Virtual exercise system and method

• US 7,217,224 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tom Thomas
• Original Assignee: Tom Thomas
• Inventors: Thomas, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Richman; Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US10/918,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482900-902, 434/247
• US Class Current: 482/8
• 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 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• 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 22/0242 with speed variation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/40 respiratory characteristics
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

A virtual racecourse is mapped by uniting digital pictures with GPS and inclinometer data, stored in a recorded course file, presented in distance increments of the racecourse, and accessed for individual and group competition over the internet.

Claims

1. A method of using a virtual exercise system comprising:

acquiring a plurality of digital images and storing in a microprocessor based device;

associating the digital images with coordinates from a global positioning system and an inclinometer device whereby images, global positioning system data, and inclinometer data are stored to form a virtual racecourse in a single file for variable frame rate playback;

associating script routines with global positioning system coordinates that perform a user defined action on the microprocessor based device,

controlling an exercise system from the computer;

displaying the plurality of digital images, global positioning system data, and inclinometer data on a monitor in distance increments of the virtual racecourse; and

operating the exercise system for a period of time determined by the global positioning system distance data, and speed of the playback.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the period to achieve the distance value is variable and adjustable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the script routines comprises Visual Basic script subroutines inserted into the file and executed when the global positioning system data position is reached during playback.

4. A virtual exercise system comprising:

an exercise device for generating device information;

a physiologic measuring device attached to a user operating the exercise device, the physiologic device in signal communication configured to generate physiologic signals;

a computer in signal communication with the device, the computer having a first program to access a pre-stored virtual racecourse image file, the racecourse having global positioning data, a second program to display the physiologic signals, and a third program to display a plurality of digital images of the virtual racecourse with the global positioning data, the physiologic signals, and the device information; and

a monitor in signal communication with the computer configured to present the plurality of digital images, the global positioning data, the device information, and the physiologic signals in distance increments of the racecourse,

whereby the user operates the virtual exercise system at a rate in response to the display of the image file of the racecourse and data is sent from the physiologic measuring device, stored on the computer, and presented on the monitor.

5. The virtual exercise system of claim 4, wherein the virtual exercise system includes a treadmill, the treadmill having device information comprising running speed and inclination data.

6. The treadmill of claim 4, wherein the physiologic measuring device includes a pulse rate monitor, a respiration monitor, and an oxygen sensor.

7. A virtual treadmill comprising:

a computer in signal communication with a treadmill and an internet server, the computer having instruction to research, store, and access a virtual racecourse;

a display presenting a plurality of digital images, global positioning data and inclinometer data obtained from the recorded course file; and

a physiologic measuring device attached to a user, the physiologic device in signal communication with the computer,

whereby the user operates the treadmill at a rate in response to the image file racecourse display and data is sent from the physiologic measuring device, stored on the computer, and presented on the display.

8. The virtual treadmill of claim 7, wherein multiple users can participate in traveling a virtual course by exchanging global positioning data and physiologic data by way of a connection to a server on the internet.

9. A method to use a virtual exercise system comprising:

acquiring a plurality of digital images in a computer;

associating the digital images with coordinates from a global positioning system and data from an inclinometer, whereby a single file containing the data is created and is used for a variable frame rate playback where global positioning system data and inclinometer data are associated with the plurality of digital images;

synchronizing global positioning system coordinates with a video frame rate and with mechanical parameters of a treadmill operated by a user;

storing global positioning data and physiologic data on a server;

controlling the application displaying the plurality of digital images, global positioning data, and inclinometer data from an external programming interface;

controlling a exercise system device with the application displaying the plurality of digital images, global positioning data, and inclinometer data from an external programming interface;

displaying the plurality of digital images, global positioning data, and inclinometer data on a monitor; and

operating the treadmill for a period determined by the global positioning data distance value that is synchronized with the plurality of digital images and inclinometer data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mechanical parameters comprises a speed, an inclination angle, and a resistance value.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the coordinates are updated in intervals with the mechanical parameters.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the intervals are in one-second increments.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the video frame rate and mechanical data are synchronized with the coordinates and stored in the created course file.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the course data file containing the plurality of digital images, global positioning data, inclinometer data, and script commands are a single binary encoded file.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the synchronized coordinates are associated with waypoints of a racecourse.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the waypoints are defined in 1-meter increments.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein inclination and racecourse waypoints are derived from global positioning data and inclinometer data and are synchronized to present a virtual racecourse depiction of the racecourse.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of digital images, frames per second extract rate, record speed, sequential frame identifier, and physical position in the image header within the binary encoded course file, are stored within the synchronized coordinates that are encoded into the course file.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein each waypoint is one meter from the previous waypoint providing data to compute distance elapsed given speed over time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the mechanical parameters provided by the exercise system provide the data to compute and synchronize the active waypoint of the virtual racecourse.