Method and system for automatically evaluating physical health state using a game

• US 6,852,069 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Codisoft Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Codisoft Incorporated
• Inventors: Park, Seung-Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US10/480,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482900-902
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/224 Measuring muscular strength
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/329 Load diagnosis, e.g. cardiac stress tests
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/009 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled in synchronism with visualising systems, e.g. hill slope
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0641 with a marker advancing in function of the exercise
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0644 with display speed of moving landscape controlled by the user's performance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/012 using frictional force-resisters electromagnetically-controlled brakes A63B21/0056
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0023 the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/01 User's weight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 : P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/30 : blood pressure A63B2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/70 : body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• 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 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 : using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 : automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 : adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 : Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

A method and system for automatically evaluating the state of a user'"'"'s physical health includes a game for maintaining the use'"'"'s interest as he exercises and which automatically measures and evaluates the user'"'"'s physical strength and health and provides an exercise prescription. The method has a game execution and measurement step performed via a main controller section with a display device, a memory and a virtual subject in the game space. Multiple standardized protocols are selected according to measurements reflected in the game and the virtual subject, reflecting an exercise state of the user on the basis of an exercise state of a reference person in the game. Measuring/reading/storing/displaying physical strength and health information occur after generating events for measuring the physical strength and health information such as particular situations, letters, sounds, voices, etc., in the game content.

Claims

1. A method of automatically evaluating physical health of a user while the user is exercising using exercise equipment (10) having a sensor section (50) for sensing physical strength and a plurality of kinds of health information of the user, a main controller section (20) for executing a game with a game space for the user to perform and including a virtual subject (2) simulating the user and a reference person (1) in the game space, the controller section also capable of generating physical strength and health evaluation information based on the physical strength and plurality of kinds of health information sensed by the sensor section, the equipment also including a display device (30) for displaying information to the user and a memory means (40) for storing sensed information, evaluation information and the game, the method comprising:

executing the game through the main controller section, display device and memory means for generating events of the game to test the users physical strength and health;

measuring and storing the physical strength and plurality of kinds of health information of the user resulting from the events using the sensor section;

causing the virtual subject to reflect an exercise state of the user based on the sensed physical strength and kinds of health information, and on a plurality of protocols for the game based on an exercise state of the reference person; and

generating and storing evaluation information based on the sensed physical strength and kinds of health information using the controller section and memory means.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said executing and measuring steps comprise at least one of measuring, reading, storing and displaying the physical strength and health information at least once per event or continuously during the game while generating the events continuously;

adjusting loads presented to the user of the exercise equipment by means of a load adjustment section (80) according to kinds, levels and proceeding states of the game; and

up-or-down adjusting a level of the game and restating the game when the measuring is outside a selected range that is indicative of the user going outside a range of motion that is proper for measurement of the physical strength and health information according to a kind of game, a level of the game and a state of the game.

3. A method according to claim 1, including providing a remote health administration service by connecting to a health administration server (90) through a network (95), transmitting the physical strength and health information to the health administration server, and receiving the physical strength and health evaluation information, and exercise prescription information corresponding to the physical strength and health evaluation information from the health administration server.

4. A method according to claim 1, including reporting to a physician in charge, an abnormal state or a change in an abnormal state of the evaluation information based on the sensed physical strength and kinds of health information of the user, by means of wired or wireless communication, the physician in charge taking corrective measures through wired or wireless communication after analyzing the user'"'"'s stats.

5. A method according to claim 1, including reporting at least one of the user'"'"'s physical strength and health information and health evaluation information to a physician in charge or an exercise prescription specialist through a network (95) and a health administration server (90) so as to be analyzed by the physician in charge or the exercise prescription specialist.

6. A method according to claim 1, including, before said game executing and measuring step, at least one of the steps of:

selecting at least one of a game kind and level considering the user'"'"'s sex, age, infirmity, or physical state;

selecting an image for at least one of the virtual subject (2) and the reference person (1) among images inputted through a camera (36) or stored picture images; and

measuring at least some physical strength and health information before said game executing step; and

after said game executing end measuring steps, at least one of the steps of;

measuring, reading, storing and displaying physical strength and health information, such as momentary power, which should be measured after the game, with generating the corresponding events after the game;

evaluating the user'"'"'s physical strength and health by providing physical strength and heath evaluation information on the basis of an analysis map of a database constructed by software after finishing measuring the physical strength and health information and analyzing the physical strength and health information synthetically, said physical strength end health evaluation information being classified into multiple stages of at least one of a synthetical physical strength and ability index, an exercise-related physical strength index, and a health-related physical strength index;

prescribing an exercise by selecting and presenting exercise prescription information corresponding to the physical strength and health evaluation information from a database (43), said database (43) being classified by level on the basis of items of the physical strength and health evaluation information and constructed by different games with different degrees of difficulty; and

before said exercise prescribing step, at least one of the steps of;

answering basic questions for the user; and

reading personal physical strength and health information from a smart card or the memory means (40) or storing personal physical strength and health information at the smart card or memory means (40).

7. A system for automatically evaluating physical health state of a user while the user is exercising, comprising:

exercise equipment (10) for use in testing a user'"'"'s physical strength and health information;

a sensor section (50) for sensing physical strength and health information of the user using the exercise equipment, from which physical strength and health evaluation information or exercise prescription information is be obtained;

a main controller section (20) for controlling the physical strength and health information sensor section (50);

a display device (30);

memory means (40) for storing a game to be executed with the exercise equipment, the physical strength and health information and the physical strength and health evaluation information or exercise prescription information, for execution of the game and

for measurement steps for at least one of;

measuring, reading, storing, and displaying the physical strength and health information from the physical strength and health information sensor section (50) after events are generated for measuring the physical strength and health information;

the main controller section presenting content to the user while executing the game as a virtual subject (2) in the game, reflecting an exercise state of the user on the basis of an exercise stats of a reference person (1) in the game and so as to enable execution of the game through the display device (30) by exercising by means of the exercise equipment (10) and measurement of the physical strength and health information; and

a load adjustment section (80) controlled by the main controller section (20) so as to adjust load of the exercise equipment (10) according to at least proceeding states of the game.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said physical strength and health information sensor section (50) comprising:

at least one of;

a button input device (35) for judging agility;

an electrocardiogram measurement means (51);

a body fat measurement means (52);

a grasping power measurement means (53);

a blood pressure measurement means (54);

a oxygen intake measurement means (55); and

a momentum sensing means (83); and

a controller (60) comprising at least one of a sub-controller (61), a blood pressure measurement module (63), and an oxygen intake measurement module (64), for controlling so as to transmit the physical strength and health information sensed in the sensor section to the main controller section (20).

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said exercise equipment (10) comprises a brake handle (11) with the electrocardiogram measurement means (51), body fat measurement means (52), and grasping power measurement means (53).