U.S. patent application number 11/988852 was filed with the patent office on 2009-04-16 for encouraging exercise whilst playing electronic games.
Invention is credited to Richard John Coshott.
Application Number | 20090098979 11/988852 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34897138 |
Filed Date | 2009-04-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090098979 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Coshott; Richard John |
April 16, 2009 |
Encouraging Exercise Whilst Playing Electronic Games
Abstract
In order to encourage people who are playing an electronic games
machine (12) also to take exercise, and to encourage users of
exercise machines (76) who simultaneously play a games machine to
exercise at a particular rate, an interrupter system (34) is added
to an existing connection (18,20,22) between the games machine and
its controller (14) so as to provide a modified connection.
Operation of the exercise machine is detected, and the interrupter
system is used selectively to enable and interrupt the modified
connection between the game controller and the games machine to
enable and interrupt normal operation of the games machine in
dependence upon the detected operation of the exercise machine. The
normal operation of the games machine may be interrupted if the
rate of operation of the exercise machine is detected as being
below a predetermined threshold and/or above a pre-determined
threshold. Accordingly, a parent can arrange it such that their
child cannot play normally on a games machine unless the child also
exercises on the exercise machine. Also, a user of an exercise
machine and games machine can be encouraged to exercise in a
particular manner, otherwise their game will be interrupted.
Inventors: |
Coshott; Richard John;
(Hampshire, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NW-IP-LAW
6039 E. Grant RD.
Tucson
AZ
85712
US
|
Family ID: |
34897138 |
Appl. No.: |
11/988852 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
June 23, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2006/002333 |
371 Date: |
January 11, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/4 ;
463/7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 13/10 20130101;
A63B 22/0605 20130101; A63F 13/23 20140902; A63B 2208/12 20130101;
A63B 2220/17 20130101; A63F 2300/201 20130101; A63B 22/06 20130101;
A63F 2300/69 20130101; A63B 71/0622 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/4 ;
463/7 |
International
Class: |
A63B 24/00 20060101
A63B024/00; A63F 9/24 20060101 A63F009/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 13, 2005 |
GB |
0514345.8 |
Claims
1. A method of modifying operation of an electronic games machine
(12) having a game controller (14) which is arranged to be
connected to the games machine by an existing connection (18,20,22)
to control the games machine, the method comprising: adding an
interrupter system (34) to the existing connection so as to provide
a modified connection (18,20,22,36,38,40) between the game
controller and the games machine; providing an exercise machine
(76); detecting operation of the exercise machine; and using the
interrupter system selectively to enable and interrupt the modified
connection between the game controller and the games machine to
enable and interrupt normal operation of the games machine in
dependence upon the detected operation of the exercise machine.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the normal operation of
the games machine is interrupted if the rate of operation of the
exercise machine is detected as being below a predetermined
threshold.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the normal operation of
the games machine is interrupted if the rate of operation of the
exercise machine is detected as being above a predetermined
threshold.
4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predetermined
threshold is adjustable.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein normal operation of the
games machine is interrupted by disconnecting a power supply
connection (44,48) from the games machine to the game
controller.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the existing connection
includes a first connector (20) of the game controller that is
releasably connectable to a complementary second connector (22) of
the games machine, and the interrupter system is added by
connecting a third connector (40) of the interrupter system to the
first connector of the game controller and by connecting a fourth
connector (38) of the interrupter system to the second connector of
the games machine.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interrupter system
is added by permanently wiring the interrupter system to the game
controller.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one magnet (72)
is attached to a moving part of the exercise machine, and operation
of the exercise machine is detected magnetically.
9. A game controller (14) in combination with an interrupter system
(34), for use with an electronic games machine (12) and an exercise
machine (76), the game controller having a first connector (20) for
releasable connection to a complementary second connector (22) of
the games machine, and the interrupter system comprising means
(64-70) for detecting operation of the exercise machine, and means
(60) for changing, in dependence upon the detected operation of the
exercise machine, a connection (44,48,54,56) between the game
controller and the games machine selectively to enable and
interrupt normal operation of the games machine.
