Reflective video display apparatus for interactive training and demonstration and methods of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11298606-B2
Application number	US-202117398635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A smart mirror can show live or recorded streaming video of an instructor performing a workout in a package that is attractive and unobtrusive enough to hang in a living room. The smart mirror includes a mirror surface with a fully reflecting section and a partially reflecting section. A display behind the partially reflecting section shows the video when the smart mirror is on and is almost invisible when the smart mirror is off. The smart mirror also has a speaker, a microphone, and a camera to enable a user to view the video content and interact with the instructor. The smart mirror may connect to the user's smart phone, a peripheral device (e.g., a Bluetooth speaker) to augment user experience, a biometric sensor to provide biometric data to assess user performance, and/or a network router to connect the smart mirror to a content provider, an instructor, and/or other users.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a computing device configured to be wirelessly connected, via a first wireless connection, to a smart mirror having (1) a mirror with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, (2) a display panel, the first side of the mirror disposed between the display panel and the second side of the mirror, and (3) a communication interface operably coupled to the display panel, the display panel configured to display on-demand exercise content received via the communication interface, the computing device storing a software application to control the smart mirror,
the computing device configured to be wirelessly connected, via a second wireless connection different from the first wireless connection, to a biometric sensor, and
the computing device configured to be wirelessly connected, via a third wireless connection different from the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection, to a server that is remote from the smart mirror and the computing device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to monitor the first wireless connection using a Web Socket protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the computing device is configured to communicate with the server over the third wireless connection via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) on-demand with a request/response structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the computing device is configured to send an instruction to the smart mirror such that the smart mirror modifies a user interface of the display panel in response to receiving the instruction from the computing device at the smart mirror.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the computing device is configured to establish a wireless connection between the smart mirror and the server by (1) sending, via the software application and via the first wireless connection, a control signal to the smart mirror, and (2) sending, via the software application and via the third wireless connection, a signal to the server.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to establish a wireless connection between the smart mirror and the biometric sensor by (1) sending, via the software application and via the first wireless connection, a control signal to the smart mirror, and (2) sending, via the software application and via the second wireless connection, a signal to the biometric sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the computing device is configured to use a HostAP mode to wirelessly connect to the smart mirror via the first wireless connection,
the computing device configured to receive HostAP network information broadcast by the smart mirror.

8. A method, comprising:
wirelessly connecting, at a computing device and via a first wireless connection, to a smart mirror having (1) a mirror with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, (2) a display panel, the first side of the mirror disposed between the display panel and the second side of the mirror, and (3) a communication interface operably coupled to the display panel, the display panel configured to display on-demand exercise content received via the communication interface, the computing device storing a software application to control the smart mirror;
wirelessly connecting, at the computing device and via a second wireless connection different from the first wireless connection, to a biometric sensor; and
wirelessly connecting, at the computing device and via a third wireless connection different from the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection, to a server that is remote from the smart mirror and the computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising monitoring, at the computing device, the first wireless connection using a Web Socket protocol.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
communicating, at the computing device, with the server over the third wireless connection via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) on-demand with a request/response structure.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
sending, from the computing device, an instruction to the smart mirror such that the smart mirror modifies a user interface of the display panel in response to receiving the instruction from the computing device at the smart mirror.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
establishing, at the computing device, a wireless connection between the smart mirror and the server by (1) sending, via the software application and via the first wireless connection, a control signal to the smart mirror, and (2) sending, via the software application and via the third wireless connection, a signal to the server.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising;
establishing, at the computing device, a wireless connection between the smart mirror and the biometric sensor by (1) sending, via the software application and via the first wireless connection, a control signal to the smart mirror, and (2) sending, via the software application and via the second wireless connection, a signal to the biometric sensor.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
using, at the computing device, a HostAP mode to wirelessly connect the computing device to the smart mirror via the first wireless connection; and
receiving, at the computing device, HostAP network information broadcast by the smart mirror.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a computing device having an instantiation of an application to control to a smart mirror having (1) a mirror with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, (2) a display panel, the first side of the mirror disposed between the display panel and the second side of the mirror, and (3) a communication interface operably coupled to the display panel, the display panel configured to display on-demand exercise content received via the communication interface,
the computing device configured to be wirelessly connected, via a first wireless connection and in response to a first user-initiated instruction received via the application, to the smart mirror,
the computing device configured to be wirelessly connected, via a second wireless connection different from the first wireless connection and in response to a second user-initiated instruction received via the application, to a biometric sensor,
the computing device configured to establish a wireless connection between the smart mirror and the biometric sensor by (1) sending, via the application and via the first wireless connection, a first control signal to the smart mirror, and (2) sending, via the application and via the second wireless connection, a signal to the biometric sensor,

the computing device configured to be wirelessly connected, via a third wireless connection different from the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection and in response to a third user-initiated instruction received via the application, to a server that is remote from the smart mirror and the computing device,
the computing device configured to establish a wireless connection between the smart mirror and the server by (1) sending, via the application and via the first wireless connection, a second control signal to the smart mirror, and (2) sending, via the application and via the third wireless connection, a signal to the server.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the computing device is configured to monitor the first wireless connection using a Web Socket protocol.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the computing device i

Assignees

• Curiouser Products Inc

Inventors

• Putnam Brynn

Classifications

• H04M1/724095

  Worn on the wrist, hand or arm · CPC title

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• H04M1/72409

  by interfacing with external accessories (hands-free H04M1/60) · CPC title

• H04N21/4415

  using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning {(cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861)} · CPC title

• H04N21/44

  Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs · CPC title