KR20020022909A - Physical excercise system with plurality of participants using network and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A multiple person participated exercise system and a method using the network are provided to enable a user to exercise with steady interests without getting tired and to inform the user of the correct information for the user's health state by checking the exercise state of the user. CONSTITUTION: The system includes a server(120) connecting through a network such as the Internet and a plurality of state signal generator(150,160,170). The server provides a cyber common space(130) to one or more participants and one or more cyber objects(180,182,184) being generated in the cyber common space and being controlled by each state signal(STA1,STA2,STA3). The state signal generator generates each state signal confronting to the physical action of participants and the generated signal is provided to the server through the network(110). The state signal generator consists of one or more detectors, amplifiers, A/D converters, processors, interfaces and displays.

Description

{{Physical excercise system with multiple of participants using network and method}}

The present invention relates to an exercise system, and more particularly to a multi-participation exercise system and method using a virtual shared space implemented on a network such as the Internet.

In general, modern people lack the momentum compared to the past. In particular, due to the development of computer technology, modern people often live in front of a computer, and the amount of exercise is absolutely insufficient except for simple repetitive movements such as mouse manipulation or keyboard manipulation. In addition, with the rapid spread of the Internet, the time spent in front of modern computers is increasing. Therefore, in recent years, interest in health has been increasing in comparison with the related art.

In response to this concern, a number of exercise devices have been developed and distributed. However, due to the simplicity of the operation mechanisms of the conventional exercise equipments, the user may get tired of using it several times and often do not use the expensive exercise equipment anymore. In order to make up for this drawback, a device called DDR, which combines computer game and movement elements, has been rapidly spread. In light of the great popularity of DDR over its simplicity of operation, it can be seen that exercise should be involved.

However, conventional exercise devices, including DDR, have their limitations as personal devices. Although DDR provides a mode in which two players join the game at once, it is not that the participants interact but only individual users participate in the game in parallel.

In addition, the conventional exercise equipments only cause the physical movements of the user, and determine or notify the health state of the user, or do not prescribe exercise for the health state of the user. In view of modern people's health concerns, there is not enough time to receive a diagnosis of their health in hospitals. Therefore, it is difficult for modern people to know their health condition, and they often lose their health by not receiving proper diagnosis of their health condition in a timely manner.

Thus, there has been a demand for the development of exercise equipment that gives users a lasting interest.

In addition, it provides information on the physical condition of the user during exercise, as well as information on the health of the user, and by using this information and information about the prescription for various diseases can make an appropriate diagnosis suitable for the user. The development of exercise equipment is urgently requested.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a multi-participation exercise system and method using a network, such as the Internet, so that users can exercise with a continuous interest without getting tired.

Another technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to measure the motion state of the user, and reflect this as a real-time motion of the virtual object in the corresponding virtual space, by measuring the physical state of the user, to inform accurate information about the health state of the user It is to provide a multi-party network movement system and method.

Another technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a health care system and method that can measure the change in physical condition according to the increase or decrease of exercise amount, diagnose the user's health condition, and make various exercise prescriptions suitable for the user. will be.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a multi-party participating exercise system using a network according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a state signal generator of the multi-participation exercise system shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a view showing an embodiment of a virtual shared space implemented in the multi-participation exercise system according to the present invention.

4 is a view showing another embodiment of a virtual shared space implemented in the multilateral participation exercise system according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the multi-party participation exercise method using the network according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings>

100 ... multiparticipation movement system

120 ... server 130 ... virtual shared space

150, 160, 170 ... status signal generator

180, 182, 184 ... avatar

One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a multi-participation exercise system using a network, such as the Internet, in a multi-participation exercise system using a network, one or more connected via a network, A multi-participation exercise system having a server for providing a virtual shared space to one or more participants and one or more status signal generators for generating respective status signals corresponding to the physical operations of one or more participants and providing them to the server through a network. It is about.

Preferably, the multi-participation exercise system according to an aspect of the present invention is further provided with a display unit for outputting information on the exercise state of the participant, the operation of the virtual object and the diagnosis of the health state of the participant.

Preferably, the multi-participation exercise system according to an aspect of the present invention further comprises a virtual object generator which is generated on a virtual shared space and generates one or more virtual objects whose operation is controlled by respective state signals. It is characterized by.

More preferably, the server is characterized in that to provide a predetermined service using the behavior change of the virtual object on the virtual shared space, the predetermined service includes providing a predetermined athletic event using the behavior change of the virtual object. Characterized in that.

