JP2006323467A - Exercise support system, its exercise support management device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to do exercise at home or the like without leaving and without a feeling of being isolated, thus enabling the user to retain high willingness for exercise and do exercise continuously. <P>SOLUTION: An exercise support system is provided with a plurality of user terminals UT1 to UTn, and a management device CS connectable to the user terminals UT1 to UTn through a communication network NW. The management device CS determines the attendance state of a user expected to do his exercise during a same time zone to prepare an attendance list, and transmits the prepared attendance list to the user terminals UT1 to UTn. Meanwhile, on each of the user terminals UT1 to UTn, exercise content delivered from the management device CS is reproduced, and the attendance list transmitted from the management device CS is received and displayed on a display 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an exercise support system that remotely supports a user's exercise using a communication network, and an exercise support management device and program thereof.

  The fall accident of the elderly occurs mainly due to a decline in physical functions such as a decrease in muscle strength due to aging. Fractures caused by a fall accident can cause various obstacles and can lead to bedridden. In order to prevent falls accidents and prevent fractures and bedridden people, it is important to improve declining body functions by improving muscle strength. For this reason, local governments provide health classes in which elderly people who have a high risk of falling are screened by screening, and those who are at high risk are trained to improve their strength and exercise muscle training. Nearly two-thirds of Japanese people have died of lifestyle-related diseases, and attention is focused on improving lifestyle through appropriate dietary guidance and exercise.

  Thus, exercise habits are very important in order to lead a healthy life, and various systems have been proposed for exercise. For example, a medical institution that preliminarily diagnoses the health of people targeted for prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and provides guidance on both exercise and ingredients, member clubs that support exercise, and stores that provide ingredients cooperate with the subject. There is a system that realizes health maintenance promotion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, personal medical / health information is stored in a database, and this medical / health information is distributed to the health guidance target person via a communication network, thereby providing exercise, health, and nutrition guidance to the health guidance target person. There is also a system (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2003-208475 A

JP 2002-351993 A

  However, the former stores information on a member card possessed by a member using a medical institution terminal, reads the information from the member card, and generates member training information. There is a restriction that you must go to For this reason, a user receives restrictions of time and a place. In general, many elderly people at home do not want to go out, and if they become certified care recipients of long-term care insurance, going out itself can be labor intensive, and in some cases, it is necessary to use a pick-up car. In addition, middle-aged and elderly people who are at high risk of lifestyle-related diseases are often busy with their work and often do not go to training sites regularly.

  On the other hand, although the latter provides medical / health information corresponding to individual users, the information is simply distributed, so it is used in the same way as when viewing a gymnastic program such as a television broadcast or a radio broadcast. Because the individual exercises individually, there is a problem that it is easy to feel a sense of isolation and it is difficult for the exercise to last long.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above circumstances, and its purpose is to allow the user to exercise without feeling isolated while staying at home, etc. It is an object to provide an exercise support system, an exercise support device, and a program that keep a high motivation and enable continuous exercise.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an exercise support system comprising a plurality of user terminals each used by a user and a management device connectable to these user terminals via a communication network. Then, the management device selects a user who plans to exercise during the same time period among the plurality of users. Then, the presence / absence of the selected user is determined to create information representing the attendance status, and the created information representing the attendance status is transmitted to the user terminal of the selected user. On the other hand, in the user terminal, the exercise content is acquired and presented to the user, information indicating the attendance status determination result transmitted from the management device is received, and the received attendance status determination result is received. Information to be displayed is presented to the user.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, since the user can exercise at a predetermined time, there is an advantage that a gentle restraining force is generated and exercise becomes habitual. Information representing the attendance status of a plurality of users who are scheduled to exercise in the same time zone is created by the management device and notified to each user terminal. For this reason, while exercising at home, etc., users can check the attendance status of other users who will be exercising at the same time in other places, fostering a sense of solidarity as friends. It becomes easy and it becomes possible to raise motivation for continuing exercise.

The present invention is also characterized by having various specific configurations as follows.
The first configuration transmits inquiry information for confirming the presence / absence of attendance to the user terminal of the selected user when creating information representing the attendance status. Then, the user's answer information for the inquiry information is received, and the received answer information is totaled to create information representing the attendance status of the selected user.
Therefore, for example, it is possible to check the attendance status of each user in a short time as compared with the case of relying on self-reporting from the user, thereby enabling efficient attendance confirmation.

The second configuration distributes exercise content from a management device to a user terminal of a user who is determined to attend based on the attendance determination result, and the exercise content distributed from the management device at the user terminal Is received and played back.
Therefore, at the user terminal, the athletic content is automatically distributed and reproduced from the management device, so that troublesome operations when acquiring and reproducing the athletic content can be eliminated, and without forgetting. It is possible to exercise. Also, exercise content is distributed from the management device only to the attendees' user terminals. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the management device and reduce the traffic on the communication network as compared with the case where exercise content is distributed unconditionally to all user terminals.

In the third configuration, the management device transmits an instruction to start exercise content to the user terminal of the user who is determined to attend based on the determination result of attendance. On the other hand, the user terminal receives the exercise content activation instruction transmitted from the management apparatus, and reads and reproduces the exercise content from the storage medium according to the received activation instruction.
With such a configuration, it is not necessary to distribute exercise content from the management device. On the other hand, at the user terminal, the exercise content on the storage medium is automatically reproduced in response to the exercise content activation instruction transmitted from the management device. For this reason, the user can eliminate the troublesome operation when reproducing the exercise content, and can exercise without fail.

