FR3004302A3 - PHYSICAL CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT EQUIPPED WITH A WIRELESS SENSOR BLOCK - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fitness equipment (100) comprising an exercise machine (1) and a wireless sensor block (3) for interacting with a portable electronic device (2) of a user. The exercise machine (1) has a movable member (11) movable by the user for exercising on the exercise machine (1). The wireless sensor unit (3) is mounted on the movable element (11) and comprises a sensor module (31) for detecting the movement of the movable element (11) and a wireless module (31) associated with the module sensor (31). Upon receiving motion information detected from the sensor module (31), the wireless module (32) transmits the detected motion information to the portable electronic device (2) so as to provide the user with a display of the detected motion information. motion information on the portable electronic device (2).

Description

The present invention relates to a fitness equipment and more particularly to a fitness equipment equipped with a wireless sensor unit which detects a movement of an exercise machine and transmits motion information detected at a user's portable electronic device. Modern fitness machines, or exercise machines, including treadmills, steppers, or stair simulators, home bikes, and the like, are often electronically controlled to vary their resistance levels. Sensors or sensing circuits have been coupled to the exercise machine to provide the user with a display of training information on a control panel of the exercise machine once the user has completed the training. 'training. Training information, such as distance traveled, weight lifted, calories burned, etc., may be useful in determining subsequent workouts or tracking a user's progress. However, such valuable information is simply stored in the exercise machine and if the user wants to keep the information, the user may need to record manually, such as in a notebook, which is quite impractical. In addition, communication between the control panel and the sensors or detection circuits is typically in wired form, for example by means of a cable or some other type of physical connection, which leads to the machine of exercise to be of a voluminous and expensive structure. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fitness equipment in a compact and economical manner to provide a user with a training information display. In particular, the packaging equipment is equipped with a wireless sensor block, which is easy to assemble thereon, to directly interact with a user's portable electronic device. The present invention relates to a fitness equipment capable of interacting with a user's portable electronic device, characterized in that it comprises: - an exercise machine having a movable member constructed to be movable by the user; for the user to exercise on the exercise machine; and a wireless sensor block mounted on the movable member of the exercise machine and comprising a movable sensor for detecting movement of the movable member and a wireless module associated with the sensor module in such a manner that upon receipt of detected motion information from the sensor module, the wireless module transmits the detected motion information to the user's portable electronic device. In this way, the user can easily control the motion information through a display on the portable electronic device and the motion information is stored in the memory of the portable electronic device for subsequent training programs. The sensor module of the wireless sensor unit may include a sensing element that transforms the motion detection into an electrical signal and a processing unit that transcodes the received signal from the sensing element and transfers the transcoded signal to the module without thread. According to a particular embodiment, the exercise machine is an exercise bike and the sensing element of the sensor module is selected from the group consisting of a rolling ball sensor, a magnetic sensor, a mercury sensor, an optically coupled sensor and a gravity sensor.

According to another particular embodiment, the exercise machine is a treadmill and the detection element of the sensor module is selected from the group consisting of a magnetic sensor and an optical coupling sensor.

The wireless module of the wireless sensor unit may include a receiving unit that is electrically connected to the sensor module processing unit and receives the transcoded signal from the processing unit, and a transmitting unit that is electrically connected to the receiving unit and transmits the transcoded signal to the portable electronic device. The wireless sensor unit may further include a storage battery electrically connected to the sensor module and a charger socket electrically coupled to the storage battery. The wireless sensor block can be releasably secured by contact, including hook and loop means, to the movable member of the exercise machine. The wireless sensor block can be bolted to the movable member of the exercise machine.

The present invention also relates to a wireless sensor block for a fitness equipment as defined above. To further illustrate the object of the present invention, particular embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawing. In this drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fitness equipment according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged partial view of the fitness equipment, showing a wireless sensor block that is mounted on a movable member of an exercise machine of the fitness equipment; Figure 3 is an enlarged partial view of the fitness equipment from another angle of view; Figure 4 is a block diagram of the wireless sensor block of the fitness equipment, interactive with a portable electronic device; Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the wireless sensor block; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a fitness equipment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1-5, it can be seen that there is shown a fitness equipment 100, capable of interacting with a portable electronic device 2 of a user, according to a first embodiment of the invention. present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the fitness equipment 100 is a flat exercise exercise bike and generally includes an exercise machine 1 and a wireless sensor block 3. The portable electronic device 2 is a wireless device, such as a smartphone, an electronic notebook, or a laptop. The exercise machine 1 has a movable member 11, such as a crank and / or pedals, which is movable on the machine by the user so that it exercises exercise 1. The sensor block without 3 is mounted on the movable member 11 of the exercise machine 1. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the wireless sensor unit 3 is simply bolted to the movable member 11 of the exercise machine 1 and thus the wireless sensor block 3 is easy to assemble or disassemble and the fitness equipment 100 is easy to manufacture. As shown in FIG. 4, the wireless sensor unit 3 comprises a sensor module 31 and a wireless module 32. The sensor module 31 is configured to detect the movement of the mobile element 11, such as a rotation of the crank 11 during a training. The wireless module 32 is associated with the sensor module 31 and can be a wireless communication module Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or infrared, for example. Upon receiving the detected motion information from the sensor module 31, the wireless module 32 transmits the detected motion information to a display unit 21 of the user's portable electronic device 2. Therefore, the user can view the movement information from his portable electronic device 2. Unlike prior art fitness equipment, where an additional control panel or console is mounted on a handlebar of the exercise machine for providing a training information display, the movement information is, according to the present invention, sent directly from the wireless sensor unit 3 to the portable electronic device 2 of the user. In addition, the portable electronic device 2 of the user can be placed on a support 12 of the exercise machine 1, as shown in FIG. 1, to replace the conventional control panel or console (not shown). This makes the fitness equipment 100 relatively compact and more economical. Specifically, the sensor module 31 of the wireless sensor block 3, as shown in FIG. 4, comprises a detection element 311 and a processing unit 312. The detection element 311 transforms the motion detection, such as that a rotation of the crank 30 11, in an electrical signal. The processing unit 312 transcodes the received signal from the sensing element 311 and transfers the transcoded signal to the wireless module 32. Different types of sensing element 311 may be used in the exercise machine 1. However, to ensure better performance, the sensing element 311 may vary depending on the type of exercise machine used. In the case where the exercise machine 1 is an exercise bike, such as a right exercise bike, a running exercise bike or a recumbent exercise bike, the sensing element 311 may be selected from the group consisting of a rolling ball sensor, a magnetic sensor, a mercury sensor, an optically coupled sensor and a gravity sensor. However, in other cases where the exercise machine 1 is a treadmill, the detection element 311 of the wireless sensor unit 3 is preferably selected from the group consisting of a magnetic sensor and a coupling sensor optical. In this way, the sensing element 311 can produce the best motion capture for later analysis. On the other hand, the wireless module 32 comprises a reception unit 321 and a transmission unit 322.