10. A combination as claimed in claim 9, wherein the interrupter
system includes a third connector (40) connected to the first
connector of the game controller and a fourth connector (38) for
connection to the second connector of the games machine so that the
interrupter system is connected between the first and second
connectors.
11. A combination claimed in claim 9, wherein the interrupter
system is permanently wired to the game controller.
12. A combination as claimed in claim 9 in combination with a games
machine.
13. A combination as claimed in claim 9 in combination with an
exercise machine.
14. An apparatus comprising: an exercise machine; an electronic
games machine; a game controller having a connection to the games
machine including a first connector which is releasably connectable
to a complementary second connector of the games machine so that
the game controller can control the games machine; and an
interrupter system comprising means for detecting if a rate of
operation of the exercise machine is below a predetermined
threshold, and means responsive to the detecting means for changing
the connection between the game controller and the games machine to
interrupt normal operation of the games machine when the rate of
operation of the exercise machine is below the threshold.
15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the connection
changing means is operable to disconnect a power supply connection
from the games machine to the game controller when the rate of
operation of the exercise machine is below the threshold.
16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the interrupter
system has a third connector which is complementary to and, in use,
connected to the first connector of the game controller, and a
fourth connector which is complementary to and, in use, connected
to the second connector of the games machine.
17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the interrupter
system is permanently wired to the game controller, and, in use,
the first connector of the game controller is connected to the
second connector of the games machine.
Description
[0001] This invention was conceived in order to encourage exercise
whilst playing electronic games and relates to a method of
operation of an electronic games machine, a device for use with an
electronic games machine, and a game controller having such a
device.
[0002] Many people have fun playing on electronic games machines,
such as the Microsoft.RTM. X-Box.RTM., Nintendo.RTM. Gamecube.RTM.
and the Sony.RTM. Playstation.RTM.. Some people, particularly
parents, consider that other people, such as their children, spend
far too long playing on games machines and do not get enough
exercise.
[0003] Also, many people use exercise machines, such as exercise
cycles, step machines and thigh trainers in order to improve or
maintain their physical fitness. Many exercise regimes involve
exercising at a steady rate. While using exercise machines, some
people simultaneously play a game on an electronic games
machine.
[0004] Causing the playing of a game to be dependent on exercise
has been proposed in the past. Patent documents U.S. Pat. No.
4,542,897 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,605 each describe a purpose-built
games and exercise machine arranged so that the user cannot control
the game unless they are exercising at a particular rate.
WO0/64542A1 describes an exercise machine connected to a game port
of a computer running a game such that the exercise machine acts as
a throttle control for the game. U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,746B1
describes a switch box controlled by an exercise machine and
connected to an RF input of a television set so that the television
set can receive RF input only if the exercise machine is being
operated fast enough. The RF signal can be supplied by a games
machine.
[0005] An aim of the present invention, or at least of specific
embodiments of it, is to provide an improved way of encouraging
people who are playing a games machine also to take exercise, and
of encouraging users of exercise machines who simultaneously play a
games machine to exercise at a particular rate.
[0006] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of modifying operation of an electronic
games machine having a game controller which is arranged to be
connected to the games machine by an existing connection to control
the games machine, the method comprising: adding an interrupter
system to the existing connection so as to provide a modified
connection between the game controller and the games machine;
providing an exercise machine; detecting operation of the exercise
machine; and using the interrupter system selectively to enable and
interrupt the modified connection between the game controller and
the games machine to enable and interrupt normal operation of the
games machine in dependence upon the detected operation of the
exercise machine.
[0007] The method can therefore be applied be an existing games
machine and existing exercise machine without requiring a
purpose-built combined machine as described in U.S. Pat. No.
4,542,897 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,605. The interrupter system used
in the method of the invention is operable to interrupt the normal
operation of the games machine, whereas in WO0/64542A1 the exercise
machine plays a part in the normal operation of the games computer
(i.e. acts as the throttle control), and in U.S. Pat. No.
6,179,746B1 the exercise machine has no effect on the normal
operation of the games machine.
