Exercise level of difficulty data output apparatus

• US 5,579,777 A
• Filed: 05/26/1995
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Suga, Fusao
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gilbert, Samuel G.
• Application Number:
  US08/451,574
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 364/413.01, 364/413.02, 364/413.04, 128/633, 128/687, 128/689, 128/690, 128/691, 482/3, 482/8, 482/7, 482/9, 482/51, 482/52, 482/54, 482/74, 482/900, 482/901
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

An exercise level of difficulty data output apparatus outputs exercise level of difficulty of an exercise which a user takes, as exercise level of difficulty data, which can be used for general purposes in the exercise physiology. Using the apparatus, the user can objectively learn the exercise level of difficulty of his (or her) exercise for keeping himself healthy or for developing his physical strength. The exercise level of difficulty data output apparatus calculates exercise level of difficulty data from counted pulse number of the user and his age, and outputs the exercise level of difficulty data. Further, the exercise level of difficulty data output apparatus calculates and displays a predetermined pulse-number range indicating the most suitable exercise level of difficulty for the age of the user.

Claims

1. Apparatus to automatically monitor exercise level of difficulty, comprising:

age-data output means for providing age data of a user;

pulse-rate determining means for converting pulse signals of said user to a pulse rate to obtain pulse number data;

means for deriving exercise level of difficulty data from the pulse-number data obtained by said pulse-rate determining means and the age data output by said age-data output means; and

output means for outputting the exercise level of difficulty data derived by said means for deriving exercise level of difficulty data.

2. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exercise level of difficulty deriving means provides exercise level of difficulty data expressed in terms of a ratio to a maximum exercise level of difficulty data for every age data.

3. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means includes display means for visually displaying the exercise level of difficulty data, said display means being provided with display members which indicate that the exercise level of difficulty data falls within a predetermined range.

4. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said age-data output means comprises:

age-data storing means for storing age data;

date counting means for counting reference signals to obtain at least date data of that day; and

age updating means for updating the age data stored in said age-data storing means when the date data obtained by said date counting means reaches predetermined date data, and for outputting updated age data.

5. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said age-data output means comprises:

birthday-data storing means for storing birthday data;

date counting means for counting reference signals to obtain at least date data of that day; and

age calculating means for calculating age data from the date data obtained by said date counting means and the birthday data stored in said birthday-data storing means, and for outputting the calculated age data.

6. Apparatus for automatically monitoring exercise level of difficulty, comprising:

age-data output means for providing age data of a user;

means for obtaining first pulse-number data which define a predetermined range of most suitable exercise level of difficulty for an age of the user, based on the age data provided by said age-data output means;

first pulse-number data output means for outputting the first pulse-number data;

pulse-rate determining means for converting pulse signals of said user to a pulse rate to obtain second pulse-number data; and

second pulse-number data output means for outputting the second pulse-number data obtained by said pulse-rate determining means.

7. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first pulse-number data define a pulse-number range which has at a center thereof a pulse number for exercise level of difficulty of 75% of maximum exercise level of difficulty for the age data output by said age-data output means.

8. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said first pulse-number data output means and said second pulse-number data output means includes display means for visually displaying the respective first and second pulse-number data, said display means being provided with range indicating means for indicating whether the pulse-number data obtained by said pulse-rate determining means falls within the predetermined range.

9. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said age-data output means comprises:

age-data storing means for storing age data of the user;

date counting means for counting reference signals to obtain at least date data of that day; and

age updating means for updating the age data stored in said age-data storing means when the date data obtained by said date counting means reaches predetermined date data, and for outputting updated age data.

10. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said age-data output means comprises:

birthday-data storing means for storing birthday data;

date counting means for counting reference signals to obtain at least date data of that day; and

age calculating means for calculating age data from the date data obtained by said date counting means and the birthday data stored in said birthday-data storing means, and for outputting calculated age data.

11. A data display apparatus comprising:

age-data output means providing age data of a user;

pulse-number data calculating means for calculating first pulse-number data corresponding to predetermined exercise level of difficulty for each age of a user, based on the age data provided by said age-data output means;

pulse-number data display means for displaying the first pulse-number data;

pulse-number data output means for providing second pulse-number data;

means for deriving exercise level of difficulty data, based on the second pulse-number data output by said pulse-number data output means and the age data output by said age-data output means; and

exercise level of difficulty data display means for displaying the exercise level of difficulty data.

12. The data display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said pulse-number data display means is provided with means which displays, with use of a plurality of display members, the pulse number data calculated by said pulse-number data calculating means.

13. The data display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said pulse-number data display means comprises:

a plurality of first display members; and

first display control means for driving a particular first display member from among the plurality of first display members which corresponds to the first pulse-number data; and

said exercise level of difficulty data display means comprises;

a plurality of second display members; and

second display control means for driving a particular second display member from among the plurality of second display members which corresponds to the exercise level of difficulty data.

14. Apparatus for automatically monitoring exercise level of difficulty, comprising:

age-data output means for outputting age data of a user;

exercise level of difficulty setting means for setting ratio data in terms of a ratio of desired exercise level of difficulty to maximum exercise level of difficulty;

ratio-data storing means for storing the ratio data set by said exercise level of difficulty setting means;

means for deriving a ratio of a maximum pulse number for the age data output by said age-data output means to obtain first pulse-number data, said ratio being expressed by said ratio data;

first pulse-number output means for outputting the first pulse-number data obtained by said pulse-number calculating means;

pulse-rate determining means for converting pulse signals of the user to a pulse rate to obtain second pulse-number data; and

second pulse-number output means for outputting the second pulse-number data obtained by said pulse-number counting means.

15. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said exercise level of difficulty setting means sets a plurality of different ratio data.

16. The exercise level of difficulty monitoring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said first pulse-number output means and said second pulse number output means includes a display means for displaying the first or second pulse-number data, said display means being provided with range indicating means for indicating whether pulse-number data obtained by pulse-number measuring means falls within a range of the first pulse-number data obtained by said pulse-number calculating means.