2130  describes responding in real time to selection input from the second person via the remote device after transmitting the first sensor data to the remote device by applying a haptic force pulse via an actuator of the first article (control circuitry  1345  responding to a signal arriving from the remote device  700 F indicating that a menu selection has been made there indicating a particular one haptic actuator of several available haptic actuators worn by person  1371 , e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which control circuitry responds in real time (in less than half a second after the menu selection event, e.g.) to such input arriving via server  600 , in which the real-time response is the haptic force pulse to the body part selected, in which the person  1371  wearing the first article knows who is providing the placement and timing of the haptic force pulse (in which user  1072 A is recognized as a pilates expert signaling that an adjustment in the left hip is needed by causing a left hip actuator  221  of pants  1310  to energize at a particular moment, e.g.), and in which any non-haptic feedback provided to person  1371  in real time via remote device  700 F would seriously disrupt person  1371  or other members of the class (or perhaps both). 
       FIG. 22  illustrates an operational flow  2200  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2250  describes obtaining sensor input indicative of an undesirable sacral skew in a wearer of a plurality of haptic actuators (client device  700 G receiving sacral-skew-indicative sensor input  1467  pertaining to a person  1471  wearing a plurality of haptic actuators, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which some or all such sensor input is obtained via one or more gyroscopic sensors  832  or other skew sensors  833  mounted on pants  110  or a shirt  130  worn by person  1471  and in which the sacral skew is either detected immediately (during a yoga pose that should be performed with level hips but is being performed with a skew larger than a predetermined threshold, e.g.) or repeatedly or on average (detected as an average that exceeds the threshold, e.g.) over that interval in respective embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, that skew can effectively be inferred from sensor data indicating associated phenomena (instances of sensors being significantly and detectably not equidistant from an RFID chip on a midline of shirt  130  or at significantly different heights or being on fabric areas that are unequally stretched, e.g.) with no undue experimentation. 
     Operation  2285  describes contemporaneously energizing a laterally asymmetric subset of the plurality of haptic actuators so as to haptically signal to the wearer of the haptic actuators how to reduce the undesirable sacral skew (client device  700 G energizing a human-anatomically asymmetric subset of a plurality of haptic actuators  221 ,  222 ,  251 ,  252  worn by person  1471  so as to haptically signal how person  1471  can reduce the undesirable sacral skew, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the plurality includes an even number of nominally matched left-side and right-side actuators on respective sides of the person  1471 , in which a Boolean signal conditionally indicative of the sacral skew is derived from raw sensor data at the client device  700 G using operating parameters or instructions downloaded from server  600  after the wearable plurality of haptic actuators is acquired by the person  1471 , in which one or more of the plurality is operably coupled with control circuitry  1345  wirelessly, and in which some of the haptic actuators. Alternatively or additionally, in some variants the entire plurality may be affixed to a single garment (one or more pants  110 ,  310  as described above, e.g.). 
       FIG. 23  illustrates an operational flow  2300  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2320  describes notifying a local participant before a beginning of a real-world event (a person  1471  being notified by server  600  in advance, via a display  712  of client device  700 H, of a nationwide athletic contest or geographically dispersed coordinated workout, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which a remote friend has expressed, via his client device  700 J, his intention to participate in the event. 
     Operation  2325  describes automatically notifying the local participant of the geographically dispersed real-world event beginning (server  600  causing client device  700 H to display a live announcement of the geographically dispersed real-world event actually beginning, e.g.). 
     Operation  2330  describes automatically notifying both the local participant and a remote participant of a detection of an inchoate athletic performance of said remote participant in the geographically dispersed real-world event in progress (server  600  automatically triggering a simultaneous notification to three participants in the event via their respective devices  700 H-J as a delayed response to them all joining the event and as an immediate response to the inchoate athletic performance of at least one remote participant via his device  700 J). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the remote participant (in the eastern United States, e.g.) has just achieved a milestone or taken the lead among a subset of those participating in the event. 
     Operation  2380  describes automatically notifying both the local participant and said remote participant of a detection of an inchoate athletic performance of the local participant in the in the geographically dispersed real-world event in progress (server  600  automatically triggering a simultaneous notification to three notifying then all of a detection of an inchoate athletic performance of the local participant in the in the geographically dispersed real-world event in progress in response to the local participant achieving a goal, e.g.). 
