U.S. patent application number 11/749137 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for jump and bob interface for handheld media player devices.
This patent application is currently assigned to OUTLAND RESEARCH, LLC. Invention is credited to Louis B. Rosenberg.
Application Number | 20070213110 11/749137 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38479618 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070213110 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rosenberg; Louis B. |
September 13, 2007 |
JUMP AND BOB INTERFACE FOR HANDHELD MEDIA PLAYER DEVICES
Abstract
A system and method is provided for implementing a portable
media player that enables rhythmic exercise games to be performed
by the user. In one embodiment a user may bob and/or jump along
with a playing musical media file and be awarded points based upon
the number, rate, magnitude, frequency of the bobbing and/or
jumping. In another embodiment a user may bob and/or jump along
with a playing musical media file and be awarded points based upon
a level of rhythmic synchronicity with the playing musical media
file. In this way a user may listen to music, while bobbing and/or
jumping along with the music, and have an aerobic exercise gaming
experience.
Inventors: |
Rosenberg; Louis B.; (Pismo
Beach, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SINSHEIMER JUHNKE LEBENS & MCIVOR, LLP
1010 PEACH STREET
P.O. BOX 31
SAN LUIS OBISPO
CA
93406
US
|
Assignee: |
OUTLAND RESEARCH, LLC
Post Office Box 3537
Pismo Beach
CA
93448
|
Family ID: |
38479618 |
Appl. No.: |
11/749137 |
Filed: |
May 15, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11298434 |
Dec 9, 2005 |
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11749137 |
May 15, 2007 |
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11367178 |
Mar 2, 2006 |
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11749137 |
May 15, 2007 |
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11555784 |
Nov 2, 2006 |
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11749137 |
May 15, 2007 |
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11427320 |
Jun 28, 2006 |
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11749137 |
May 15, 2007 |
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60814981 |
Jun 19, 2006 |
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60648157 |
Jan 28, 2005 |
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60683020 |
May 19, 2005 |
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60751267 |
Dec 16, 2005 |
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60765856 |
Feb 7, 2006 |
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60815655 |
Jun 21, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/7 ;
463/39 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2220/64 20130101;
A63B 71/0686 20130101; A63B 2220/40 20130101; A63B 2225/50
20130101; A63B 2220/836 20130101; A63B 2244/08 20130101; A63B
2225/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/007 ;
463/039 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A system for implementing a jump and bob rhythm game,
comprising: a motion sensor that detects motions imparted by a user
on a portable media player device and generates a corresponding
motion signal; and a portable media player device to play a musical
audio file to a user, receive the corresponding motion signal, and
moderate an exercise game, the exercise game awarding points to the
user based at least in part upon a determined level of rhythmic
synchronicity between the user motions imparted upon the portable
media player and play of a musical audio file, wherein the portable
media player device is also operative to output a game score to the
user in at least one of a visual and audio format.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising awarding the points of
the game score based also on at least one of a magnitude of the
detected motions, and number of the detected motions.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises an
accelerometer.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the motions comprises at least
one of a jump and a bob.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising awarding the points
based also on at least one of a number, frequency, and rate of
detected characteristic bob motions.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the detected
characteristic bob motions comprise a physical motion by which the
user is standing and flexes or extends the user's knees in rapid
succession, raising and lowering the user's center of mass while
maintaining foot contact with a surface.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising awarding the points
based also on at least one of a number, frequency, and rate of
detected characteristic jump motions.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the detected
characteristic jump motions comprise a physical motion by which the
user extends the user's legs with sufficient force and speed to
temporarily lift the user's body off of a surface.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is integrated
within the portable media player device.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is in
communication with the portable media player device.
11. The system of claim 4, wherein the portable media player device
is adapted to determine whether the motion comprises at least one
of the jump and the bob by detecting a characteristic profile
within the corresponding motion signal.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable media player is
adapted to generate and play output musical instrument sounds in
response to at least one of a detected bob motion and a detected
jump motion imparted by the user upon the portable media
player.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the portable media player is
adapted to generate and play a sound of a first musical instrument
in response to a detected bob motion imparted by the user upon the
portable media player and is adapted to generate and play a sound
of a second musical instrument in response to a detected jump
motion imparted by the user upon the portable media player.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable media player is
configured to repeatedly output a substantially current score to
the user in verbal form as an audio signal that is played in
combination with the play of the musical audio file.
15. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable media player is
configured to store in memory a plurality of musical audio files,
and store, in relational association with each of the plurality of
musical audio files, a score generated by the user when playing the
rhythm game using that musical audio file.
16. A method for implementing a jump and bob rhythm game,
comprising: playing a musical audio file to a user using a portable
media player; detecting physical motions of the portable media
player with a motion sensor that generates motion signals in
response to user imparted motions of the portable media player; and
moderating an exercise game, the exercise game awarding points to
the user based at least in part upon a determined level of rhythmic
synchronicity between the user imparted motions of the portable
media player and play of the musical audio file, wherein the
portable media player is also operative to output a game score the
user in at least one of a visual and audio format.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein awarding the points of the game
score is further based on at least one of a magnitude of the
detected motions, and number of the detected motions.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the motions comprise at least
one of a jump and a bob.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the jump comprises a physical
motion by which the user extends the user's legs with sufficient
force and speed to temporarily lift the user's body off of a
surface.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the bob comprises a physical
motion by which the user is standing and flexes or extends the
user's knees in rapid succession, raising and lower the user's
center of mass while maintaining foot contact with a surface.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein the moderating the rhythm game
comprises determining whether the physical motions comprise at
least one of the jump and the bob by detecting a characteristic
profile within the corresponding motion signals.
22. The method of claim 18, further comprising awarding the points
based also on at least one of a number, frequency, and rate of
detected characteristic bob motions.
23. The method of claim 18, further comprising awarding the points
based also on at least one of a number, frequency, and rate of
detected characteristic jump motions.
24. The method of claim 16, wherein the portable media player is
adapted to generate and play output musical instrument sounds in
response to at least one of a detected bob motion and a detected
jump motion imparted by the user upon the portable media
player.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the portable media player is
adapted to generate and play a sound of a first musical instrument
in response to a detected bob motion imparted by the user upon the
portable media player and is adapted to generate and play a sound
of a second musical instrument in response to a detected jump
motion imparted by the user upon the portable media player.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein the portable media player is
configured to repeatedly output a substantially current score to
the user in verbal form as an audio signal that is played in
combination with the playing musical audio file.
27. The method of claim 24, wherein the portable media player is
configured to store in memory a plurality of musical audio files,
and store in relational association with each of the plurality of
musical audio files, a score generated by the user when playing the
rhythm game using that musical audio file.
28. A portable media player for playing music and implementing a
jump and bob rhythm game, comprising: a user affixable portion for
affixing to the body of a user; a motion sensor that detects
motions imparted by the user and generates a corresponding motion
signal; a speaker to emit sounds corresponding to a played musical
audio file; and a processor to play the musical audio file to a
user, receive the corresponding motion signal, and moderate an
exercise game, the exercise game awarding points to the user based
at least in part upon a determined level of rhythmic synchronicity
between the user motions and the play of the musical audio file,
the portable media player also operative to output a game score the
user in at least one of a visual and audio format.
29. The portable media player of claim 28, wherein the processor is
adapted to determine whether the motions comprise at least one of a
jump motion and a bob motion of the user.
30. The portable media player of claim 29, wherein the processor
awards the points based also on at least one of a number,
frequency, and rate of detected characteristic bob motions.
31. The portable media player of claim 29, wherein the processor
awards the points based also on at least one of a number,
frequency, and rate of detected characteristic jump motions.
32. The portable media player of claim 28 wherein the portable
media player is adapted to generate and play output musical
instrument sounds in response to at least one of a detected bob
motion and a detected jump motion imparted by the user.
33. The portable media player of claim 32 wherein the portable
media player is adapted to generate and play a sound of a first
musical instrument in response to a detected bob motion and is
adapted to generate and play a sound of a second musical instrument
in response to a detected jump motion.
34. The portable media player of claim 28 wherein the portable
media player is configured to repeatedly output a substantially
current score to the user during a period of the rhythm game.
35. A portable media player for playing music and implementing a
jump and bob exercise game, comprising: a user affixable portion
for affixing to the body of a user; a motion sensor that detects
motions imparted by the user and generates a corresponding motion
signal; a speaker to emit sounds corresponding to a played musical
audio file; a processor to play the musical audio file to a user,
receive the corresponding motion signals, and moderate an exercise
game, the exercise game awarding points to the user based at least
in part upon at least one of a number, frequency, and rate of
detected characteristic bob motions imparted by the user, wherein
the portable media player is also operative to output a game score
the user in at least one of a visual and audio format.
36. The portable media player of claim 35, wherein the points are
awarded based also upon a determined magnitude of each of a
plurality of detected bob motions.
37. The portable media player of claim 35, wherein the points are
awarded based also upon a determined level of rhythmic
synchronicity between a plurality of detected bob motions and the
playing musical content of the musical audio file.
38. A portable media player for playing music and implementing a
jump and bob exercise game, comprising: a user affixable portion
for affixing to the body of a user; a motion sensor that detects
motions imparted by the user and generates a corresponding motion
signal; a speaker to emit sounds corresponding to a played musical
audio file; a processor to play the musical audio file to a user,
receive the corresponding motion signals, and moderate an exercise
game, the exercise game awarding points to the user based at least
in part upon at least one of a number, frequency, and rate of
detected characteristic jump motions imparted by the user, wherein
the portable media player is also operative to output a game score
the user in at least one of a visual and audio format.
39. The portable media player of claim 38, wherein the points are
awarded based also upon a determined magnitude of each of a
plurality of detected jump motions.
40. The portable media player of claim 38, wherein the points are
awarded based also upon a determined level of rhythmic
synchronicity between a plurality of detected jump motions and the
playing musical content of the musical audio file.