[0008] The normal operation of the games machine may be interrupted
if the rate of operation of the exercise machine is detected as
being below a predetermined threshold. Additionally or
alternatively, normal operation of the games machine may be
interrupted if the rate of operation of the exercise machine is
detected as being above a predetermined threshold. Accordingly, a
parent can arrange it such that their child cannot play normally on
a games machine unless the child also exercises on the exercise
machine. Also, a user of an exercise machine and games machine can
be encouraged to exercise in a particular manner, otherwise their
game will be interrupted. The invention can be put into effect
without modifying the games machine and possibly invalidating its
warranty as a result.
[0009] The predetermined threshold, or at least one of the
predetermined thresholds, is preferably adjustable to take account
of different exercise regimes.
[0010] The normal operation of the games machine is preferably
interrupted simply by disconnecting a power supply connection from
the games machine to the game controller.
[0011] In one example of the invention, in the case where the
existing connection includes a first connector of the game
controller that is releasably connectable to a complementary second
connector of the games machine, the interrupter system is added by
connecting a third connector of the interrupter system to the first
connector of the game controller and by connecting a fourth
connector of the interrupter system to the second connector of the
games machine. In another example of the invention, the interrupter
system is added by permanently wiring the interrupter system to the
game controller.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, at least one magnet is attached
(for example by a double-sided sticky pad) to a moving part of the
exercise machine, and operation of the exercise machine is detected
magnetically. The invention can therefore be put into effect
without any significant modification to the exercise machine.
[0013] In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there
is provided a game controller in combination with an interrupter
system, for use with an electronic games machine and an exercise
machine, the game controller having a first connector for
releasable connection to a complementary second connector of the
games machine, and the interrupter system comprising means for
detecting operation of the exercise machine, and means for
changing, in dependence upon the detected operation of the exercise
machine, an electrical connection between the game controller and
the games machine selectively to enable and interrupt normal
operation of the games machine.
[0014] In one embodiment, the interrupter system includes a third
connector connected to the first connector of the game controller
and a fourth connector for connection to the second connector of
the games machine so that the interrupter system is connected
between the first and second connectors. In this case, the
invention can be put into effect without modifying the games
machine or the game controller and possibly invalidating their
warranties as a result. In another embodiment, the interrupter
system is permanently wired to the game controller.
[0015] Further aspects of the invention relate to the game
controller and interrupter system in combination with a games
machine and/or an exercise machine.
[0016] A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be
described, purely by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional games machine
system;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the system of FIG. 1, to which
a game interrupter system of the present invention has been
added;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the game interrupter system
of FIG. 2;
[0020] FIGS. 4A-4D are diagrams illustrating operation of the
circuit of FIG. 3 in one phase of its cycle;
[0021] FIGS. 5A-5D are diagrams illustrating operation of the
circuit of FIG. 3 in another phase of its cycle;
[0022] FIGS. 6A-6D are diagrams illustrating operation of the
circuit of FIG. 3 with a relatively long cycle period;
[0023] FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrams illustrating operation of the
circuit of FIG. 3 with a shorter cycle period;
[0024] FIG. 8 shows a modification to part of the interrupter
system;
[0025] FIG. 9 shows another modification to part of the interrupter
system; and
[0026] FIG. 10 shows a modification to the interrupter circuit.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional games machine system 10
comprises a games machine 12, a game controller 14 and a television
set 16. The game controller 14 has a connecting lead 18 with a plug
20 at its distal end that is connected to a complementary
controller socket 22 of the games machine 12. A further connecting
lead 24 has plugs 26 at one end that are connected to complementary
audio-video sockets 28 of the games machine 12 and plugs 30 at the
other end that are connected to complementary audio-video sockets
32 of the television set 16. As is well known, in use, a player
controls a game that is running on the games machine 12 using the
controller 14, and the progress of the game is displayed on the
television set 16. Typically, a games machine 12 has two or more
such controller sockets 22 and can be used with two or more game
controllers 14 controlled by two or more players so that the
players can play a game between themselves. However, many games are
designed to be played by one player, or have a mode in which they
can be played by one player, or have a mode in which one player
controlling one games machine 12 can play one or more other players
controlling one or more other games machines 12, with all of the
games machines 12 being interconnected, for example by means of the
internet.
