Patent Application
20240416213
The present application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-099102, filed on Jun. 16, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a system, an information processing apparatus, and a recording medium.
Conventionally, there has been known a system that enables a user who views a played back image to experience various outings by varying the played back image displayed on a display device according to the walking state of the user.
Further, in order to enable a user to easily use a system that supports the movement of the user, there is disclosed a system that displays, on the screen, an image that is changed according to the walking state information of the user (see, e.g., Patent Document 1).
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system including:
In the system described in Patent Document 1, when a plurality of users exercise while viewing a single screen, the playback speed of the moving image is set to be uniform or is set to be adjusted to a particular person. Therefore, for example, if the athletic performance of each of the plurality of users is different, at a playback speed corresponding to a user with low athletic performance, the user with high athletic performance will view the moving image displayed at a playback speed that is slow relative to his/her own exercise quantity. On the other hand, at a playback speed corresponding to a user with high athletic performance, the user with low athletic performance will view the moving image displayed at a playback speed that is fast relative to his/her own exercise quantity. In this way, there is room for improvement in the system described in Patent Document 1, because the moving image is displayed at a playback speed that does not match a certain user's own exercise quantity, and it becomes difficult for a plurality of users who have different levels of athletic performance from each other to participate in an exercise at the same time.
A problem to be addressed by an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a system in which a plurality of users can easily participate in an exercise at the same time.
Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted as appropriate.
The overall configuration of the system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
In
In the example illustrated in
In
The user 200 is, for example, an elderly person who requires support for exercising. The exercise machine 1 is a stepping mat incorporating a motion sensor 11. The motion sensor 11 includes a pressure sensor and outputs information on the exercise quantity of the user 200 based on the stepping of the user 200 to the information processing apparatus 2. The display control unit 24 is a functional configuration for controlling communication with the display device 3 to display the moving image Mv on the display device 3. The display control unit 24 varies the playback speed of the moving image Mv displayed on the screen of the display device 3 based on information on the exercise quantity of the user 200 from the motion sensor 11.
For example, the system 100 causes the display device 3 to display the moving image Mv displaying a scene in a sightseeing spot in accordance with the walking exercise of the user 200. Thus, the user 200 can perform the walking exercise on the stepping mat as if the user 200 is walking in the sightseeing spot.
Further, in the present embodiment, when there are the plurality of users 200, the display control unit 24 plays back the moving image Mv at the playback speed determined based on the information on the exercise quantity of each of the plurality of users 200 output from the motion sensor 11 and the attributable ratio of the exercise quantity with respect to the playback speed of the moving image Mv set for each of the plurality of users 200.
Here, the attributable ratio refers to the ratio of the exercise quantity detected by the motion sensor 11 converted to the playback speed of the moving image. For example, for the user 200 who has low athletic performance, the playback speed is increased with respect to the exercise quantity by setting the attributable ratio high. On the other hand, for the user 200 who has high athletic performance, the playback speed is decreased with respect to the exercise quantity by setting the attributable ratio low. By setting the attributable ratio for each of the plurality of users 200 in this way, even when the athletic performances of the plurality of users 200 are different from each other, it is possible to playback the moving image Mv at a playback speed suitable for the athletic performances of all the plurality of users 200, instead of a playback speed suitable only for a specific user. Further, the user 200 can participate in the exercise performed by the plurality of users 200 while looking at one screen without worrying about the difference in athletic performances from other users. Thus, it is possible to provide the system 100 in which the plurality of users 200 can easily participate in the exercise at the same time.
From another viewpoint, if the playback speed of the moving image Mv is Vm when the user 200 whose attributable ratio is set to 100% walks at a reference speed V, the user 200 whose attributable ratio is set to 50% can realize the playback speed Vm by walking at the speed of 2×V. Therefore, the system 100 can give a high exercise load in accordance with the athletic performance to the user 200 whose athletic performance is high. On the other hand, the user whose attributable ratio is set to 200% can realize the playback speed Vm by walking at a speed of 0.5×V. Therefore, the system 100 can give a lower exercise load in accordance with the athletic performance to the user 200 whose athletic performance is low. In this manner, the system 100 may provide an appropriate exercise load to each of the plurality of users 200 in accordance with the athletic performance of each of the plurality of users 200.
