System and method for guiding and evaluating breathing exercise sessions by users

Abstract

Described herein are a system and a method for automatically guiding and evaluating a user's performance during structured breathing exercise sessions. The system retrieves predetermined breathing patterns, including sequences of inhales, exhales, and breath-holds across one or more rounds. Each round includes at least two stages: a breath-hold stage and a first full breath stage immediately following the breath-hold. The system provides real-time guidance through sensory cues, receives user-initiated or automatic signals marking stage transitions, records the duration of each stage, and determines ideal or target durations. A longer first full breath duration indicates improved breath-hold performance and reduced stress. The system generates a final score for each round by combining breath-hold and first full breath durations, reflecting performance, relaxation, lung function, tolerance metrics, and the like. Aggregate session scores are computed across rounds, offering insights into exercise suitability, session effectiveness, and physiological adaptation over time.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GUIDING AND EVALUATING BREATHINGEXERCISE SESSIONS BY USERSTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The subject disclosure relates to automated breathing exercise training and evaluation, and more particularly, to a system and a method for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session by a user.BACKGROUND

[0002] Breath-holding is an increasingly popular activity, both for health and performance benefits. It is practiced in various disciplines such as free-diving, Buteyko breathing, and Wim Hof breathing. Numerous mobile applications exist that assist practitioners by measuring and tracking breath-hold durations, by recording only the length of the breathhold in seconds. However, these conventional approaches focus solely on breath-hold times, lacking insight into the subjective experience of the breath-hold, particularly on how much the breath-hold was pushed or the degree of relaxation experienced.

[0003] When breath-holds are performed in a standardized way, they may be used as an indicator of respiratory health and performance, representing the person’s respiratory drive, CO2 tolerance, diving ability or altitude training ability. While there are ways to measure a person’s respiratory drive using an airflow sensor while breathing, this is inconvenient, costly and complex to use with breath-hold training. Breath-hold training traditions prefer to keep things simple and do their training in a natural way without masks, tubes, clips and straps that get in the way of the natural breathing experience and make it harder to properly focus and relax during the breath-hold, which is considered an essential skill.

[0004] Breath-holds can be performed comfortably or stressfully. When breath-holding stressfully, a person may choose to extend their breath-hold until an increasingly strong air hunger sensation arises, continuing to push through despite discomfort. Existing systems rarely capture this crucial aspect and only record the duration, supplemented with optional textual notes describing subjective effort or subjective sense of air-hunger or relaxation. The balance between a relaxed, comfortable breath-hold and a pushed, stressful one significantly affects training quality and user adherence. Excessively pushing breath-holds can create a stressful experience that deters sustained practice and impairs training effectiveness. Conversely, overly short breath-holds might reduce training effectiveness or lead users to perceive the training as ineffective.

[0005] Some practitioners advocate for an optimal balanced breath-hold training approach, where the breath-hold is sufficiently long and also relaxed, which may involve pushing only very mildly so that the breath-hold remains relaxed and calm. Yet this balance is subjective and difficult to quantify objectively without a numerical system capturing the quality of the breath-hold experience. To help a person implement this optimal breath -hold training approach, costly coaching time with a personal trainer may be required.

[0006] This challenge is compounded when multiple breath-holds are performed in consecutive rounds, as the cumulative stress from repeated pushing can undermine training benefits. To avoid cumulative stress, some practitioners recommend structuring the breath-hold durations in subsequent rounds of the exercise session in a gradually increasing way, starting the first round of the breathing exercise session in a relaxed way and gradually increasing the stress level and / or breath-hold times in subsequent rounds, aiming to peak in the final round. However, because only the duration of the breath-holds is recorded, without easily quantifiable information on the relaxation quality, it is hard to verify the correct execution of the relaxation aspect of this pattern. Costly coaching time with a personal trainer may be required to guide the person during a complete breathing exercise session and correct any mistakes. Thus, many people practice breath-hold training in a suboptimal way.

[0007] While some existing breath-holding apps use timers to measure the duration of breath-holds and use the recorded duration of previous breath-holds to provide users with targets for their subsequent breath-holds, these breath-hold targets are calculated without any consideration of the relaxation quality of the performed breath-holds and may provide breathhold targets which are either too high or too low to achieve an optimal breath-hold training experience.

[0008] All these considerations also complicate the process of instructor training with breath-holding exercises, where new instructors need more instructor training time before they are able to safely start teaching students.

[0009] There is, therefore, a need in the art for an improved system that may be used to guide and evaluate the breathing exercise of a user by overcoming the deficiencies of the prior art(s).SUMMARY

[0010] Described herein is a method for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session by a user. The method comprises retrieving, by a processor associated with a system, a predetermined breathing pattern of inhales, exhales and breath-holds performed in a breathingexercise session composed of one or more rounds, wherein at least one round comprises at least two stages comprising a first stage corresponding to a breath-hold and a second stage corresponding to a first full breath performed immediately after the first stage. Further, the method comprises executing, by the processor, a performance tracking and user guidance technique during at least one round of the breathing exercise session, wherein the performance tracking and user guidance technique comprises providing, by the processor, a first set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the breath-hold of the first stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern, receiving, by the processor, a first signal indicative of a start of the breath-hold of the first stage, wherein the first signal is initiated by an intentional start action by the user or by an automatic trigger by the system following preparatory notifications to the user, recording, by the processor, a first duration corresponding to the first stage of each round of execution of the performance tracking and user guidance technique, receiving, by the processor, a second signal indicative of end of the first stage and the start of the second stage, wherein the second signal is initiated by an intentional action by the user or automatically generated by the system after reaching a predefined breath-hold duration, providing, by the processor, a second set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the first full breath of the second stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern wherein the user is instructed to perform the first full breath of the second stage in a pattern that comprises at least one of: long, soft, slow, calm, quiet, gentle, and / or smooth breathing, according to the relative ability of the user, and wherein a longer duration of the first full breath is indicative of one or more of: a better breath-holding performance, a more relaxed or less stressful breath-holding experience, and a lower level of activation of the respiratory drive at the end of the breath-hold of the first stage, recording, by the processor, a second duration corresponding to the second stage of the round, and receiving, by the processor, a third signal indicative of the end of the second stage, wherein the third signal is initiated through the intentional action by the user. The method also comprises generating, by the processor, a final score for the round by combining and / or contrasting the first duration with the second duration, wherein the final score is indicative of at least one of: breath-hold performance, breathing performance, breathing stress, breathing relaxation, lung function, oxygen consumption levels, carbon dioxide tolerance, and altitude training ability.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the predetermined breathing pattern of the first full breath of the second stage comprises at least one of: a complete inhalation, a completeexhalation, the complete exhalation followed by the complete inhalation, and the complete inhalation followed by the complete exhalation.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the predetermined breathing pattern specifies that the breath-hold of the first stage is initiated after a complete or partially complete inhalation or exhalation, and wherein the breath-hold is terminated by starting the subsequent inhalation or exhalation.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the method further comprises generating, by the processor, a session score for the breathing exercise session which comprises the final scores of at least two rounds, wherein the session score is indicative of at least one of: suitability of the exercise for the user, session effectiveness, overall session performance, changing stress levels, changing relaxation levels, changing carbon dioxide tolerance, changing altitude training ability, changing oxygen consumption levels, and changing levels of activation of the respiratory drive throughout the breathing exercise session.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, initiation and termination of the first stage and the second stage are performed by any one of automatically by the system after a countdown, instruction or animation given to the user, detection of airflow via a breathing sensor, detection of user stress via a vital sign sensor and an input signal by the user indicating start or end of the breath-hold.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, each of the one or more rounds comprises one or more additional stages before the first stage or after the second stage, and wherein the one or more additional stages are timed periods of at least one of: meditation, relaxation, yoga, physical exercise, a breathing exercise, and taking a break.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the method further comprises providing, by the processor, a set of cues for a preparatory hyper- ventilatory breathing phase prior to the breathhold and counting, by the processor, a number of preparatory breaths completed before initiating the breath-hold, wherein the counting is guided by a timer or an animation presented to the user.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the method further comprises providing, by the processor, an instruction for an additional follow-up breath-hold as a third stage, performed after the second stage, recording, by the processor, a third duration corresponding to the additional follow-up breath-hold of the third stage and determining, by the processor, a value corresponding to the third duration, wherein the value complements a session score of the round.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the method further comprises dynamically calculating, by the processor, for subsequent rounds of the breathing exercise session, a target duration for the first stage of the round based on the recorded first duration and the second duration of the immediately preceding round, wherein the calculation compares the recorded second duration of the immediately preceding round with the recorded first duration and / or with an ideal value for the second duration.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the generated feedback comprises any one or a combination of: real-time pacing guidance, a graphical display indicating relaxation quality associated with the first full breath phase the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, the generated final scores for each round, a session score in real-time, and a haptic or an audio notification reminding the user to begin or end a subsequent phase of the breathing exercise session.

