Exercise systems in virtual environment

Abstract

An exercise system includes at least two exercise modules and is arranged to allow multiple users performing exercises on, with or against the modules in different locations while performing at least one preset task defined in a context of a story, a scenery or a video (or computer) game each in turn preferably defined in a virtual environment. The exercise system generally generates the task of the story, scenery or game in images of the virtual environment and simulates the exercising users as simulated user in such images, while allowing the users to manipulate the simulated users for attaining a goal of the task based on features related with the exercises performed by the user or allowing the task to manipulate operations of the modules based on the features. The execs system includes at least two output modules each including a visual unit to provide the images for the task to each user and an olfactory or tactile unit to provide smell or tactile sensation to the user, respectively.

1 . An exercise system which is configured to provide at least two users with at least one preset task of at least one of a story, a scenery, a video game, and a computer game each of which defines a preset task goal and is provided in images of at least one virtual environment, to allow said users to simultaneously perform exercises, to relate at least one first feature of one of said exercises with at least one second feature of another of said exercises, and to one of directly and indirectly manipulate said second feature at least partly based upon said first feature comprising:
 a first standard exercise module corresponding to at least one of a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth exercise module each configured to allow a first user to perform a first exercise at least one of thereon, therewith, and thereagainst while consuming energy thereof during said first exercise, wherein said first exercise module is configured to allow said first user to perform said first exercise at least one of on, with, and against at least one portion thereof, wherein said second exercise module is configured to define at least one preset load, to incorporate therein at least one actuating part operatively coupling to said load and contacting at least one body part of said first user, and to allow said user to perform said first exercise by contacting said actuating part and moving said actuating part against said load while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said third exercise module is configured to include therein at least one track translating along a preset direction and to allow said first user to perform said first exercise of at least one of walking and running on said track while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said fourth exercise module is configured to include at least one rotation axis, to define at least one preset load, to include therein at least one pedal coupling with said load and rotating about said axis, and to allow said first user to perform said first exercise of rotating said pedal against said load while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said fifth exercise module is configured to include therein at least one movable weight, and to allow said first user to perform said first exercise of at least one of translating, reciprocating, pivoting, rotating, and moving said weight while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said sixth exercise module is configured to define at least one central point, to define at least one preset load, to include therein at least one lever coupling with said load and pivoting about said point, and to allow said first user to perform said first exercise of at least one of reciprocating, translating, pivoting, rotating, displacing, and moving said lever about said point against said load while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said seventh exercise module is configured to incorporate therein at least one belt capable of enclosing at least one body part of said first user therearound, and to allow said first user to perform said first exercise of vibrating said body part while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said eighth exercise module is configured to define a preset load, to include therein at least one pad capable of coupling to said load and at least one of moving and deforming in response to energy supplied by said user thereonto, and to allow said first user to perform said first exercise of at least one of translating, reciprocating, rotating, pivoting, deforming, pushing, and pulling at least a portion of said pad against said load while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said ninth exercise module is configured to define at least one preset load, to incorporate therein at least one handle operatively coupling with said load, and to allow said first user to perform said first exercise of at least one of translating, displacing, reciprocating, rotating, pivoting, and moving said handle against said load while consuming said energy during said first exercise, wherein said first exercise defines a first type and a first extent, wherein said first standard exercise module is disposed in a first location, and wherein said first feature is related to at least one of said task, said first user, said first exercise, and at least one operation of said first standard exercise module;   a second standard exercise module corresponding to at least one of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth exercise module each of which is configured to allow a second user to perform a second exercise at least one of thereon, therewith, and thereagainst while consuming energy thereof during said second exercise, wherein said second exercise is configured to define a second type and a second extent which are one of the same as, similar to, and different from said first type and extent, respectively, wherein said second exercise module is disposed in a second location which is one of the same as and different from said first location in which said first standard exercise module is disposed, wherein said second feature is related to at least one of said task, said second user, said second exercise, and at least one operation of said second standard exercise module, and wherein said second standard exercise module is configured to be operatively coupled to said first standard exercise module through one of a local network and a global network one of indirectly and directly and to allow said first and second users to simultaneously perform said exercises;   at least one output module which includes at least two visual units and at least one of at least one olfactory unit and at least one tactile unit, wherein each of said visual units is disposed in a preset disposition and arrangement and is configured to display said images to each of said users, wherein said olfactory unit is configured to provide smell for said virtual environment, to said user and wherein said tactile unit is configured to provide sensation of said virtual environment to said user; and   at least one control module which is configured to operatively couple with said output module and at least one of said standard exercise modules one of directly and indirectly, to provide said task in said images of said virtual environment, to display said images on said visual units, to assign at least one preset goal to said task, to monitor at least one of said first feature and second feature, to relate one of said first and second features to another thereof at least partly based upon at least one preset relation one of stored therein, generated thereby, and supplied thereto by at least one of said users, and to perform manipulation of one of said first and second features at least partly based on another of said features, while providing at least one of said smells and sensation,   wherein said control module is configured to provide said relation as well as to perform said manipulation not only when said types and extents of said first and second exercises are identical to each other but also when said types and extents of said first and second exercises are not identical to each other based on at least one of said first and second features, thereby allowing said first and second users to compete for accomplishing said task goal while simultaneously performing said first and second exercises respectively in said first and second locations.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said relation relates said first feature of a preset characteristic related with at least one of said first user, first exercise, and operation of said first standard exercise module with said second feature of said preset characteristic related with at least one of said second user, second exercise, and operation of said second standard exercise module. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said relation is configured to relate said first feature defining one characteristic which is related with at least one of said first user, first exercise, and operation of said first standard exercise module with said second feature defining a different characteristic which is then related with at least one of said second user, second exercise, and operation of said second standard exercise module. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said control module is configured to convert said first feature from a first unit into a second different unit and to perform said manipulation based upon said relation which is configured to compare said converted first feature with said second feature. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said relation is configured to relate said first feature defining one characteristic which is related with at least one of said first user, first exercise, and operation of said first standard exercise module with said second feature having said characteristic which is then related to at least one of said second user, second exercise, and operation of said second standard exercise module. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said control module is further configured to manipulate at least one of said first and second features at least partly based upon another thereof, whereby said users simultaneously proceed along said task for said goal while simultaneously performing said exercises at least one of on, with, and against said standard exercise modules which are incorporated in said locations and whereby said control module manipulates said another feature of one of said task and standard exercise modules one of directly and indirectly at least partly based upon at least one of said relation and monitored feature while communicating with at least one of said visual units and standard exercise module through one of said local global networks encompassing said locations. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first feature corresponds to said feature of at least one of said first exercise and first user and wherein said second feature corresponds to said feature of said task, whereby said control module is configured to manipulate said task at least partly based upon at least one of said exercises and users. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first feature corresponds to said feature of said task and wherein said second feature corresponds to said feature of said operation, and wherein said control module is configured to manipulate said operation of at least one of said standard exercise modules at least partly based on said task performed by at least one of said users. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said control module is also configured to simulate at least one of said users as at least one simulated user, to incorporate said simulated user in said images for said virtual environment, and to allow said at least one of said users to perform said feature of said task by manipulating said simulated user at least partly based on said feature of at least one of said exercises and users. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said control module is configured to be disposed in one of said locations and to communicate with at least one of said standard exercise modules disposed in another of said locations for said manipulation one of wirelessly and through wire. 
   
