U.S. patent application number 11/815887 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-07 for electronic device and method for selecting content items.
This patent application is currently assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.. Invention is credited to Steffen Clarence Pauws, Fabio Vignoli, Gertjan Leendert Wijnalda.
Application Number | 20080188354 11/815887 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36580439 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080188354 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pauws; Steffen Clarence ; et
al. |
August 7, 2008 |
Electronic Device and Method For Selecting Content Items
Abstract
The method of selecting content items of the invention comprises
selecting (6) a subset of content items from a collection of
content items in dependency of feedback gathered during a previous
physical activity of a person (3). The subset is smaller than the
collection of content items and the feedback comprises information
regarding the previous physical activity. The electronic device of
the invention comprises electronic circuitry operative to perform
the method of the invention. The software of the invention enables
a programmable device to perform the method of the invention.
Inventors: |
Pauws; Steffen Clarence;
(Eindhoven, NL) ; Vignoli; Fabio; (Eindhoven,
NL) ; Wijnalda; Gertjan Leendert; (Utrecht,
NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & STANDARDS
P.O. BOX 3001
BRIARCLIFF MANOR
NY
10510
US
|
Assignee: |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS,
N.V.
EINDHOVEN
NL
|
Family ID: |
36580439 |
Appl. No.: |
11/815887 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
January 30, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2006/050317 |
371 Date: |
August 9, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/8 ;
482/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G10H 1/42 20130101; A63B
71/0686 20130101; A63B 2071/0625 20130101; G06F 16/68 20190101;
A63B 2225/50 20130101; G10H 2240/131 20130101; A63B 2230/06
20130101; G06F 16/683 20190101; G10H 2220/371 20130101; G10H
2210/385 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/8 ;
482/1 |
International
Class: |
A63B 24/00 20060101
A63B024/00; A63B 69/00 20060101 A63B069/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 14, 2005 |
EP |
05101076.7 |
Claims
1. An electronic device (21) comprising electronic circuitry (23),
the electronic circuitry (23) being operative to: select (6) a
subset of content items from a collection of content items in
dependency of feedback gathered during a previous physical activity
of a person (3), the subset being smaller than the collection of
content items and the feedback comprising information regarding the
previous physical activity.
2. An electronic device (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
feedback comprises a physical state of the person (3) during the
previous physical activity.
3. An electronic device (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
feedback comprises a pace of the person (3) during the previous
physical activity.
4. An electronic device (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
feedback comprises a pace associated with a physical state of the
person (3) during the previous physical activity.
5. An electronic device (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
feedback comprises information identifying which ones of the subset
of content items have been skipped during a certain type of
physical exercise.
6. An electronic device (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
feedback comprises information identifying an influence of one or
more of the subset of content items on a physical state of the
person (3).
7. An electronic device (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
feedback comprises a length of a certain type of physical
exercise.
8. A method of selecting content items, comprising the step of:
selecting (6) a subset of content items from a collection of
content items in dependency of feedback gathered during a previous
physical activity of a person (3), the subset being smaller than
the collection of content items and the feedback comprising
information regarding the previous physical activity.
9. Software enabling a programmable device to perform the method of
claim 7.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to an electronic device for selecting
content items, a music player or a device for transferring songs to
a music memory or music player, for example.
[0002] The invention further relates to a method of selecting
content items.
[0003] The invention also relates to software enabling a
programmable device to perform a method of selecting content
items.
[0004] An electronic device for reproducing a human perceptual
signal is known from WO 2004/072767. WO 2004/072767 describes an
audio reproduction device which adapts the tempo of an audio signal
such that the tempo of the adapted audio signal lies within a
predefined accepted deviation from a selected tempo. The selected
tempo can be based on a heart rate of a person, a pace of a person
and/or a user-specified tempo. A piece of audio may be selected
from an audio source manually by a user or automatically by the
audio reproduction device itself (based on the selected tempo). A
drawback of the known audio reproduction device is that the piece
of audio that is selected is often not optimal for the physical
activity that the user is performing, especially if the user had to
transfer pieces of audio to a music (player) memory in advance of
the physical activity and the memory has a relatively small
size.
[0005] It is a first object of the invention to provide an
electronic device of the kind described in the opening paragraph,
which provides a better selection of content items for reproduction
during a physical activity.
[0006] It is a second object of the invention to provide a method
of the kind described in the opening paragraph, which provides a
better selection of content items for reproduction during a
physical activity.
[0007] The first object is according to the invention realized in
that the electronic device comprises electronic circuitry operative
to select a subset of content items from a collection of content
items in dependency of feedback gathered during a previous physical
activity of a person, the subset being smaller than the collection
of content items and the feedback comprising information regarding
the previous physical activity. By using feedback that comprises
information regarding the previous physical activity of the person
in the content selection step, content items can be selected whose
reproduction results in the most beneficial performance of the
person. The characteristics of the content items whose reproduction
results in the most beneficial performance of the person are part
of the feedback or can be derived from the feedback. Even if it
were possible for a user to manually select the appropriate content
items, this would require a significant amount of effort. The
invention is especially advantageous if the user has to transfer a
subset of content items to a music (player) memory in advance of
the physical activity.
[0008] The content item may comprise audio, video, light and/or
tactile feedback, for example. The electronic device may be, for
example, a PC for transferring the subset of content items to a
memory or a portable reproduction device, the portable reproduction
device itself (e.g. a mobile phone) or a stationary reproduction
device (possibly integrated into a fitness device). The collection
may be a private collection or a public collection (e.g. a
collection of a content provider). The electronic device may be
used in health clubs, at home or outdoors, for example. The subset
of content items may be stored locally or remotely (e.g. at a
content or service provider).