41. The portable media player of claim 39, wherein the magnitude of
a detected jump is determined at least in part upon an determined
airtime for the jump.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application claims priority to provisional application
Ser. No. 60/814,981, filed Jun. 19, 2006, the disclosure of which
is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; this
application is a continuation-in-part and claims benefit and
priority to the applicant's co-pending non-provisional patent
application Ser. No. 11/298,434 entitled "Device, System, and
Method for Outdoor Computer Gaming," filed on Dec. 9, 2005, which
claims priority to provisional patent application Ser. No.
60/648,157, filed on Jan. 28, 2005, the disclosures of which are
hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety; this
application is a continuation-in-part and claims benefit and
priority to the applicant's co-pending non-provisional patent
application Ser. No. 11/367,178, entitled "Ambulatory Based
Human-Computer Interface," filed on Mar. 2, 2006, which claims
priority to provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/683,020,
filed on May 19, 2005, the disclosures of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety; this application is a
continuation-in-part and claims benefit and priority to the
applicant's co-pending non-provisional patent application Ser. No.
11/555,784, entitled "Shake-Jamming Interface for Handheld Media
Players," filed on Nov. 2, 2006, which claims priority to
provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/751,267 filed on Dec.
16, 2005, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by
reference in their entirety; this application is a
continuation-in-part and claims benefit and priority to the
applicant's co-pending non-provisional patent application Ser. No.
11/427,320, entitled "Gait Responsive Portable Media Player," filed
on Jun. 28, 2006, which claims priority to provisional patent
application Ser. No. 60/765,856, filed on Feb. 7, 2006, the
disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety; this application also claims priority to provisional
patent application Ser. No. 60/815,655, filed on Jun. 21, 2006, the
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE APPLICATION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to portable media
players and exercise based gaming devices and, more specifically,
to a jumping and bobbing based aerobic exercise experience and game
application enabled upon portable media players that also play
music.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Electronic Media Players have become popular personal
entertainment devices due to their highly portable nature and
interconnectivity with existing computer networks, for example the
Internet. The accessibility and simplicity in downloading music and
other electronic media continues to fuel the popularity of these
devices as is exemplified by Apple Computer, Inc.'s highly
successful iPod.TM. portable media player. Recent models also allow
for the storage and display of personal photos allowing users to
carry about a photo album stored in memory of the media player.
Other manufacturers have competing Media Players offering various
functionalities and file playing compatibilities in an effort to
differentiate their products in the marketplace.
[0004] As discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2004/0224638, Ser. No. 10/423,490 to Fadell, et al., assigned to
Apple Computer, Inc., the disclosure of which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety, an increasing number of
consumer products are incorporating circuitry to play musical media
files and other electronic media. Additional embodiments of media
players are disclosed in the current applicant's co-pending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/267,079, filed Nov. 3, 2005, as well
as the applicant's co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
Nos. 60/648,197, filed on Jan. 27, 2005; 60/665,291, filed on Mar.
26, 2005; 60/651,771, filed on Feb. 9, 2005; and 60/756,856, filed
on Feb. 7, 2006. The aforementioned provisional and non-provisional
patent applications are all hereby incorporated by reference in
their entirety.
[0005] For example, many portable electronic devices such as
cellular telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) include
the ability to play electronic musical media in many of the most
commonly available file formats including Moving Picture Experts
Group-1 ("MPEG-1") Audio Layer 3 ("MP3"), Audio Video Interleave
("AVI"), Waveform audio format ("WAV"), Moving Picture Experts
Group ("MPG"), Quicktime ("QT"), Windows.TM. Media Audio ("WMA"),
Audio Interchange File Format ("AIFF"), Audio ("AU"), Real Audio
Media ("RAM"), Real Audio ("RA"), Movie files ("MOV"), Musical
Instrument Digital Interface ("MIDI"), among others.
[0006] In the relevant art, portable media players enable users to
listen to music as digital audio files and/or as part of digital
video files, selecting media items from memory and playing the
media files such that the audio content can be listened to through
headphone or speakers. Such listening activities however are
passive, relegating the user to being a listener of the music
content but does not allow the user to coordinate his or her
physical motions with the music in a computer moderated way that
quantifies actions and awards a score.
SUMMARY
[0007] Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods,
apparatus, and computer program products that enable aerobic
exercise rhythm games to be played upon portable media player
devices that play music to users. Embodiments of the present
invention comprise an accelerometer and/or other similar motion
sensor device integrated into and/or physically connected to a
portable media player device such that it detects motions imparted
by the user upon the portable media player as the user bobs and
jumps. As defined herein, a "bob" is a bodily motion in which a
standing user flexes and extends his or her knees in rapid
succession, thereby raising and lowering his or her center of mass
without losing physical foot contact with the ground. As defined
herein a "jump" is a bodily motion in which a standing user extends
his legs with enough force and speed to lift his body off the
ground for a momentary period of time. As the user bobs and/or
jumps, thereby moving the media player device up and down, the
sensor and supporting hardware and/or software of embodiments of
the present invention determine the rhythm at which the user
performs the bobs and jumps as well as the magnitude of each bob
and/or jump.
[0008] Embodiments of the present invention are further operative
to award points to the user for the magnitude of the bobs and/or
jumps performed, the number of bobs and/or jumps performed, and/or
the synchronicity of the rhythm of the bobs and/or jumps performed
with an audible rhythm present within a current playing media file.
In addition, embodiments of the present invention are operative to
monitor the sequence of bobs and jumps performed by the user and
award points accordingly. In this way a user may listen to a
musical media file, bobbing and jumping to the rhythm of the music
and be awarded assessment points for the magnitude, number,
sequence, and/or synchronicity of the physically motions performed
by the user concurrently with a playing musical file played by the
media player. In some embodiments extra points are awarded for
syncopation, accents, and/or other complex motions imparted in
rhythm with the playing music. In this way, embodiments of the
present invention add an entertaining aerobic physical activity to
the ordinarily passive experience of listening to music with a
portable media player. In addition, some embodiments of the present
invention may be configured to generate musical sounds, such as
percussion instrument sounds, in response to user bobs and/or
jumps, the musical sounds being played through a portable media
player in audio combination with the playing music file.
[0009] A media player system according to the present invention
includes an accelerometer or other similar motion sensing device
for collecting data representative of user bobbing and/or jumping
actions. The media player also includes software for processing the
sensor data, determining if a characteristic bobbing and/or jumping
action was imparted by the user, assessing the rhythm
characteristics of the bobbing and/or jumping, comparing the rhythm
characteristics of the bobbing and/or jumping with one or more
rhythm characteristics associated with a currently playing media
file, and, in response to the assessments and/or comparisons,
awards scoring values to the user. In addition, in some embodiments
of the present invention the software also is operative in response
to a detected characteristic bobbing and/or jumping action, to play
computer generated instrument sounds, in sonic combination with a
musical piece being played from memory of the portable media
player.
[0010] In some embodiments, the greater the magnitude of the
detected bobbing and/or jumping actions imparted by the user, the
greater a score increment value awarded to the user. In some
embodiments, the larger the number of the detected bobbing and/or
jumping actions imparted by the user, the greater the score awarded
to the user.
[0011] According to some embodiments, the longer duration of the
detected bobbing and/or jumping actions imparted by the user, the
greater the score awarded to the user. In some embodiments, the
greater the air-time detected during a detected jumping action
imparted by the user, the greater a score increment value awarded
to the user.
[0012] In some embodiments, the greater synchronicity between the
detected rhythm present in a sequence of detected bobs and/or jump
actions and the rhythm present within a currently playing musical
file, the greater a score increment value awarded to the user.
According to some embodiments, the longer the duration of
maintained substantial synchronicity between the detected rhythm
present in a sequence of detected bobs and/or jump actions and the
rhythm present within a currently playing musical file, the greater
a score increment value awarded to the user.
[0013] In some embodiments the "synchronicity" means that the bobs
and/or jumps fall substantially at the same moment in time as
primary beats present within the currently playing musical file.
According to some such embodiments, the shorter the time difference
between a detected bob and/or jump and a determined primary beat in
the musical media file, the greater the score increment value
awarded to the user.
[0014] In some embodiments the "synchronicity" means that
sequential bobs and/or jumps fall substantially at the same time
interval between them as the time interval between primary beats
present within the currently playing musical file. In some such
embodiments, the shorter the time difference between a detected bob
and/or jump time interval and a time interval between primary beats
in the musical media file, the greater the score increment value
awarded to the user.
[0015] According to some embodiments the "synchronicity" is a
combination of both the aforementioned moment in time assessment
and time interval assessment above. For example, the shorter the
time difference between a detected bob and/or jump time interval
and a time interval between primary beats in the musical media
file, the greater the score increment value awarded to the user.
Furthermore, the greater the correspondence in time between the bob
and jump events and the primary beat events, the even greater the
score increment value awarded to the user.
[0016] In some embodiments the primary beat present within a
currently playing media file is determined based upon a data
segment relationally associated with the media file. For example, a
data segment indicating the number of Beats Per Minute (or BPM) of
the media file may be used to determine the rate of the primary
beat. In addition, a time stamp, time flag, or other synchronizing
data point may be used to indicate when in time the beat sequence
began. In some such embodiments a primary beat present within a
currently playing media file is determined based upon a time
varying rhythm file that is associated with and/or integrated
within the currently playing music media file.
[0017] According to some such embodiments, a primary beat present
within a currently playing media file is determined by an
assessment of the musical content of the musical file through a
signal processing routine. In one such embodiment the detected
presence of a base drum sound above a certain intensity magnitude
is used to determine a primary beat of the musical media piece. In
other such embodiments a primary beat present within a currently
playing media file is determined by detection of the presence of a
snare drum sound above a certain intensity magnitude.
[0018] In some embodiments, the presence of a particular sequence
of bobs and jumps are used in determining a score increment value
awarded to the user. According to some embodiments, the ratio of
bobs to jumps is used in determining a score increment value
awarded to the user. In some such embodiments the greater the
proportion of jumps the higher the score.
