WO2004105888A1

WO2004105888A1 - Exercise apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2004105888A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/002142
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Mark Johnson
Original assignee: PULSE FITNESS Ltd
Current assignee: PULSE FITNESS Ltd
Priority date: 2003-05-29
Filing date: 2004-05-18
Publication date: 2004-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 2005-11-29
Also published as: GB0312287D0; EP1654039A1

Abstract

An exercise apparatus (10) in accordance with the invention has a user control panel (11) provided with a display screen (12). The exercise apparatus (10) further incorporates a receiver (14) and is adapted to receive signals transmitted from a remote source (13). A user can use the control panel (11) to select particular video and/or audio signals to view while exercising. The apparatus (10) may be further adapted to be self powered.

Description

EXERCICES APPARATUS

This invention relates to improved exercise apparatus of the kind usually used in a gym or health club.

Exercise apparatus in many forms have been known for many years for example cardiovascular apparatus such as exercise cycles. In recent years, it has become common to include with such apparatus, a control panel which is usually mounted on the apparatus, which allows a user to select and/or display useful functions, features or information such as for example distance travelled, time of use, average speed etc. Once selected by a user, the function or information requested will be displayed to a user on one or more user displays which are provided on the control panel.

It has also become customary, in recent years, to attempt to provide a more relaxed atmosphere within a gym or health club and to do this, audio or visual entertainment systems have been installed in health clubs which a user can watch and/or listen to whilst exercising and for example, strategically placed television monitors can be provided through which terrestrial or satellite television programmes can be viewed, by users. However, problems can arise with such known arrangements insofar as all such arrangements require a hard wire connection to the source of the audio visual entertainment system which can limit the positioning and use of the apparatus.

Furthermore, depending upon the positioning of the entertainment system, and in particular any television monitors, these may be some considerable distance from the exercise apparatus that the user is using which can make it more difficult for the user to view programmes displayed on the monitor.

Still further, any control panel will usually require the exercise apparatus to be connected to a source of electrical power, such as a mains socket and this is usually achieved by a hard wire connection of the apparatus to the socket which can cause problems if the distance between the apparatus and the socket is extremely large.

The present invention seeks to address these problems.

Thus and in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention therefore there is provided an improved exercise apparatus including an integral display, said display being adapted to receive and display or play at a users selection, one or more audio and/or video signals from a remote source wherein said display and said source are linked by a wireless link.

Preferably, a receiver is mounted within or adjacent to or on said apparatus and a transmitter is associated with said remote source. The transmitter can transmit, and said receiver can receive, signals transmitted at any suitable frequency for example radio frequency (RF) microwave or infra-red (IR).

In one embodiment, the display and/or receiver can be powered by an integral rechargeable power supply (not shown) which is connected to the exercise apparatus in such a way that, as the user exercises on the apparatus, the rechargeable batteries are recharged.

Preferably, said connection includes a dynamo type of arrangement which is driven by user interaction with the part of the apparatus and generates electrical power therefrom. Alternatively, a so called self generating (or eddy current) brake arrangement can be used in said connection. User operable controls can be provided on a control panel to facilitate selection of desired signals and other functions of the control panel. As an alternative to user operable controls to make selections, it may be possible for the display screen to be a touch screen and the selections and options for selection can be displayed on the screen which can be selected by touching the screen in the region of the selection that is desired to be made.

Furthermore, it might be possible for selection and viewing of selected signal from the remote source to take place concurrently with other functions of the control panel for example, monitoring and display of exercise data for example distance travelled, time elapsed, average speed since it may be desired to monitor this sort of information notwithstanding the fact that audio and/or video signals are being provided for a user whilst exercising. With this arrangement it is possible to provide improved exercise apparatus which can receive video and/or audio signals without the need for a hard wire connection between the source and the apparatus.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an improved exercise apparatus including an integral display, said apparatus including a connection between said display and another part of said apparatus whereby electrical power to operate said display is provided via said connection by user operation of said part of said apparatus during exercise.

With this arrangement, the exercise apparatus of the invention is self powered thereby obviating the need for a connection to an external electrical source. The exercise apparatus in accordance with the second aspect of the prevent invention may incorporate any or all of the features of the first aspect of the present invention as desired or appropriate.