[0009] The feedback may comprise a physical state of the person
during the previous physical activity. This is especially useful if
the person has to achieve a target pace, but the content item is
synchronized with the physical state of the person (e.g. heart
rate). The physical state may comprise, for example, the heart rate
of the person. The physical state may be, for example, an average
of the person's physical state during a plurality of exercises, an
average of the person's physical state during each exercise, or an
average of the person's physical state during each of a plurality
of time periods.
[0010] The feedback may comprise a pace of the person during the
previous physical activity. This is especially useful if the person
has to achieve a target physical state (e.g. heart rate), but the
content item is synchronized with the pace of the person. The pace
may comprise, for example, rotations per minute for bicycling or
steps per minute for jogging. The pace may be, for example, an
average of the person's pace during a plurality of exercises, an
average of the person's pace during each exercise or an average of
the person's pace during each of a plurality of time periods.
[0011] The feedback may comprise a pace associated with a physical
state of the person during the previous physical activity. This is
especially useful if a tempo of an audio output signal depends on
both the pace and the physical state of the person. The fitness of
the person and thus the physical state of the person while
achieving a certain pace is dynamic: it usually depends on the
amount of recent physical activity of the person.
[0012] The feedback may comprise information identifying which ones
of the subset of content items have been skipped during a certain
type of physical exercise. Although a certain content item may seem
appropriate for a certain type of physical exercise based on its
tempo or a user's general preferences, it may turn out not to be
suitable for the certain type of physical exercise and in fact
deteriorate the performance of the person. This certain content
item should not be selected for this certain type of exercise and
perhaps not even be transferred to a music (player) memory.
[0013] The feedback may comprise information identifying an
influence of one or more of the subset of content items on a
physical state of the person. Some content items may have an
unexpected beneficial effect on the physical state, i.e.
performance, of the person. These content items should preferably
be selected.
[0014] The feedback may comprise a length of a certain type of
physical exercise. A certain type of exercise may need to be
prolonged because the target for this exercise has not yet been
achieved or may be voluntarily prolonged because the person enjoys
the certain type of exercise. The exact length of the exercises is
important information for selecting the appropriate amount of
content items for each exercise if the user has to transfer a
subset of content items to a music (player) memory in advance of
the physical activity and the memory is relatively small.
[0015] The second object is according to the invention realized in
that the method comprises the step of selecting a subset of content
items from a collection of content items in dependency of feedback
gathered during a previous physical activity of a person, the
subset being smaller than the collection of content items and the
feedback comprising information regarding the previous physical
activity.
[0016] These and other aspects of the electronic device and method
of the invention will be further elucidated and described with
reference to the drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows an example of workout scheme that is used in an
embodiment of the method of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the method of the
invention; and
[0019] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic device of the
invention.
[0020] Corresponding elements within the drawings are identified by
the same reference numeral.
[0021] The use of music appeals to physical sport exercising,
especially to sports that are individual, repetitive, and
endurance. Listening to music, before and during exercising, is
deemed to increase work output by dissociation, by motivation, and
by improving affective states and to provide improved control and
skill learning for motor control. Hence, music can be an excellent
guide for keeping up to a physical exertion, especially when this
exertion is monotone, repetitive, and boring. Runners with music on
their ears are already an everyday appearance on the streets.
[0022] Many recreational exercisers and endurance
athletes/sportsmen work with personal training programs for their
health and sports experience. These training programs basically
define the sequence of exercises that needs to be done, and the
duration and intensity of each individual exercise. They fit in a
complete plan and are adapted over time, either to work towards
peak performance, weight control, or injury recovery.
[0023] The method of the invention is preferably used in a
personalized music system for sport exercising that realizes an
integration of sport training programs, music selection, and music
playback. It should make sport exercising more enjoyable and should
help the user in keeping up with the intended goals as set in the
training program. In short, before the work out, the system
supports the user in pre-selecting preferred music that suits the
physical exertion in the training program. During the work out,
songs are selected for playback and properties of the music
playback, in particularly, the musical tempo, are adapted either to
reflect or to guide current user performance expressed in heart
rate and movement frequency. After the work out, performance and
playback data are collected for visual inspection, for training
program adaptation, and for refining future music selections by
learning.
[0024] Many individual endurance sport practices require the
motivation to persevere, even when these exertions evoke feelings
of monotony, boredom, pain, fatigue, and exhaustion without the
provision of instant rewards. In the field of Sport and Exercise
Psychology, it is postulated that exercisers employ various
associative/internal and dissociative/external strategies to cope
with the physical demands due to the physical intensity and
required endurance of their sports exertions. Under low to moderate
physical load, exercisers are able to voluntary divert attention
(i.e., `dissociate`) from internal sensations coming from the
muscles, joints, cardiovasculary and pulmonary systems. Used
dissociative strategies are imagery production, positive mood
development (e.g., by thinking about the nice things in life),
having thoughts about work, career, or social relationships,
creating self-efficacy, self-esteem and confidence, or doing
problem solving such as mental arithmetic. Apparently, at
approximately 70% of maximal heart rate reserve (MHRR), exercisers
are forced to start switching their attention from external cues
back to internal sensations of physical discomfort. At a level of
physical load where feelings of extreme fatigue or exhaustion
prevail (e.g., at 90% VO.sub.2 MAX), exercisers are not longer able
to `dissociate` themselves from the incoming painful sensations.
