Invented by Carlson; Rogério, Gillespie; Tawnia

Everyone knows that being active is good for you. But getting people moving can be hard, especially when most of us spend our days sitting. What if cheering for your favorite team could make you healthier? Today, we explore a new patent application for ActvFan, a system that lets fans get active together, earn points, and win rewards for themselves and their teams. In this article, we’ll break down why this idea matters, how it stands out from the crowd, and how it works in simple terms.

Background and Market Context

Physical inactivity is a huge problem in the United States. Most people do not get enough exercise. According to the background of this patent, nearly 80% of Americans are not active enough. This is not just a health issue. It is also a challenge for organizations—like sports teams, schools, and leagues—that want to connect with their fans and members all year round. These groups have a hard time keeping people interested, especially during the off-season or when there are no big games. This is even harder with young people, who are usually glued to their screens.

Sports teams and schools try many things to keep fans and students engaged. They use apps, websites, news, quizzes, and social media. But most of these tools only work during games or for short periods, like fantasy leagues. Once the game is over, the excitement fades. This leaves a big gap in fan engagement, and it misses a huge chance to help people get healthier at the same time.

This is where ActvFan steps in. The idea is simple but powerful: connect people’s love for their teams with healthy habits. Imagine an app that tracks your steps, gives you points for being active, and lets you compete or cooperate with other fans. The more you move, the better your team does in the rankings. You earn rewards, your team moves up, and everyone wins. This turns the energy of sports fandom into a push for better health, all year long.

The market for this kind of system is wide open. Teams, leagues, and schools are always looking for fresh ideas to keep people engaged. Health and wellness are also huge trends, with more people wearing smartwatches, tracking their steps, and trying to live better. By combining these two worlds—sports fans and fitness—ActvFan creates something new. It gives organizations a way to reach their fans every day, not just on game day. It gives fans a reason to move and connect, even when the stands are empty. And for young people, it turns exercise into a game, making it fun instead of a chore.

Growing numbers of companies and schools are also looking for ways to promote health and wellness among their people. With ActvFan, they can run competitions, offer rewards, and build a true sense of community. This is more than just another step tracker. It is a way to use the power of teams and belonging to inspire real change. That is the market context where this patent fits in, and it answers a real need that is only getting bigger.

Scientific Rationale and Prior Art

Why does ActvFan matter from a scientific point of view? It comes down to two things: the power of social motivation and the limits of old tools. People are more likely to do something healthy—like exercise—if it is fun, rewarding, and shared with others. This is why group classes, running clubs, and team sports work so well. When you do something together, or for a cause you believe in, you stick with it longer.

Apps that track activity are nothing new. Many people use smartphones and smartwatches to count steps, measure sleep, or record workouts. But most of these apps focus on the individual. You get your own stats, maybe some badges or streaks, but that’s about it. A few apps let you share your progress with friends or join simple challenges. Some health programs for schools or companies run short competitions. And sports fan apps usually just deliver news, scores, or let you chat with other fans.

What is missing is a system that truly blends the excitement of being a fan with real, everyday physical activity. No other system lets fans join together, represent their favorite team, and compete against rival teams purely by being active. Most fan engagement tools are one-way streets: you watch, you read, you respond to a quiz, but you are not truly part of the action. And most fitness apps are about you, not your community, your team, or your school.

The ActvFan patent breaks new ground by building a bridge between these worlds. It uses the science of motivation—reward, competition, belonging—to get people moving. It taps into the deep connection fans have with their teams, turning it into a force for health. It also solves fairness problems (like different team sizes) with smart algorithms, so everyone can join in and feel like they matter.

Prior art in this space includes step trackers, fitness leaderboards, basic corporate wellness apps, and traditional fan apps. But these tools do not bring all the pieces together. They do not create a “major league of fans” where your steps, your exercise, and your healthy choices help your team win. They do not offer a true two-way connection, where fans are not just watching, but are part of the journey. And they do not use advanced features like dynamic avatars, AR experiences, or reward systems tied to real teams and brands.

In short, ActvFan stands apart by using what we know about group motivation, healthy habits, and fan culture to create something fresh. It fills the gaps left by older solutions and brings together technology, psychology, and sports in a way that feels natural, fair, and fun for users of all ages.

Invention Description and Key Innovations

Now, let’s look at how ActvFan works and what makes it special. At its heart, ActvFan is a system made up of a server application (the brain) and a user app (the face). The server connects people to their organizations—like sports teams, schools, or leagues. The user app tracks physical activity, like steps or exercise. The system adds up all the activity from each group, compares the totals, and decides which group wins a friendly competition.

Here’s how it unfolds in simple steps:

When you sign up, you choose which team or group you support. You put in some basic info so the app can set fair goals for you. The app connects with your phone, watch, or other devices to track your activity. Every step you take, every workout you finish, counts toward your personal points and your team’s total.

But this is not just about counting steps. The app uses smart algorithms to make the game fair. If one team has more fans than another, the app adjusts the scores so everyone has a chance. It also takes into account your age, weight, and current activity level, so everyone can earn points at a pace that suits them.

As you move, you earn points. These points go toward rankings—both for you and your team. The more you move, the higher you climb. The app is designed to keep you engaged with daily, weekly, and monthly challenges. You can compete with other fans, cooperate with friends, or even form your own groups for special competitions. The app is flexible: it works as a standalone tool or can be added to existing team or school apps.

Rewards are a big part of ActvFan. Points can be traded in for discounts, team merchandise, special experiences, or even digital collectibles called NFTs. Teams and sponsors can design their own rewards. The app sends you nudges and notifications to keep you moving and lets you see your progress, compare stats, and show off your achievements. You can choose to stay anonymous with a nickname or avatar if you prefer privacy.

One of the coolest features is the dynamic avatar. As you get more active, your avatar changes to show your progress—you might see more muscle, a happier face, or brighter colors. This gives you a fun, visual way to see your health improve. There are also badges, skins, and special prizes as you hit your goals.

For schools and young users, ActvFan has smart tools for parents. Parents can set rules—like unlocking screen time only after a certain amount of steps. The system works with many devices and can gather activity from different sources, making it flexible for all kinds of users.

The app also supports special events, like local walkathons or scavenger hunts using AR (augmented reality). Teams can hide digital items at certain locations, and fans can go out and find them for extra points. This blends exercise with real-world fun and team spirit.

Beyond just sports, ActvFan can be used by companies, health plans, community groups, and fundraisers. It helps organizations keep people engaged, gather helpful data, and offer new incentives. The system can use artificial intelligence to spot trends, connect different groups, and help teams understand what keeps their fans coming back.

What really sets ActvFan apart is how it brings everything together. It’s not just about moving more—it’s about doing it together, for something bigger. It turns everyday activity into a game, a community, and a way to show support for your team. With smart algorithms, dynamic rewards, and a real sense of belonging, ActvFan makes being healthy something everyone wants to do, not just something they should do.

Conclusion

The ActvFan patent offers a fresh way to tackle a big problem—getting people to move more and stay connected to their communities. By blending the excitement of sports fandom with the science of motivation and the power of technology, ActvFan creates a system that is fair, fun, and rewarding. It gives organizations a new way to engage their fans, helps people build healthy habits, and turns every step into a chance to cheer for your team.

This patent stands out because it does not just count steps or serve up news—it changes how we think about health, teams, and the power of belonging. Whether you are a die-hard sports fan, a student, a parent, or just someone looking for a reason to get moving, ActvFan makes it easy and enjoyable to join in. In a world where we all spend too much time sitting, ActvFan is a big step forward—for our teams, our health, and our communities.

Click here https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/ and search 20250213955.