[0019] In some embodiments, a musical sound is played by the media
player in response to a detected bob and/or jump, in audio
combination with the currently playing media file. In some such
embodiments the volume and/or duration of the sound is determined
at least in part upon a magnitude of the bob and/or jump. In some
such embodiments the volume and/or duration of the sound is
determined based at least in part upon an air-time of a detected
jump. In some embodiments a different musical instrument sound is
selected based upon whether the imparted action was determined to
be a bob or a jump.
[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an
accelerometer is affixed within the casing of the portable media
player, the accelerometer providing acceleration data representing
accelerations imparted upon the portable media player itself. In
some embodiments the software of the present invention is
configured to recognize a profile of acceleration data collected
over a period of time indicative of a user bobbing and/or jumping
when the portable media player is affixed to his or her waist or
held within his or her pocket. This acceleration profile can be
recognized as accelerations above a certain threshold and/or
changing direction within certain timing characteristics. A
positive and negative threshold may be set such that the
acceleration value must exceed both the positive and negative
thresholds within a certain time period for the deliberate user
bobbing and/or jumping to be determined. The acceleration data
exceeding the positive and negative threshold within a certain
amount of time may be used to determine that the user has imparted
a single up-down bob or jump upon the portable media player.
[0021] As described herein a profile of acceleration collected over
a period of time that is indicative of the user imparting a single
bob upon the portable media players is referred to as a
"characteristic bob acceleration profile." As described herein a
profile of acceleration collected over a period of time that is
indicative of the user imparting a single jump upon the portable
media players is referred to as a "characteristic jump acceleration
profile." In general, a characteristic bob acceleration profile can
be easily distinguished from a characteristic jump acceleration
profile of the present invention by virtue of (a) a jump
acceleration profile is generally of higher magnitude, and/or (b) a
jump acceleration profile will have vertical acceleration values
reading approximately 0 g's when the jumper is in the air. Thus
while the acceleration profile of a bob may include quick
transitions through 0 g's of vertical acceleration, only
acceleration profiles of a jump will show extended periods of
approximately 0 g's of vertical acceleration, such extended periods
corresponding to the time during which the user is airborne and
thus not contacting the ground. Thus, by detecting an extended
air-time such as, for example, of more than 150 milliseconds, a
jump may be distinguished from a bob by the routines of the present
invention. Furthermore, the longer the air-time detected in a jump,
the higher it may be inferred that the user jumped. Thus, by
detecting the air-time based upon the vertical acceleration
readings, embodiments of the present invention may distinguish
between bobs and jumps and may quantify the relative and/or
approximate height of the jump.
[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention,
methods are provided for storing historical scores of user
performance upon the memory of the portable media player. In some
such embodiments, scores may be stored in relational association to
the particular song or songs listened to by the user while
performing the bobbing and jumping exercise activity. In this way a
user may store his or her performance scores for bobbing and
jumping exercise activity with respect to particular songs. In some
embodiments a user may store his or her performance scores for
bobbing and jumping exercise activity with respect to particular
playlists of songs. Thus, embodiments of the present invention
provide unique methods of storing user performance assessments of
exercise activity in relational association with the particular
song or series of songs listened to during the exercise activity.
In this way a user can listen to the same songs over numerous
sessions and compare performance changes over time.
[0023] Thus, embodiments of the present invention are configured to
enable a portable media player to detect, distinguish, and quantify
bobs and jumps performed by a user when performing an aerobic
exercise activity while listening to music from the media player.
In this way, the methods, apparatus, and computer program products
of embodiments of the present invention enable a user to be awarded
a score based upon the number, magnitude, and/or sequence of bobs
and jumps performed while listening to a musical piece. In
addition, embodiments of the present invention enable a user to be
awarded a score based upon the synchronicity of the timing of the
bobs and jumps with primary rhythm elements of the musical piece
being played.
[0024] The above summary of the present invention is not intended
to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the present
invention. The detailed description and figures will describe many
of the embodiments and aspects of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the
present embodiments will be more apparent from the following more
particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the
following drawings wherein:
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a generalized block diagram of a portable
media player according to at least one embodiment of the
invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a portable media player equipped with an
accelerometer internal to the casing according to at least one
embodiment of the invention;
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of how a media
player may be worn or otherwise affixed to the body of a user such
that it can detect the bobbing and jumping motions described herein
according to at least one embodiment of the invention;
[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates time varying acceleration data, from an
accelerometer sensor, representing accelerations imparted by the
user during bobbing and/or jumping actions according to at least
one embodiment of the invention; and
[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow chart for an example bob
and jump responsive media player exercise rhythm game routine
according to at least one embodiment of the invention.
[0031] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled
artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are
illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily
been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the
elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other
elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of
the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements
that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment
are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed
view of these various embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to
methods, apparatus, and computer program products that enable
aerobic exercise rhythm games to be played upon portable media
player devices. The embodiments comprise an accelerometer and/or
other similar motion sensor device integrated into and/or
physically connected to a portable media player device such that it
detects motions imparted by the user upon the portable media
player. As the user bobs and/or jumps his body up and down, thereby
moving the media player device, the sensor and supporting hardware
and/or software of embodiments of the present invention determine
the rhythm at which the user performs the bobs and jumps as well as
the magnitude of each bob and/or jump. The embodiments of the
present invention are further operative to award points to the user
for the magnitude of the bobs and/or jumps, the number of bobs
and/or jumps, and/or the synchronicity of the rhythm of the bobs
and/or jumps with an audible rhythm present within a current
playing media file. In addition, the embodiments are also operative
to monitor the sequence of bobs and jumps and award points
accordingly. In this way a user may listen to a musical media file,
bobbing and jumping to the rhythm of the music and be awarded
points for the magnitude, number, sequence, and/or synchronicity of
the physically motions performed by the user concurrently with a
playing musical file played by the media player. In some
embodiments extra points are awarded for syncopation, accents,
and/or other complex motions imparted in rhythm with the playing
music. In this way, the embodiments of the present invention add an
entertaining physical activity to the ordinarily passive experience
of listening to music with a portable media player. In addition,
some embodiments of the present invention are configured to
generate musical sounds in response to user bobs and/or jumps, the
musical instrument sounds being played through a portable media
player in audio combination with the playing music file.
[0033] Embodiments of the present invention turn a portable media
player into a bob and jump detecting user interface through which a
user can not only listen to music, but also bob and jump along with
the music and have the media player quantify his or her physical
actions and award a score based upon his or her physical actions.
More specifically, embodiments of the present invention enable a
user to physically jar the casing of the portable media player by
bobbing and jumping his or her body as he or she listens to musical
sounds, the timing and magnitude of the jarring imparted by the
user affecting the assessment and scoring provided to the user.
Some embodiments of the present invention also enable a user to
generate musical sounds of rhythmic accompaniment such as drum
sounds, tambourine sounds, and/or bell sounds, by manually bobbing
and/or jumping along with the music. Thus, embodiments of the
present invention address the needs of the prior art by providing a
unique user interface method and apparatus that encourages an
aerobic exercise experience by quantifying performance and
assigning a score to a user as he or she bobs and/or jumps along
with the music played by the media player.
[0034] As defined herein, a "bob" is a bodily motion in which a
standing user flexes and extends his or her knees in rapid
succession, thereby raising and lowering his or her center of mass
without losing physical foot contact with the ground. As defined
herein a "jump" is a bodily motion in which a standing user extends
his legs with enough force and speed to lift his body off the
ground for a momentary period of time. Thus, a bob and a jump are
both physical motions in which a standing user raises and lowers
his or her center of mass, the bob being a motion in which the user
maintains foot-contact with the ground, the jump being a motion in
which the user loses foot-contact with the ground. "Foot-contact"
is understood that the actual contact may be through intervening
members such as a shoe and sock. As defined herein, an aerobic
exercise activity may be one in which a user performs an extended
series of bobs and jumps, alone or in combination with arm motions
and/or other body motions such as arm lifts and torso twists,
thereby getting muscular and cardiovascular exercise.
[0035] Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods,
apparatus, and computer program products that enable aerobic
exercise rhythm games to be played upon portable media player
devices that also play music to users. Embodiments of the present
invention also comprise an accelerometer and/or other similar
motion sensor device integrated into and/or physically connected to
a portable media player device such that it detects motions
imparted by the user upon the portable media player as the user
bobs and jumps. As the user bobs and/or jumps, thereby moving the
media player device up and down, the sensor and supporting hardware
and/or software of the present invention determines the rhythm at
which the user performs the bobs and jumps as well as the magnitude
of each bob and/or jump. The embodiments are further operative to
award points to the user for the magnitude of the bobs and/or jumps
performed, the number of bobs and/or jumps performed, and/or the
synchronicity of the rhythm of the bobs and/or jumps performed with
an audible rhythm present within a current playing media file. In
addition, embodiments of the present invention are operative to
monitor the sequence of bobs and jumps performed by the user and
award points accordingly. In this way a user may listen to a
musical media file, bobbing and jumping to the rhythm of the music
and be awarded assessment points for the magnitude, number,
sequence, and/or synchronicity of the physically motions performed
by the user concurrently with a playing musical file played by the
media player. In some embodiments extra points are awarded for
syncopation, accents, and/or other complex motions imparted in
rhythm with the playing music. In this way, embodiments of the
present invention add an entertaining aerobic physical activity to
the ordinarily passive experience of listening to music with a
portable media player. In addition, some embodiments of the present
invention may be configured to generate musical sounds, such as
percussion instrument sounds, in response to user bobs and/or
jumps, the musical sounds being played through a portable media
player in audio combination with the playing music file.
[0036] A wide variety of musical instrument sounds may be produced
electronically by the media player (either algorithmically, based
upon digital sound samples stored in memory, or a combination of
the two), in response to user bobbing and/or jumping. For example,
drums, bells, and tambourines are may be played in response to user
bobbing and/or jumping, the timing and magnitude of the bobbing
and/or jumping actions affecting the musical output. For example,
bobbing and/or jumping actions imparted by the user may detected
and used by software routines to trigger and control drum strike
sounds, cymbal strike sounds, and other percussion sounds, the
timing and magnitude of the simulated sounds being dependent upon
the timing and magnitude of the imparted jumping and/or bobbing
action on the portable media player. Thus, by using embodiments of
the present invention, a user can play a simulated tambourine,
bell, snare drum, or other instrument along with a musical piece
that he or she is listening to upon his or her media player, the
simulated instruments sounds being generated with a timing, volume,
and sound quality that is dependent upon the timing and magnitude
of the bobbing and/or jumping action imparted by the user upon the
casing of the portable media player. In some such embodiments a
different musical sound is mapped to a bob action of the user as
compared to the musical sound mapped to a jump action of the
user.
