Method of and apparatus for measuring instantaneous power

• US 5,154,677 A
• Filed: 03/23/1990
• Issued: 10/13/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Combi Corporation (Matsuura Family)
• Original Assignee: Combi Corporation (Matsuura Family)
• Inventors: Ito, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US07/498,128
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 272/73 DIG. 6, 272/DIG. 5, 73/379, 128/774, 128/782, 364/506, 364/511, 364/413.04, 482/8, 482/57
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/221 Ergometry, e.g. by using bicycle type apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0476 by rotating cycling movement arrangements on or for real bicycles A63B69/16
• 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: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring instantaneous power resulting from a person pedaling a bicycle ergometer. The rotational speed of a rotary member is periodically detected over a brief period of time at time points corresponding to the start of increase and the end of increase of the rotational speed. From these speeds and time points, the instantaneous power is determined.

Claims

1. A method of measuring instantaneous power exerted on a rotary member thru pedaling a bicycle ergometer, comprising the steps of:

repeatedly measuring the rotational speed of said rotary member at short time intervals when said rotary member is rotated by pedaling said bicycle ergometer equipped with an inertia mechanism having an inertia with respect to a rotational driving movement;

detecting said rotational speed at each point of start of increase of said rotational speed and at each point of end of increase of said rotational speed, said start and end points alternatingly occurring;

measuring the lapsed times from each said point of start of increase to succeeding said point of end of increase;

finding a finite difference of said lapsed times;

finding the differences of the rotational speeds from said points of start of increase to said points of end of increase during said lapsed times, respectively;

finding, as an average rotational speed, the rotational speed at a mid point between said point of start of increase and said point of end of increase;

finding a regression formula with respect to said average rotational speed of the alternating differences of said lapsed time;

finding a regression formula with respect to said average rotational speed of the alternating differences of said rotational speed;

and obtaining power with respect to said inertia mechanism in accordance with said two regression formulas, said power being obtained as a function of said average rotational speed.

2. The method of measuring instantaneous power according to claim 1, in which said rotational speed is subjected to a filtering process to remove noises.

3. The method of measuring an instantaneous power according to claim 2, in which said filtering process is one or more movement average processes.

4. The method of measuring instantaneous power according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a first judgment with respect to said point of start of increase of the rotational speed and said point of end of increase thereof immediately after the start of the pedaling is ignored.

5. The method of measuring instantaneous power according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a mid point between a time point of the minimal value of the time difference of said rotational speed and a time point of the next maximal value thereof is determined as said point of start of increase of the rotational speed, a mid point between said time point of the maximal value and a time point of the next minimal value being determined as said point of end of increase of the rotational speed.

6. The method of measuring instantaneous power according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the maximum value of the power with respect to said inertia mechanism is found from said regression formula for the difference of the rotational speed and the regression formula for the difference of the lapsed time, and is determined as an appraisal value of the instantaneous power for the power with respect to said inertia mechanism.

7. The method of measuring an instantaneous power according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which said bicycle ergometer includes a brake mechanism capable of applying a brake torque.

8. The method of measuring instantaneous power according to claim 7, in which the power with respect to said brake mechanism is added to the power with respect to said inertia mechanism, thereby obtaining the total power.

9. The method of measuring instantaneous power according to claim 8, in which the maximum value of the power with respect to said brake power at said average rotational speed at which the power with respect to said inertia mechanism is added to the power with respect to said inertia mechanism, thereby obtaining an appraisal value of the total instantaneous power.

10. The method of measuring an instantaneous power according to claim 9, in which the appraisal value of the total instantaneous power is divided by the body weight of the subject to make a correction.

11. The method of measuring an instantaneous power according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which an alarm is given before the chemical energy in a non-lactic acid-type anoxia mechanism is exhausted after the start of the pedaling of said bicycle ergometer.

12. The method of measuring an instantaneous power according to claim 11, in which said alarm is given within 5 seconds after the start of the pedaling.

13. A method of measuring instantaneous power comprising the steps of:

repeatedly measuring the rotational speed of a rotary member at short time intervals when said rotary member is rotated by pedaling a bicycle ergometer equipped with an inertia mechanism having an inertia with respect to a rotational driving movement;

detecting said rotational speed at each point of start of increase of said rotational speed and at each point of end of increase of said rotational speed, said start and end points alternatingly occurring;

measuring a difference of a lapsed time from said point of start of increase to said point of end of increase;

finding a difference of the rotational speed from said point of start of increase to said point of end of increase during said lapsed time;

finding, as an average rotational speed, the rotational speed at a mid point between said point of start of increase and said point of end of increase;

calculating, during each repeated cycle between said point of start of increase and said point of end of increase, power with respect to said inertia mechanism in accordance with the differential of the rotational speed and the average rotational speed corresponding to each repeated cycle.

14. Apparatus for measuring instantaneous power comprising:

a bicycle ergometer body equipped with an inertia mechanism having an inertia with respect to a rotational driving movement;

means for measuring a rotational speed of a rotary member of said bicycle ergometer at predetermined time intervals;

calculating means responsive to the measurement value of the rotational speed for finding a lapsed time between a point of start of increase of the rotational speed and a point of end of increase thereof, and a difference of said lapsed time, and for finding, as an average rotational speed, the rotational speed at a mid point between said point of start of increase and said point of end of increase during said lapsed time, said calculating means determining the power with respect to said inertia mechanism in accordance with the above calculated values;

means for indicating said calculated values determined by said calculating means;

a timer for indicating the time of the pedaling; and

alarm means for giving an alarm when the set time of said timer is over.

15. Apparatus for measuring instantaneous power according to claim 14, in which said calculating means finds a regression formula with respect to the average rotational speed of the difference of said lapsed time as well as a regression formula with respect to the average rotational speed of the difference of said rotational speed, said calculating means obtaining the power with respect to said inertia mechanism as a function of said average rotational speed, and calculating the maximum value of the power with respect to said inertia mechanism.

16. Apparatus for measuring instantaneous power according to claim 14, in which said bicycle ergometer is provided with a brake mechanism.

17. Apparatus for measuring instantaneous power according to claim 16, in which said calculating means calculates the power with respect to said brake mechanism when the power with respect to said inertia mechanism becomes the maximum, and adds it to the maximum value of the power with respect to said inertia mechanism, thereby providing an appraisal value of the instantaneous power.

18. Apparatus for measuring instantaneous power according to claim 17, in which said calculating means divides said appraisal value of said instantaneous power by the body weight of the subject to make a correction.

19. Apparatus for measuring an instantaneous power according to any one of claims 14 to 18, in which said bicycle ergometer body is provided with a fastening means for fixing the subject to a saddle so that the subject cannot stand-up.