According to the fourth configuration, the management device is provided with means for setting a conversation communication link between user terminals of users determined to attend based on the determination result of attendance.
By configuring in this way, for example, it is possible to perform conversation communication between users before and after exercise, or during the exercise period, and thereby, it is possible to enjoy conversation between athletic colleagues and encourage each other. Therefore, the willingness to continue exercising can be further increased.

In the fifth configuration, the user terminal captures the user who is exercising during the period when the exercise content is presented, and the user of another user who exercises the exercise image data in the same time zone. In addition to being transmitted to the terminal, the motion image data transmitted from another user terminal is received and presented to the user.
Therefore, the user can see the exercise images of other users who are exercising during the same time period while exercising. For this reason, it becomes easy to cultivate a sense of solidarity as a friend, and it is possible to further increase the willingness to continue exercising.

  In short, in the present invention, in the management device, information indicating the attendance status is created by determining the attendance of users who are scheduled to exercise during the same time period, and the information indicating the attendance status thus created is selected above The information is transmitted to the user terminal of the user and the information is presented to the user.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the user can exercise without feeling a sense of isolation while staying at home or the like, thereby enabling the user to continue exercise while maintaining a high motivation to exercise. A support system, an exercise support device, and a program thereof can be provided.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an exercise support system according to the present invention. The exercise support system according to the first embodiment communicates a plurality of user terminals UT1 to UTn installed in a user's home or the like to a management device CS installed in a health center, a sports club, a fitness club, or the like. Connection is possible via the network NW.

  The communication network NW includes an IP (Internet Protocol) network represented by the Internet and a plurality of access networks for accessing the IP network. As the access network, for example, a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or a wired subscriber network using an optical transmission line, a CATV (Cable Television) network, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) network, a mobile communication network, or a dedicated line network is used. .

The management device CS is constituted by a Web server and has the following functions. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration.
That is, the management device CS includes a CPU 11. A program memory 13 and a database 14 are connected to the CPU 11 via a bus 12, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 15 is further connected.

  The communication I / F 15 performs communication with the user terminals UT1 to UTn according to a communication protocol defined by the communication network NW under the control of the CPU 11. For example, TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) is used as the communication protocol.

The database 14 uses, for example, a hard disk, flash memory, RAM, or the like as a storage medium, and includes a personal data storage area 14a, a schedule data storage area 14b, and an exercise content storage area 14c.
The personal data storage area 14a stores user personal data sent from the user terminals UT1 to UTn. The personal data includes a user membership number, attribute information, and data representing the purpose of exercise. Attribute information includes address, name, age, gender, occupation, family structure, height, weight, exercise history, medical history, diagnosis contents (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.), preferences, comments, etc. as necessary. included. Data representing the purpose of exercise includes lifestyle-related disease prevention, care prevention (fall prevention), diet (weight down, partial thinning (foot, arms, waist, etc.)), muscle strength enhancement, lack of exercise (walking, jogging, stiff shoulders) , Lower back pain, whole body exercises, etc.), refresh (whole body relaxation exercise, elimination of deskwork fatigue, etc.). When the exercise purpose is dieting, in addition to the height and weight, sizes of the chest circumference, waist circumference, waist circumference, thigh, calf, upper arm, etc. may be added to the personal data. Further, the identification number of the group to which the user belongs is added to the personal data.

  The schedule data storage area 14b stores data representing the exercise schedule of each user. The data representing the exercise schedule includes an exercise scenario created for each user based on the personal data and information representing an exercise time zone. The information indicating the exercise time zone is constituted by, for example, a day of the week and time when the exercise content is distributed. As for the time, the distribution start time is determined such as starting from 6 am, starting from 8 am, starting from 9 pm, and starting from 0 pm. With regard to the day of the week, on Saturdays, the morning part starts with a delay of 2 hours, so that the time according to the user's life pattern can be selected. The schedule is set so that different times cannot be selected every day so that the user's exercise becomes a habit.

  In the exercise content storage area 14c, a plurality of exercise content data constituting an exercise scenario is stored. The exercise content data includes, for example, video data obtained by editing a video or text message of a leader, and voice data including voice, music, and BGM of the leader, and meta information is added to each data. Meta information includes its attributes (stretching exercise, aerobic exercise, strength training, ie, resistance exercise, coordination exercise, etc.), exercise intensity, degree of stretch effect, strength improvement and its part, shape up degree and its part, refresh It includes various information such as the degree of relaxation, the degree of relaxation, the degree of fun, the degree of flexibility and its part, the part of the body to be moved (exercising load), what kind of purpose it is suitable for, and what kind of person it is not suitable for . The exercise content data may include a background video.

The program memory 43 stores a personal data management program 13a, a schedule management program 13b, an attendance information management program 13c, a distribution control program 13d, and a conversation communication relay control program 13e.
The personal data management program 13a receives the personal data of the user by communicating with the user terminals UT1 to UTn through the communication I / F 15, and stores the received personal data in the personal data storage area 14a. Execute the process. At the same time, the users are grouped based on the personal data, and group identification information is added to the personal data and stored in the personal data storage area 14a. The purpose of the grouping is, for example, to allow those having similar exercise purposes to exercise in the same time zone.

  The schedule management program 13b creates an optimal exercise scenario for each user based on the personal data stored in the personal data storage area 14a. At the same time, an optimal time zone is set for exercising for each user based on the personal data. Then, the information indicating the created exercise scenario and exercise time zone is stored in the schedule data storage area 14b in association with the user identification information (user ID).