The exercise load refers to the magnitude of the amount of activity. The amount of activity Ex can be expressed by the following formula by using the Metabolic Equivalents (METs) value.
Ex=METs value×exercise time
The METs value is a characteristic value that indicates the intensity of physical activity, and is a value that indicates how many times greater the intensity of physical activity is with respect to the state of being at rest. Table 1 illustrates a portion that relates to walking of a METs value table of physical activity published by the National Institute of Health and Nutrition (see, for example, the Internet at <https://www.mhlw.go.jp/shingi/2006/11/s1109-5g.html>). As illustrated in Table 1, the METs value and the walking speed are proportional. Therefore, when the exercise load is expressed in terms of the amount of activity, the exercise load becomes larger when the walking speed is fast when comparing the values corresponding to the same exercise time.
The display control unit 24 can also display characteristic values obtained based on the exercise quantity and attributable ratio. Such characteristic values include the contribution degree to the playback speed of the moving image, which is the product of the attributable ratio and the exercise quantity. By displaying the contribution degree on the screen, each of the plurality of users 200 can recognize the exercise quantity that the user aims for, and thus can participate in the exercise while maintaining motivation for the exercise. Further, by displaying the difference in the exercise quantity from the other users 200 based on the attributable ratio as a characteristic value, the users 200 can participate in the exercise without feeling uneasy.
In the present specification, the attributable ratio is set according to the athletic performance of the plurality of users 200 by way of example, but it is also possible to set the attributable ratio according to the physical strength, the physical condition, the presence of physical handicap, etc.
As illustrated in
The system 100 inputs the moving image Mv stored in the external server 400 through the network N and displays the moving image Mv on the display device 3. The system 100 can also display the moving image Mv stored in the information processing apparatus 2 on the display device 3. The system 100 can also store the moving image Mv in the information processing apparatus 2 via a recording medium such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory. The system 100 can also download the moving image Mv from a content server into the information processing apparatus 2. Furthermore, the system 100 can also play back the moving image Mv by streaming without storing the moving image Mv in the information processing apparatus 2.
The information processing apparatus 2 has a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 201, a Read Only Memory (ROM) 202, a Random Access Memory (RAM) 203, a Hard Disk Drive/Solid State Drive (HDD/SSD) 204, and an interface (I/F) 205. These are electrically connected to each other via a bus line L.
The CPU 201 is a computing device that sequentially executes branch processing, repetitive processing, and the like by executing a program stored in the ROM 202. The ROM 202 is a nonvolatile memory in which programs and the like executed by the CPU 201 are stored. The RAM 203 is a memory that functions as a work area for the operation of the CPU 201. The bus line L is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each element such as the CPU 201.
The I/F 205 transmits and receives information such as data and signals by controlling communication with the exercise machine 1, the display device 3, the operation unit 4, and the speaker 5 connected to the information processing apparatus 2. The I/F 205 can also transmit and receive information to and from the external server 400 via the network N.
The functions of the exercise quantity evaluating unit 21, the rhythm providing unit 22, and the display control unit 24 are implemented by, for example, the CPU 201 of
The exercise quantity evaluating unit 21 inputs exercise quantity information that is output from the motion sensor 11 and executes a process for evaluating the exercise of the user 200. The rhythm providing unit 22 periodically generates sound and vibration so that the user 200 can perform a walking exercise at a predetermined rhythm while viewing the moving image Mv, thereby providing a rhythm to the user 200. The information processing apparatus 2 provides a rhythm by using vibration or sound by the rhythm providing unit 22 in accordance with the evaluation result by the exercise quantity evaluating unit 21, thereby giving the user 200 a sense of his/her pace of the walking exercise.