Instead, exercisers have to directly `fight` against the pain to
persevere their exertion, for which high levels of motivation and
exertion tolerance are required.
[0025] Besides making physical exertion more enjoyable, music might
also help an exerciser to dissociate from exertive feelings or even
be a motivator to sustain effort. Studies have shown that up-tempo
music can enhance performance, though only in physical tasks of low
and moderate levels of exertion (i.e., having sub-maximal effort).
Doubling the pace of the music at the apparent critical level of
70% MHRR enables exercisers to postpone their time to fatigue; it
seems that the change in musical tempo helps them in prolonging
their period of using a `dissociative` coping strategy. If
exercisers are explicitly instructed to keep pace with the music
being played, performance will enhance. In particular, endurance
enhanced in a stationary constant-pace cycling task when pedaling
rate was synchronized with music. Background music that was
asynchronous to the pedaling did not reveal the same effect as
opposed to the absence of music. In high intensity exertions (e.g.,
at 90% VO.sub.2 MAX), the exertive feelings become too overwhelming
and undifferentiated and reach levels of extreme fatigue and
exhaustion. As already mentioned, at that level of exertion,
exercisers can not longer voluntary divert their attention to
external stimuli. Hence, music will not help them in improving to
sustain their effort, though music still brings greater enjoyment
to the task than no music.
[0026] The happy marriage between solo endurance sports and music
playback has already resulted in consumer products. A business
collaboration between the electronics firm Philips and sportswear
manufacturer Nike created a combined device, called MP3Run
(PSA260), which acts as a portable music player and a
performance/training display and logging system. The player is a
256 MB flash-memory device for playing about four to eight hours
MP3 or WMA-encoded music and contains FM radio. Music can be
refreshed by down-loading. For the performance logging, it comes
with a pedometer that wirelessly transmits (using Bluetooth) speed
and distance data to the device for display and on-demand audio
feedback. Performance data can be uploaded to a personal computer
for inspection. However, music playback or refreshing is not
coupled to the performance.
[0027] A training program prescribes the sequence of physical
exercises that are scheduled in a single training. The definition
of an exercise may include (see FIG. 1):
[0028] The type of exercise, which refers to an exertion within
sports like running, cycling, rowing, aerobics, and fitness;
[0029] The exercise duration, which specifies the period of time
that the exercise should take, possibly at a prescribed intensity
level;
[0030] The exercise intensity, which specifies at what level of
exertion the exercise should be performed. It is expressed in
percentage of maximal heart rate reserve (MHRR), which may specify
a desired heart rate zone. For instance, the aerobic heart rate
zone for improved endurance and optimal cardiovascular training is
at 70-80% of MHRR;
[0031] The exercise stringency, which tells how strictly or how
loosely the exercise should be performed in terms of duration and
intensity.
[0032] For particular exercise types, parameters are irrelevant or
can not be predicted. For instance, the heart rate during a warm up
or stretch exercise is less relevant, and presumably at rest. How
long it takes to recover from an exertion until the heart rate is
at rest is also not known beforehand.
[0033] Note that a training program can also consist of a single
exercise such as a run of one hour, for those who prefer `a loose
run across the park` instead of committing themselves to training
programs. Typically, the training program is part of a complete and
personalized coaching plan to achieve a well-defined long term goal
such as working towards peak performance at a sports event,
extending endurance, building up strength and power, losing weight,
getting healthier, staying healthy, or rehabilitating physically.
The plans, together with the training programs, are created by
sports physiologists, coaches, trainers, consultancy firms for
sports and health, or by the people themselves, possible helped by
present-day computer technologies.
[0034] In the embodiment of the invention that is shown in FIG. 2,
helping the user in keeping up with the intended goals as set in
the training program by the use of preferred music is done in four
usage stages. The four stages are an installation stage (not
shown), a preparation stage 1, an exercising stage 2, and a
feedback stage 4. The installation stage, the preparation stage 1,
and the feedback stage 4 are off-line. In other words, the tasks
involved in these stages will be performed at home using a personal
computer before or after the physical exertion. In contrast, the
exercising stage 2 is on-line, while the user is physically
exercising.
Installation Stage
[0035] First-time use of the system requires an installation stage
(not shown) to personalize the system. In an dialogue, the system
requests relevant personal data (e.g., name, gender, age), exercise
and physiological data (e.g., weight, fat percentage, resting heart
rate, aximal or peak heart rate, stride frequency, stride length),
and the level of sports experience (i.e., beginner, intermediate,
experienced) to the user. In addition, the definition of exercises
can be altered or added, together with the likes and dislikes of
music. Multiple users can use the system, though they all have
their individual profile. Users can always come back to this
installation stage to reset their data.
Preparation Stage
[0036] The preparation stage 1 is concerned with off-line training
program creation and music pre-selection. Ready-made training
programs are available for use, adaptation, or can be created from
scratch. Subsequently, preferred music is selected from a larger
music collection that fits the training program. Music
pre-selection before the actual training commences ensures a
hassle-free sports and music experience. In addition, it copes with
storage limitations on present-day portable flash-based players.
Different training exercises have quite different characteristics
in motion, pace, intensity, and duration. For instance, a
warming-up is different from an interval training exercise, for it
does not consider the exercise intensity or user performance.
Instead, a warming-up requires full concentration of the exerciser.
These different exercise characteristics require different
selections of preferred music. Both the music and the training
program are downloaded to a portable player to take along. The
following requirements were designed into the music pre-selection
strategy of the system:
[0037] Personal music preferences regarding likes and dislikes of
songs, music genres, artists and the like in relation to the
exercises in the training program are taken into account.
