Exercise monitoring device

• US 4,408,183 A
• Filed: 06/06/1977
• Issued: 10/04/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wills, Thomas A.
• Original Assignee: Wills, Thomas A.
• Inventors: Wills, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Application Number:
  US05/803,593
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 340/323 R, 35/29 R, 272/DIG. 5, 272/DIG. 6, 272/93, 272/100, 273/86 B, 235/92 GA, 235/92 CA, 235/92 FQ, 324/161, 128/2.1 A, 128/903, 128/904, 364/410, 364/413
• US Class Current: 340/323.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 having computer circuitry

Abstract

A display device is coordinated with a keyboard which permits a preselection of time and effort to be spent in a given repetitive physical exercise. The display graphically compares the elapsed time on a scale of total time to be taken with proportion of the total repetitions of exercise performed on a comparable scale representative of total repetition to the exercise. Thus, the display shows the relative pace of the exerciser so that the person doing the exercise can see whether or not he is keeping up the pace which he has set for himself. A preferred display uses adjacent parallel bar graphs which progressively become visible as time expires and the exercise is performed to permit a direct comparison of the bar graphs. A suitable computation device sets the bar graph scales in accordance with the keyboard inputs. A pickup transducer of appropriate type is used to display the proportional part of the repetitive exercise already done and is coordinated to start with the display real time on appropriate scale for the total elapsed time selected which corresponds exactly with the scale showing total number of repetitions to be completed in that time.

Claims

1. A monitoring device enabling a human user to compare elapsed time with effort performed comprising:

separate graph generating means which are similar in nature to provide generation of graph patterns in proportion to elapsed time and in proportion to effort, respectively, and positioned adjacent and relative to one another such that the elapsed time and effort generations can be visually directly compared,

clock means generating repetitive timing signals,

pickup transducer means sensing efforts and generating signals representative thereof, and connected by linkage means for starting the clock means by an initiating impulse,

completed effort cycle selection means to select a scale for the effort graph pattern,

time period selection means to select the scale of the total elapsed time graph pattern, and

selective activation means, including computer means, connected to and permitting the respective graph patterns to receive and record timing signals from the clock means and effort signals from the pickup transducer means.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the respective selection means set the total number of repetitious efforts to be performed as full scale for the effort graph pattern and total time period as full scale for the elapsed time graph pattern.

3. The monitoring device of claim 1 in which a proportional part of full scale is generated on the graph pattern for each effort performed.

4. The device of claim 3 in which a manual start button is provided to energize the pickup transducer.

5. The device of claim 3 in which a manual start button is provided to energize the pickup transducer manually and the same start button renders the pickup transducer active.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the clock means is an electronic pulse generator having a uniform output with time.

7. The device of claim 1 in which the clock means is an electronic pulse generator having a predetermined pattern of non-uniformity with time.