Exercise systems in virtual environment

Abstract

An exercise system includes at least two exercise modules and is arranged to allow multiple users performing exercises on, with or against the modules in different locations while performing at least one preset task defined in a context of a story, a scenery or a video (or computer) game each in turn preferably defined in a virtual environment. The exercise system generally generates the task of the story, scenery or game in images of the virtual environment and simulates the exercising users as simulated user in such images, while allowing the users to manipulate the simulated users for attaining a goal of the task based on features related with the exercises performed by the user or allowing the task to manipulate operations of the modules based on the features. The execs system includes at least two output modules each including a visual unit to provide the images for the task to each user and an olfactory or tactile unit to provide smell or tactile sensation to the user, respectively.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application relates to various patent applications which have been filed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the same Applicant such as, e.g., a U.S. Provisional Patent Application which is entitled “Local exercise systems with compact visual units,” was filed on Jul. 16, 2007, and bears the Serial Number U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 959,464, a second U.S. Provisional Patent Application which is entitled “Local exercise systems with full-size visual units,” was filed on Jul. 16, 2007, and bears the Serial Number U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 959,564, and a third U.S. Provisional Patent Application which is entitled “Global exercise systems and methods,” was filed on Aug. ______, 2007, and bears the Serial Number U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 9______. All of the above Applications will be referred to as the “co-pending Applications” hereinafter and all of the Applications and are to be incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTIO...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0048]The system (or its control module) may allow transfer of the task feature only from one to the other of the standard exercise modules, between the standard exercise modules, and the like. Such a system (or its control module) may allow the transfer wirelessly or by wire, through control module or between other modules, and the like. The system (or its control module) may perform the transfer without altering the task feature (i.e., a simple transfer) or, in the alternative, by altering or converting the task feature based upon the relation (i.e., an equivalent conversion). The relation may be defined between at least feature of the exercises and that of the task, between at least one feature of such exercises and the goal and / or stages of the task, between at least one feature of the users and that of the task, between at least one feature of the users and the goal and / or stages of the task, and the like. The relation may be defined between at least one feature of the operation and at least one of the features of the task, between at least one feature of the operation and the goal and / or stages of the task, and the like. The relation may be maintained constant during the exercises, may change during the exercises at least partly based upon at least one of the features, may account for physical fatigue of the users which may be reflected by the duration of the exercises and / or load, and the like.

Problems solved by technology

Although conventional exercise or fitness equipment is effective in helping the user burn his or her excess energy, it typically requires its user to spend a fair amount of time therewith.

For example, the user may waste a piece of cake causing a surge of hundreds of calories within a minute, but she or he has to run on a treadmill for at least an hour to burn those excess calories.

Whatever they may resort to, prior art exercise or fitness equipment is, however, of little or at most a limited value in eliminating the boredom of the user during exercise.

like. However, any of such equipment disclosed in the above patents or any combination thereof have not completely solved the above p

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