[0038] An amount of music is selected that is proportional to the
duration of the individual exercises and of the training program as
a whole.
[0039] Music is selected on the basis of the intensity of the
exercises. In particular, exercise intensities are translated into
musical tempo properties.
[0040] User performance indicators are used to learn what songs
need to be included or excluded in future pre-selection.
[0041] The preparation stage 1 comprises a step 6 of selecting a
subset of content items from a collection of content items in
dependency of feedback gathered during a previous physical activity
of a person 3, see FIG. 2, the subset being smaller than the
collection of content items and the feedback comprising information
regarding the previous physical activity. In the embodiment shown
in FIG. 2, the feedback is processed in the feedback stage 4. In an
alternative embodiment, step 6 may be performed as part of an
exercise stage that is performed at a server. A (e.g. known)
content reproduction device may be connected to that server during
the physical activity. In the alternative embodiment, an offline
stage is not necessary.
[0042] To formalize the music pre-selection process, we define a
song as a finite vector s=(v.sub.1, . . . , v.sub.K) of K attribute
values. These attributes reflect tags of catalogue data or
musically intrinsic features such as unique identification, title
information, artist name, genre, time duration, music tempo, and
time signature. Values for these tags can be easily provided by
online services from third parties or music signal processing
algorithms. All possible values for each k-th attribute are
collected in an attribute domain denoted by D.sub.k.
[0043] A finite set of m songs M=(s.sub.1, . . . s.sub.m)
represents the music collection of the user. Music pre-selection is
achieved by generating a play set that is defined as an (unordered)
set of n songs p=(p.sub.1, . . . p.sub.K) where p.sub.i.epsilon.M
for i=1, . . . , n. We use p.sub.ik to denote the value of the k-th
attribute of the i-th song in the play set. For notational
convenience, we consider the size of the play set n to be known. In
practice, the size of the play set is made variable.
[0044] For each individual exercise, a set of constraints C is
defined, either by the user or by the system from which a play set
can be generated. In addition, constraints are defined that should
hold for the training programme as a whole, for instance, to
guarantee that different songs are selected for the exercises and
that all music fits on the portable player. All play sets are
combined into a collection of pre-selected music to be used in the
exercising stage. Constraints are restrictions that tell in
declarative terms what songs should be in the play set and what
songs should not. Constraints can reflect music preferences of the
user or restrictions on music attributes that suit the physical
exertion in an exercise. A play set is said to satisfy a constraint
if it meets the restrictions that are defined by that constraint.
Otherwise, it is said to violate the constraint.
[0045] If the user dislikes music with particular attributes (e.g.,
an artist or genre) while doing a particular exercise, she can
prevent the selection of this type of music by notifying the system
about this fact through a user interface. The system then
instantiates an exclude constraint. Formally, the exclude
constraint is given by a four-tuple (p, n, k, V), where: [0046] p
is a play set, [0047] n is the size of p, [0048] k is an attribute
number, 1.ltoreq.k.ltoreq.K, [0049] V is a set of attribute values,
V.OR right.D.sub.k, [0050] denoting that it has to hold that
p.sub.ikV, for all 1.ltoreq.i.ltoreq.n.
[0051] If, on the other hand, the user likes music with particular
attributes, the system instantiates a counting constraint that
restricts and forces the number of occurrences of particular
attribute values in the play set. Formally, the counting constraint
is given by a six-tuple (p, n, k, V, a, b), where: [0052] p is a
play set, [0053] n is the size of p, [0054] k is an attribute
number, 1.ltoreq.k.ltoreq.K, [0055] V is a set of attribute values,
V.OR right.D.sub.k, [0056] a and b are a lower bound and an upper
bound, respectively, [0057] denoting that it has to hold that
a.ltoreq.|{1.ltoreq.i.ltoreq.n|p.sub.ik.epsilon.V}|.ltoreq.b.
[0058] If an exercise has a limited duration, a set of songs needs
to be selected that has a similar total duration, for which a
duration constraint can be used. Formally, the duration constraint
is given by a five-tuple (p, n, k, a, b), where: [0059] p is a play
set, [0060] n is the size of p, [0061] k is an attribute number,
1.ltoreq.k.ltoreq.K, [0062] a and b are a lower bound and an upper
bound, respectively, [0063] denoting that it has to hold that
[0063] a .ltoreq. i = 1 n p ik .ltoreq. b . ##EQU00001##
[0064] By its intensity and stringency, an exercise restricts the
play set generation on the range of musical tempi that need to be
included. If we assume that movement frequency will be synchronized
with the music (or vice versa), only music with a specific range of
musical tempi is required, for which a range constraint is
available. The precise restrictions on music tempo in relation to
the exercises need to be learned for each specific user. Formally,
the range constraint is given by a five-tuple (p, n, k, v, w),
where: [0065] p is a play set, [0066] n is the size of p, [0067] k
is an attribute number, 1.ltoreq.k.ltoreq.K, [0068] v and w are a
lower bound and an upper bound, respectively, where v,
w.epsilon.D.sub.k [0069] denoting that it has to hold that
v.ltoreq.p.sub.ik.ltoreq.w, for 1.ltoreq.i.ltoreq.n. Likewise,
songs can be generated for the playset as if the values for the
k-th attribute are drawn from a statistical distribution (e.g., a
Normal distribution).
[0070] Note that constraints that restrict the order of songs are
not modelled, as play sets are considered un-ordered
collections.
