Exercise devices – Having specific electrical feature – Monitors exercise parameter
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-08
2001-05-15
Richman, Glenn E. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Having specific electrical feature
Monitors exercise parameter
C482S009000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231481
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the measurement of the power generated by a person who is performing a physical activity. More specifically, the present invention pertains to the detection, measurement and display, in real time, of the peak power generated by, for example, an athlete or a physical therapy patient.
Many physical training professionals favor training regimens that emphasize quick, explosive movements that maximize the recruitment of fast twitch muscle fiber, with either weight training machines or free weights. It is believed that such training would be even more effective it the athlete or patient were to be instantaneously aware of his or her peak power output.
It is conceivable that a process that directly measures a person's neuromuscular activity could be employed to generate such information, but the rather esoteric and expensive medical laboratory devices that would be needed are cost prohibitive. Moreover, the complexity of such systems and the need for a trained technician to operate such systems renders such approach impractical for use in a weight training gym environment.
An alternative approach involves the detection and measurement of the motion that is imparted to a mass by an individual and then calculating the peak power that is required to achieve such motion. Use of accelerometers that are attached directly to free weights or machine weight stacks may be employed to generate such data, but such accelerometers are expensive, fragile, and susceptible to offset errors that can quickly accumulate to yield intolerable inaccuracies.
An improved power measuring apparatus is therefore needed that is capable of providing a real time measurement of the power generated by a person. Such apparatus must be inexpensive to manufacture, must be simple to use, must provide accurate information, and must be sufficiently durable for use in a gym-type environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved apparatus for measuring and displaying power generated by a person who is performing a physical activity. More specifically, the apparatus senses and measures the motion of a mass such person is moving and/or working against, by deriving position, velocity, acceleration, calculating power, and displaying one or more such values by means of a display screen. The present invention may be incorporated in any number of physical training devices including free weights and universal gym equipment.
The apparatus will be utilized in situations where the power generated by a person performing physical activity is desired to be known. Such situations may include, but are not limited to, athletic weight training, sports medicine, body building, power lifting training, personal physical evaluation, physical rehabilitation, and personal fitness exercise.
In general terms, the apparatus of the present invention consists of a sensor/transducer that generates a signal as a function of the position of a weight being lifted by the user. Such signal is then transmitted to a computer where the power needed to achieve a sensed change in position is calculated. The calculated value is then displayed to the user.
Examples of a sensor/transducers adaptable to the present invention include but are not limited to cable extension potentiometers, accelerometers, linear velocity transducers (LVT), linear variable differential transformers (LVDT), ultrasonic, microwave, infrared, laser, magnetic, video and/or radio frequency position, velocity, and/or acceleration sensor/transducers. The output may be in the form of analog and/or digital data.
Examples of the computer used to convert the sensor/transducer signal into meaningful information may include, but are not limited to, dedicated single purpose digital computers, general multipurpose digital computers, operational amplifier-based analog computers, hybrid analog/digital computational circuits, and/or digital signal processors (DSP). The methodology for deriving and/or computing position, velocity, acceleration, and power data may consist of, but is not limited to, analog differentiation, and/or integration circuitry, and/or computational methods including, but not limited to, digital signal processing, Fourier transform analysis, wavelet theory analysis, least squares, and/or other curve fitting analyses, and/or frequency spectrum analysis.
Examples of the display device for communicating the calculated information to the user include, but are not limited to, cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED), oscillograph, printer, and/or video projection devices. The display format utilized by such display device may include, but is not limited to, numerals, bar graphs, oscillographic data, and/or audio output including signal tones and/or recorded voice.
More particularly, the apparatus of the present invention may take the form of a cable extension potentiometer that is physically attached to a free weight or a universal weight machine. The potentiometer sends an analog voltage signal to a set of operational amplifiers that function to break down the signal into position, velocity, and acceleration data in the form of analog voltage. The analog voltage is then digitized with a 12 bit analog to digital converter. The digital computer then calculates power which is then be related to the user along with other relevant information such as position, velocity, and acceleration.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5919115 (1999-07-01), Horowitz et al.
PTI, Cad Tex,, pp. 1-13, Nov. 1987.
Fuldwider Patton Lee & Utecht, LLP
Richman Glenn E.
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