Dynamic real time exercise video apparatus and method

• US 6,142,913 A
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IXR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bruce Ewert
• Inventors: Ewert, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US09/433,088
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1, 482/4-8, 482/51-54, 482/57, 482/58, 482/63, 482/71-74, 482/901-903, 434/247
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/162 for front fork or handlebar
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/165 rear wheel hub supports
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0644 with display speed of moving landscape controlled by the user's performance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0056 the pivoting movement being in a vertical plane, e.g. steppers with a horizontal axis platforms for rocking motion about a horizontal axis A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0076 Rowing machines for conditioning the cardio-vascular system seats moving during exercise A63B22/0087; training appliances for rowing or sculling on boats A63B69/06
• 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 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9305 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/902 Employing specific graphic or video display

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for interactively controlling the rate of real-time video playback and audio track playback is disclosed. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus is an interactive exercise video system which utilizes a bicycle, a bicycle wheel speed detector, an interface unit connected to the wheel speed detector and to a conventional game controller connected to a conventional video game CD player, which is in turn connected to a TV. A prerecorded video CD is played in the player in which the display rate of video images is altered via software embedded on the CD such that the speed of the video is changed by the level of activity on the exercise device. The variation of the video frame rate is accomplished by modifying the duration time stamp on each video frame which is used by the player control program so as to change the sequential time at which each frame is called for display by the conventional video player. The variation of video display rate is independent of the pitch of the audio play rate. To maintain synchronization of the audio with the video without changing the pitch of the audio, portions of the audio are looped back, i.e. replayed.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a video frame sequence display rate of a prerecorded video playback sequence in a player device in response to an external signal, in which each video frame has a unique frame time stamp and a duration time stamp indicating the time between successive frames, said method comprising the steps of:

a) accessing said duration time stamp for a current video frame;

b) determining from said external signal an adjustment value for changing said display rate

c) obtaining a modified duration time to a next frame by adding said adjustment value to said duration time stamp;

d) displaying said next frame when said modified duration time has passed; and

e) repeating steps a through d for each subsequent video frame.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said accessing step comprises the steps of:

i) setting a time offset to current clock time;

ii) displaying a current video frame; and

iii) accessing a frame time stamp and a duration time stamp for said current video frame.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of comparing said external signal to predetermined criteria to determine said adjustment value.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said external signal is a user variable exercise rate signal.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein said step of displaying further comprises the steps of:

i) adding said modified duration value to said time offset to obtain a next frame time; and

ii) displaying said next frame when clock time exceeds said next frame time.

6. A method of controlling a video frame sequencing rate in a video playback sequence in which each video frame has a unique frame time stamp and a duration time stamp comprising the steps of:

a) setting time offset to current clock time;

b) displaying a current video frame;

c) accessing a frame time stamp value and a duration time stamp value associated with said current video frame;

d) accessing a user variable external signal;

e) determining an adjustment value from predetermined criteria compared to said external signal;

f) adding said adjustment value, said duration time stamp value, and said time offset to said frame time stamp value to generate a next frame time value;

g) displaying a next frame when current clock time exceeds said next frame time value; and

h) repeating steps a) through g) for each successive video frame in said sequence of video frames.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said step of displaying comprises the steps of

ia) comparing current clock time to said next frame time value;

ii) if said current clock time exceeds said next frame time value, then decompressing a next video frame into a display buffer; and

iii) adding said adjustment factor to said time offset.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said external signal is an exercise rate signal.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said predetermined criteria includes a lookup table of adjustment values for different exercise rate signal values.

10. The method according to claim 6 further comprising the step of adding said adjustment value to said time offset when said next frame is displayed.