Algorithm for providing music to influence a user's exercise performance

• US 7,683,252 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Oliver, Nuria Maria, Flores-Mangas, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels; Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/407,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 846/12, 846/36, 700/94, 482 3- 9, 482/900, 482/901
• US Class Current: 84/612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/005 Non-interactive screen display of musical or status data graphical user interfaces specifically adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H2220/091; fingering displays G10H2220/041
• 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 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/135 Library retrieval index, i.e. using an indexing scheme to efficiently retrieve a music piece
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound beam G10H2220/405
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analog or digital, e.g. DECT GSM, UMTS smartphone, PDA or palmtop used for musical purposes G10H2230/015; mobile ringtone G10H2230/021
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/321 Bluetooth

Abstract

Aspects of the invention use music to influence a person'"'"'s performance in a physical workout. A computing device receives and analyzes data indicating current physiology and movement of the user in order to provide a music piece that will influence the user to speed up, slow down, or maintain current pace so to achieve a desired exercise performance level. Information specific to the user may be considered in providing the music piece.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for:

identifying difference between current heart rate of a user and desired heart rate for the user; and

providing a music piece that influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference based on characterizing each music piece available to the user using one or more music features, the one or more music features comprising at least one of average energy of the music piece or variance in energy of the music piece.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein characterizing each music piece available to the user using one or more music features includes:

dividing the music piece into one or more segments; and

characterizing each of the one or more segments with the one or more music features.

3. The medium of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece so the currently playing music piece influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

4. The medium of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a new music piece whose one or more music features can influence the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

5. The medium of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece so the currently playing music piece influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference; and

if adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece is not sufficient in influencing the user to exercise to diminish the difference, identifying a new music piece whose one or more music features can influence the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein providing the music piece includes considering information specific to the user.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the average energy of the music piece comprises the following function:

$\langle <br><br>E\rangle <br><br>=\frac{1}{43}<br><br>\underset{i=0}{\overset{43}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>E<br><br>\left(i\right)$

wherein E(i) is the instantaneous sound energy.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the instantaneous sound energy comprises the following function:

$\langle <br><br>E\rangle <br><br>=\frac{1}{43}<br><br>\underset{i=0}{\overset{43}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br><br><br>E<br><br>\left(i\right)$

wherein a(k) comprises a list of sound amplitude values for the right channel of a stereo audio signal and b(k) comprises a list of sound amplitude values for the left channel of the stereo audio signal.

9. The medium of claim 7, wherein the variance in energy of the music piece is computed as the average of the difference between the instantaneous energy and the average energy over a certain time interval.

10. A computer system comprising a processor for executing computer-executable instructions for:

identifying difference between current heart rate of a user and desired heart rate for the user;

identifying a music piece that is predicted to influence the user to exercise to diminish the difference, wherein the music piece is identified by a music selection algorithm based on historical data comprising heart rates and movement speeds of the user associated with the music piece during the user'"'"'s past exercise sessions; and

providing the music piece to the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein providing the music piece to the user includes:

characterizing each music piece available to the user using one or more music features.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more music features characterizing each music piece comprise at least one of average energy of the music piece, variance in energy of the music piece, beat of the music piece, and sound volume of the music piece.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece so the currently playing music piece influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a new music piece whose one or more music features can influence the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece so the currently playing music piece influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference; and

if adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece is not sufficient in influencing the user to exercise to diminish the difference, identifying a new music piece whose one or more music features can influence the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

16. A computer-implemented method for using music to influence performance of a user during an exercise routine, the method comprising:

identifying difference between a current heart rate of the user and a desired heart rate for the user; and

retrieving a music piece from memory and providing the music piece to the user, wherein the music piece influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference based at least upon a function of an amount of time the user has been exercising, the current heart rate of the user, and a movement speed of the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the music piece to the user includes:

characterizing each music piece available to the user using one or more music features.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more music features characterizing each music piece comprise at least one of average energy of the music piece, variance in energy of the music piece, beat of the music piece, and sound volume of the music piece.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece so the currently playing music piece influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a new music piece whose one or more music features can influence the user to exercise to diminish the difference.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece so the currently playing music piece influences the user to exercise to diminish the difference; and

if adjusting the one or more music features of a currently playing music piece is not sufficient in influencing the user to exercise to diminish the difference, identifying a new music piece whose one or more music features can influence the user to exercise to diminish the difference.