System and method for a mixed or virtual reality-enhanced stationary exercise bicycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155133-B2
Application number	US-201816011394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for a mixed or virtual reality-enhanced stationary exercise bicycle, comprising a stationary bicycle device, a belt-like attachment, and a mechanical arm attachment attached to the base of a stationary bike, used for measuring and determining user position for virtual or mixed reality-enhanced software.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for a mixed or virtual reality-enhanced stationary exercise bicycle, comprising:
a stationary exercise bicycle;
a mechanical arm comprising a plurality of hinges and a plurality of tethers affixed to the body of a user while seated at the stationary exercise bicycle, at least one of the plurality of hinges comprising an angular sensor that measures the openness of the hinge;
a composition server comprising at least a plurality of programming instructions stored in a memory and operating on a processor of a network-connected computing device and configured to:
receive input data based on motion of a user's body from a plurality of hardware devices via a network, the plurality of hardware devices comprising at least the angular sensor and the plurality of tethers;
produce a plurality of control commands based on the received input data;
produce a composite data stream based at least in part on at least a portion of the received input data and the control commands, wherein the composite data stream further comprises derived data produced from analysis of at least a portion of the received input data, wherein the derived data comprises data pertaining to the position of a plurality of body parts relative to one another;

wherein the plurality of tethers provides a haptic feedback signal to a mixed or virtual reality application; and
wherein one or more of the plurality of tethers physically limits a user's motion based at least in part on the haptic feedback signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of hardware devices further comprise a pressure sensor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor is a component of a seat of the stationary exercise bicycle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stationary exercise bicycle further comprises a plurality of hardware controls, the hardware controls comprising at least a button, and wherein the plurality of hardware devices comprises at least a portion of the hardware controls.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the hardware controls comprise at least one pedal of the stationary exercise bicycle.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a screen or virtual reality headset, wherein output from mixed or virtual reality software is output to a screen attached to or located near a stationary exercise bicycle, or to a virtual reality headset worn by the user.

7. A method for a mixed or virtual reality-enhanced stationary exercise bicycle, comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving, at a composition server comprising at least a plurality of programming instructions stored in a memory and operating on a processor of a network-connected computing device and configured to receive input data based on motion of a user's body from a plurality of hardware devices via a network, and configured to produce a plurality of operations of the virtual body joystick based at least in part on at least a portion of the received input data, and configured to produce a composite data stream based at least in part on at least a portion of the received input data and the virtual body joystick operations, a plurality of device inputs received from a plurality of hardware devices;
(b) producing a plurality of control commands based at least in part on the plurality of device inputs;
(c) producing a composite data stream based at least in part on at least a portion of the received input data and the control commands, wherein the composite data stream further comprises derived data produced from analysis of at least a portion of the received input data, wherein the derived data comprises data pertaining to the position of a plurality of body parts relative to one another;
wherein at least a portion of the plurality of hardware devices comprise a mechanical arm comprising a plurality of hinges and a plurality of tethers affixed to the body of a user while seated at the stationary exercise bicycle, at least one of the plurality of hinges comprising an angular sensor that measures the openness of the hinge;
wherein the plurality of tethers provides a haptic feedback signal to a mixed or virtual reality application; and
wherein one or more of the plurality of tethers physically limits a user's motion based at least in part on the haptic feedback signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of hardware devices further comprise a pressure sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the pressure sensor is a component of a seat of the stationary exercise bicycle.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the stationary exercise bicycle further comprises a plurality of hardware controls, the hardware controls comprising at least a button, and wherein the plurality of hardware devices comprises at least a portion of the hardware controls.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the hardware controls comprise at least one pedal of the stationary exercise bicycle.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein output from mixed or virtual reality software is output to a screen attached to or located near a stationary exercise bicycle, or to a virtual reality headset worn by the user.

Assignees

• Blue Goji Llc

Inventors

• Fung Coleman

Classifications

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• A63F13/214

  for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• A63B22/06

  with {support elements performing a} rotating cycling movement, {i.e. a closed path movement}(support stands for bicycles A63B69/16; unicycles B62K1/00) · CPC title