[0020] Described herein is a system for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session of a user. The system comprises a processor and a memory operatively coupled with the processor, wherein the memory comprises one or more instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to retrieve a predetermined breathing pattern of inhales, exhales and breathholds performed in a breathing exercise session composed of one or more rounds, wherein at least one round comprises at least two stages comprising a first stage corresponding to a breathhold and a second stage corresponding to a first full breath performed immediately after the first stage. Further, the processor executes a performance tracking and user guidance technique during at least one round of the breathing exercise session, wherein to execute the performance tracking and user guidance technique the processor is configured to provide a first set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the breath-hold of the first stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern, receive a first signal indicative of start of the breath-hold of the first stage, wherein the first signal is initiated by an intentional start action by the user or by an automatic trigger by the system following preparatory notifications to the user, record a first duration corresponding to the first stage of each round of execution of the performance tracking and user guidance technique, receive a second signal indicative of end of the first stage and the start of the second stage, wherein the second signal is initiated by an intentional action by the user or automatically generated by the system after reaching a predefined breath-hold duration, provide a second set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the first full breath of the second stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern, wherein the user is instructed to perform the first full breath of the second stage in a pattern that comprises at least one of: long, soft, slow, calm,quiet, gentle, and / or smooth breathing, according to the relative ability of the user, and wherein a longer duration of the first full breath is indicative of one or more of: a better breath-holding performance, a more relaxed or less stressful breath-holding experience, and a lower level of activation of the respiratory drive at the end of the breath-hold of the first stage, record a second duration corresponding to the second stage of the round and receive a third signal indicative of the end of the second stage, wherein the third signal is initiated through the intentional action by the user. Further, the processor generates a final score for the round by combining and / or contrasting the first duration with the second duration, wherein the final score is indicative of at least one of: breath-hold performance, breathing performance, breathing stress, breathing relaxation, lung function, oxygen consumption levels, carbon dioxide tolerance, and altitude training ability.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the predetermined breathing pattern of the first full breath of the second stage comprises at least one of: a complete inhalation, a complete exhalation, the complete exhalation followed by the complete inhalation, and the complete inhalation followed by the complete exhalation.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the processor generates a session score for the breathing exercise session which comprises the final scores of at least two rounds, wherein the session score is indicative of at least one of: suitability of the exercise for the user, session effectiveness, overall session performance, changing stress levels, changing relaxation levels, changing carbon dioxide tolerance, changing oxygen consumption levels, changing altitude training ability, and changing levels of activation of the respiratory drive throughout the breathing exercise session.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the predetermined breathing pattern specifies that breath-hold is initiated after a complete or partially complete inhalation or exhalation, and wherein the breath-hold is terminated by starting the subsequent inhalation or exhalation.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, to initiate and terminate the first stage and the second stage, the processor is configured to perform by any one of automatically by the system after a countdown, instruction or animation given to the user, detection of airflow via a breathing sensor, detection of user stress via a vital sign sensor and an input signal by the user indicating start or end of the breath-hold.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, each of the one or more rounds comprises one or more additional stages before the first stage or after the second stage, and wherein the one or more additional stages are timed periods of at least one of: meditation, relaxation, yoga, physical exercise, a breathing exercise, and / or taking a break.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the processor is configured to provide a set of cues for a preparatory hyper-ventilatory breathing phase prior to the breath-hold and count a number of preparatory breaths completed before initiating the breath-hold, wherein the counting is guided by a timer or an animation presented to the user.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the processor is configured to provide an instruction for an additional follow-up breath-hold phase as a third stage, performed after the first full breath phase, record a third duration corresponding to the additional follow-up breathhold of the third stage and determine a value corresponding to the third duration, wherein the value complements a session score of the round.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, the processor is configured to dynamically calculate, for subsequent rounds of the breathing exercise session, a target duration for the first stage, of the round based on the recorded first duration and the second duration of the immediately preceding round, wherein the calculation compares the recorded second duration of the immediately preceding round with the recorded first duration and / or with an ideal value for the second duration.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the generated feedback comprises any one or a combination of: real-time pacing guidance, a graphical display indicating relaxation quality associated with the first full breath phase, the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, the generated final scores for each round, a session score in real-time, and a haptic or an audio notification reminding the user to begin or end a subsequent phase of the breathing exercise session.

[0030] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, features, and techniques of the disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the subject disclosure, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the subject disclosure.

[0032] In the drawings, similar components and / or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similarcomponents. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session of a user, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 2A illustrates an example view of an interface associated with the system for guiding and evaluating the breathing exercise session of the user, being the final screen of the exercise session with 5 rounds concluded (5 completed rounds are shown in the top row), in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 2B illustrates an example view of the interface associated with the system for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session of the user, showing a list of saved exercise sessions, where each row is one exercise session of 5 rounds, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 2C illustrates an example user interface for the first full breath phase in a breathing exercise session, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for guiding and evaluating the breathing exercise session of the user, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates an example graphical representation of a process of executing the performance tracking and user guidance technique for at least one round of the breathing exercise session, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0040] Various terms are used herein. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition that persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.

[0041] In the specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as thedevices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the subject disclosure, the components of this disclosure may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” “first,” “second,” or other like terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components.

[0042] The use of the term “about” with reference to a numerical value includes ±15% of the numerical value.

[0043] As used herein, “substantially” means largely or considerably, but not necessarily wholly, or sufficiently to work for the intended purpose. The term “substantially” thus allows for minor, insignificant variations from an absolute or perfect state, dimension, measurement, result, or the like as would be expected by a person of ordinary skill in the art, but that do not appreciably affect overall performance.

[0044] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in reference to FIGs. 1 to 4.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 1, a system 102 that evaluates both breath-hold duration and the duration of the first full breath immediately following the breath-hold is disclosed. The system 102 may include a processor 104, a memory 106, and an interface(s) 108. The processor 104 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and / or any devices that manipulate data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor 104 may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 106 of the system 102. The memory 106 may store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The memory 106 may include any non-transitory storage device including, for example, a volatile memory such as a Random-Access Memory (RAM), or a non-volatile memory such as an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), a flash memory, and the like.

[0046] In an embodiment, the interface(s) 108 may include a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices, referred to as VO devices, storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) 108 may facilitate communication of the system 102 with various devices coupled to the system 102. The interface(s) 108 may also provide a communication pathway for components of the system 102. Examples of such componentsinclude, but are not limited to, processing engine(s) 110, sensor module(s) 112, and a database 114. The database 114 may include data that is either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the components of the processing engine(s) 110. The sensor module(s) 112 may include, without limitation, a breathing sensor, a vital sign sensor and the like.

[0047] In an embodiment, the processing engine(s) 110 may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine(s) 110. In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine(s) 110 may be processor executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and the hardware for the processor 104 may include a processing resource (for example, processor 104), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine -readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine(s) 110. In such examples, the system 102 may include the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine -readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system 102 and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine(s) 110 may be implemented as an electronic circuitry.

[0048] The system 102 may guide the user through a structured round including at least two stages: (i) a breath-hold stage, and (ii) a recovery breath stage. The recovery breath stage may also be referred to as a (first) full breath. During the first full breath, users may be instructed to take a full, deep and complete breath as slowly, calmly and softly as they are comfortably able to, resulting in longer first full breaths when the user is able to, and shorter first full breaths when the user pushed the breath-hold (or duration of the breath-hold), making it hard to extend the duration of the first full breath. Durations of both stages may be recorded, and a combined score may be generated by contrasting the breath-hold performance with the relaxation quality reflected in the first full breath. Longer, calmer first full breaths indicate lower stress during the breath-hold and healthier training balance, while short, rapid first full breaths reveal overexertion during the breath-hold and resulting high stress levels. The size of the first full breath should not be extremely, uncomfortably large, which may not be healthy. For user comfort, we may describe it as a relatively, very or nearly full, deep and complete breath.