The storage unit 23 can store a moving image set file 231, a setting file 232, a user data file 233, and a voice sound assist file 234. The moving image set file 231 is a file in which the moving image Mv is recorded. The setting file 232 is a file in which display conditions by the display device 3 and attributable ratios, reference values for the motion sensor 11, etc., are recorded. The user data file 233 is a file in which the past exercise quantity for each of the plurality of users 200 is recorded. The voice sound assist file 234 is a file in which voice sound to be played back in accordance with information about the moving image Mv and exercise quantity, is recorded.
The information processing apparatus 2 can receive the moving image set file 231 and the setting file 232 stored in the external server 400 illustrated in
A method of controlling the playback speed of the moving image Mv by the display control unit 24 will be described, by taking as an example a walking exercise using the walking speed of steps as a measurement value. The display control unit 24 controls the playback speed of the moving image Mv displayed on the display device 3 based on the stepping speed, i.e., walking speed, of the user 200 detected by the motion sensor 11 of the exercise machine 1.
Here, the reference exercise speed is V, the playback speed of the moving image Mv is Vm, and the attributable ratio is P. When the three users 200 are distinguished as Person A, Person B, and Person C, and their attributable ratios are P_A, P_B, and P_C, and their walking speeds are V_A, V_B, and V_C, respectively, the display control unit 24 can calculate the playback speed Vm′ of the moving image Mv from the following formula (1).
When the attributable ratio P_A is set to 50%, the attributable ratio P_B is set to 100%, and the attributable ratio P_C is set to 100%, the playback speed of the moving image Mv does not reach the reference playback speed unless Person A walks at twice the walking speed of Person B and Person C. Therefore, the exercise load on Person A can be increased.
The attributable ratio P_A is set to 200%, the attributable ratio P_B is set to 100%, and the attributable ratio P_C is set to 100%. By doubling the attributable ratio of Person A, when Person A walks at a walking speed of 0.5×V, and when Person B and Person C walk at a walking speed of V, the contribution degree related to the playback speed of the moving image Mv becomes equal among Person A, Person B, and Person C. Thus, it is possible to reduce excessive exercise load for Person A, who has low athletic performance.
The attributable ratio P_A is set to 100%, the attributable ratio P_B is set to 100%, and the attributable ratio P_C is set to 50%. When the speed of Person C is 1.4×V, the speed of Person A is 0.3×V, and the speed of Person B is 0.2×V, the playback speed is slower compared with the patterns 1 and 2.
Table 2 below lists the walking speed, the attributable ratio, the contribution degree, and the playback speed of the moving image of the patterns 1 to 3 described above.
As described above, by changing the attributable ratio of the walking speed of each of the plurality of users 200, the exercise of all the users is applied to the playback speed of the moving image Mv, and individual exercise consciousness can be raised. Further, by making the attributable ratios different, the user 200 with a high attributable ratio assumes the role of operating the playback speed more than the other users 200, and, therefore, an effect of enhancing the exercise consciousness can also be obtained.
The indicator illustrated in
By displaying the contribution degree by the lines 31 and the characters 33 of the indicator, the users 200 can compare their own exercise status with that of other users. The users 200 can make the comparison by a characteristic value, that is, the contribution degree, and, therefore, the users 200 can participate in the exercise without feeling uneasy.
The system 100 can control the exercise load by providing the individual with a walking speed reference. For example, the system 100 can use the average walking speed of each of the individuals as a reference, and apply the exercise load on the playback speed of the moving image Mv. Assuming that Person A has an average walking speed of (V_A)′, Person B has an average walking speed of (V_B)′, and Person C has an average walking speed of (V_C)′, the playback speed Vm′ of the moving image Mv can be expressed by the following formula (2).
The exercise machine 1 is not limited to a stepping mat, but may be a stepper, an aero bike (registered trademark), i.e., a stationary bike, a treadmill for running, a treadmill for walking, or the like. The motion sensor 11 detects a walking speed in a walking exercise or a stepper, a pedal rotation speed in an aero bike, a belt rotation speed in a walking machine, or the like. The system 100 can vary the playback speed of the moving image Mv according to the output of the motion sensor 11. Table 3 below illustrates a list of the targets for detecting the exercise quantity by various exercise machines 1.