  The attendance information management program 13c selects a user terminal that exercises in the same time zone based on the schedule data stored in the schedule data storage area 14b, and starts exercise for the selected user terminal. Send inquiries about attendance before and after. Then, the response information from the user terminal in response to this inquiry is received, the attendance status of the user is determined, the attendance list of the user is created based on the determination result, and the created attendance list is referred to above. Send to each user terminal.

  The distribution control program 13d selects the user terminal of the attending user based on the attendance status determination result by the attendance information management program 13c, and transmits the exercise content to the selected user terminal. The exercise content to be transmitted is selectively read from the exercise content storage area 14c based on the exercise scenario stored in the schedule data storage area 14b.

  The conversation communication relay control program 13e is for enabling multipoint conference communication between user terminals, and based on the attendance status determination result by the attendance information management program 13c, the attending user terminals can communicate with each other. Set up a conversation communication link between them.

On the other hand, the user terminals UT1 to UTn are composed of personal computers, for example, and have the following functions. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration.
That is, the user terminals UT <b> 1 to UTn include a central processing unit (CPU) 21. The CPU 21 is connected to a program memory 23 and a data memory 24 via a bus 22, and further includes a communication interface (communication I / F) 25, a camera interface (camera I / F) 26, and a display interface (display I / F). 27, a voice input / output interface (voice input / output I / F) 28 and an input interface (input I / F) 29 are connected to each other.

  The communication I / F 25 performs bidirectional communication with the management apparatus CS according to a communication protocol defined by the communication network NW under the control of the CPU 21. For example, TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) is used as the communication protocol.

  The camera I / F 26 captures user image data captured by the camera 30 during the exercise period under the control of the CPU 21. The display I / F 27 displays the received image data of exercise content, the received exercise image data of other users, and the received attendance list on the display 31 under the control of the CPU 21. The display 31 can also display image data obtained by capturing the user himself / herself.

  Under the control of the CPU 21, the voice input / output I / F 28 takes in the user's transmitted voice from the microphone 33 during conversational communication, and receives the received voice signal from the other user terminal as the other party from the speaker 32. Output. The input IF 29 captures data input from an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse.

  The data memory 24 uses, for example, a hard disk, flash memory, RAM, or the like as a storage medium, and includes an exercise content storage area 24a in addition to a work storage area. The exercise content distributed from the management apparatus CS is stored in the exercise content storage area 24a.

  The program memory 23 stores a personal data setting control program 23a, a conversation communication control program 23b, an attendance information presentation control program 23c, and an athletic content presentation control program 23d as application programs for carrying out the present invention. The Among these programs, the conversation communication control program 59b, the attendance information presentation control program 59c, and the exercise content activation control program 59d are downloaded from the management apparatus CS after member registration. Of course, it is possible to read and set up each application program from an external recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a memory card.

  The personal data setting control program 23a accepts input of personal data and exercise purpose data by the user, and transmits the inputted personal data and exercise purpose data from the communication I / F 25 to the management apparatus CS. Execute. For example, a homepage disclosed on the Web is accessed by the management apparatus CS in response to a user's operation, and personal data input by the user and data representing the purpose of exercise are received on the homepage input screen. In addition, prior membership registration is required to access the homepage, and the homepage can be accessed by inputting a user ID and password given from the management apparatus CS by this membership registration.

The conversation communication control program 23b is a process for performing voice communication using the microphone 33 and the speaker 32 with other user terminals that exercise during the same time period before and after the exercise. Execute.
The attendance information presentation control program 23c receives the attendance list sent from the management device CS. Then, a process for displaying the received attendance list on the display 31 is executed.

  The exercise content presentation control program 23d receives the exercise content distributed from the management device CS via the communication I / F 25 and stores it in the exercise content storage area 24a. At the same time, image data and character data constituting the exercise content are displayed on the display 31 by the display I / F 27, and voice data such as instruction voice and BGM is output from the speaker 32.

  The display 31 may be a display attached to the user terminals UT1 to UTn, but a television receiver or a video projector provided separately may be used. In addition, when performing yoga or stretching exercises, it is necessary for the user to look at the display while lying down or maintaining a bending pose. Therefore, a head-mounted display device is preferable. In addition, the type, shape, and size of the display device are not particularly limited.

Next, the operation of the exercise support system configured as described above will be described. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing control procedures and control contents of the management apparatus CS and the user terminals UT1 to UTn.
The management device CS publishes a homepage for guiding the provision of the exercise support service on the Web in step S1. On this home page, membership recruitment guidelines, explanation of facilities, contents of available exercises, etc. are presented. For example, when a health center, a sports club, or a fitness club operates the management apparatus CS, a plurality of types of exercise scenarios are prepared in advance for various purposes expected by the user.

  Possible exercise scenarios include “diet exercises”, “lifestyle disease prevention exercises”, “care prevention exercises”, “health maintenance exercises”, “exercise exercises to eliminate lack of exercise”, “yoga”, and the like. For example, taking the “diet gymnastics” scenario as an example, there are various types of “diet gymnastics” such as “foot-lifting gymnastics”, “bust-up gymnastics”, and “fat burning gymnastics”. The exercise content data necessary for constructing is stored in advance in the exercise content storage area 14c.

