Exercise device independent, variable display rate visual exercise system

Abstract

An exercise device independent, variable display rate visual exercise system uses a sensor to sense repetitive movements or other physical functions of the user. A computing device-readable medium containing computing device executable instructions which, when run on a computing device, cause the computing device to receive a user-exercise signal related to a user-exercise level, determine a modified frame-display time for a visual-image stream in response to the user-exercise signal, and provide the modified frame-display time to a visual-image stream player. Determining the modified frame-display time may include instructions that determine a user-exercise level in response to the user-exercise signal, receive a camera-mount speed and a native frame-display time for a recorded visual-image stream, correlate the camera-mount speed and the user-exercise level, and modify the native frame-display time in response to the correlation to produce the modified frame-display time. These instructions permit the visual-image stream player when playing the visual-image stream to dynamically change the frame-display time as a function of the user-exercise level.

1 . A method of displaying a pre-recorded visual-image stream having a plurality of sequential visual images, comprising: 
 sensing a repetitive user physical function and generating a user-exercise signal in response thereto;    determining a user-exercise level in response to the user-exercise signal;    providing a series of visual images having at least one presentation rate value associated therewith, the series of visual images being viewable as a visual-image stream; and    dynamically adjusting a frame-display time for a series of visual images as a function of the determined user-exercise level and the at least one presentation rate value.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of dynamically adjusting a frame-display time further comprises: 
 receiving native frame-display times for the visual-image stream comprising a series of visual images;    correlating the presentation rate value and the user-exercise level; and    modifying the native frame-display time in response to the correlation to produce the modified frame-display time.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of sensing a repetitive user physical action includes mounting a sensor on the user and sensing user-exercise signals produced by the sensor.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of sensing a repetitive user physical action includes providing a non-contact sensor for monitoring repetitive user physical function and sensing user-exercise signals produced by the sensor.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein display of at least one of the visual images is omitted to simulate a speed higher than the presentation rate value.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the user-exercise level is determined by reference to a look-up table.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the user-exercise level is determined using an algorithm.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of correlating the presentation rate value and the user-exercise level comprises calculating a ratio of values representative of the presentation rate value and the user-exercise level.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the presentation rate value is embedded in the visual-image stream data.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the presentation rate value is provided by the user.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the video-image stream is retrieved from a computer-readable medium and wherein the presentation rate value is retrieved from the medium.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the visual-image stream is stored on a computing device-readable medium and the presentation rate value is stored in association with the visual-image stream on the medium.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the visual-image stream includes visual-image stream portions representing alternative paths and wherein the alternative paths are chosen in response to a user input.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the visual-image stream includes visual-image stream portions representing alternative paths and wherein the alternative paths are chosen in response to program context.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 2  wherein supplemental data is output to the user in response to the occurrence of a predetermined condition.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the supplemental data is selected from the group consisting of still images, text information and audio information.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising the steps of: 
 sending system information for the system to a second system being used by a second user indicative of the location of the user of the system in the video image stream;    receiving system information from the second system being used by the second user indicative of the location of the second user in the video image stream of the second system;    displaying course completion information for the second user to the user of the system.    
   
   
       18 . A computing device-readable medium containing computing device-executable instructions which, when run on a computing device, cause the computing device to: 
 input a user-exercise signal;    determine a user-exercise level in response to the user-exercise signal;    display a series of visual images having at least one presentation rate value associated therewith, the series of visual images being viewable as a visual-image stream; and    dynamically adjusting a frame-display time for a series of visual images as a function of the user-exercise level and the at least one presentation rate value.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the step of dynamically adjusting a frame-display time further comprises: 
 receiving native frame-display times for the visual-image stream comprising a series of visual images;    correlating the presentation rate value and the user-exercise level; and    modifying the native frame-display time in response to the correlation to produce the modified frame-display time.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18  further comprising a sensor mountable on a user for producing a user-exercise signal.  
   
   
       21 . A system for use by exercisers comprising: 
 a sensor for sensing a repetitive physical function of a user and outputting a user-exercise signal in response thereto;    a visual-image stream player for outputting a visual-image stream displayable on a video output device, the visual-image stream being created from data stored on a medium readable by the visual-image stream player;    a computing device;    a set of instructions executable by the computing device for determining a user-exercise level in response to user-exercise signals output by the sensor and dynamically adjusting a frame-display time of frames of the visual-image stream in response to the user-exercise level.