     Operation  2395  describes automatically notifying the local participant of the geographically dispersed real-world event ending (server  600  notifying the local participant via his device  700 H of the geographically dispersed real-world event ending, e.g.). This can occur, for example, either because a programmatic ending for the event (a half-hour workout, e.g.) has occurred on schedule or because someone (one of the owners of devices  700 H-J, e.g.) has won the event. In some less-competitive variants, however, operation  2395  only occurs for each local participant when that participant completes the event. 
       FIG. 24  illustrates an operational flow  2400  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2445  describes detecting a signal of initialization from a human subject who is wearing a first haptic garment (control circuitry  1645  detecting a power-on or workout start as a signal of initialization at least partly based on one or more human subjects  1271  wearing pants  1610 , e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which pants  1610  include one or more hip actuators  221 , knee actuators  341 , ankle actuators  251 , or other such haptic actuators by which separate respective parts of the wearer&#39;s lower body can be identified with particularity and in which all of such haptic actuators are wired to the control circuitry  1645 . (As described herein, actuators or body parts are “separate” if they are more than 2 centimeters apart.) 
     Operation  2475  describes responding to the signal of initialization from the human subject who is wearing the first haptic garment by energizing a first haptic actuator adjacent a first body part of the human subject and later by energizing a second haptic actuator adjacent a separate body part of the human subject and later by energizing a third haptic actuator adjacent another separate body part of the human subject (control circuitry  1645  responding to the signal of initialization  1667  from the human subject  1271  wearing haptic pants  1610  by producing a distributed pulse sequence  1668  with voltage signals  1637  as shown, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which a hip actuator  221 ,  222  is energized at a nominally different time (i.e. with a minimum time offset  1636  greater than 200 milliseconds) than that of a knee actuator  331 ,  332 ,  341 ,  342 ; in which an ankle actuator  251 ,  252  is likewise energized at a nominally different time than that of a hip actuator  221 ,  222  and also at a nominally different time than that of a knee actuator  331 ,  332 ,  341 ,  342 ; in which a new wearer of haptic garments would otherwise experience apprehension or surprise in regard to using pants  1610 ; and in which an experienced wearer of haptic garments would experience this haptic startup sequence as a useful preparatory entrainment. 
       FIG. 25  illustrates an operational flow  2500  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2505  describes obtaining a result of comparing a current athletic metric of a first human subject against a current performance metric of a second human subject (mobile device  1702  obtaining a result of comparing a state-of-accomplishment relative to a goal of a first human subject  1271  against a state-of-accomplishment relative to a goal of a second human subject  1771 ). This can occur, for example, in a context in which distant friends participate in a very friendly competition all having different goals but in which the real-time competition motivates each to bring her best effort into an athletic endeavor that would otherwise be relatively solitary and taxing. This can occur, for example, in a context in which human subject  1271  (using device  1701 , e.g.) is trying to perform  50  painful leg extensions each morning (in Japan) from 9-10 am; in which human subject  1771  (using device  1702 , e.g.) is trying to run 5 miles in that same hour (starting at 5 pm Pacific Time, e.g.); and in which the “current athletic metric” of each is her percentage of progress toward her goal. 
     Operation  2565  describes automatically applying a haptic force pulse to the second human subject rather than to the first human subject as a conditional response to the result of comparing the current athletic metric of the first human subject against the current performance metric of the second human subject (mobile device  1702  triggering at least one haptic pulse via pants  1710  to signal that human subject  1771  is currently in the lead, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which a mode  826  has been selected in which the haptic pulse rewards one or more participants who are in the lead by a sufficient margin and in which the current lead held by human subject  1771  actually causes her to receive the haptic pulse and likewise causes human subject  1271  not to receive a haptic pulse at about the same time. Alternatively or additionally, the haptic force pulse may (in some variants) signify a body part for which focus is recommended (by a coach, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, the haptic force pulse may be one of several that together provide useful information (a desired pace, e.g.) to whoever receives it, preferably one that is informed by the activity of each human subject (so that a bicyclist coasting down a hill does not receive multiple haptic force pulses, e.g.). 
       FIG. 26  illustrates an operational flow  2600  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2615  describes detecting a first movement of a wearer of a haptic garment via a first sensor supported by the haptic garment (device  700 D detecting a step, stroke, extension, or other such device-detectable motion of user  1171  via one or more accelerometers  814 , gyroscopic sensors  832 , or other sensors in the device  700 D or in garment  1120 , e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which user  1171  wears garment  1120 . 