  On the other hand, when using the exercise support service, it is assumed that the user performs an operation for opening a corresponding homepage on the Web on his user terminal (for example, UT1). Then, the CPU 21 of the user terminal UT1 activates the browser function in step S2 to access the homepage, downloads the display data of the member registration screen, and displays it on the display 31. In this state, it is assumed that the user performs an input operation for member registration on the member registration screen. Then, the CPU 21 takes in the personal data such as the user's name, address, age, gender and the like input in step S3 and data representing the purpose of exercise, and these data are received from the communication I / F 25 in step S4 from the communication device CS. Send to.

  On the other hand, when receiving the input data for member registration from the user terminal UT1 in step S5, the management device CS issues a user ID and a password to the user requesting registration in step S6. The issued user ID and password are transmitted to the user terminal UT1 in step S7. The received personal data and exercise purpose data are stored in the personal data storage area 14a in the database 14 in step S8. The user terminal UT1 receives and stores the user ID and password sent from the management device CS in step S10.

  When the registration of personal data is completed by transmitting the user ID and password, the management device CS continues in step S9 with a program necessary for the user to use the exercise support service provided by the system. Download to the user terminal UT1. The downloaded programs include a conversation communication control program 23b, an attendance information presentation control program 23c, and an athletic content presentation control program 23d. On the other hand, the user terminal UT1 receives each program downloaded from the management device CS in step S11, and stores each received program in the program memory 23.

  Registration of personal data of the user is also performed between the other user terminals UT2 to UTn who intend to use the exercise support service of this system and the management apparatus CS according to the same procedure as in the case of the user terminal UT1. Processing and download processing of a program necessary for using the exercise support service provided by this system are performed.

  When the user is registered as a member, the management apparatus CS analyzes the personal data of each user stored in the personal data storage area 14a and the data representing the exercise purpose, and the exercise schedule for each user. Create For example, when there are a plurality of users who desire the same time zone and have a common exercise purpose, a group is formed by these users and a common schedule is created for the group. Even when there are a plurality of users having similar ages and preferences even if they do not have a common exercise purpose, a group is formed by these users and a common schedule is created for this group.

  It should be noted that a user who desires the same time zone may randomly select a plurality of users to form a group, or may not particularly form a group. Furthermore, when the exercise purpose, age, physical fitness, etc. of a plurality of users belonging to the same group are different, different schedules can be created for these users.

  The created schedule data is stored in the schedule data storage area 14b of the management apparatus CS. At the same time, the schedule data is transmitted from the management apparatus CS to the user terminals UT1 to UTn and stored in the data memory 24 in the user terminals UT1 to UTn.

When the schedule is set, exercise support control is performed between the management device CS and the user terminals UT1 to UTn as follows.
That is, for example, it is assumed that the exercise preparation time (for example, 10 minutes before the start of exercise) is reached at the user terminal UT1. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the user terminal UT <b> 1 detects that the exercise preparation time has been reached in step S <b> 13 and outputs voice guidance for notifying the user of the start of exercise from the speaker 32. For example, voice guidance such as “Exercise start time is approaching. Are you ready?” Is output.

  On the other hand, in parallel with this, the management apparatus CS shifts from step S17 to step S28, executes the attendance information management program 13c, and executes a process for confirming the attendance status. For example, first, attendance information is sent to the user terminal UT1. When the presence / absence inquiry information arrives, the user terminal UT1 displays the inquiry information on the display 31 in step S14. For example, an attendance input screen such as “The gymnastics will start in 10 minutes. Will you participate today?” Is displayed. On this attendance input screen, for example, “YES”, “NO” or “◯”, “X” are displayed as options.

In this state, when the user selects any of the above options, the selected option is returned to the management apparatus CS as attendance information. When the reply information is returned from the user terminal UT1, the management device CS determines the attendance status of the user based on the reply information in step S28, and further, based on the attendance status judgment result. Create an attendance list for users.
Similarly, the attendance status is also confirmed for other user terminals (for example, UT2 to UT4) belonging to the same group as the user terminal UT1.

  When the user attendance list for all the mobile terminals MT1 to MT4 belonging to one group is created, the management apparatus CS stores the created attendance list in step S29 in the personal data storage in the data memory 14. The data is stored in the area 14a and transmitted to the user terminals UT1 to UT4. The user terminals UT1 to UT4 receive the attendance list in step S14 and display the attendance list on the display 31. Thus, the user can check the attendance status of other users belonging to the same group.

  The attendance list is generally a list in which user names are associated with attendance, but the user's face image previously registered in personal data is displayed as information representing attendees. Alternatively, an icon or avatar preset by each user may be displayed. When an avatar is used, it can be displayed as an animation that moves on the screen like a desktop character.

  Subsequently, when the user presses the “start button” on the user terminal UT1, the user terminal UT1 executes the conversation communication control program 23b in step S15, and operates the communication I / F 25 and the voice input / output I / F 28 in an operating state. Set to the voice call mode. Similarly, in other user terminals (eg, UT2, UT3) attending the exercise, when the user presses the “start button”, the conversation communication control program 23b is executed in S26 and the voice call mode is set. In response to this, the management apparatus CS proceeds to step S18 to execute the conversation communication relay control program 13e, and sets a conference communication link between the user terminals UT1 to UT3 determined to be present in the attendance determination. . Therefore, after that, between the user terminals UT1 to UT3, the voice call signal of the user is relayed by the management apparatus CS and transferred bidirectionally. For this reason, it becomes possible to perform greetings before the exercise, social talks, etc. between users.

  Next, when it is detected in step S16 that the exercise start time has been reached in the user terminals UT1 to UT3, the user terminals UT1 to UT3 execute the exercise content presentation control program 23d. At the same time, the management device CS executes the distribution control program 13d in step S19, reads out an exercise scenario created in advance for each user of the user terminals UT1 to UT3, and exercise content constituting this exercise scenario Is read from the exercise content storage area 14c and transmitted to the user terminals UT1 to UT3.

