Fitness goal and guidance system

Abstract

A fitness goal and guidance system and method display a dial to a person exercising. The system and method further display a first indicator on the dial representing a starting time for a multi-session exercise metric goal, a second indicator angularly moving about the axis during the ongoing exercise session based upon on signals indicating ongoing exercise performance by the person exercising, and a third indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator about the axis by a sum of a first arc corresponding to a first target exercise metric value for the ongoing exercise session and a second arc corresponding to a cumulation of exercise metric results of exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session since the starting time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fitness goal and guidance system comprising:
 an electronic input to receive signals indicating an exercise metric by a person during an ongoing exercise session; and   a controller to generate control signals to direct a display to visibly present to the person:   a dial centered about an axis;   a first indicator on the dial representing a starting time for a multi-session exercise metric goal;   a second indicator angularly moving about the axis during the ongoing o exercise session based upon on the signals; and   a third indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator about the axis by a sum of a first arc corresponding to a first target exercise metric value for the ongoing exercise session and a second arc corresponding to a cumulation of exercise metric results of exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session since the starting time.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals directing the display to present a fourth indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator by the second arc. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , when the controller is configured to generate control signals directing the display to present a fifth indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator by a sum of a third arc corresponding to a second target exercise metric value for the ongoing exercise session and the second arc, the third arc being different than the first arc. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate control signals directing the display to present a sixth indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator by an arc about the axis corresponding to an estimated final cumulative result for the exercise metric based upon a current pace of the person towards the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first target exercise metric value represented by the first arc is established prior to the starting time and wherein the second target exercise metric value represented by the third arc is determined following the exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the second target exercise metric value represented by the third arc is determined based upon a comparison of the cumulation of exercise metric results of exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session since the starting time and the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the second target exercise metric value represented by the third arc decreases a difference between a current pace of the person towards the multi-session exercise metric goal and a predetermined pace for the person to attain the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first arc is scaled based upon a 360 degree arc equated to the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals directing the display to present the a momentary value for the exercise metric for the ongoing exercise session. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the momentary value is displayed proximate a center of the dial. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals directing the display to present a percentage of the multi-session exercise metric goal that has been momentarily attained. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the percentage is displayed proximate a center of the dial. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals directing the display to present a value of a difference between a current pace of the person towards the multi-session exercise metric goal and a predetermined pace for the person to attain the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exercise metric is selected from a group of metrics consisting of time duration, calories, distance and work. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate control signals directing the display to present a fourth indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator by an arc about the axis corresponding to an estimated final cumulative result for the exercise metric based upon a current pace of the person towards the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second arc corresponds to a cumulation of exercise metric results of exercise sessions on different types of fitness equipment units. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic input is configured to receive signals from a fitness equipment unit during a first exercise session and is configured to receive signals from a space-based satellite navigation system during a second exercise session, wherein one of the first exercise session and the second exercise session is the ongoing exercise session. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic input is configured to receive signals from a space-based satellite navigation system. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is part of a fitness equipment unit. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is part of a portable electronic device. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a reward signal upon attainment of the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 displaying to a person exercising a dial;   displaying a first indicator on the dial representing a starting time for a multi-session exercise metric goal;   display a second indicator angularly moving about the axis during the ongoing exercise session based upon on signals indicating ongoing exercise performance by the person exercising; and   displaying a third indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator about the axis by a sum of a first arc corresponding to a first target exercise metric value for the ongoing exercise session and a second arc corresponding to a cumulation of exercise metric results of exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session since the starting time.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising displaying a fourth indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator by the second arc. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising displaying a fifth indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator by a sum of a third arc corresponding to a second target exercise metric value for the ongoing exercise session and the second arc, the third arc being different than the first arc. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising displaying a sixth indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator by an arc about the axis corresponding to an estimated final cumulative result for the exercise metric based upon a current pace of the person towards the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first target exercise metric value represented by the first arc is established prior to the starting time and wherein the second target exercise metric value represented by the third arc is determined following the exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the second target exercise metric value represented by the third arc is determined based upon a comparison of the cumulation of exercise metric results of exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session since the starting time and the multi-session exercise metric goal. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus comprising:
 a non-transient computer-readable medium containing computer-readable programming to direct a processing unit to:   receive signals indicating ongoing exercise performance by a person exercising;   display a dial to the person exercising;   display a first indicator on the dial representing a starting time for a multi-session exercise metric goal;   display a second indicator angularly moving about the axis during the ongoing exercise session based upon on the signals indicating ongoing exercise performance by the person exercising; and   display a third indicator angularly spaced from the first indicator about the axis by a sum of a first arc corresponding to a first target exercise metric value for the ongoing exercise session and a second arc corresponding to a cumulation of exercise metric results of exercise sessions preceding the ongoing exercise session since the starting time.