[0071] 1) Implementation by local search: Satisfying a set of
constraints is a NP-hard combinatorial problem. It is thus unlikely
that a polynomial algorithm exists that computes a playset that
meets any given set of constraints. If constraints are conflicting,
there exists even no feasible solution. Therefore, instead of
striving for an exact solution, an approximate solution is computed
by using local search. In this local search approach, the
constraints on each playset are translated into normalized,
piece-wisely linear penalty functions. Each penalty function is
defined to be zero if the constraint is met, to be larger than zero
if the constraint is not met, and to increase with the amount of
violation of the constraint. As an example, the penalty function
for the duration constraint is defined as
f ( p , n , k , a , b ) = { 0 , a .ltoreq. .sigma. .ltoreq. b a -
.sigma. .delta. , .sigma. < a .sigma. - b .delta. , .sigma. >
b where .sigma. = i = 1 n p ik ##EQU00002##
and .delta.=max(a-nmin D.sub.k, nmax D.sub.k-b). The penalty is
zero, if the summation of all k-th attribute values (e.g., total
duration) is within the range [a,b]. Otherwise, the penalty is a
normalized difference between that summation and the closest lower
or upper bound.
[0072] The total penalty is defined as a weighted convex
combination of all penalty functions involved. Weights indicate how
severe it is if a constraint has not been met. Some constraints are
very hard, whereas other constraints indicate wishes that might be
partly violated. Selecting too few songs of a preferred artist may
be more severe than selecting more music than that can fit in an
exercise.
[0073] To find a playset that minimizes the total penalty, local
search considers complete solutions or playsets. It steps from
solution to solution by applying a random, small change at each
iteration. The kind of changes to be allowed are: (i) adding a
song, (ii) deleting a song, and (iii) replacing a song by a new
one. Changing the order of songs is less relevant as constraints on
sequence order are not addressed here. If the newly generated music
selection is better than the original one, the new one is accepted
and we enter the next iteration of local search. If the new
solution is worse, the solution may be accepted with a certain
probability, which decreases with the amount of deterioration, but
also decreases during the course of the algorithm. In other words,
the search process is `cooling down`, known as simulated annealing,
to avoid becoming trapped at local minima. Simulated annealing
requires a pre-defined cooling schedule for the temperature
control; a standard linear cooling schedule is used.
[0074] A small modification to the above approach is not converting
all constraints into penalty functions, but to handle a few easy
constraints by pre-processing (i.e., by using constraint
propagation principles). For instance, if the user wants all songs
to be rock songs, one can easily achieve that by only using the
rock songs from the music collection, and leaving all other songs
out.
Exercising Stage 2
[0075] The exercising stage 2, see FIG. 2, is an on-line stage in
which the pre-selected music is played back while the user is
exercising. Exercises in the training program dictate what music
will be played back. The system (now, a portable player) monitors
and records user performance data like heart rate using a wireless
connection with a heart rate sensor, and movement frequency (i.e.,
stride frequency for runners) and running speed using a wireless
connection with a pedometer. Dependent on the required mode of
motivation, music playback is adapted to the current user
performance or current training goal. Besides standard linear
playback, the following advanced music playback modes have been
realized:
[0076] Constant tempo: music is played back at a constant tempo to
motivate the exerciser to synchronize her steps with the music for
enhanced endurance. Its aim is to help the exercise to evenly
distribute her effort over a distance and reducing recovery costs
due to brief high intensity efforts.
[0077] Pace matching: music tempo is continually adapted to the
current stride frequency of the exerciser to support the running at
varying stride frequencies without having to concentrate on keeping
time.
[0078] Pace influencing: music tempo is sped up/slowed down to
motivate the exerciser to speed up/slow down in the same manner by
synchronizing her steps with the music. In this case, the goal is
to arrive at a performance level as defined in the training
program.
[0079] The different modes of playback are relevant for different
ways of exercising that can vary in type of motion (e.g., running,
cycling, interval, jogging), pace, intensity, and duration. The
assumption is that the performance of the user is measured, while
exercising. The user performance can be expressed as running pace
in step frequency using a pedometer, as cycling pace in revolution
frequency using a cyclometer, or as heart rate in heartbeats per
minute using a cardiometer. For running, the step frequency can be
taken as unit of performance. For cycling, half the cycling
frequency can be taken as unit of performance. For rowing, half of
the full rowing cycle can be taken as unit of performance. For
heart rate, a single heartbeat can be taken as unit of performance.
Different units of performance can be defined for different sports.
Properties of music playback (e.g., tempo, loudness, sound
position, equalisation) are then adapted on the basis of the
current user performance and currently selected playback mode. For
instance, the tempo of the music playback can be controlled by
music transformation technologies (e.g., time stretching), if
required. The modes of playback are extended over songs, implying
that new songs are chosen on the basis of the playback mode and the
current user performance.
[0080] Obviously, the user has control on the playback; songs and
exercises can be skipped or prolonged using interactive controls on
the player. Also, different modes of playback can be selected.
Lastly, the duration and the intensity of the current exercise are
monitored for signaling the user to go to the next exercise. Song
selection is based on the current user performance, current
exercise goal, mode of music playback, and history of already
played songs.
[0081] The different modes of music playback require different
control and music selection strategies. Standard linear playback
requires no further elaboration. The system is set-up with a
portable music player, heart rate monitoring (typically comprising
of a chest belt with a wireless transmitter, and a receiver
connected to the player) and stride frequency monitor (using a
pedometer connected to the player). The used chest belt transmits a
pulse for every heart beat. The system uses a five-point moving
average of incoming pulse intervals as the current heart rate. For
stride frequency, a five-point moving average is used as well.
