WO2011060510A1

WO2011060510A1 - Exercise apparatus and exercise game

Info

Publication number: WO2011060510A1
Application number: PCT/AU2010/001574
Authority: WO
Inventors: Scott Howe
Original assignee: Scott Howe
Priority date: 2009-11-23
Filing date: 2010-11-23
Publication date: 2011-05-26

Abstract

An exercise apparatus having a base portion with a front section, a right side, a left side, and a rear section and a display portion to display to a user of the exercise apparatus a desired exercise movement or series of exercise movements. The display portion is associated with the base portion and extends in a substantially vertical direction around a substantial proportion of the base portion. The display panel may include a plurality of touch sensitive portions and indicates which touch sensitive portion to touch to define a desired movement of the user and in particular order. An exercise game is using the exercise apparatus is also described.

Description

Exercise apparatus and exercise game

The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus for weight training and/or weight conditioning exercise and an exercise game associated with the exercise apparatus.

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Exercise is an important part of a person's wellbeing as it can strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, increase their aerobic and anaerobic capacity and in some cases the potential to prolong life through a decreased risk of adverse health factors, such as blood pressure. In addition, in some professions, especially the military, exercise is a core component of personnel training.

Exercise can take many forms and the benefits are particular to the exercise undertaken. For example, a person wishing to run a marathon would exercise for relatively long periods of time to increase their aerobic capacity. Whereas a person wanting to increase their strength, such as a Olympic Weight Lifter or during rehabilitation, would concentrate on resistance exercise with weights or their own body weight.

However, existing devices and regimes are often perceived as boring, repetitive and having minimal interaction with the user. Accordingly, it is often the case that the enjoyment of fitness training or exercise on these devices is reduced such that people often resent exercising and therefore do not exercise as often as they should.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an exercise apparatus and/or an exercise game associated with the exercise apparatus that increased interaction and potentially enjoyment from exercise. In one aspect the present invention is an exercise apparatus including

a base portion having a front section, a right side, a left side, and a rear section; and a display portion associated with the base portion and extending in a substantially . vertical direction around a substantial proportion of the base portion

wherein the display portion displays to a user of the exercise apparatus a desired exercise movement or series of exercise movements.

The display portion is used to display, indicate and instruct a user of the exercise apparatus a desired exercise movement or series of movements to obtain the desired exercise for that user. This increases the interaction of a user with the apparatus as the user is shown a desired movement, or series of movements, and . is obliged to follow the displayed movement. Following the desired movement and/or series of movements results in the desired exercise for that user. In one embodiment, the bottom of the display panel is associated with the right side and the left side of the base portion. With the display panel being associated with the left and right hand sides of the user, movements to the left and right side of the body are possible. As such exercise, in particular directed towards the central core of the users body can be undertaken and at varying heights. This enables a variety of movements to be offered to the user on the left and right sides of their body.

Preferably, the bottom of the display panel is also associated with the front section of the base portion. This increases the possible exercise movements of the user and the interaction thereof with the exercise apparatus.

In another embodiment, the base portion includes a movable platform. The movement of the platform increases the exercise and concentration of the user of the exercise apparatus to thereby increase exercise and mental stimulation whilst undertaking the exercise. Preferably, the movement of the platform is controlled so that the platform moves in at least one of tilting the platform, rotation of the platform or a combination thereof. In another embodiment, the display panel includes a plurality of touch sensitive portions. Preferably, the display panel indicates which touch sensitive portion to touch to define a desired movement of the user and in a particular order. Accordingly, a user can perform a series of movements whilst following the indication of the display panel around the apparatus thereby performing exercise and in a desired manner. In addition, the touch sensitive portions identify when a particular section of each panel has been touched to thereby indicate that the user has performed a desired movement.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an exercise game using the exercise apparatus described above in which a user of the exercise apparatus follows a movement program in which a series of exercise movements are displayed on the display panel, wherein the user scores points based on the time that the user takes to touch a touch sensitive portion of the display panel and whether or not the touched section(s) is/are the same portion(s) and/or order in the movement program.

Preferably, one or more of the indicating devices are used to indicate to a user of the exercise apparatus the portion(s) on the panels to be touched and points are scored based on the time taken to activate a touch sensor from the time the activated indicating device is activated and whether or not the activated touch sensor is from the same section as the activated indicating device.