     Operation  2630  describes detecting a count of how many times the wearer of the haptic garment performs the first movement irrespective of how fast each instance of the first movement is performed (device  700 D detecting a count of how many times user  1171  performs the first movement without regard to how quickly or slowly each instance of the first movement is performed, e.g.). 
     Operation  2650  describes presenting a first-type haptic notification to the wearer of the haptic garment when the count indicates that the first movement has been performed a first number of times (device  700 D triggering a “standard” vibration as the first-type haptic notification to the user  1171  who is wearing garment  1120  when the count indicates that the first movement has been performed N times, e.g.). This can occur, for example, when the user&#39;s goal is 2N or 3N repetitions and in which the “standard” vibration is delivered (via a short-range wireless linkage  1175  via one or more haptic actuators in garment  1120  selected as described above. 
     Operation  2675  describes presenting a second-type haptic notification to the wearer of the haptic garment when the count indicates that the first movement has been performed a second number of times (device  700 D triggering a double-length or double-strength haptic vibration as the second-type haptic notification to the user  1171  who is wearing garment  1120  when the count indicates that the first movement has been performed enough times that the when the user&#39;s goal (of 2N or 3N repetitions, e.g.) is achieved. This can occur, for example, in a context in which the wearer of the garment can readily distinguish the type “A” and “B” haptic notifications. 
       FIG. 27  illustrates an operational flow  2700  suitable for use with one or more inventive systems described herein. Operation  2725  describes obtaining heartrate-indicative data for a human subject (an instance of memory  610  recording a series of measurements from a heartrate sensor  831  worn by human subject  1710 , e.g.) This can occur, for example, in a context in which pants  1710  include an instance of special-purpose circuitry  800  and in which local device  1702  includes the memory  610 . 
     Operation  2760  describes automatically and conditionally responding to the heartrate-indicative data indicating a heartrate for the human subject exceeding a first threshold by configuring a frequency at which a first series of haptic activations is delivered to a first limb of the human subject that is responsive to the heartrate (special-purpose circuitry  800  automatically and conditionally responding to the human subject having a too-fast heartrate while she is running by sending haptic activations at a slower pace to a haptic ankle actuator  251  or haptic knee actuator  341  to signal her to take steps less frequently than before, e.g.). 
     Operation  2795  describes automatically triggering a second series of haptic activations delivered to a second limb of the human subject in alternation with the first series of haptic activations (special-purpose circuitry  800  automatically and conditionally triggering a second series of haptic activations delivered to the other ankle or knee in alternation with the first series of haptic activations, e.g.). 
     Referring again to the flow  1900  of  FIG. 19 , in some variants one or more available mode selections may allow other determinants (heart rate or competitor progress, e.g.) to influence the sequence frequency or phased relationship so that the frequency or phase shifts (or so that both shift) during the use of the selected mode according to one or more of such determinants. A menu selection may offer the human subject (user  1071 , e.g.) a choice between “heart-responsive pacing” or “hill-responsive pacing,” for example. Alternatively or additionally, the menu selection may offer the human subject a choice between “bicycle pacing,” “runner pacing,” or other such mode selections. Another variant may include a mode selection of “nominally simultaneous” (as contrasted with “nominally offset”) as a mode selection suitable for instances in which motions of the limbs are to be substantially in unison (for a wheelchair racer, rower, or breast stroke swimmer, e.g.) that informs the phased relationship implemented in operation  1985 . Another variant may include a mode selection that identifies a particular coach (selected among users  1072 A-C, e.g.), that coach having a profile-mode du jour (featuring programmatic haptic feedback as implemented by that coach and described herein, e.g.) that the human subject chooses merely based on the credentials of that coach, the frequency or phase thereby being programmed by the subject-selected coach before or during the athletic/therapeutic activity. As used herein, a phased relationship is “nominally offset” if it is programmed for an offset that is large enough for a human subject to perceive and act upon (more than 50 milliseconds, e.g.) and remains consistent (within 10 degrees, e.g.) for several cycles. 
     Referring again to the flow  2000  of  FIG. 20 , in some variants control circuitry  245  residing within a handheld device  700  tracks the subject&#39;s performance over the course of several workouts over several days. In some variants, for example, operation  2090  may report the Boolean signal as a lack of success unless a first threshold (exceeding each day&#39;s average range of flexion/extension at least once on the next day, e.g.) and a second threshold (performing the exercises with the pants  110  and a handheld device  700  both online, e.g.) are both crossed every day for a week. This can occur, for example, in a context in which the pants  110  and handheld device  700  are wirelessly paired and in which handheld device  700  provides a timestamp and other pertinent scalar values (an estimated daily-average limb angle  1255 , e.g.) each day after the workout (uploaded to server  600  in association with an identifier of human subject  1271 , e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, the Boolean signal may trigger either a higher tone (via speaker  825 , e.g.) to indicate a sufficient flexion or extension or a lower tone to indicate a near miss (a detected leg extension not meeting the extension threshold or a detected leg flexion not meeting the flexion threshold, e.g.) with each range-of-knee-motion action detected by special-purpose circuitry  800 . 
