Group coaching system and method

• US 9,514,284 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Claassen, Arjan, Wartena, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Frisby, Kesha
• Application Number:
  US12/595,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20100112536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,155 Days
• Field of Search: 434/258
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0081 Coaching or training aspects related to a group of users
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• 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 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• 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

Abstract

Group coaching system includes at least a first and a second coaching device, the first device being configured to provide respective first user coaching information to a respective user of the first device, and the second device being configured to provide respective second user coaching information to a respective user of the second device, wherein the system is configured to provide a group coaching of the users of the devices utilizing the respective user coaching information provided by the coaching devices.

Claims

1. A system for group coaching a plurality of users, the system comprising:

a plurality of devices, each of the plurality of users having at least one of the plurality of devices including a same training program, each device comprising;

a communication link configured to communicate with other devices of the plurality of devices including receiving the same training program for each of the respective users and communicating the detected training performance to the plurality of devices;

a processor configured to

detect a training performance of the device'"'"'s respective user responsive to the training program, and

adjust the training program for one or more respective users of the plurality of users based on the detected training performance of all of the plurality of users, such that all of the plurality of users are instructed to move with a group speed along a first path so that the plurality of users are physically held together during the group coaching; and

a user interface configured to provide the instructions to the device'"'"'s respective user concerning the adjustment of the training program for the device'"'"'s respective user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the devices cooperate and communicate with each other to transmit the training program and/or the detected training performance related information between the devices.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first master device and the same training program is provided to each of the plurality of users by the master device, and the plurality of devices are configured to autonomously select a second master device when the first master device becomes unavailable.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices is configured to detect the training performance of at least one of the plurality of users and transfer the detect training performance to the master device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting is based on the detected training performances of a plurality of the users.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor autonomously adjusts the training program and the adjusting is based on a lowest training performance determined from the detected training performances of the plurality of users.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting is based on an average training performance determined by an average performance of the detected training performances of the plurality of users, and the adjusting of the program includes communicating instructions to the users via the user interface of each user'"'"'s respective device in the form of one or more of a visual message, an audio message, a tactile message, and a musical message.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the training performance includes at least one of:

a user position, user speed, user speed gradient, user physical state, user posture, user muscle power, and user hear rate.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein adjusting of the training performance is directed to keeping the users physically together within a predetermined area, including in view of each other.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting is based on at least one group coaching parameter including an average group speed of the group of users.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one group coaching parameter is determined when

a first of the plurality of devices transmits the at least one group coaching parameter to each of the plurality of devices, and

at least a second of the plurality of devices adjusts its training program based on the at least one group coaching parameter received from the first device.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of devices transmits the training performance of its user to a master device, which determines the at least one group coaching parameter based on the detected training performances of all the users.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of devices autonomously determines the at least one group coaching parameter.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein each device comprises a computer readable storage medium comprising machine executable code, which when executed configures the device to

communicate with other devices,

receive the training program for its respective user,

detect the training performance of at least one of the users,

adjust the training program based on the detected training performance, and

communicate instructions to the device'"'"'s respective user concerning the adjustment of the training program.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of devices is selected to be a coaching device.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices is configured to detect at least one other device'"'"'s presence via the communication link and is further configured to start communicating with at least one other device once they detect the at least one other device'"'"'s presence.

17. A training device for group coaching a plurality of users each having a respective training device, the training device comprising:

a communication link configured to inter-communicate with each of the plurality of devices including receiving a same training program for each of the respective users;

a processor configured to

detect a training performance of the device'"'"'s respective user responsive to at training program, and

adjust the training program for one or more respective users of the plurality of users based on the detected training performance of all of the plurality of users, such that all of the plurality of users are instructed to move with a group speed along a first path so that the plurality of users are physically held together during the group coaching; and

a user interface configured to provide the instructions to the device'"'"'s respective user concerning the adjustment of the training program for the device'"'"'s respective user.

18. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium comprising machine executable code, which when executed by a computer configures a system for group coaching a plurality of users each having a respective training device, the training device comprising:

a communication link configured to communicate with each of the plurality of devices in possession of the plurality of users,

a processor configured to

receive the training program for its respective user,

detect the training performance of at least one of the users, and

adjust the training program based on the detected training performance of all of the plurality of users, such that all of the plurality of users are instructed to move with a group speed along a first path so that the plurality of users are physically held together during the group coaching; and

a user interface configured to provide the instructions to the device'"'"'s respective user concerning the adjustment of the training program for the device'"'"'s respective user.