Patent Application
20220335849
Conventional systems and methods for providing a mobile mentoring platform do not permit data analysis and aggregation for generating rankings and connecting mentees with mentors and recruiters. The following discloses certain improvements.
In one disclosed aspect, a system that facilitates providing a real-time training session between a mentor's communication device and a mentee's communication device, in which the mentor's communication device is granted control over the mentee's communication device in order to provide real-time instruction for and annotation, in accordance with various aspects set forth herein. The system further facilitates collecting mentee (player) data and progression over time, and generating updatable ranked lists of mentees for recruiting purposes, the wherein rankings are a function of player metrics, attributes, and progression over time.
According to another aspect, a system for real-time video sharing and annotation, comprises a mentor communication device on which is displayed a video sharing interface, the mentor device comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) and having installed thereon an application comprising computer-executable instructions configured to; initiate a video conferencing session with a mentee communication device; during the video conferencing session, take temporary control of a display screen on the mentee device; during control of the mentee device display screen: receive an input signal to start a video of the mentee, which is being shared in real time on display screens on both the mentor and mentee communication devices; receive an input signal to pause the shared video of the mentee; detect an annotation generated on the paused video of the mentee on the mentor communication display screen; and transmit to the mentee device in real time the annotation for real-time display on the paused video on the mentee communication device display screen.
One advantage resides in providing real-time mobile communication sessions between mentors and mentees.
Another advantage resides in mitigating contagion during training sessions.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.
To overcome the aforementioned problems, systems and methods are described that facilitate online and/or mobile training sessions between mentors and mentees, so that mentees can receive personalized one-on-one training with current and former professional mentors. A mentee can select a specific mentor or can opt to employ a matching algorithm that matches the mentee with a mentor who plays similar positions (e.g.; pitcher, catcher, infield, outfield, etc., in the case of baseball; goalie, defenseman, wing, center, etc., for a given sport such as hockey, soccer, lacrosse, etc., or any specific position within a given sport) attributes (e.g.: left handedness or right-handedness, pitching style such as overhand or sidearm; shooting style; injury history, etc.). The described systems and methods permit amateurs to learn the techniques and drills necessary to make it to the next level in their career, and also bring to attention the mental aspect and thought processes that facilitate in a given endeavor (sport, job, or the like).
The described systems, methods, platforms, architectures and applications (apps) facilitate matching mentees to mentors and recruiters, mentor search and filter, training session scheduling, live chat, notifications, rating and ranking systems, and robust mentor and mentee profiles which include bios, photos, areas of expertise, and an introduction video.
In one embodiment, the system comprises a server 12 via which a mentor device 14 and a mentee device 16 are connected during an online session wherein both the mentor device and the mentee device have downloaded and execute a mentoring application via which the described functionality is provided through the server. “Device” as used herein may comprise any suitable communication device (e.g., a tablet, smartphone, or any other mobile device suitable for communication via the internet, cellular, wi-fi, etc., communication means). Although
The server comprises one or more processors 18 that execute, and a memory 20 that stores, computer-executable instructions for performing the various acts and/or providing various functionality as described herein.
The server further comprises a database 22 that stores mentor and mentee profiles that include information (attributes, positions played, injury history, etc.) for each mentor and mentee, and one or more lookup tables (LUTs) 24 via which mentors and mentees can be matched via a mentor matching algorithm 26 that compares mentor profiles 28 and mentee profiles 30, e.g., by accessing the LUTs 24 and identifying similar profile features (e.g., attributes, position, injury history, or the like).
Once a mentor and mentee are matched by the mentor matching algorithm (or the mentee has selected a specific mentor) an online training session is scheduled. The mentee device uploads video of the mentee performing a particular movement (e.g., throwing or kicking a ball, swinging a bat, shooting a basketball, hitting a hockey puck or golf ball, etc.) In one embodiment, the mentee is provided, by the server, video capture instructions 32 for capturing the video from one or more perspectives. In a related embodiment, the mentor specifies video capture instructions that are stored in the server for the mentee. In an example where the mentee has requested help with a baseball swing, the instructions may comprise capturing video of the mentee swinging as viewed from the pitcher's mound, from behind home plate, from a specific angle (e.g., 90 degrees) relative to the batter, etc. The mentee video is stored by the server in the mentee's profile 30 and also transmitted to the mentor device. The mentor then reviews the video prior to or during the online session.