  When the user terminals UT1 to UT3 receive and store the exercise content, the user terminals UT1 to UT3 reproduce the received exercise content. Thus, the image data and character data of the instructor constituting the athletic content are displayed on the display 31, and audio data such as instruction voice and BGM is output from the speaker 32. Therefore, the user can see the displayed image data and character data and exercise while listening to the voice data.

  In addition, in the user terminals UT1 to UT3, the state of the user's exercise is imaged by the camera 30 during the user's exercise. The user's motion image data is transmitted from the communication I / F 25, relayed by the management device CS, transferred to another user terminal, and displayed on the display 31. At this time, the exercise image data of the other users is displayed as a list on the same screen together with the image data and character data of the exercise content. Therefore, the user can check the state of exercise of other users at the same time while viewing the image data and character data of the exercise content.

When the reproduction of the exercise content ends or when the user presses the “end button” during the exercise, the user terminals UT1 to UT3 end the exercise content reproduction process in step S21. When the athletic content playback process is completed, the user terminals UT1 to UT3 execute the conversation communication control program 23b again in steps S22 and S27 to enter the voice call mode. In addition, the management device CS executes the conversation communication relay control program 13e in step S23, and sets a conference communication link between the user terminals UT1 to UT3. Accordingly, between the user terminals UT1 to UT3, the user's voice call signal is relayed by the management apparatus CS and transferred in two directions, thereby allowing the user to post impressions, public talk, etc. Can be performed.
When the user exchanges a farewell greeting such as “See you Tomorrow” and then presses the “End button”, the user terminals UT1 to UT3 move from step S24 to step S25 to receive exercise support. Exit.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, exercise support including a plurality of user terminals UT1 to UTn and a management device CS that can be connected to the user terminals UT1 to UTn via the communication network NW. In the system, the attendance list is created by determining the attendance status of the users who are scheduled to exercise at the same time by the management device CS, and the created attendance list is transmitted to the user terminals UT1 to UTn. To do. On the other hand, in the user terminals UT1 to UTn, the exercise content distributed from the management device CS is reproduced, and the attendance list transmitted from the management device CS is received and displayed on the display 31.

  Therefore, the user can check the attendance status of other users who are planning to exercise at the same time in other places while exercising at home, etc., thereby fostering a sense of solidarity as a friend It becomes easy to do, and it becomes possible to raise motivation for continuing exercise.

  Also, when creating the attendance list, the attendance information is sent from the management device CS to the user terminals UT1 to UTn, and attendance is determined based on the answer information of the user for the inquiry information and attendance I'm trying to create a list. For this reason, for example, it is possible to check the attendance status of each user in a short time as compared with the case of relying on self-reporting from the user, thereby enabling efficient attendance confirmation.

Furthermore, the exercise content is distributed from the management device CS to the user terminals UT1 to UT3 determined to attend based on the determination result of the attendance situation, and the exercise content distributed from the management device CS in the user terminals UT1 to UT3. The content is received and played back.
Therefore, in the user terminals UT1 to UT3, the athletic content is automatically distributed and reproduced from the management device CS, so that troublesome operations when acquiring and reproducing the athletic content can be made unnecessary and forgotten. It becomes possible to exercise without fail. Also, since the exercise content is distributed only to the attendee's user terminals UT1 to UT3 from the management device CS, the management device CS manages compared to the case where the exercise content is distributed unconditionally to all the user terminals UT1 to UT4. It is possible to reduce the processing load on the device CS and reduce the traffic on the communication network NW.

  Further, in the management device CS, a conference communication link is set between user terminals of attending users according to the determination result of the attendance status before and after the exercise starts. This makes it possible for users to communicate with each other before and after exercise, which allows them to exchange greetings before and after exercise, public talks, recent reports, impressions, etc. Can increase the willingness to.

  Furthermore, the exercise image data of the user who is exercising is transmitted between the user terminals UT1 to UTn of the user who is exercising in the same time zone and displayed on the display 31. For this reason, it is possible for the user to check the state of exercise of other users who are exercising during the same time period while exercising. For this reason, it becomes easy to cultivate a sense of solidarity as a friend, and it is possible to further increase the willingness to continue exercising.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the exercise support system according to the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. The exercise support system according to the second embodiment uses mobile terminals MT1 to MTn as user terminals. The portable terminals MT1 to MTn can be connected to the management apparatus CS via the communication network NW, and can be connected to the media players MP1 to MPn via the simple wireless communication network.

  The communication network NW includes a mobile communication network, and the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn are connected to base stations BS1 to BSm of the mobile communication network. As the simple wireless communication network, for example, a short-range data communication method such as BT (BlueTooth) (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) is used, but an infrared communication method can also be used. is there.

  The media players MP1 to MPn reproduce the athletic content recorded on the recording media DK1 to DKn such as a magnetic disk and an optical disk, and further include a communication circuit for connecting to the simple wireless communication network. The communication circuit exchanges control signals for controlling the motion content playback operation with the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn. Note that a television monitor device (not shown) is connected to the media players MP1 to MPn, and image data and audio data of exercise content reproduced by the media players MP1 to MPn are supplied to the television monitor device and displayed. And loud output.

