U.S. patent application number 14/118901 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-24 for treadmill having a device for a virtual walking course image and method for driving the treadmill.
The applicant listed for this patent is LIM KANG JUN. Invention is credited to Kang Jun Yim.
Application Number | 20140113770 14/118901 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47217920 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140113770 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yim; Kang Jun |
April 24, 2014 |
TREADMILL HAVING A DEVICE FOR A VIRTUAL WALKING COURSE IMAGE AND
METHOD FOR DRIVING THE TREADMILL
Abstract
A treadmill having a device for a virtual walking course image
and a method for driving the treadmill. The treadmill is structured
to be used within a restricted space and has a separate image
device which enables a user to select, a course from a virtual
walking course image menu. The speed of the image displayed on the
monitor changes with the walking speed of the user. In a slope mode
in which the walking course has sloped and curved road sections, a
driving belt of the treadmill operates according to the mode to
realize the corresponding slope. Further, a storage device stores
and manages walking records of the user, thereby enabling a
personal exercise record to be checked. Further, the screen of the
monitor can be split into two or more screens.
Inventors: |
Yim; Kang Jun; (Gyeonggi-Do,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KANG JUN; LIM |
Gyeonggi-Do |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
47217920 |
Appl. No.: |
14/118901 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
May 24, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR2012/004144 |
371 Date: |
November 20, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2071/0644 20130101;
A63B 2220/76 20130101; A63B 22/0023 20130101; A63B 22/0235
20130101; A63B 2071/0625 20130101; A63B 2225/50 20130101; A63B
22/02 20130101; A63B 2220/78 20130101; A63B 2220/805 20130101; A63B
2071/0638 20130101; A63B 2071/0658 20130101; A63B 2071/0081
20130101; A63B 22/0242 20130101; A63B 69/0057 20130101; A63B
24/0087 20130101; A63B 2220/70 20130101; A63B 2220/13 20130101;
A63B 24/0062 20130101; A63B 2024/0093 20130101; A63B 2024/009
20130101; A63B 22/025 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/8 |
International
Class: |
A63B 22/02 20060101
A63B022/02; A63B 24/00 20060101 A63B024/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 25, 2011 |
KR |
10-2011-0049693 |
Claims
1. A treadmill having a virtual walking/running image display
device, the treadmill being a treadmill (A) including a treadmill
body (100) in which a running belt (150) of a deck (140) on which a
user will stand and run is horizontally installed and a controller
body (300) is installed at a center of a top of a support (110)
installed upright on a front portion of the treadmill body, the
controller body (300) being connected to a video monitor (130) to
implement the virtual walking/running image display device,
wherein: the controller body (300) comprises: a main control unit
(310) configured to control entirety of the controller body; a data
storage unit (380) connected to the main control unit (310) and
configured to store information about a plurality of virtual
walking/running courses; a speed control unit (340) connected to
the main control unit (310) and configured to analyze and convert
the information about each walking/running course received from the
data storage unit (380) in real time, and transmit resulting
signals to a belt drive motor (160) and an incline motor control
unit (370); the incline motor control unit (370) connected to the
main control unit (310) and configured to control incline motors
when an incline mode occurs in the virtual walking/running course
information; the screen speed control unit (360) connected to the
main control unit (310) and configured to output a real-time screen
based on the virtual walking/running course information and control
a speed of the output screen; and a selection panel unit (120)
connected to the main control unit (310) and configured to input
Identification (ID) and password and to set walking/running
conditions, such as a walking/running course and season, wherein
the controller body (300) is connected to the video monitor (130),
thus enabling a virtual walking/running image display device (B) to
be implemented, wherein the treadmill body (100) comprises incline
drive motors (151) installed at four corners of the running belt
(150) of the deck (140) and configured to adjust heights of
respective portions of the running belt (150) while being
independently rotated to left or right by the incline motor control
unit (370), and wherein the video monitor (130) is configured to
enable multiple screens to be simultaneously displayed by dividing
a screen into two sub-screens (131 and 132) or more sub-screens,
and enable double speed walking/running to be conducted.