It is possible to control the load of steppers, aero bikes, treadmills for walking, etc. The load can be controlled by the pressure of a stepper, the weight of the pedals of an aero bike, and the rotational running speed of the conveyor that rotates with the user 200 of a treadmill for walking, etc. In the system 100, the attributable ratio can be set to reflect the exercise load.
Further, the plurality of users 200 may exercise by using a plurality of types of exercise machines 1 with respect to one screen of the display device 3. In this case, by using the above formula (2), the average of the stepping mat is set to (V_A)′, the average of the stepper is set to (V_B)′, and the average of the aero bike is set to (V_C)′, and based on the detected values of these exercise machines, the playback speed of the moving image Mv can be varied. That is, the display control unit 24 can vary the attributable ratio based on the exercise quantity detected when using the plurality of types of exercise machine 1. Thus, even when using the plurality of types of exercise machine 1, it is possible to provide a system 100 in which the plurality of users 200 can easily participate in the exercise at the same time. The attributable ratio is not limited to the calculation result obtained by the display control unit 24, and may be freely set to be any value.
First, in step S11, the system 100 acquires information such as the names of the plurality of users 200 participating in the exercise using the system 100 by the operation unit 4.
Next, in step S12, the system 100 acquires, by the display control unit 24, reference values, attributable ratios, and user names by referring to the setting file 232 in the storage unit 23 based on the information of each of the plurality of users 200. The display control unit 24 may randomly acquire the attributable ratio from the setting file 232 and assign the attributable ratio to each of the plurality of users 200, or may assign the attributable ratio to each of the plurality of users 200 according to input using the operation unit 4.
Subsequently, in step S13, the system 100 starts playback of the moving image Mv by the display device 3 under the control of the display control unit 24. Thereafter, the display device 3 continuously plays back the moving image Mv until playback of the moving image Mv is stopped according to the end condition.
Subsequently, in step S14, the system 100 starts sound or vibration generation by the speaker 5 under the control of the rhythm providing unit 22 or the display control unit 24. Thereafter, the speaker 5 continues sound or vibration generation until sound or vibration generation is stopped according to the end condition.
Subsequently, in step S15, the system 100 detects the exercise quantity of each of the plurality of users 200 by the motion sensor 11, and outputs information about the exercise quantity to the information processing apparatus 2. Thereafter, the motion sensor 11 detects and outputs the exercise quantity at a predetermined period until the motion sensor 11 stops detecting the exercise quantity of the user 200 in accordance with the end condition.
With respect to steps S13 to S15, the order of the steps may be changed appropriately, or the steps may be performed in parallel.
Subsequently, in step S16, the system 100 determines the playback speed of the moving image Mv by the display control unit 24 based on the information on the exercise quantity of each of the plurality of users 200 output from the motion sensor 11 and the attributable ratio of the exercise quantity with respect to the playback speed of the moving image Mv set for each of the plurality of users 200. When the plurality of types of exercise machines 1 are used, the playback speed of the moving image Mv is determined in accordance with the information from the motion sensor 11 of the different types of exercise machines 1.
Subsequently, in step S17, the system 100 changes, by the display control unit 24, the playback speed of the moving image Mv by the display device 3 to the playback speed determined in step S16. The plurality of users 200 can view the moving image Mv displayed on the display device 3 at the changed playback speed. If the playback speed determined in step S16 is the same as before the change, the display control unit 24 need not change the playback speed of the moving image Mv.
Subsequently, in step S18, the system 100 calculates, by the display control unit 24, the contribution degree of each of the plurality of users 200 by integrating the attributable ratio and the exercise quantity of each of the plurality of users 200.
Subsequently, in step S19, the system 100 displays, by the display control unit 24, the contribution degree calculated in step S18. The plurality of users 200 can view the contribution degree displayed on the display device 3.
