Beginning at NYU in Jan 2013 within the context of a Patents Translation course delivered online, this blog seeks to uncover the patents that rock our daily lives....
The YoctoMat®, equipped with embedded load sensors, together with a movement analysis program, is an invention that offers to provide specific-point feedback on Yoga poses, in real-time. Feedback is thus provided based on an analysis of the user’s dynamic Yoga posture, balance and weight distribution, in real-time, directly from the comfort of a living room, without a live instructor.
This invention comes in response to the problems of the previous art in Yoga self-instruction. For example, problems arising from wearing a monitor that measures body vitals (e.g., blood pressure, pulse and temperature) and only generates information on user fatigue. Or problems arising from using a camera that cannot measure weight distribution, to provide accurate information on balance and alignment.
The inventive solutions to the problems of the prior art, particularly real-time and adequate feedback on the performance of Yoga poses, are recited in two Japanese patents, for anyone who reads Japanese.
JP2021037168A - Movement analysis system, movement analysis program, and movement.
analysis method.
JP2023029322A - Instruction system having mat-like member having pressure-sensitive element.
In a nutshell, the YoctoMat® collects mechanical load data on the user and the user’s performance of a Yoga pose, which is sent via the internet,together with camera data, to a movement analysis program. The movement analysis program synchronizes both the mechanical and camera data for the purposes of evaluation. The evaluation is performed by comparing the collected dynamic posture data with dynamic information contained in a normative reference database of Yoga poses. A comparison measured in terms ofdeviations. Once deviations are computed, specific-point feedback on a pose is provided in real-time, back to the user via a camera, as well as a weight-distribution map, using sensor data, to help adjust balance.
The patent Figure 1, extracted from JP2021037168A, illustrates the YoctoMat® and movement analysis system 1, comprising the YoctoMat® 2 that captures all the mechanical load data, the Internet 5, the camera 3, and a management server 4. The management server 4 comprises a data transmission and reception unit 41, a data storage unit 42, a calculation unit 43, a learning unit 431, and a comparison unit 432.
Interestingly, the scope of the invention is specified to extend beyond Yoga poses.
Designed to prevent slipping on a contact surface, during the varying shifts, or hold in position, of a yoga pose, YogaPaws® also provide cushioning. Thus, YogaPaws® are variously marketed as: mini yoga mats, wearable yoga mats, or the practitioner’s mat away from home, considering how bulky a mat might be to pack (YogaPaws®). Conceived by expert yoga professionals in every detail, YogaPaws® are a patented invention. The US utility patent, US7383591, titled Exercise mitt, was granted on June 10, 2008, to Gail Getzwiller and Regina Igini.
Below, two of the patent figure drawings. The patent figures respectively depict a perspective view of the YogaPaws® invention on a practitioner’s hand (FIG. 1a), and on a practitioner’s foot (FIG. 1B).
In particular, the patent Figure 1a depicts a YogaPaw® hand mitt 10, comprising a sleeve 12. The sleeve 12 has a rear opening 15, enabling the practitioner to insert his/her/their hand. The sleeve 12 is designed to enable the practitioner’s fingers to extend outside of the sleeve. Accordingly, the sleeve comprises an opening for the thumb and another opening for the remaining four fingers, at the front 21 of the sleeve 12. In this way, practitioners retain the feel of working with bare hands. This aspect of the invention also reduces the bulk and weight of the YogaPaw®.
The hand sleeve 12 in Figure 1a, otherwise comprises a stretch component 11, and a perforated foam component 13. The stretch component, made of a woven blend of cotton and/or polyester, is designed to provide a snug fit, stretching and tightening around the practitioner’s hand. The perforated foam component 13 is coupled (stitched) to the stretch component 11. The perforated foam component 13 comprises both inner 14 (not shown) and outer surfaces. The outer surface 16 of the perforated foam component 13 is designed to come in contact with support surfaces, invoked for the positions of particular yoga poses, in view of preventing slipping, whereas the inner surface is designed to prevent the palm of a hand from slipping inside the mitt. The hand YogaPaws® also comprise, preferably a Velcro wrist flap (not shown), enabling to widen and tighten the opening of the mitt 15, for ease of putting on, or taking off, the mitt.
Likewise, the Figure 1b depicts the YogaPaw® invention foot mitt 30, configured for a practitioner's foot, with a construction similar to the YogaPaw® hand mitt 10, configured for a practitioner’s hand. The foot YogaPaw® comprises a sleeve 32, with stretch material 31, coupled (stitched) to a perforated foam component 33, made of the same types of materials, as those of the hand YogaPaw®. A construction designed to enable a snug fit around the ball of a foot, and to prevent slipping, both inside the foot sleeve 32, and on the outside of the foot sleeve, in contact with the support surfaces for yoga poses.
The front end of the YogaPaw® foot sleeve 32 also has an opening, through which the practitioner’s toes extend. An aspect of the invention designed to contribute to the feel of working barefoot in yoga, analogous to the YogaPaws® bare hands feel. A strap separates toes from the big toe.