Another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a multi-participation exercise method using a network, the first step through which one or more participants access the server through the network and predetermined information about the exercise state of the participant It relates to a multilateral participation exercise method using a network having a second step of providing a.

Preferably, the first step further comprises the server creating one or more virtual objects representing participants on the virtual shared space.

More preferably, the second step may further include providing a predetermined service by controlling the operation of the virtual object corresponding to the physical operation of the participant, wherein the provided service may be configured to change the operation of the virtual object. And providing a predetermined athletic event used.

In order to fully understand the present invention, the operational advantages of the present invention, and the objects achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For each figure, like reference numerals denote like elements.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a multi-party participating exercise system using a network according to the present invention.

The multi-participation exercise system 100 using the network illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a server 120 and a plurality of state signal generators 150, 160, and 170 connected through a network 110 such as the Internet. The server 120 provides the virtual shared space 130 to one or more participants who connect through the network 110, and is also generated on the virtual shared space 130, and each status signal STA1, STA2. , One or more virtual objects 180, 182, and 184 whose operation is controlled by the STA3. In addition, the one or more status signal generators 150, 160, and 170 may generate respective status signals STA1, STA2, and STA3 corresponding to the physical operations of one or more participants, thereby generating a server (or network) through the network 110. 120). In addition, the server 120 provides a predetermined service using the operation change of the virtual object on the virtual shared space 130.

For convenience of description, in FIG. 1, three state signal generators 150, 160, and 170 are illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a state signal generator of the multi-participation exercise system shown in FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the state signal generators 150, 160, 170 may include one or more detectors 210, amplifiers 220, A / D converters 230, processors 240, interface units 250, and the like. The display unit 260 is included. One or more sensing units 210 sense the physical operation of the participant 215. The processor 240 receives the output SNS of the sensing unit 210 and generates a state signal STA1 indicating the health state and / or the exercise state of the participant. In addition, the predetermined interface unit 250 provides the generated status signal STA1 to the server 120 through the network 100. The display unit 260 displays the virtual shared space 130.

Referring to Figure 1 and 2 will be described in detail the multi-participation exercise system 100 according to the present invention.

First, the sensing unit 210 includes one or more sensors (not shown) attached to various exercise equipments 217 such as a treadmill. The sensors output not only the amount of exercise of the participant 215 but also sensor outputs (SNS) such as weight, electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), and plethysmograpy. In order to obtain information on the various health conditions, it is preferable that a sensor is provided with at least three points of contact with the body of the participant 215. Since the structure and mechanism of such a sensor are obvious to those skilled in the art, the detailed description is omitted herein for the sake of simplicity.

The exercise device 217 constituting the sensing unit 210 may include various exercise devices such as a treadmill, a stepper, a rowing machine, a barbell, an iron rod, and a DDR. For example, a tachometer may be provided to install a scale on the tread of the treadmill and measure the moving speed of the tread. The calorie consumed by the participant can be easily obtained by using the weight of the participant 215 measured by the body scale and the exercise speed of the participant 215 measured by the speedometer.

In addition, prior art exercise equipment can be modified to be mounted to obtain more detailed information about the health status of the participant 215. For example, a sensor (not shown) for detecting a user's arm movement may be attached to the treadmill.

The sensor output SNS output by the detector 210 is amplified through the amplifier 220. The output signal of the amplifier is digitized by the A / D converter 230. The processor 240 receives and processes the digitized output to generate a state signal STA1 of the health state of the participant 215. The status signal STA1 includes various information about the health of the participant 215 such as electromyography, brain waves, and pulse rate, as well as the speed and amount of exercise of the participant 215. The status signal STA1 generated by the processor 240 is transmitted to the network 110 such as the Internet via the interface unit 250, and the transmitted status signal STA1 is provided to the server 120. In this case, preferably, a communication means such as a web browser or e-mail for transmitting the status signal STA1 through the Internet is preferably further provided.

The interface 250 includes an xDSL scheme such as an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) scheme, an advanced ADSL (ADSL) scheme, and a high bit rate digital subscriber line (HDSL) scheme. In addition, various interfaces such as an integrated service digital network (ISDN) method as well as an interface through a modem are possible. Depending on the network connection speed, which depends on the interface, the server can provide different kinds of services. That is, it is desirable to provide a more realistic virtual shared space in a high speed interface environment, while providing a simplified virtual shared space in consideration of speed in a low speed interface environment.

