SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PACING REPETITIVE MOTION ACTIVITIES

• US 20180166053A1
• Filed: 02/07/2018
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacing Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Pacing Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Turner, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,657,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/391 Automatic tempo adjustment, correction or control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/081 Beat indicator, e.g. marks or flashing LEDs to indicate tempo or beat positions analysis tempo G10H2210/076; tempo or beat alterations G10H2210/375; rhythm pattern G10H2210/341
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/086 Beats per minute [bpm] indicator, i.e. displaying a tempo value, e.g. in words or as numerical value in beats per minute analysis tempo G10H2210/076; tempo or beat alterations G10H2210/375
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/351 Environmental parameters, e.g. temperature, ambient light, atmospheric pressure, humidity, used as input for musical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/371 Vital parameter control, i.e. musical instrument control based on body signals, e.g. brainwaves, pulsation, temperature, perspiration; biometric information signals from body positions or movements G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/105 User profile, i.e. data about the user, e.g. for user settings or user preferences
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 7/00 Instruments in which the tones are synthesised from a data store, e.g. computer organs

Abstract

A method for transferring data between a storage and playback device and a server containing at least one audio file having information for producing a tempo that is sensible to at least one user as the at least one user performs a repetitive motion activity, the storage and playback device being capable of storing and playing the information in the audio file, the method comprising, at the data storage and playback device, or at a combination of the server and the data storage and playback device: receiving a request to substantially match at least one audio file based on its beats per minute for outputting on the storage and payback device; identifying a metadata tempo tag for each designated audio file, each tempo tag indicating the tempo of the audio file; and causing to be delivered to, or providing to, the storage and playback device the audio file.

Claims

1. A pacing system comprising:

a website adapted to allowing a person to pre-select an activity from a plurality of user-selectable activity types; and

a software program adapted to running on a data storage and playback device for use in pacing a person while the person is performing a running activity, wherein the software application is further adapted to at least,

displaying on the data storage and playback device the plurality of user-selectable activity types to be selected prior to performing the activity, wherein running is one of the pre-selectable activity types;

outputting to a server a numerical value representing a running tempo or pace of the person or information useful in determining the running tempo or pace of the person, wherein the outputting is in response to either a manual input of a target running tempo or pace of the person or an automatically-determined running tempo or pace of the person, the manual input or the automatic determination being performed prior to or during the running activity; and

receiving at the data storage and playback device in response to outputting the numerical value or the information, streaming data including at least one music song having a beat sensible to the person when the song is played to the person, the sensible beat being useful in pacing the person during the running activity by matching actual steps taken or every other step taken to the beat of the music.

2. The pacing system according to claim 1, wherein the software program is further adapted to receiving a playlist of songs, wherein each of the songs in the playlist have a substantially similar number of discernible beats per minute when the song is played.

3. The pacing system according to claim 2, further comprising:

an electronic record stored at the server or at a different server comprising information of or about one of the person and the person'"'"'s running activity.

4. A method for use in pacing a person while the person is performing a running activity comprising:

providing a software application adapted to running on a data storage and playback device, wherein the software application is further adapted to at least,

displaying on the data storage and playback device a plurality of different user-selectable activity types to be selected prior to performing the activity, wherein running is one of the pre-selectable activity types;

outputting to a server a numerical value representing a running tempo or pace of the person or information useful in determining the running tempo or pace of the person, wherein the outputting is in response to either a manual input of a target running tempo or pace of the person or an automatically-determined running tempo or pace of the person, the manual input or the automatic determination being performed prior to or during the running activity; and

receiving at the data storage and playback device in response to outputting the numerical value or the information, streaming data including at least one music song having a beat sensible to the person when the song is played to the person, the sensible beat being useful in pacing the person during the running activity by matching actual steps taken or every other step taken to the beat of the music.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein providing the software application comprises providing the software application on a smart phone adapted to running the software.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the software application is further adapted to receiving streaming data including a playlist of songs, wherein each of the songs in the playlist have a substantially similar number of discernible beats per minute when the song is played.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the software application is further adapted to receiving the at least one song in response to both the outputting of the numerical value or the information and an input corresponding to the person selecting the song from a list of available songs.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the software application is further adapted to outputting the numerical value representing the running tempo or pace of the person or the information useful in determining the running tempo or the pace of the person as part of an assessment of the person'"'"'s movement.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the outputted of information useful in determining the running tempo or pace of the person comprises outputting a numerical value and a time period.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the software program is further adapted to outputting on a touchscreen a user interface for allowing the person to manually input the target running tempo or pace.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein the software application is further adapted to automatically determining the running tempo or pace of the person based on a physical movement of the person over a period of time.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the software application is further adapted to,

monitoring the running tempo or pace of the person during the running activity to identify changes in the running tempo or pace;

and

outputting to the server a numerical value representing the change in the running tempo or pace of the person or information useful in determining the change in the running tempo or pace of the person.

13. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

creating a record at the server or at a different server comprising information of or about the person and the person'"'"'s running activity.

14. A method for running at a pre-determined pace using music as a pacing guide comprising:

pre-selecting a running activity from a list of pre-selectable activities displayed on a smart phone'"'"'s touchscreen display prior to engaging in the running activity;

inputting using the smart phone'"'"'s touchscreen display prior to engaging in the running activity a target tempo or pace value or information useful in determining the target tempo or pace value;

carrying the smart phone during the running activity, wherein carrying the smart phone during the running activity causes a software application running on the smart phone to output to a server a numerical value representing the target tempo or pace value or the information useful in determining the target tempo or pace value, wherein the outputting is in response to the inputting of the target tempo or pace value or the information useful in determining the target tempo or pace value, or is in response to an automatically-determined running tempo or pace of the person; and

listening to at least one music song streamed to the smart phone and played during the running activity, each of the at least one song characterized by a number of beats per minute when it is played.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising matching one'"'"'s actual number of steps taken per minute of time or an average number of steps taken per minute of time to the beats per minute of the at least one song during the running activity.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the streamed at least one music song is provided by a server in response to one of the inputted target tempo or pace value, the numerical value representing the actual running tempo or pace of the person, and the information useful in determining the actual running tempo or pace of the person.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising inputting a selection of music songs to be streamed to the smart phone and played by the smart phone during the running activity.