METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTERACTIVE FITNESS TRAINING PROGRAM

• US 20090298650A1
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omek Interactive Ltd. (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Kutliroff, Gershom
• Granted Patent: US 8,113,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0078 Exercise efforts programmed as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0677 Input by image recognition, e.g. video signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2214/00 Training methods
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• 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 24/0087 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: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A system and method of providing an interactive training program by monitoring a user'"'"'s actions is disclosed. A user is prompted through the interactive training program to perform certain movements, the user'"'"'s movements are monitored relative to the prompted movements, and feedback is provided to the user through the program.

Claims

1. A system for providing an interactive training program, comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate a virtual environment,

generate a prompt for a user to perform a fitness movement,

represent the user as an avatar in the virtual environment, wherein performance by the user of the fitness movement progresses the avatar in the virtual environment, and further wherein user movements are substantially mimicked by the avatar,

interpret user movements, wherein interpreting user movements comprises;

calculating a similarity measure between user movements and catalogued fitness movements in a database to identify the user movements, and monitoring user movements using collision boxes in the virtual environment,

analyze the user movements and physiological responses of the user to generate quantitative data describing the user movements,

generate a report of user'"'"'s performance based on the analysis and monitoring, and

create a customized fitness program for the user based on the analysis and monitoring or based on a user-specified fitness objective;

a display device configured to show the virtual environment, the prompt to perform the fitness movement, and the avatar;

a sensor configured to capture images of user movements;

a training apparatus configured to measure the physiological responses of the user;

a transmitter configured to transmit the report to a personal trainer;

a first memory configured to store the images of the user movements; and

a second memory configured to store the analysis and reports.

2. A system for providing an interactive training program, comprising:

a server configured to;

generate a virtual environment,

generate a first prompt for a first user to perform a first movement,

represent the user as a first avatar in the virtual environment, wherein performance by the first user of the first movement progresses the first avatar in the virtual environment, and further wherein first user movements are substantially mimicked by the first avatar,

interpret first user movements,

analyze the first user movements to generate quantitative data describing the first user movements, and

generate a first report of a first user'"'"'s performance based on the analysis of the first user movements;

a first display device configured to show the virtual environment, the first prompt to perform the first movement, and the first avatar, wherein performance by the first user of the first movement progresses the first avatar in the virtual environment;

a first sensor configured to capture first images of first user movements; and

a memory configured to store the first images of the first user movements.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first movement is a fitness movement.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first movement is a sports movement.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a database including at least catalogued movements, wherein interpreting the first user movements comprises calculating a first similarity measure between the first user movements and each of the catalogued movements in the database to identify the first user movements.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein interpreting the first user movements comprises tracking the first user movements, substantially imposing the first user movements on the first avatar, and using one or more collision boxes in the virtual environment to monitor the first user movements.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit the first report to a personal trainer.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the server creates a first customized fitness program for the first user based on the analysis of the first user movements.

9. The system of claim 2, further comprising a training apparatus configured to measure physiological responses of the first user during the interactive training program, wherein the server is further configured to analyze the physiological responses with the first user movements, generate a first report of the first user'"'"'s performance based on the analysis, and create a first customized fitness program for the first user based on the analysis of the physiological responses with the first user movements.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein the first display device is configured to show an advertisement from a sponsor while the interactive training program is running.

11. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a second display device configured to show the virtual environment, a second prompt to perform a second movement, and a second avatar, wherein performance by a second user of the second movement progresses the second avatar representing the second user in the virtual environment; and

a second sensor configured to capture second images of the second user movements,

wherein the server is further configured to interpret the second user movements.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the server is further configured to:

analyze the second user movements to generate quantitative data describing the second user movements; and

generate a second report of the second user'"'"'s performance based on the analysis of the second user movements.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first display device and the second display device show both the first avatar and the second avatar in the virtual environment.

14. A system for providing an interactive training program, comprising:

means for displaying a virtual environment, a prompt to perform a movement, and an avatar representing a user, wherein performance by the user of the movement progresses the avatar in the virtual environment;

means for capturing images of user movements;

means for storing catalogued movements;

means for interpreting the user movements;

means for generating a report; and

means for transmitting the report to a personal trainer.

15. A method of providing an interactive training program, comprising:

prompting a user to perform a fitness movement;

capturing and storing a plurality of images of user movements, wherein capturing the images comprises using at least a depth camera;

receiving and storing a user'"'"'s physiological responses from a training apparatus;

interpreting the user movements, wherein interpreting the user movements comprises;

determining feature points of the user in the plurality of images, calculating similarity measures between the user movements and movements in a fitness movement database to identify the user movements, and using collision boxes to monitor user movements;

analyzing the user movements to determine one or more metrics selected from a group consisting of;

total time spent performing an activity, total time spent in continuous movement, movements performed correctly by the user, a first percentage of movements performed correctly by the user, movements performed incorrectly by the user, a second percentage of movements performed incorrectly by the user, statistics relating to a particular activity, and comparison of data from the user'"'"'s current session with data from the user'"'"'s previous sessions;

analyzing the user'"'"'s physiological responses with the user movements;

providing feedback to the user on a display through the use of an avatar in a virtual environment, wherein the avatar represents the user and performs user movements, and further wherein the avatar advances through the virtual environment when the user successfully performs the fitness movement, and further wherein the avatar moves backward through the virtual environment when the user fails to perform the fitness movement;

generating a report from the analysis of the user movements;

creating a customized fitness program for the user based on the analysis of the user movements or user-specified fitness objectives;

sending the report to the user; and

sending the report to a person identified by the user.

16. A method of providing an interactive training program, comprising:

prompting a first user to perform a first movement;

capturing and storing a first plurality of images of first user movements;

interpreting the first user movements; and

providing feedback to the first user on a first display.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein capturing the first plurality of images comprises using at least a depth camera.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein interpreting the first user movements comprises using gesture recognition.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein interpreting the first user movements comprises using collision boxes to detect user movements.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein providing feedback to the first user comprises displaying a first avatar in a virtual environment, wherein the first avatar advances through the virtual environment when the first user successfully performs the first movement, and further wherein the first avatar moves backward through the virtual environment when the first user fails to perform the first movement.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

analyzing first user movements;

generating a first report from the analysis; and

sending the first report to the first user.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the first report includes a comparison of the first user'"'"'s performance in the current session with the first user'"'"'s performance during previous sessions or with the first user'"'"'s target goals.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving and storing physiological responses from the first user from a training apparatus;

analyzing the physiological responses with the first user'"'"'s movements;

generating a first report from the analysis; and

sending the first report to the first user.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prompting a second user to perform a second movement;

capturing and storing a second plurality of images of the second user movements;

interpreting the second user movements; and

providing feedback to the second user on a second display.