Feedback device for guiding and supervising physical excercises

• US 8,328,691 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lanfermann, Gerd, Willmann, Richard Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US12/526,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482900-902, 434/247, 434/257, 463 31- 34, 473/156, 473/267
• US Class Current: 482/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/08 Elderly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0015 Comparing movements or motion sequences with computerised simulations of movements or motion sequences, e.g. for generating an ideal template as reference to be achieved by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/12 with mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00

Abstract

A feedback device for guiding and supervising physical exercises includes a compuputer devide having a CPU and a memory, a mirror display device includes a display device having a reflective surface, and position-sensing device for a person disposed before the device.

Claims

1. A feedback device for guiding and supervising physical exercises, comprising:

a computer device having a processor and a memory;

a mirror display device comprising a display device having a reflective surface; and

position-sensing unit configured to detect a person disposed before the mirror display device,

wherein the processor is configured to generate an animation of the person, based on data provided by the position-sensing unit, and to display said animation on the mirror display device in such a way that the displayed animation and a reflected image of the person are overlaid one on top of the other, and

wherein the generated animation represents a template of postures.

2. The feedback device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control a transmission and a reflectance of the reflective surface.

3. The feedback device according to claim 2, wherein the mirror display comprises a polarizing film, disposed on the mirror display device, and wherein the polarizing film is configured to adjusts at least a portion of its surface so as to be either transmissive, reflective, or semi-reflective.

4. The feedback device according to claim 1, wherein the position-sensing unit comprises at least one of

body-worn sensors or markers, and

a camera system.

5. The feedback device according to claim 4, wherein said camera system comprises a stereo camera.

6. The feedback device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display deviations between the template and the reflected image of the person.

7. The feedback device of claim 6, wherein the displayed deviations comprise dashed lines.

8. A feedback method for guiding and supervising physical exercises, said method comprising the acts of:

disposing a person before a feedback device comprising a processor, a memory, a mirror display device comprising a display device having a reflective surface for displaying a reflected image of the person, and a position-sensing unit for detecting the person disposed before the mirror display device;

detecting a body posture and/or body movements of the person sensed by the position-sensing unit, and

generating and displaying a computer-generated animation on the mirror display device overlaid one on top of the reflected image of the person, wherein the computer-generated animation represents a template of postures.

9. The feedback method according to claim 8, further comprising the act of

detecting any deviations between the template posture and/or movement and the body posture and/or body movements of the person.

10. The feedback method according to claim 9, further comprising the act of

generating feedback information according to said deviation.

11. The feedback method according to claim 8, further comprising the act of executing algorithms selected from the group consisting of at least one of:

an algorithm to detect 3D positions of the person and his limbs when disposed before the mirror display device;

an algorithm to compute coordinates of the mirror image of the person and/or his limbs on a surface of the mirror display device;

an algorithm for creating a computer-generated image of a figure having limbs that appear at same points on the surface of the mirror display device as in the mirror image, as computed by the algorithm to compute coordinates;

an algorithm to animate the computer-generated image according to the template posture and/or movement; and

an algorithm to generate feedback information according to the deviation of the person'"'"'s posture and/or movement from the template posture and/or movement.

12. The feedback method of claim 8, wherein further comprising the act of displaying deviations between the template and the reflected image of the person.

13. The feedback method of claim 12, wherein the displayed deviations comprise dashed lines.