The exercise game following the movement program instructs a user of the apparatus which section of the panel to touch and in a particular order. Accordingly, a user can perform a series of movements whilst following the indicating devices around the apparatus thereby performing exercise and in a desired manner. In addition, the touch sensors identify when a particular section of each panel has been touched to thereby indicate that the user has performed a movement.

In one embodiment, a control unit stores one or more movement programs and activates the indicating devices in accordance with the program, receives information from the touch sensors and allocates points based on the information from the touch sensors and the activated indicating device.

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of an exercise apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus shown in Figure 1

Figure 3 is a rear view of an exercise apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus shown in Figure 3

Figure 5 is a side view of a touch panel shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is front perspective view of the touch panel shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an exercise apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention

Figure 8 is a front view of the panels shown in Figure 7 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention

Figure 9 is conceptual drawing of a weighted box that can be used in conjunction with an embodiment of the exercise apparatus shown in Figure 7. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an exercise apparatus 10 is shown in which a user 12 is undertaking an exercise program. A display panel 14 extends around the upper portion of the user and displays to the user the desired movement to be undertaken. It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the display panel 14 may also extend around the lower portion of the body so that the user not only undertakes rotational movements but includes some vertical movement during the exercise. In this regard, the exercise apparatus is able exercise the user's upper body, core, lower body or any combination of these. The display of an exercise movement on the display panel 14 can be in the form of an image of a virtual user (not shown) or by the use of indicating a point or area that is desired that the user moves towards. In Figure 2, an image projector 16 is used to indicate the desired position 17 that the user is to move towards, referred to hereinafter as an exercise movement. The image projector 16 is capable of indicating one or more positions in a desired pattern such that the user performs a series of exercise movements. For example, during a series of exercise movements from the left of the user to the right of the user, the user rotates their body from the left to the right thereby exercising a particular muscle group or groups in a desired manner. The manner of this movement could be different depending upon the desired outcome of the exercise, for example for rehabilitation, flexibility or muscle development.

The image projector 16 is preferably controlled using an exercise movement program which an instructor, can program certain movements to achieve the desired exercise movement or series of movements. The training program may include inputs such as position and time so that the instructor can enter an exercise movement program into a computer, for example, which will control the movement, of the image projector to display the desired exercise movements in a controlled manner. After entry of the training program, and when the user is ready, the image projector 16 displays a point 17 on the display panel to indicate to the user where to move towards. Upon reaching the first point 17, the user looks for a second point and when shown to the user after a predetermined period of time, for example 3 seconds, the user moves towards the second point. This continues until the desired exercise program is. undertaken by the user. The display panel can be made of any suitable material and in the embodiment shown is. adapted to have a point indication displayed upon it by an image projector such as a lightly coloured wall. In the embodiment shown, the display panel extends around trie user more than 180 degrees so that the maximum safe rotational movement of the user can be achieved. This is especially desirable when the exercise is to increase the flexibility of the user. In use, the user 12 stands on a base portion which is located below the display panel and ^• preferably holds a weighted object, shown in Figures 1 and 2 as a ball 18. The user moves the ball 18 towards a position 17 indicated by an indicating device such as the image projector. The use of a weighted ball increases the amount of exercise undertaken especially for the upper body and is more of a resistance based exercise. However, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the use of a weighted object is not appropriate in all circumstances. For example, in the early rehabilitation of a user after an accident, initial exercise movements would be limited as the user is unlikely to have a full range of movement and may also have some muscle wastage or damage. In this instance, the exercise movements are desired to be small and slow with very little resistance, if any at all, and are mainly desired to increase the flexibility and range of movement of the user.

A second embodiment is shown in Figures 3 to 6 in which the display area takes the form of a frame 20 with touch panels 22 attached to the frame at various positions around the user. In these embodiments, the touch panels are configured to provide a certain exercise movement program by indicating to the user which touch panel 22 to touch with the ball or hand(s).

The touch panels 22 are shown as rounded panels attached to the frame at selected positions and are capable of displaying to the user which panel the user is to move towards and touch to undertake a desired exercise movement. Each touch panel includes an indicating device 24 to display to the user which touch panel they are to move towards to undertake the desired exercise movement. The indicating device 24 is shown in Figure 6 as an illuminated ring around the edge of the touch panel. The indicating device may also be a single illumination point or illumination of the entire panel. Further the indicating device may change, for example in colour, to indicate to the user that the touch panel has been correctly or incorrectly touched by the user. In an extension of this embodiment, the display panel shown in Figures 1 and 2 may also be composed of a plurality of discrete touch panels similar in construction to that shown in Figures 3 to 6. Similarly, further touch panels could be used to form an essentially solid wall of touch panels in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 6.