[0037] The media player system of embodiments of the preset
invention includes an accelerometer or other similar motion sensing
device for collecting data representative of user bobbing and/or
jumping actions. The media player also includes software for
processing the sensor data, determining if a characteristic bobbing
and/or jumping action was imparted by the user, assessing the
rhythm characteristics of the bobbing and/or jumping, comparing the
rhythm characteristics of the bobbing and/or jumping with one or
more rhythm characteristics associated with a currently playing
media file, and in response to the assessments and/or comparisons,
awards scoring values to the user. In general, such functions are
controlled by control software running upon a processor of the
portable media player. Where necessary, computer programs,
algorithms and routines are envisioned to be programmed in a high
level language object oriented language, for example Java.TM. C++,
C#, or Visual Basic.TM..
[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates a generalized block diagram of a portable
media player 100 according to at least one embodiment of the
invention. The portable media player 100 includes a communications
infrastructure 90 used to transfer data, memory addresses where
data items are to be found and control signals among the various
components and subsystems associated with the portable media player
100. A central processor 5 is provided to interpret and execute
logical instructions stored in the main memory 10. The main memory
10 is the primary general purpose storage area for instructions and
data to be processed by the central processor 5. The main memory 10
is used in its broadest sense and includes RAM, EEPROM and ROM. A
timing circuit 15 is provided to coordinate activities within the
portable media player in near real time and to make time-based
assessments of sensor data collected by sensors on board (or
interfaced to) the portable media player. The central processor 5,
main memory 10 and timing circuit 15 are directly coupled to the
communications infrastructure 90.
[0039] A display interface 20 is provided to drive a display 25
associated with the portable media player 100. The display
interface 20 is electrically coupled to the communications
infrastructure 90 and provides signals to the display 25 for
visually outputting both graphics and alphanumeric characters. The
display interface 20 may for example, display personal photographs
access from memory of the portable media player. The display
interface 20 may also, for example, display textual play lists of
songs or other media items upon the portable media player. The
display interface 20 may further, for example, display user
interface controls and/or menus for interacting with the software
of the portable media player. The display interface 20 may also,
for example, provide a menu of available simulated instruments from
which a user may select through graphical user interface
options.
[0040] The display interface 20 may include a dedicated graphics
processor and memory to support the displaying of graphics
intensive media. The display 25 may be of any type (e.g., cathode
ray tube, gas plasma) but in most circumstances will usually be a
solid state device such as liquid crystal display.
[0041] A secondary memory subsystem 30 is provided which houses
retrievable storage units such as a hard disk drive 35, a removable
storage drive 40, an optional logical media storage drive 45 and an
optional removal storage unit 50. One skilled in the art will
appreciate that the hard drive 35 may be replaced with flash
memory. The secondary memory may be used to store a plurality of
media files, including but not limited to a plurality of digital
songs. The removable storage drive 40 may be a replaceable hard
drive, optical media storage drive or a solid state flash RAM
device. The logical media storage drive 45 may include a flash RAM
device, an EEPROM encoded with playable media, or optical storage
media (e.g., CD or DVD). The removable storage unit 50 may be
logical, optical or of an electromechanical (hard disk) design.
[0042] A communications interface 55 subsystem is provided which
allows for standardized electrical connection of peripheral devices
to the communications infrastructure 90 including, serial,
parallel, Universal Serial Bus ("USB"), and Firewire.TM.
connectivity. For example, a user interface 60 and a transceiver 65
are electrically coupled to the communications infrastructure 90
via the communications interface 55. The term "user interface" 60,
as used herein, includes the hardware and operating software by
which a user interacts with the portable media player 100 and the
means by which the portable media player conveys information to the
user and may include the display 25.
[0043] The transceiver 65 facilitates the remote exchange of data
and synchronizing signals between the portable media player 100 and
other devices in processing communications 85 with the portable
media player 100. The other devices may include a remote sensor
such as an accelerometer that is affixed to a particular body part
of the user such as a limb, foot, hand, or head. The other devices
may also include a portable media player of another user. Such
communication with other devices may be used to enable multi-user
rhythm gaming applications in which a plurality of users perform
the bobbing and jumping together, data being exchanged between
their media player devices to coordinate individual and/or joint
scores.
[0044] The transceiver 65 may be of a radio frequency type normally
associated with computer networks for example, wireless computer
networks based on BlueTooth.TM. or the various IEEE standards
802.11x, where x denotes the various present and evolving wireless
computing standards, for example WiMax 802.16 and WRANG 802.22.
Alternately, digital cellular communications formats compatible
with for example GSM, 3G and evolving cellular communications
standards. Both peer-to-peer ("PPP") and client-server models may
also be utilized for implementation of the invention. In a third
alternative embodiment, the transceiver 65 may include hybrids of
computer communications standards, cellular standards and evolving
satellite radio standards.
[0045] The user interface 60 employed on the portable media play
100 may include a pointing device (not shown) such as a mouse,
thumbwheel or track ball, an optional touch screen (not shown); one
or more push-button switches 60A, 60B; one or more sliding or
circular rheostat controls (not shown) and one or more switches
(not shown.) The user interface 60 provides interrupt signals to
the processor 5 that may be used to interpret user interactions
with the portable media player 100 and may be used in conjunction
with the display 25. The user interface may also include one or
more tactile feedback units (not shown) for providing tactile
sensations to the user.
[0046] The user interface may also includes a specialized bob and
jump interface unique to the present invention, the bob and jump
interface being operative to detect if and when a user imparts a
bob or jump motion upon the casing of the portable media player by
physically moving his or her body in a characteristic up and down
motion. The bob and jump interface generally includes one or more
sensors 75 for detecting a up and down action imparted by the user
upon the casing of the portable computing device. The sensors are
supported by a sensor interface 70 which allows one or more sensors
75 to be operatively coupled to the communications infrastructure
90. The sensor interface 70 may monitor interactions with the user
interface 60. For example, the sensor interface 70 may be used to
monitor a user's interaction with the one or more push-button
switches 60A, 60B. An interrupt circuit may be incorporated into
the hardware supporting the communications infrastructure 90.
[0047] The sensors 75 for use in the bob and jump interface are
generally installed within the case (not shown) housing the
portable media player 100. The sensors generally include one or
more devices for detecting a characteristic force and/or motion
and/or acceleration imparted upon the casing of the portable media
player 100 as a result of the user bobbing and/or jumping when the
media player is affixed to the user. The most common sensor to be
used in the bob and jump interface is an accelerometer. The
accelerometer is operative to detect accelerations imparted by the
user upon the casing of the portable media player. The
accelerometer may be oriented to detect accelerations in one or
more degrees of freedom. A multi-axis accelerometer may be used. In
some embodiments, a single axis accelerometer is employed, with the
axis of detection of the accelerometer being oriented along the
lengthwise axis of the portable media player.
[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates a portable media player 200 equipped with
an accelerometer 201 internal to the casing according to at least
one embodiment of the invention. The accelerometer 201 is indicated
by the dotted rectangle. The sensing axis of the accelerometer 201
is orientated to detect accelerations imparted by the user along
the lengthwise axis of the media player. This sensing axis is
indicated by arrow 202 in the FIG. Thus, when a user affixes the
media player to his belt, torso, shirt, or other portion of his
body such that it oriented upright when the user is in a normal
standing position, the accelerometer 201 will be substantially
oriented to detect up-down bobbing and/or jumping motions of the
user. Thus, a user who bobs and/or jumps will impart accelerations
on the media player in an up-down direction, the accelerations
imparted in a direction roughly along the axis indicated by arrow
202. Such up down motions will impart accelerations upon the media
player that are detected by sensor 201. The data from the sensor
may be processed by software running upon the media player to
determine if it meets certain characteristic profile requires. It
should be noted that in some embodiments other sensing directions
may be employed (for example, a multi-axis acceleration direction).
In this way the sensor data may be processed to determine if
characteristic bobbing or jumping motions have been performed by
the user, as well as the magnitude and/or timing of the bobbing
and/or jumping motions.
[0049] Referring back to FIG. 1, an audio subsystem 85 is provided
and electrically coupled to the communications infrastructure 90.
The audio subsystem 85 provides for the playback and recording of
digital media, for example, multi or multimedia encoded in any of
the exemplary formats MP3, AVI, WAV, MPG, QT, WMA, AIFF, AU, RAM,
RA, MOV, MIDI, etc. The audio subsystem includes a microphone input
port 95A for input of voice commands and a headphone, headset, ear
buds or speaker output 95B. Connection of the microphone 95A and/or
headphones 95B includes both traditional cable and wireless
arrangements such as BlueTooth.TM. are known in the relevant art.
As referred to herein, "media" refers to video, audio, streaming
and any combination thereof.
[0050] In addition, the audio subsystem may optionally include
features such as graphic equalization, volume, balance, fading,
base and treble controls, surround sound emulation, and noise
reduction. One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the
above cited list of file formats is not intended to be all
inclusive.
[0051] The portable media player 100 includes an operating system,
the necessary hardware and software drivers necessary to fully
utilize the devices coupled to the communications infrastructure
90, media playback and recording applications and at least one
control program 240 operatively loaded into the main memory 10. The
control program may perform multiple functions, for example perform
the automatic selection of media items from a plurality of media
items stored in memory. The control program may also, for example,
perform the automatic population of play lists and/or the automatic
re-ordering of play lists. The control program also processes play
lists, playing songs and/or displaying images in accordance with
the sequential requirements of one or more play lists stored in
memory. In some embodiments the play lists are downloaded from
external sources. The control program manages such downloading
processes. The control program also manages the downloading of new
media items into the memory of the portable media player.
