IP Library Granted Patent US 11,130,017
Granted Patent B2
US 11,130,017 · App. 16/588,385 · Granted Sep 28, 2021

Rowing

Inventors: Bruce Smith (Cambridge, MA); Chris Paul (Lincoln, MA); Christopher Evans (Amherst, NH); Gerhard Pawelka (Lexington, MA); William Burke (San Francisco, CA); Harald Quintus-Bosz (Sudbury, MA); Klaus Renner (Hollis, NH)
Assignee: Hydrow, Inc.
A63B22/0076A63B21/0051A63B21/0057A63B22/0087A63B24/0087A63B2022/0079
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,130,017
App. No.
16/588,385
Granted
Sep 28, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Among other things, a rowing technology includes a first rowing machine having an electromagnetic brake providing a resistance to a rower of the machine in each rowing stroke of a series of rowing strokes of the rower An electronic controller causes the resistance of the electromagnetic brake to vary over each rowing stroke in a profile that emulates resistance to which another rower in a shell on water or on a second rowing machine is subjected in each rowing stroke of a corresponding series of rowing strokes.

Claims (30)

1. A method comprising

providing to a first rower on a first rowing machine an audio, video, or audio-visual presentation of motion of another rower on a second rowing machine or in a shell on water,

the motion of the other rower including a series of rowing strokes,

the other rower being subjected to varying resistance by the second rowing machine or the shell on water during the series of rowing strokes,

the motion of the other rower corresponding to data representing parameters of the motion for the series of rowing strokes of the other rower, and

causing the first rowing machine to subject the first rower to a resistance for a series of rowing strokes of the first rower that varies over time to match the varying resistance to which the other rower is subjected in the series of rowing strokes of the other rower during the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation is provided to the first rower in real-time with respect to the motion of the other rower on the second rowing machine or in the shell on water.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation is pre-recorded.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising providing to the first rower an interface by which the first rower can select the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation from among a library of available presentations.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the parameters represented by the data include one or more of the other rower's stroke rate, the other rower's stroke length, and a power measurement.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the other rower is in a shell on water and the parameters represented by the data comprise one or more of a speed of the shell and a distance traveled or remaining.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the video or audio-visual presentation is from one or a combination of two or more of the following perspectives: a view seen by the other rower; a view directed from the back of the other rower; a bird's eye from a drone; a view from a shell traveling next to the other rower; a view from a front of a shell in which the other rower is rowing; and a view from a stern of the shell in which the other rower is rowing.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising providing to the first rower an interface by which the first rower can toggle among two or more of the perspectives while rowing on the first rowing machine.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the video or audio-visual presentation shows a multi-person shell.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the method comprises governing the resistance to which the first rower is subjected based on water conditions portrayed in the video or audio-visual presentation.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising presenting to the first rower information about a speed or stroke rate of the first rower and a speed or stroke rate of the other rower.

12. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the video or audio-visual presentation comprises a combination of a foreground and a background recombined from two different video clips.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the foreground comprises a shell, and in which the background comprises scenery.

14. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the video or audio-visual presentation comprises overlays.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the overlays comprise one or more of additional shells, additional rowers, or a coach.

16. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation is provided in real time from a shell through a server.

17. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation is received at the second rowing machine wirelessly.

18. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the video or audio-visual presentation includes a computer generated overlay presenting performance metrics of the first rower.

19. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving, at the first rowing machine, a stream of data representing the motion of the other rower.

20. The method of claim 19 in which the stream of data represents a timing of the series of rowing strokes of the other rower.

21. The method of claim 19 comprising governing the resistance to which the first rower is subjected based on the stream of data.

22. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the method comprises comprising adjusting a frame rate of the video or audio-visual presentation to cause a stroke rate in the video or audio-visual presentation to match a stroke rate of the first rower.

23. The method of claim 1 in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation comprises a video or audio-visual presentation, and in which the method comprises generating graphical simulations to fill in frame gaps in the video or audio-visual presentation to cause a stroke rate in the video or audio-visual presentation to match a stroke rate of the first rower.

24. The method of claim 1 , in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation is synchronized with a stroke rate of the first rower.

25. The method of claim 1 , in which the audio, video, or audio-visual presentation is synchronized with a rowing speed of the first rower.

Assignments (7)
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT AT REEL/FRAME NO. 63652/0703 Recorded Nov 16, 2023
From: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
To: HYDROW, INC.
Reel/Frame 065608/0061 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2023
From: HYDROW, INC.
To: TRIPLEPOINT VENTURE GROWTH BDC CORP.
Reel/Frame 065429/0758 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2023
From: HYDROW, INC.
To: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 063652/0703 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2020
From: EVANS, CHRISTOPHER; PAWELKA, GERHARD; BURKE, WILLIAM; QUINTUS-BOSZ, HARALD; RENNER, KLAUS
To: COOPER PERKINS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053932/0810 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2020
From: CREW BY TRUE ROWING, INC.
To: HYDROW, INC.
Reel/Frame 054205/0345 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2020
From: COOPER PERKINS, INC.
To: CREW BY TRUE ROWING, INC.
Reel/Frame 053933/0234 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2020
From: SMITH, BRUCE; PAUL, CHRIS
To: CREW BY TRUE ROWING, INC.
Reel/Frame 053942/0476 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15981834 · May 16, 2018
Related Publication 20200078635A1 · Mar 12, 2020
Cited By (4)
US 12,186,622 US 12,311,223 US 12,383,792 US 12,533,562