System and method for interactive fitness and sport experience

Abstract

Fitness equipment includes an electric motor and an end effector coupled to the electric motor. The electric motor is configured to interact with a user during performance of an exercise task by the user, and the electric motor is operable to provide a force to the end effector. The fitness equipment also includes a sensor configured to measure an attribute of performance of a game task by the user and circuitry programmed to simulate an action in a virtual game based on both the attribute of the performance of the game task by the user and an attribute of the performance of the exercise task by the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Fitness equipment comprising:
 an electric motor;   an end effector coupled to the electric motor and configured to interact with a user during performance of an exercise task by the user, wherein the electric motor is operable to provide a force to the end effector;   a sensor configured to measure an attribute of performance of a game task by the user; and   circuitry programmed to simulate an action in a virtual game based on both the attribute of the performance of the game task by the user and an attribute of the performance of the exercise task by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The fitness equipment of  claim 1 , further comprising a screen, wherein the circuitry is programmed to cause the screen to display a visualization of the action. 
     
     
         3 . The fitness equipment of  claim 1 , further comprising a golf club, wherein:
 the sensor is coupled to the golf club; and   the virtual game is a golf game.   
     
     
         4 . The fitness equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further programmed to:
 determine a subsequent exercise task based on a simulated result of the action in the virtual game; and   control a tension produced by the electric motor based on the subsequent exercise task.   
     
     
         5 . The fitness equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is programmed to generate an exercise performance score based on the attribute of the performance of the exercise task by the user and a target for the attribute of the performance of the exercise task. 
     
     
         6 . The fitness equipment of  claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is programmed to simulate the action in the virtual game based on the exercise performance score by:
 determining a quality of the action based on the attribute of the performance of the game task; and   degrading or upgrading the quality of the action as a function of the exercise performance score.   
     
     
         7 . The fitness equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the performance of the exercise task is a number of repetitions of the exercise task, a pace associated with the exercise task, a magnitude of the force provided by the electric motor, or a heartrate of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The fitness equipment of  claim 1 , comprising a force plate configured to support the user during performance of the exercise task or the game task, wherein the force plate is configured provide a force measurement, wherein the attribute of the performance of the game task or the attribute of the performance of the exercise task is based on the force measurement. 
     
     
         9 . The fitness equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the electric motor is configured to provide exercise data to the circuitry, and wherein the circuitry is programmed to determine the attribute of the performance of the exercise task by the user based on the exercise data from the electric motor. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating fitness equipment, comprising:
 measuring, by a first sensor of the fitness equipment, a first attribute of performance of an exercise task by a user interacting with the fitness equipment;   measuring, by the first sensor or a second sensor of the fitness equipment, a second attribute of performance of a game task by the user, the exercise task and the game task performed at different times; and   simulating, by the fitness equipment, an action in a virtual game based on both the first attribute and the second attribute.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the virtual game is a golf game; and   simulating the action in the virtual game comprises:
 determining a distance or accuracy of a virtual shot in the golf game based on the second attribute; and 
 adjusting the distance or accuracy of the virtual shot in the golf game based on the first attribute. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein measuring the second attribute comprises monitoring a swing of a golf club associated with the game task, and wherein the exercise task is distinct from the swing of the golf club. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein simulating the action in the virtual game comprises:
 determining an exercise performance score by comparing the first attribute to a target for the first attribute;   determining a quality of the action based on the second attribute; and   adjusting the quality of the action as a function of the exercise performance score.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first attribute is a heartrate of the user and the target is a target heartrate value or target heartrate zone, the method further comprising determining the target heartrate value or target heartrate zone based on the exercise task. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first attribute is a pace of the exercise task and the first sensor is configured measure movement of a component of the fitness equipment to determine the pace of the performance of the exercise task by the user. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising performing a comparison of the pace of the performance of the exercise task by the user to a target value or range, wherein simulating the action is based on the comparison. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising enabling the performance of the exercise task by controlling a force feedback by the fitness equipment based on the exercise task. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising automatically selecting a subsequent exercise task based on a result of the action in the virtual game and controlling a motor of the fitness equipment based on the subsequent exercise task to enable the user to perform the subsequent exercise task. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving a user selection to retry the action in the virtual game; and   operating the fitness equipment to provide an additional task associated with retrying the action in the virtual game.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising simulating an additional action in the virtual game based on a third attribute of performance of the exercise task by an additional user and a fourth attribute of performance of the game task by the additional user, wherein the action and the additional action provide competition between the user and the additional user in the virtual game.