EXERCISE SUPPORT APPARATUS, EXERCISE SUPPORT METHOD AND EXERCISE SUPPORT PROGRAM

• US 20140073481A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: AIBARA, Takehiro
• Application Number:
  US14/021,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20140073481A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

An exercise support apparatus of the present invention obtains motion information including the pitch and the moving speed of a user based on sensor data detected corresponding to the motion of the user performing an exercise by moving. Subsequently, the exercise support apparatus generates a moving image of a virtual person whose way of movements of feet has been synchronized with the pitch of the user and display size has been set according to a change of the moving speed of the user, based on the obtained motion information. Then, the exercise support apparatus displays the generated moving image on a part of display area arranged in the viewing field of the user, and thereby cause the virtual person to function as a pacemaker for the user.

Claims

1. An exercise support apparatus comprising:

a sensor section which outputs motion data corresponding to a motion status of a user performing an exercise by moving;

a motion information obtaining section which obtains motion information of the user based on the motion data;

an image generating section which generates a moving image of a virtual person in a moving state, and sets a way of movements of feet of the virtual person to a way of movements corresponding to the obtained motion information of the user; and

a display section which displays the moving image on a part of a display area arranged in a viewing field of the user.

2. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area of the display section is a see-through type.

3. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motion information obtaining section obtains landing and takeoff timing of feet of the user as the motion information, which serves as first timing, and

wherein the image generating section synchronizes motion timing of the feet of the virtual person when landing and taking off with the first timing.

4. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the motion information obtaining section obtains a footstep count of the user per unit time as the motion information, which serves as a first footstep count, and

wherein the image generating section has a period in which landing and takeoff timing of feet of the virtual person has been set to second timing preceding the first timing and footstep count per unit time of the virtual person has been set to a second footstep count larger than the first footstep count.

5. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sensor section includes an acceleration sensor which detects at least acceleration corresponding to a change ratio of a motion speed of the user and outputs acceleration data corresponding to the acceleration as the motion data, and

wherein the motion information obtaining section obtains the first timing based on the acceleration data.

6. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the motion information obtaining section obtains a plurality of landing and takeoff timings of the feet of the user based on acceleration data outputted from the acceleration sensor, and obtains an average value of the plurality of landing and takeoff timings as the first timing.

7. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor section includes an acceleration sensor which outputs acceleration data corresponding to a change ratio of a moving speed of the user and an angular velocity sensor which outputs angular velocity data corresponding to a change of a moving direction of the user,

wherein the motion information obtaining section obtains a value of the moving speed of the user as the motion information, and

wherein the image generating section sets a display size of the virtual person to a size according to the value of the moving speed.

8. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the motion information obtaining section obtains a change amount of the moving speed of the user as the motion information, and

wherein the image generating section sets the display size of the virtual person to be enlarged or reduced according to the change amount of the moving speed obtained by the motion information obtaining section.

9. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a target value of a moving speed of the user is set in advance, and

wherein the image generating section sets the display size of the virtual person to be enlarged or reduced according to a difference between the moving speed and the target value.

10. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a target value of a moving speed is set in advance for each moving distance of the user, and

wherein the image generating section sets the display size of the virtual person to be enlarged or reduced according to a difference between the moving speed and the target value for each moving distance of the user.

11. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display section is positioned in an area in which a lens of an eyeglasses-type device or goggles-type device is positioned, wherein the eyeglasses-type device and the goggles-type device are mounted on a head part of the user.

12. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor section, the motion information obtaining section, the image generating section, and the display section are provided in a single device.

13. The exercise support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor section and the display section are individually provided in separate devices.

14. An exercise support method for an exercise support apparatus including a display section having a display area that is arranged in a viewing field of a user, comprising:

a step of obtaining motion information of the user based on motion data corresponding to a motion status of the user performing an exercise by moving;

a step of generating a moving image of a virtual person in a moving state;

a step of setting away of movements of feet of the virtual person to a way of movements corresponding to the obtained motion information of the user; and

a step of displaying the moving image on a part of the display area of the display section.

15. The exercise support method according to claim 14, further comprising:

a step of obtaining landing and takeoff timing of feet of the user as the motion information of the user; and

a step of synchronizing motion timing of the feet of the virtual person when landing and taking off with the landing and takeoff timing.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an exercise support program that is executable by a computer in an exercise support apparatus including a display section having a display area that is arranged in a viewing field of a user, the program being executable by the computer to perform functions comprising:

processing for obtaining motion information of the user based on motion data corresponding to a motion status of the user performing an exercise by moving;

processing for generating a moving image of a virtual person in a moving state;

processing for setting a way of movements of feet of the virtual person to a way of movements corresponding to the obtained motion information of the user; and

processing for displaying the moving image on a part of the display area of the display section.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the functions further comprise:

processing for obtaining landing and takeoff timing of feet of the user as the motion information of the user; and

processing for synchronizing motion timing of the feet of the virtual person when landing and taking off with the landing and takeoff timing.