US 6,059,576 · Granted 2000-05-09
The 2000 Motion-Tracking Device That Pioneered Wearable Fitness Tech
Imagine a tiny computer you wear on your arm or body that watches how you move during exercise using a motion sensor, then tells you instantly if you're doing it wrong—with beeps, lights, or vibrations. This patent covers that idea: a wearable device that learns your movement patterns, remembers them, and coaches you in real time.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a wearable electronic device that uses an accelerometer to measure body movement, processes that movement data through a programmable microprocessor, and delivers real-time feedback (visual, audible, or tactile) when the wearer's motion matches pre-programmed warning conditions. What's protected here is the specific combination of motion sensing, data recording, customizable thresholds, and live feedback delivered through a portable, wearable form factor.
Why it matters
This patent staked an early claim to the concept of wearable motion monitoring for fitness and injury prevention—a category that exploded decades later with devices like Fitbit, Apple Watch, and motion-capture gym equipment. By combining accelerometer sensing, programmable logic, and real-time coaching feedback in a single worn device, the patent carved out a foundational technology space that would eventually power everything from form-correction apps to smart athletic equipment.
Real-world use
When a runner wears a motion tracker during training and gets a vibration alert telling them their stride is off, or a weightlifter gets audio feedback that their squat depth isn't deep enough, they're using the mechanics this patent describes.
Original USPTO abstract
An electronic device, system and method to monitor and train an individual on proper motion during physical movement. The system employs an electronic device which tracks and monitors an individual's motion through the use of an accelerometer capable of measuring parameters associated with the individual's movement. The device also employs a user-programmable microprocessor which receives, interprets, stores and responds to data relating to the movement parameters based on customizable operation parameters, a real-time clock connected to the microprocessor, memory for storing the movement data, a power source, a port for downloading the data from the device to other computation or storage devices contained within the system, and various input and output components. The downloadable, self-contained device can be worn at various positions along the torso or appendages being monitored depending on the specific physical task being performed. The device also detects the speed of movements made while the device is being worn. When a pre-programmed recordable event is recognized, the device records the time and date of the occurrence while providing feedback to the wearer via visual, audible and/or tactile warnings.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,059,576
- Filing date
- 1997-11-21
- Grant date
- 2000-05-09
- Assignee
- Brann; Theodore L.
- Inventor(s)
- BRANN; THEODORE L.
- CPC class
- A61B5/6804
Want to file your own patent?
If you're designing a wearable fitness tracker or motion-coaching device, search our database to see what movement-tracking patents already exist in your space before you prototype.
Free patentability scan