Portable exercise totalizer

• US 4,283,712 A
• Filed: 12/22/1976
• Issued: 08/11/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roy W. Goody
• Original Assignee: Roy W. Goody
• Inventors: Goody, Roy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Application Number:
  US05/753,582
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 340/323 R, 340/321, 340/351, 340/348, 235/92 GA, 235/92 CA, 235/92 FQ, 235/92 DE, 272/70, 324/161, 128/2.1 R, 128/2.1 A, 364/510, 364/410, 364/413
• US Class Current: 377/5
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0078 Exercise efforts programmed as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0661 arranged on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 having computer circuitry

Abstract

A portable exercise totalizer for recording total exercise exertion during an exercise period. The exercise totalizer comprises a pulse generator for producing pulses at various predetermined frequencies. A group of activating switches represent respectively various exercise routines, such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, and the like. At the beginning of the exercise period, an operator actuates the activating switch representing the exercise routine to be performed during the exercise period. The actuation of the activating switch activates the pulse generator and selects the pulse frequency to be produced by the pulse generator during the exercise period. At the end of the exercise period, the operator actuates a deactivating switch to discontinue the generation of pulses by the pulse generator. The selected frequency for the pulse generator represents the level of exercise exertion performed by the operator during the exercise period. A counter records the accumulated total of exercise exertion for the exercise period, which total is displayed visually. When the operator changes the exercise routine during the exercise period, the operator merely actuates another activating switch representing the other exercise routine to be performed.

Claims

1. An exercise totalizer comprising:

(a) a plurality of activating switches representing various exercise routines of different degrees of exercise exertion;

(b) a pulse generator for producing pulses at different preselected frequencies corresponding to the different degrees of physical exertion represented by the respective activating switches;

(c) a first circuit interconnecting said activating switches and said pulse generator for exciting said pulse generator in response to the actuation of one or more of said activating switches to generate pulses at a preselected frequency corresponding to the physical exertion represented by the actuated one or more of said activating switches;

(d) a deactivating switch connected to said first circuit for interrupting the generation of pulses by said pulse generator; and

(e) a second circuit including a visual display connected to said pulse generator for receiving the pulses generated thereby between the actuation of one or more of said activating switches and the actuation of said deactivating switch for displaying the accumulated total representing the exercise exertion between the exercise period of actuating one or more activating switches and the actuation of the deactivating switch.

2. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first circuit comprises a latch circuit, said latch circuit having a plurality of data input circuits connected to said activating switches respectively for receiving signals representing the degrees of physical exertion represented by the respective actuated one or more of said activating switches;

and a plurality of data output circuits corresponding respectively to said data input circuits and connected to said pulse generator for storing respectively the signals received by said data input circuits for producing signals corresponding to the degrees of physical exertion represented by the respective actuated one or more of said activating switches for exciting said pulse generator to generate pulses at a preselected frequency corresponding to the physical exertion represented by the actuated one or more of said activating switches.

3. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 2 wherein said deactivating switch is connected to said data input circuits and initiates a deactivating signal when actuated which is received by said data input circuits and stored in the corresponding data output circuits for interrupting the generation of pulses by said pulse generator.

4. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first circuit includes a convergence connection interconnecting said data output circuits and said pulse generator for exciting said pulse generator with a signal representing the total magnitude of the exciting signals in said data output circuits to generate pulses at a preselected frequency corresponding to the physical exertion represented by the actuation of one or more of said activating switches.

5. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 4 and including means in each of said data output circuits adjustable for regulating the magnitude of the exciting signal stored therein respectively for varying the frequency of the pulses generated by said pulse generator.

6. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 2 and comprising:

(a) a plurality of cadence lamps, there being a cadence lamp to represent each of said activating switches; and

(b) cadence circuit means interconnecting said latch circuit and said cadence lamps for operating the cadence lamp associated with an actuated activating switch at a preselected pulsating rate.

7. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 6 wherein said cadence circuit means comprises a plurality of data input circuits connected to the output of said latch circuit for storing respectively the signals received by said data input circuits of said latch circuit from one or more actuated activating switches for producing signals corresponding to the degrees of physical exertion represented by the respective actuated activating switches, and a pulse generator connected to said data input circuits of said cadence circuit and said cadence lamps for producing pulses to operate the cadence lamp associated with an actuated activating switch at a preselected pulsating rate.

8. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 7 and including means in each of said data input circuits for said cadence circuit adjustable for regulating the magnitude of the signal stored therein, respectively, for varying the frequency of the pulses generated by said pulse generator for said cadence circuit.

9. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second circuit includes a counting circuit connected to said pulse generator and connected to said visual display for receiving the pulses generated by said pulse generator to operate said visual display for displaying the accumulated total representing the exercise exertion during the exercise period.

10. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 9 wherein said counting circuit adds and subtracts, said totalizer comprising a penalty circuit connected to said pulse generator to receive pulses therefrom for counting a predetermined number of pulses and connected to said counting circuit for controlling the subtraction operation thereof, and a deactivation circuit connected to said first circuit and said penalty circuit and responsive to the actuation of said deactivating switch within said predetermined number of pulses for establishing a subtraction operation in said counting circuit to reduce the accumulated total displayed by said visual display.

11. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 10 wherein said penalty circuit comprises:

(a) a control circuit having its output connected to said counting circuit for controlling the subtraction operation thereof;

(b) a penalty time counting circuit connected to one input of said control circuit to enable said control circuit to conduct during said predetermined number of pulses; and

(c) a count initiating circuit connected to the output of said pulse generator and connected to said penalty time counting circuit for initiating said predetermined number of pulses

(d) said deactivating circuit being connected to another input of said control circuit for operating said control circuit to establish a subtraction operation in said counting circuit to reduce the accumulated total displayed by said visual display in response to the actuation of said deactivating switch during said predetermined number of pulses.

12. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 11 wherein said control circuit is a gate circuit, said penalty time counting circuit is a pulse generator with a time delay circuit, the subtraction operation of said counting circuit being responsive to the pulse frequency of said pulse generator of said penalty circuit for reducing the accumulated total displayed by said visual display at a preselected time rate, and said penalty time counting circuit including a frequency divider circuit connected to said first-mentioned pulse generator and a flip-flop circuit connected to the output of said frequency divider circuit and the input of said pulse generator for said penalty circuit.

13. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 10 and comprising a penalty lamp connected to said penalty circuit to be illuminated during said predetermined period of time.

14. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 11 and comprising a penalty lamp connected to said count initiating circuit to be illuminated during said predetermined period of time.

15. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 10 wherein the actuating of one or more of said activating switches returns said counting circuit to an adding operation for displaying the accumulated total by said visual display.

16. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 11 wherein the actuating of one or more of said activating switches returns said counting circuit to an adding operation for displaying the accumulated total by said visual display.

17. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 4 and comprising a speed-up switch and a speed-up circuit connected to said convergence connection for increasing the magnitude of the exciting signal applied to said pulse generator to increase the pulse frequency generated by said pulse generation in response to the actuation of said speed-up switch.

18. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a speed-up switch and a speed-up circuit connected to said first circuit for increasing the magnitude of the exciting signal applied to said pulse generator to increase the pulse frequency generated by said pulse generator in response to the actuation of said speed-up switch.

19. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a fast forward circuit connected to said first circuit and said pulse generator and responsive to the simultaneous actuation of said activating switches for increasing the pulse frequency generated by said pulse generator to set said visual display rapidly to a desired accumulated total.

20. An exercise totalizer as claimed in claim 4 and comprising a fast forward circuit connected to said convergence connection and responsive to the simultaneous actuation of said activating switches for increasing the pulse frequency generated by said pulse generator to set said visual display rapidly to a desired accumulated total.