Method and system for automated personal training

• US 9,358,426 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Merritt, Byron G., Thomsen, Robert, Aragones, Teresa, Self, Christina S., Walling, Willoughby H., Jacob, Xavier, Northcott, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): Gishnock, Nikolai A
• Application Number:
  US13/290,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 434/247, 434/257, 434/258, 482 4- 8, 482/901, 482/902
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• 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 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/00 Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements force-resisting aspects A63B21/00; for particular parts of the body, e.g. to strengthen particular limbs or muscles A63B23/00; electric or electronic controls therefor A63B24/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/001 by simultaneously exercising arms and legs, e.g. diagonally in anti-phase A63B22/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/80 Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 : temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• 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 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 : Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 : for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

Example embodiments may relate to a system, method, apparatus, and computer readable media configured for monitoring a user performing an exercise and generating a avatar of the user and a virtual shadow, wherein the virtual shadow illustrates proper form of the exercise. The example embodiments may further be configured for determining an amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and the virtual shadow, and generating a feedback score based on the amount of overlap.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

prompting a first user to perform at least one exercise during a workout session;

monitoring with a monitoring device the first user performing the at least one exercise;

using data captured by the monitoring device during the first user'"'"'s performance of the at least one exercise to generate a first virtual avatar having a first contiguous area shaped like a first human subject that includes a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject;

generating a first virtual shadow for the first virtual avatar comprising a second contiguous area shaped like the first human subject that is larger than the first contiguous area and comprising a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject, wherein the appendage-like sub-areas of the virtual shadow are larger than the appendage-like sub-areas of the virtual avatar, wherein the first virtual shadow is configured to illustrate a proper form of the athletic movement, such that if the first user is performing the proper form of the athletic movement, then the first contiguous area is entirely within the second contiguous area;

using second user data corresponding to a second user to generate a second virtual avatar and a second virtual shadow during the second user'"'"'s performance of the at least one exercise, the second virtual avatar having a third contiguous area shaped like a second human subject comprising a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the second human subject and the second virtual shadow comprises a fourth contiguous area that is shaped like the second human subject but larger than the third contiguous area and comprising a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the second human subject, wherein the appendage-like sub-areas of the second virtual shadow are larger than the appendage-like sub-areas of the second virtual avatar, wherein the second virtual shadow is configured to illustrate the proper form of the athletic movement, such that if the second user is performing the proper form of the athletic movement, then the third contiguous area is entirely within the fourth contiguous area;

applying a handicap to the first virtual shadow or the second virtual shadow based on a skill level of the first user relative to a skill level of the second user;

wherein the handicap adjusts a size of the first virtual shadow or the second virtual shadow; and

displaying simultaneously on a display device the first and second virtual avatars and the first and second virtual shadows.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user data is received from a remote location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a first score for the first user based on movement of the first virtual avatar relative to the first virtual shadow during the workout session and a second score for the second user based on movement of the second virtual avatar relative to the second virtual shadow during the workout session.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a size of the first virtual shadow is based on a skill level of the first user and a size of the second virtual shadow is based on a skill level of the second user.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying a winner upon completion of the workout session based on the first score and the second score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user data corresponds to monitoring of the second user performing the at least one exercise during a previously completed workout session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user data corresponds to monitoring of the second user performing the at least one exercise during a second workout session occurring at the same time as the workout session.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a performance metric for the first virtual avatar and a performance metric for the second virtual avatar.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method comprising:

prompting a first user to perform at least one exercise during a workout session;

monitoring with a first monitoring device the first user performing the at least one exercise;

generating a first virtual avatar of the first user based on data captured by the monitoring device during the first user'"'"'s performance of the at least one exercise to generate a first virtual avatar having a first contiguous area shaped like a first human subject that includes a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject;

generating a first virtual shadow for the first virtual avatar comprising a second contiguous area shaped like the first human subject that is larger than the first contiguous area and comprising a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject, wherein the appendage-like sub-areas of the virtual shadow are larger than the appendage-like sub-areas of the virtual avatar, wherein the first virtual shadow is configured to illustrate a proper form of the athletic movement, such that if the first user is performing the proper form of the athletic movement, then the first contiguous area is entirely within the second contiguous area;

receiving second user data corresponding to a second user for generating a second virtual avatar and a second virtual shadow during the second user'"'"'s performance of the at least one exercise, the second virtual avatar having a third contiguous area shaped like a second human subject comprising a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the second human subject and the second virtual shadow is comprises a fourth contiguous area that is shaped like the second human subject but larger, wherein the second virtual shadow is configured to illustrate the proper form of the athletic movement, such that if the second user is performing the proper form of the athletic movement, then the third contiguous area is entirely within the fourth contiguous area;

displaying simultaneously on a display device the first and second virtual avatars and the first and second virtual shadows; and

applying a handicap to the first virtual shadow or the second virtual shadow based on skill level of the first user relative to skill level of the second user, wherein the handicap adjusts a size of the first virtual shadow or the second virtual shadow.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises further instructions, that when executed by a processor, perform:

generating a first score for the first user based on movement of the first virtual avatar relative to the first virtual shadow during the workout session and a second score for the second user based on movement of the second virtual avatar relative to the second virtual shadow during the workout session.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises further instructions, that when executed by a processor, perform:

identifying a winner upon completion of the workout session based on the first score and the second score.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

prompting a first user to perform at least one exercise during a workout session;

monitoring with a first monitoring device the first user performing the at least one exercise;

generating a first virtual avatar during the first user'"'"'s performance of the at least one exercise having a first contiguous area shaped like a first human subject that includes a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject;

generating a first virtual shadow for the first virtual avatar comprising a second contiguous area shaped like the first human subject that is larger than the first contiguous area, wherein the first virtual shadow is configured to illustrate a proper form of the athletic movement, such that if the first user is performing the proper form of the athletic movement, then the first contiguous area is entirely within the second contiguous area;

receiving second user data corresponding to a second user for generating a second virtual avatar and a second virtual shadow during the second user'"'"'s performance of the at least one exercise, the second virtual avatar having a third contiguous area shaped like a second human subject and the second virtual shadow is comprises a fourth contiguous area that is shaped like the second human subject but larger, wherein the second virtual shadow is configured to illustrate the proper form of the athletic movement, such that if the second user is performing the proper form of the athletic movement, then the third contiguous area is entirely within the fourth contiguous area;

displaying simultaneously on a display device the first and second virtual avatars and the first and second virtual shadows; and

applying a handicap to the first virtual shadow or the second virtual shadow based on skill level of the first user relative to skill level of the second user, and the handicap adjusts the handicap adjusts a size of the first virtual shadow or the second virtual shadow.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to generate a first score for the first user based on movement of the first virtual avatar relative to the first virtual shadow during the workout session and a second score for the second user based on movement of the second virtual avatar relative to the second virtual shadow during the workout session.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises further instructions, that when executed by a processor, perform:

identifying a winner upon completion of the workout session based on the first score and the second score.