Instances of an interface application 34 are downloaded to the mentor and mentee devices prior to the online training session. At the scheduled time, the mentor and mentee use their respective devices to log into the server, through which communication during the online training session is provided. Upon log in, the mentor and mentee devices are authenticated by an authentication module 36, and the session begins. While bidirectional video chat and/or video conferencing is enabled during the training session, a session control module 38 grants temporary control of a remainder of the mentee device's screen to the mentor device, enabling the mentor to play, rewind, fast-forward, pause, etc., video of the mentee, as well as to annotate the video or the like. In one embodiment, the mentor controls the video stream that the mentee is viewing, the mentor then starts sharing the content on the mentee device's screen. This gives the mentor control of the video player and the ability to walk the mentee through the mentee's recorded video while reviewing.
In another embodiment, an annotation feature provided by the interface app running on the mentor device permits the mentor to annotate (e.g., draw on or the like) the video of the mentee. For instance, the mentor can pause the video of the mentee on a particular frame and, e.g., circle or draw an arrow highlighting a flaw in the mentee's mechanics (e.g., lack of follow through on a pitch, failure to open the hips or pulling his head during a swing, etc.). Annotation can be performed during (in real time) the training session. Annotated mentee video can then also be stored by the server in the mentee's profile 30.
The server also comprises a database of mechanics models 40 that represent ideal mechanics for the particular motion for which the mentee is seeking training, The server includes a model overlay module 42 that provides a model mechanics overlay (see, e.g.,
According to another embodiment, the model overlay is derived from a video of the mentor or other professional selected by the mentee, or matched to the mentee via the matching algorithm. For instance, if the mentee is matched with or selects a favorite player as a mentor and wants to emulate the mentor's form when pitching, swinging, kicking, swimming, etc., then the overlay will be specific to the particular mechanics of the mentor and assist the mentee in achieving that particular form.
The system 10 also comprises a recruiter device 44, via which a recruiter communicates with the server. Recruiter data 46 is stored in the database and may comprise without limitation recruiter needs (e.g., players who play a certain position and/or have certain attributes (left-handedness, certain body metrics such as height, weight, wingspan, etc., or the like).
Additionally the LUTs can be used by a mentee matching algorithm 48 to match mentee profiles to criteria specified by recruiters looking to fill a position for a team for which they are recruiting. The database and/or the mentee profiles stored therein also include information related to each mentee's progress over time. Additionally, the processor is configured to continuously and/or periodically generate and/or update a ranked list of mentees for a given sport based on the mentee's progress, achievement level(s), rate of progress, etc. In one embodiment, a recruiter (e.g., a college or pro recruiter, etc.) can log in to the server via a recruiter device 38 and can specify his particular team's need according to position (e.g., left-handed relief pitcher, goalie, blocking or receiving tight end, left wing, point guard, etc.), or other attributes (e.g., vertical jump, 40 yard dash time, 3-point shooting percentage, fastball speed, shotput distance, etc.) and be provided with a ranked or unranked list of candidates that match his team's needs.
To further this example, the recruiter can be presented with a questionnaire or fillable form provided by the server in order to facilitate searching the database. Input received by the server from the recruiter's device is parsed and a matching algorithm is executed by the processor to identify a list of matches (mentees) that are output to the recruiter's device. In one embodiment, the server outputs a ranked list of mentees that is ordered from a highest percent match to a lowest percent match.