The ball 18 may also include a sensor to indicate the position of the ball and/or when the ball touches the display panel. The sensor may be an accelerometer within the ball to indicate the acceleration of the ball, a sensor associated with a gyroscope to ascertain position and acceleration, a positional sensor capable of communicating with a stationary device to ascertain the position of the ball, a pressure sensor on the ball to indicate when the ball touches the display panel, or a combination thereof. Each sensor is capable of indicating different aspects of movement and therefore indicating when and where the ball 18 touches the display panel. Referring to Figure 7, an exercise apparatus 50 according to a third embodiment of the present invention has a base portion 52 consisting of a floor 53, and two vertical sides 54, 55 extending from the sides of floor 53. The floor includes a platform 56 upon which a person performing the exercise is able to stand, sit on a chair or otherwise position themselves.

The platform 56 shown in Figure 7 is elliptical in shape and is able to move relative to the floor. The relative movement of the platform 56 could be vertical, side to side, front to ^' back, oscillate or a predetermined movement program that moves the platform in a desired pattern. Although the exercise apparatus can be used with a. stationary platform 56, the movement of the platform increases the effort required of a person using the apparatus during its use. In particular, the movement of the platform 56 encourages the user to utilise and coordinate their lower body and core muscles to balance whilst undertaking a workout whilst on the machine, thereby increasing the strength of the muscles of the lower body, particularly the legs and hips, including the prime and stabilisation muscles along with increasing a person's balance. It is noted that a similar platform can also be used in conjunction with the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 6. Although the platform 56 is depicted as elliptical, the platform could equally be rectangular, square, circular, and may indeed be interchangeable with other platforms so as to vary the available movement in the platform between uses of the exercise device.

Extending from each of the vertical sides 54, 55 of the exercise device are panels 60, 62 with each panel being divided into a number of sections 64, shown as nine sections in Figure 8 marked A through I. Each section is associated with a separate touch panel having a touch sensor such that when the user touches the section a signal is generated and communicated to a control unit, indicating which section has been touched by the person using the exercise apparatus. The touch sensor may be similar to those used in swimming pools for timing races, for example Omega, or any other pressure sensor or contact sensor that either opens of closes an electric circuit when the section of the panel relating to that particular sensor is touched or otherwise has a force exerted on its surface.

In an alternative embodiment, the sections may have edging that has the effect of forming a border around the section so as to recess the section from a front surface of the panel. When used in conjunction with a similarly shaped weighted object, the edging restricts the user from touching the touch sensor with the weighted object until the object is inserted into the recess thereby increasing the interaction of the user with the exercise device.

The panels 60, 62 can either be fixed to the sides of the exercise device, or alternatively can move relative to the base. When the panels move, they do so in a vertical path. The movement of the panels, increases the concentration and thought of the user as to where the panel is that they are to touch when exercising on the apparatus.

It should be appreciated that the number of sections within each panel can vary depending upon the accuracy of the desired touching and therefore exercise. For example, a panel with only four sections could be used for someone with less flexibility or mobility than another person with greater mobility that may use say twelve sections in three columns and four rows. Each section can also include an indicating device, such as an LED array, which is controlled by the control unit. The indicating device can thereby indicate that a person has touched the particular section by a red LED 65 or could indicate to the user of the apparatus which section they should touch next by a flashing green LED 66.

In touching the touch panel, a user could use their own hands to touch the panel and thereby activate the touch sensor, or may use a weight or object to increase the exercise whilst using the apparatus. Such a weight or object could be a medicine ball of any given weight for instance 1kg to 5kg. Alternatively as shown in Figure 9, a box 70 having handles 71 a central pillar 72 extending from the base of the box that is able to receive free weights 74 within the box may be used in conjunction with an edging on the panel so as to act as both a weight for the user and an additional complication to the exercise. In this embodiment, the user had the added difficulty of moving and positioning the box within the edging to activate the touch sensors associated with each section. Preferably, the pillar would include a threaded section a securing device, for example a nut, to secure the free weights onto the pillar so that they do not move whilst exercising or the pillar could have holes through it so as to have a 'locking pin' slid through to secure the discs. In an alternative embodiment, the central pillar may also be offset from the centre of the base of the box so as to unevenly weight the box for the user.

