Patent Abstract:
An audible playback device that allows an athlete, such as a runner, to conveniently listen to audible content and receive athletic performance information. A single device may be employed to both playback audible content and provide monitored performance information to a user. The performance information may be provided to a user audibly, so that the user does not need to move the monitoring device&#39;s user interface to a viewable position.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This Application is a continuation-in-part of Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/576,184, entitled “Audible Content with Training Information” filed on May 31, 2004, and naming Albert Shum, et al. as inventors, which application is incorporated entirely herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to providing training information with audible content. More particularly, various embodiments of the invention relate to a device that plays back audible content for a user, while periodically providing the user with training information.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     To measure their performance in a quantifiable manner, athletes will often measure various performance characteristics corresponding to their activities. For example, a runner may measure a total distance traveled during a run, a total elapsed time required to run a distance, the elapsed time required to run a segment of the distance, and/or the average time required to run equal segments of the distance. Likewise, cyclists, ice skaters, sailors, hikers, swimmers, skiers, and other athletes may desire to measure the total distance traveled, a total elapsed time required to travel a distance, the elapsed time required to run a segment of the distance, and/or the average time required to run equal segments of the distance.  
         [0004]     In addition to (or instead of) measuring temporal and positional information, some athletes will measure their biometric information. For example, during an activity, an athlete may employ a heart-rate monitor to monitor his or her heart rate, a thermostat to measure the athlete&#39;s body temperature, a blood pressure monitor to measure the athlete&#39;s blood pressure, a volumetric expansion monitor to monitor the expansion of the athlete&#39;s lungs while performing an activity, an oxygen content meter to measure the amount of oxygen in the athlete&#39;s bloodstream (e.g., by measuring the amount of oxygen in the athlete&#39;s exhaled breath), or even more sophisticated biometric monitoring device, such as an ECG (electrocardiogram) monitor. The athlete can then use this biometric information to analyze his or her athletic performance.  
         [0005]     Many athletes also prefer to use some type of audible playback device during an athletic activity. For example, many athletes will listen to music or other audible content transmitted over radio waves, decoded from an electronically or magnetically stored file (such as an MP3, AAC or WAV files), or decoded from a file stored on an optical medium (such as a compact disc (CD)) during an athletic activity. Some athletes find that the audible content distracts the athlete from the monotony of an athletic activity, while other athletes believe that audible content with rhythm can be used to help the athlete maintain a desired pace. Still other athletes alternately or additionally choose to carry a wireless telephone during their activities, in case they need to be contacted with an important message.  
         [0006]     While an athlete may monitor positional, temporal, and/or biometric information during an athletic activity, the athlete will not typically monitor this information continuously. Instead, the athlete will only periodically monitor this information. Accordingly, many athletes use a performance monitoring device in conjunction with an audible content playback device. For example, a runner may listen to an MP3 or WAV file player while wearing a watch wirelessly linked to a pedometer on the runner&#39;s foot. In this way, the runner can listen to desired audible content, such as music or a book or magazine article read aloud, while periodically monitoring his or her speed and distance.  
         [0007]     While such use of multiple devices does allow an athlete to both enjoy the playback of audible content and monitor performance data, the use of multiple devices may be inconvenient and awkward for the athlete. For example, if an athlete desires to listen to music, receive calls through a wireless telephone, and check performance information, the athlete must physically carry at least three different pieces of equipments. Further, if an athlete is using an MP3 player and receives a call on a wireless telephone, the athlete must remove the headphones for the MP3 player, and break stride by moving the wireless telephone to the athlete&#39;s ear. Likewise, if the athlete desires to view performance data, the athlete typically must break stride to move the monitoring device&#39;s user interface (e.g., a display on a watch) to a viewable position. Still further, an athlete may find it difficult to concentrate on understanding the performance data while still listening to the audible content.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The invention advantageously allows an athlete, such as a runner, to conveniently listen to audible content and receive performance information. For example, various embodiments of the invention employ a single device to both playback audible content and provide monitored performance information to a user. Some embodiments of the invention even provide the performance information to a user audibly, so that the user does not need to move the monitoring device&#39;s user interface (e.g., a display on a watch) to a viewable position. Instead, the user can simply listen to the performance information rather than (or in addition to) the audible content.  
         [0009]     These and other features and aspects of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of components of an audible content playback device according to various embodiments of the invention.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate a process by which an audible content playback device can provide a user with both audible content and performance information according to various embodiments of the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates one technique by which an audible content playback device according to various embodiments of the invention can reduce the volume of audible content to audibly provide performance data.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates an audible playback device  101  according to various embodiments of the invention. As seen in this figure, the audible playback device  101  interacts with an athletic performance monitor  103  in order to provide audible content playback and athletic performance information to a user  105 . The audible playback device  101  includes an audible content source module  107 , an athletic performance monitor interface  109 , an athletic performance data storage  111 , an audible content playback module  113 , an athletic performance user interface  115 , and a controller  117 . As will be explained in more detail below, one or more of the components  107 - 117  may be implemented using programmable electronic circuitry (sometimes referred to as “hardware”) together with a set of instructions (sometimes referred to as “software”) for controlling the operation of the programmable electronic circuitry. Alternately or additionally, one or more of the components  107 - 117  may be implemented using non-programmable electronic circuitry, or a combination of the two. For example, the audible content playback module  113  may be implemented using programmable circuitry to deliver electronic signals to a piezoelectric emitter for emitting sounds corresponding to the electronic signals.  