By the way, the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn are composed of mobile phones, for example, and are configured as follows. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration.
That is, the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn include an antenna 51 and a communication circuit 52 for mobile communication. The antenna 51 and the communication circuit 52 are used for wireless communication with the mobile communication base stations BS1 to BSm. For example, during a voice call, received voice data received and demodulated by the communication circuit 52 is decoded by the control unit 55 and then input to the voice input / output interface (voice input / output I / F) 56. Then, after being converted into an analog signal by the voice input / output I / F 56 and further amplified, the voice is output as a received voice from the built-in speaker 57.

  On the other hand, the transmitted voice input to the built-in microphone 58 is converted into a digital signal by the voice input / output I / F 56, then input to the control unit 55, and encoded by the control unit 55. It becomes data. In the communication circuit 52, the radio signal is modulated by the transmission voice data, and the modulated signal is amplified and transmitted from the antenna 51. When the headphone unit 63 is connected to the voice input / output I / F 56, voice signals are input / output by the headphone unit 63 instead of the built-in speaker 57 and the built-in microphone 58.

  The mobile terminals MT1 to MTn are provided with an antenna 53 and a communication circuit 54 for simple communication. The simple communication antenna 53 and the communication circuit 54 are used to transmit an activation control signal to the media players MP1 to MPn. As described above, for example, a short-range data communication method such as BT (BlueTooth) (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN communication method is used as the wireless communication method. In addition, it is also possible to use an infrared communication system.

  Furthermore, the portable terminals MT1 to MTn include a storage unit 59, an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 60, and a camera interface (camera I / F) 64. An input unit 61 such as a dial keypad and a display unit 62 such as a liquid crystal display are connected to the input / output I / F 60. The camera I / F 64 captures user image data captured by the camera 65.

  The storage unit 59 is composed of, for example, an EEPROM, a hard disk, or a memory card. The storage unit 59 stores an application program necessary for carrying out the present invention in addition to existing programs and data as a portable terminal. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration.

  That is, the storage unit 59 stores a personal data setting control program 59a, a conversation communication control program 59b, an attendance information presentation control program 59c, and an exercise content activation control program 59d. Among these programs, the conversation communication control program 59b, the attendance information presentation control program 59c, and the exercise content activation control program 59d are downloaded from the management apparatus CS after member registration. Of course, it is possible to set up each application program by reading it from an external recording medium such as a memory card.

The personal data setting control program 59a accepts input of personal data and data indicating the purpose of exercise by the user and transmits the input personal data and data indicating the purpose of exercise from the communication circuit 52 to the management device CS. Execute.
The conversation communication control program 59b uses the microphone 58 and the speaker 57 or the headphone unit 63 between the mobile terminal of another user who exercises during the same time period before the exercise starts and after the exercise ends. A process for performing voice communication is executed. Further, in addition to the voice communication means such as the microphone 58 and the speaker 57, videophone communication can be performed by using the camera 64 and the display unit 62.

The attendance information presentation control program 59c receives the attendance list sent from the management device CS before starting the exercise. And the process for displaying this received attendance list on the display part 62 is performed.
The exercise content activation control program 59d transmits an exercise content activation instruction from the simple communication circuit 54 to the media players MP1 to MPn at the exercise start time. Then, the exercise content recorded on the recording media DK1 to DKn is reproduced in the media players MP1 to MPn. Note that an exercise content activation request may be received from the management device CS, and activation control of the media players MP1 to MPn may be performed in response to the request.

Next, the operation of the exercise support system configured as described above will be described. 9 and 10 are flowcharts showing control procedures and control contents of the management apparatus CS, the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn, and the media players MP1 to MPn.
Since the member registration processing procedure and the application program download processing procedure are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

  For example, it is assumed that the preparation time for causing the users of the mobile terminals MT1 to MT4 to perform exercise (for example, 10 minutes before the start of exercise) is reached. Then, the management apparatus CS moves from step S43 to step S44, creates a guidance message that prompts the user to prepare for exercise, and transmits the created guidance message to the corresponding mobile terminals MT1 to MT4.

  On the other hand, when the mobile terminals MT1 to MT4 detect that the exercise preparation time of their own terminal is reached in step S42, the mobile terminals MT1 to MT4 receive the guidance message transmitted from the management device CS in step S45 and notify the user. As the notification means, a notification mode different from normal incoming calls and incoming mails is used, and the guidance message is displayed on the display unit 62.

  After notifying by the guidance message, the portable terminals MT1 to MT4 execute the attendance information presentation control program 59c in step S58 and display inquiry information for confirming attendance status on the display unit 62. Note that a voice message for confirming the attendance status may be output from the speaker 57 instead of or in parallel with the display. In this state, when the user selects and inputs either “out” or “missing”, the selected option is sent to the management apparatus CS as answering information of absence / absence.

  When the response information is sent from the mobile terminals MT1 to MT4, the management device CS determines the attendance status of the user based on the response information in step S59. A user attendance list is created based on the attendance status determination result, and the created attendance list is stored.

  Subsequently, when the user performs a start operation on the portable terminal MT1, the portable terminal MT1 executes the conversation communication control program 23b in step S15, sets the communication circuit 52 and the voice input / output I / F 56 to the operating state, and performs voice. Call mode is entered. Similarly, in other portable terminals (for example, MT2 and MT3) attending exercise, when the user performs a start operation, the conversation communication control program 23b is executed and the voice call mode is set. On the other hand, the management apparatus CS moves to step S46 and executes the conversation communication relay control program 13e. Then, a conference communication link is set between the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3 determined to be present in the attendance determination.