Without departing from the specification of the invention, variations exist in the marketed embodiments of the YogaPaws®. Such variations, for example, as an additional back strap in the YogaPaws® Elite model, further securing the YogaPaw® foot sleeve to the practitioner's foot, or absorbant material added on the inside of the foot sleeve.
Below, the abstract of the invention.
An exercise mitt is provided for a hand or foot, and which is particularly useful in an exercise form such as yoga in which a practitioner maintains a pose or shifts body position while his/her hand or foot is in contact with a support surface. The exercise mitt is specially configured to address the problem of slippage when the practitioner is practicing an exercise form such as yoga, where the practitioner exerts pressure on a support surface in both downward and outward directions as the practitioner is practicing the exercise form. The mitt comprises a sleeve configured to fit snugly about a portion of a human extremity while permitting portions of the human extremity to extend out of the sleeve. The sleeve has inner and outer surface portions with the outer surface portion configured to contact the support surface as the wearer takes predetermined positions relative to the support surface, the outer surface portion being further configured to resist the human extremity from sliding against the support surface, and the inner surface portion being configured to resist relative movement between the human extremity and the sleeve as the wearer applies pressure against the surface and takes predetermined positions relative to the support surface. [Abstract US7383591]
Some people might cringe at the idea of a fitness tracker associated with Yoga. A 5000 year old body and mind practice, meaning “unity” in Sanskrit, the sacred language of India, where the true names of the “asanas” (poses) are found. According to Forbes, a yoga fitness tracker might also be especially troubling for those practitioners, who turn to yoga to precisely disconnect from all of their electronic bits and bytes. At the end of the day, however, the Apple Yoga fitness tracker perhaps testifies to the beauty of yoga, its capacity to transcend the ages through the human body, to become relevant in 2022, in new ways, new cultures, new languages, and in new conversations that also celebrate health.
Consequently, for those interested in electronically monitoring their yoga practice, as part of an overall health and fitness program—or for any other reason, Apple created a native Apple Watch yoga app, with the capacity to measure energy expenditure during a yoga session. The app measures heart rate in beats per minute (BPM), active calories (generated in movement), and total calories (combining active and resting calories.)
A new and non-obvious device, since unlike fitness trackers for aerobic exercise routines, like biking, running
or swimming, where heart rate is correlated to calories burned in repetitive,
high intensity movement, many different sorts of yoga exists, combining both movement and pause. An apparent inactivity between yoga asanas, where regular aerobic fitness trackers might also pause, until activity is resumed. Not to menton the confounding variable of increased ambient temperature, causing increased heart rate, during some types of yoga sessions, without increased intensity of
movement. Thus, the Apple watch yoga fitness tracking app qualified as an
invention, earning the US utility patent US10709933B2, titled Pose
and heart rate energy expenditure for yoga.
The Figures 4 and 6 are included below, together with the patent abstract.
The patent Figure 4 depicts exemplary yoga poses, in view of reciting four yoga movement models, deemed relevant in the calculation of yoga energy expenditure. The first model recited as Power yoga (e.g.,Vinyassa, Ashtanga or Acro yoga) is one where each of the poses 402, 404, 406 and 408 are continuous, flowing from one to the other. The second model, recited as Wellness yoga (e.g., Hatha, Iyengar Anasura, Jivamukti, Forrest, Sivananda or Svaroopa yoga), is one where movement from one pose to another is disconnected. In other words each of the poses 402, 404, 406 and 408 might be held for a given amount of time. The third model recited as Hot yoga (e.g. Bikram® yoga) is a version of the second model, performed under much higher ambient temperatures. The fourth model, recited as Meditative yoga (e.g., representing Vini, Kundalini, Integra or Tantra yoga), is depicted with pose 410, which invokes little, or no movement.
The patent Figure 6 shows the app flowchart. The flowchart recites means 602 to detect the beginning of a yoga session, means 604 to detect
the ambient temperature of the session, in view of determining 606 whether the session is Hot yoga, and of scaling 608 Heart rate measurements
accordingly. Most importantly, the flowchart depicts means 610 of determining the sort of ongoing yoga session, based on motion sensing and a pose–detection algorithm, so that a corresponding
energy expenditure model 612 might be applied to the incoming motion sensor data.
A method and a system for determining an energy expenditure of a user while practicing yoga are described. A heart rate sensing module can measure the user's heart rate. A temperature sensing module can measure ambient temperature. A motion sensing module can collect user's motion data. In some embodiments, a hot yoga session can be detected based on measured ambient temperature. In some embodiments, a yoga type can be detected based on the motion data. In some embodiments, an energy expenditure model can be applied based on the determined yoga type. [AbstractUS10709933B2]
References
Bell, L (Dec. 31, 2018). How to use
Yoga App on the Apple watch to track your practice.
