Exercise assistance apparatus

• US 6,881,176 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Sports & Life Company Limited (Konami Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Konami Sports & Life Company Limited (Konami Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashino, Takeaki, Oishi, Toshimitsu, Shitan, Yasuhiro, Oguchi, Yurina, Terao, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US10/328,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20030134714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482/51, 482900-902
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/009 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled in synchronism with visualising systems, e.g. hill slope
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0641 with a marker advancing in function of the exercise
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0644 with display speed of moving landscape controlled by the user's performance
• 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 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/76 Wind conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/062 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• 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 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

The present invention is for arousing a sense of rivalry to the user so that the user can exhibit an active will to exercise. The present invention relates to an exercise assistance apparatus which has a cycling machine 1 provided with pedals 11b and a rotation sensor 11c for detecting the movement of the pedals 11b, comprising a monitor 14 for displaying images, means for storing image data to express a traveling path and opponent characters, exercise equipment control means for performing variable control for the load status of the electromagnetic clutch 12b of the machine 1, means for sequentially updating and controlling the traveling position of the opponent characters on the traveling path, means for calculating a virtual self position of the user on the traveling path from the detection content of the rotation sensor 11c and the load status controlled by the exercise equipment control means, and image display means for displaying the traveling path and opponent characters on the monitor 14, and displaying the degree of difficulty to pass an opponent character.

Claims

1. An exercise assistance apparatus which has an exercise equipment provided with a movable section for a user to perform a moving operation in a loaded state and a detection section for detecting the movement of the movable section, said exercise assistance apparatus comprising:

a monitor for displaying images which is installed at the front side of said exercise equipment;

storage means for storing at least image data to express a traveling path and a predetermined number of opponent characters to be displayed on said traveling path, and the data regarding movement of an opponent character in association with a road data from a start point to a goal point;

exercise equipment control means for performing variable control for the load status of said exercise equipment;

opponent movement control means for controlling the traveling positions of said predetermined number of opponent characters on said traveling path with sequential updating, in accordance with the movement data of the opponent character stored in the storage means;

self position calculation means for calculating a virtual self position of the user on said traveling path from the detection content of said detection section and the load status controlled by the exercise equipment control means; and

image display means for displaying the traveling path ahead of said self position and opponent characters at an updated traveling position on said traveling path ahead of the self position, and displaying the degree of difficulty to pass said opponent character.

2. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said opponent movement control means updates the degree of difficulty to pass at a predetermined time period based on the relative difference between the self position and traveling position of the opponent character.

3. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said opponent movement control means updates the degree of difficulty to pass at a predetermined time period based on the relative difference between the traveling speed detected by said detection section and the traveling speed of the opponent character.

4. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exercise equipment further comprising load change means for performing variable control for a status of the load, and said exercise equipment control means adjusts the load amount of the load change means.

5. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inclination information is set for said traveling path, and said exercise equipment control means adjusts the load amount of the load change means according to the inclination information.

6. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said exercise equipment has adjustment means for adjusting the load amount of said load change means from the outside.

7. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exercise equipment is a fixed type cycling machine comprising pedals as a movable section and a detection section for detecting the pedal rotation frequency, and said self position calculation means is for determining the traveling position based on the detected pedal rotation frequency of the detection section.

8. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting the pulse rate of said user, wherein said exercise equipment control means adjusts the load amount of the load change means based on the pulse rate detected by said sensor.

9. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising evaluation means for evaluating the moving operation of the user in such a manner that said user advances in rank when the user passes an opponent character.

10. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said road data is stored in a road table which is stored in said storage means and an inclination level is set in the road table according to a position from the start point to the goal point, said storage means stores an opponent bike table and the moving speed of said opponent character is set in the opponent bike table where said moving speed in relation to said inclination level is set.

11. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said storage means stores a physical strength table provided for each of the opponent characters for storing the data relating to the physical strength for each of the opponent characters.

12. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a physical strength calculation section for calculating the physical strength of the opponent character based on said data relating to the physical strength and a pedaling judgment section for judging if the opponent character is pedaling or not and the physical strength value for the opponent character found to be not pedaling, is increased.

13. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a physical strength calculation section for calculating the physical strength of the opponent character based on said data relating to the physical strength and a pedaling judgment section for judging if the opponent character is pedaling or not and the physical strength value for the opponent character, found to be pedaling, is decreased.

14. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a pedaling judgment section for judging if the opponent character is pedaling or not and a physical strength calculation section which calculates the physical strength of the opponent character based on the judgment result of the pedaling judgment section.

15. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the physical strength value for the opponent character who is in a point blank range with respect to the virtual self position of the user is displayed on the monitor as the degree of difficulty to pass.

16. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a distance detection section for determining a distance between the position of the opponent character and the self position.

17. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said distance detection section specifies the opponent characters that are in a predetermined region with respect to the self position of the user based on the distances determined by the distance detection section.

18. The exercise assistance apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the physical strength values for the opponent characters that were found to be within the predetermined region are displayed on the monitor and said strength value is an indicia for the degree of the difficulty to pass.