According to yet another embodiment, the server comprises a communication link evaluation module 50 and a video compression module 52. The communication link evaluation module analyzes and evaluates communication links between the server and each device connected thereto to determine connection speed (e.g., speed tests), connection quality (e.g., SNR, BER, or any other suitable quality metric) in order to determine whether video and communication upload and download speed and quality will be affected. The compression module 52 determines and applies an appropriate amount of video compression to be applied to ensure that the video shared among devices coupled to the server is of high quality and streams smoothly. In one example the communication link evaluation module queries each user device for, e.g., its MEID or other means of identifying the device and determining the devices capability, so that a mentor on an iPhone 12 can seamlessly communicate with a mentee on e.g., an iPhone 8 or a different platform (e.g., Android, Amazon, etc.), and vice versa. User device information can be stored in the database in each respective user's profile. Based the on the device capability (e.g., capturing video in, e.g., 1080p vs. 4K) of the given device, an appropriate amount of video compression can be applied (e.g., 70% for 4K, 50% for 1080p, etc., or some other suitable amount of video compression) in order to provide a desired video quality on the less-capable device.
In another embodiment, some or all of the functionality provided by the server(s) 12 is cloud-based, in which case the cloud-based computing is leveraged to provide the herein-described systems, methods, and functions.
In another embodiment, group training sessions are provided. For instance the mentor device can be employed to initiate a video conference call, via the cloud, and a plurality of mentee devices (e.g., a youth baseball team or the like) joins the video conference call for a group training session. For mentees in the group who do not have the ProMentor app installed, a web link can be provided. When the mentee clicks on the web link, the mentee's device is directed to a sign-up page for the ProMentor service. After signing up, the mentee can join the group training session using a web-based platform (e.g., a web browser or the like).
At 301, a user device (mentor device, mentee, device, recruiter device, etc.) logs in through the ProMentor app running on the device. A security platform 302 is provided (e.g., Cloudflare or some other suitable service), which manages DNS and certificates. Encryption (e.g., RS 2048 bit encryption or some other suitable encryption means) is provided, and passwords are hashed and stored in the database (
In the core backend, which is run in the cloud (e.g., in one example, Amazon web services cloud is described, although one of skill in the art will recognize that other cloud-based services and/or platforms may be employed in conjunction with the herein described systems and/or methods), communication data is run through an operating system 303 that comprises a tech stack (e.g., Ruby, Rails, Nginx, Puma, or the like) an then on to an SQL database 304, simple notification service (SNS) 305 that provides SMS and push notification functionality, a simple email service (SES) 306 for providing email functionality, and a media upload platform 307. In one embodiment, the tech stack is a serverless infrastructure running on, e.g., GCP Functions written, e.g., Node.js and, e.g., Firestore for storage (or some other suitable storage framework. A payment gateway 308 e.g., Stripe, or some other suitable payment gateway) is also provided, via which mentor, mentee, recruiter, and service provider accounts are linked and payments are processed.
Video calling, recording, and screen sharing functionality is provided at 309. It on example, an app that uses a Web RTC technology (e.g., Twilio or the like) is integrated in the framework. A core graphics framework can be employed to draw Quadratic and Bezier curves into an image layer over a video when annotating.
Also in the cloud, chat APIs are provided. At 310, a Linux instance (by way of example only, and not limited thereto) is provided through which chat conversation data is shared, and eventually stored in a document database 311. Chat functionality is provided by a chat message exchange 312, such as Google Firebase, Amazon SNS, Azure Web PubSub, or the like, or a proprietary chat message exchange hosted by the provider of the app or website providing the described service, or some other suitable chat message exchange.
A “draw” (e.g., edit, or the like) 404 icon is illustrated, which, when selected by the mentor during control of the video session, permits the mentor to draw on the paused or selected video frame to show the mentee the aspects of the mentees form body position, etc.) that the mentor wants to discuss, highlight, etc. (See
This feature permits the mentor to show the mentee where certain body parts (feet, knees, hips, arms, shoulders, elbows, head, etc. are positioned in the mentee's form shown in the shared video, and then the mentor can explain to the mentee where the correction needs to be applied (e.g., elbow higher or lower, hips closed or opened, etc.).