   
       11 . An exercise system which is configured to connect a plurality of locations, to incorporate at least one exercise module in each of said locations, to define at least one preset task of at least one of a story, a scenery, a video game, and a computer game each defining a preset goal and provided in images for at least one virtual environment, and to allow each of a plurality of users to simultaneously perform exercises at least one of on, with, and against each of said exercise modules in each of said locations while competing each other in said images for said goal of said task at least partly based on said exercises performed by said users comprising:
 a first exercise module which is disposed in a first location and configured to allow a first user to perform a first exercise while consuming energy thereof during said first exercise, wherein a first feature is related with at least one of said first user, first exercise, and at least one operation of said first exercise module;   a second exercise module which is disposed in a second and different location different and configured to allow a second user to perform a second exercise while consuming energy thereof during said second exercise, wherein said second feature is related with at least one of said second user, second exercise, and at least one operation of said second exercise module, and wherein said second exercise module is configured to form an operative coupling to said first exercise module via one of a local network and a global network one of indirectly and directly, thereby allowing said first and second users to simultaneously perform said exercises while maintaining said coupling through said network;   at least one output module which includes at least two visual units and at least one of at least one olfactory unit and at least one tactile unit, wherein each of said visual units is disposed in a preset disposition and arrangement and is configured to display said images to each of said users, wherein said olfactory unit is configured to provide smell for said virtual environment, to said user and wherein said tactile unit is configured to provide sensation of said virtual environment to said user; and   at least one control module which is configured to operatively couple with at least one of said output module and exercise modules one of directly and indirectly, to provide said task in said images, to display said images on said visual units, to assign at least one goal to said task, to be disposed in at least one of said first and second locations, to monitor at least one of said first and second features, to relate one of said first and second exercises to another based on at least one preset relation, and to perform manipulation of at least one of said features at least partly based on at least one another feature,   wherein said control module is configured to provide said relation as well as to perform said manipulation not only when said types and extents of said first and second exercises are identical to each other but also when said types and extents of said first and second exercises are not identical to each other based on at least one of said first and second features, thereby allowing said first and second users to compete for accomplishing said task goal while simultaneously performing said first and second exercises respectively in said first and second locations.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said relation relates said first feature of a first characteristic related with at least one of said first user, first exercise, and operation of said first exercise module with said second feature of said first characteristic which is related with at least one of said second user, second exercise, and operation of said second exercise module. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said relation is configured to relate said first feature defining one characteristic related with at least one of said first user, first exercise, and operation of said first exercise module with said second feature defining a different characteristic which is related with at least one of said second user, second exercise, and operation of said second exercise module. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said control module is configured to convert said first feature from a first unit into a second different unit and to perform said manipulation based upon said relation which is configured to compare said converted first feature with said second feature. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said relation is configured to relate said first feature defining one characteristic which is related with at least one of said first user, first exercise, and operation of said first standard exercise module with said second feature having said characteristic which is then related to at least one of said second user, second exercise, and operation of said second standard exercise module. 
   
