DE29608425U1 - Device for recording and evaluating various parameters measured in movement sports - Google Patents

Description

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Stein Automation GmbH

Carl-Haag-Strasse 2 6 78054 Villingen-Schwenningen

Device for recording and evaluation

of various sports

measured parameters

The invention relates to a device for recording and displaying various parameters measured in movement sports such as cycling, hiking, mountain climbing and similar sports.

The invention is based on devices that are already generally known and used for contactless distance and/or speed measurement in the field of electronics used in sports.

They are used to record the driving speed and the distance covered and to display them directly using a pointer on a scale or by showing them on an electronic display. The measured parameters (speed, geodetic height) are not stored, however; at most the distance covered is added up.

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However, the ambitious athlete needs significantly more information for a targeted evaluation of his training with a view to further training planning. For example, knowing the speed and/or pulse rate depending on the distance traveled, gradient and/or time is just as important as, for example, the outside temperature or the cadence in connection with the physiological data of the person training.

A similar problem also arises with electronic altimeters, which are used primarily by mountain climbers and ambitious hikers. The devices currently on the market do show the current altitude, maximum and minimum altitudes, and average values, but it is not possible to reproduce the exact altitude of the hike or mountain tour in terms of the meters of altitude covered. The same applies when used by cyclists, namely that the gradient profile of the route traveled is not recorded precisely.

Based on this state of the art, it is the object of the invention to create a device of the type mentioned at the beginning, which allows not only the recorded measured variables, such as driving speed and distance traveled, to be displayed, but also to use these and other measured values of interest for a detailed analysis.

The characterizing features of claim 1 serve to solve this problem. Further advantageous embodiments and improvements of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

Accordingly, the continuous storage of all measured parameters is provided. For this purpose, the device has a measured value memory which stores all measured values recorded by the microcomputer during operation.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the microcomputer is additionally provided with an interface, in particular with a serial interface, which enables data transmission

the stored measured values for evaluation and subsequent visualization on a personal computer. The visualization options allow the recorded data to be optimally assessed and evaluated. Since the individual diagrams can be superimposed on one another, it is also easy to make comparisons with previous recordings.

A preferred development of the device according to the invention provides for the time cycle of the measured value storage depending on the change in the measurement result

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, parameterization of the microcomputer is possible via the interface with the personal computer in order to determine the parameters to be recorded and stored by the microcomputer. This means that the trainer of the person in question or the person training first compiles the parameters of interest in the personal computer at home based on the training plan and then transfers them to the device according to the invention via the interface.

Advantageously, the parameterization of the microcomputer and the measuring points feeding it can be carried out in a comfortable menu-driven manner using the personal computer connected via the interface. In a further improvement, the device's processing and storage capacity is designed so that a complete set of parameters can be transferred.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular when used in cycling, provides additional parameters such as gear ratio, tire diameter, current altitude above sea level, outside temperature, pulse, travel time, warning speed, warning pulse, warning altitude, wake-up or warning time and travel or bicycle mode for recording, storage and transmission.

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Likewise, when visualizing the evaluated measured values of the route covered, all or selected topographical points can be labeled with names when processing the data on the personal computer. During the tour, topographical points can be set that can then be labeled later using the evaluation software on the personal computer. As an example, see Diagram 9 (Figure 3).

A particularly advantageous embodiment provides that the device has a receiver for GPS signals, which also works together with the microcomputer and the measured value memory. Of course, an evaluation of the stored GPS data in the personal computer is also provided for this purpose.

To implement the features listed above, the device according to the invention has a first electronic component for converting measured values and recording the measured values or measurement signals, another component for processing the recorded measured values and signals for presentation on a display as well as a memory component and at least one interface for data transfer with a connectable personal computer of conventional design.

The recording, display and transmission of performance data according to the invention also has the advantage that all data that arise is saved in specific, automatically adjusting time intervals. The length of the time intervals is determined by the rate of change of the recorded data. This means maximum memory utilization, since no unnecessary data needs to be recorded.