A “clear” (e.g., erase, reset, etc.) icon 408 is also provided, which, when selected by the mentor during a video training session, is operable to clear all annotations from the screen. For instance, when the mentor has employed the “draw” function by selecting the draw icon and then drawing on the screen, selection of the “clear” icon resets the video frame to its original format without annotation(s).
A “resume video” icon 410 is also provided, and when selected, operates to resume the uploaded video being viewed and/or shared between the mentor and the mentee during their video session. In one embodiment, the mentor is permitted to review and annotate the uploaded video in real time with the mentee during the shared video session. In another embodiment, the mentor is permitted to review the uploaded video in advance of a shared video session. In this case, the mentor may annotate the uploaded video using the draw and/or angle icon features in advance of the shared video session and then share the annotated video with the mentee during the shared video session.
The midpoint (C) between the first two selected points (A and B) is movable (i.e., the mentor can drag the midpoint) to show where the mentee's knee should be for proper form, in the case of the illustrated example).
In another embodiment, the “angle” annotation can be overlaid or combined with the “draw” annotation, e.g., to show the mentee which direction his form should be adjusted.
With continued reference to the annotation features described with regard to
The instructions can further comprise receiving a signal to remove the annotations from the paused video of the mentee on both the mentor and mentee communication devices, e.g., when the mentor selects the “clear” icon to erase annotations.
In another embodiment, instructions are provided for displaying a real-time chat window on the display screens of the mentor and mentee communication devices during the video conferencing session. This feature permits the mentor and mentee(s) to discuss the annotations made by the mentor. This feature permits the mentor to draw or write on the display screen of the mentor communication device and have the drawing or writing appear on the mentee communication device(s) in real time during the shared video conferencing session.
In another embodiment, the display screen on the mentor communications device is a touch screen, and the instructions further comprise: detecting that the mentor has selected a free-form annotation option (e.g., drawing or writing on the mentor's screen); detecting touch input on the touch screen; and generating and presenting an overlaid representation of the touch input on both the display screens of the mentor and mentee communication devices in real time.
In yet another embodiment, the instructions further comprise: detecting that the mentor has selected angle annotation option; detecting touch input on the touch screen, the touch input comprising an indication of first, second, and third points selected on the paused video of the mentee e.g., the mentor selects three points on the selected video frame); and generating and presenting an overlaid representation the first, second, and third points and an angle therebetween on both the display screens of the mentor and mentee communication devices in real time. The angle overlay is generated by connecting the first and second points to the third point, which is selected last in time relative to the first and second points. By way of example, the mentor can pause the shared video of the mentee, select a “draw angle” icon on the interface on the mentor's display screen, and then select three points (e.g., shoulder, foot, and knee as shown in
With continued reference to the preceding Figures,
Also provided is a zoom icon 708 that permits the mentor to zoom in and out on the video or a selected frame thereof. The mentor can also zoom in and out by pinching or pulling the screen on the mentor's device using two fingers.
A chat screen 710 is provided for text chat and/or video chat during the training session and for discussion of an annotated video screen. Additionally, selectable icons for fast forward 712, rewind 714, pause 716 and resume 718 are also provided. The session clock 402 is also shown, which provides a countdown of time remaining in the training session.
With continued reference to the preceding figures, the herein-described systems and methods facilitate connecting elite (e.g., professional, semi-professional, etc.) athletes, coaches, and the like (mentors) with less elite (e.g., amateur, youth, etc.) individuals (mentees) using an interactive platform that facilitates mentoring and teaching. The described innovation facilitates live reviews of videos, where a mentor is able to highlight, annotate, etc., frames in the shared video in order to illustrate to the mentee where adjustments need to be made in order to improve the mentee's form.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/201,235, filed Apr. 20, 2021, entitled DIGITAL VIDEO SHARING, ANALYSIS, AND AGGREGATION, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63201235 | Apr 2021 | US |