The server 120 provides a virtual shared space 130, and as shown in FIG. 3, virtual objects 180 and 182 representing each participant according to the connection of the participants 215 on the virtual shared space 130. , 184). The virtual objects 180, 182, and 184 may have any shape that may interest the participant 215, such as a person, a character in a famous cartoon movie, or an interesting animal shape. The virtual objects 180, 182, and 184 implemented on the virtual shared space 130 each represent a participant, and the operation is controlled according to the physical operation of the participant. The server 120 transmits an indication signal for outputting the virtual shared space 130 to the participant 215 to the network 110, and the indication signal transmitted to the network 110 is again interface unit 250 of the status signal generator. Is provided to the processor 240. Then, the processor 240 controls the screen output of the display unit 260 according to the display signal. The server provides various predetermined services by using the operations of the virtual objects 180, 182, and 184. The services provided by the virtual shared space 130 and the server will be described later in detail in the relevant part of the present specification.

The state signal generators 150, 160, and 170 illustrated in FIG. 2 may further include a camera (not shown) and a microphone (not shown). Cameras and microphones are used to capture the participant's athletic condition and to collect audio signals. The captured and collected video and audio information is amplified by the amplifier 220 and converted by the A / D converter 230 and then transmitted to the processor 240. The processor 240 processes the received signal to generate a state signal STA1, and transmits the generated state signal STA1 to the interface unit 250. The interface unit 250 is connected to a network such as the Internet and transmits the received status signal STA1 to the server. Then, the server provides various services using the received video and audio signals.

Although the state signal generators 150, 160 and 170 illustrated in FIG. 2 are illustrated as having a display unit 260, the display unit 260 is not necessarily provided in the state signal generators 150, 160 and 170. Rather, the display unit 260 may be connected to a network such as the Internet separately from the state signal generators 150, 160, and 170. However, when the display unit is separately connected to the Internet, the received signal is directly output. However, when the display unit is connected to the processor 240, the processor 240 may separately process the signal provided by the server.

The server 120 may further include a database (not shown). The database provided in the server stores the result of the exercise of the participant 215, the result of the game, changes in the physical state of the participant during exercise, and personal information of the participant. The server can then use the database to measure the fitness of the participant, diagnose the disease early, identify changes in the participant's physical condition, and detect early changes in the participant's physical condition. have. The detailed description is as follows.

When the participant 215 connects to the server 120, the personal information of the participant is read. Of course, in the case of the first-time participant 215, the participant inputs personal information. The entered personal information is recorded in a database and managed systematically. When the participant inputs personal information (eg, height, weight, medical history, chronic disease possession, age), the health status of the participant is determined based on the input personal information. For example, even if they run the same distance at the same time, the health status of the participant is determined based on the personal information of the participant. That is, it may be determined that the health status of the 50's participants with the distance of 1000 meters in 10 minutes is better than the 20 participants with the same distance at the same time.

In addition, the server 120 may diagnose the participant's disease early by using the information recorded in the database. For example, after measuring a participant's heart rate after a certain distance, the participant can be diagnosed early if the patient suffers from a doctor's heart disease. This early diagnosis uses participant's personal information recorded in the database. The server may detect that the participant's physical condition changes abnormally while the participant is exercising. For example, an abnormal increase in heart rate, an increase in pulse rate, and the like compared to past exercise can be easily detected using information recorded in a database. If such abnormal body state changes are detected, the server alerts the participant to prevent an outbreak.

3 is a view showing an embodiment of a virtual shared space implemented in the multi-participation exercise system according to the present invention. The virtual shared space 130 shown in FIG. 3 is a running race arena using the first and second virtual objects 180, 182. The virtual shared space 130 shown in FIG. 3 includes a running race stadium 370, virtual objects 180 and 182, first and second athletic state display units 330 and 340, and first and second physical display units ( 350, 360).

The operation of the first and second virtual objects 180 and 182 is controlled by the first and second state signals (STA1 and STA2 of FIG. 1). The server allows two participants to play a running race game. To do so, implement a running race arena 370 in the virtual space and have the first and second virtual objects 180, 182 wait on the starting line. The server can prepare a variety of tracks, such as 100 meters, 400 meters, and 1000 meters, and allow participants to choose their favorite event. In order to select a competition event, the first and second real display units 350 and 360 may display the actual appearance of the first and second participants, respectively. Therefore, the participants may receive the image signal transmitted through the image transmission device (not shown) of each detection unit 210 to check the actual appearance of the other party through the real display unit 350, 360, as well as separate equipment It is also possible to video chat with each other by transmitting a voice signal to a server through (not shown).

The real display unit 350 or 360 does not necessarily have to show the actual participant, and any service (eg, a movie, an advertisement, a video, etc.) that may interest the participant may appear.

