Exercise and gaming apparatus

• US 8,734,157 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Julius Andrew Iii Hummel
• Original Assignee: Julius Andrew Iii Hummel
• Inventors: Hummel, Julius Andrew III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiva, Frank M
• Application Number:
  US13/294,030
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 434/43, 434/33, 434/59, 434/55, 434/247, 703/8, 482/23, 472/118, 104/113
• US Class Current: 434/55
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/00 Chairs adapted for special purposes features relating to vertical adjustability A47C3/20; convertible chairs A47C13/00; chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons A61G5/00; operating chairs, dental chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/068 using user's body weight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03575 Apparatus used for exercising upper and lower limbs simultaneously
• 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 7/00 Freely-suspended gymnastic apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets

Abstract

An exercise and video game control apparatus comprising a carriage suspended from a frame by support cables; a first handle coupled to the support cables within arm-reach of the suspended carriage; and a first sensor that generates game related signals when the user biases the game chair away from the first handle. Some embodiments may further comprise a sway bar coupled to the game chair and a plurality of cables, wherein the sway bar reduces motion of the game chair when the user biases the game chair away from the first handle; a rocker coupled to a bottom surface of the frame; and a footpad coupled to the frame within leg-reach of the game chair, the footpad adapted to rotates the frame from a neutral position along the rocker.

Claims

1. An exercise apparatus, comprising:

a support cable having a first end and a second end;

a game chair suspended from a frame by the support cable at the first end;

a first handle coupled to the support cable between the first end and the second end within reach of the suspended game chair; and

a first sensor that generates game input signals related to an angle between the first handle and the support cable when a user applies force to move the game chair from a neutral position using the first handle.

2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of support cables that suspend the game chair from the frame at a first height from a reference surface, and wherein the user applies force to move the game chair to a second height from the reference surface.

3. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a sway bar coupled to the game chair and the plurality of support cables, wherein the sway bar controls motion of the game chair between the first height and the second height relative to the reference surface when the user applies force to move the game chair away from the first handle.

4. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user'"'"'s weight resists the movement of the game chair between the first height and the second height above the reference surface.

5. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first handle is coupled to a first of the plurality of cables;

and further comprising a second handle coupled to a second of the plurality of support cables within arm-reach of the suspended video game chair, opposite the first handle.

6. The exercise apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a second sensor that generates additional game related data when the user biases the game chair away from the second handle.

7. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rocker coupled to a bottom surface of the frame; and

a footpad coupled to the frame within leg-reach of the game chair, the footpad adapted to rotate the frame from a neutral position along the rocker.

8. The exercise apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a display coupled to the frame adjacent to the game chair.

9. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a video display; and

a game console electrically coupled to the first sensor and the video display, wherein the game console generates video signals for display on the video display in response to the game related signals from the first sensor.

10. A method of controlling a video game, comprising:

applying a first force against a first handle, wherein the first force rotates a game chair suspended from a frame by support cables away from the first handle around a roll axis, the first handle having an integrated sensor that generates first game related data related to the first force against the first handle; and

applying a second force against a foot rest, wherein the second force rotates the suspended video game chair away from the foot rest around a pitch axis, and wherein the pitching generates second game related data related to the second force against the foot rest.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a response time of the integrated sensor to the first force is less than a response time of the suspended video game chair to the first force.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising rolling the suspended video game chair along a frame roller member.