Method for controlling the operation of a treadmill, treadmill and related program product

• US 9,974,997 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Original Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Inventors: Cei, Daniele
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US15/354,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0051 using eddy currents induced in moved elements, e.g. by permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0053 using alternators or dynamos
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/012 using frictional force-resisters electromagnetically-controlled brakes A63B21/0056
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/025 electrically, e.g. D.C. motors with variable speed control
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/54 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/062 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/04 for lower limbs training appliances for special sports A63B69/00; for the purpose of producing mechanical power F03G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/047 Walking and pulling or pushing a load for exercising the player ability for rugby or American football A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0057 Means for physically limiting movements of body parts A63B23/0211 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed are a treadmill and a method for controlling the operation of the treadmill. The method comprises: detecting, by at least one detecting sensor with which the treadmill is equipped, at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between a user and a physical exercise surface of the treadmill; providing at least one set reference value of a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface; modulating, by means of the data processing unit, at least one electrical control parameter of an actuation device operatively associated with at least either a first rotary element and a second rotary element with which the treadmill is equipped, on the basis of said at least a first parameter the step of modulating being carried out to keep the second parameter equal to the set reference value of said at least a second parameter.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of a treadmill, comprising the steps of:

detecting, by at least one detecting sensor with which the treadmill is equipped, at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between a user and a physical exercise surface of the treadmill;

providing, by a data processing unit with which the treadmill is equipped, at least one set reference value of a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface;

modulating, by the data processing unit, at least one electrical control parameter of an actuation device operatively associated with at least one of a first rotary element and a second rotary element with which the treadmill is equipped, on the basis of said at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface detected by said at least one sensor,

the step of modulating being carried out to keep the second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface substantially equal to the set reference value of said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is different from said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface coincides with said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface, the step of modulating being carried out by modulating, by the data processing unit, said at least one electrical control parameter of the actuation device on the basis of the variation from the set reference value of said at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface detected by said at least one sensor.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

such at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is either the speed of forward motion of the physical exercise surface or the rotation speed of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element or of the actuation device, the at least one sensor being a speed sensor;

the at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the braking torque of either the actuation device or of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

such at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the braking torque of either the actuation device or of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element, the at least one sensor being a torque sensor;

the at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the braking torque of either the actuation device or of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element;

the step of modulating said at least one electrical parameter of the actuation device being carried out, by the data processing unit, on the basis of the variation of the braking torque of either the actuation device or of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element detected by said at least one sensor from said set reference value.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the actuation device comprises a motor, the set reference braking torque value being equal to a reference function with variable progression over time from a first reference value corresponding to a braking action exerted by the motor to a second reference value corresponding to a driving action of the motor,

the step of modulating being carried out, by the data processing unit, to keep the braking torque substantially equal to the set first reference value, so as to oppose the motion of the user on the physical exercise surface;

the step of modulating comprising a step of passing from a resistant action to a driving action of the motor for a set transient period of time,

the step of modulating further being carried out by the data processing unit, to keep the braking torque substantially equal to the set second reference value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the set reference braking torque value is equal to a reference function with variable progression over time from a first reference value to a second reference value, the step of modulating being carried out, by the data processing unit, with respect to the first reference value for a first interval of time in which the user exerts a thrust and with respect to the second reference value in a second interval of time in which the user runs on the treadmill, the passage between the set first reference value and the set second reference value being carried out either automatically by the data processing unit as a function of the comparison of a value of a parameter representative of the push exerted by the user with a respective reference value, or manually by the user.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

both said at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface and said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface are either the speed of forward motion of the physical exercise surface or the rotation speed of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element or of the actuation device, the at least one sensor being a speed sensor;

the step of modulating said at least one electrical control parameter of the actuation device being carried out, by the data processing unit, on the basis of the variation of either the speed of forward motion of the physical exercise surface or the rotation speed of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element or of the actuation device detected by said at least one sensor from said set reference value.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

such at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is either the speed of forward motion of the physical exercise surface or the rotation speed of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element or of the actuation device, the at least one sensor being a speed sensor;

the at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the power of the actuation device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of modulating comprises a step of obtaining, by the data processing unit, the value of said at least one electrical control parameter with which to modulate the actuation device as a function of a set reference braking torque value of the actuation device or of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element, calculated from the set reference power value of the actuation device on the basis of the detected speed.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

such at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the braking torque of the actuation device or of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element, the at least one sensor being a torque sensor;

the at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the power of the actuation device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of modulating comprises a step of obtaining, by the data processing unit, the value of said at least one control parameter with which to modulate the actuation device as a function of the braking torque value detected by the torque sensor on the basis of the speed calculated from the set reference power value of the actuation device on the basis of the detected torque.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

such at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the heart rate, the at least one sensor being a heart rate monitor;

the treadmill comprises a further sensor for detecting either the speed of forward motion of the physical exercise surface or the rotation speed of at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element or of the actuation device;

the at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface is the heart rate.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of modulating comprises the steps of:

determining, by the data processing unit, a set power value of the actuation device on the basis of the heart rate deviation detected by the heart rate monitor and the set reference heart rate value;

determining, by the data processing unit, a reference braking torque value on the basis of the previously determined set power value and the speed detected by the further speed sensor.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of modulating comprises a step of modulating, by the data processing unit, said at least one electrical control parameter of the actuation device on the basis of the speed value detected by the further speed sensor, to keep the braking torque substantially equal to the determined reference braking torque value.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of modulating said at least one electrical control parameter of the actuation device is carried out, by the data processing unit, on the basis of the comparison of a set reference value of said at least one electrical control parameter, dependent on the set reference value of said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface with said at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface detected by said at least one sensor, and further at least one electrical disturbance of the actuation device detected by a further sensor with which the treadmill is equipped.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the set reference value of said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface further comprises a step of selecting, by the data processing unit, the set reference value of said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface from a set of reference values previously stored in a memory unit with which the treadmill is equipped.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set reference value of said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface can be unchangeable over time or be equal to a reference function with variable progression over time.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actuation device comprises at least one motor, the method comprising a step of controlling, by the data processing unit, at least one electrical control parameter of the motor to generate a braking torque on said at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element in order to apply a braking action on the physical exercise surface in opposition to the action of the user.

20. A treadmill comprising:

a base extending along a longitudinal axis, said base comprising;

a first rotary element and a second rotary element configured to rotate about respective rotation axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the base;

a physical exercise surface operatively connected to the first rotary element and to the second rotary element,

an actuation device operatively associated with at least one of said first rotary element and the second rotary element, the actuation device being configured to rotate the first rotary element and the second rotary element, also causing the physical exercise surface to rotate;

a data processing unit, said actuation device being operatively associated with said data processing unit,

at least one sensor for detecting at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface, said at least one sensor being operatively connected to the data processing unit;

wherein the data processing unit is configured to;

provide at least one set reference value of a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface;

modulate at least one electrical control parameter of the actuation device on the basis of said at least a first parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface detected by said at least one sensor,

the data processing unit being configured to modulate the at least one electrical control parameter of the actuation device to keep the second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface substantially equal to the set reference value of said at least a second parameter representative of the interaction between the user and the physical exercise surface.

21. The treadmill according to claim 20, wherein the actuation device comprises at least one motor operatively associated with and controllable by the data processing unit, the motor being configured to apply on at least one of the first rotary element and the second rotary element both the driving action and the braking action, on the basis of commands received by the data processing unit.

22. The treadmill according to claim 20, wherein the actuation device comprises at least one brake operatively associated with and controllable by the data processing unit.