Accordingly the exercise that can be undertaken, whilst using the exercise apparatus as described in any of the previous embodiments, may include balancing on the platform, turning/twisting of the middle of the body and extending the arms with/without a weight. In conducting these movements, the lower body including the lower legs, upper legs, pelvic region and core is exercised to generally increase strength of these areas and also the balance of a user. If weights are utilised, upper limb and body strengthening would also occur including upper arm (triceps and biceps) complete shoulder girdle, deltoid muscles including rotator cuff muscle complex, latissimus dorsi of the mid back and the upper pectoral muscles. The turning and twisting of the upper body to turn towards either panel exercises the lumbar and thoracic spine, transverse obliques and abdominal regions to increase strength in those regions and possibly their posture whilst the touching and/or reaching movement exercises the arm muscles. The lower limb stabilisation muscles would work to support the torque movement of the upper body. A control unit may also be utilised in all of the previously described embodiments and include an exercise/movement program or series of exercise/movement programs and may have a communication port to allow transfer of programs and information to an external computer or electronic unit. Such a program could include the ability for the control unit to control the order in which the indicator devices are activated or illuminated and may also include storage means for recording the time and sections touched during the program.

Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, an instructor or trainer can design a program for the apparatus for a particular user, transfer this program to the control unit and allow the user to execute the program on the machine. Information regarding the users performance, for example time taken and accuracy of touches can then be downloaded and may be analysed by the trainer to assist in the evaluation of the effectiveness of users exercise and possibly to improve the program.

Alternatively, a scoring system may be used as a function of the time taken to touch particular sections within the panel. The scoring system for example may award 5 points for touching the indicated panel within 1 second from the indication device being activated and subtract 1 point for each second or part thereof greater than 1 second taken to touch the section. In addition, touching the wrong panel may incur a penalty of 2 points. The control unit may also have a display device, such as an LED display panel, which can also show either the program information, results of the program or points gained during the program. When the program and/or scoring system are used in conjunction with the exercise apparatus itself, the user has some mental stimulation as well as physical exercise. In another embodiment, the exercise game is implemented using a computer system in which a virtual image of the user and exercise apparatus appear on a screen. Movements of the virtual user are associated with the user by means of a communication device such as a game controller. The game controller preferably includes at least one accelerometer to identify the relative position of the user with respect to a starting position. During the game the virtual user follows the movement of the user and points are awarded to the user based on the accuracy of the exercise movements and time taken to undertake the exercise movements, possibly as described above.

Claims

The claims of the invention are as follows:

1. An exercise apparatus including:

a base portion having a front section, a right side, a left side, and a rear section; and a display portion associated with the base portion and extending in a substantially vertical direction around a substantial proportion of the base portion

2. An exercise apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the bottom of the display panel is associated with the right side and the left side of the base portion.

3. An exercise apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, the bottom of the display panel is also associated with the front section of the base portion.

4. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the display panel includes a plurality of touch sensitive portions.

5. An exercise apparatus as claimed in Claim 4; wherein the display panel indicates which touch sensitive portion to touch to define a desired movement of the user and in a particular order.

6. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein an object held by the user includes at least one sensor to indicate the position, acceleration and contact of the object with the display panel.

7. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the base portion includes a movable platform. "

8. An exercise apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the movement of the platform is controlled so that the platform moves in at least one of tilting the platform, rotation of the platform or a combination thereof.

9. An exercise game using the exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 8 in which a user of the exercise apparatus follows a movement program in which a series of exercise movements are displayed on the display panel, wherein the user scores points based on the time that the user takes to touch the display panel and whether or not the touched portion(s) is/are. the same portion(s) and/or order in the movement program.

10. An exercise game as claimed in Claim 9, wherein one or more indicating devices are used to indicate to a user of the exercise apparatus the portion(s) on the display panel to be touched and points are scored based on the time taken to activate a sensor from the time the activated indicating device is activated and whether of not the activated sensor is from the same section as the activated indicating device.

1 1. An exercise game as claimed in Claim 10, wherein a control unit stores one or more movement programs and activates indicating devices associated with the touch portion(s) in accordance with the program, receives information from the touch sensitive portions and allocates points based on the information from the touch sensitive portions and the activated indicating device.

12. An exercise game as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 1 1 , wherein the game is implemented using a computer system in which a virtual exercise apparatus and virtual user are displayed on a screen and the movement of the virtual user mimics that of the user.

13. An exercise game as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the computer system includes a game controller which provides information to the computer system regarding the movement of the user.