METHOD AND DEVICE ENABLING AN ATHLETE TO DETERMINE AND THEN CONTROL THE RATE OF DISPLACEMENT OF A MASS

• US 20110207581A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slyde Analytics LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Myotest SA
• Inventors: FLACTION, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,157,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/22 Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow exercising apparatus A63B21/00 ; measuring of work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/072 Dumb-bells, bar-bells or the like , e.g. weight discs having an integral peripheral handle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/09 Weight-lifting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

Method enabling an athlete (3) performing a muscular training exercise to determine a setpoint for the rate of displacement of the displaced mass (2), comprising the following steps:

• 1) determining at least one initial setpoint rate at which said mass has to be displaced;
• 2) during the athlete'"'"'s training exercise, measuring a series of acceleration values (a(n)) using a portable accelerometer (30) according to the displacements of said mass; and
• 3) depending on said series of acceleration values, having said portable accelerometer calculate at least one modified setpoint rate.

Claims

1. Method enabling an athlete performing a muscular training exercise to determine a setpoint for the rate of displacement of the displaced mass, comprising the following steps:

1) determining at least one initial setpoint rate at which said mass has to be displaced;

2) entering, by the athlete, into the portable accelerometer of a qualitative objective for training;

3) during the athlete'"'"'s training exercise, measuring a series of acceleration values using said portable accelerometer according to the displacements of said mass; and

4) depending on said series of acceleration values, having said portable accelerometer calculate at least one modified setpoint rate, with at least one setpoint value calculated by said accelerometer being dependent on said qualitative objective.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said accelerometer makes it possible to determine a setpoint for the mass to be displaced according to the acceleration measurements performed during training.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said accelerometer makes it possible to determine a setpoint for the number of displacements and/or series of displacements of the mass to be displaced during training, according to the acceleration measurements performed during training.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said accelerometer makes it possible to determine a training plan defining setpoints relative to several distinct training sessions, according to the acceleration measurements performed during training.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable accelerometer reproduces to the athlete a signal during training to inform him/her that the displacement rate of said mass lies outside a speed range around the setpoint rate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said accelerometer generates a first acoustic signal when the displacement rate of said mass is lower than the minimum of said speed range,

and a second acoustic signal when the displacement rate of said mass is greater than the maximum of said speed range .

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the measuring of acceleration values is continued even if the displacement rate of said mass lies outside said speed range.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said qualitative objective is entered by selecting an objective from a list of objectives.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising a step of displaying a list having one or several of the following elements:

a) speed

b) power-speed

c) power-force

d) hypertrophy

e) force

and a step of entering at least one qualitative objective selected in this list.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting said objective modifies both the speed setpoint and a setpoint for the mass to be displaced.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said modified setpoint rate is computed at the end of said training session and stored in said portable accelerometer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable accelerometer is integrated in a wristwatch.

13. Portable accelerometer, including:

a memory for storing at least one setpoint rate at which a mass must be displaced during a training exercise,

an acceleration sensor for measuring a series of acceleration values during training,

a microcontroller executing a computer program in order to calculate at least one modified setpoint rate depending on said series of acceleration values.

15. The accelerometer of claim 13, integrated in a wristwatch.

14. An indicator for displaying a menu list allowing the user to select a qualitative objective for training from among several predefined objectives,

wherein said setpoint rate computed by said computer program depends on the selective qualitative objective.