User-Participating Type Fitness Lecture System and Fitness Training Method Using the Same

• US 20110039659A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SKK Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: SK C&C Company Limited (SK Inc.)
• Inventors: Min, Shin-Hyun, Kim, Chong-Eun, Jon, Dane, Oh, Uk
• Granted Patent: US 8,371,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/62 posture
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/22 Dancing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user-participating type fitness lecture system and a fitness training method using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a user-participating type fitness lecture system that provides direction for correcting a user'"'"'s posture or motion by comparing the user'"'"'s motions with user created contents (UCC). When the contents are played back for the user to emulate, correctness of the user'"'"'s motion is grasped by detecting and comparing motions in the contents with the user'"'"'s motion photographed through a camera, and providing the user with posture correction information in image or voice formats. In one embodiment, a user-participating type fitness lecture system according to the present invention comprises a user terminal for photographing a user and transmitting a moving image of the user while playing back a UCC selected by the user; and a posture correction server for providing the user terminal with the UCC selected by the user, receiving the moving image from the user terminal, comparing the moving image with the played back UCC, and directing correction of the user'"'"'s posture in voice or image.

Claims

1. A user-participating type fitness lecture system, comprising:

a user terminal for photographing a user and transmitting a moving image while playing back user created content (UCC) selected by the user; and

a posture correction server for providing the user terminal with the UCC selected by the user, receiving the moving image from the user terminal, comparing the moving image with the played back UCC, and directing correction of the user'"'"'s posture in voice or image.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user terminal comprises:

a camera for generating an image of a user, wherein the image focuses on a target of posture correction for the user;

an output unit for outputting the UCC selected by the user and directions for correcting the user'"'"'s posture, wherein the directions are output by the output unit in an image and voice format;

a data communication unit for connecting to the posture correction server via a wired/wireless connection; and

a control unit for transmitting the image generated by the camera to the posture correction server through the data communication unit.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the posture correction server comprises:

a web service module for providing a UCC list, comprising UCC available for selection, and a UCC playback screen in a web browser form;

a motion analysis module for analyzing and comparing the UCC played back through the UCC playback screen and the moving image received from the user terminal;

a UCC management unit for storing and managing a UCC database having the UCC list and the UCC available for selection stored therein;

a customer management unit for storing and managing a customer database having customer information stored therein;

a communication unit for providing a network interface for performing wired/wireless communications with the user terminal; and

a central processing unit for providing the UCC selected by the user through the web service module, receiving a result of comparing the user'"'"'s motions through the motion analysis module, and providing information for correcting the user'"'"'s posture in voice or image through the web service module.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the web service module provides a UCC list of custom-tailored UCC relevant to the user'"'"'s preference and details of posture correction accumulated for that user.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the UCC playback screen simultaneously provides the moving image received from the user terminal and the UCC selected by the user through a screen split, and provides the user with the posture correction information in image or voice in real-time.

6. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the UCC management unit stores and manages additional information including a corresponding field of UCC, complexity of motions, the amount of calorie consumption, and effects of exercise in the UCC database, and provides the additional information together with the UCC list.

7. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the motion analysis module calculates the amount of user'"'"'s exercise.

8. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the posture correction server further comprises a moving image database for storing a digital image into which the moving image transmitted from the user terminal is converted through the motion analysis module.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the posture correction module registers the user'"'"'s moving image stored in the moving image database as a new UCC through the UCC management unit in response to a user'"'"'s request.

10. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the posture correction server further comprises a chatting module for allowing the user to exchange information with a plurality of other users by a method selected from chatting, messenger, and short sentence service while the user and the plurality of other users view similar screens.

11. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the posture correction server further comprises a point calculation module for converting a result of comparing the motions provided through the motion analysis module into points and ranking users based on the result.

12. A fitness training method for a user connected to a user-participating type fitness lecture system, comprising the steps of:

providing the user with a user created content (UCC) list;

selecting, by the user, UCC from the UCC list;

converting an analog image of the user into a digital image;

simultaneously analyzing and comparing the digital image with the UCC selected by the user, while the selected UCC is played back for the user to view; and

generating posture correction information for the user through a result of the comparison; and

providing the generated posture correction information to the user in an image or voice format.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of providing the user with a UCC list provides a UCC list having custom-tailored UCC relevant to the user'"'"'s preference and details of posture correction accumulated for that user.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of simultaneously analyzing and comparing the digital image of the user with the UCC selected by the user comprises analyzing and comparing frame images of the digital image and the selected UCC at regular intervals.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of calculating and providing an amount of exercise performed by the user when playback of the UCC selected by the user is completed.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of inserting the digital image of the user into the UCC list in response to a user'"'"'s request when playback of the UCC selected by the user is completed.