   
       16 . An exercise system which is configured to operatively connect a plurality of locations via at least one of a local network and a global network, to include at least one exercise module in each of said locations, to define at least one preset task of at least one of a story, a scenery, a video game, and a computer game each defining a preset goal for said task and provided in images for at least one virtual environment, and to allow each of a plurality of users to simultaneously perform exercises at least one of on, with, and against each of said exercise modules disposed in each of said locations while competing each other in said images for said task goal at least partly based on said exercises performed by said users comprising:
 a first exercise module which is configured to define a first exercise type and a first exercise load and to allow a first user to perform a first exercise while consuming energy thereof during said first exercise;   a second exercise module which is configured to define a second exercise type and a second exercise load and to also allow a second user to perform a second exercise while consuming energy thereof during said second exercise, wherein said second exercise module is configured to operative couple with said first exercise module via said network one of indirectly and directly, thereby allowing said first and second users to simultaneously perform said exercises while pursuing said goal of said task;   at least one output module which includes at least two visual units and at least one of at least one olfactory unit and at least one tactile unit, wherein each of said visual units is disposed in a preset disposition and arrangement and is configured to display said images to each of said users, wherein said olfactory unit is configured to provide smell for said virtual environment, to said user and wherein said tactile unit is configured to provide sensation of said virtual environment to said user; and   at least one control module which is configured to operatively couple with at least one of said output module and exercise modules one of directly and indirectly, to define said task goal, to provide said task in said images, to display said images on said visual units, to monitor at least one of said first and second extents and loads as well as extents of said first and second exercises each performed by each of said users, to simulate said users into simulated users included in said images, to relate at least one of said type, load, and extent of said first exercise with at least one of those of said second exercise based on at least one preset relation, and then to perform manipulation of at least one of said simulated users in said images at least partly based on at least one of said types, loads, and extents related to each other by said relation, thereby allowing said users to compete for accomplishing said task goal while simultaneously performing said exercises in said locations regardless of whether said types of said first and second exercises are identical to each other.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said types of said first and second exercises are identical to each other and wherein said control module performs said manipulation at least substantially based on at least one of said loads and extents of said exercises. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said types of said first and second exercises are different from each other and wherein said control module is configured to convert at least one of said extents from one unit to another unit and to perform comparison of said converted extent with another of said extents, thereby performing said manipulation at least substantially based on said comparison. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said control module is configured to perform said manipulation by manipulating said simulated user in said images. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said control module is configured to perform said manipulation not only by manipulating said simulated user in said images but also by manipulating said operation of at least one of said exercise modules based on at least one of said types, loads, and extents.