When the match begins, the participants begin the exercise. Information on the exercise amount or exercise state of the participants is collected by various sensors (not shown) included in the sensor 210 shown in FIG. 2 and provided to the server through the above-described path. The server displays the information on the exercise state of the participants on the first and second exercise state display unit (330, 340). In the example shown in FIG. 3, heart rate (HR) and respiration rate (RR) are provided to the status display unit as information on the exercise state of the participant. The server may use the physical data such as the participant's heart rate, respiration rate, exercise speed, and calories burned to change the moving speed of the virtual objects 180 and 182 to have an effect such as running a real race. In addition, the server may operate the game to be exciting by outputting the sound effects cheering the first and second virtual objects (180, 182) during the game. If one of the virtual objects 180, 182 (eg, the first virtual object 182) crosses the finish line first, the server correspondingly congratulates the first participant and prompts the second participant for exertion. You can increase the fun of the game by outputting a message.

When the game is over, the server provides the health information of each participant in detail using the information on the exercise status of each participant. One embodiment of the participant's health information displayed on the virtual shared space 130 is shown in FIG. 4.

4 is a view showing another embodiment of a virtual shared space implemented in the multilateral participation exercise system according to the present invention. As can be seen in Figure 4, the server provides a variety of health information, such as electrocardiogram, electrocardiogram, pulse rate, weight, and the like to aggregate the health information to diagnose the participants' overall health. As the server provides the health state information as shown in FIG. 4, the participant can exercise without boring through the fun game, and after the exercise is finished, can obtain a comprehensive diagnosis of his own health.

Preferably, the database (not shown) provided in the server further stores information on the history of the health status of the participants. In order to perform such an operation, the server receives the user's subscription request, can perform continuous diagnosis and efficient health management of the user's health, and perform a function as a comprehensive health portal web site. Can be.

More preferably, the server establishes a comprehensive database of prescriptions for various diseases and disorders, and provides exercise regimens most appropriate for the participant's health condition based on the established database. EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION means preventing the disease that may occur by providing information about the exercise that is most appropriate to the participant's state of health (appropriate exercise, proper exercise amount, proper exercise time, etc.) It is to be healed. In order to prescribe desirable exercise regimes, the server may seek more professional advice by providing information on the health status of the participants to a specialized medical institution such as a hospital or a sports institution such as a health club.

The embodiment of the virtual shared space 130 shown in FIG. 3 exemplifies a running race in which two participants participate as a service provided by a server. However, the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the participant may continue to be interested in the participant by causing the participant to perform a physical operation and displaying the participant's physical operation on the virtual shared space 130 as a motion of a corresponding virtual object. Any kind or type of service that can cause a problem is possible.

In addition, the number of participants participating in the service provided by the server is not necessarily a plurality of forms and does not require interaction between the participants. Rather, even a single user can have fun exercising with various kinds of services such as hiking or climbing. For example, the server may implement a hiking trail for a single user on the virtual shared space 130. A single participant can then exercise using an exercise device such as a cycle, for example, while watching the climbing or hiking motion of his or her virtual object. The server embodies the appearance of variable hiking trails and provides various sound effects in order to induce a constant interest and interest of the participants. Participants continue to exercise on the virtual shared space 130 provided by the server without losing interest, and may relax when tired during exercise. If the user wants to end the exercise, the server may provide information about the exercise amount and health state of the user as in the embodiment of FIG. 4.

As another example, the participant may exercise on a device such as DDR, and the server may implement a service that detects the participant's motion and measures and provides the participant's quickness.

In addition, the screen configuration of the virtual shared space 130 shown in FIG. 3 is not limited, but may be any configuration that controls and displays the operation of the virtual object according to the physical movement of the participant.

Preferably, the virtual shared space 130 according to the present invention is characterized in that the three-dimensional virtual shared space as shown in FIG. The reason why a three-dimensional virtual shared space is desirable is to provide participants with greater realism. Participants are provided with a sense of reality as if they directly participate in the virtual space through their own virtual objects moving on the 3D virtual shared space. The first and second physical display units 350 and 360 illustrated in FIG. 3 are provided to multiply the participants by interacting with each other to directly confirm the appearance of each other. For high speed operation, the real images displayed on the first and second real display units 350 and 360 are preferably transmitted using MPEG-4 compression technology. In addition, by realizing the voice signal of the participant or the text signal input by the participant in addition to the real image on the real display unit, the interaction between the participants can be made more realistic.

