Exercise Machine Synchronization with Virtual Game Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current connected fitness systems lack an integrated and immersive way to enhance exercise experiences through interactive gaming, failing to seamlessly synchronize exercise machine settings with virtual game environments, leading to a disjointed user experience.
Innovation Solution
A gaming platform that controls exercise machines to adjust settings like resistance and incline in real-time based on user interactions within virtual games, creating a synchronized and immersive experience by using exercise machine data to control avatar movements and score points within the game.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If exercise machine settings are adjusted manually during exercise, then user control over workout parameters is maintained, but the integration with virtual game environments remains disjointed and non-immersive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the exercise machine control system with the virtual game environment into a unified system. The exercise machine settings (resistance, incline, speed) are merged with game mechanics so that game events automatically trigger corresponding machine adjustments, eliminating the need for separate manual control and creating a seamless integrated experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The exercise machine is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both a physical workout device and a game controller. The same machine settings that control physical exercise parameters also control virtual avatar actions and game progression, allowing one device to fulfill multiple roles without requiring additional equipment.
2Ease of operation
If exercise machine settings are adjusted to match virtual game challenges in real-time, then user engagement and immersion are enhanced, but the system complexity and synchronization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where game events are detected and automatically translated into exercise machine adjustments. The system monitors virtual game state (such as avatar position, game challenges, or events) and provides real-time feedback by adjusting machine settings accordingly, creating an automatic response system that enhances engagement without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a software intermediary layer that acts as a mediator between the virtual game environment and the physical exercise machine. This intermediary translates game events into machine control signals and vice versa, handling the synchronization complexity internally while presenting a simple, engaging interface to the user.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual control of exercise machine is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but the interactive and immersive gaming experience is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static manual control to dynamic automatic adjustment. Exercise machine settings are no longer fixed or manually adjusted but dynamically change in response to virtual game events. The machine adapts its parameters (resistance, incline, speed) in real-time based on game state, creating an interactive experience that responds to user actions within the virtual environment.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise machine that automatically adjusts one or more controls or settings based on a user's progression within a gaming environment is described. For example, the exercise machine, in response to the user (or an avatar representing the user) traversing a certain section or target area, can modify its operation (e.g., can initiate an auto-follow behavior or auto-adjust mode of operation) in sync with and/or in response to the user's movement or actions within the gaming environment.