         [0014]     The audible content source module  107  may be any device or system for playing back audible content. For example, with some embodiments of the invention, the audible content source module  107  may be a music player for playing back music or voice information, e.g., electronically stored in a music file (such as an MP3, AAC, or WAV file) or retrieved from an optical storage device. Further, the audible content source module  107  may be a radio receiver for receiving and decoding music or voice information transmitted over radio waves. Still further, the audible content source module  107  may include the components of a wireless telephone, for both transmitting and receiving sound information to and from another transceiver device. Moreover, with the still other embodiments of the invention, the audible content source module  107  may include any combination of music player, radio receiver, or mobile telephone transceiver device.  
         [0015]     The athletic performance monitor interface  109  communicates with the athletic performance monitor  103 . The athletic performance monitor  103  may be any desired type of athletic performance monitor. More particularly, the athletic performance monitor  103  may monitor an athlete&#39;s positional information, temporal information, biometric information, or any combination thereof. For example, the athletic performance monitor  103  may include any combination of speedometer or GPS tracking device, chronometer or chronograph, heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, lung expansion monitor, oxygen content monitor, or other monitoring device.  
         [0016]     With some embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may be a remote component from the audible playback device  101 . For example, with some embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may be a pedometer or GPS device remotely located from the audible playback device  101 . With these embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may communicate with the athletic performance monitor interface  109  through a wired or wireless connection. The wireless connection may be, for example, over a radio frequency, infrared, visible, or ultrasonic wavelength medium. With still other embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may be incorporated into the audible playback device  101 . For example, if the athletic performance monitor  103  is a chronograph or chronometer, then the athletic performance monitor  103  may be implemented within the audible playback device  101 . For still other embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may include both remotely located and internally located performance monitoring devices.  
         [0017]     The athletic performance data storage  111  may be any component for storing athletic performance data provided by the athletic performance monitor  103 . For example, the athletic performance data storage  111  may be a solid state storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, a punched storage device, or other type of storage device. The audible content playback module  113  may be any type of device for converting audible content information provided by the audible content source module  107  into audible content that may be heard by the user  105 . The athletic performance user interface  115  then provides the performance data measured by the athletic performance monitor  103  to the user  105 . As will be discussed in more detail, the athletic performance user interface  115  may provide athletic performance data to the user visually, audibly, or as a combination of the two. The control  117  then controls the operation of each of the audible content source module  107 , the athletic performance monitor interface  109 , the athletic performance data storage  111 , the audible content playback module  113 , and the athletic performance user interface  115 . Each of these components may communicate with each other over a data bus  119 .  
         [0018]     The operation of an audible playback device  101  according to various embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 2A-2D . Referring now to  FIG. 2A  in step  201  the user first positions the athletic performance monitor  103 . For example, if the athletic performance monitor  103  is a pedometer, the user  105  may position the pedometer on one of the user&#39;s feet, so that the pedometer may accurately detect every other step taken by the user. Alternately or additionally, if the athletic performance monitor  103  includes a GPS positioning device, then the user may position an antenna for the GPS positioning device high on the user&#39;s body, such as on the user&#39;s shoulder or head. As previously mentioned, with some embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may be incorporated into the audible playback device  101 . With these embodiments, the user may omit step  201 .  
         [0019]     Next, in step  203 , the user activates the athletic performance monitor  103 . Again, if the athletic performance monitor  103  is incorporated into the audible playback device  101 , this process may be as simple as depressing a command button on the audible playback device  101 . For example, if the athletic performance monitor  103  is a chronometer, then the user  105  may initiate the operation of the chronometer simply by depressing the appropriate button on the audible playback device  101 .  
         [0020]     If the athletic performance monitor  103  is remotely located from the audible playback device  101 , then the user  105  may need to initiate a communication channel between the athletic performance monitor  103  and the audible playback device  101  in step  205 . Such a process may include, for example, activating the appropriate command buttons on both the athletic performance monitor  103  and the audible playback device  101  within a preset amount of time, so that the athletic performance monitor  103  recognizes signals from the audible playback device  101  and the audible playback device  101  correspondingly recognizes signals from the athletic performance monitor  103 . This type of channel initialization process is well known, and thus will not be discussed in further detail.  
