Virtual Activity Scaling for Fair Exercise Competition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise tracking methods fail to motivate users of different fitness levels and geographic locations to compete effectively, as they do not account for varying terrain and individual fitness levels when converting real-world activity into a competitive format.
Innovation Solution
A system that converts real-world activity into virtual activity using a scaling factor based on virtual terrain, user fitness, and activity history, allowing users to compete within a virtual world by tracking progress through a virtual landscape and comparing virtual activity levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If real-world activity is directly mapped to virtual progress without scaling, then the tracking system is simple to implement, but users of different fitness levels and geographic locations cannot realistically compete against each other
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing different scaling factors for different virtual terrains (e.g., uphill vs. downhill vs. flat ground). Each terrain type has its own conversion ratio that adjusts how real-world activity translates to virtual progress. This allows the system to maintain simplicity overall while introducing localized complexity only where needed to ensure fair competition across different geographic locations and user fitness levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by dynamically adjusting the activity conversion ratio based on multiple factors including virtual terrain type, user fitness level, and environmental conditions. Instead of using a fixed conversion rate, the patent modifies the scaling parameter in real-time to account for variations in difficulty, ensuring that users of different fitness levels can compete fairly while maintaining a manageable system architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a scaling factor based on virtual terrain and user fitness is applied, then realistic competition among users of different fitness levels is enabled, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing scaling factors for different virtual terrain types and user fitness levels before actual use. During runtime, the system simply looks up the appropriate scaling factor based on the current terrain and user profile, rather than performing complex real-time calculations. This approach enables the system to accommodate different fitness levels with realistic competition while keeping the operational complexity low through pre-computed lookup tables.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamics by making the activity conversion ratio adjustable and adaptive rather than fixed. The scaling factor dynamically changes based on virtual terrain characteristics and user fitness level, allowing the system to accommodate diverse user populations. This dynamic adjustment mechanism enables realistic competition across different fitness levels while maintaining system manageability through modular design.
3Measurement precision
If GPS tracking is used to map user progress in real-world locations, then individual user tracking is accurate, but multiple users from different geographic locations cannot realistically compete against each other
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the virtual world with terrain-based scaling) between the raw GPS location data and the competition metric. Instead of directly comparing real-world distances, the system converts GPS-tracked activity into virtual progress through a standardized virtual environment with consistent terrain rules. This intermediary transformation preserves the precision of individual tracking while enabling fair multi-user competition across different geographic locations by normalizing the measurement basis.
Data Source
AI summary
A compute device can receive a signal associated with a quantity of real-world activity (e.g., exercise) performed by a user. The compute device can define a quantity of virtual activity based, at least in part, on the quantity of real-world activity. The quantity of virtual activity can be different from the quantity of real-world activity. The compute device can send an indication of progress in a virtual world to an output device, for example, such that the user's progress is displayed.