Apparatus and method for providing a user with a personal exercise program

• US 20050202934A1
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Duer, Henrik, Herbst, Tim, Hermansen, Morten Green, Olrik, Jakob Christian, Dickerson, Alan, Schucany, Henrik, Ebbesen, Eskild, Madsen, Soren
• Granted Patent: US 7,883,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 having computer circuitry

Abstract

A convenient device, such as a mobile phone, provides a user interface for a system that generated personalised exercise programs and guides users through the exercises in a generated program. The generation of the program may be performed by the device providing the user interface.

Claims

1. An exercise assistance apparatus comprising:

a user interface; and

a processor configured to execute a software application, said software application, when executed by said processor, generating an exercise program based on physical parameters of a user and controlling the user interface so as to provide guidance to the user during performance of the exercise program.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, including an input device that enables the input of physiological information, wherein the software application determines an aerobic fitness value for the user based on the physiological information input using said input device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the software application comprises a plurality of exercise definitions, each exercise definition comprising a variable exercise duration parameter, and the software application sets said variable exercise duration parameter on the basis of the physiological information input using the input device.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said physiological information comprises information relating to aerobic fitness for the user.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the software application calculates a duration of the exercise program by multiplying a base duration, defined in said software application, by a value obtained from said aerobic fitness value for the user.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the software application receives physiological information from the input device at the end of an exercise program for which guidance has been provided and modifies said aerobic fitness value in dependence on the physiological information input at the end of an exercise program for which guidance has been provided.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the software application modifies said aerobic fitness value at predetermined times.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined times are at intervals between the range of 3 to 8 weeks.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said modifying said aerobic fitness value comprises determining an expected performance, determining an actual performance from said physiological information received after the exercise program, comparing the expected performance and the actual performance, and increasing or decreasing said aerobic fitness value depending on the comparison result.

10. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the software application generates said exercise program by selecting a plurality of exercises of different intensity classes, wherein the ratios of the plurality of exercises of different intensities classes are determined by said aerobic fitness value.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the ratios are additionally determined on the basis of the number of exercise sessions per week in the exercise program.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the software application selects a varied selection of exercises in a class from a predetermined list of exercises.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the exercises selected for a terminal period of said exercise program have a lesser intensity than the exercise selected before said terminal period of said exercise program.

14. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the software application is configured to determine a strength value for the user in dependence on the physiological information.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the software application generates the exercise program by selecting exercises in dependence on said strength value.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the selected exercises become successively harder during the exercise program.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the software application selects a varied plurality of exercises from a predetermined list of exercises.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the the exercise program comprises both an aerobic fitness exercise and a strength enhancing exercise.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exercise assistance apparatus comprises a mobile phone.

20. An apparatus according claim 2, wherein the input device comprises a wireless communication receiver.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, further including a monitoring device deriving physiological information in respect of the user performing the exercise program and wirelessly communicating the derived physiological information to said wireless communication receiver.

40. A software application containing program codes, which when executed, cause a computing device to operate so as to provide an apparatus according to claim 1.

22. A method of providing exercise assistance to a person, said method comprising:

generating an exercise program on the basis of the physical parameters of the person; and

controlling a user interface of an apparatus to provide guidance to the person during performance of the exercise a program.

23. A method according to claim 22, further including determining an aerobic fitness value for said person in dependence on physiological information relating to said person.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said exercise program comprises a plurality of exercise definitions, each including a variable exercise duration parameter, and said variable parameter is set on the basis of the physiological information relating to said person.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said physiological information comprises information relating to aerobic fitness.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein an exercise duration is calculated by multiplying a base duration, defined in said exercise program, by an aerobic fitness value for the person.

27. A method according to claim 26, comprising receiving physiological information at the end of an exercise program for which guidance has been provided and modifying said aerobic fitness value in dependence on the physiological information.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein said modifying of said aerobic fitness occurs at one or more predetermined times.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein said times occur at intervals of between 3 to 8 weeks.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein said modifying comprises determining an expected performance, determining an actual performance from said physiological information received after the exercise program, comparing the expected performance and actual performances, and increasing or decreasing said aerobic fitness value in dependence on the result of said comparison.

31. A method according to claim 30, comprising generating an exercise program by selecting a plurality of exercises of different intensity classes, the ratios of the intensities of the classes being determined by said aerobic fitness value.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein said ratios are additionally determined on the basis of the number of the exercise sessions per week in the exercise program.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein a varied selection of exercises in a same intensity class is selected from a predetermined list of exercises in a plurality of classes.

34. A method according to claim 32, wherein the exercises selected for a terminal period of said program represent an intensity reduction.

35. A method according to claim 22, further including determining a strength value for the person in dependence on physiological information about the person.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein the exercise program is generated by selecting exercises in dependence on said strength value.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the selected exercises become successively harder during the program.

38. A method according to claim 36 or 37, wherein the software is configured to select a varied selection of exercises from a predetermined list of exercises.

39. A method according to claim 22, wherein the exercise program comprises both aerobic fitness exercises and strength enhancing exercises.

41. (canceled)

42. (canceled)