The exercise apparatus in accordance with the second aspect of the invention may incorporate any or all of the features of the exercise apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention as described or as appropriate.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, the single figure of which shows a schematic representation of one form of improved exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown exercise apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention which has an integral user control panel 1 1 provided with a display screen 1 2. The invention is hereinafter described in the context of an exercise apparatus comprising an exercise cycle but it will, of course, be appreciated that the invention can be used with any suitable form of exercise apparatus as desired or as appropriate.

The control panel 1 1 is mounted adjacent handlebars of the apparatus and is disposed in such a position that it is capable of user interaction or viewing whilst exercising on the exercise cycle. The control panel 1 1 is micro-processor based and is capable of displaying data selected by a user, for example, distance cycled, average speed over that distance, duration of cycle etc. A number of user operable controls (not shown) are also provided on the control panel 1 1 which allows a user to select the functions or features they want to display. Thus far, the user control panel 1 1 described is conventional. However, in the present apparatus, the control panel 1 1 is also adapted to receive and display video or audio signals from a remote source 1 3. To this end, the control panel 1 1 can include a receiver 14 (an aerial connected to which is indicated in the drawing) which receives from a remote transmitter 1 6 associated with the remote source 1 3 the signals for selected viewing or display. Alternatively, the receiver 14 can be provided at or in any other suitable part of the exercise cycle and, in the latter situation, the receiver 1 4 and control panel 1 1 are connected in any suitable way. The receiver 14 and transmitter 1 6 communicate over a wireless link and may operate at any suitable or desirable frequency for example radio frequency (RF) microwave or infra-red (IR). In one embodiment, the control panel 1 1 and/or receiver 14 can be powered by an integral rechargeable power supply (not shown) which is linked to the cycle in such a way that, as the user exercises on the apparatus, the rechargeable batteries are recharged.

In use, the transmitter 1 6 is provided remotely from the exercise cycle and is linked to a remote source 1 3 of video or audio signals. The remote source 1 3 provides a link for the transmitter to real time television or radio channels, pre-recorded video or audio programmes in any suitable form for example Compact Disc or DVD Rom's of pre-recorded form and, if desired, other information, data or functions. The remote source 1 3 can also provide a link to any other material source as desired or as appropriate.

Therefore, each individual user using an exercise cycle is able to, via the user control panel 1 1 , make a selection as to the type of audio and/or video signal they wish to be displayed on the display screen 1 2 contained within the control panel 1 1 . Once the selection has been made by the user, this programme is transmitted via the transmitter 1 6 to the receiver 14 associated with the apparatus and is displayed on the display screen 1 2 of the control panel 1 1 or, in the case of an audio signal play through external audio listening devices connected to the control panel, for example headphones. Accordingly, the control panel 1 1 may be operable to receive a list of possible audio and/or video signal selections from the remote source 1 3 which a user can select from and after their selection has been made, they can be linked to the selected signal for viewing or listening to via the transmitter 1 6 and receiver 14. User operable controls can be provided on the control panel 1 1 to facilitate selection of desired signals and other functions of the control panel 1 1 . As an alternative to user operable controls to make selections, it may be possible for the display screen 1 2 to be a touch screen and the selections and options for selection can be displayed on the screen which can be selected by touching the screen in the region of the selection that is desired to be made. Touch screen technology is conventional and therefore no further description of this feature will be described.

Of course, at any stage a user can alter their selection from that provided by the remote source 1 3. Furthermore, it might be possible for selection and viewing of selected signal from the remote source 1 3 to take place concurrently with other functions of the control panel 1 1 for example, monitoring and display of exercise data for example distance travelled, time elapsed, average speed since it may be desired to monitor this sort of information notwithstanding the fact that audio and/or video signals are being provided for a user whilst exercising.

A power source for the control panel 1 1 may be provided by a rechargeable battery provided integrally with the control panel 1 1 and if a rechargeable battery of this kind is utilised, it is possible to arrange for the battery to be recharged by user operation of the exercise cycle. Thus for example, the exercise cycle may be connected to the rechargeable battery in the control panel 1 1 by a suitable mechanism such that as the exercise cycle is used, the rechargeable battery in the control panel is recharged.

