Switching apparatus for an exercise powered TV
First Claim
1. A switching apparatus for switching on a TV as a reward when a user is achieving a predetermined performance level on an exercise apparatus, said switching apparatus comprising:
- a pulse generator for generating pulses commensurate with the amount of work expended by the user on the exercise apparatus;
a wireless transmitter for transmitting said pulses;
a wireless transceiver TV module for receiving said pulses from said transmitter;
said transceiver module including;
a pulse counter for counting said pulses received from said transmitter;
a power sensor for sensing the power status of the TV;
a comparator circuit connected to said pulse counter and said power sensor such that when said power sensor senses the status of the TV as being inactive, said comparator circuit compares said pulses counted by said counter with a threshold level which corresponds with said predetermined performance level so that when said pulses reach said threshold level, a signal is generated and when the power sensor senses the status of the TV as being active, the comparator circuit compares the pulses with the threshold level such that when the pulses reach a level that is less than the threshold level, a further signal is generated, said module transmitting said signal and said further signal accordingly; and
a wireless receiver disposed in operable proximity to the TV the arrangement being such that when said receiver receives said signal, the TV is activated and when said further signal is received by said receiver, the TV is inactivated such that overriding the status of the TV is inhibited so that watching the TV without reaching the predetermined performance level is prevented.
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Abstract
A switching apparatus is disclosed for switching on a TV as a reward when a user is achieving a predetermined performance level on an exercise apparatus. The switching apparatus includes a pulse generator for generating pulses commensurate with the amount of work expended by the user on the exercise apparatus and a transmitter for transmitting the pulses. A transceiver TV module receives the pulses from the transmitter, the transceiver module including a pulse counter for counting the pulses received from the transmitter, a power sensor for sensing the power status of the TV and a comparator circuit connected to the pulse counter and the power sensor such that when the power sensor senses the status of the TV as being inactive, the comparator circuit compares the pulses counted by the counter with a threshold level which corresponds with the predetermined factory preset performance level so that when the pulses reach the threshold level, a signal is generated and when the power sensor senses the status of the TV as being active, the comparator circuit compares the pulses with the threshold level such that when the pulses reach below the threshold level, a further signal is generated so that the module transmits the signal and the further signal accordingly. A receiver is disposed in operable proximity to the TV. The arrangement is such that when the receiver receives the signal, the TV is activated and when the further signal is received by the receiver, the TV is inactivated such that overriding the status of the TV is inhibited so that watching the TV without reaching the predetermined performance level is prevented.
18 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A switching apparatus for switching on a TV as a reward when a user is achieving a predetermined performance level on an exercise apparatus, said switching apparatus comprising:
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a pulse generator for generating pulses commensurate with the amount of work expended by the user on the exercise apparatus;
a wireless transmitter for transmitting said pulses;
a wireless transceiver TV module for receiving said pulses from said transmitter;
said transceiver module including;
a pulse counter for counting said pulses received from said transmitter;
a power sensor for sensing the power status of the TV;
a comparator circuit connected to said pulse counter and said power sensor such that when said power sensor senses the status of the TV as being inactive, said comparator circuit compares said pulses counted by said counter with a threshold level which corresponds with said predetermined performance level so that when said pulses reach said threshold level, a signal is generated and when the power sensor senses the status of the TV as being active, the comparator circuit compares the pulses with the threshold level such that when the pulses reach a level that is less than the threshold level, a further signal is generated, said module transmitting said signal and said further signal accordingly; and
a wireless receiver disposed in operable proximity to the TV the arrangement being such that when said receiver receives said signal, the TV is activated and when said further signal is received by said receiver, the TV is inactivated such that overriding the status of the TV is inhibited so that watching the TV without reaching the predetermined performance level is prevented. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
said pulse generator generates said pulses which are electrical signals, said pulses increasing in proportion with the amount of work expended by the user during a unit of time. -
3. A switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said transmitter transmits the pulses as R.F. waves to said module. -
4. A switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said transceiver TV module further includes: -
a selectively lockable housing;
a power cord extending from the TV to within said lockable housing;
an electrical circuit for electrically connecting said power cord to a source of electrical power;
a lock for locking said housing such that plugging said power cord directly into a source of electrical power is prevented so that said overriding of an inactive status of the TV is inhibited.
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5. A switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said power sensor is arranged such that when the TV is plugged in for the first time, the power sensor will determine the power required for any type of TV. -
7. A switching apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said receiver includes: a remote LED disposed in operable proximity to the TV, said remote LED controlling a remote actuation of the TV for switching the TV from an inactive to an active status, and an active to an inactive status as programmed.
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6. A switching apparatus for switching on a TV as a reward when a user is achieving a predetermined performance level on an exercise apparatus, said switching apparatus comprising:
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a pulse generator for generating pulses commensurate with the amount of work expended by the user on the exercise apparatus;
a transmitter for transmitting said pulses;
a transceiver TV module for receiving said pulses from said transmitter;
said transceiver module including;
a pulse counter for counting said pulses received from said transmitter;
a power sensor for sensing the power status of the TV;
a comparator circuit connected to said pulse counter and said power sensor such that when said power sensor senses the status of the TV as being inactive, said comparator circuit compares said pulses counted by said counter with a threshold level which corresponds with said predetermined performance level so that when said pulses reach said threshold level, a signal is generated and when the power sensor senses the status of the TV as being active, the comparator circuit compares the pulses with the threshold level such that when the pulses reach a level that is less than the threshold level, a further signal is generated, said module transmitting said signal and said further signal accordingly;
a receiver disposed in operable proximity to the TV the arrangement being such that when said receiver receives said signal, the TV is activated and when said further signal is received by said receiver, the TV is inactivated such that overriding the status of the TV is inhibited so that watching the TV without reaching the predetermined performance level is prevented;
said comparator circuit further including;
means for checking said pulses if the status of the TV is active and if said pulses have dropped below said threshold level; and
a time delay mechanism for delaying transmission of said further signal so that the status of the TV is deactivated after a predetermined period of time so that if the user momentarily relapses from achieving the predetermined performance level, the TV is not immediately deactivated.
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Specification