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.

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.