[0049] The breath-hold and first full breath scores from multiple rounds may be aggregated and analyzed to provide a comprehensive session score reflecting the structure of the session, user skill, stress levels, relaxation quality, CO2 tolerance, oxygen consumption levels and altitude training ability. This dual- stage scoring directly solves the problem of measuring only breath-hold duration without knowing to what extent the user pushed the breath-hold, enabling a more accurate and useful evaluation. The system 102 may improve training through adaptive feedback. When recovery breaths are too short, subsequent breathhold targets may be reduced to avoid stress; when recovery breaths are long and calm, targets may be increased to promote progression. This closed-loop adjustment ensures training remains safe yet challenging, encouraging sustained practice. Thus, the disclosed system 102 may achieve the technical effect of combining breath-hold duration with recovery breath duration into a unified, adaptive scoring framework that improves safety, personalization, and training effectiveness over prior art methods.

[0050] Different breath-holding styles exist. Breath-holds may be performed on full, partially full or empty lungs. Some breath-holding styles allow that any air remaining in the lungs may be exhaled during the breath-hold. Other breath-holding styles have a stricter interpretation, where any exhaled airflow means the breath-holding time has ended. The disclosed system 102 may be used with all breath-holding styles and definitions, as all breathhold styles feature a certain intensity of air-hunger at the end of the breath-hold, which motivates the person to want to stop the breath-hold.

[0051] Further, the processing module(s) / engine(s) 110 may include a retrieving module 116, an execution module 118, a generation module 120 and other module(s) 122. The other module(s) 122 may implement functionalities that supplement applications / functions performed by the processing engine(s) 110.

[0052] In one or more embodiments, the retrieving module 116 may retrieve a predetermined breathing pattern of inhales, exhales and breath-holds performed in a breathing exercise session composed of one or more rounds. Each round may include at least two stages including a first stage corresponding to a breath-hold and a second stage corresponding to a first full breath performed immediately after the first stage. The predetermined breathing pattern may define the order, timing, and duration of the individual breathing actions to ensure consistency and repeatability across rounds and sessions and to fit the preference of the user.

[0053] In some embodiments, the predetermined breathing pattern specifies that the breath-hold is initiated after a complete or partially complete inhalation or exhalation, and that the breath-hold is terminated by starting the subsequent inhalation or exhalation of the first fullbreath. The predetermined breathing pattern should align with the user’s natural respiratory cycle and ensure a smooth transition between phases. For example, after a breath-hold on empty lungs, the first full breath should naturally start with an inhalation. The retrieved pattern may be stored in the memory 106 of the system 102 and may be customized or dynamically adjusted based on one or more user parameters such as user experience level, prior performance data, physiological state, and session objectives (for example, relaxation, endurance, or stress reduction).

[0054] In one embodiment, each round may further include one or more additional stages before the first stage or after the second stage, such as timed periods of meditation, relaxation, yoga, physical exercise, an extra secondary breath-hold, other types of breathing exercises, and / or a break or waiting period, which serve to regulate physiological load and facilitate progressive adaptation. The breathing pattern may also include optional preparatory breathing instructions, such as a series of hyperventilation or deep inhalation cycles, to standardize lung capacity prior to each breath-hold and maintain uniform physiological baselines across sessions. In some embodiments, the processor 104 may provide cues for a preparatory hyper-ventilatory breathing phase and count the number of preparatory breaths using a timer or animation presented to the user, ensuring proper synchronization before the breath-hold begins.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, the execution module 118 may execute a performance tracking and user guidance technique during at least one round of the breathing exercise session. The processor 104 may provide a first set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the breath-hold of the first stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern. The instructions may be delivered through one or more sensory outputs including visual cues on the interface 108, auditory guidance through voice prompts or tones, and / or haptic feedback reminders that prompt the user to begin or end a phase of the breathing exercise. The visual cues may include progress indicators, countdown timers, or animation sequences that assist the user in timing and maintaining focus during the breathhold.

[0056] To initiate and terminate the first and second stages, the processor 104 may be configured to do so automatically after a countdown or instruction, through airflow detection via a breathing sensor, detection of user stress via a vital sign sensor, or by receiving an input signal directly from the user. The guidance may be adaptive, such that if the system detects delayed initiation or early termination of a breath-hold, the processor 104 may adjust future prompts or pacing for subsequent rounds to better align with the user’s rhythm and capability.

[0057] Further, the processor 104 may receive a first signal indicative of a start of the breath-hold of the first stage, where the first signal is initiated by an intentional start action by the user or by an automatic trigger by the system following preparatory notifications to the user. The intentional action may include a manual input through the interface 108, such as a button press, touch gesture, or verbal command, indicating the start of the breath-hold. Alternatively, the automatic trigger may be generated when the system 102 detects a pause or cessation in airflow using a breathing sensor, pressure transducer, microphone, or other physiological input device. The signal may include timestamp data, ensuring precise synchronization of breath -hold initiation with the internal session timer, enabling accurate measurement of performance duration and subsequent analysis.

[0058] In certain embodiments, the initiation of the first stage may also be based on the system detecting completion of a set number of preparatory breaths, ensuring synchronization between user effort and automated guidance. The signal may include timestamp data to ensure precise synchronization of breath -hold initiation with the internal session timer, enabling accurate measurement and subsequent analysis.

[0059] The processor 104 may record a first duration corresponding to the first stage of each round of execution of the performance tracking and user guidance technique. The first duration may be measured as the elapsed time between the detected start and end of the breathhold phase. The recorded data may be stored temporarily or permanently in the database 114 for real-time analysis or post-session review. In some embodiments, additional metadata such as user heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen saturation (SpCE), and / or electrodermal activity (EDA) may be simultaneously recorded, thereby enabling a correlation between physiological responses and the recorded breath-hold duration. The processor 104 may further use this data to calculate stress, relaxation, or endurance parameters to refine subsequent session goals. The processor 104 may be configured to compute a (realtime) stress index or a score. For instance, the processor 104 may process the stream of interbeat intervals from a heart rate sensor to calculate HRV metrics, such as the Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD). A rapid decrease in the RMSSD value below a dynamically calculated baseline may be identified by the processor 104 as a quantifiable indicator of physiological stress due to increased sympathetic nervous system activity. Furthermore, the processor 104 may be configured to employ a multi-sensor fusion technique, using a trained machine learning classifier model. The classifier model may take the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, and real-time physiological parameters like RMSSD and EDA as input to determine a composite stress score. The determination of stressindex / score, derived from high-frequency sensor data and mathematical models, allows the system 102 to refine subsequent session goals with a precision unattainable by human observation. The recorded first duration may also be displayed in real-time as part of the interface 108 that visualizes the progress of each stage and round. The processor 104 may be configured to record the first duration with a temporal precision (e.g., to the millisecond) within the margin of error of human reaction time, thereby eliminating the variability and imprecision inherent in manual timing methods.

[0060] The processor 104 may receive a second signal indicative of end of the first stage (representing the end of the breath-hold stage) and the start of the second stage, where the second signal is initiated by an intentional action by the user or automatically generated by the system after reaching a predefined breath-hold duration. In one embodiment, the user may signal the end of the breath-hold manually, for example, by tapping or pressing an input control, using gesture detection or by breathing into a microphone or sensor device. In another embodiment, the system 102 may automatically detect the initiation of the next inhalation or exhalation phase, marking the transition to the second stage. The automatic detection may be achieved using audio sensors capturing breathing sounds, pressure sensors detecting changes in airflow, or wearable motion sensors identifying thoracic expansion. In some cases, the detection may rely on airflow or thoracic movement sensors that recognize the start of inhalation or exhalation following a hold, ensuring a smooth transition between stages. The automatic detection is performed by the processor 104 by analyzing a continuous data stream from a sensor, such as an airflow sensor or microphone. For example, the processor 104 may be configured to identify the transition by detecting when the measured airflow rate changes from a near- zero value (characteristic of the breath-hold) to a value exceeding a predefined sensitivity threshold (e.g., 0.05 L / s). Alternatively, using a microphone, the processor 104 may be configured to perform a frequency analysis on the audio signal to detect the acoustic signature of an initial inhalation, a function that requires a hardware sensor and real-time digital signal processing. In some embodiments, the processor 104 may be configured to process the data received from the sensors / sensor module, to distinguish and / or identify periods of breath holds, and exhalations and inhalations that form part of the first full breath. Upon detecting the transition signal, the system 102 may provide immediate feedback, such as, for example, an audio chime or color change, to confirm stage completion to the user.

