Repetitive-motion activity enhancement based upon media content selection

1. A media-playback device for enhancement of a repetitive-motion activity, the media playback device comprising:

a media-output device that plays media content items;

a processing device; and

a computer readable data storage device storing data instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:

determine a media playback mode among a plurality of media playback modes, the plurality of media playback modes including a cadence-based media playback mode and a repetitive-activity enhancement playback mode;

when the determined media playback mode is the cadence-based media playback mode:

determine a cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity, wherein the cadence is determined using a predetermined threshold and a predetermined duration to distinguish an intentional change in cadence from an environment-based change in cadence; and

upon determining the cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity, generate an audible cadence acquired indicator and select media content items based on the cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity;

when the determined media playback mode is the repetitive-activity enhancement playback mode, select media content items according to an enhancement program for the repetitive-motion activity;

playback media content items selected according to the determined media playback mode, wherein the selection of media content items is based on a tempo value and repetitive-motion activity score, the repetitive-motion activity score corresponding to suitability of a media content item for playback during the repetitive-motion activity;

monitor performance of the repetitive-motion activity during playback of the selected media content items to evaluate the suitability of at least one of the media content items for playback during the repetitive-motion activity in the future;

select a media content item to provide an enhancement booster for the repetitive-motion activity based upon monitoring the repetitive-motion activity;

determine a delay for playing back the enhancement booster; and

play back the enhancement booster after the delay.

2. The media-playback device of claim 1 , further comprising a cadence-acquiring device comprising an accelerometer and further data instructions that cause the processing device to determine a cadence based on acceleration data captured by the accelerometer.

3. The media-playback device of claim 1 , comprising further data instructions that cause the processing device to align consecutive playback of a first media content item and a second media content item.

4. The media-playback device of claim 3 , wherein the data instructions that cause the processing device to align consecutive playback further cause the processing device to:

determine an alignment beat in the first media content item;

determine a starting beat in the second media content item; and

cause the second media content item to begin playback such that the starting beat is aligned with the alignment beat.

5. The media-playback device of claim 4 , wherein the alignment beat is a downbeat and the starting beat is a downbeat.

6. The media playback device of claim 1 , further comprising data instructions that cause the processing device to select media content items based on a physiological measurement.

7. The media playback device of claim 1 , wherein the physiological measure is a heart rate.

8. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein the enhancement program is a single segment identifying a tempo value for media content playback.

9. The media-playback device of claim 8 , wherein the tempo value is identified based on a target cadence.

10. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein the enhancement program comprises a plurality of segments.

11. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein the data instructions that cause the processing device to select media content items based on a cadence further cause the processing device to:

monitor for changes in the cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity; and

upon detecting a change in cadence:

identify a second media content item based on a changed cadence; and

cause the media-output device to playback the identified second media content item.

12. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein the media content item is streamed to the media-playback device by a media-delivery system based on a request for media content items that specifies the cadence.

13. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein the media playback device is a watch.

14. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein the media playback device is a smartphone including the processing device and the computer-readable data storage device.

15. A method of selecting media content to enhance a repetitive-motion activity according to an enhancement program comprising:

selecting a media content item for playback based on a tempo defined by a first segment of the enhancement program and based on repetitive-motion activity score, the repetitive-motion activity score corresponding to suitability of a media content item for playback during the repetitive-motion activity;

determining a cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity, wherein the cadence is determined using a predetermined threshold and a predetermined duration to distinguish an intentional change in cadence from an environment-based change in cadence;

upon determining the cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity, generating an audible cadence acquired indicator;

monitoring the repetitive-motion activity to determine whether the first segment is complete and to evaluate the suitability of the selected media content item for playback during the repetitive-motion activity in the future;

upon determining that the first segment is complete, selecting a second media content item for playback based on a tempo defined by a second segment of the enhancement program and based on the repetitive-motion activity score;

selecting a media content item to provide an enhancement booster for the repetitive-motion activity based upon monitoring the repetitive-motion activity;

determining a delay for playing back the enhancement booster; and

playing back the enhancement booster after the delay.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first segment is determined to be complete based on a duration of time specified for the first segment.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first segment is determined to be complete based on a physiological measurement captured during the repetitive-motion activity.

18. A mobile device for enhancement of a repetitive-motion activity, the mobile device comprising:

a media-output device that plays media content items;

a cadence-acquiring device comprising an accelerometer and configured to determine a cadence based on acceleration data captured by the accelerometer;

a processing device; and

a computer readable data storage device storing data instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:

determine a media playback mode among a plurality of media playback modes, the plurality of media playback modes including a cadence-based media playback mode, a repetitive-activity enhancement playback mode, and a physiological control playback mode;

when the determined media playback mode is the cadence-based media playback mode:

determine, by the cadence-acquiring device, a cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity, wherein the cadence is determined using a predetermined threshold and a predetermined duration to distinguish an intentional change in cadence from an environment-based change in cadence; and

upon determining the cadence associated with the repetitive-motion activity, generate a voiceover indicator of the determined cadence and select media content items based on the cadence;

when the determined media playback mode is the repetitive-activity enhancement playback mode, select media content items according to an enhancement program for the repetitive-motion activity;

when the determined media playback mode is the physiological control playback mode, select media content items based on a physiological measurement;

playback media content items selected according to the determined media playback mode with the media-output device, wherein the selection of media content items is based on a tempo value and repetitive-motion activity score, the repetitive-motion activity score corresponding to suitability of a media content item for playback during the repetitive-motion activity;

select a media content item to provide an enhancement booster for the repetitive-motion activity based upon monitoring the repetitive-motion activity;

determine a delay for playing back the enhancement booster;

play back the enhancement booster after the delay;

align consecutive playback of media content items; and

monitor performance of the repetitive-motion activity during playback of the selected media content items to evaluate the suitability of at least one of the media content items for playback during the repetitive-motion activity in the future.

19. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein an intentional change in cadence is determined based on a combination of a difference between an acquired cadence and a current cadence and a duration of the difference.

20. The media-playback device of claim 1 , further comprising an altimeter for acquiring altitude measurements, and wherein changes in cadence that occur while the altitude measurements are changing rapidly are ignored.

21. The media-playback device of claim 1 , further comprising data instructions that cause the processing device to:

monitor performance of the repetitive-motion activity during playback of the enhancement booster; and

calculate an enhancement effectiveness score for the enhancement booster representative of a suitability of the enhancement booster for future playback during the repetitive-motion activity.

22. The media-playback device of claim 1 , wherein the delay is calculated to allow the playback of a media content item to complete.