Process and device for supporting fitness training by means of music

• US 5,137,501 A
• Filed: 01/03/1990
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frank L. Mertesdorf
• Original Assignee: Frank L. Mertesdorf
• Inventors: Mertesdorf, Frank L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US07/445,613
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 272/73, 272/72, 272/129, 272/DIG. 6, 272/DIG. 9, 128/707, 128/25 B, 128/721, 128/732
• US Class Current: 482/57
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/001 by simultaneously exercising arms and legs, e.g. diagonally in anti-phase A63B22/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0076 Rowing machines for conditioning the cardio-vascular system seats moving during exercise A63B22/0087; training appliances for rowing or sculling on boats A63B69/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means

Abstract

In a process for supporting fitness training by playing music, in which the exercising person repeats movement cycles periodically, the motivating effect of the music in enhanced in that the music is synchronized by and with the movement cycles and uses a rhythm or a rhythmic beat at a predetermined point within the movement cycle of at least one part of the body of the exercising person. A device for implementing this process includes a pulse generator arranged to correspond to the movement phases of the exercising person during a movement cycle, a synchronization unit which further processes the pulses of the pulse generator, and a device for playing music controlled by the synchronization unit.

Claims

1. A fitness training process which comprises the steps of:

(a) causing an exercising person in seated position to actuate a member with repetitive movement cycles;

(b) monitoring said repetitive movement cycles by an exercising person by electrically generating signals over the entire course of each cycle and for an entire course of movement cycles of the exercising person and so that each movement cycle is subdivided into discrete sections;

(c) generating music having beats subdividable into small musical sections;

(d) electrically synchronizing said music with and in response to the movement cycles so that a predetermined number of said sections of each beat of the music accompanies each of the successive movement cycles; and

(e) electrically controlling and varying positions within each of said movement cycles at which audible beats of the music begin by controlledly shifting at least one section of each beat to coordinate with a selected section and location in the movement of said member so that a beginning of a beat is assigned to a predetermined position of at least one body part of the exercising person within each movement cycle.

2. The process defined in claim 1 wherein an audible and a musical beat of the music, respectively begins in a predetermined position within each movement cycle of at lest one body part of the exercising person.

3. The process defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of shifting an onset point of an audible musical beat with each movement cycle.

4. The process defined in claim 3 wherein the music is in digital form.

5. The process defined in claim 3 wherein a pitch of sounds of the music is not changed by a varying movement tempo of the person.

6. The process defined in claim 3 wherein each movement cycle of the person is divided into movement sections and a synchronizing pulse is emitted at the beginning or the end of each movement section.

7. The process defined in claim 3 wherein a number of pulses are emitted during one movement cycle and the number of the pulses during a movement cycle is determined in a way that this number leads to a selected number of musical beats per movement cycle.

8. The process defined in claim 7 wherein the number of pulses necessary for playing a musical beat is equally distributed over a time section and no pulses are emitted if the onset point for the next musical beat in relation to the end of this time section is too late, or the remaining pulses are emitted with increased speed if the beginning of the next musical beat appears too early.

9. The process defined in claim 3 wherein the synchronization locates the audible beats to a determined position during a contraction phase of at least one muscle group of the person active in the movement cycle.

10. The process defined in claim 9, further comprising changing the determined position within the contraction phase can be chanted.

11. The process defined in claim 3 wherein the onset point of the audible or musical beats is brought back to a predetermined position upon a change of the onset point on account of the movement direction within a movement cycle or by irregularities of the pulse emission.