Subsequently, in step S20, the system 100 determines, by the information processing apparatus 2, whether to end the operation of the system 100. For example, the information processing apparatus 2 can determine whether to end the operation of the system 100 in response to an operation input of ending the exercise by an operator via the operation unit 4.
If it is determined in step S20 that the operation is not to be ended (step S20, NO), the system 100 performs the operation from and after step S15 again. The system 100 repeats the operation from and after step S15 until it is determined in step S20 that the operation is to be ended. When the operation from and after step S15 is to be performed, the determination of the playback speed (step S16) and the calculation of the contribution degree (step S17) are periodically performed, for example, when ¼ of the playback time of the whole moving image Mv has elapsed, when ½ of the playback time of the whole moving image Mv has elapsed, when ¾ of the playback time of the whole moving image Mv has elapsed, and the like.
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S20 that the operation is to be ended (step S20, YES), the system 100 stops detecting the exercise quantity of each of the plurality of users 200 by the motion sensor 11 in step S21.
Subsequently, in step S22, the system 100 stops generating sound or vibration by the speaker 5.
Subsequently, in step S23, the system 100 stops playback of the moving image Mv by the display device 3.
With respect to steps S21 to S22, the order of the steps may be changed appropriately, or the steps may be performed in parallel.
When the detection of exercise quantity by the motion sensor 11, the generation of sound or vibration by the speaker 5, and the playback of the moving image Mv by the display device 3 are stopped, the system 100 ends the operation.
As described above, the system 100 can support the exercise of the plurality of users 200.
In example 1, the attributable ratio of each of the plurality of users 200 participating in the exercise is varied for each playback period obtained by dividing the moving image Mv into a plurality of playback periods.
In
Table 4 below illustrates an example of setting the attributable ratio for each of the plurality of playback periods T1 to T4 with respect to each of the three users 200, Person A, Person B, and Person C.
In the playback period T4, the system 100 assigns the attributable ratio evenly. That is, the display control unit 24 controls the playback speed of the moving image Mv by using the average value of the exercise quantity of each of the plurality of users 200. As a result, the exercise consciousness of all the users can be improved.
In the playback periods T1 to T3, the system 100 sets the attributable ratio of the user 200 with the fastest walking speed or the user 200 with the slowest walking speed to 100% and sets the attributable ratio of the other users 200 to 0%. That is, the display control unit 24 controls the playback speed of the moving image Mv by using the maximum value of the exercise quantity of each of the plurality of users 200. As a result, the users 200 are caused to depend on the playback speed of the moving image Mv and to compete with each other to see who assumes the role as having a 100% attributable ratio of the exercise quantity with respect to the playback speed of the moving image. Alternatively, the user can be caused to exercise according to the person who is walking slowly.
By changing the attributable ratio to 0% for the user 200 who is too slow by using a threshold value, the playback of the moving image can be continued by using the exercise quantity of users other than the user 200 who stopped the exercise in the middle and the like.
The system 100 may change the attributable ratio based on the type of the exercise machine 1 and the scene in the moving image Mv. For example, on a paved road, by increasing the attributable ratio of a bicycle exercise (aero bike) by 1.1 times compared to that of a walking exercise (stepping mat, treadmill for walking, etc.), the exercise load becomes lower compared to the users 200 who are walking. On a mountain road, which is difficult for a bicycle to proceed on, by increasing the attributable ratio by 0.5 times, the exercise load becomes higher than that of walking users 200. In this way, the exercise load can be applied to the user 200 by changing the attributable ratio based on the type of exercise machine 1 and the scene in the moving image Mv.
Table 5 below indicates the relationship between the scene in the moving image, the type of exercise machine 1, and the attributable ratio.
After the detection of the exercise quantity in step S15 of the flowchart illustrated in
In example 2, the attributable ratio set for each of the plurality of users 200 is varied according to the state of stepping in the walking exercise of each of the plurality of users 200.