[0061] In one or more embodiments, the processor 104 may provide a second set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the first full breath of the second stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern. The user may be instructedto perform the first full breath of the second stage in a pattern that includes at least one of: long, soft, slow, calm, quiet, gentle, and / or smooth breathing, according to the relative ability of the user. In some embodiments, the system 102 may further provide pacing guidance and a graphical display indicating relaxation quality during the first full breath phase, the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, the generated final scores for each round, and / or a session score in real-time, offering visual and haptic cues to sustain breathing control.

[0062] The predetermined breathing pattern of the first full breath of the second stage includes at least one of: a complete inhalation, a complete exhalation, the complete exhalation followed by the complete inhalation, and the complete inhalation followed by the complete exhalation. The second set of instructions may include pacing cues or animations designed to encourage a slow inhalation followed by a controlled exhalation, supporting relaxation and recovery after the breath-hold. The system 102 may optionally display a moving visual guide (for example, an expanding and contracting circle or waveform) to indicate optimal breathing tempo and depth. The second set of instructions may be generated dynamically based on prior session data, such that if a user consistently exhibits short first full breaths, the system 102 may recommend an extended or slower breathing rhythm to enhance recovery quality.

[0063] A longer duration of the first full breath may be indicative of one or more of: a better breath-holding performance, a (more relaxed) breath-holding experience, a less stressful breath-holding experience, and a lower level of activation of the respiratory drive at the end of the breath-hold of the first stage. The processor 104 may analyze the duration and smoothness of the first full breath as a proxy for the user’s relaxation state and CO2 tolerance, in combination with the duration of the preceding breath-hold. A longer first full breath following a given breath-hold duration results in a higher score, reflecting a balanced and calm breath control after the breath-hold. Conversely, a shorter or rapid first full breath may indicate heightened stress or excessive CO2 accumulation. The processor 104 may use this information to dynamically adjust the target breath-hold duration for the next round based on the recorded first and second durations, comparing them with ideal reference values to personalize pacing and progression. The system 102 may use this analysis to provide personalized feedback encouraging the user to maintain balance between duration and comfort in future sessions.

[0064] The use of the FFB (i.e., first full breath) duration as the primary metric for relaxation and stress offers significant technical advantages over conventional physiological measurements such as heart rate variability (HRV) or blood oxygen saturation (SpCh). Critically, this method requires no specialized, external hardware beyond the core processing system, leveraging either the user's direct input (e.g., a screen tap) or the device's built-inmicrophone. This makes the system more accessible, lower-cost, and non-invasive. The avoidance of physical sensors like chest straps or finger clips is not merely a matter of convenience; it is essential for the efficacy of the exercise itself, as such hardware can interfere with the state of deep relaxation the user is trying to achieve. Furthermore, the FFB duration (if done deliberately slowly and softly as possible) is a more direct and immediate proxy for the user’s respiratory drive and state of air hunger post-breath-hold than more complex metrics like HRV or heart rate, which can be influenced by numerous unrelated factors. Therefore, this approach provides a reliable, objective, and computationally simple metric that directly reflects the qualitative experience of the breath-hold, enhancing training effectiveness without compromising the user's natural engagement with the exercise. When using a breathing sensor, more detailed airflow information / data can be used, to supplement the duration of the FFB, such as the smoothness or speed of the airflow.

[0065] Further, the processor 104 may record a second duration corresponding to the second stage of the round (FFB). The processor 104 may receive a third signal indicative of the end of the second stage, and the third signal may be initiated through the intentional action by the user, such as tapping or pressing an input control, or may be automatically detected through sensor feedback indicating the cessation of the full breath cycle. In some embodiments, the processor 104 may then provide an instruction for an additional follow-up breath-hold phase as an optional third stage, record its duration, and determine a complementary value contributing to the final session score of the round, thus enhancing the depth and flexibility of the exercise session.

[0066] In some embodiments, the system 102 may reference a default or user- adjustable goal FFB duration, such as 35 seconds (or alternate values such as 30, 25, 20, or 15 seconds, as appropriate for individual capability or training progression). The user is thus encouraged and motivated not to excessively push the breath-hold phase (leading to high air hunger and short FFBs), but rather to maintain the ability to achieve an FFB duration of the target value or above. The goal FFB duration may be calculated based on the breath-hold duration of the first stage, or adjusted in system settings to accommodate differing user needs or training objectives. By treating FFB duration as a scored parameter, the system 102 effectively balances performance intensity with recovery quality and relaxation, supporting improved and sustainable training outcomes.

[0067] In one or more embodiments, the generation module 120 may generate a final score for the round by combining and / or contrasting the first duration with the second duration. The final score is indicative of at least one of: breath-hold performance, breathing performance,breathing stress, breathing relaxation, lung function, carbon dioxide tolerance, oxygen consumption levels, and altitude training ability. In embodiments where a third-stage followup breath-hold is included, the value corresponding to the third duration may be factored into the computation, thereby refining the accuracy of the round’s performance score. The final score may be visualized in real-time on the interface 108, using bars, charts, or symbols and may trigger immediate feedback such as haptic or visual indicators associated with relaxation quality.

[0068] In one or more embodiments, the generation module 120 may generate a session score for the breathing exercise session which includes the final scores of at least two rounds. The session score is indicative of at least one of: suitability of the exercise for the user, session effectiveness, overall session performance, changing stress levels, changing relaxation levels, changing carbon dioxide tolerance, changing oxygen consumption levels, changing altitude training ability, and changing levels of activation of the respiratory drive throughout the breathing exercise session.

[0069] In one or more embodiments, the system 102 may be configured to display, in real time or post-session, a combined representation (as shown in FIGs. 2A and 2B) of the duration of a breath-hold (BH) together with the duration of a first full breath (FFB) immediately following the breath-hold. The combined display provides the user with a holistic view of both the length of the breath -hold and the degree of relaxation or stress experienced during the first full breath. The duration of the breath-hold (BH) may be displayed alongside or in contrast to the duration of the first full breath (FFB), such that the user can visually comprehend the relationship between the dimensions of performance and endurance and the dimensions of recovery, comfort and relaxation. The FFB duration serves as an indicator of how calm, slow, and controlled the user’s first full breath was, which in turn reflects how challenging or easy the preceding breath-hold was.

[0070] Referring to FIGs. 2A to 2C, a display 200 of the combined breath-hold (BH) and first full breath (FFB) durations in the interface 108 may be realized in various visualization modes or notation formats configured to communicate performance quality and breath-hold difficulty in an intuitive way.

[0071] FIG. 2A shows a representative results display for a single set from a breathing exercise session. As a representation, the value ‘54’ may identify the main breath-hold (BH) duration in seconds, ‘37’ may indicate the duration of the subsequent first full breath (FFB), and ‘34’ may correspond to the follow-up breath-hold (FUBH), if performed. These values are displayed prominently to allow users to interpret their breath-hold performance and subsequentrelaxation / recovery quality within that set. The grouping of these sequential results, optionally with star ratings, font and background colors, or additional feedback elements as shown, provides a comprehensive view of the performance for each step of the breathing protocol.

[0072] FIG. 2B presents a log or summary screen showing session and set results over time. Each row corresponds to a separate breathing session, with sets within the session shown as separate grouped values and stars. For each set, the upper number (e.g., ‘82’, ‘88’, ‘99’, etc.) may represent the main breath-hold (BH) duration in seconds, while the numbers to the lower left (e.g., ‘46’, ‘49’, ‘46’) represent the first full breath duration (FFB) and the numbers to the lower right represent any follow-up breath-hold (FUBH) duration, respectively. Star ratings above each set provide a quick visual indication of qualitative performance or relaxation assessment for that round. Cumulative session scores and timestamps allow for tracking user progress and trends. FIG. 2B illustrates how numerical and qualitative feedback can be organized over multiple sessions for user or instructor review. These can also be visualized in a chart.

[0073] FIG. 2C illustrates an example user interface for the first full breath stage in a breathing exercise session. The central display shows a real-time timer (for example, ‘ 11’), representing the elapsed duration in seconds for a single full and deep exhale and inhale cycle, completed as softly, slowly, and smoothly as possible, as per the instructional guidance. The circular arrangement spotlights this value, which is essential for assessing relaxation and recovery ability immediately following a breath-hold. The display may also show a goal or target duration (e.g., ‘Goal 19’), a star-rating bar correlating duration with performance or a relaxation score, and navigation icons for settings, audio, or user progression. This arrangement serves to guide the user interactively and provide instant feedback during the targeted fullbreath phase.

