US 6,736,759 · Granted 2004-05-18
The Patent That Connected GPS to Your Heartbeat
Imagine a system that tracks where you are while you exercise and measures your heart rate at the same time, then shows all that data on a screen. This patent covers the idea of combining a GPS-like positioning device with a heart monitor so athletes and fitness enthusiasts can see exactly where they've been and how hard their body worked.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a combination of three linked components: an electronic positioning device that tracks location, a physiological monitor that measures body data like heart rate, and a display screen that shows information from both devices together. What's protected here is the specific arrangement of these three elements working as one integrated system to give real-time feedback during exercise.
Why it matters
In the late 1990s when this was filed, wearable fitness tracking barely existed. Bringing together location data and body metrics in one unified display was novel enough to warrant patent protection. This kind of integrated approach became foundational to how modern fitness watches, running apps, and gym equipment work today—combining where you go with how your body responds.
Real-world use
When a runner uses a smartwatch to see both their route and heart rate simultaneously, or when a cycling app displays pace alongside your pulse, you're using the same core idea this patent locked down.
Original USPTO abstract
An exercise monitoring system which includes an electronic positioning device; a physiological monitor; and a display unit configured for displaying data provided by the electronic positioning device and the physiological monitor.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,736,759
- Filing date
- 1999-11-09
- Grant date
- 2004-05-18
- Assignee
- Paragon Solutions, Llc
- Inventor(s)
- STUBBS JACK B., SCHWIEGER KEVIN L.
- CPC class
- A63B24/0021
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