EXERCISE-INTEGRATED WORKSTATION

• US 20130116092A1
• Filed: 11/03/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martinez, Anthony E., Michelini, Vanessa V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0078 Exercise efforts programmed as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0048 with cantilevered support elements pivoting about an axis A63B22/0076 takes precedence
• 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 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/10 Positions
• 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 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• 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 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• 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: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A method, a computer program product, and a computer system initiate an exercise sequence on an exercise-integrated workstation. A set of active monitored activities is identified. A set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence is identified. A set of accumulated details regarding any user modifications to previous exercise sequences is identified. A set of scheduled events is identified. Responsive to identifying the set of active monitored activities, the set of preferences and goals, the set of accumulated details, and the set of scheduled events, the method determines whether to initiate an exercise sequence. Responsive to determining to initiate the exercise sequence, the method initiates the exercise sequence.

Claims

1. A method for initiating an exercise sequence on an exercise-integrated workstation, the method comprising:

a computer identifying a set of active monitored activities;

the computer identifying a set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence;

identifying a set of accumulated details regarding any user modifications to previous exercise sequences;

the computer identifying a set of scheduled events;

responsive to identifying the set of active monitored activities, the set of preferences and goals, the set of accumulated details, and the set of scheduled events, the computer determining whether to initiate an exercise sequence; and

responsive to determining to initiate the exercise sequence, the computer initiating the exercise sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of active monitored activities is selected from the group consisting of execution of an email application, execution of a photo editing application, execution of a spreadsheet application, execution of a word processing application, use of a keyboard, use of a mouse, use of a graphics tablet, use of a trackpad, use of a connected telephone, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence include an indication of which of the set of active monitored activities are compatible with the exercise sequence, and indication of a user specified exercise intensity for a specific one of the set of active monitored activities, a user specified exercise intensity for a specific one of the set of scheduled event. an indication of certain times at which the exercise sequence should not be initiated, an indication of ones of the set of scheduled events that are incompatible with the exercise sequence, an indication of a user'"'"'s exercise goals that should be achieved over given period of time, an indication of a user'"'"'s specific exercise needs, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of accumulated details is selected from the group consisting of applications running at the time of a user modification to the exercise sequence, peripheral devices in use at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, input devices in use at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, and calendar events occurring at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, rationale that the user has provided for modifying the exercise sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of scheduled events is selected from the group consisting of a teleconference, a video conference, a meeting, and a scheduled time during which the user will be away from exercise-integrated workstation.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to determining to initiate the exercise sequence, the computer receiving a user acknowledgement to initiate the exercise sequence;

the computer receiving a user acknowledgement to initiate the exercise sequence, initiating the exercise sequence; and

responsive to initiating the exercise sequence, the computer receiving a user modification to the exercise sequence.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

the computer receiving the user modification to the exercise sequence, wherein the user modification describes at least one override action taken by the user, the override action comprising a cancellation of the exercise sequence, a delay of the exercise sequence, a modification of an intensity of the exercise sequence, a modification of a duration of the exercise sequence, and an initiation of an unscheduled user-initiated exercise sequence.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

responsive to receiving the user modification to the exercise sequence, the computer logging the user modification to the exercise sequence in a database;

the computer utilizing the user modification to the exercise sequence when scheduling a subsequent exercise sequence to minimize a probability of subsequent user modifications; and

responsive to reaching a threshold of exercise modification events for a particular one of the set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence, the computer modifying the particular one of the set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence.

9. A computer program product for initiating an exercise sequence on an exercise-integrated workstation, comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of active monitored activities;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of accumulated details regarding any user modifications to previous exercise sequences;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of scheduled events;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to identifying the set of active monitored activities, the set of preferences and goals, the set of accumulated details, and the set of scheduled events, to determine whether to initiate an exercise sequence; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to determining to initiate the exercise sequence, to initiate the exercise sequence.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the set of active monitored activities is selected from the group consisting of execution of an email application, execution of a photo editing application, execution of a spreadsheet application, execution of a word processing application, use of a keyboard, use of a mouse, use of a graphics tablet, use of a trackpad, use of a connected telephone, and combinations thereof.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence includes an indication of which of the set of active monitored activities are compatible with the exercise sequence, and indication of a user specified exercise intensity for a specific one of the set of active monitored activities, a user specified exercise intensity for a specific one of the set of scheduled events, an indication of certain times at which the exercise sequence should not be initiated, an indication of ones of the set of scheduled events that are incompatible with the exercise sequence, an indication of a user'"'"'s exercise goals that should be achieved over a given period of time, an indication of a user'"'"'s specific exercise needs, and combinations thereof.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the set of accumulated details is selected from the group consisting of applications running at the time of a user modification to the exercise sequence, peripheral devices in use at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, input devices in use at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, calendar events occurring at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, and rationale that the user has provided for modifying the exercise sequence.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the set of scheduled events is selected from the group consisting of a teleconference, a video conference, a meeting, and a scheduled time during which the user will be away from exercise-integrated workstation.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to determining to initiate the exercise sequence, to receive a user acknowledgement to initiate the exercise sequence;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive a user acknowledgement to initiate the exercise sequence, initiating the exercise sequence; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to initiating the exercise sequence, to receive a user modification to the exercise sequence.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive the user modification to the exercise sequence, wherein the user modification describes at least one override action taken by the user, the override action comprising a cancellation of the exercise sequence, a delay of the exercise sequence, a modification of an intensity of the exercise sequence, a modification of a duration of the exercise sequence, and an initiation of an unscheduled user-initiated exercise sequence.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to receiving the user modification to the exercise sequence, to log the user modification to the exercise sequence in a database;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to utilize the user modification to the exercise sequence when scheduling a subsequent exercise sequence to minimize a probability of subsequent user modifications; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to reaching a threshold of exercise modification events for a particular one of the set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence, to modify the particular one of the set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence.

17. A computer system for initiating an exercise sequence on an exercise-integrated workstation;

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of active monitored activities;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of accumulated details regarding any user modifications to previous exercise sequences;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify a set of scheduled events;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to identifying the set of active monitored activities, the set of preferences and goals, the set of accumulated details, and the set of scheduled events, to determine whether to initiate an exercise sequence; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to determining to initiate the exercise sequence, to initiate the exercise sequence.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the set of active monitored activities is selected from the group consisting of execution of an email application, execution of a photo editing application, execution of a spreadsheet application, execution of a word processing application, use of a keyboard, use of a mouse, use of a graphics tablet, use of a trackpad, use of a connected telephone, and combinations thereof.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the set of preferences and goals for the exercise sequence include an indication of which of the set of active monitored activities are compatible with the exercise sequence, and indication of a user specified exercise intensity for a specific one of the set of active monitored activities, a user specified exercise intensity for a specific one of the set of scheduled events, an indication of certain times at which the exercise sequence should not be initiated, an indication of ones of the set of scheduled events that are incompatible with the exercise sequence, an indication of a user'"'"'s exercise goals that should be achieved over given period of time, an indication of a user'"'"'s specific exercise needs, and combinations thereof.

20. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the set of accumulated details is selected from the group consisting of applications running at the time of a user modification to the exercise sequence, peripheral devices in use at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, input devices in use at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, and calendar events occurring at the time of the user modification to the exercise sequence, rationale that the user has provided for modifying the exercise sequence.