Training program customization using sensor-equipped athletic garments

Abstract

An exercise feedback system monitors the performance of athletes wearing a garment with sensors while exercising. The sensors generate physiological data such as muscle activation data, heart rate data, or data describing the athlete's movement. The system extracts features from the physiological data and compares the features with reference exercise data to determine metrics of performance and biofeedback. Based on the physiological data, the system may also modify exercise training programs for the athlete. The exercise feedback system can display the biofeedback using visuals or audio, as well as modified exercise training programs, via the athlete's client device in real time while the athlete is exercising. By reviewing the biofeedback, the athlete may correct the athlete's exercise form to properly use the target muscles for the exercise, or change the certain workouts to personalize the training program.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 generating an exercise training program for a user including a first exercise;   establishing an interface between a garment and the user, the garment comprising a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the garment and in proximity to a plurality of muscles of the user during use, the garment further comprising signal transmission architecture that communicatively couples the plurality of sensors to a processing unit;   at a processor in communication with the processing unit, receiving physiological data from the garment worn by the user upon transmission of one or more signal streams from the processing unit, the physiological data describing muscle activation of one or more muscles of the plurality of muscles of the user while performing the first exercise;   comparing, for each muscle of the one or more muscles associated with the first exercise, a contribution of the muscle to reference data associated with the muscle for the first exercise;   determining a sequence of the one or more muscles associated with the first exercise based on timing differences among events of muscle activation of the one or more muscles;   comparing the determined sequence to a reference sequence associated with the first exercise;   identifying a second exercise to include in the exercise training program, the second exercise configured to reduce a difference between the contributions of the one or more muscles and the reference data or a difference between the determined sequence and the reference sequence;   modifying the exercise training program to include the second exercise; and   upon modification of the exercise training program, providing information representative of the modified exercise training program to a client device for display to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the exercise training program is generated based on user information describing an athletic skill that the user wants to improve. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the user information further describes at least one of a sport played by the user, demographic information about the user, and a history of injuries of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the exercise training program is generated based on input from another user associated with another client device, wherein the other user is a coach for the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the exercise training program includes a plurality of exercises scheduled over a duration of time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first exercise and the second exercise is associated with a weight, a number of repetitions, and a number of sets. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying at least one of a weight, a number of repetitions, and a number of sets of the first exercise.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying the exercise training program by removing a third exercise from the exercise training program.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying the exercise training program based on previously recorded physiological data of the user.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the events of muscle activation includes one or more of start of muscle activation, end of muscle activation, and peak amplitude of muscle activation. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 establishing an interface between a garment and a user, the garment comprising a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the garment and in proximity to a plurality of muscles of the user during use, the garment further comprising signal transmission architecture that communicatively couples the plurality of sensors to a processing unit;   at a processor in communication with the processing unit, receiving physiological data from the garment worn by the user upon transmission of one or more signal streams from the processing unit, the physiological data describing muscle activation of one or more muscles of the plurality of muscles of the user;   comparing, for each muscle of the one or more muscles, a contribution of the muscle to reference data associated with the muscle;   determining a sequence of the one or more muscles based on timing differences among events of muscle activation of the one or more muscles;   comparing the determined sequence to a reference sequence;   generating an exercise training program to reduce a difference between the contributions of the one or more muscles and the reference data or a difference between the determined sequence and the reference sequence; and   providing the exercise training program to a client device for display to the user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the exercise training program includes one or more exercises. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the exercise training program is generated based on user information describing an athletic skill that the user wants to improve. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the user information further describes at least one of a sport played by the user, demographic information about the user, and a history of injuries of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the exercise training program is generated based on input from another user associated with another client device, wherein the other user is a coach for the user. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one exercise in the exercise training program is associated with a weight, a number of repetitions, and a number of sets. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 generate an exercise training program for a user including a first exercise;   establish an interface between a garment and the user, the garment comprising a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the garment and in proximity to a plurality of muscles of the user during use, the garment further comprising signal transmission architecture that communicatively couples the plurality of sensors to a processing unit;   receive physiological data from the garment worn by the user upon transmission of one or more signal streams from the processing unit, the physiological data describing muscle activation of one or more muscles of the plurality of muscles of the user while performing the first exercise;   compare, for each muscle of the one or more muscles associated with the first exercise, a contribution of the muscle to reference data associated with the muscle for the first exercise;   determine a sequence of the one or more muscles associated with the first exercise based on timing differences among events of muscle activation of the one or more muscles;   compare the determined sequence to a reference sequence associated with the first exercise;   identify a second exercise to include in the exercise training program, the second exercise configured to reduce a difference between the contributions of the one or more muscles and the reference data or a difference between the determined sequence and the reference sequence;   modify the exercise training program to include the second exercise; and   upon modification of the exercise training program, provide information representative of the modified exercise training program to a client device for display to the user.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the exercise training program is generated based on user information describing an athletic skill that the user wants to improve. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the user information further describes at least one of a sport played by the user, demographic information about the user, and a history of injuries of the user. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first exercise and the second exercise is associated with a weight, a number of repetitions, and a number of sets.