[0074] Option 1: Contrast Mode. The system 102 may simply display the breath-hold duration and FFB duration together in numerical contrast form, for example, “80 / 21” (indicating 80 seconds BH and 21 seconds FFB) or “42 / 19.” In another example, notations may include preparatory breath count and breath type, such as “7i / l 80 / 30,” which indicates seven preparatory breaths, a breath -hold after inhalation for 180 seconds, and a 30-second FFB. Similarly, “3e / 133 / l l” indicates a breath-hold after three preparatory exhales held for 133 seconds, followed by an 11-second FFB.

[0075] Option 2: Breath-Hold Duration Plus Color Coding. In another embodiment, the system 102 may display the BH duration with a color background or color-coded numeral representing the FFB quality. For example: “80 (green)” indicates a breath-hold of 80 secondswith a long, calm FFB (e.g., 22-40 seconds), “80 (red)” indicates the same BH of 80 seconds but with a very short or abrupt FFB (e.g., 1-10 seconds), signaling excessive strain or stress, “70 (orange or purple)” indicates a lesser stressful FFB (e.g., 10-15 seconds), and “80 (blue)” indicates a more moderate FFB (e.g., 15-22 seconds), suggesting balanced but not optimal recovery. The color-coded feedback provides an immediate and intuitive indicator of the user’ s relaxation and recovery efficiency following each breath-hold. The specific durations at which the FFB scoring color switches from red, to orange, to blue and to green may depend on the user’s breath-hold duration and user preference, and may be adjusted automatically or by the user in the application preferences. For example, when a user performs a breath-hold of 20 seconds, the suggested optimal FFB duration may be 12 seconds (green color). But when the user performs a breath-hold of 120 seconds, the suggested optimal FFB duration may be 30 seconds (green color).

[0076] Option 3: BH / FFB with Separate Colors. In some embodiments, the system 102 may simultaneously display the BH and FFB values, each color-coded separately, for instance “80 / 21,” where both numbers have distinct color associations. “80 (green)” and “21 (green)” may indicate both strong BH performance and good BH / FFB relaxation. “80 (green)” and “13 (blue)” may indicate a good breath-hold reached with moderate post-hold FFB recovery quality. Alternatively, the system 102 may display a combined BH+FFB score alongside the individual FFB duration, e.g., “93 / 13” (indicating a total of 93 seconds of BH+FFB, with an FFB duration of 13 seconds). This enables tracking of total breathing control time and contextual evaluation of breath-hold and FFB quality.

[0077] Option 4: Multi- Value Display Format. In a more detailed embodiment, three values may be displayed together. For example, “93 / 80 / 13,” where: “93” represents the total BH+FFB duration, “80” represents the BH duration alone, and “13” represents the FFB duration. This three-number representation allows users and coaches to interpret performance more precisely. For example: “107 / 80 / 27” indicates a calm and strong breath-hold with excellent recovery (27 in green). “83 / 80 / 3” indicates that the user completed a long BH but with extreme air hunger (3 in red), shown by a very short FFB. Such visualization provides not only performance duration but also qualitative insight into the ease or difficulty of breathholding.

[0078] Option 5 : Inclusion of Follow-Up Breath-Hold (FUBH). In one or more embodiments, the system 102 may include an additional scoring step that accounts for a followup breath-hold (FUBH) performed immediately after the first full breath. In such cases, the display may show multiple combined metrics, such as:(BH+FFB+FUBH) / (BH+FFB) / BH / FFB / FUBH, for example “140 / 94 / 80 / 14 / 46,” representing: BH = 80 seconds, FFB = 14 seconds, FUBH = 46 seconds, BH+FFB = 94 seconds, and BH+FFB+FUBH = 140 seconds. The color coding may indicate relative quality levels across each metric, for instance: “171 / 94 / 80 / 27 / 64” (all green) representing excellent performance and relaxation. “98 / 84 / 80 / 4 / 14” (84 and 4 in red) representing high BH effort with poor FFB recovery and limited follow-up ability (FUBH).

[0079] In an example embodiment, the system 102 may be configured to adaptively determine a target (first stage) BH goal for a subsequent round of a breathing exercise session based on one or more performance parameters of a breath-hold (in a previous round of the breathing exercise session). The performance parameters may include at least the duration of the previous breath -hold (BH) and the duration and / or quality of the first full breath (FFB) following that breath -hold. The generation module 120 may compute a goal duration for the next breath-hold as a function of the previous BH duration and one or more correction factors derived from the FFB duration or score. The goal for the next breath-hold may initially be determined by applying a predefined percentage increase to the previous BH duration. For example, if the previous BH duration was 80 seconds, the system may initially apply a baseline increment factor of 1.1, generating a preliminary target of 88 seconds (80 x 1.1).

[0080] The system 102 may then apply an FFB -based correction factor that adjusts this preliminary goal depending on the user’s recovery quality, as reflected by the FFB score. The FFB score may be derived from either the measured FFB duration (in seconds) or the corresponding color-coded or numerical rating (for example, red = poor, blue = moderate, green = good). The correction factor may vary between approximately 0.75 and 1.1, depending on the FFB duration. A shorter FFB duration (e.g., 3 seconds) may indicate high difficulty or stress, resulting in a lower correction factor (e.g., 0.75), while a longer FFB duration (e.g., 45 seconds) may indicate relaxation and readiness for improvement, resulting in a higher correction factor (e.g., 1.1). For example, if the user had a green (very good score or long duration FFB of 40 seconds), a high extra multiplication factor may be added to obtain 80*1.1*1.1 = 96.8 seconds. If the previous breath-hold was 80 seconds with a 6 second FFB (which may be a bad red color score), a different correction factor may be applied, ending up with 80*1.1*0.8 = 70.4 seconds. This ensures that the next breath-hold target is personalized and adaptive, encouraging extra improvement when the previous performance was comfortable, and providing rest or relief when the previous breath-hold was too challenging.

[0081] In one embodiment, the correction factor may be calculated linearly based on the FFB duration, such that any intermediate value of FFB produces a proportional correctionfactor value. For instance, when FFB ranges between 1 and 45 seconds, the correction factor for an FFB of 12 may be computed as 0.75 + 0.0083333 * 12 = 0.84996 and an FFB of 30 seconds would give a correction factor of 0.999.

[0082] In some embodiments, the adaptive goal adjustment process may be automated and optimized using artificial intelligence (Al) or machine learning (ML) algorithms. An AL based system may continuously record the start time, end time, and duration of each breathhold (BH), FFB, and optional follow-up breath-hold (FUBH), evaluate breathing quality and physiological indicators of strain or calmness (heart rate, blood pressure, HRV, body posture, facial expression, etc.), predict an optimal next breath-hold goal based on both historical user performance and session context and deliver personalized, real-time voice or visual guidance to the user through the interface 108. The Al model may further learn from cumulative user data across sessions to create individualized training profiles, enabling progressive and safe improvement in CO2 tolerance, breath-hold duration, and relaxation control.

[0083] In one or more embodiments, instead of relying on a linear or rule -based correction factor, an ML model, such as a recurrent neural network (RNN) or a reinforcement learning (RL) agent, can be trained on the user's historical session data. Such a model can learn the unique physiological response patterns of the user, creating a highly personalized profile that goes beyond simple linear adjustments. For example, an RL agent could be configured to maximize a long-term reward function that balances breath-hold duration with FFB quality, enabling it to predict an optimal breath-hold target for the next round that is precisely tailored to the user's current state and long-term progression. This Al-driven approach allows the system to identify complex patterns, adapt to user fatigue or improvement over time, and provide a level of dynamic personalization that is computationally infeasible with static formulas.

[0084] In one exemplary embodiment, an Al module (e.g., a large language model or deep reinforcement learning system) may autonomously determine breath-hold coaching strategies in real-time. For example, the Al may detect when a user experiences elevated air hunger based on short FFB durations or erratic recovery patterns, automatically reduce the next BH target to encourage relaxation rather than overexertion, gradually increase BH goals in sessions where FFB durations indicate comfort and strong recovery, and provide contextual feedback such as “Excellent calm recovery, try extending your next breath-hold slightly longer,” or “Recovery was short, focus on smoother exhales next round.”