As illustrated in
This example is applicable not only to the exercise using a stepping mat but also to the exercise using an aero bike or a treadmill for walking, and the attributable ratio can be varied based on the state of the exercise such as variations in the progress speed.
The system 100 can output, by the display control unit 24, information prompting the user 200 to move based on the information on the exercise quantity of the user 200 and the attributable ratio. The “output” includes a display by the display device 3 and a voice sound output by the speaker 5.
The system 100 can prompt the user 200 to perform additional movements in accordance with the attributable ratio. The user 200 having a low attributable ratio does not significantly affect the playback speed of the moving image Mv even if the stepping becomes slow. Therefore, it is possible to prompt movements other than walking exercises by instructing hand movements and mental exercises.
The system 100 can also support the exercise of each of the plurality of users 200 by outputting a voice sound based on biological information (heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, etc.), exercise information (walking speed, etc.), usage history information, etc., of the user 200. That is, the display control unit 24 can output information prompting the user 200 to move based on the biological information, exercise quantity information, and the attributable ratio of the user 200.
To acquire the biological information of the user 200, the system 100 can use a pulse sensor mounted on the ear, a blood pressure sensor mounted on the fingertip, a respiratory rate sensor mounted on the chest, and the like. For example, based on the increase or decrease of the walking speed compared to the previous detection value by each sensor, a message corresponding to the fatigue level can be output by voice sound to support exercise. The voice sound may be pre-recorded or may be generated at any time.
For example, after detecting the exercise quantity in step S15 of the flowchart illustrated in
The display control unit 24 outputs information to prompt the user 200 to move based on the biological information, exercise quantity information, and the attributable ratio of the user 200, so that the user 200 can be prompted to make movements other than the walking exercise.
The system, the information processing apparatus, and the recording medium are not limited to the specific embodiments described in the detailed description, and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The information processing system according to the embodiment may be configured to implement some or all of the functions of the information processing apparatus 2 by an external device such as a cloud server. The information processing system according to the embodiment may be configured to implement some or all of the functions of the information processing apparatus 2 by a plurality of computers performing distributed processing.
The values such as ordinal numbers and quantities used in the description of the embodiment are all examples for the purpose of specifically explaining the technology of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the values described in the examples. Further, the connection relationships among the elements are examples for the purpose of specifically explaining the technology of the present invention, and the connection relationships for implementing the functions of the present invention are not limited thereto.
The functions of each of the embodiments described above may be implemented by one or more processing circuits. As used herein, a “processing circuit” includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software such as a processor implemented in an electronic circuit; or devices such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a conventional circuit module, designed to execute each function as described above.
Aspects of the present invention are, for example, as follows.
<1> A system including:
<2> The system according to <1>, wherein the display control unit displays a characteristic value obtained based on the exercise quantity and the attributable ratio.
<3> The system according to <1> or <2>, wherein
<4> The system according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the display control unit controls the playback speed of the moving image by using either one of an average value or a maximum value of the exercise quantity of a plurality of the users.
<5> The system according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the display control unit controls the playback speed of the moving image based on the attributable ratio according to a state of the exercise of the user.
<6> The system according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the display control unit varies the attributable ratio according to a scene in the moving image.
<7> The system according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the display control unit sets the attributable ratio to be lower for the user for which a deviation arises between the information relating to the exercise quantity output from the motion sensor and a predetermined reference value of the exercise quantity corresponding to a reference exercise, than the attributable ratio for the user for which the deviation does not arise.
<8> The system according to any one of <1> to <7>, wherein the display control unit outputs information that prompts the user to move based on at least the information relating to the exercise quantity and the attributable ratio.
<9> The system according to any one of <1> to <8>, wherein the user performs the exercise while viewing the moving image displayed on a head-mounted display device.
<10> An information processing apparatus including:
<11> A program that controls, by a display control unit, displaying of a moving image based on information relating to an exercise quantity of a user who performs exercise while viewing the moving image, wherein
According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a system in which a plurality of users can easily participate in the exercise at the same time.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-099102 | Jun 2023 | JP | national |
