US 6,539,336 · Granted 2003-03-25
The Patent That Turned Jumps Into Data Points
Imagine a sensor system that tracks every time you leave the ground on your bike or skateboard—measuring how long you're airborne, how fast you're going, and how high you jumped. This 2003 patent from Phatrat Technologies does exactly that, turning athletic tricks into numbers you can see on a display and compare with friends online.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a complete monitoring system that uses sensors to detect when a vehicle (like a bike, skateboard, or similar sports equipment) leaves and returns to the ground, then calculates airtime, speed, power expenditure, and jump height. What's protected here is the combination of the loft sensor, controller logic to convert sensor data into meaningful metrics, and the display that shows those metrics to the user—plus the ability to compare performance data across a network.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early attempt to industrialize sports performance tracking before smartphones made it ubiquitous. By combining multiple sensors into a unified system and adding online connectivity for social comparison, Phatrat Technologies patented a template that would later become standard in fitness trackers, action sports gear, and competitive gaming platforms. It's an early example of turning physical athletic feats into shareable digital data.
Real-world use
A teenager wearing this system on a mountain bike would see real-time readouts of how long they stayed airborne on a jump, their speed before takeoff, and the peak height reached—all displayed on a wrist unit or handlebar mount.
Original USPTO abstract
The invention detects the loft time, speed, power and/or drop distance of a vehicle, such as a sporting vehicle, during activities of moving and jumping. A loft sensor detects when the vehicle leaves the ground and when the vehicle returns to the ground. A controller subsystem converts the sensed information to determine a loft time. A display shows the recorded loft time to a user of the system. In addition, a speed sensor can detect the vehicle's speed for selective display to the user. A power sensing section informs the user of expended energy, which can be compared to other users. A drop distance sensing unit informs the user of the peak height of a jump, during an airtime. Gaming on the internet is facilitated to connect worldwide sport enthusiasts.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,539,336
- Filing date
- 1998-06-02
- Grant date
- 2003-03-25
- Assignee
- Phatrat Technologies, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- VOCK CURTIS A., DARCY DENNIS, BODKIN ANDREW, YOUNGS PERRY, LARKIN ADRIAN F., FINBERG STEVEN, MARSHALL CHARLES, BURKE SHAWN, FLENTOV PETER, GREALISH KEVIN J.
- CPC class
- A63C5/06
Want to file your own patent?
Building the next generation of sports sensors? Use our free patentability scanner to check if your performance-tracking idea overlaps with existing fitness and sports patents before you prototype.
Free patentability scan