[0085] In one or more embodiments, the system 102 may provide a circular graphical representation of a user’s breath-hold session to indicate the quality and duration of each stepin a set. The representation may be inspired by activity tracker “rings” and may include inner, middle, and outer circles, each corresponding to specific steps of the breathing exercise session. For example, the inner circle may represent the duration of the initial breath-hold (BH), the middle circle may represent the duration of the first full breath (FFB) and the outer circle may represent the duration of a follow-up breath-hold (FUBH), if performed. Alternatively, the order of the circles may be reversed or rearranged depending on user preference or display configuration, such as: Outer circle for initial BH, middle for FFB, inner for follow-up BH or use of only two circles to represent the most critical phases (initial BH and FFB), reducing visual complexity.

[0086] In one or more embodiments, each circle may convey both duration and quality information. The length or completeness of the circle may correspond to the duration of the respective step, e.g., a full circle representing a target or excellent duration. The color of the circle may represent the quality of performance: green indicating high quality (e.g., smooth, calm, full recovery during FFB), blue indicating moderate quality, and red indicating low quality or difficulty experienced during the step. For example, a green middle circle for FFB may indicate a long, calm, and complete first full breath following the initial BH, and a red inner circle for initial BH may indicate that the user experienced difficulty or reached the BH target with high stress, as reflected by short FFB or physiological measurements.

[0087] In additional embodiments, the circular display may be extended to five circles corresponding to the steps of: a) Preparatory breathing: displayed using volume of air (liters) or respiration rate (RR) if airflow sensors are available, b) Initial BH, c) FFB, d) Follow-up BH (optional) and e) Breath awareness or cool-down for duration or volume displayed similarly. The system 102 may dynamically update each circle in real-time, providing immediate visual feedback during the session. Longer circles and green coloration may encourage the user to maintain smooth, relaxed breathing, while shorter or red circles may indicate that the user should slow down, breathe deeper, or recover before attempting a subsequent BH.Table 1 - BH, FFB, relaxation and CO2 tolerance

[0088] Table 1 demonstrates the value of measuring the duration of the first full breath (FFB) after a breath-hold (BH). For Person 1, a BH of 110 seconds is followed by a very slow, long FFB of 35 seconds, reflecting excellent relaxation during the breath-hold, and indicating an unrealized reserve (max BH limit is much higher, and the CO2 tolerance score is high). Person 2, with the same BH duration, has a short FFB (5 seconds) indicating high stress during the breath-hold, limited reserve, and a lower CO2 tolerance. Person 3, lacking any FFB instruction, mindlessly takes their first breath after the BH, usually taking between 3 to 10 seconds, not attempting to make it a full breath, so we lack diagnostic value on the tidal volume of the breath, and to what extent they were able to purposefully slow down the breath if they tried, and thus information on their relaxation, reserve, and real physiological limit is absent. The table further shows performance of Persons 4 and 5, who both perform a shorter 60-second BH. Person 4 follows the BH with a long 35-second FFB, indicating a state of very high relaxation and significant untapped respiratory breath-holding capacity. In contrast, Person 5 performs the same 60-second BH but has a short 5-second FFB, revealing a state of high stress and a much lower CO2 tolerance, indicating Person 5 was near their personal limit even at this shorter duration. Persons 3 and 6, who lack any FFB instruction, mindlessly take a rather fast first breath of uncertain tidal volume after their respective BHs, not attempting to reduce the airflow speed. In such cases, the deeper diagnostic value on relaxation, reserve, and real physiological limit is absent because it is not known how full & deep the breath was and to what extent they would have been able to purposefully slow the breath down if they had tried.

[0089] Existing systems are restricted to recording only the first duration (BH), as demonstrated by the example of Person 3 and Person 6, where no objective inference regarding physiological stress or reserve capacity can be computed from the available data. The system 102 overcomes this deficiency by incorporating the instructed performance and subsequent measurement of the second duration (FFB). By computationally contrasting the first and second durations, the system 102 may be configured to algorithmically differentiate between physiologically distinct states, such as those of Person 1 and Person 2 (and similarly between Person 4 and Person 5 at a different breath-hold duration), which would be rendered indistinguishable by existing systems that lack the FFB metric, thereby enabling the system 102 to generate a quantitative proxy for the activation level of the user’s respiratory drive. The system 102 thereby transforms simple, user-initiated temporal inputs into a more complete and objective assessment of respiratory control and performance.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 3, a method 300 for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session by a user is shown. In one or more embodiments, the method 300 may be implemented / executed by the processor 104. The method employs a structured, multi-stage breathing pattern executed in one or more rounds. Each round includes at least a first stage corresponding to a breath-hold and a second stage corresponding to a first full breath performed immediately after the breath-hold. During each round, the processor 104 provides a first set of instructions guiding the user into the breath-hold stage and records a first duration corresponding to the breath-hold. Upon termination of the breath-hold, the processor 104 delivers a second set of instructions guiding the user through the first full breath of the second stage, where it is essential to encourage the user to take this full and deep breath as softly, calmly, gently, long, and / or smoothly as possible. The processor 104 records a second duration corresponding to the first full breath. The combination of these two durations enables the system 102 to contrast the breath -hold performance, as indicated by the duration of the breathhold, with the relaxation quality of the breath-hold, indicated by the duration of the first full breath.

[0091] The processor 104 may generate a final score for each round by combining or contrasting the first duration and the second duration. A longer first full breath indicates less stress, more relaxation and a healthier balance during breath-hold training, whereas a shorter, rapid first full breath signals that the duration of the breath-hold was pushed, becoming more stressful at the expense of relaxation. At the session level, the system 102 aggregates the final scores across multiple rounds into a session score, which evaluates the structure of the session,overall skill, training effectiveness, and changing levels of stress, relaxation, CO2 tolerance, and altitude training capacity.

[0092] The disclosed method enhances safety and personalization through adaptive feedback. For example, when the recorded first full breath duration falls below a predefined threshold, the processor 104 may dynamically reduce subsequent breath-hold targets to prevent excessive stress and promote a more relaxing experience for the subsequent breath-holds. Conversely, when recovery breath duration exceeds a relaxation threshold, the system 102 may increase subsequent breath-hold targets to gradually challenge the user’s capacity. In a bestcase scenario, the processor 104 may follow a standard pattern of increasing breath-hold targets which are not overly stressful for the user and provide the optimal breath-hold training experience.

[0093] The processor 104 may further provide multi-modal feedback through visual, audio, or haptic cues / notifications. For instance, a graphical display (such as the interface 108) may show relaxation quality based on first full breath duration, the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, the generated final scores for each round, and / or a session score in real-time, while pacing guidance or vibration alerts assist in phase transitions. These real-time indicators give users an intuitive understanding of the current stage of the exercise and their physiological state, reinforcing correct execution of the exercise without sole reliance on their own subjective interpretation.

[0094] At block 302, the method 300 may include retrieving, the predetermined breathing pattern of inhales, exhales and breath-holds performed in a breathing exercise session composed of one or more rounds. The round may include at least two stages including a first stage corresponding to a breath-hold and a second stage corresponding to a first full breath performed immediately after the first stage. The predetermined breathing pattern of the first full breath of the second stage may include at least one of a complete inhalation, a complete exhalation, a complete exhalation followed by the complete inhalation, and the complete inhalation followed by the complete exhalation.

[0095] At block 304, the method 300 may include executing the performance tracking and user guidance technique during at least one round of the breathing exercise session. The performance tracking and user guidance technique may include providing the first set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the breath-hold of the first stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern, receiving the first signal indicative of start of the breath-hold of the first stage, and recording the first duration corresponding to the first stage of each round of execution of the performance tracking anduser guidance technique. The first signal may be initiated by the intentional start action by the user or by the automatic trigger by the system 102 following preparatory notifications to the user.

