GROUP COACHING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100112536A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Claassen, Arjan, Wartena, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 9,514,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/258
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0081 Coaching or training aspects related to a group of users
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• 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 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Group coaching system, comprising at least a first and a second coaching device (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G), the first device (1A) being configured to provide respective first user coaching information to a respective user of the first device, and the second device (1B) being configured to provide respective second user coaching information to a respective user of the second device, wherein the system is configured to provide a group coaching of the users of the devices (1A-1G) utilizing the respective user coaching information provided by the coaching devices (1). Also, there is provided a method to provide a coaching system.

Claims

1. A group coaching system, comprising at least a first and a second coaching device, the first device being configured to provide respective first user coaching information to a respective user of the first device, and the second device being configured to provide respective second user coaching information to a respective user of the second device, wherein the system is configured to provide a group coaching of the users of the devices utilizing the respective user coaching information provided by the coaching devices (1).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coaching devices are configured to cooperate, and preferably to communicate with each other, to transmit group coaching information and/or user performance related information between the devices.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the group coaching is aimed at or consists of providing the same training program to each of the users of the devices.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the group coaching is aimed at each of the users moving with a certain group speed along the same path.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the devices is configured to detect a training performance of at least one of the users.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coaching devices are configured to determine a lowest performance from detected training performances of the users, and are preferably configured to adjust the group coaching based on the lowest detected training performance.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coaching devices are configured to determine an average performance of the detected training performances of the users, and are preferably configured to adjust the group coaching based on the average performance.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the training performance includes at least one of:

a user position, user speed, user speed gradient, user physical state, user posture, user muscle power, and user heart rate.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the group coaching is aimed at holding the users physically together, within a certain area, for example in view of each other, during operation.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the coaching devices is configured to determine at least one group coaching parameter, for example an average group speed (v_g) of the group of users, wherein all the devices are configured to cooperate to adjust their respective user coaching information based on the at least one group coaching parameter, to provide the group coaching of the users.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first coaching device determines the at least one group coaching parameter during operation, and transmits the at least one parameter to each second coaching device, wherein at least the second device adjust the respective user coaching information based on the at least one group coaching parameter received from the first device.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein each coaching device transmits a training performance of a respective user to at least the first of the other coaching devices, wherein the first coaching device determines the at least one group coaching parameter during operation based on all training performances of all of the users.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein each of the coaching devices is configured to autonomously determine the at least one group coaching parameter during operation.

17. A coaching device specifically adapted to be a coaching device of a system according to claim 1.

6. The system according to claim wherein the coaching devices are configured to cooperate to adjust the group coaching of the users, based on the training performance of the at least one of the users, and preferably based on training performances of a plurality of the users.

15. A method to provide a coaching system, comprising providing a plurality of coaching devices, the devices being configured to provide respective coaching information to respective users, wherein the method includes the plurality of coaching devices providing a group coaching of the users.

16. A computer readable storage medium comprising machine executable code, which when executed on a machine is configured to carry out a method according to claim 15.