[0052] The control program is also operative to perform unique
functions specific to this invention along with above selection and
playing of music media. For example, the control program is
operative to monitor the bob and jump interface by reading the
associated sensor 75 and storing data from the sensor in memory
over time. An example of such sensor data is shown graphically in
FIG. 4 herein, the example sensor data depicting a sequence of
characteristic bob and jump acceleration profiles imparted by a
user upon a sensored portable media player or a sensored peripheral
thereof. The control program may also read data from timing circuit
15. The control program processes the time varying profile of
sensor data from sensor 75 (which is often an accelerometer) and
determines based upon the time varying characteristics of the
sensor data whether or not the user has imparted a characteristic
bobbing or jumping action upon the portable media player. If so,
the control program according to embodiments of the present
invention is operative to determine if the bobbing and/or jumping
motion was performed with substantial synchronicity with a
currently playing media file. The synchronicity may be determined
based upon the time proximity between an imparted bob and/or jump
motion and a primary beat present within the audio output stream.
The synchronicity may also or alternately be determined based upon
the time interval between subsequent bob's and/or jumps as compared
to the time interval between sequential primary beats within the
audio output stream. The control program may also assess the peak
magnitude and/or time duration of each bob and/or jump action
imparted by the user. The control program may also determine the
air-time of jump actions imparted by the user. Based upon the
synchronicity determinations and/or magnitude determinations and/or
duration determinations and/or air time determinations, embodiments
of the present invention are operative to compute and/or increment
an assessment score for the user. The score may also be determined
based upon the detected sequence of bobs and/or jumps, the detected
duration of bob's and/or jumps, and/or the detected duration of
successful synchronicity of the bobs and/or jumps with the music.
In this way, the embodiments of the present invention enable the
user to listen to a musical media file and engage in an aerobic
bobbing and jumping activity, being assigned a score based upon the
performance of the bobbing and jumping activity along with the
music.
[0053] The control program of embodiments of the present invention
may also be operative to generate and play the sound of a simulated
instrument to the user, the sound being produced in response to and
in temporal coordination with bob or jump motions imparted by the
user. In this way, the user is given the sense that he or she is
controlling a real physical musical instrument that produces sounds
in response to and in temporal coordination with physical bobbing
and/or jumping. In many embodiments the timing and/or volume of
each generated sound produced by the control program is produced at
least partially based upon the timing and magnitude of detected bob
or jump motions by the sensor on the portable media player. In some
such embodiments, the longer the air time of a jump, the louder
and/or longer duration the musical sound. In some such embodiments,
different musical instrument sounds are generated in response to a
bob as compared to in response to a jump. In many preferred
embodiments the onset of the generated musical sound is produced
with a timing such that it corresponds with the approximate moment
that a user lands from a jump or the approximate moment a user's
bob reaches the lowest point in a bobbing down-up motion.
[0054] In some embodiments a plurality of users may engage in a
collaborative exercise rhythm gaming experience, each of their
portable media players being assigned a different instrument sound
such that the plurality of users are provided with a combined music
experience produced by the musical sounds generated in response to
the motions imparted upon the plurality of media players. In this
way a group of users may produce a complex musical experience based
upon their combined bobbing and jumping actions, the complex
musical experience being provided to each of the users by their own
portable media player.
[0055] References to the at least one control program 240 may be
made in both singular and plural form. No limitation is intended by
such grammatical usage as one skilled in the art will appreciate
that multiple programs, objects, subprograms routines, algorithms,
applets, contexts, etc. may be implemented programmatically to
implement the various embodiments of the invention.
[0056] The control program may also perform predictive functions,
automatically selecting media items for the user that are
statistically likely for the user to be in the mood for at a given
time. Detailed discussions of the at least one control program 240
that performs predictive functions are provided in U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/651,771 filed on Feb. 9, 2005, and U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/267,079, filed on Nov. 3, 2005 to
the instant inventor. The disclosures of both patent applications
are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. The
portable media player 100 may optionally include at least one
remote authentication application, one or more cryptography
applications capable of performing symmetric and asymmetric
cryptographic functions, and secure messaging software (not
shown.)
[0057] The control program may also perform music audio content
analysis by which a primary beat and/or rhythm of a playing musical
media file is determined from the audio content. A discussions of
the at least one control program 240 that performs such an analysis
is provided in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/665,291,
filed on Mar. 26, 2005 to the instant inventor, the disclosure of
which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The
information is also incorporated by reference into parent U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/267,079, filed Nov. 3, 2005, the
disclosure of which is also hereby incorporated by reference. As
described in the aforementioned patent applications, tempo can be
derived by analyzing the music data profile and identifying a
characteristic rhythm rate, thereby indicating a most salient
primary tempo for the music piece or a particular portion of a
musical piece. Such techniques, generally referred to as "audio
tempo extraction" are known the art. For example, the 2004 paper
entitled "Deviations from the resonance theory of tempo induction",
published at the Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology, by
McKinney and Moelants, describes such a method and is hereby
incorporated by reference. Another example, the 2004 paper entitled
"Extracting The Perceptual Tempo From Music" by McKinney and
Moelands published at ISMIR 2004 5th International Conference on
Music Information Retrieval, also describes such methods of
automatic audio tempo extraction and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0058] It should be noted that in some embodiments of the present
invention, the user may select the simulated instrument that he or
she will play in accompaniment with a particular playing media
file. In other embodiments, the control program automatically
selects an appropriate simulated accompaniment instrument based
upon a stored relational association with the media file or with
the currently selected rhythm game. For example, a media file or
rhythm game may be relationally associated with a tambourine. In
such a case the control program may automatically select a
tambourine as the simulated instrument for use in the aerobic
bobbing and jumping exercise gaming session.
[0059] It should also be noted that the software of the present
invention is operative to mix in software and/or hardware the audio
signal produced in response to playing a media file (i.e., a song)
from memory and the audio signal produced by the simulated
instrument sound generation routines such that a user may listen to
a combined audio signal that includes both the media file (i.e.,
the song) and the user's jump and bob induced accompaniment sounds.
In some such embodiments the user may set configuration parameters
upon the user interface of the media player that sets the relative
volume of the media file signal and the jump and bob based
accompaniment signal. In some embodiments the user may also adjust
the left-right balance of the jump and bob based accompaniment
instrument audio signal, placing the sound within the perceived
left-right audio space.
[0060] FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of how a media
player may be worn or otherwise affixed to the body of a user such
that it can detect the bobbing and jumping motions described herein
according to at least one embodiment of the invention. As shown, a
media player 200 is worn upon the belt 301 of a user 300. In this
particular example the media player is similar to that shown in
FIG. 2 with an accelerometer sensor 201 integrated within it and
oriented such that it can detect accelerations induced along the
up-down axis of the media player when held in an upright position.
Thus, the media player 200 is affixed to belt 200 in an upright
position as shown in FIG. 3. That said, alternate sensor
orientations and alternate body affixing orientations may be used
so long as they correspond in a way such that the accelerometer or
other motion sensor is orientated such that it can detect up-down
motions of the user with respect to the real physical world. Thus,
as shown, media player 200 is equipped with an internal
accelerometer oriented such that when affixed to the user's belt as
shown, the sensor detects accelerations in the upward (398) and
downward (399) directions.
[0061] It should be noted than in some embodiments the sensor is
external to the media player and communicates with the media player
by a wireless link such as Bluetooth. For example, the sensor may
be oriented similarly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but may be a
separate unit that is integrated directly into belt 301, or an
alternate piece of clothing worn by the user. In these ways when
user 300 bobs up and down and/or jumps up and down, an
accelerometer signal is detected and stored with a time varying
profile similar to that which is shown by example in FIG. 4.
[0062] FIG. 4 illustrates time varying acceleration data, from an
accelerometer sensor, representing accelerations imparted by the
user during bobbing and/or jumping actions according to at least
one embodiment of the invention. In such embodiments the software
of the present invention is configured to recognize a profile of
acceleration data collected over a period of time indicative of a
user bobbing and/or jumping while listening to music from the media
player. As described herein, bobbing and jumping induces
characteristic acceleration profiles which distinguish them from
other actions taken by the user as well as distinguish them from
each other.
[0063] In general, when a user is just standing still the
acceleration captured by the accelerometer reads 1 g as shown in
FIG. 4 at arrow 405. This 1 g reading is the acceleration induced
by the earth's gravitational field and is reported typically 1 g,
as 9.8 meters per second squared, or as 32.2 feet per second
squared. As shown, the data may include some low level fluctuations
when the user is standing substantially still as a result of signal
noise and/or subtle body motions, but is generally substantially
near to 1 g when a user is standing or otherwise not moving with
substantially accelerations in the up-down direction. This is
because when standing on the ground the user's body is imparting a
1 g acceleration upon the media player to prevent it from falling
to the earth under the influence of gravity.
[0064] When the user performs a down-up bobbing motion, he or she
induces a characteristic acceleration profile such that when the
user flexes his or her knees and moves downward, the acceleration
level drops below the nominal 1 g reading. The acceleration
generally approaches 0 g's and then reverses direction as the user
extends his or her knees and begins moving back upward in the
bobbing motion. Because the user is now accelerating upward away
from the earth, he or she must quickly overcome the 1 g
acceleration induced by the earths gravity to bob upward. Thus the
acceleration profile of the upward portion of the bob includes a
rapid sharp spike in acceleration. This acceleration spike
generally exceeds 1 g, usually exceeds 2 g's, and may even exceed 3
or 4 g's depending upon the vigor of the upward bob. As the user
completes the upward bobbing motion and relaxes his knees (or
begins a next bobbing cycle), the acceleration profile of a
characteristic bob drops from the upper spike level towards 1 g. If
the user begins a next bob it will generally drop back down towards
0 gs as the cycle repeats. An example of such a characteristic
bobbing motion is shown in FIG. 4 during the time period identified
by bracket 415. As shown during time period 415, a characteristic
down-up bob motion includes the acceleration dropping towards 0
g's, momentarily reaching approximately 0 g's, spiking up towards 3
g's, and then dropping back down towards 0 g's as the cycle repeats
for a next bobbing motion. In this way the acceleration profile
shown during time period 410 of FIG. 4 represents a series of
repeated bobbing motions of a user. During time period 410, seven
bobbing motions are recorded, each with a similar characteristic
acceleration profile similar to that shown by bracket 415.