In addition, more preferably, the state signal generator 150, 160, 170 of the multi-participation exercise system (FIG. 1, 100) according to the present invention is a device (not shown) for detecting in more detail the participants' motions. Allowing the participant to wear may provide full immersion virtual reality. In order to implement immersive virtual reality, the state signal generators 150, 160, and 170 illustrated in FIG. 2 may use additional equipment such as a 3D audio device (not shown), a spatial tracking device, and a data glove. It may further include.

However, the virtual shared space 130 according to the present invention is not limited to the three-dimensional virtual shared space. Rather, by sharing a two-dimensional virtual shared space, the advantage is that the virtual object operates faster. In addition, the virtual shared space does not necessarily have a virtual object as a component, and in order to speed up the motion, it is possible to express the participants' movement information as simple numbers or graphs.

5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the multi-party participation exercise method using the network according to the present invention. The multilateral participation exercise method using the network according to the present invention includes the following steps.

First, the participant accesses the server (S10). Participants connected to the server may be singular or plural. Then, the server generates a virtual object representing the participant (S20). Participants can participate in various services provided by the server through the virtual object provided by the server. When a plurality of participants select a service that allows a plurality of participants to join together, the server determines a participant who will proceed with the game (S30). Then, the athletic competition is started (S40). When the game starts, the server controls the movement of the virtual object implemented on the virtual shared space according to the physical movement of the participants (S50). Then, the server determines whether the athletic competition is ended (S60). If the competition is not yet finished, the previous step is repeated, and when the competition is over, the server determines the health status of the participants obtained during the competition. Provide information (S70). Then, it is determined whether the participant selects another game (S80), and if it is desired to perform another game, the same process proceeds from the step S30 of determining the participant participating in the same sporting event.

As described above, the multi-participation exercise method using the network shown in FIG. 5 also represents only one example of the server that the server can provide, and the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 according to the type and nature of the service provided by the server. Can also change. For example, when the server provides a service that a single participant can enjoy alone, step S30 of determining a participant participating in the same sporting event is not necessary.

In addition, the multi-participation exercise method according to the present invention preferably further comprises the step of giving the most appropriate exercise prescription to the participant using the information on the health status of the participant. More preferably, the step of providing information about the health status of the participant to the hospital or health club, etc. is further provided for more professional advice.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. For example, the example provided as a network in the present invention is only the Internet, but is not limited thereto. Rather, other networks, such as a local area network (LAN), may also be used to encourage multilateral participation.

Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

By the multilateral participation exercise system and method using a network such as the Internet according to the present invention, the participant can obtain a continuous exercise effect without losing interest.

In addition, according to the multi-participation exercise system and method according to the present invention, the participant can surely grasp his or her health state.

In addition, by the multi-participatory exercise system and method using the network according to the present invention, the participant can obtain an exercise regimen appropriate for his or her state of health.

Claims (13)

In the multilateral participation exercise system using a network, A server connected through the network, the server providing a virtual shared space to one or more participants accessing through the network; And one or more status signal generators for generating respective status signals corresponding to the physical operations of the one or more participants and providing them to the server through the network. According to claim 1, The multi-party participating exercise system, And a virtual object generator generated on the virtual shared space, the virtual object generator generating one or more virtual objects whose operations are controlled by respective state signals. The method of claim 2, wherein the server, And a display unit for displaying the virtual shared space. The method of claim 3, wherein the server, Multi-participation exercise system, characterized in that to provide a predetermined service using a change in the operation of the virtual object on the virtual shared space. The method of claim 4, wherein the service provided by the server, And providing a predetermined sporting event using the motion change of the virtual object. The method of claim 4, wherein the service provided by the server, And providing information on the health status of the participant calculated using the status signal. According to claim 4, The server has a storage unit for storing information about the health status of the participant, Multi-participation exercise system, characterized in that to provide information on the history of the health status of the participant using the information stored in the storage unit. The method of claim 1, wherein the state signal generator, One or more detectors for sensing physical motions of the participant; A processor configured to receive an output of the detector to generate a state signal representing a health state and / or an exercise state of the participant; And And a predetermined interface unit for providing the status signal to the server through the network. In the multilateral participation exercise method using a network, A first step in which one or more participants access a server through the network; And And a second step of providing predetermined information about the exercise state of the participant. The method of claim 9, wherein the first step, The server further comprises generating one or more virtual objects representing the participant on a virtual shared space. The method of claim 10, wherein the second step, And providing a predetermined service by controlling the operation of the virtual object corresponding to the physical operation of the participant. The method of claim 11, wherein the service, And providing a predetermined sporting event using the motion change of the virtual object. The method of claim 10, wherein the second step, And providing information about the health status of the participant calculated using the physical motions of the participant.