  Accordingly, between the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3, the voice call signal of the user is relayed by the management device CS and transferred bidirectionally, thereby allowing the user to give a pre-exercise greeting or social conversation between the users. Can be done. At this time, by using the camera 64 and the display unit 62, it is also possible to perform videophone communication between the portable terminals MT1 to MT3.

  Next, when it is detected in step S48 that the exercise start time is reached in the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3, the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3 execute the exercise content activation control program 59d in step S49. Then, an exercise content activation instruction is transmitted from the simple communication circuit 54 to the corresponding media players MP1 to MP3. On the other hand, when the media players MP1 to MP3 receive the activation instruction, the media players MP1 to MP3 enter the reproduction operation mode in step S50 and reproduce the exercise content recorded on the recording media DK1 to DK3.

  Thus, the image data and character data of the instructor constituting the athletic content are displayed on a television monitor device (not shown), and audio data such as instruction voice and BGM is output from the speaker of the television monitor device. Therefore, the user can see the displayed image data and character data and exercise while listening to the voice data. Note that the motion content playback operation in the media players MP1 to MP3 is stopped when the end of playback is detected in step S51 or the user performs a stop operation on the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3 during the motion.

  On the other hand, when the pre-exercise conversation is started in the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3, the management device CS transmits the attendee list created and stored previously to the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3 in step S52. The portable terminals MT1 to MT3 receive the attendance list in step S59 and display the attendance list on the display unit 62. Thus, the user can check the attendance status of other users belonging to the same group.

  When the reproduction of the exercise content ends or the user performs an end operation during the exercise, the portable terminals MT1 to MT3 execute the conversation communication control program 59b again in step S54, and enter the voice call mode. At this time, the management device CS executes the conversation communication relay control program 13e in step S55 to set a conference communication link between the portable terminals MT1 to MT3. Therefore, conversation communication can be performed again between the mobile terminals MT1 to MT3, and thus it is possible to talk about the post-exercise impressions between users and enjoy the public conversation. When the user exchanges a farewell greeting such as “See you tomorrow” and then performs an end operation, the portable terminals MT1 to MT3 move from step S56 to step S57, and the conversation communication control process ends.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn are used as user terminals, and when the exercise start time is reached, a guidance message is transmitted from the management device CS to the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn to the user. In addition to prompting the start of exercise, the mobile terminal MT1 to MTn transmits an activation instruction to the media players MP1 to MPn to reproduce the exercise content. Therefore, the user can start exercising without forgetting.

  In addition, since the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn are connected to each other by the conference communication link via the management device CS during the period before and after the exercise, the conversation between a plurality of users who exercise during the same time period. It becomes possible to communicate, thereby deepening the sense of solidarity among users and improving the willingness to exercise.

  Furthermore, the attendance list of the user is created by the management device CS, and this attendance list is transmitted to the mobile terminal and displayed. For this reason, while exercising at home, etc., users can check the attendance status of other users who will be exercising at the same time in other places. Furthermore, it becomes easier to cultivate, and it is possible to increase the willingness to continue the exercise.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where voice communication is performed as conversation communication between the user terminals UT1 to UTn has been described as an example, but so-called videophone communication may be performed using voice and images.

  In the first embodiment, the conversation communication is realized using the multipoint conference communication control function provided in the management device CS. However, a server device having the multipoint conference communication control function is provided separately from the management device CS. You may make it implement | achieve conversation communication between user terminals by this multipoint conference communication server apparatus.

  Further, in the first embodiment, when confirming the attendance status of the user, inquiry information for confirming attendance is transmitted from the management apparatus CS to the user terminals UT1 to UTn, and the user corresponding to the inquiry information is transmitted. Is returned from the user terminals UT1 to UTn to the management device CS. However, after the exercise preparation time is output at the user terminals UT1 to UTn, the attendance input screen stored in advance is displayed and the option selected by the user on this input screen is displayed. You may make it transmit to the management apparatus CS as reply information. This eliminates the need to send attendance information from the management device CS to the user terminals UT1 to UTn.

  Furthermore, points may be added to attending users based on the attendance status determination result in the management device CS, and the accumulated value of the points may be exchanged for a prize or the like. Examples of prizes include sports towels and bags, sportswear, shoes, and supplements. Conversion to mileage points or the like is included as part of the prize.

  Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the case where the motion content playback operation is performed in the media players MP1 to MPn has been described as an example. However, the motion content is stored in a memory card, and the memory card is stored in the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn. The exercise content may be played back on the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn by attaching to the mobile terminal. In this case, even if video data and character data of exercise content are displayed on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal, it is difficult for a user during exercise to see, so if only audio data is output from the speaker 57 or the headphone unit 63. Good.

  In addition, when a user wears a head-up display, it is possible to transmit video data and character data of exercise content reproduced on the mobile terminals MT1 to MTn from the mobile terminal to the head-up display for display. is there.

  In addition, the configuration of the user terminal and the management device, the exercise support control procedure and its content, the type and configuration of the exercise content, the content of information indicating attendance information and the display timing thereof, etc. are within the scope of the present invention. Various modifications can be made.

  In short, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in each embodiment. Furthermore, you may combine suitably the component covering different embodiment.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an exercise support system according to the present invention. The block diagram which shows the function structure of the management apparatus in the exercise | movement assistance system shown in FIG. The block diagram which shows the function structure of the user terminal in the exercise | movement assistance system shown in FIG. The flowchart which shows the first half part of the control procedure and control content of the management apparatus and user terminal in the exercise support system shown in FIG. The flowchart which shows the latter half part of the control procedure and control content of the management apparatus and user terminal in the exercise support system shown in FIG. The schematic block diagram which shows 2nd Embodiment of the exercise | movement assistance system concerning this invention. The block diagram which shows the function structure of the portable terminal in the exercise | movement assistance system shown in FIG. The figure which shows the program memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the management apparatus, portable terminal and media player in the exercise support system shown in FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the management apparatus, portable terminal and media player in the exercise support system shown in FIG. 6 and the latter half of the control content.

