Passive-Type Exercising Device and its Control Device

• US 20090197739A1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Company Limited (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: HASHIMOTO, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/6
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/001 Apparatus for applying movements to the whole body
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5035 Several programs selectable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5043 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/0406 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/06 Heartbeat rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/80 Weight

Abstract

A passive-type exercising device and its control device are provided in which accuracy of deriving exercise intensity is improved. The passive-type exercising device includes an exercise assistance mechanism for assisting exercise of a user; a load setting value acquisition unit 131 for obtaining a load setting value which is a setting value of a degree that the exercise assistance mechanism assists the user'"'"'s exercise; an assistance load value derivation unit 132 for deriving an assistance load value that the exercise assistance mechanism assists the user'"'"'s exercise; a sensor value acquisition unit 134 for obtaining a sensor value outputted by a sensor unit 32 provided at the exercise assistance mechanism; a combined load value derivation unit 135 for deriving a combined load value which is a combined value of the assistance load value and an effective load value of the user'"'"'s active exercise based on the obtained sensor value; and an exercise intensity derivation unit 150 for deriving an exercise intensity indicating the user'"'"'s exercise intensity based on the effective load value computed as a difference between the assistance load value and the combined load value.

Claims

1. A passive-type exercising device having an exercise assistance mechanism for assisting exercise of a user as well as applying an exercising load to the user by operating in a predetermined operation pattern, comprising:

a load setting value acquisition unit for obtaining a load setting value which is a setting value for amplitude of the exercising load applied to the user by the exercise assistance mechanism;

an assistance load value derivation unit for deriving an assistance load value indicating amplitude of the exercising load reduced by the exercise assistance mechanism'"'"'s assisting the exercise of the user;

a sensor provided at the exercise assistance mechanism;

a sensor value acquisition unit for obtaining a sensor value outputted by the sensor indicating an operation intensity of the exercise assistance mechanism;

a combined load value derivation unit for deriving a combined load value which is a combined value of the assistance load value and an effective load value indicating amplitude of an exercising load applied to the user by the user'"'"'s active exercise based on the sensor value obtained at the sensor value acquisition unit; and

an exercise intensity derivation unit for deriving an exercise intensity indicating an exercise intensity of the user based on the effective load value computed as a difference between the assistance load value derived at the assistance load value derivation unit and the combined load value derived at the combined load value derivation unit.

2. The passive-type exercising device of claim 1, further comprising a heart rate acquisition unit for obtaining the user'"'"'s heart rate,

wherein the exercise intensity derivation unit includes:

a memory unit for storing in advance a plurality sets of correspondence relationship information between the user'"'"'s heart rate and the exercise intensity defined for different amplitudes of the exercising loads;

a specifying unit for specifying corresponding relationship information corresponding to the effective load value computed as the difference between the assistance load value and the combined load value; and

an exercise intensity acquisition unit for obtaining an exercise intensity corresponding to the heart rate obtained at the heart rate acquisition unit by referring to the correspondence relationship information specified at the specifying unit.

3. The passive-type exercising device of claim 1, further comprising a derivation result notification unit for notifying to the user at least one of the exercise intensity derived at the exercise intensity derivation unit and the effective load value computed as the difference between the assistance load value and the combined load value.

4. The passive-type exercising device of claim 1, further comprising a difference notification unit for performing a notification to the user in accordance with a difference between the effective load value and a desired value for the effective load value or a difference between an exercise intensity corresponding to the effective load value and an exercise intensity corresponding to the desired value for the effective load value.

5. The passive-type exercising device of claim 1, further comprising:

an exercise time acquisition unit for obtaining the user'"'"'s exercise time;

a multiplication unit for multiplying the exercise intensity derived at the exercise intensity derivation unit and the exercise time obtained at the exercise time acquisition unit; and

a multiplication result notification unit for notifying the multiplication result of the multiplication unit to the user.

6. The passive-type exercising device of claim 5, further comprising a body weight acquisition unit for obtaining the user'"'"'s body weight,

wherein the multiplication unit multiplies the exercise intensity derived at the exercise intensity derivation unit, the exercise time obtained at the exercise time acquisition unit, the body weight obtained at the body weight acquisition unit, and a predetermined coefficient.

7. The passive-type exercising device of claim 1, further comprising a load setting value adjustment unit for adjusting the load setting value based on a comparison result of a target exercise intensity that is a target value for the user'"'"'s exercise intensity and the exercise intensity derived at the exercise intensity derivation unit,

wherein the load setting value adjustment unit increases the load setting value when the exercise intensity derived at the exercise intensity derivation unit falls below the target exercise intensity, and

wherein the load setting value adjustment unit decreases the load setting value when the exercise intensity derived at the exercise intensity derivation unit exceeds the target exercise intensity.

8. The passive-type exercising device of claim 1, further comprising an operation abort unit for stopping operations of the exercise assistance mechanism when a difference between a target exercise intensity that is a target value for the user'"'"'s exercise intensity and the exercise intensity derived at the exercise intensity derivation unit exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The passive-type exercising device of claim 1, further comprising a voltage value acquisition unit for obtaining a voltage value of a power source supplying electricity to a drive unit provided at the exercise assistance mechanism,

wherein the assistance load value derivation unit corrects the assistance load value in accordance with a fluctuation of the voltage value obtained at the voltage value acquisition unit.

10. A control device for controlling an exercise assistance mechanism for assisting exercise of a user as well as applying an exercising load to the user by operating in a predetermined operation pattern, comprising:

a load setting value acquisition unit for obtaining a load setting value which is a setting value for amplitude of the exercising load applied to the user by the exercise assistance mechanism;

an assistance load value derivation unit for deriving an assistance load value indicating amplitude of the user'"'"'s exercising load reduced by the exercise assistance mechanism'"'"'s assisting the exercise of the user;

a sensor value acquisition unit for obtaining a sensor value outputted by a sensor provided at the exercise assistance mechanism, the sensor value indicating an operation intensity of the exercise assistance mechanism;

a combined load value derivation unit for deriving a combined load value which is a combined value of the assistance load value and an effective load value indicating amplitude of an exercising load applied to the user by the user'"'"'s active exercise based on the sensor value obtained at the sensor value acquisition unit; and

an exercise intensity derivation unit for deriving an exercise intensity indicating an exercise intensity of the user based on the effective load value computed as a difference between the assistance load value derived at the assistance load value derivation unit and the combined load value derived at the combined load value derivation unit.