REAL-TIME INTERACTION WITH A VIRTUAL COMPETITOR WHILE PERFORMING AN EXERCISE ROUTINE

• US 20100062818A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jeffrey T., Graves, Irvin W. JR., Haughay, Allen P. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/207,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20100062818A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0078 Exercise efforts programmed as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0641 with a marker advancing in function of the exercise
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0644 with display speed of moving landscape controlled by the user's performance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0677 Input by image recognition, e.g. video signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 : heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/202 : glucose
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 : P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 : temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 : Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 : using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 : specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 : using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 : Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A portable electronic device for providing real-time interaction between a user performing an exercise routine and a virtual competitor. Some embodiments of the portable electronic device may include a sensor for receiving a plurality of user performance metrics associated with the user, a processor for generating a comparison between the plurality of user performance metrics and a competitor workout file associated with the virtual competitor, and a display for displaying a summary of the comparison in real-time.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device for providing real-time interaction between a user performing an exercise routine and a virtual competitor comprising:

a sensor for receiving a plurality of user performance metrics associated with the user;

a processor for generating a comparison between the plurality of user performance metrics and a competitor workout file associated with the virtual competitor; and

a display for displaying a summary of the comparison in real-time.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a memory for storing the competitor workout file.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a network interface for receiving the competitor workout file from a remote computer.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3 wherein the competitor workout is streamed to the network interface during the exercise routine.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the competitor workout file is based on a previous workout performed by the user.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the display includes a virtual landscape.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the exercise routine is running and the virtual landscape is a road.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the display shows an avatar corresponding to the user.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network interface for transmitting audio or visual cues to external media equipment.

10. A portable electronic device for providing real-time interaction between a user performing an exercise routine and a virtual competitor comprising:

a network interface for receiving a workout file associated with the virtual competitor and for receiving a plurality of performance metrics associated with the user;

a user input device for receiving an instruction to play the workout file; and

an output module for playing media associated with the plurality of performance metrics associated with the user and the workout file associated with the virtual competitor.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10 wherein the output module includes audio connector receptacle.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 10 wherein the output module includes a display device.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 10 wherein the output module is configured to play a media cue at a predetermined time during the exercise routine.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 10 wherein the output module is configured to play media including displaying relative positions of the user and the virtual competitor.

15. A web server for facilitating communications among a plurality of electronic devices over a network to implement a real-time interactive application, comprising:

an input module for receiving from a first electronic device a first plurality of performance metrics associated with a first user and for receiving from a second electronic device a second plurality of performance metrics associated with a second user; and

an output module for causing a display associated with the first electronic device to display graphics associated with the second plurality of performance metrics; and

for causing a display associated with the second electronic device to display graphics associated with the first plurality of performance metrics.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for facilitating communications among a plurality of electronic devices over a network which, when executed by a processor, cause a processor to perform the steps of:

receiving from a first electronic device a first plurality of performance metrics associated with a first user;

receiving from a second electronic device a second plurality of performance metrics associated with a second user;

causing a display associated with the first electronic device to display graphics associated with the second plurality of performance metrics; and

causing a display associated with the second electronic device to display graphics associated with the first plurality of performance metrics.

17. A portable electronic device for providing interactive game play between a user performing an exercise routine and a virtual competitor comprising:

a sensor input for receiving a plurality of performance metrics associated with the user;

an output module for displaying a user avatar associated with the user and for displaying a competitor avatar associated with the virtual competitor; and

a user input device configured to receive commands to control the user avatar, wherein the competitor avatar is responsive to the movement of the user avatar.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17 wherein the virtual competitor is derived from a human competitor performing the exercise routine simultaneously with the user.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18 wherein the virtual competitor is remote from the user.

20. A system for providing interactive game play between a user performing an exercise routine and a virtual competitor comprising:

a portable electronic device configured to detect a plurality of user performance metrics associated with the exercise routine, and wherein the portable electronic device is configured to receive a user input during the exercise routine;

a computer, in communication with the portable electronic device, configured to generate a comparison between the plurality of user performance metrics and a plurality of virtual competitor performance metrics and to display a visualization of the comparison, and wherein the visualization includes an avatar associated with the user, and wherein the avatar is responsive to the user input.