[0082] A) Constant Tempo: Music playback by constant tempo
transforms the tempo of a given song by time stretching, if the
original tempo of the song does not meet the desired tempo. In
short, time stretching is the shortening or lengthening of a audio
data file without pitch modifications according to a scaling
factor. Obviously, this needs to happen faster than real-time for
online stretching and playback; a standard time-domain technique
based on synchronous overlap-and-add (SOLA) is used. The scaling
factor represents the ratio between the desired tempo and the
original tempo of the song. Time stretching can not be done with
impunity for extreme scale factors, as music that is modified too
extensively (e.g., more than 125%) sounds awkward. Therefore, the
(next) song for playback is defined as the one whose original tempo
comes closest to the desired tempo and which has not been played
back recently. If desired, songs by one artist are not played
successively.
[0083] B) Pace matching: Exercisers are motivated by music that is
synchronized to their movements. Pace matching synchronizes the
music to the user's stride frequency. Stride frequency, or pace, is
the number of ground impacts of the user's feet in the course of
one minute and is denoted in steps per minute (spm). The music
tempo is denoted in beats per minute (bpm) where one musical
measure in a meter of 4/4 consists of 4 beats. In order to match
the music tempo to the stride frequency, the music needs to be
played faster or slower by using time stretching. Typical maximal
values for the scaling factors involved in time stretching are -15%
to +25%. For a song with a tempo of 100 bpm, this results in a
stretch range of [85, 125].
[0084] Playing music in a tempo of 75 bpm when the stride frequency
is 150 spm is also considered a match, as the moment of a foot
impact can still coincide with a musical beat. Note that we assume
that the music tempo and the user's strides are in phase. In
general, multiples (2.times., 4.times., 8.times., . . . ) or
integral divisions
( 1 2 , 1 4 , 1 8 , ) ##EQU00003##
of stride frequency are considered matching with the music
tempo.
[0085] For instance, if the tempo of the current song is 100 bpm
(meaning a song stretch range of [85, 125]) and the stride
frequency is 210 spm, the system would change the music playout
tempo to 105 bpm. If the stride frequency is 130 spm, no valid
match inside the song stretch range can be found. In this case, the
music playout tempo is changed to the stretch border closest to the
stride frequency by time stretching the song. Then, a new song is
selected, under the condition that the current song has been played
long enough (say, 30 seconds, to reduce repetitive song changing
over time). The new song is required to have a stretch range that
includes the current playout tempo as well as the current stride
frequency, in order to allow for a transition without abrupt tempo
changes.
[0086] Changing playout tempo is done in a smooth fashion. When a
change in tempo is done instantly, a hick-up in the music playback
is evident. On the other hand, when the change takes a long time,
system response is too slow (i.e., in excess of 10 seconds) to
accurately match the user's stride frequency. The parameter that
specifies system response time in pace matching mode is T.sub.m,
which specifies the time that a maximal change in playout tempo as
defined by the song's stretch range should take. A linear function
is used to calculate the actual time to change from a given playout
tempo to a new playout tempo. This function, denoted by t.sub.m, is
supplied with two points, t.sub.m(0)=0 and t.sub.m
(.DELTA..sub.max)=T.sub.m, where .DELTA..sub.max denotes maximal
change in playout tempo. A linear relationship is assumed, but as a
future extension, a square root relationship can be used to
propagate small changes relatively faster than larger ones.
[0087] When considering the above example with an assumed
T.sub.m=1000 msecs, a change from 100 to 105 bpm would take
t m ( .DELTA. 100 .fwdarw. 105 ) = 100 - 105 85 - 125 = 125 m secs
. ##EQU00004##
[0088] C) Pace Influencing: To motivate exercisers to reach and to
keep their heart rate within a certain heart rate zone, the system
uses a four-step method: [0089] 1) Match the music playout tempo
with the user's stride frequency to ensure the connection between
them; [0090] 2) Determine heart rate goal and, from that, stride
frequency and music playout tempo subgoals; [0091] 3) Propagate the
change in music playout tempo from the current playout tempo to the
playout tempo desired by the determined subgoal. [0092] 4) Wait for
heart rate stabilization.
[0093] These steps are repeated in a continuous loop until the
exercise goal has been reached.
[0094] The assumption is that by matching music playout tempo to
stride frequency in step 1, a change in playout tempo in step 3
will have a synchronization effect on the user's stride frequency.
In other words, the exerciser will automatically keep her movements
in time with later changes in music playout tempo. Matching playout
tempo and stride frequency is done by using the pace matching mode
described earlier. As soon as the stride frequency is matched, the
system advances to the next step.
[0095] In the second step, the user's current heart rate is
compared with the heart rate goal of the current exercise, and the
difference percentage is determined. A prediction of the required
stride frequency is made by applying the heart rate difference
percentage directly to the current stride frequency. From sports
physiology, we know that heart rate will alter linearly with
exercise intensity. In other words, an increase of 10% in heart
rate means a 10% increase in stride frequency. The desired stride
frequency is then transformed into a desired music playout tempo;
the desired playout tempo can be a multiple or integral division of
the desired stride frequency.
[0096] Like in pace matching mode, when the current song can not be
further stretched to accommodate the change in music playout tempo,
the system changes the playout tempo to the closest value possible
(i.e., either the maximal or minimum song stretch boundary).
Subsequently, it selects a new song that has a stretch range that
includes the reached and the desired music playout tempo.