[0065] Thus the routines of the present invention may be configured
to detect and determine the user's performance of a bobbing motion
by assessing the acceleration profile and determining if a
characteristic signal is present. In some embodiments a pattern
matching technique may be used to determine of the acceleration
signal is similar to the known pattern of bobbing motion. In other
embodiments simple timing and level thresholds may be used. For
example, if the acceleration signal approaches 0 and then rises to
above 1.5 g's within a certain time period, without exceeding 4.5
g's, it may be determined that a bob motion was performed by the
user. In addition, because a bob motion requires that the user does
not leave contact with the ground, the momentary reaching of 0 g's
(as compared to an extended period of 0 g's) may be used to
distinguish a bob motion from a jump motion. Thus the routines of
the present invention may process the time varying signal during
time period 410 and determine based upon the profile, magnitudes,
and/or timing of the signal, that the user performed a series of 7
bobs. In addition, the timing between each cycle may be used to
determine a characteristic rate of the bob actions. In addition,
the time at which the spikes occur of each bob motion may be used
to determine the specific moment in time at which each bob was
performed. In some embodiments the moment in time is documented as
the time when the signal most closely reached 0 g's. Either way, so
long as a consistent portion of the characteristic cycle is used, a
time stamp may be associated with each bobbing motion indicating
when in time the bob motion was cause enacted by the user. In
addition a time duration for the bob may be derived indicating how
long it took to complete. The time duration is generally the length
of time required to complete one cycle of the characteristic bob
acceleration profile. In addition a magnitude of each bob motion
may be derived. The magnitude is generally documented based upon
the max height of the acceleration spike recorded or as the average
acceleration recorded during the spike portion of the profile.
[0066] When the user performs a jumping motion, he or she induces a
characteristic acceleration profile such that when the user flexes
his or her knees in preparation for the jump, the acceleration
level drops below the nominal 1 g reading. The acceleration
generally approaches 0 g's and then reverses direction as the user
extends his or her knees and begins thrusting upward in the jumping
action. Because the user is now accelerating upward away from the
earth, he or she must quickly overcome the 1 g acceleration induced
by the earths gravity to bob upward. Thus the acceleration profile
of the upward portion of the jump includes a rapid sharp spike in
acceleration. This acceleration spike always exceeds 1 g, generally
exceeds 5 g's, and may exceed 6 or 7 g's depending upon the vigor
of the upward jump. Such a rapid spike is shown in FIG. 4 by the
spike at the left edge of bracket 420. Once the user jumps hard
enough to become airborne, the acceleration quickly drops to 0 for
the user is now in freefall. The period of freefall, referred to
herein as airtime, is a portion of time when the user is in the air
and the vertical acceleration readings are substantially at or near
0 g's. Such an airtime period is depicted in FIG. 4 by arrow 425.
When the user lands back on the ground, a sudden and intense
acceleration is imparted by his or her feet upon the ground to slow
his or her decent. This causes another sharp upward spike in the
acceleration profile as shown by the spike at the right edge of
bracket 420. As the user completes the jump motion and relaxes his
knees (or begins a next bobbing cycle), the acceleration profile of
a characteristic bob drops from the upper spike level towards 1 g.
If the user begins a next bob or jump it will generally drop back
down towards 0 gs as the cycle repeats.
[0067] An example of such a characteristic jumping motion is shown
in FIG. 4 during the time period identified approximately by
bracket 420. As shown during time period 420, a characteristic jump
motion includes a first acceleration spike (i.e., the launch of the
jump) followed by a second acceleration spike (i.e., the landing of
the jump), with an intervening period between which is generally
representative of the airtime of the jump. Because the harder the
jump the longer the user will stay in the air, the duration of the
airtime of the jump (i.e., the length of time between the launch
spike and the landing spike) is a good indicator of the vigor of
the jump. It is also a good indicator of the relative height of the
jump. Because the acceleration generally lingers at or around 0 g's
during much of the airtime period of the jump, the presence of an
extended period of 0 g's is one way to help distinguish a jump from
two successive bobs. Another way is that a jump generally includes
higher accelerations than a bob. In general a jump may be
determined by detecting spikes that exceed a particular magnitude.
For example, for the embodiment used to collect the data of FIG. 4,
a user bob never exceeds 4.5 g's while a user jump always exceeds
4.5 g's. Thus a threshold line of 4.5 g's, as shown by arrow 404,
may be used to determine a bob from a jump. If the acceleration
profile spike exceeds 4.5 g's, it may be determined by the routines
of the present invention that it is a jump.
[0068] Thus the routines of the present invention may be configured
to detect and determine the user's performance of a vertical
jumping motion by assessing the acceleration profile and
determining if a characteristic signal profile is present. In some
embodiments a pattern matching technique may be used to determine
of the acceleration signal is similar to the known pattern of
jumping motions. In other embodiments simple timing and level
thresholds may be used. For example, if the acceleration signal
approaches 0 and then rises to above 4.5 g's within a certain time
period, it may be determined that a jump motion was performed by
the user. In addition, because a jump motion requires that the user
does leave contact with the ground, the detection of an extended
period of 0 g's may be used to distinguish a jump motion from a bob
motion. Thus, the routines of the present invention may process the
time varying signal during time period 420 and determine based upon
the profile, magnitudes, and/or timing of the signal, that the user
performed a jump. In addition, the timing between the launch spike
and the landing spike may be used to determine a height and/or
vigor estimate for the jump. In addition, if a series of
characteristic jump and/or bobs are performed, the timing between
the jump and/or bobs may be used to assess a characteristic rate of
the jumping and/or bobbing actions. In addition, the time at which
the launch spikes occur of each jump motion may be used to
determine the specific moment in time at which each jump was
performed. In some embodiments the time at which the landing spikes
occur of each jump motion may be used to determine the specific
moment in time at which each jump was performed. Either way, so
long as a consistent portion of the characteristic cycle is used, a
time stamp may be associated with each jumping motion indicating
when in time the jump motion was cause enacted by the user. In
addition a time duration for the jump may be derived indicating how
long it took to complete. The time duration is generally the length
of time required to complete one cycle of the characteristic jump
acceleration profile. In addition a magnitude of each jump motion
may be derived. The magnitude may be computed as a function of the
max height of one or both acceleration spikes and/or the time
duration between them.
[0069] As described herein a profile of acceleration collected over
a period of time that is indicative of the user imparting a single
bob upon the portable media players is referred to herein as a
characteristic bob acceleration profile. As described herein a
profile of acceleration collected over a period of time that is
indicative of the user imparting a single jump upon the portable
media players is referred to herein as a characteristic jump
acceleration profile. Thus, embodiments of the present invention
may be configured to determine the timing, magnitude, and rate of a
series of consecutive characteristic bob acceleration profiles
and/or characteristic jump acceleration profiles. In addition, for
jump an airtime assessment may also be performed.
[0070] Thus the methods and apparatus of such embodiments of the
present invention enable the software of the embodiments, in
combination with the sensor hardware, to determine if and when a
user deliberately imparts a physical bobbing and/or jumping action
while listening to music from the portable media player. Using such
determinations, the embodiments of the present invention may
determine the number, rate, magnitude, and timing of the bobbing
and jumping motions. Using such determinations embodiments of the
present invention determine if the bobbing and/or jumping actions
are performed in substantial synchronicity with musical rhythm
content (i.e., the primary beat) of the currently playing musical
file. Based upon such assessments, embodiments of the present
invention assign and/or increment a score maintained for the user.
In this way a user may bob and jump to the rhythm of the playing
musical media file and may be awarded a score based upon the
number, pattern, vigor, and/or synchronicity of the bobs and
jumps.
[0071] In some embodiments, the greater the magnitude of the
detected bobbing and/or jumping actions imparted by the user, the
greater a score increment value awarded to the user. For example,
in some embodiments the score increment is scaled upward based upon
the detected magnitude of the bobbing and/or jumping events, a
larger bob or jump earning a larger score increment. In this way a
user may earn a higher score by performing more vigorous bobs
and/or jumps along with the music. This provides an incentive to
the user to perform more vigorous exercise while listening to the
music.
[0072] In some embodiments, the larger the number of the detected
bobbing and/or jumping actions imparted by the user, the greater
the score and/or score increment awarded to the user. For example,
in some embodiments the score increment is scaled upward based upon
the detected number of the bobbing and/or jumping events, a larger
number bob or jump events occurring within a certain time period,
the larger score increments awarded for each bob and/or jump. In
this way a user may earn a higher score by performing repeated bobs
and/or jumps along with the music for a longer period of time. This
makes sense because it becomes harder to perform the bob and jumps
after a large number have already been performed. This also
provides an incentive to the user to perform keep performing
exercise while listening to the music.
[0073] In some embodiments, the longer duration of the detected
bobbing and/or jumping actions imparted by the user, the greater
the score awarded to the user. For example, in some embodiments the
score increment is scaled upward based upon the time duration
during which the user has been performing repeated bobbing and/or
jumping events, the larger the time duration, the larger score
increments awarded for each bob and/or jump. In this way a user may
earn a higher score by performing repeated bobs and/or jumps along
with the music for a longer period of time. This makes sense
because it becomes harder to perform the bob and jumps after a
large number have already been performed. This also provides an
incentive to the user to perform keep performing exercise for an
extended period while listening to the music.
[0074] In some embodiments, the greater the air-time detected
during a detected jumping action imparted by the user, the greater
a score increment value awarded to the user. For example, in some
embodiments the score increment is scaled upward based upon the
longer the airtime of a jump event. In this way a user may earn a
higher score by performing higher jumps along with the music. This
provides an incentive to the user to perform vigorous exercise
while listening to the music.
