System and method for monitoring the use of an exercise apparatus

Abstract

A smart phone or other portable device ( 104, 106, 108 ) is used to identify exercises, moves or other tricks performed by a user of sporting equipment such as an exercise apparatus ( 110, 112, 114 ). The device may be on the user or mounted as part of the equipment. A gyroscope, accelerometer or other type of sensor ( 138 ) is used to recognize actions performed with the apparatus, such as flips, spins or other tricks performed with bicycles, pogo sticks, and the like. Feedback on the exercise performance may be provided to the user and/or published on a social networking website ( 102, 150 ). The device may act as a training aid, providing quality scores and data regarding the exercises. The device may be integrated into the body of the equipment. A processor ( 126 ) may monitor movements of the equipment. Such movements may be classified as a specific type of trick.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first sensor;   a second sensor configured to sense a displacement of the apparatus;   an output device configured to output feedback relating to movements of the apparatus;   a memory configured to store a database of exercise signatures, each exercise signature identifying a displacement that is characteristic of a corresponding exercise; and   a processor, coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:   detect that a jump is performed, the detection being based on a signal from one of the first sensor and the second sensor;   produce, based on signal from the second sensor, a signature for a movement of the apparatus during the jump, the signature indicating a displacement of the apparatus that occurred as a result of the movement;   classify the movement as a specific type of trick by comparing the signature for the movement to the database of exercise signatures; and   output feedback for presentation to one or more users, the feedback depending on the type of trick which the movement is classified as.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the memory is configured to store a scoring model for tricks performed using the exercise apparatus, and   the processor is further configured to calculate a score based on the signature for the movement and the scoring model.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein, the processor is further configured to transmit at least one of the score and the signature for the movement to a remote server. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the displacement indicated by the signature for the movement is one of a vertical displacement, a horizontal displacement, and an angular displacement of the apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the signature for the movement also indicates at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the apparatus further comprises a handlebar, the first sensor senses whether a user is touching a part of the handlebar, and the signature also indicates whether the user is touching the part of the handlebar.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is one of a pogo stick, skateboard, bicycle, and skate. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a portable computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is integrated into an exercise apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 detecting, by a device associated with an exercise apparatus, a start of a trick being performed using the exercise apparatus;   obtaining, by the device, an indication of a displacement of the device that occurred as a result of a movement of the device during the trick using the exercise apparatus; and   classifying, by a processor, the movement as a specific type of trick based on the indication of displacement of the device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the device is connected to the exercise apparatus or is disposed within the exercise apparatus. 
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the start of the trick being performed is detected based on a vertical displacement of the device exceeding a threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising calculating a score that is associated with the indication of the displacement of the device. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the device, that:   (i) a sensor is associated with the exercise apparatus, and   (ii) the sensor is available to feed data to the device;   wherein the obtaining of the indication of the displacement of the device includes receiving the indication of the displacement from the sensor.   
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a server, an indication of displacement of a device that occurred as a result of a movement of the device during a trick performed using an exercise apparatus associated with the device;   classifying, by the server, the movement as a type of trick based on the indication of displacement; and   publishing, by the server, on a web-site, an indication of the type of trick which the movement is classified as and a score that is based on the indication of displacement.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the device is associated with a user, the method further comprising:
 updating, by the server, a record containing information relating to past tricks performed by the user to include information about the movement;   recalculating, based on the indication of displacement, a statistical measure that is associated with the performance of the past tricks by the user; and   publishing, by the sever, via the web-site, the statistical measure.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the server, an indication whether a user is touching a portion of the exercise apparatus during the trick; and   wherein the movement is classified based on the indication of whether the user is touching the portion of the exercise apparatus.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising ranking, by the server, a user associated with the device in relation to other users, the ranking being based on the indication of displacement. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the server is further configured to provide a trick application to a portable device of a user, the trick application being configured to perform at least one of data collection from sensors associated with the exercise apparatus, processing of the collected data, and presentation of an indication of the collected data to the user. 
     
     
         26 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . An apparatus comprising:
 an interface for connecting to a device via a communications network;   a memory for storing a database of exercise signatures, each signature identifying a displacement that is characteristic of a corresponding exercise; and   a processor, coupled to the interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:   receive from the device, over the communications network, a signature of a movement of a device that occurred during a trick performed using an exercise apparatus;   classify the movement as a specific type of trick by comparing the signature to the database of exercise signatures that is stored in the memory; and   publish on a web-site, an indication of the type of exercise which the movement is classified and a score that is based on the signature.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the memory is configured to store a record containing information relating to past exercises performed by a user and the processor is further configured to:
 update the record to include information about the movement; 
 recalculate, based on the received signature, a statistical measure that is associated with the performance of tricks by the user; and 
 publish via the web-site, the statistical measure. 
 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the signature includes an indication whether a user is touching a portion of the exercise apparatus during the trick and the processor is further configured to classify the movement based on the indication of whether the user is touching the portion of the exercise apparatus. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the processor is further configured to update a ranking of a user associated with the device in relation to other users, the ranking being based on the signature. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a trick application to a portable device of a user, the trick application being configured to perform at least one of data collection from sensors associated with the exercise apparatus, processing of the collected data, and presentation of an indication of the collected data to a user. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the trick application is provided upon purchase of the exercise apparatus. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide an update of the trick application to the portable device.