[0097] The system keeps a history of heart rate measurements. From
that, it can make a prediction how the heart rate (and hence the
desired playout tempi) will progress in the next 30 seconds. This
prediction provides valuable information on what song is best to
choose next, if song changing is required for playback. It
effectively minimizes the number of song changes needed.
[0098] A change in music playout tempo is not carried out
immediately, since an abrupt change in playout tempo would cause
the user not to follow the change, either because of ignorance or
fatigue. Instead, the system takes into account a propagation time.
Like in pace matching mode, a linear function is used to calculate
the actual time to change from a given playout tempo to a new
playout tempo. This function, denoted by ti is supplied with two
points, t.sub.i(0)=0 and t.sub.i(.DELTA..sub.max)=T.sub.i, where
.DELTA..sub.max denotes maximal change in playout tempo.
[0099] Finally, when the change has been propagated, the system
waits for the user's heart rate to stabilize before making
additional changes. From experiences when testing, the user's
cardiovascular system needs some time to adapt to the additional
effort. Rather than specifying a fixed waiting time after each
change, the system looks for a trend of decreasing differences in
successive heart rates with small derivative values.
[0100] In addition, to encourage users in working out more
intensively, the music can be played louder, lower frequencies can
be accentuated, and/or the music can be played back as if it is in
front of the listener. New songs can be selected that have a tempo
that corresponds to a level of performance that is slightly higher
than the current user performance. In addition, to encourage users
in working out less intensively, the music can be played softer,
lower frequencies can be attenuated, and/or the music can be played
back as if it is behind the listener. New songs can be selected
that have a tempo that corresponds to a level of performance that
is slightly lower than the current user performance.
Feedback Stage 4
[0101] The feedback stage 4 is concerned with off-line performance
storage and feedback. Performance data, the training program
actually performed, and the list of songs actually played back is
stored for user inspection and system learning purposes. The
performance data can be graphically displayed for inspection,
self-esteem, motivation, and for advising on adapting the current
training method. The system acquires data for learning what music
is best suitable for what type of exercise.
Finding Music That Fits a Training Program
[0102] The most important characteristic that determines the
suitability of a song in the music database for use in a particular
exercise is its tempo. Other characteristics include, for example,
its percussiveness (the amount of beats in the song), its meter,
its key, the musical instruments used in the recording, etc. Since
the amount of storage space is often limited, a way has to be found
to ensure the right music is on the portable device so that a
suitable song can be found at all times, taking into account user
preferences such as `do not play the same song twice during one
training program` or `do not play songs by the same artist
successively`. This can be achieved by generating a tempo
probability graph per exercise and then combining these graphs to a
global tempo probability graph for the entire training program.
[0103] In an embodiment of the method of the invention, the pace
that matches the exercise heart rate zone is determined in order to
find music that fits the training program. Unfortunately, this
relationship is not a straightforward one. The heart rate resulting
from running at a certain pace varies from user to user and over
time due to factors such as, among others, endurance (how long is
the running already going on), fatigue, fitness of the runner, the
weather conditions and the time of day. However, certain average
tempos may be assumed, resulting in a table like:
TABLE-US-00001 HR gender age pace 50% male under 30 90.2 50% male
30-40 88.6 60% male under 30 110.1 70% male under 30 116.5 70%
female under 30 112.9 70% female 30-40 110.7 80% male under 30
125.0
[0104] Another important aspect for determining the average tempo
for an exercise is the position of the exercise within the training
program. For instance, the pace needed to reach a 110 heart rate
when starting exercising might be 90, while after 30 minutes a pace
of 80 will be enough to reach this heart rate. Therefore, a user's
fatigue curve can be assumed based on gender and age, in which the
influence of time on the pace needed to reach a certain heart rate
level is documented. These rough tables and fatigue curves are
based on classifications of users because of gender and age groups.
This information can be entered by the user easily and does not
require lots of time for the system's calibration.
[0105] Having established a predicted value for the pace of each of
the exercises in a training program, a Gaussian distribution can be
assumed from these average paces, estimating the likelihood of a
particular tempo in an exercise with a typical heart rate zone:
f ( x ) = 1 .sigma. 2 .pi. - ( x - .mu. ) 2 / 2 .sigma. 2
##EQU00005##
[0106] The mean .mu. in this straightforward Gaussian function is
the average estimated pace for an exercise, where as the standard
deviation .sigma. denotes the width of the resulting graph. The
standard deviation can be determined taking in consideration the
estimated tempo of the previous exercise (as it is likely that this
tempo is the tempo at which the current exercise will be started)
and the next exercise (for similar reasons). All of the above takes
into account statistical information on the performances of user
classes (age and gender groups). Also, information from the
training program is used. However, during exercise, data on the
user's performance is logged and this is collected in the feedback
stage, after exercising. This data can be used to make the
distributions more personal.
[0107] First, the average deviation can be determined for certain
types of exercises and this can be used in conjunction with the
statistical information already available to find a better standard
deviation .sigma. for this class of exercises. Also the mean tempo
.mu. in the function can be determined much more precise when
taking into account the user's performance. An effective way to
perform this combination would be to generate a real curve from the
user's performance and average out this curve with the one already
created before. The same process can be applied to the user's
fatigue curve. In this way, the prediction of tempo is getting more
and more precise with each new exercise that is completed by the
user.