     Referring again to the flow  2100  of  FIG. 21 , in some variants special-purpose circuitry  800  performs operation  2130  by generating and immediately transmitting the first sensor data depicting a first person wearing a first article (as an output of an accelerometer  814  or heartrate sensor  831  mounted on garment  1120 , e.g.) to a remote device in a vicinity of a second person (to a client device  700 B in a vicinity of user  1072 B, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which special-purpose circuitry  800  is operably coupled with network  1005  wirelessly (i.e. via at least one wireless linkage) and in which circuitry  800  performs operation  2130  a few minutes later by responding to selection-input-containing feedback  1003  from user  1072 B by immediately triggering one or more haptic force pulses via an asymmetric subset of the haptic actuators of garment  1120  (pursuant to a concurrent performance of flow  2200 , e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, the feedback  1003  may include one or more “mode selections” as described with reference to  FIG. 19 . Moreover in many instances flow  2100  allows one or more remote coaches to “watch” the wearers&#39; performance stats and provide feedback quickly enough so that the wearer immediately “feels” the feedback of a particular area that needs to be adjusted. 
     Referring again to the flow  2200  of  FIG. 22 , in some variants control circuitry  245  residing within pants  1310  can perform operation  2250  by video or other photographic input indicative of the sacral skew in person  1371  via camera  1315 . This can occur, for example, in a context in which pants  1310  contain laterally offset matched haptic actuators on either side of person  1371  such that control circuitry  245  can activate either of them without energizing the other, in which a skilled remote coach (using client device  700 F, e.g.) diagnoses the undesirable sacral skew and transmits selection input (by clicking on a body part of person  1371  as presented in the image, e.g.) right away, and in which the selection input specifies which laterally asymmetric subset of the plurality of haptic actuators is then energized contemporaneously with the capture of the image viewed by the coach. 
     Referring again to the flow  2400  of  FIG. 24 , in some variants (an optional instance of) control circuitry  1145  residing within appliance  1178  can perform operation  2445  by detecting the insertion of appliance  1178  into slot  1188  as the signal of initialization. Alternatively or additionally, such control circuitry  1145  can perform operation  2475  by responding to a mode selection (pursuant to operation  1940 , e.g.) or by choosing which actuators to include in the distributed pulse sequence  1668  according to the mode selection or in response to a sensor signal (from accelerometer  814 , e.g.) indicative of a recognizable activity (running, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the pulse sequence energizes each of several actuators nominally in a temporally distributed fashion (having each pulse offset from two others by a minimum offset  1636  of more than 500 milliseconds, e.g.). 
     Referring again to the flow  2500  of  FIG. 25 , in some variants article  1020  can perform operation  2505  by obtaining a result of device  700 C comparing a current point count of user  1071  against a current point count of user  1072 C. This can occur, for example, in a context in which these users challenge each other to a competition in which whoever is losing receives one or more haptic force pulses at operation  2565  and in which at some point the “second” user accordingly receives a conditional haptic force pulse. 
     Referring again to the above-described variants in which a profile, mode selection, coach selection, or other preference has been provided, optionally such parameters may be updated after a user has acquired the configurable item (via download, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the item would not otherwise be configurable after a user obtains the item (garment, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, such configuration parameters (mode selections, e.g.) or other user-provided signals may be made via speech recognition (via microphone  824 , e.g.) in some variants. 
     Referring again to flows  1800 ,  2000 ,  2300  that do not refer with particularity to haptic activity, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations are contemplated in which information is presented or transmitted haptically to a particular body part (according to flows  1900 ,  2100 ,  2200 ,  2400 , or  2500 , e.g.) as well as others. Likewise referring again to flows (in  FIG. 18 or 20-26 , e.g.) that do not refer with particularity to haptic pulse sequences, variations are contemplated in which such sequences are presented (according to flows  1900  or  2700 , e.g.) as well as others. 
     Although various operational flows are presented in sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictates otherwise.