[0028] The connecting lead 18 of the game controller 14 typically
has six cores, one of which is ground, another of which carries a
supply voltage to the games controller 14, and the others of which
provide signals back to the games machine 12 depending upon the
operation of the controls (such as switches, joysticks and D-pads)
of the game controller 14 by the player. A typical games machine 12
is designed to detect whether a required game controller 14 is
connected to the games machine 12, for example by detecting current
drawn by the supply core of the controller lead 18, or by detecting
the voltage or voltages on one or more of the signal cores of the
controller lead 18. When a game is running, different games
machines and games are designed to react differently to the loss of
connection to a required game controller 14, for example, by
continuing the game abnormally without any input from the player,
by pausing the game until the game controller is reconnected, or by
aborting the game. Some games machine systems allow a game
controller to be disconnected for a short period of time, such as
1/4 s, without reacting.
[0029] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the first embodiment of the
invention, an interrupter system 34 is added between the controller
socket 22 of the games machine 12 and the plug 20 of the controller
connection lead 18. The interrupter system 34 includes an extension
lead 36 having a plug 38 at one end that is complementary to the
controller socket 22 of the games machine 12 and a socket 40 at the
other end that is complementary to the plug 20 of the controller
lead 18. The extension lead 36 provides permanent one-to-one
connections between each of the terminals 42, except the supply
voltage terminal 44, of the plug 38 and the respective terminals
46, except the supply voltage terminal 48, of the socket 40. An
interrupter lead 50 also extends from the extension plug 38 to an
interrupter housing 52 and contains two cores 54,56 that are
connected to the supply voltage terminals 44,48 of the extension
plug 38 and socket 40, respectively.
[0030] In the interrupter housing 52, the cores 54,56 of the
interrupter lead 50 are connected across the switch contacts of a
normally-open switch 58 of a reed relay 60. One terminal of the
coil 62 of the reed relay 60 is connected in series with a resistor
64 and a capacitor 66 to a common contact of a two-pole,
magnetically-operable reed switch 68. The other terminal of the
relay coil 62 is connected directly to the normally-closed contact
of the reed switch 68 and is also connected via a battery 70 to the
normally-open contact of the reed switch 68.
[0031] The interrupter system 34 also includes one or more magnets
72 that, in use, are attached for example by double-sided
sticky-pads to a moving part 74 of an exercise machine 76, such as
a bottom bracket spindle of an exercise cycle on which the pedal
cranks are mounted, or a pedal spindle of a stepper machine. The
interrupter housing 52 is mounted on a static part of the exercise
machine 76, for example by hook-and-loop fastening tape or
double-sided sticky-pads, with the reed switch 68 within the
influence of the magnet or magnets 72 such that, during steady
operation of the exercise machine 76, the reed switch 68 opens and
closes with the open time being about equal to the closed time.
[0032] The values of the coil resistance, pickup voltage Vp and
dropout voltage Vd of the relay 60, the resistance of resistor 64,
the capacitance of the capacitor 66, and the voltage of the battery
70 are chosen so that the interrupter system 34 operates as
follows.
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D, if the state Ss of the reed
switch 68 is initially in its normally-closed (NC) position and the
capacitor 66 is initially discharged (Vc=0), the voltage Vr across
the relay coil 62 is zero and so the state Sr of the relay switch
58 is open. When the state Ss of the reed switch 68 then changes to
normally-open (NO) due to the influence of one of the magnets 72,
the voltage Vr across the relay coil 62 initially rises to a value
above the pickup voltage Vp of the relay 60, and so the state Sr of
the relay switch 58 immediately changes to closed. As the capacitor
66 charges, the voltage Vc across it increases, and the voltage Vr
across the relay coil 62 decays. When the voltage Vr across the
relay coil 62 falls to the dropout voltage Vd of the relay 60, the
state Sr of the relay switch 58 changes to open.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D, if the state Ss of the reed
switch 68 is initially NO and the capacitor 66 is initially fully
charged, the voltage Vr across the relay coil 62 is zero and so the
state Sr of the relay switch 58 is open. When the state Ss of the
reed switch 68 then changes to NC due to the influence of the
magnet 72 being removed, the voltage Vr across the relay coil 62
initially rises to a value below the negative pickup voltage -Vp of
the relay 60, and so the state Sr of the relay switch 58
immediately changes to closed. As the capacitor 66 discharges, the
voltage Vc across it decays, and the voltage Vr across the relay
coil 62 increases towards zero. When the voltage Vr across the
relay coil 62 increases to the negative dropout voltage -Vd of the
relay 60, the state Sr of the relay switch 58 changes to open.