[0108] Having created more or less precise distributions for each
individual exercise, all these curves can be summed up to one
global distribution for the entire training program. The relative
weight of the exercises can be taken into account. This weight is
determined by looking at the duration of the exercises with respect
to the length of the entire training program. One of the problems
that arises is that some exercise durations may be expressed in
kilometres or target heart rate instead of time. For the distance
duration exercises, the distance may be multiplied with the average
running speed, taking into account the user's fatigue curve. For
target heart rate, the user's fatigue curve can be taken into
account as well.
[0109] When a global distribution has been established for the
entire training program, this distribution can be mapped to total
playing time available on a music (player) memory. Preferably, the
total playing time is dependent on the amount of space on the
memory and the average compression level for individual songs.
Matching this graph can be made one of the constraints that songs
need to satisfy in the Preparation stage 1, see FIG. 2.
User Interface
[0110] In an embodiment of the system, the system allows a user to
stop, skip, pause or resume an exercise in a training program, the
currently playing song in the playlist, and the mode of music
playback. The music player keeps itself strictly to the training
program by playing only music that was pre-selected for individual
exercises and by taking into account the duration of the exercises
or the time it takes to reach a pre-defined performance level. User
control of the music playback is effectuated by the present
invention consisting of a user interface system that provided
access to interactive controls.
[0111] The system starts by playing music that has been
pre-selected for the first exercise. The type of exercise is
conveyed to the user, either by speech synthesis and/or a
textual/display cue. Also, song information is conveyed to the
user, for instance, by display and/or speech synthesis. Exercises
can have a pre-defined fixed duration or can have a variable
duration. In the latter case, the exercise will be prolonged until
a pre-defined level of user performance has been reached or as long
as a pre-defined level of user performance has to be maintained
(see FIG. 1).
[0112] While doing the exercise and listening to music, a user can
pause the music playback and the exercise, for instance, when full
attention is required for other tasks such as crossing a road or
talking to a passer-by. The music and the exercise can be resumed
afterwards. Resumption may mean re-starting an exercise, if the
exercise deals with reaching or maintaining a particular level of
performance. The user is informed about the state of the exercise,
either by display and/or speech synthesis.
[0113] If playback of a particular song is disliked, the user can
skip the currently playing song. Then, a next pre-selected song
will be played back. Choice of this new song may depend on the mode
of playback. Information about the new song is conveyed to the
user. Skipping songs can be done repetitively, until a preferred
song is found. The choice of new songs is cyclic, allowing for user
error recovery and full navigation through all songs that are
pre-selected for an exercise.
[0114] The user is informed when an exercise can be ended. Ending
of an exercise means that the pre-defined duration has expired or
the user successfully reached or maintained a particular level of
performance. This information can be conveyed by an auditory cue, a
vibratory cue, a textual/display cue, a LED-light cue, or by
changing properties of the music playback (e.g., slowing down,
softer). The user then decides to move on to the next exercise by
skipping the current exercise. The user may also decide to stay
with the current exercise; after a short period, the device will
re-start the current exercise. At all times, the user can decide to
skip the current exercise, even if the exercise has not been ended
yet. Moving on to the next exercise is cyclic. If one is at the
last exercise in the training program, the next exercise will be
the first one in the program. This cyclic nature allows for user
error recovery and full navigation. Other embodiments of the system
may have only some of the feature described above.
[0115] The electronic device 21 of the invention comprises
electronic circuitry 23, see FIG. 3. The electronic circuitry 23 is
operative to select a subset of content items from a collection of
content items in dependency of feedback gathered during a previous
physical activity of a person, the subset being smaller than the
collection of content items and the feedback comprising information
regarding the previous physical activity. The electronic device 21
may stationary or portable. The electronic device 21 may be, for
example, a content reproduction device for reproducing content
while the person is performing the physical activity, e.g. a
portable music player, or a device for transferring content items
to the content reproduction device or to a memory for use in the
content reproduction device. The electronic device 21 may comprise
an input 25, e.g. a USB port or a network connection, for receiving
the subset of content items. The electronic device 21 may comprise
an output 25, e.g. a USB port or a network connection, for
transferring the subset of content items to a content reproduction
device or to a memory for use in a content reproduction device. The
electronic device 21 may comprise a (fixed or removable) storage
means 31, e.g. a hard disk, solid-state memory and/or an optical
disc reader. The storage means 31 may store the collection of
content items, the subset of content items and/or the gathered
feedback, for example. The electronic device 21 may comprise a
reproduction means 29, e.g. a speaker, a tactile feedback
generator, a display or a lamp, for reproducing the subset of
content items. The electronic circuitry 23 may be, for example, a
general-purpose or application-specific processor. Software can be
used to make the electronic circuitry 23 operative to perform the
method of the invention.
[0116] While the invention has been described in connection with
preferred embodiments, it will be understood that modifications
thereof within the principles outlined above will be evident to
those skilled in the art, and thus the invention is not limited to
the preferred embodiments but is intended to encompass such
modifications. The invention resides in each and every novel
characteristic feature and each and every combination of
characteristic features. Reference numerals in the claims do not
limit their protective scope. Use of the verb "to comprise" and its
conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements other than
those stated in the claims. Use of the article "a" or "an"
preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality
of such elements.
[0117] `Means`, as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art,
are meant to include any hardware (such as separate or integrated
circuits or electronic elements) or software (such as programs or
parts of programs) which perform in operation or are designed to
perform a specified function, be it solely or in conjunction with
other functions, be it in isolation or in co-operation with other
elements. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware
comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably
programmed computer. `Software` is to be understood to mean any
software product stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a
floppy disk, downloadable via a network, such as the Internet, or
marketable in any other manner.
* * * * *