Virtual coaching based on respiration signals

• US 10,524,696 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Facense Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Facense Ltd.
• Inventors: Tzvieli, Arie, Thieberger, Gil, Frank, Ari M
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boosalis, Fani
• Application Number:
  US16/156,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20190038180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/08 Elderly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0873 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/168 Evaluating attention deficit, hyperactivity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 : Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 : Eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 : involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 : Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 : worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/00 : Exercising apparatus specially adapted for particular parts of the body A63B22/00 takes precedence; force-resisting aspects A63B21/00; electric or electronic controls therefor A63B24/00; devices for exercising or strengthening of fingers, or arms in teaching operation of keyboards G09B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/18 : for improving respiratory function
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 : Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/14 : for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation G02B13/008, G02B13/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 : comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 : Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 : with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 : characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/002 : Mounting on the human body
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 : for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 : from thermal infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an athletic coaching system that includes at least one inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera (CAM) and a computer. Each CAM from among the at least one CAM is configured to take thermal measurements of a region below the nostrils (denoted TH_RBN) of a user. TH_RBN are indicative of an exhale stream of the user (e.g., an exhale stream from a nostril and/or from the mouth). The computer is configured to: receive measurements of movements (M_move) involving the user; generate, based on TH_RBN and M_move, a coaching indication; and present, via a user interface, the coaching indication to the user. In one example, the coaching indication is indicative of a change the user should make to one or more of the following: cadence of movements, stride length, breathing rate, breathing type (mouth or nasal), and duration of exhales.

Claims

1. An athletic coaching system, comprising:

at least one inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera (CAM) configured to take thermal measurements of a region below the nostrils (TH_RBN) of a user;

wherein TH_RBN are indicative of an exhale stream of the user; and

a computer configured to;

receive measurements of movements (M_move) involving the user;

generate, based on TH_RBN and M_movea coaching indication; and

present, via a user interface, the coaching indication to the user.

2. The athletic coaching system of claim 1, further comprising a frame configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s head;

wherein each CAM, from among the at least one CAM, is physically coupled to the frame and weighs below 10 g; and

wherein the frame is further configured to hold each CAM, from among the at least one CAM, less than 15 cm from the user'"'"'s face and above the user'"'"'s upper lip.

3. The athletic coaching system of claim 1, further comprising a frame configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s head;

wherein the at least one CAM comprises at least first and second inward-facing head-mounted thermal cameras (CAM1 and CAM2, respectively) that are physically coupled to the right and left sides of the frame, respectively, at a distance that is less than 15 cm from the user'"'"'s face.

4. The athletic coaching system of claim 1, further comprising an in-the-ear earbud comprising a microphone configured to measure sounds inside an ear canal (M_ear) of the user;

wherein the computer is further configured to generate the coaching indication also based on M_ear (in addition to TH_RBN and M_move).

5. The athletic coaching system of claim 1, wherein the coaching indication is indicative of a change the user should make to one or more of the following:

cadence of movements, stride length, breathing rate, breathing type (mouth or nasal), and duration of exhales.

6. The athletic coaching system of claim 5, wherein the computer is further configured to calculate the breathing rate of the user based on TH_RBN, and to perform at least one of the following:

(i) responsive to the breathing rate being below a first threshold, to include in the coaching indication an instruction to increase the breathing rate, and (ii) responsive to the breathing rate being above a second threshold, to include in the coaching indication an instruction to decrease the breathing rate.

7. The athletic coaching system of claim 5, wherein the computer is further configured to calculate the cadence of the user based on M_move, and to perform at least one of the following:

(i) responsive to the cadence being below a first threshold, to include in the coaching indication an instruction to increase the cadence, and (ii) responsive to the cadence being above a second threshold, to include in the coaching indication an instruction to decrease the cadence.

8. The athletic coaching system of claim 5, wherein the computer is further configured to calculate a value indicative of exhale durations of the user based on TH_RBN, and to include in the coaching indication an instruction to increase the exhale durations responsive to determining that the exhale durations are below a threshold.

9. The athletic coaching system of claim 5, wherein the computer is further configured to generate feature values based on data comprising TH_RBN and M_move, and to utilize a model to calculate, based on the feature values, a value indicative of whether the change is needed.

10. The athletic coaching system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to calculate a target breathing rate based on data comprising at least one of TH_RBN and M_move, and to include in the coaching indication breathing cues that correspond to the target breathing rate.

11. The athletic coaching system of claim 10, wherein the computer is further configured to receive a value indicative of a heart rate (HR) of the user, and to calculate the target breathing rate based on HR (in addition to at least one of TH_RBN and M_move).

12. The athletic coaching system of claim 10, wherein the computer is further configured to calculate a current breathing rate based on TH_RBN, and to calculate first and second thresholds;

wherein the first threshold is below the target breathing rate and second threshold is above the target breathing rate, and responsive to the current breathing rate being below the first threshold or above the second threshold, the computer instructs the user interface to start providing the breathing cues or to increase intensity of provided breathing cues.

13. The athletic coaching system of claim 10, wherein the breathing cues comprise auditory cues that have a frequency that corresponds to the target breathing rate.

14. The athletic coaching system of claim 1, wherein the coaching indication is indicative of synchronization of a breathing pattern of the user with a sequence of movements of the user.

15. The athletic coaching system of claim 14, wherein sequence of movements of the user corresponds to a pressing motion of weights or a barbell, and the coaching indication indicates to inhale in the concentric phase of the press and exhale in the eccentric phase of the press.

16. The athletic coaching system of claim 14, wherein sequence of movements of the user corresponds to swinging a racket in order to hit a ball with the racket, and the coaching indication indicates to exhale while hitting the ball.

17. The athletic coaching system of claim 14, wherein sequence of movements of the user corresponds to making a drive shot in golf, and the coaching indication indicates to:

exhale at address, inhale during the backswing, and exhale again on the downswing.

18. The athletic coaching system of claim 14, wherein the computer is further configured to determine whether the user did not breathe in an appropriate pattern while performing the certain movement sequence;

and wherein responsive to determining that the user did not breathe in the appropriate pattern, the computer is further configured to notify the user thereof via a user interface.

19. The athletic coaching system of claim 14, wherein the computer is further configured to generate feature values based on TH_RBN and M_move and to utilize a model to calculate, based on the feature values, a value indicative of whether the breathing pattern was synchronized with the sequence of movements;

wherein the model was trained based on data comprising;

a first set of previous TH_RBN and M_move of one or more users, taken while performing the sequence of movements and breathing in a pattern that is synchronized with the sequence of movements, and a second set of previous TH_RBN and M_move of the one or more users while performing the sequence of movements and breathing in a pattern that is not synchronized with the sequence of movements.

20. The athletic coaching system of claim 14, wherein M_move comprise values acquired with at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope, which are disposed in an object carried by the user or a garment worn by the user.