Systems and methods for portable exergaming

• US 9,566,515 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pexs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pexs, LLC
• Inventors: Dugan, Brian M., Santisi, Steven M., Latrille, Jean Pierre, Nuyttens, Lieven
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/517,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20150038204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 850 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/22, 463/31, 463/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 45/00 ICT specially adapted for bioinformatics-related data visualisation, e.g. displaying of maps or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

In a first aspect, a system for playing a video game is provided that includes (1) one or more sensors adapted to monitor one or more biometric parameters of a user and communicate the one or more monitored biometric parameters (MBPs); (2) a computing device adapted to communicate with the one or more sensors and to receive the one or more communicated MBPs; and (3) a video game having an avatar adapted to move an object on an incline, the video game adapted to execute on the computing device. The video game is adapted to control the avatar to perform an action in the video game based in part on the received one or more communicated MBPs. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Claims

1. A video game comprising:

a sensor operable to monitor a heart rate of a user and to output a heart rate signal indicative of the heart rate;

a processor operable to receive the heart rate signal and to execute instructions stored in a memory, the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game having an avatar wherein the video game controls the avatar to move within the video game based in part on the heart rate signal; and

wherein the processor executes within a portable computing device adapted to be transported during execution of the video game.

2. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to determine a type of exercise the user is performing based in part upon the heart rate signal.

3. The video game of claim 2 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control the avatar to move based in part upon the type of exercise the user is performing.

4. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to require the user to perform one or more types or amounts of exercise to play the video game.

5. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to move the avatar in response to the user performing exercises specified by the video game.

6. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to not move the avatar in response to the user failing to perform exercises specified by the video game.

7. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to represent a level of effort needed to move the avatar that corresponds to user effort needed to perform exercise required by the game as sensed by the sensor.

8. The video game of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a wrist worn pulse monitor.

9. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control a speed of the avatar'"'"'s movement based upon the heart rate of the user.

10. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control the avatar'"'"'s movement based upon the heart rate of the user and other biometric parameters.

11. The video game of claim 10 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control the avatar'"'"'s movement based upon the heart rate of the user and locations of the user.

12. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control the avatar'"'"'s movement based upon the heart rate of the user and locations of the user.

13. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control a size of the avatar based upon the heart rate of the user.

14. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control a size of the avatar based upon exercise performed by the user.

15. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control a speed of the avatar based upon exercise performed by the user.

16. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to control a strength of the avatar based upon exercise performed by the user.

17. The video game of claim 1 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to display a second avatar representative of a second user wherein movement of the second avatar is based at least in part upon a monitored heart rate of the second user.

18. The video game of claim 17 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to enable cooperative play between the users.

19. The video game of claim 17 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to enable competitive play between the users.

20. The video game of claim 17 wherein the instructions for programming the processor to execute a video game further include instructions to enable play between the users based upon locations of the users.