I see that I can compare activities, and that Intervals recognizes segments. How can I compare the same segment form different activities? For example, WKO5 of Trainers Road allows to create smart segments and recognize them across different activities.
Intervals recognize Strava segments, so I guess it should be easy to separate or to align and compare segment performances.
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Segments are a Strava patent. This was discussed in the route matching thread IIRC
Strava segments are under patents…NOT Intervals segments that I create in Intervals.icu
I’m also waiting for the implementation of this interesting feature. I put my hopes in @david
The patent includes the words “includes receiving a user defined segment via a UI”
Not a lawyer, the verbiage does specifically includes “User” and “UI” and “create”
If your algorithm to detect “segments” operates differently and does not use the same patented methods or processes, it is less likely to infringe on strava patents. That’s probably the way all others do it (Garmin, RWGPS, WKO, rubiTrack).
I understand the concerns from @david. If he makes these strava segments “comparable”, this would probably violate the API agreement, and would make the Strava Premium Subscription needless. Strava could then cancel the API connection, on which intervals.icu still rely on for some users.
But still I would like to see a similar feature. I don’t say it must be done the way Strava does it (which would violate the patents).
At the moment it isn’t even possible to compare segments, which I’ve created by myself.
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So when I go to create a segment in Intervals.icu, I would actually already be violating the Strava patent.
Not a lawyer.
What you’re creating are 2 points on a route that you transversed. That is defined as a Lap. A Lap can be based on distance or time.
These Laps can be set via your headunit / automatically(heurestically) by detecting efforts.
A segment, from the patent describes itself as a set of processes which automatically determines a segment based on a set of GPS positions trackpoints within a route track which can be user defined or defined by x and which is processed and stored into a segment server.
After which these data is then taken and compared automatically by the server when a new activity is uploaded and then presented to the user.
The patent, from my limited, not lawyer, understanding doesn’t seem to indicate that it covers the situation where a user transverses the same route multiple times and manually creates a distance between 2 points each time and uses them to compare manually each time. Perhaps this can be done, but it wouldn’t be too popular if one needs to create the (same) 2 points each time.
Or, you can just press lap on your headunit each time at the same 2 points and compare those.
Or, you can just crop the activity into those 2 points, upload them and use the route matching feature.
To be clear: Not everything from the patent is protected, which is described therein. It is also explained a lot to explain the technical connection. Only the patent claims are always protected.
If you look at the claims, they are very specific. But you can find possible workarounds. From my point of view, a possible workaround would be:
No user Input for segment creation. This could be done for example if intervals recognizes a hill, this could be an “auto” segment. The start point is not the GPS coordinate, instead it is the gradient (beginning of the hill). Comparison is not done by GPS, but for same length, average gradient, gradient course, maybe even comparison of the same area (not explicitly comparing a start and finish line). So you don’t detect it by GPS, instead with help of the gradient.
I did something similar for myself. If I look at the same “segments” in multiple activities, they match quite good. Creating segments from gradients with no user input:
Of course. For all those who are living in a flat area, this is useless. 
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I discovered a Custom Activity Chart recently that does exactly those detections. Looks similar to yours but may have some additional functionality.
I absolutely love that chart and wanted to thank the user who shared it but I can’t find him on the forum. It’s ideal to judge performance on smaller hills like we have plenty around here in Flanders.
I translated the French GUI texts to English and can share my version if you want.
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I’m guessing you’re not a lawyer :-p
Using gradient would mean either using the GPS coord embeded into the FIT file and/or gradient in the FIT file from the baro or the GPS. Or possibly using an elevation server of some kind.
In any case, we can debate and talk about this as mere users all we want, we’re not the owners of this site and we certainly won’t be the one facing the Cease & Desist or whatever other things that the patent holder might/might not do to uphold their invention.
I don’t understand how other apps like Garmin Connect can use and create segments. I have a GC account not premium and I can create segments and view classification between segments.
It would be nice to know if @david has thought about managing the segments part in intervals as well or if he is not going to implement it
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No, just an idea. What I want to say was: Just because there is a patent, that doesn’t mean you are not allow to do anything mentioned in this patent. You are not allowed to do the claims. But you could do it, if you license it. Or you do it somehow different than claimed.
But I am not a lawyer if I have to say that. And using a barometer has nothing to do with GPS 
Fully agree. As I mentioned above, I fully understand the concerns of David.
@MedTechCD Please share the translated chart 
Looks good too.
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Done.
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It’s all about the size of the company with patents. Garmin can probably do whatever they like given their position in the industry and deep pockets. If Intervals.icu implements segments (even completely differently) then Strava might well kill API access and start sending lawyers letters. Thats not what I want to be spending time dealing with 
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Garmin will have a load of patents themselves, ones that Strava would be using. It’s pretty common for companies like that to cross license in a type of quid pro quo without even money exchanging.
Though the method in particular US patent is so obvious, it’s no wonder the EU equivalent was withdrawn, and quite strictly applies to the USA only.
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I am not sure I understand but this has nothing to do with strava (I put it wrongly). Call it effort or “smart itinerary”, it would be a piece of road between point A and point B, with coordinates created by GPS and devices by Garmin or Wahoo and uploaded via Wahoo without even going through Strava. I would be able mark two points on Intervals graphs and call the effort My Local Climb. Every time i go through it, one of the brilliant algorithms in Intervals would detect My Local Climb and offer the opportunity to compare each of those efforts or just the ones I want. That’s the way it works in WKO5. Is there any patent infringement risk?
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It really doesn’t matter. If david implements something even remotely similar to segments, whether it makes use of any strava data or not; Strava may sue intervals.icu, or cut off their API access for intervals.icu. Even if he hasn’t violated the patents that they hold, it would be a major headache for him.
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Climb details is a very nice chart to have. I usually tag my climbs and then create segments on that specific climb. Unfortunately, there’s nothing close to Strava’s segments compare. For that I use a modified APK of Strava’s application unlocking this feature.
Where can I find the translated chart? I don’t see it in the list of custom charts from contributors.