Explanation of symbols

  UT1 to UTn ... user terminal, CS ... management device, NW ... communication network, MT1 to MTn ... portable terminal, MP1 to MPn ... media player, DK1 to DKn ... recording medium, BS1 to BSm ... base station, 11 ... management device , 12 ... management device bus, 13 ... management device program memory, 13a ... personal data setting control program, 13b ... schedule management program, 13c ... attendance information management program, 13d ... distribution control program, 13e ... conversation communication relay Control program, 14 ... database of management device, 14a ... personal data storage area, 14b ... schedule data storage area, 14c ... exercise content storage area, 15 ... communication interface, 21 ... CPU of user terminal, 22 ... user terminal Bus, 23 ... User terminal program menu 23a ... personal data setting control program, 23b ... conversation communication control program, 23c ... attendance information presentation control program, 23d ... exercise content presentation control program, 24 ... user terminal data memory, 24a ... exercise content storage area, 25 Communication interface of user terminal, 26 ... Camera interface, 27 ... Display interface, 28 ... Audio input / output interface, 29 ... Input interface, 30 ... Camera, 31 ... Display, 32 ... Speaker, 33 ... Microphone, 34 ... Input device , 51 ... Mobile communication antenna, 52 ... Communication circuit, 53 ... Simple communication antenna, 54 ... Simple communication circuit, 55 ... Control unit, 56 ... Voice input / output interface, 57 ... Built-in speaker, 58 ... Built-in microphone, 59 ... Storage unit, 59a ... 59b ... attendance information presentation control program, 59d ... exercise content activation control program, 60 ... input / output interface of portable terminal, 61 ... input unit of portable terminal, 62 ... of portable terminal Display unit, 63... Headphone unit.

Claims (10)

An exercise support system comprising a plurality of user terminals used by each user and a management device connectable to these user terminals via a communication network,
The management device
Means for selecting a user scheduled to perform exercise in the same time period among the plurality of users;
Means for determining attendance of the selected user, and creating information representing the attendance status based on the determination result;
Means for transmitting the information representing the created attendance status to a user terminal of the selected user;
The plurality of user terminals are:
An athletic content presentation means for obtaining athletic content and presenting the acquired athletic content to a user;
An exercise comprising: attendance status presenting means for receiving information indicating the attendance status determination result transmitted from the management device and presenting the information indicating the received attendance status determination result to the user Support system. The means for creating information representing the attendance status is:
Means for transmitting inquiry information for confirming presence / absence to the user terminal of the selected user;
Means for receiving user response information for the inquiry information from the user terminal of the inquiry destination;
The exercise support system according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit that aggregates the received answer information and creates information representing an attendance status of the selected user. The management device further comprises means for delivering exercise content to a user terminal of a user who is determined to attend based on the attendance determination result,
The exercise content presentation means of the user terminal is
Means for receiving athletic content distributed from the management device;
The exercise support system according to claim 1, further comprising means for reproducing the received exercise content. The management device further includes means for transmitting an activation instruction for exercise content to a user terminal of a user determined to attend based on the attendance determination result,
The exercise content presentation means of the user terminal is
Means for receiving an instruction to start exercise content transmitted from the management device;
2. The exercise support system according to claim 1, further comprising means for reading and playing exercise content from a storage medium in response to the received activation instruction.   The exercise support system according to claim 1, wherein the management device further includes means for setting a conversation communication link between user terminals of users determined to attend based on attendance determination results. The user terminal is
The user who is exercising is imaged during the period in which the exercise content is presented, and the exercise image data obtained by the imaging is transmitted to the user terminal of another user who is exercising in the same time zone. Means,
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving motion image data transmitted from the other user terminal and presenting the received motion image data of the other user to the user. Exercise support system. An exercise support management apparatus that supports the exercise of the user by performing communication via a communication network with a plurality of user terminals used by each user,
Means for selecting a user scheduled to perform exercise in the same time period among the plurality of users;
Means for determining attendance of the selected user, and creating information representing the attendance status based on the determination result;
An exercise support management apparatus comprising: means for transmitting the created information indicating the attendance status to a user terminal of the selected user. The means for creating information representing the attendance status is:
Means for transmitting inquiry information for confirming presence / absence to the user terminal of the selected user;
Means for receiving user response information for the inquiry information from the user terminal of the inquiry destination;
The exercise support management apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a unit that aggregates the received answer information and creates information representing an attendance status of the selected user.   The exercise according to claim 7, wherein the management device further includes means for enabling conversation communication between user terminals of users determined to attend based on the attendance determination result. Support management device. Used in an exercise support management device that includes a computer and a communication interface, and supports a user's exercise by communicating with a plurality of user terminals used by each user via a communication network via the communication interface A program to be executed,
A process of selecting users scheduled to perform exercise in the same time period among the plurality of users;
A process for determining the attendance of the selected user;
Based on the attendance determination result, a process for creating information representing the attendance status of the selected user;
A program that causes the computer to execute a process of transmitting the created information indicating the attendance status to a user terminal of the selected user through the communication interface.

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