[0075] In some embodiments, the greater synchronicity between the
detected rhythm present in a sequence of detected bobs and/or jump
actions and the rhythm present within a currently playing musical
file, the greater a score increment value awarded to the user. In
some such embodiments the points are awarded for synchronicity on
an event-by-event basis, based upon how well each bob or jump is
coordinated with a rhythmic beat within the music. In some
embodiments, the points are awarded for synchronicity based upon
coordination with the rhythmic beats of the music over a period of
time. For example, the longer the duration of maintained
substantial synchronicity between the detected rhythm present in a
sequence of detected bobs and/or jump actions and the rhythm
present within a currently playing musical file, the greater a
score increment value awarded to the user.
[0076] In some embodiments the "synchronicity" means that the bobs
and/or jumps fall substantially at the same moment in time as
primary beats present within the currently playing musical file. In
some such embodiments, the shorter the time difference between a
detected bob and/or jump and a determined primary beat in the
musical media file, the greater the score increment value awarded
to the user. In some such embodiments a particular portion of a bob
and/or jump is used to represent the bob or jump event. For
example, in a bob the peak downward acceleration caused when
bending the knees is used as the portion of the bob event that must
be synchronized with the musical beat event to be awarded maximal
points. Similarly, for example, in a jump event the peak
acceleration spike caused when landing from the jump is used as the
portion of the jump event that must be synchronized with the
musical event to be awarded maximal points.
[0077] Thus, in some preferred embodiments synchronicity means that
the peak downward knee bend of a bob and/or the landing
acceleration spike of a jump fall substantially at the same moment
in time as primary beats present within the currently playing
musical file. In some such embodiments, the shorter the time
difference between the events and a determined primary beat in the
musical media file, the greater the score increment value awarded
to the user.
[0078] In some embodiments the "synchronicity" means that
sequential bobs and/or jumps fall substantially at the same time
interval between them as the time interval between primary beats
present within the currently playing musical file. In some such
embodiments, the shorter the time difference between a detected bob
and/or jump time interval and a time interval between primary beats
in the musical media file, the greater the score increment value
awarded to the user. The time interval between sequential bobs
and/or jumps may be determined by the present invention by finding
the wavelength of the substantially cyclic waveform in the time
varying acceleration profile and/or by determining the time delay
between repeating cyclic portions of the time varying acceleration
profile.
[0079] In some embodiments the "synchronicity" is a combination of
both the aforementioned moment in time assessment and time interval
assessment above. For example, the shorter the time difference
between a detected bob and/or jump time interval and a time
interval between primary beats in the musical media file, the
greater the score increment value awarded to the user. Furthermore,
the greater the correspondence in time between the bob and jump
events and the primary beat events, the even greater the score
increment value awarded to the user. Thus, if a user is bobbing
and/or jumping to the music, he or she may be awarded points based
upon two factors--first, points will be awarded based upon how well
the rate of bobbing and/or jumping matches the rhythmic rate of the
primary beats within the currently playing music. Second, points
will be awarded based upon how short the time delay is between each
bob and/or jump event and the closest primary beat occurring within
the currently playing music.
[0080] In some embodiments of the present invention, synchronicity
may be based upon either the primary beat present in the music or a
rate that is (a) a small whole number multiple of the primary beat
present in the music; or is (b) a small whole number fraction of
the primary beat present in the music. This is because a song may
have a beat that is too slow or two fast for the user's exercise
regime. For a very slow musical rhythm, the user may choose to
achieve synchronicity by, for example, bobbing twice for each
musical beat. Similarly for a very fast musical rhythm, the user
may choose to achieve synchronicity by, for example, bobbing upon
every other musical beat. In this way synchronicity may be achieved
if the rate of bobbing and/or jumping is determined to be double
the primary rhythmic rate of the musical beat or is determined to
be half the primary rhythmic rate of the musical beat. In some
embodiments a penalty is subtracted from the score or score
increment if the user is bobbing or jumping at a whole number
fraction of the primary beat because it represents a less vigorous
exercise.
[0081] In some embodiments the primary beat present within a
currently playing media file is determined based upon a data
segment relationally associated with the media file. For example, a
data segment indicating the number of Beats Per Minute (or "BPM")
of the media file may be used to determine the rate of the primary
beat. Such a data segment may be stored local within the memory of
the media player in advance or may be accessed from an external
server that links music media files with the BPM for that file. In
addition a time stamp, time flag, or other synchronizing data point
may be used to indicate when in time the beat sequence began. In
some such embodiments a primary beat present within a currently
playing media file is determined based upon a time varying rhythm
file that is associated with and/or integrated within the currently
playing music media file.
[0082] In some such embodiments a primary beat present within a
currently playing media file is determined by an assessment of the
musical content of the musical file through a signal processing
routine. In one such embodiment the detected presence of a base
drum sound above a certain intensity magnitude is used to determine
a primary beat of the musical media piece. In other such
embodiments a primary beat present within a currently playing media
file is determined by detection of the presence of a snare drum
sound above a certain intensity magnitude. For example, tempo can
be derived by analyzing the music data profile and identifying a
characteristic rhythm rate, thereby indicating a most salient
primary tempo for the music piece or a particular portion of a
musical piece. Such techniques, generally referred to as "audio
tempo extraction," are known the art. For example, the 2004 paper
entitled "Deviations from the resonance theory of tempo induction",
published at the Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology, by
McKinney and Moelants, describes such a method and is hereby
incorporated by reference. Another example, the 2004 paper entitled
"Extracting The Perceptual Tempo From Music" by McKinney and
Moelands published at ISMIR 2004 5th International Conference on
Music Information Retrieval, also describes such methods of
automatic audio tempo extraction and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0083] In some embodiments, the presence of a particular sequence
of bobs and jumps are used in determining a score increment value
awarded to the user. For example, the user may be instructed to
perform a sequence such as bob-bob-bob-jump while exercising to the
music. In such an embodiment the user's score may be based, at
least in part, upon his or her success in performing the required
sequence. In some embodiments the sequence may further be required
to be appropriately synchronized with the music, the bobs and jumps
falling in a certain way with respect to the currently playing
musical content. In some embodiments the sequence may further
require a particular sequence of bobs and/or jumps of certain
relative magnitudes, for example the sequence: small-bob,
small-bob, small-bob, big-bob. Such a sequence can be determined by
assessing the relative magnitudes of the characteristic
acceleration profiles of each of the detected bobs. Similar
sequencing of relative sizes of jump events may also be employed by
the present invention as part of the scoring metric. In this way,
embodiments of the present invention may require the user to
perform certain sequences of bobs and jump events based both upon
the sequence of interspersed bobs and jumps as well as (or
alternately) the sequence of interspersed larger and smaller
relative bobs or jumps. In some such embodiments a larger magnitude
bob (or jump) may be required upon every forth primary musical
beat.
[0084] In some embodiments the user may be instructed to perform
primarily jump actions only when a particular event happens within
a musical piece such as a particular cymbal crash, song lyric,
musical riff, or refrain. In such an embodiment the user's score
may be based, at least in part, upon his or her success in
performing the jump action at the correct time with respect to the
music. In some embodiments, the ratio of bobs to jumps is used in
determining a score increment value awarded to the user. In some
such embodiments the greater the proportion of jumps the higher the
score.
[0085] In some embodiments, a musical sound is played by the media
player in response to a detected bob and/or jump, in audio
combination with the currently playing media file. In some such
embodiments the volume and/or duration of the sound is determined
at least in part upon a magnitude of the bob and/or jump. In some
such embodiments the volume and/or duration of the sound is
determined based at least in part upon an air-time of a detected
jump. In some embodiments a different musical instrument sound is
selected based upon whether the imparted action was determined to
be a bob or a jump.
[0086] FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow chart for an example bob
and jump responsive media player exercise rhythm game routine
according to at least one embodiment of the invention. The process
begins at step 500 and may run in parallel with other routines, for
example the routines for accessing and playing media files to the
user. The routine progresses to step 501 wherein the processor of
the media player reads one or more sensors on board the media
player or in communication with the media player. The sensors are
worn and/or are affixed to the body of the user with a
configuration and orientation such that they can record signals
responsive to bobbing and jumping actions of the user. As described
previously the sensors may include an accelerometer that provides
acceleration data. In step 502, the time varying profile of sensor
data is assessed to determine if the user imparted a characteristic
bobbing or jumping motion. If not, the program flows back to step
501 as shown in the figure. If yes, the program flows to step 503
as shown in the figure wherein the characteristic profile is
determined to be a jump or not. If not, it must be a bob, and the
program progresses to 504, if yes it is a jump and proceeds to
505.
[0087] At 504 the characteristic bob event data profile is further
assessed for magnitude, timing, duration, and other bob-related
event assessments. At 504 a bob counter is also incremented,
counting the total number of bobs performed during a particular
exercise period. In some embodiments a count is performed for the
currently playing song. If the embodiment is one in which simulated
musical sounds are output in response to detected bob events, a
simulated musical sound may be output at 504 in audio combination
with the playing musical file. The bob responsive musical sound may
be output with a sound quality that is dependent at least in part
upon the detected magnitude and/or duration of the detected bob
event. In some embodiments the onset of the musical sound is output
in substantial perceptual synchronicity with the peak downward
portion of a detected bob event.
[0088] At 505 the characteristic jump data event data profile is
further assessed for airtime, magnitude, duration, timing, and/or
other jump specific event assessments. If the embodiment is one in
which simulated musical sounds are output in response to detected
jump events, a simulated musical sound may be output at 505 in
audio combination with the playing musical file. The jump
responsive musical sound may be output with a sound quality that is
dependent at least in part upon the detected magnitude and/or
duration and/or airtime of the detected jump event. In many
embodiments the onset of the sound is output in substantial
perceptual synchronicity with the landing of the detected jump
event. To achieve such synchronicity the jump event may be
determined prior to the landing based upon the launch and airtime
portions of the sensor profile. In other embodiments the sound is
output so soon after the landing, the delay is not perceptually
noticeable to a user.