Alternatively, it is possible for the control panel 1 1 to be linked directly to a dynamo type of arrangement or self generating (eddy current) brake arrangement which operates to generate electrical power for the panel 1 1 only while the cycle is being used by a user. In both these cases, it will be appreciated that no hard wire connection to a power source, or to the remote source 1 3 is necessary thereby rendering each apparatus complete freedom of movement within the gym or health club or home;;or,;;;any_j other location where it is desired to be used. Further it will be appreciated that the improved exercise apparatus allows individual users on one or more exercise apparatus such as exercise cycles to individually choose the desired audio and/or video signals to be received from the remote source. Thus for example, each machine may receive different signals from the selection available. By remote source 1 3 it is meant any arrangement which can provide access to external real time television signals (whether terrestrial or satellite sourced), radio or other audio signals, pre-recorded video or audio signals or any other multi-media or data or information source or programme. Similarly whilst the document refers mainly to audio and/or video signals, it is of course obvious that such signals could include multimedia, data, text or other information signals in addition to radio or other audio signals and television or other video signals, the signals may be transmitted in digital or analogue form, and be uncompressed, or compressed or unencoded or encoded in suitable formats for example MPEG or AVI. Any programmes can be stored in the programme source in any suitable format. It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiments which are described by way of example only.

Claims

1 . An exercise apparatus including an integral display, said display being adapted to receive and display or play at a users selection, one or more audio and/or video signals from a remote source wherein said display and said source are linked by a wireless link.

2. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a receiver is mounted within, adjacent to or on said apparatus and a transmitter is associated with said remote source.

3. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the transmitter can transmit, and said receiver can receive, signals transmitted at radio frequencies.

4. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the transmitter can transmit, and said receiver can receive, signals transmitted at microwave frequencies.

5. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a transmitter can transmit, and said receiver can receive, signals transmitted at infra red frequencies.

6. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the control panel and or receiver are powered by an integral rechargeable power supply.

7. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the integral rechargeable power supply is connected in such a way as that the user exercises on the exercise apparatus, the rechargeable power supply is recharged.

8. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said connection includes a dynamo arrangement.

9. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said connection is a self generating (or eddy current) break arrangement.

10. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein user operable controls are provided on a control panel to facilitate selection of desired signals.

1 1 . An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the display is a touch screen and the selections and options for selection are displayed on the screen and are selected by touching the screen.

1 2. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 0 or claim 1 1 wherein viewing the selected signal from the remote source takes place concurrently with other functions of the control panel.

1 3. An exercise apparatus including an integral display, said apparatus including a connection between the said display and another part of said apparatus whereby electrical power to operate said display is provided via said connection by user operation of said part of said apparatus during exercise.

14. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 3 wherein said display is adapted to receive and display or play at a users selection, one or more audio and/or video signals from a remote source.

1 5. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 4 wherein said display and said source are linked via a wireless link.

1 6. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 5 wherein a receiver is mounted within, adjacent to or on said apparatus and a transmitter is associated with said remote source.

1 7. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 6 wherein the transmitter can transmit, and said receiver can receive, signals transmitted at radio frequencies.

1 8. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 6 wherein the transmitter can transmit, and the receiver can receive, signals transmitted at microwave frequencies.

1 9. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1 6 wherein the transmitter can transmit, and said receiver can receive, signals transmitted at infra red frequencies.

20. An exercise apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 3 to 1 9 wherein said connection includes a dynamo arrangement.

21 . An exercise apparatus both claimed in any one of claims 1 3 to 1 9 wherein said connection is a self generating (or eddy current) brake arrangement.

22. An exercise apparatus according to any one of claims 1 3 to 21 wherein user operable controls are provided on a control panel to facilitate a section of desired signals.

23. An exercise apparatus claimed in claim 22 wherein a display screen is a touch screen and options for selection are displayed on the screen and are selected by touching the screen.

24. An exercise apparatus claimed in any one of claims 13 to 23 wherein viewing the selected signal from the remote source takes place concurrently with other functions of the control panel.