         [0021]     In step  207 , the athletic performance monitor  103  begins collecting athletic performance data. Then, in step  209 , the user  105  selects the audible content to be played back by the audible content playback module  113 . For example, if the audible content source module  107  is an MP3 player, then the user may actuate the necessary buttons or other controls on the audible playback device  101  to select which stored MP3 files are to be audibly played back to the user  105  through the audible content playback module  113 . Similarly, if the audible content source  107  is a radio, then the user may actuate the necessary buttons or other controls to select the radio frequency channel that will be played back to the user  105  through the audible content playback module  113 . Then, in step  211 , the audible playback device  101  begins playing back the audible content selected in step  209 .  
         [0022]     In step  213 , the athletic performance monitor  103  transmits athletic performance data to the athletic performance monitor interface  109 . With some embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may periodically transmit athletic performance data to the athletic performance monitor interface  109 . With still other embodiments of the invention, however, the athletic performance monitor  103  may continuously transmit athletic performance data to the athletic performance monitor interface  109 . Still further, with some embodiments of the invention, the athletic performance monitor  103  may additionally or alternately provide athletic performance data to the athletic performance monitor interface  109  upon prompting by the user  105 . Correspondingly, in step  215 , the audible playback device  101  receives the athletic performance data from the athletic performance monitor  103  through the athletic performance monitor interface  109 .  
         [0023]     After receiving the athletic performance data from the athletic performance monitor  103 , the audible playback device  101  determines when the athletic performance data is provided to the user  105  through the athletic performance user interface  115 . For example, with some embodiments of the invention, the audible playback device  101  may periodically provide the user with the received athletic performance data at preset intervals (such as, for example, every five minutes, every mile or one-half mile of travel, etc.). Alternately or additionally, the audible playback device  101  may provide the user  105  with the received athletic performance data when the audible playback device  101  receives the performance data from the athletic performance monitor  103 . Still further, with various embodiments of the invention, the audible playback device  101  may alternately or additionally provide the user  105  with received performance data when the user actively requests the performance data by, for example, actuating a button or other control to receive the performance data.  
         [0024]     When the audible playback device  101  determines that the athletic performance data should be provided to the user  105 , the audible playback device  101  reduces the volume of the audible content playback in step  217 . Next, in step  219 , the audible playback device  101  pauses playback of the audible content. Thus, the audible playback device  101  gradually reduces the volume of the audible content before providing the user  105  with the performance data. It should be appreciated, however, that various embodiments of the invention may instead immediately pause or stop playback of the audible content without previously decreasing its volume.  
         [0025]     Next, in step  221 , the audible playback device  101  provides the user with the received performance data. With some embodiments of the invention, the audible playback device  101  may visibly display the performance data received from the athletic performance monitor  103 . For example, the audible playback device  101  may include a display, such as a liquid crystal display or color transistor display, for displaying the received performance data. With various embodiments of the invention where the performance data is only visually provided to the user, then the audible content playback module  113 , may not reduce or pause playback of the audible content, but may instead continue to playback the audible content without interruption or interference.  
         [0026]     With still other embodiments of the invention, however, the athletic performance user interface  115  may audibly relate the received athletic performance data to the user  105 . For example, the athletic performance user interface  115  may include a voice synthesizer, which synthesizes voice information corresponding to the received performance data. With these embodiments, the audible playback device  101  increases the volume of the audible performance data provided to the user when at the volume of the audible content is reduced or paused, as described above.  
         [0027]     For example,  FIG. 3  illustrates the initial volume of the playback of the audible content at  301 . As previously noted, the audible playback device  101  reduces the volume of the audible content at  303  until the audible content is paused (or otherwise reduced to a level where it is only nominally audible to the user  105 ) at  305 . Correspondingly, the audible playback device  101  increases the volume of the audible playback of the performance data at  307 , until the volume of the audible playback of the performance data reaches a volume at  309  that may easily be heard by the user  105 . After the performance data has been audibly played back for the user  105 , the athletic performance user interface  115  decreases the volume of (or, alternately pauses the playback of) the performance data at  311 . The audible content playback module  113  then correspondingly increases the volume of the audible content at  313  (or, alternately, restarts the playback of the audible content), until the audible content returns to its normal level at  315 .  
         [0028]     In this manner, the user may conveniently receive both audible content and audible performance data information while engaging in an athletic activity. More particularly, the user  105  need not switch between separate devices to receive both the audible content and the audibly provided performance data.  
       CONCLUSION  
       [0029]     There are any number of alternative combinations for the invention, which incorporate one or more elements from the specification, including the description, claims, and drawings, in various combinations or sub combinations. It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant technology, in light of the present specification, that alternate combinations of aspects of the invention, either alone or in combination with one or more elements or steps defined herein, may be utilized as modifications or alterations of the invention or as part of the invention. It may be intended that the written description of the invention contained herein covers all such modifications and alterations. For instance, in various embodiments, a certain order to various processes has been shown. However, any desirable reordering of the steps of these processes is encompassed by the present invention. Also, where certain units of properties such as size (e.g., in bytes or bits) are used, any other units are also envisioned.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0