[0089] After 505, the process proceeds to 506 wherein a jump
counter is incremented, counting the total number of jumps
performed during a particular exercise period. In some embodiments
a count is performed for the currently playing song.
[0090] A simulated instrument sound may be generated in a variety
of ways known to the art of computer music and electronic sound
generation. For example, the sound may be produced based upon a
digitized sample accessed from memory and modified based upon
software parameters, the parameters derived at least in part based
upon detected characteristics in the user bobbing or jumping motion
data. Alternately, the simulated instrument sound may be produced
based upon a stored algorithm or routine, the algorithm or routine
parameterized with values that are derived at least in part based
upon detected characteristics in the user bobbing or jumping motion
data. In one particular embodiment, the simulated instrument sound
is produced based upon a physically based simulation model of a
real musical instrument, the external input to the physically based
simulation model being derived at least in part upon detected
characteristics in the user bobbing or jumping motion data. Note,
in some embodiments the simulated instrument sound is also
dependent upon a selected instrument type that was selected by the
user through a configuration interface.
[0091] From 504 or 506 the process proceeds to 510 wherein the
timing of the detected bob or jump actions are compared to the
timing of rhythm events in the currently playing musical media file
for a synchronicity assessment. As discussed above, the rhythm of
beat events within the currently playing music may be accessed from
a data file that is relationally associated with the musical
content file and/or integrated with the musical content file or may
be determined by processing the actual musical content using a
signal processing analysis. As also discussed above, the
synchronicity assessment may be based upon a moment in time
assessment, a time interval assessment, or a combination of the two
aforementioned assessment methods. Either way, the timing of the
bob and/or jump events are processed with respect to the currently
playing music to determine how well the user is performing the bob
and/or jump events with respect the primary musical beats being
played by the media player as part of the currently playing musical
file. Based upon this assessment, the process proceeds to 520
wherein a score increment is determined. The score increment may be
based entirely upon the synchronicity assessment or may be based at
least in part upon the magnitude, duration, sequence, and/or
number, of bob and/or jump events as described previously.
[0092] As an example, the currently playing musical file may be
relationally associated with a rhythm variable indicating that it
the primary musical beat is 69 beats per minute (or 69 BPM). In
addition, the aforementioned analysis of the bob and jump events
being imparted by the user may indicate that he or she is now
currently bobbing at a rate of 66 bobs per minute. Such an
assessment may be determined by counting the number of bobs that
have been identified by the sensor analysis routines within the
last 10 seconds. For example, if a count of 11 bobs was determined
by the routines of the present invention to have occurred within
the previous 10 seconds, it may be computed that the user is
currently bobbing at a rate of approximately 66 bobs per minute.
Thus the 66 bob per minute rate of the user is compared with the 69
BPM rate of the musical media file. A performance assessment is
then made by the routines of the present invention, the performance
assessment determining that the user is currently bobbing at a rate
that is within 5% of the correct beat rate of the music. A score
may then be determined for the user based upon this assessment. In
this example, the user is awarded 10 points for the last 10 seconds
worth of bobbing. If the user was performing bobs at a rate of 68
bobs per minute, which is even closer to the proper BPM of the
music, a higher score would be assessed and added to the running
score total for the user--for example, 20 points for the last ten
seconds worth of bobbing. If the user was performing bobs at the
correct rate of 69 bobs per minute, an even higher score of 30
points may be added. Thus, in this particular embodiment the user
earns points over time, the points earned being dependent upon the
degree of synchronicity with the music maintained during that
period of time. In some embodiments the score may be dependent upon
additional factors as well, such as the magnitudes of the bobs
and/or the time correspondence between each bob and the actual
primary beat events within the music. Such scoring methods have
been described above.
[0093] Once a score increment is determined, the process proceeds
to step 530 wherein a running score for the user is incremented by
the determined score increment amount. In this way the user earns a
score based upon how he or she bobs and/or jumps along with the
playing musical file. In general the main loop of the process of
FIG. 5 repeats very quickly such that the assessments and score
increments can occur in substantial real time with the playing of
the music. In addition, other sub-processes and sub-variables may
be stored to determine events that transcend single loop iterations
such as patterns, sequences, and/or durations of repeated jumps
and/or bobs. A wide variety of alternate program flow embodiments
may also be used to enable the bob and jump responsive media player
system disclosed herein.
[0094] Embodiments of the present invention are also operative to
display a current score and/or a final score to the user, either
upon a graphical screen or as an audio message displayed through
the headphones (or other audio output components) of the present
invention. In some embodiments, current score totals are announced
audible at regular intervals during the exercise session,
indicating to the user how he or she is doing. In some embodiments
a history of assessment scores are stored in memory upon the
portable media player so that the user can assess his or her
performance progress over time. In this way as a user can review
historical data to determine if he or she is able to perform more
vigorous bobbing and jumping sessions, and/or perform in better
synchronization with the music, than in previous exercise gaming
sessions. In some embodiments separate scores are maintained for
the user with respect to exercise vigor and musical synchronicity.
In some such embodiments an exercise vigor score is computed based
upon the number of bobs and/or jumps in combination with the
magnitudes of bobs and/or jumps performed. In some such embodiments
an exercise vigor score is computed based upon the duration of time
during which bobs and/or jumps are performed in combination with
the rate and magnitudes of bobs and/or jumps performed. In some
embodiments a user's performance scores are maintained in memory of
the portable media player as a historical record with respect to
particular musical files. Thus a user may review his or her
historical exercise scores for each of a plurality of different
musical songs. In some embodiments a user's performance score are
maintained in memory of the portable media player as a historical
record with respect to particular playlist of musical files. Thus a
user may review his or her historical exercise scores for each of a
plurality of different playlists of musical songs. In this way a
user may compose a playlist of certain songs and exercise regularly
to that playlist, maintaining a historical record of exercise
scores for that particular playlist of songs. In this way the music
playing and playlist running features of a traditional media player
are used in combination with the bobbing and jumping detection
features and exercise assessment and scoring features of the
present invention to provide a unique combined media/exercise
experience for users.
[0095] In certain unique embodiments a motion sensor may also be
incorporated within a tossable object that may be caught and/or
thrown by a user in rhythmic synchonicitity with a musical media
file that is played to the user by the media player device. In such
embodiments, a gaming score may be generated based at least in part
upon the magnitude, number, and/or rhythmic synchronicity of the
throws and/or catches of the tossable gaming object, during the
play of the musical media file to the user. In some such
embodiments, the tossable gaming object communicates motion signals
to the media player device over a wireless communication link.
Details of such tossable object embodiments are disclosed in the
aforementioned U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.
60/815,655, the disclosure of which has been incorporated herein by
reference in its entirely.
[0096] In certain embodiments the media player may be configured to
compute an estimated number of calories burned by the user during a
gaming session as a result of the bobbing and jumping activities
detected. In some such embodiments the gaming session is the
duration of a single song that is played to the user. In some such
embodiments the gaming session is the duration of multiple songs
played to the user. In some such embodiments estimated total number
of calories burned by the user is computed using a heuristic that
allocates a certain number of calories for each bob performed by
the user during the gaming session and a certain number of calories
for each jump performed by the user during the gaming session. In
some such embodiments the heuristic employs an estimated and/or
entered weight value for the user, the greater the weight of the
user, the more calories expended for each bob and jump performed.
In some embodiments the heuristic scales the calories burned per
bob based upon a determined magnitude of the bob. In some
embodiments the heuristic scales the calories burned per jump based
upon a determined magnitude of the jump. In some such embodiments
the magnitude is based at least in part upon the shape of the
acceleration profile for each bob and/or jump. In some such
embodiments the magnitude is based at least in part upon an airtime
for each jump. In this way a user who bobs and jumps along with a
song played by the portable media player may be provided with a
gaming score, as described in previous paragraphs above, as well as
may be provided with an estimated indication of calories burned
during the gaming session.
[0097] While the present invention is described in terms of bobs
and jumps that may be performed by a user while standing in place,
the hardware, software, and methods disclosed herein may be used in
determining bobbing and jumping motions of a user while doing
activities other than standing in place--for example while walking,
dancing, or otherwise moving about. Because the sensor
configurations disclosed herein are such that they detect vertical
motions of the user in assessing characteristic bob and jump sensor
profiles, typical horizontal motions of a user during bobs and/or
jumps generally do not significantly affect the vertical sensor
readings and/or the vertical component of sensor readings. Thus
bobs and jumps may be determined as described herein.
[0098] While the present invention is described in terms of bobs
and jumps that may be performed with two legs simultaneously, the
hardware, software, and methods disclosed herein may be used in
determining single leg bobbing and jumping motions of a user. Thus
a user may bob on one leg, or jump up and down on one leg (i.e.
hop) and the methods, apparatus, and computer program products
described herein are still operative to determine characteristic
bobbing and/or jumping motions. Thus the present invention is not
necessarily dependent upon the number of legs used and/or the
existence or absence of a horizontal motion component to function
properly in detecting vertical bob and/or jump motions of a user,
determining synchronicity with a playing musical file, and awarding
scores appropriately.
[0099] This invention has been described in detail with reference
to various embodiments. It should be appreciated that the specific
embodiments described are merely illustrative of the principles
underlying the inventive concept. It is therefore contemplated that
various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will, without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, be apparent
to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
[0100] The foregoing described embodiments of the invention are
provided as illustrations and descriptions. They are not intended
to limit the invention to the precise forms described. In
particular, it is contemplated that functional implementation of
the invention described herein may be implemented equivalently in
hardware, software, firmware, and/or other available functional
components or building blocks.
[0101] Other embodiments, combinations and modifications of this
invention will occur readily to those of ordinary skill in the art
in view of these teachings. Therefore, this invention is not to be
limited to the specific embodiments described or the specific
figures provided. This invention has been described in detail with
reference to various embodiments. Not all features are required of
all embodiments. It should also be appreciated that the specific
embodiments described are merely illustrative of the principles
underlying the inventive concept. It is therefore contemplated that
various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will, without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, be apparent
to persons of ordinary skill in the art. Numerous modifications and
variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art
without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the
claims.
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