[0096] Further, the performance tracking and user guidance technique may include receiving the second signal indicative of end of the first stage and the start of the second stage, providing the second set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the first full breath of the second stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern, recording the second duration corresponding to the second stage of the round and receiving the third signal indicative of the end of the second stage. The second signal may be initiated by the intentional action by the user or automatically generated by the system 102 after reaching a predefined breath-hold duration. Further, the user may be instructed to perform the first full breath of the second stage in a pattern that includes at least one of long, soft, slow, calm, quiet, gentle, and / or smooth breathing, according to the relative ability of the user. A longer duration of the first full breath may be indicative of one or more of: a better breathholding performance, a more relaxing breath-holding experience, a less stressful breathholding experience, and a lower level of activation of the respiratory drive at the end of the breath-hold of the first stage.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 4, lung content throughout successive stages of the round is illustrated, where line movement upward corresponds to inhalation (increasing lung volume), line movement downward corresponds to exhalation (decreasing lung volume), and flat segments indicate breath-hold phases. The round may begin with an optional preparatory stage, shown as a series of three fast and full inhales, followed by an input signal 1 indicating the transition to breath-hold (Stage 1). During Stage 1, the user holds their breath while their lungs are full, as depicted by the high flat segment, and another input signal 2 marks the end of the breath-hold and the transition to Stage 2, which is the First Full Breath. This stage is characterized by a deliberate, full, deep, and complete inhale and exhale, as slow and soft as the user is able, tracked visually by a pronounced downward and upward slope in the lung content curve.

[0098] Upon completing the First Full Breath stage with the reception of input signal 3, the system may initiate an optional Stage 3, i.e., a follow-up breath-hold, again represented by a flat segment. A final input signal signals the transition to an optional Stage 4, which comprises a rest or meditation timer, demonstrated by normal, relaxed breathing oscillations. Each signal and stage is tracked to provide feedback and guide the user through the structured exercise, enabling detailed monitoring and scoring of both performance (duration of breath-holds) and relaxation or recovery quality immediately following breath-holds (FFB duration). FIG. 4 encapsulates how the system sequences instructions and measurements to deliver an improved user experience and data recording technique.

[0099] Referring back to FIG. 3, at block 306, the method 300 may include generating the final score for the round by combining and / or contrasting the first duration with the second duration. The final score may be indicative of at least one of: breath-hold performance, breath control, breathing performance, breathing stress, breathing relaxation, estimated maximum breath-hold performance, lung function, oxygen consumption levels, carbon dioxide tolerance, and altitude training ability.

[0100] In one or more embodiments, the method 300 may include generating the session score for the breathing exercise session which includes the final scores of at least two rounds. The session score may be indicative of at least one of: suitability of the exercise for the user, session effectiveness, overall session performance, changing stress levels, need to adjust exercise intensity, changing relaxation levels, changing carbon dioxide tolerance, changing altitude training ability, and changing levels of activation of the respiratory drive throughout the breathing exercise session.

[0101] In one or more embodiments, the method 300 may include providing the set of cues for the preparatory hyper- ventilatory breathing phase prior to the breath-hold and counting the number of preparatory breaths completed before initiating the breath-hold, guided by the timer or the animation presented to the user.

[0102] In one or more embodiments, the method 300 may include providing the instruction for the additional follow-up breath-hold as the third stage, performed after the second stage, recording the third duration corresponding to the additional follow-up breathhold of the third stage and determining the value corresponding to the third duration, where the value complements the final session score of the round.

[0103] In one or more embodiments, the method 300 may include dynamically calculating for subsequent rounds of the breathing exercise session, the target duration for the first stage of the round based on the recorded first duration and the second duration of the immediately preceding round, where the calculation compares the recorded second duration of the immediately preceding round with the recorded first duration and / or with an ideal value for the second duration.

[0104] In one or more embodiments, the method 300 may include displaying the realtime graphical representation of the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, the generated final scores for each round and the session score in real-time.

[0105] Thus, the subject disclosure describes a system 102 and a method 300 for guiding, monitoring, and evaluating user performance during structured breathing exercise sessions. The system 102 integrates real-time measurement of breath-hold duration, first full breath (FFB) recovery, and optional follow-up breath-holds, providing adaptive feedback, scoring, and visualizations to optimize user comfort, relaxation, and respiratory performance. The disclosure enables personalized, repeatable, and progressively challenging breath-hold training, enhancing stress management, lung function, and overall breathing control.

[0106] The disclosed system and method represent an improvement to the field of computer-guided automated physiological training systems. Prior art systems were technically limited to recording simple breath-hold duration metrics, lacking a computational method to assess the crucial qualitative aspect of user stress and relaxation during the breath-hold without specialized and invasive physiological hardware. The present disclosure overcomes this technical limitation by implementing a novel data processing technique where the processor algorithmically correlates the first duration (breath-hold) with the second duration (first full breath) to compute a composite biofeedback score, composing both a breath-hold duration performance aspect and a first full breath duration relaxation aspect. It also adds crucial instructions for the user to try to make the first full breath as slow, long, deep, quiet, soft and smooth as they are (comfortably) able to, with a properly motivating scoring system for the duration of the first full breath. The instruction and scoring system are essential to make the system accurate and function well, because without these, the user will naturally breathe quite fast and perhaps not using a high tidal volume even if they are able to breathe very slowly and calmly after the breath-hold, using purposeful and intentional breath control. The system is designed to measure the user’s ability to purposefully make the first full breath slow, soft and long. Once the breath-hold is significantly pushed, the person cannot negotiate with the desire to breathe, and will gradually lose the ability to take the first full breath in a slow, relaxed and controlled manner, according to the extent the breath-hold was pushed and the respiratory drive was activated. This technique enables the computer system to perform a new function, viz., transforming simple, user-initiated timing signals into a nuanced, actionable metric of activation of the respiratory drive, influencing respiratory control and relaxation, and indicating CO2 tolerance much more accurately than older techniques.

[0107] Furthermore, by combining and contrasting the duration of the breath-hold with the duration of the first full breath, the value of the first full breath is interpreted in relation to the value of the breath-hold. A high value for the first full breath does not on its own imply that the user has a high CO2 tolerance, because CO2 tolerance also depends on the value of thepreceding breath-hold. A high value for the first full breath simply means that the user was able to still control their breathing quite well, able to slow down, soften and lengthen their first full breath after the breath-hold, which means that their desire for air (air-hunger or activation of the respiratory drive) at the end of the breath-hold was still reasonably low and the user was still quite relaxed and able to override their natural breathing impulse. So, if the user performs a 3-minute breath-hold followed by a first full breath of 40 seconds, the system can safely conclude that the user was theoretically able to do a much longer breath-hold if they pushed themselves more. Because at 3 minutes, the user was still very comfortable and far from their true maximum breath-holding limit, which could have been closer to 4 or 5 minutes, provided they did feel some initial low-level air-hunger after their 3-minute breath-hold.

[0108] Conversely, a very low value for the first full breath does not imply that the user has a low CO2 tolerance, it simply implies that the user was pushing their breath-hold to their maximum ability, creating strong feelings of air -hunger which they were unable to control when they started breathing again. If the breath -hold was of a very long duration (5 minutes), and was followed by a first full breath of a very short duration (3 seconds), we can still conclude that the user has a very high CO2 tolerance because they were able to reach 5 minutes. But we may also conclude that if the user followed the instructions for the first full breath given by the system, it would be hard for the user to hold their breath for longer than 5 minutes. 5 minutes and 10 seconds was probably truly out of their reach, due to the extremely short duration of the first full breath, indicating an acutely high desire to breathe. The system of the present disclosure accurately identifies such situations, and provides appropriate alerts / user instructions for effective training with sustained adherence.

[0109] Thus, the disclosed system and method deliver a more accurate and user- friendly measurement and training system for the underlying activation of the respiratory drive and CO2 tolerance of the user than was possible before, using existing methods of the prior art. It delivers this in a very user-friendly way: the user doesn’t have to do any calculations on their own, and can simply focus on relaxation during the exercise, as the system performs all the measurement, tracking, scoring, guiding and target calculations independently using a few simple user inputs. The user is able to stop all critical thought and relax more deeply during the breathing exercise, thus achieving higher breath-hold scores more easily and reliably, improving the efficacy, comfort and enjoyment of the breath training process.

[0110] As a result, the present disclosure is not merely displaying data but is executing an improved, adaptive guidance feedback loop that personalizes training in real-time. This enhances the accuracy, efficacy, ease of use and safety of the breathing exercise and the breath-hold measurement and training system, thereby constituting a tangible improvement to the technology of guided breathing exercise systems.