The reception unit 321 of the wireless module 32 is electrically connected to the processing unit 312 of the sensor module 31 and receives the transcoded signal from the processing unit 312. The transmission unit 322 is electrically connected. to the reception unit 321 and 25 transmits the transcoded signal to the portable electronic device 2. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a storage battery 33 and a charger plug 34 may be included in the wireless sensor unit 3. The storage battery 33 is electrically coupled to the sensor module 31 for powering it. The charger plug 34, such as a USB port, is electrically coupled to the storage battery 33. As such, a USB charger cable (not shown) may be inserted into the USB port 34 to transfer data. The storage battery 33. Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that there is shown a fitness equipment 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The fitness equipment 200 of the second embodiment is substantially identical to that of the first embodiment, except that the exercise machine 1 of FIG. 1 is replaced by an elliptical trainer 1a and that the movable member 11 of Figure 1 is replaced by a free wheel 11a, correspondingly. The elliptical trainer is often considered to be a cross between a treadmill and a home bike; a user can stand on the machine and raise and lower two pedals, which simulates walking or jogging without any impact on the joints. Different elliptical machines have adjustable pedals to change stride length for different users. In particular, the wireless sensor block 3a of the second embodiment is releasably secured, in particular by hook and loop means, to the free wheel 11a of the elliptical trainer 1a for detecting the speed of rotation of the free wheel 11a. Alternatively, in another example, the wireless sensor block 3a may be attached to the pedals to detect the user's stride frequency.

It is understood that the embodiments described are indicative and not limiting and that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (4)

CLAIMS1 Packaging equipment capable of interacting with a portable electronic device (2) of a user, characterized in that it comprises: an exercise machine (1) having a movable member (11) constructed to be movable by the user so that the latter is thus exercised on the exercise machine (1); and a wireless sensor block (3) mounted on the movable member (11) of the exercise machine (1) and comprising a sensor movable (31) for motion detection of the movable member (11). and a wireless module (32) associated with the sensor module (31) in such a manner that, upon receipt of detected motion information from the sensor module (31), the wireless module (32) transmits the detected motion information to the portable electronic device (2) of the user. 2 - Fitness equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor module (31) of the wireless sensor unit (3) comprises a detection element (311) which converts motion detection into an electrical signal and a processing unit (312) which transcodes the received signal from the sensing element (311) and transfers the transcoded signal to the wireless module (32). 3 - Fitness equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that the exercise machine (1) is an exercise bike and the sensing element (311) of the sensor module (31) is selected from the group consisting of a rolling ball sensor, a magnetic sensor, a mercury sensor, an optically coupled sensor and a gravity sensor. 4 - Fitness equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that the exercise machine (1) is a treadmill and the sensor element (311) of the sensor module (31) is selected from the group consisting of a magnetic sensor and an optically coupled sensor. - Fitness equipment according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the wireless module (32) of the wireless sensor unit (3) comprises a receiving unit (321) which is electrically connected to the processing unit (312) of the sensor module (31) and receiving the transcoded signal from the processing unit (312), and a transmission unit (322) which is electrically connected to the reception unit (321). ) and transmits the transcoded signal to the portable electronic device (2). 6 - Fitness equipment according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the wireless sensor unit (3) further comprises a storage battery (33) electrically connected to the sensor module (31) and a charger socket (34) electrically coupled to the storage battery (33). 7 - Fitness equipment according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the wireless sensor unit (3) is releasably secured by contact, in particular by means of loops and hooks, to the mobile element (11) of the exercise machine (1). 8 - Fitness equipment according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the wireless sensor block (3) is bolted to the movable member (11) of the exercise machine (1).