MONITORING METHOD

• US 20110105278A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Original Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Inventors: FABBRI, MAURO, GUIDI, JARNO, FABBRI, GIANMATTEO
• Granted Patent: US 8,075,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

Method for monitoring a body portion of a user during the use of a gymnastic machine provided with a video monitoring apparatus; this method comprising a phase of defining the body portion to be monitored, followed by a phase of visually and continuously monitoring this body portion through the video monitoring apparatus; this last phase comprising a sub-phase of synchronizing the trend over time of the value of at least one operating parameter of the video monitoring apparatus with a motion of the body portion described on the basis of given kinematic information acquired by a control unit of the gymnastic machine.

Claims

1. Method for monitoring a body portion of a user during the use of a given gymnastic machine provided with respective first programmable electronic control means usable, in use, to acquire information related to the method of performing the gymnastic exercises performed by said user on said gymnastic machine;

said method comprising a step of defining said body portion to be monitored, followed by a step of visually and continuously monitoring said body portion through video monitoring means;

said video monitoring means being designed to operate according to at least a given respective operating parameter;

said step of visually and continuously monitoring said body portion comprising a step of acquiring by said first electronic control means said kinematic information related to the performance of the gymnastic exercises by said user;

wherein said step of visually and continuously monitoring said body portion further comprises a step of synchronizing the evolution over time of the value of at least a given operating parameter of said video monitoring means with a motion of said body portion on the basis of said kinematic information in order to perform, in real time, stable video tracking of said body portion.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of synchronizing the evolution over time of the value of at least an operating parameter with a motion of said body portion comprises the step of calculating, on the basis of said kinematic information, at least a given first parameter of a first kinematic function which describes the trajectory over time of said body portion, followed by a step of varying over time at least a given operating parameter according to a second mathematical function comprising for each said first given parameter of said first kinematic function a respective second given parameter of a value equivalent to the corresponding said first given parameter.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first and second functions are periodic and present a respective common frequency which is substantially proportional to a performance speed and/or a performance frequency of a respective gymnastic exercise on said gymnastic machine by said user;

at least one between said performance speed and/or performance frequency being included in said kinetic information acquired by said first control means of said gymnastic machine.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said step of synchronizing the evolution over time of the value of at least an operating parameter with a motion of said body part comprises the step of automatically calculating at least a third given parameter of said first kinematic function which describes the trajectory over time of said body portion;

said step of automatically calculating at least a third given parameter being performed through the application of an image recognition algorithm with one or more frames filmed by said video monitoring means and related to said user intent on performing respective physical exercises on said gymnastic machine.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein each said first and/or second function is periodic and substantially proportional to a given power of a sine function or a cosine function.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said video monitoring means comprise at least a respective video filming device;

each said first and/or second function being periodic;

at least a said third given parameter of said first function alternatively comprising an amplitude or an initial step of said first periodic function;

said amplitude and said initial phase which can be calculated through said known image recognition algorithm starting from observation of an amplitude of oscillation and of the initial position of said body portion inside a visual field associated with said video filming device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gymnastic machine comprises at least an interface usable by said user for the performance of respective gymnastic exercises and said first control means are connected to a respective sensor device designed to continuously monitor the position and/or the speed of displacement of at least a said interface;

said step of acquiring by said first electronic control means kinematic information related to the performance of gymnastic exercises performed by said user comprising the step of acquiring a performance speed and/or a performance frequency of a respective gymnastic exercise calculated by said first control means on the basis of the data output from said sensor device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said video monitoring means comprise at least a respective video filming device, suitable, in use, to frame said body portion inside a frame portion of a respective visual field;

a said given operating parameter consisting in a position of said frame portion inside said visual field.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of visually and continuously monitoring said body portion comprises a step of processing the flow of video data output from said video filming device so that, in said flow of video data, each single frame related to the entire visual field is replaced by the respective portion related to the frame portion in order to generate a video flow wherein said body portion is constantly in a substantially central position of the frame.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said video monitoring means comprise at least a respective video filming device suitable, in use, to frame said body portion inside a respective visual field;

a said given operating parameter comprising alternatively or in combination a position and/or an angle of said video filming device.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of defining said body portion of said user to be monitored comprises a step of manually selecting said frame portion of said visual field that frames said body portion.

12. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said step of defining said body portion of said user to be monitored comprises a step of automatically identifying this said body portion through the application of an image recognition algorithm to one or more frames associated with the video data output from said video filming device.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of defining said body portion of said user to be monitored comprises a step of acquiring given anthropometric data of said user by said first electronic control means of said gymnastic machine.

14. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said gymnastic machine comprises at least an interface usable by said user for the performance of respective gymnastic exercises and said first control means are connected to a respective sensor device designed to continuously monitor the position and/or the speed of displacement of at least a said interface;

said step of acquiring by said first electronic control means kinematic information related to the performance of gymnastic exercises performed by said user comprising the step of acquiring a performance speed and/or a performance frequency of a respective gymnastic exercise calculated by said first control means on the basis of the data output from said sensor device.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said step of defining said body portion of said user to be monitored comprises a step of automatically identifying this said body portion through the application of an image recognition algorithm to one or more frames associated with the video data output from said video filming device;

each said given third parameter of said first function is updated at given time intervals applying periodically said image recognition algorithm to the video data output from said video filming device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of defining said body portion to be monitored is preceded by a step of attracting the attention of said user of said gymnastic machine through signalling means of audio and/or video type.

17. A monitoring apparatus for a gymnastic machine, suitable, in use, to continuously monitor a moving body portion of a user of said gymnastic machine intent on performing physical exercises;

said group comprising a video filming device connected to first electronic control means designed to regulate at least one operating parameter of said video filming device;

said first control means being arranged to acquire, in use, from said second programmable control means of the gymnastic machine kinematic information related to the performance of said physical exercises by said user on said gymnastic machine;

wherein said first control means are arranged to synchronize, on the basis of said kinematic information, the variation over time of the value of at least a said operating parameter with a motion of said body portion, in order to perform, in real time, stable and accurate tracking of said moving body portion.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said filming device comprises, alternatively or in combination, a digital video-camera, a webcam, an infrared sensor, or a known generic optoelectronic sensor.

19. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 17 comprising an actuator group coupled with said video filming device and connected to said first control means to allow, in use, fine real-time adjustments of the position and/or orientation of said video filming device.

20. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 17, wherein said first control means are programmed to acquire from said second means of said gymnastic machine anthropometric data of said user to facilitate operations for visual recognition and tracking of said body portion.