Method and system for automated personal training

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9283429-B2
Application number	US-201113290359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2011
Priority date	Nov 5, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
providing instructions to a user to perform an athletic movement;
monitoring with at least a first sensor the user performing the athletic movement;
generating a virtual avatar of the user during the user's performance of the athletic movement, the avatar having a first contiguous area shaped like a first human subject, wherein the first contiguous area comprises a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject;
displaying on a display device the virtual avatar overlaid relative to a virtual shadow, wherein the virtual shadow comprises a second contiguous area that is larger than the first contiguous area, and shaped like the first human subject, and the second contiguous area 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 but proportional to the appendage-like sub-areas of the virtual avatar, wherein the 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;
determining, by a processor, an amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and the virtual shadow; and
generating a feedback score based on, at least in part, the amount of overlap.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the virtual shadow, wherein a size of the virtual shadow is based, at least in part, according to a skill level determined for the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a skill level for the user based on an amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and each of a plurality of shadow avatars, wherein each of the shadow avatars is associated with a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the user comprises receiving a plurality of images from an image capture device, and wherein the method further comprises:
processing subsections of at least one image from the plurality of images to determine an amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and the virtual shadow within each of the subsections.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
identifying a subsection in which the amount of overlap is less than a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: displaying a magnification of the identified subsection.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating the feedback score via a network; and
ranking the user relative to at least one other user who performed the athletic movement.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a virtual target score based on a measuring whether the user moved a body part to coincide with a virtual target, wherein the feedback score is based, at least in part, on the virtual target score.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an angle score based on a comparing an angle between two body parts of the user during performance of the athletic movement and a desired angle between the two body parts during the athletic movement, wherein the feedback score is based on the angle score.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an overlap score based on the amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and the shadow, wherein the feedback score is based on the overlap score.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback score is based on a weighted sum of an angle score, a virtual target score, and an overlap score.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method comprising:
providing instructions to a user to perform an athletic movement;
monitoring with at least a first sensor the user performing the athletic movement;
generating a virtual avatar of the user during the user's performance of the athletic movement, the avatar having a first contiguous area shaped like a first human subject, wherein the contiguous area comprising a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject;
generating a virtual shadow comprising a second contiguous area that is larger than the first contiguous area and is sized based, at least in part, according to a skill level of the user for the instructed athletic movement, and shaped like the first human subject, the second contiguous area 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 but proportional to the appendage-like sub-areas of the virtual avatar, and configured to illustrate a proper form of the user's athletic movement such that if the first user perfornis the proper form of the athletic movement, then the first contiguous area is entirely within the second contiguous area;
displaying on a display device the virtual avatar overlaid relative to the virtual shadow;
determining, by a processor, an amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and the virtual shadow; and
generating a feedback score based on the amount of overlap.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed, perform the method comprising:
determining a skill level for the user based on an amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and each of a plurality of shadow avatars, wherein each of the shadow avatars is associated with a threshold.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the monitoring of the user comprises receiving a plurality of images from an image capture device, and wherein the method further comprises:
processing subsections of at least one image from the plurality of images to determine an amount of overlap between the virtual avatar and the virtual shadow within each of the subsections.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed, perform the method comprising:
identifying a subsection in which the amount of overlap is less than a predetermined threshold; and
displaying a magnification of the identified subsection.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that when executed, perform the method comprising:
determining an angle score based on a comparing an angle between two body parts of the user during performance of the athletic movement and a desired angle between the two body parts during the athletic movement, wherein the feedback score is based on the angle score.

17. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus at least to perform:
providing instructions to a user to perform an athletic movement;
monitoring with at least a first sensor the user performing the athletic movement;
generating a virtual avatar of the user during the user's performance of the athletic movement, the avatar having a first contiguous area shaped like a first human subject, wherein the contiguous area comprises a plurality of appendage-like sub-areas representing appendages of the first human subject;
displaying on a display device the virtual avatar overlaid relative to a virtual shadow comprising a second contiguous area that is larger t

Assignees

• Aragones Teresa
• Walling Willoughby H
• Self Christina S
• Jacob Xavier
• Northcott Geoff
• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Aragones Teresa
• Walling Willoughby H
• Self Christina S
• Jacob Xavier
• Northcott Geoff

Classifications

• A63B2024/0009

  Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user · CPC title

• G06F19/3481

  Physics · mapped topic

• A63B22/001

  by simultaneously exercising arms and legs, e.g. diagonally in anti-phase (A63B22/0076 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63B24/0003

  Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis · CPC title

• A63B24/00

  Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; {Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances} · CPC title