VIRTUAL EXERCISER DEVICE

• US 20130123955A1
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newhula.Com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Newhula.Com, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Nelson, Trevick, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 9,616,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 19/00 Hoop exercising apparatus A63B21/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/80 Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a device which detects repetitive movement of a user'"'"'s body part. The device has a sensor which detects G forces along at least two axes when the user repeatedly moves the body part; a memory, which stores reference data corresponding to ideal reference data; a processor/computing unit, which communicates with the sensor and the memory, and receives data associated with the G forces. The processing/computing unit compares the ideal reference data with the data associated with the detected G forces. A feedback component is connected to the processor/computing unit to provide the user with a signal when a target has been achieved. Also disclosed is a method of computing data received by the device and an exerciser device that simulates the movement of a hula hoop.

Claims

1. A device for detecting repetitive movement of a body part of a user, the device comprising:

a sensor for detecting G forces along at least two axes when the user repeatedly moves the body part;

a memory for storing reference data corresponding to ideal reference data;

a processor/computing unit, in communication with the sensor and the memory, for receiving data associated with the G forces detected along the at least two axes, the processing/computing unit comparing the ideal reference data with the data associated with the G forces detected along the at least two axes detected by the sensor; and

at least one feedback component connected to the processor/computing unit for providing the user with a signal indicating that a target has been achieved.

2. The device, according to claim 1, in which the G forces are detected along x- and z-axes.

3. The device, according to claim 1, in which the G forces are detected along x-, y- and z-axes.

4. The device, according to claim 1, in which the G forces in the x-axis are calculated using X=A sin(Bt+C)+D;

With Period=2pi/B;

Phase=C/B and the G forces in the z-axis are calculated using Z=A sin(Bt+C)+D;

With Period=2pi/B;

Phase=C/B, wherein D represents the offset from the neutral axis for the curves representing particular users;

A represents amplitude;

B represents angular frequency, and C represents phase.

5. The device according to claim 1, in which the sensor is an accelerometer.

6. The device, according to claim 1, in which the sensor is a gyroscope.

7. The device according to claim 1, in which the sensor, the memory, the processor/computing unit, and the feedback components are provided as a unitary body.

8. The device according to claim 1, is adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s belt or waist.

9. The device, according to claim 1, in which the at least one feedback component includes a speaker and an amplifier, LED lighting, an LCD screen, or a wireless transreceiver.

10. The device, according to claim 2, in which x- and z-values detected in the x- and z-axes are taken from a user who is rotating his hips as if moving a virtual hula hoop.

11. The device, according to claim 1, is a cell phone, a PDA, a smart phone or a music playback device.

22. A virtual exerciser device, comprising a device, according to any one of claims 1 to 11, for simulating hula hoop movements.

23. The exerciser device, according to claim 22, is worn on the waist of a user.

12. A method for detecting repetitive movement of a user'"'"'s body part the method comprising:

electronically sensing G forces along at least two axes when the user repeatedly moves the body part in real time;

comparing first data associated with the G forces detected along the at least two axes in real time with second ideal reference data, the second ideal reference data being G forces detected along the at least two axes stored in a memory, the second ideal reference data being taken independently from the first data; and

providing feedback to the user in real time when the user achieves the second ideal reference data.

13. The method, according to claim 12, in which the at least two axes are x- and z-axes.

14. The method, according to claim 13, in which values associated with x-axis represent forward and backwards movement of the user'"'"'s hips and the values associated with the z-axis represent lateral movement of the user'"'"'s hips.

15. The method, according to claim 13, includes:

obtaining maximum and minimum x and y values and storing the values as individual sets equal to individual i values.

16. The method, according to claim 13, includes:

obtaining 3 sets of maximum and minimum values; and

calculating the average of these values is calculated using the following equation;

(Max_—

Xi+Min_—

Xi)/2

17. The method, according to claim 13, includes:

calculating an average of the averages to acquire DX and DZ using the following equation;

(AverageX1+AverageX2+ . . . +AverageXi)/i=DX)

18. The method, according to claim 13, includes:

electronically sensing an additional set of set of G force data in the x- and z-axes and normalizing the additional set of data on both axes using DX and DZ.

19. The method, according to claim 18, includes:

determining the maximum and minimum values of the G forces in the x- and z-axes;

determining the period between the maximum and minimum values is found in both the x- and z-axes;

comparing the maximum/minimum data with common maximum/minimum data; and

repeating for the period against common period values.

20. The method, according to claim 12, includes:

providing audible or visual feedback to the user when the second ideal reference data is achieved.

21. The method, according to claim 12, in which the user is moving his waist as if mimicking the movement of a hula hoop.