Due to the inventive recording of data collectives, it now makes sense to store parameters that previously had little or no significance. For example, the altitude measurement of a bicycle speedometer previously resulted in a significant increase in the manufacturing price, but little practical use in everyday use. However, if the data

recorded, the altitude measurement in conjunction with the other recorded data plays an important role. From the recorded values of current altitude and distance covered, the gradient and the altitude profile of the distance covered can be subsequently calculated using the evaluation program installed in the personal computer. The recorded values in relation to the gradient overcome are particularly interesting for an athlete.

If the device according to the invention is used for mountain climbing or hiking, it has the advantage over devices currently on the market that the mountain tour can be precisely documented afterwards and can be retraced at any time.

The evaluation of the GPS signal also offers optimal possibilities, only by storing and subsequently evaluating/visualizing it using a personal computer.

These and further advantageous embodiments and improvements of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

The invention, advantageous developments of the invention and particular advantages of the invention will be explained and described in more detail with reference to embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing.

Show it:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of the system arrangement with personal computer, device, interface cable and a selection of the possible sports or possible applications of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a simplified block diagram in a schematic representation of the structure and possible evaluation parameters of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 3 a route profile

and diagrams 1 to 8 show various results based on the

measurement curves obtained from the results obtained.

Figure 1 shows a possible system arrangement. Possible types of sport are shown (e.g. cycling 1, skiing 2) in which the device 3 according to the invention is either attached to the body of the athlete or directly to the sports equipment (bicycle 1). After the end of the data recording, the device 3 according to the invention can be removed from the sports equipment. The data is transferred from the device (bicycle speedometer/altimeter) 3 to the personal computer 6 via an interface 4 with an interface cable 5 or via an optical transmission, as is already partly common with computer mice, for example.

Fig. 2 uses a block diagram to show the components that the device 3 shown in Fig. 1 essentially consists of. Since the details are described in detail in Fig. 2, a corresponding repetition can be omitted here.

The device 3 according to the invention has a display 7, a data memory and an interface connection 4. All data are stored in an electronic memory 7 at automatically adjusting intervals. At the end of one or more tours, the data can be transferred to a commercially available personal computer 6 via the built-in interface. This data can then be displayed and documented in graphic and tabular form using an independent evaluation program.

Figure 3 shows a route profile for a ski tour over the "Piz Palü" as an example of possible evaluation diagrams, from which the athlete can read a compact image of his performance.

The topographical points shown in the route profile in Fig. 3 are set manually during the recording of the tour (e.g. by pressing a button) and appear in the display.

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value graphics as numbered TPs (e.g. TP 3). Each recorded topographic point can be subsequently labelled using the PC software.

The rough axis grid shown in diagrams 1 to 8 can be expanded (zoomed) as required on the personal computer (PC) for more detailed analysis.

Claims (8)

Protection claims 1. Device (3) for recording and displaying various parameters measured during cycling, hiking, mountain climbing and similar sports, in particular speed and distance, with a microcomputer fed by measuring points and with a display device (7), in particular with an electronic display, for displaying the measured parameters, characterized in that continuous storage of all measured parameters is provided and that the device has a measured value memory for this purpose, which stores all measured values recorded by the microcomputer during operation. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the microcomputer is additionally provided with at least one interface, in particular with a serial interface (4), which allows the data transfer of the stored measured values for evaluation and subsequent visualization to a personal computer (β). 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the time cycle of the measured value storage is provided as a function of the measured value change. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a parameterization of the microcomputer via the interface (4) with the personal computer (S) is possible for the purpose of determining the parameters to be recorded and stored by the microcomputer. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the parameterization of the microcomputer and of the feeding measuring points is provided in a menu-guided manner with the aid of the personal computer (6) connected via the interface (4) and that a complete set of parameters can be transferred. 6. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that one or more of the following parameters are taken into account as additional parameters, namely the gear ratio of the bicycle transmission, tire diameter, current altitude above sea level, outside temperature, pulse, travel time, warning speed, warning pulse, warning altitude, wake-up or warning time and travel or bicycle mode. 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during the visualization of the evaluated measured values, topographical points are designated by names on the personal computer (6). 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has a receiver for GPS signals, which also works together with the microcomputer and with the measured value memory, and that an evaluation of the stored GPS data is provided in the personal computer (6).