Apple looking to improve exercise routines with 'virtual competitor'
A new patent application from Apple describes an exercise motivation feature that presents a "virtual competitor," providing an "interactive and engaging experience" for fitness enthusiasts.
The application revealed this week, entitled "Real-Time Interaction with a Virtual Competitor While Performing an Exercise Routine," notes that while there are currently a variety of methods designed to push athletes farther, some people want something even more engaging.
Fitness enthusiasts sometimes need new sources of motivation, such as when training indoors during inclement weather," the application reads. "Modern health clubs partly serve this need by providing television monitors and music to entertain members using treadmills, stationary bicycles, elliptical trainers, and other fitness equipment. Products like the Nike+iPod Sports Kit provide workout-based voice feedback, motivational media, and the ability to share workouts among Nike+community members."
The application describes a networked system that could download a workout file associated with the virtual competitor. The system could also determine the performance of the athlete using the iPod or iPhone, and compare their performance with that of the virtual competitor.
Such a system could track the "performance metrics" of the user in both physiological terms, such s heart rate, blood oxygen content and temperature, and non-physiological performance indicators, like speed and distance.
As for the competitor, the system could display visual cues, such as location, via GPS, on Google Maps, demonstrating the user's position relative to the virtual opponent. The system could also be done audibly, allowing a runner to focus on their performance.
"For example, as user? passes the 2-mile mark, an audible cue played through the headset? may announce a 2-mile split of 10:27," the application reads. "If user? has a lead? cues may be played if the lead is less than a predetermined distance. For example, if the lead is less than 100 feet, an audible cue may be played, such as 'He's right behind you.' For smaller leads, an audile cue may be the sound of footsteps thumping."
If a user were running indoors on a treadmill, cycle, or elliptical machine, the virtual competitor system could be turned into a game, where the runner can conduct "tactical maneuvers," tracked with a camera, that can be use to complete certain actions. The competitor, represented by a virtual avatar, could potentially be crowded out by the user with a hands-free mouse, and such actions in the game could earn the runner points.
The invention is credited to Allen P. Haughay Jr., Jeffrey T. Lee, and Irwin W. Graves Jr. It was filed for on Sept. 9, 2008.
Apple has shown a great deal of interest in fitness products over the years, particularly in its patent applications. The described technology has been as specific as a sole wear-out sensor for shoes, and as broad as a digital lifestyle fitness companion akin to a more advanced version of the company's Nike + iPod sport kit.
Last September, Apple updated its iPod nano with a built-in pedometer that keeps track of steps taken and calories burned. Nike also released a heart rate monitor for the hardware.
The application revealed this week, entitled "Real-Time Interaction with a Virtual Competitor While Performing an Exercise Routine," notes that while there are currently a variety of methods designed to push athletes farther, some people want something even more engaging.
Fitness enthusiasts sometimes need new sources of motivation, such as when training indoors during inclement weather," the application reads. "Modern health clubs partly serve this need by providing television monitors and music to entertain members using treadmills, stationary bicycles, elliptical trainers, and other fitness equipment. Products like the Nike+iPod Sports Kit provide workout-based voice feedback, motivational media, and the ability to share workouts among Nike+community members."
The application describes a networked system that could download a workout file associated with the virtual competitor. The system could also determine the performance of the athlete using the iPod or iPhone, and compare their performance with that of the virtual competitor.
Such a system could track the "performance metrics" of the user in both physiological terms, such s heart rate, blood oxygen content and temperature, and non-physiological performance indicators, like speed and distance.
As for the competitor, the system could display visual cues, such as location, via GPS, on Google Maps, demonstrating the user's position relative to the virtual opponent. The system could also be done audibly, allowing a runner to focus on their performance.
"For example, as user? passes the 2-mile mark, an audible cue played through the headset? may announce a 2-mile split of 10:27," the application reads. "If user? has a lead? cues may be played if the lead is less than a predetermined distance. For example, if the lead is less than 100 feet, an audible cue may be played, such as 'He's right behind you.' For smaller leads, an audile cue may be the sound of footsteps thumping."
If a user were running indoors on a treadmill, cycle, or elliptical machine, the virtual competitor system could be turned into a game, where the runner can conduct "tactical maneuvers," tracked with a camera, that can be use to complete certain actions. The competitor, represented by a virtual avatar, could potentially be crowded out by the user with a hands-free mouse, and such actions in the game could earn the runner points.
The invention is credited to Allen P. Haughay Jr., Jeffrey T. Lee, and Irwin W. Graves Jr. It was filed for on Sept. 9, 2008.
Apple has shown a great deal of interest in fitness products over the years, particularly in its patent applications. The described technology has been as specific as a sole wear-out sensor for shoes, and as broad as a digital lifestyle fitness companion akin to a more advanced version of the company's Nike + iPod sport kit.
Last September, Apple updated its iPod nano with a built-in pedometer that keeps track of steps taken and calories burned. Nike also released a heart rate monitor for the hardware.
Comments
Is any of this truly novel?
Nope. Garmin has had a virtual competitor on their ForeRunner watches for many years.
But I'm sure there's some different nuance in the patent.
Imagine if you didn't know you were using this program...
Uh, I don't think that dude needs to lose any more weight!
But both Phillip Schiller and Woz do
If youre a fitness buff and need motivation to go workout in a gym, you are just bound to fail.
This seems very cool but limited. I'd love to use this for some bike rides and compare times against others, and maybe get athletes data to compare against my own even though I know I'm no where near the likes of Lance Armstrong.
FYI Nike+ blows, was the worst 140 bucks I ever spent
Nope. Garmin has had a virtual competitor on their ForeRunner watches for many years.
But I'm sure there's some different nuance in the patent.
Ya, Garmin didn't patent it and Apple will sue them for using their patent when it's all over.
Nike also released a heart rate monitor for the hardware.
No, they certainly did not... They said they were going to release a heart rate monitor for use with Nike+, we are still waiting....
Is any of this truly novel?
People need to stop thinking that a patent has to be a new idea for it to be a valid patent. What patents actually protect is the implementation, not the idea...
So in terms of implementation, this is certainly new.
To my knowledge, currently there is no way to hook up a HRM to an iPhone sports app. RunKeeper has tested uploading HRM files, but they're still in the "shhhhh! it'll be coming at some point" position.
Nike never has released a HRM for Nike+. Neither has Apple.
To my knowledge, currently there is no way to hook up a HRM to an iPhone sports app. RunKeeper has tested uploading HRM files, but they're still in the "shhhhh! it'll be coming at some point" position.
Nike did a press release back in October when the latest nano's were introduced saying that the heart rate monitor was coming soon.. Since then, nothing...
A movie from the 80s-90s perhaps has action/scifi maybe and one of the random scenes I remember was a person playing tennis or handball maybe with someone else and it turned out to be a holograph opponent... Judge Dread? Running Man?? (not the 5th element seen that one too many times) but something along those lines..
Wait ... it was tennis I'm almost positive of that .. but they weren't 'playing' so much as teaching proper racquet swings and they were 'side by side' and when the live person swung too close to the VR trainer (hitting it) the trainer would 'fuzz out'. And this was being done in the woman's apartment... It'll come to me... probably weeks from now... and then I'll wonder why that scene came to mind... The best thing about slowly loosing your mind is that you learn something NEW each and every day! lol
Prior art for sure...
Okay... Total Recall and the actress was Sharon Stone ... phew, now I can move on to some other random and meaningless task rolling around in my head...
If it will get me to be able to run 2 miles in 10:27, I will buy one.
The split means the most recent mile.
I would LOVE to have spoken mile splits through the earbuds.