Multifunctional virtual-reality fitness equipment with a detachable interactive manipulator

• US 7,811,200 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yin-Liang Lai
• Original Assignee: Yin-Liang Lai
• Inventors: Chiang, Johnson
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Loan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAM M
• Application Number:
  US11/220,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1, 482/2, 482/3, 482/4, 482/5, 482/6, 482/7, 482/8, 482/57, 482/901, 482/902, 434/247, 434/257, 601/23, 601/33, 601/36, 463/1, 463/38
• US Class Current: 482/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0084 pivoting about a horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0636 3D visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• 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 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/107 Resisting devices being of the same kind
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/06 for rowing or sculling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A multifunctional virtual-reality fitness equipment provide user to select mode of one user doing exercise alone or multiple users participating in on-line internet competition game with others through internet, which has a detachable interactive manipulator equipped with single-chip microcontroller and served as an interface for coupling conventional fitness equipment and personal computer to enable the conventional fitness equipment to become a novel man-machine interaction fitness equipment having function of internet 3-dimensional virtual simulation, and the communication between the detachable interactive manipulator and the personal computer is achieved by employing male-to-female plug-socket connecting means and according the International Standard Communication Protocol; when the detachable interactive manipulator is connected to a personal computer and a fitness equipment, an automatic detection to software program of personal computer shall be executed, if correct message is detected, the fitness equipment will be set in 3-dimensional virtual simulation mode capable of performing an internet 3-dimensional virtual simulation function, and the user may select this mode to execute an on-line internet competition game with others through internet, however, if no software program of personal computer was detected, the fitness equipment is still used as a conventional fitness equipment to provide user doing exercise alone.

Claims

1. A multifunctional virtual-reality fitness assembly for displaying a three-dimensional virtual simulation image to a single user doing exercise by himself/herself and/or for multiple users participating in an on-line competition with others through a remote Internet server, the assembly comprising a corresponding fitness apparatus and a detachable interactive manipulator connected by a signal transmission wire to a personal computer for on-line communication to at least one other fitness apparatus through a remote internet server, wherein the detachable interactive manipulator transmits signals from the corresponding fitness apparatus to the personal computer and transmits three-dimensional virtual simulation scene images from the personal computer to a display for display to the user, wherein

the detachable interactive manipulator is an input/output device adapted to be removably connected to the corresponding fitness apparatus, the detachable interactive manipulator including a user interface that, when the detachable interactive manipulator is joined to the corresponding fitness apparatus, the detachable interactive manipulator enables the user to select either to exercise alone or to exercise with multiple users participating in an on-line competition, the detachable interactive manipulator comprising

a 20-pin plug-socket connector arranged on a reverse side from the user interface, the 20-pin plug-socket connector possessing a plurality of analog signal input pins and analog signal output pins;

and

a single-chip microcontroller that converts digital information transmitted from the signal transmission wire into analog information, transmitting an analog signal to the analog signal output pin of the 20-pins plug-socket connector, converting the analog signal from the analog signal input pins of the 20-pin plug-socket connector into digital information, and transmitting said digital information to the personal computer; and

wherein

the corresponding fitness apparatus comprises;

a corresponding plug-socket connector arranged on a face-plate of the corresponding fitness apparatus for completing a male-to-female connection to the 20-pin plug-socket connector of the detachable interactive manipulator, the corresponding plug-socket connector having a plurality of analog signal input pins corresponding to analog signal output pins of the 20-pin plug-socket connector of the detachable interactive manipulator; and

having multiple analogue signal output pins corresponding to analog signal input pins of the 20-pin plug-socket connector of the detachable interactive manipulator; and

one or more torque sensor and/or and location sensors connected to at least one of the analog signal output pin-pins of the corresponding plug-socket connector.

2. The multifunctional virtual-reality fitness assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the torque sensor is a set of differential strain sensors comprising two strain gauges mounted on both sides of a handlebar of the corresponding fitness apparatus.

3. The multifunctional virtual-reality fitness apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the series single-chip microcontroller identifies and determines whether a connection between the detachable interactive manipulator and the corresponding fitness apparatus has been established.

4. The multifunctional virtual-reality fitness assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the single-chip microcontroller further provides an identification code used for the detachable interactive manipulator and the personal computer to identify each other before transmitting three-dimensional virtual simulation software from the personal computer to the display through the detachable interactive manipulator.