[0035] As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D, if the effects described above
with reference to FIGS. 4A to 5D are combined in a repeating
sequence with a relatively long cycle period T=T1, relay switch 58
closes and opens twice in each period T1. However, as shown in
FIGS. 7A to 7D, for a shorter cycle period T=T2, once the relay
switch 58 closes, it remains closed because the voltage Vr across
the relay coil 62 does not fall below the positive dropout voltage
Vd before the reed switch 68 opens and does not rise above the
negative dropout voltage -Vd before the reed switch 68 closes.
[0036] The period T of the cycle of operation of the reed switch 68
is inversely proportional to the rate of operation of exercise
machine 76. The game being played on the games machine 12 will only
operate normally if the relay switch 68 remains closed. Therefore,
it is necessary for the user to operate the exercise machine at a
rate in excess of a predetermined rate in order that the game can
be played continuously without interruption.
[0037] It should be noted that the above is a simplified
description of the operation of the interrupter system 34. It does
not, for example, take into account the transition times of the
reed switch 68 and relay switch 58 or the inductance of the relay
coil 62 which will have an effect when the voltage Vr across the
relay coil 62 suddenly changes from above Vd to below -Vd. The
values of the circuit components can be chosen to provided a
required cycle period T. In a prototype the chosen circuit values
were: battery voltage=9V; resistance of resistor 64=470.OMEGA.;
capacitance of capacitor 66=1000 .mu.F; resistance of relay coil
62=500.OMEGA.; pickup voltage Vp of relay 60=1.6V; dropout voltage
Vd of relay 60=1.5V; nominal switching time of relay 60=0.5 ms; and
nominal switching time of reed switch 68=0.2 ms. This required the
cycle period T to be less than about 3 s in order to maintain the
relay switch 58 closed.
[0038] It will be appreciated that many modifications and
developments may be made to the embodiment of the invention
described above.
[0039] For example, as shown in FIG. 8, rather than providing the
interrupter system 34 with an extension lead 36, the plug 38 and
socket 40 may be combined into a single housing 78.
[0040] In either case, where the use of the interrupter system 34
is being enforced, for example by a parent upon their child, the
plug 38 may be permanently or semi-permanently connected to the
socket 22 of the games machine 12, or the socket 40 may be
permanently or semi-permanently connected to the plug 20 of the
controller lead 18, for example by adhesive, by adhesive,
tamper-evident, security tape, by some other tamper-evident device,
or by a lockable mechanism.
[0041] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, the lead 50 of the
interrupter system 34 may be permanently wired into the game
controller 14 and indeed part of the other circuitry of the
interrupter system 34 may be disposed inside the game controller
14. In this case, the games controller 14 and interrupter system 34
may be supplied and sold ready-wired, or the interrupter system 34
may be supplied and sold with instructions for permanently
connecting it to an existing game controller 14.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 10, the threshold rate at which the
interrupter system 34 permits normal operation of the games machine
12 may be made adjustable, for example by placing a variable
resistor 80 of maximum value 1 k.OMEGA. in series with the resistor
64. Also, an override and/or disable facility may be provided by a
key-operated switch 82 that in one position does not affect the
operation of the interrupter system 34, but that in another
position directly connects the cores 54,56 of the lead 50 so that
the interrupter system 34 has no effect and/or in another position
disconnects the relay switch 58 so that the games machine 12 cannot
be operated normally.
[0043] Many other modifications may be made to the interrupter
system 34. For example, it may also provide the facility to
interrupt normal operation of the games machine 12 if the exercise
machine 76 is operated too fast. Indeed, with suitable selection of
components, the circuit described with reference to FIG. 3 may
provide that effect. Also, a resistor may be placed in series with
the battery 70 so that the time constant for charging the capacitor
66 is longer than the time constant for discharging it.
[0044] It should be noted that the embodiment of the invention has
been described above purely by way of example and that many other
modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope
of the present invention.
* * * * *