US 6,837,827 · Granted 2005-01-04
The GPS Watch That Turned Running Into Data
Garmin patented a wearable device that uses GPS to track where you run or bike, how fast you're going, and whether you're hitting your fitness goals. It stores all that performance data on the device itself and lets you review it later to see how you're improving.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a handheld or wearable device architecture that combines a GPS receiver with a processor, timer, and memory to log position data over time, then calculates performance metrics like distance and pace from that GPS trail. What's protected here is the specific combination of GPS tracking, onboard data storage, goal-setting features, and the ability to display or export performance statistics through a user interface and data port.
Why it matters
This patent represents a key moment when consumer fitness technology shifted from guesswork to precision. Before GPS watches became common, runners and cyclists had no reliable way to measure their actual distance or pace without expensive gym equipment or careful route planning. By locking down the core architecture of a self-contained GPS training device, Garmin established a category that would eventually dominate the fitness wearable market.
Real-world use
Every time a runner checks their Garmin watch mid-jog to see their mile split or total distance covered, they're relying on the GPS tracking and real-time calculation system this patent describes.
Original USPTO abstract
A personal training device ( 10 ) adapted to assist a user in reaching performance goals, navigating, and accumulating performance statistics. In a preferred embodiment, the device broadly comprises a housing ( 10 ); an attachment mechanism ( 30 ); a GPS component ( 40 ); a user interface ( 50 ), including an input portion ( 52 ) and an output portion ( 54 ); a processor ( 60 ), including a timer ( 62 ) and a memory element ( 64 ); a data interface ( 70 ), including an input portion ( 72 ) and an output portion ( 74 ); an audio component ( 80 ); and a power supply ( 90 ). The device ( 10 ) is adapted to store goal information, monitor performance using GPS-derived data, and communicate performance information.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,837,827
- Filing date
- 2003-06-17
- Grant date
- 2005-01-04
- Assignee
- Garmin Ltd.
- Inventor(s)
- LEE WAI C., OLIVIER TRACY L., MOORE RYAN T., FISHER CLAUDETTE D., DOWNEY DAVID J., LOVITT JOHN H., BRUNK SCOTT J.
- CPC class
- G01C21/20
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