Music selection and adaptation for exercising

• US 9,183,822 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MacPherson, Luke David
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US13/478,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20130312589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 846/12, 482 3- 9, 482/900, 482/901
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/46 Volume control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/391 Automatic tempo adjustment, correction or control
• 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 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set

Abstract

Methods, devices, systems, and computer programs are presented for providing music while exercising. One method includes an operation for receiving a request for a music segment from a computing device. The request includes the pace of exercise of a user associated with the computing device. The music segment is selected based on the pace, and the music segment is modified to correlate the tempo of the music segment to the pace of exercise. The modified music segment is sent to the computing device to be played in one or more speakers to provide music that is correlated to the exercise.

Claims

1. A method for providing music while exercising, the method comprising:

detecting a pace of exercise;

selecting a music segment based on the pace;

modifying the music segment to correlate a tempo of the music segment to the pace of exercise;

introducing a delay in the modified music segment to synchronize the modified music segment to cycles of the pace of exercise; and

playing the modified music segment in one or more speakers, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein modifying the music segment further includes:

changing the tempo of the music segment to match the pace of exercise while maintaining a pitch of the music segment.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the music segment further includes:

identifying one or more songs in a music library, wherein the one or more songs have tempos within a predetermined threshold of difference with the pace of exercise; and

selecting one of the one or more songs.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the music segment further includes:

to motivate a person exercising to increase the pace, selecting the music segment having a faster tempo than the pace of exercise; and

to motivate the person exercising to decrease the pace, selecting the music segment having a slower tempo than the pace of exercise.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the music segment further includes:

selecting a song having the tempo that is a multiple of the pace or a song having the pace being a multiple of the tempo of the song.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting the pace of exercise further includes:

receiving pace information from one or more of a pedometer, an accelerometer, an inertial sensor, an exercise machine sensor, an exercise crank, a bicycle wheel sensor, a sensor placed in a shoe, or a sensor in an exercise pad.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the music segment further includes:

selecting a song from a music library.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the music segment further includes:

sending a request to a music service provider for a song having a tempo within a predetermined threshold of difference with the pace of exercise.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the exercise includes one of running, biking, rowing, working on an exercise machine, climbing stairs, or swimming.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein operations of the method are performed by a computer program when executed by one or more processors, the computer program being embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein introducing the delay further includes:

introducing the delay in increments during a plurality of cycles of the pace of exercise.

11. A method for providing music while exercising, the method comprising:

detecting a pace of exercise for each section of an exercise program;

for each section, selecting a music segment based on the pace of exercise of the section;

modifying the music segment to correlate a tempo of the music segment to the pace of exercise of the section;

adjusting a volume of the modified music segment based on a difference between the pace of exercise and the tempo; and

playing the modified music segment in one or more speakers, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein modifying the music segment further includes:

changing the tempo of the music segment to match the pace of exercise while maintaining a pitch of the music segment.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein modifying the music segment further includes:

after modifying the music segment, introducing a delay in the modified music segment to synchronize the modified music segment to cycles of the pace of exercise.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further including:

detecting a heart rate of a person exercising; and

providing a music segment based on the heart rate.

15. A system for providing music while exercising, the system comprising:

a sensor operable to detect a pace of exercise;

a processor, wherein the processor is operable to;

select a music segment based on the pace;

modify the music segment to correlate a tempo of the music segment to the pace of exercise; and

introduce a delay in the modified music segment to synchronize the modified music segment to cycles of the pace of exercise; and

one or more speakers operable to play the modified music segment.

16. The system of claim 15, further including a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI including:

an option to select a source for the music segment;

an option to select an exercise program; and

an option to select a desired pace of exercise.

17. The system of claim 15, further including:

a heart rate monitor operable to detect a heart rate of a person exercising.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein modifying the music segment further includes:

changing the tempo of the music segment to match the pace of exercise while maintaining a pitch of the music segment.