System and method for promoting and tracking physical activity among a participating group of individuals

Abstract

A system and method of tracking physical activity of a person in order to help motivate that person to add more exercise to their lives. Each participant is provided a motion sensor that detects forces incurred by the participant. The motion sensor creates electronic data that corresponds to the forces detected. The data is analyzed to determine whether or not exercise has been performed. The analysis can also determine the type of exercise performed, when the exercise was performed, and the duration of the exercise performed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for tracking physical activity of a person, comprising:
 a portable motion sensor that senses motion and the time the motion occurs, creates electronic data corresponding to said motion and time, and stores the created data, the motion sensor arranged to be carried or worn by a person so that said motion sensor detects motion from physical activities experienced by the person, and creates and stores corresponding electronic data;   a transmitter coupled to the motion sensor for wirelessly transmitting the stored data;   a receiver for receiving the transmitted data when the receiver is communicatively coupled to the transmitter; and   a server computer communicatively coupled to the receiver for obtaining and analyzing the data to determine the physical activities experienced by the person and a duration of each of the physical activities.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a database in which the person is associated with the motion sensor and with the determined physical activities and the duration of each of the physical activities. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the database provides the stored physical activities and duration for presentation. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server computer stores a plurality of physical activities and provides a user interface with which the person views the determined physical activities and durations and, in the case at least one of the activities and/or durations was incorrectly determined, selects a correct physical activity and/or duration for storage in the database. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor includes at least one accelerometer for measuring changes in acceleration in at least one plane. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an attachment for attaching the motion sensor to a shoe worn by the person. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is disposed in a location frequented by the person, wherein the electronic data is automatically transmitted to the receiver when the person comes into range of the receiver, and wherein the receiver forwards the electronic data to the server computer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the analyzing the electronic data includes determining and storing the start time and duration of each of the determined physical activities. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the person selects one of a plurality of challenge exercises and sets an amount of the selected exercise as a goal. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the analyzing the electronic data further includes converting each of the determined physical activities and its duration into a caloric equivalent amount of the selected challenge exercise. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the converted challenge exercise amount is stored and accumulated in the database and counted toward the goal. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a reward is provided to the person if the accumulated converted challenge exercise amount equals or surpasses the goal. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the reward includes reward points in an amount proportional to a predetermined difficulty in achieving the goal, wherein the reward points are usable to obtain a benefit from at least one of a participating group of companies. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the accumulated converted challenge exercise amount is monitored to determine when the person has achieved the exercise goal.