[0111] While the subject disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the subject disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the subject disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the subject disclosure includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0112] In interpreting the specification, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a nonexclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C ... .and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

Claims

aim:

1. A method for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session by a user, the method comprising: retrieving, by a processor associated with a system, a predetermined breathing pattern of inhales, exhales and breath-holds performed in a breathing exercise session comprising one or more rounds, wherein at least one round comprises at least two stages comprising: a first stage corresponding to a breath-hold; and a second stage corresponding to a first full breath performed immediately after the first stage; and executing, by the processor, a performance tracking and user guidance technique during the at least one round of the breathing exercise session, wherein the performance tracking and user guidance technique comprises: providing, by the processor, a first set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the breath-hold of the first stage in a sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern; receiving, by the processor, a first signal indicative of a start of the breathhold of the first stage, wherein the first signal is initiated by an intentional start action by the user or by an automatic trigger by the system following preparatory notifications to the user; recording, by the processor, a first duration corresponding to the first stage of each round of execution of the performance tracking and user guidance technique; receiving, by the processor, a second signal indicative of an end of the first stage and a start of the second stage, wherein the second signal is initiated by an intentional action by the user or automatically generated by the system after reaching a predefined breath-hold duration; providing, by the processor, a second set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the first full breath of the second stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern, wherein the user is instructed to perform the first full breath of the second stage in a pattern that comprises at least one of: long, soft, slow, calm, quiet, gentle, and / or smooth breathing, according to the relative ability of the user, and wherein a longer duration of the first full breath is indicative of one or more of: abetter breath-holding performance, a more relaxed or less stressful breath-holding experience, and a lower level of activation of the respiratory drive at the end of the breath-hold of the first stage; recording, by the processor, a second duration corresponding to the second stage of the round; and receiving, by the processor, a third signal indicative of an end of the second stage, wherein the third signal is initiated through an intentional action by the user; and generating, by the processor, a final score for the round by combining and / or contrasting the first duration with the second duration, wherein the final score is indicative of at least one of: breath-hold performance, breathing performance, breathing stress, breath control, breathing relaxation, lung function, oxygen consumption levels, carbon dioxide tolerance, and altitude training ability.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined breathing pattern of the first full breath of the second stage comprises at least one of: a complete inhalation, a complete exhalation, the complete exhalation followed by the complete inhalation, and the complete inhalation followed by the complete exhalation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, by the processor, a session score for the breathing exercise session which comprises the final scores of at least two rounds, wherein the session score is indicative of at least one of: suitability of the exercise for the user, session effectiveness, overall session performance, changing stress levels, changing relaxation levels, changing carbon dioxide tolerance, changing altitude training ability, changing oxygen consumption levels, and changing levels of activation of the respiratory drive throughout the breathing exercise session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined breathing pattern specifies that the breath-hold of the first stage is initiated after a complete or partially complete inhalation or exhalation, and wherein the breath-hold is terminated by starting a subsequent inhalation or exhalation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiation and termination of the first stage and the second stage are performed by any one of:automatically by the system after a countdown, instruction or animation given to the user; detection of airflow via a breathing sensor; detection of user stress via a vital sign sensor; and / or an input signal by the user indicating the start or end of the breath-hold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more rounds comprises one or more additional stages before the first stage or after the second stage, and wherein the one or more additional stages are timed periods of at least one of: meditation, relaxation, yoga, physical exercise, a breathing exercise, and / or taking a break.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing, by the processor, a set of cues for a preparatory hyper-ventilatory breathing phase prior to the breath-hold; and counting, by the processor, a number of preparatory breaths completed before initiating the breath-hold, wherein the counting is guided by a timer or an animation presented to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing, by the processor, an instruction for an additional follow-up breathhold as a third stage, performed after the second stage; recording, by the processor, a third duration corresponding to the additional follow-up breath-hold of the third stage; and determining, by the processor, a value corresponding to the third duration, wherein the value complements a session score of the round.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically calculating, by the processor, for subsequent rounds of the breathing exercise session, a target duration for the first stage of the subsequent round based on the recorded first duration and the second duration of a preceding round, wherein the calculation compares the recorded second duration of the preceding round with the recorded first duration and / or with an ideal value for the second duration.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating feedback for the user, wherein the generated feedback comprises any one or a combination of: real-time pacing guidance, a graphical display indicating relaxation quality associated with the first full breath, the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, the generated final scores for each round, a session score in real-time, and a haptic or an audio notification reminding the user to begin or end a subsequent phase of the breathing exercise session.

11. A system for guiding and evaluating a breathing exercise session of a user, the system comprising: a processor; and a memory operatively coupled with the processor, wherein the memory comprises one or more instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to: retrieve a predetermined breathing pattern of inhales, exhales and breathholds performed in a breathing exercise session comprising one or more rounds, wherein at least one round comprises at least two stages comprising: a first stage corresponding to a breath-hold; and a second stage corresponding to a first full breath performed immediately after the first stage; and execute a performance tracking and user guidance technique during the at least one round of the breathing exercise session, wherein to execute the performance tracking and user guidance technique the processor is configured to: provide a first set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the breath-hold of the first stage in a sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern; receive a first signal indicative of a start of the breath-hold of the first stage, wherein the first signal is initiated by an intentional start action by the user or by an automatic trigger by the system following preparatory notifications to the user; record a first duration corresponding to the first stage of each round of execution of the performance tracking and user guidance technique; receive a second signal indicative of an end of the first stage and a start of the second stage, wherein the second signal is initiated by anintentional action by the user or automatically generated by the system after reaching a predefined breath-hold duration; provide a second set of breathing instructions to guide the user to perform the first full breath of the second stage in the sequence corresponding to the predetermined breathing pattern, wherein the user is instructed to perform the first full breath of the second stage in a pattern that comprises at least one of: long, soft, slow, calm, quiet, gentle, and / or smooth breathing, according to the relative ability of the user, and wherein a longer duration of the first full breath is indicative of one or more of: a better breath-holding performance, a more relaxed or less stressful breath-holding experience, and a lower level of activation of the respiratory drive at the end of the breath-hold of the first stage; record a second duration corresponding to the second stage of the round; and receive a third signal indicative of an end of the second stage, wherein the third signal is initiated through an intentional action by the user; and generate a final score for the round by combining and / or contrasting the first duration with the second duration, wherein the final score is indicative of at least one of: breath-hold performance, breathing performance, breathing stress, breath control, breathing relaxation, lung function, oxygen consumption levels, carbon dioxide tolerance, and altitude training ability.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined breathing pattern of the first full breath of the second stage comprises at least one of: a complete inhalation, a complete exhalation, the complete exhalation followed by the complete inhalation, and the complete inhalation followed by the complete exhalation.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a session score for the breathing exercise session which comprises the final scores of at least two rounds, wherein the session score is indicative of at least one of: suitability of the exercise for the user, session effectiveness, overall session performance, changing stress levels, changing relaxation levels, changing carbon dioxide tolerance, changingoxygen consumption levels, changing altitude training ability, and changing levels of activation of the respiratory drive throughout the breathing exercise session.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined breathing pattern specifies that the breath-hold is initiated after a complete or partially complete inhalation or exhalation, and wherein the breath-hold is terminated by starting a subsequent inhalation or exhalation.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein to initiate and terminate the first stage and the second stage, the processor is configured to perform by any one of: automatically by the system after a countdown, instruction or animation given to the user; detection of airflow via a breathing sensor; detection of user stress via a vital sign sensor; and / or an input signal by the user indicating start or end of the breath-hold.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more rounds comprises one or more additional stages before the first stage or after the second stage, and wherein the one or more additional stages are timed periods of at least one of: meditation, relaxation, yoga, physical exercise, a breathing exercise, and / or taking a break.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: provide a set of cues for a preparatory hyper-ventilatory breathing phase prior to the breath-hold; and count a number of preparatory breaths completed before initiating the breathhold, wherein the counting is guided by a timer or an animation presented to the user.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: provide an instruction for an additional follow-up breath-hold phase as a third stage, performed after the second stage; record a third duration corresponding to the additional follow-up breath-hold of the third stage; and determine a value corresponding to the third duration, wherein the value complements a session score of the round.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically calculate, for subsequent rounds of the breathing exercise session, a target duration for the first stage, of the round based on the recorded first duration and the second duration of the immediately preceding round, wherein the calculation compares the recorded second duration of the immediately preceding round with the recorded first duration and / or with an ideal value for the second duration.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate feedback for the user, and wherein the generated feedback comprises any one or a combination of: real-time pacing guidance, a graphical display indicating relaxation quality associated with the first full breath, the recorded first duration, the recorded second duration, the generated final scores for each round, a session score in real-time, and a haptic or audio notification reminding the user to begin or end a subsequent phase of the breathing exercise session.

Images