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US 6,004,243 AGranted
Dynamic real time exercise video apparatus and method
OwnerBruce Ewertinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerBruce Ewertinventor
Estimating the term…
A system, apparatus and method for interactively controlling the rate of real-time video playback and audio track playback is disclosed. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus is an interactive exercise video system which utilizes a bicycle, a bicycle wheel speed detector, an interface unit connected to the wheel speed detector and to a conventional game controller connected to a conventional video game CD player, which is in turn connected to a TV. A prerecorded video CD is played in the player in which the display rate of video images is altered via software embedded on the CD such that the speed of the video is changed by the level of activity on the exercise device. The variation of the video frame rate is accomplished by modifying the duration time stamp on each video frame which is used by the player control program so as to change the sequential time at which each frame is called for display by the conventional video player. The variation of video display rate is independent of the pitch of the audio play rate. To maintain synchronization of the audio with the video without changing the pitch of the audio, portions of the audio are looped back, i.e. replayed.
An exercise monitoring apparatus for use in conjunction with an exercise device operated by a user which has an exercise rate detector thereon producing a signal representative of an actual exercise rate by said user, said apparatus comprising in combination:
A conversion apparatus for converting an exercise device having an exercise rate detector mounted thereon, a video CD player having a central processing unit in said player, an external controller for transmitting user input to the central processing unit and a display connected to said player into an interactive exercise video monitoring system, said conversion apparatus comprising:
An apparatus for engaging a user of an exercise device interactively in viewing a prerecorded video frame sequence of an activity on a video monitor in order to simulate to the user that he is actually performing the activity comprising:
A conversion apparatus for converting a video game CD player and an exercise device into an interactive exercise monitoring apparatus for a user comprising an interface unit connected between said exercise device and said video game CD player for converting a signal proportional to exercise on said device to a signal usable by said player and a CD playable in said player, said CD having a prerecorded series of video frames and a program thereon adapted to vary the display rate of said video frames on a display device in response to said exercise rate signal, wherein each of said recorded frames includes a frame time stamp and said program includes a means for generating a variable time adjustment factor in proportion to said exercise rate signal and a means for applying said factor to said duration time stamp to determine a modified time at which the next video frame in said sequence is to be displayed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.