Audio Pacing Device Synchronizing Music Tempo with Heart Rate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heartbeat analysis devices provide intrusive feedback and fail to synchronize music tempo with an individual's exercise pace, leading to ineffective and potentially harmful physical exercise due to mismatched heart rate levels.
Innovation Solution
An audio pacing device that monitors heart rate and selects audio signals with specific beats per minute (BPM) to adjust exercise intensity, dynamically adjusting tempo to match target heart rate levels, ensuring a non-intrusive and motivating workout experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional heartbeat analysis devices provide audible feedback (beeping) when pulse exceeds target threshold, then users receive exercise intensity guidance, but users find the feedback annoying and turn it off, or cannot hear it when using portable music playback devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces music as an intermediary medium to convey exercise intensity guidance. Instead of using direct audible beeps, the system modifies the tempo of music playback to communicate whether the user should increase or decrease exercise intensity, making the feedback less intrusive while maintaining effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the tempo parameter of music playback based on heart rate measurements. When heart rate exceeds target thresholds, the music tempo is modified to provide guidance, allowing feedback to be delivered through a changing parameter of the music itself rather than separate audible signals
2Ease of operation
If music playback devices are used during exercise, then users enjoy listening to music, but the music tempo is out of synchronization with the exercise pace, reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors heart rate and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust music playback tempo. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that music tempo remains synchronized with the user's exercise pace, combining the enjoyment of music with effective exercise guidance
Solution Approach 2:
The music playback tempo is made dynamic rather than static. The system continuously adapts the music tempo based on real-time heart rate measurements, allowing the music to stay synchronized with changing exercise intensity throughout the workout
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an audio pacing device including a sensing unit, such as heart rate monitoring unit, to obtain a parameter, such as heart-beat rate (pulse), of a user in physical exercise, a memory to store a plurality of audio signals having predetermined tempo indications (e.g. beats per minute values); and a processing unit configured to (1) determine whether the intensity of the parameter of the user should be increased, decreased or maintained by using the parameter of the user from the heart rate monitor and a predetermined reference value, and (2) dynamically select and render an audio signal having (or adjusted to have) an audio-tempo that enables the user to accordingly increase, decrease or maintain exercise intensity, respectively.