2. A method of driving a treadmill, comprising: a power-ON step of
turning on power of a treadmill body (100); an input step of
inputting walking/running conditions to a setting unit (122); an
initiation step of initiating driving of a belt drive motor (160);
a section determination step of determining whether a section is a
straight section, an inclined section or a curved section, based on
data provided by a data storage unit (380), a running belt
operating step of, if it is determined at the section determination
step that the section is the straight section, driving the belt
drive motor (160) under control of a speed control unit (340), thus
operating the running belt (150); a screen speed control step of
analyzing and converting an input signal, received from a power
input unit of the belt drive motor (160), using a screen speed
control unit (360), thus controlling a screen speed; a step of, if
it is determined at the section determination step that the section
is the inclined or the curved section, vertically raising or
lowering the running belt (150) by rotating the incline drive
motors (151) to left or right while controlling a speed of the belt
drive motor (160) so that the belt drive motor (160) is rotated
fast or slow, under control of the speed control unit (340) and the
incline motor control unit (370); and a step of terminating running
and storing data, wherein at the screen speed control step, when
double speed walking/running is performed, the screen speed of a
video monitor (130) is increased by a set double speed regardless
of a movement speed of the running belt (150), and wherein in a
downhill course while running, the speed of the running belt (150)
and the screen speed of the video monitor (130) are increased, and
an inclination of the running belt (150) is maintained in a
forwardly and downwardly inclined state.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method enables a
long-distance walking/running course to be divided into multiple
courses based on stored data and enables running exercise to be
taken along the courses.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates, in general, to a treadmill
having a virtual walking/running image display device and a virtual
walking/running method thereof and, more particularly, to a
treadmill having a virtual walking/running image display device and
a method of driving the treadmill, which can set image screens
required to walk/run along various courses, on a treadmill
installed in an exercise space used by the general public, such as
a sports center, or installed at home, by using an image display
device, thus allowing a user to exercise for a long time while
maintaining interest in exercise without becoming bored thanks to
various types of image content related to virtual walking/running,
and which can set the inclination of the treadmill in conjunction
with the incline and curve images of a virtual walking/running
course on a video monitor, thus allowing the user to exercise with
a high sense of realism.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Generally, a treadmill, which is sports equipment used at
home or a specific place such as a health club, is fixedly
installed and used in an indoor area.
[0003] Such a treadmill is advantageous in that it is installed
indoors, and thus a user can exercise regardless of season and
weather conditions, but it is problematic in that the treadmill is
configured to allow the user to continuously and repeatedly
exercise in an unchanged space, so that the user is easily weary of
exercising due to a monotonous usage environment, and thus gives up
his or her exercise halfway.
[0004] In order to solve this problem, inventions for attaching
various types of image display devices to existing treadmills and
allowing users to exercise while viewing screens have been devised.
However, such an invention is still limited in that users cannot
feel provided content useful because the content is unilaterally
and uniformly provided, and thus those problems have not yet been
solved.
DISCLOSURE
Technical Problem
[0005] The present invention has been made keeping in mind the
above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the
present invention is to provide a treadmill having a virtual
walking/running image display device and a method of driving the
treadmill, which install various virtual walking/running course
programs in the treadmill and allow a user to select a desired
virtual walking/running image course using an installed image
display device and to take running exercise while viewing the
virtual walking/running image course, thus allowing the user to
continuously exercise while feeling a sense of realism, without
becoming bored.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
treadmill having a virtual walking/running image display device and
a method of driving the treadmill, which can adjust the driving
speed and inclination angle of the running belt of the treadmill in
conjunction with the uphill road, downhill road, and curved road of
a virtual walking/running course, thus enabling running exercises
to be enjoyed with a sense of realism.
[0007] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
treadmill having a virtual walking/running image display device and
a method of driving the treadmill, which can simultaneously divide
a screen into two or more sub-screens, thus enabling two or more
pieces of image content to be simultaneously viewed.
Technical Solution
[0008] In order to accomplish the above objects, the present
invention provides a treadmill having a virtual walking/running
image display device, including a setting unit set in a select
panel unit of the treadmill and configured to allow a user to
select a virtual walking/running course and set walking/running
conditions such as Identification (ID) and password, a speed
control unit configured to analyze data of a selected virtual
walking/running course in real time and control a belt drive motor
and an incline motor control unit, a screen speed control unit
configured to analyze and convert an electrical signal from the
input power unit of the belt drive motor and control a screen speed
of a video monitor, a data storage unit configured to store the ID,
password, and exercise history of a user and the course information
of virtual walking/running courses, the incline motor control unit
configured to receive information about an inclined section and a
curved section among pieces of information about the virtual
walking/running course, and control incline drive motors in
conjunction with the inclined and curved conditions of the virtual
course, a main control unit organically connected to the respective
control units and configured to control the control units, and the
video monitor configured to simultaneously divide a screen into two
or more sub-screens and enable two or more pieces of image content
to be simultaneously viewed depending on a selection of the
user.
[0009] In order to accomplish the above objects, a method of
driving a treadmill includes the steps of 1) turning on power of
the treadmill, 2) inputting walking/running conditions to a setting
unit, 3) driving a belt drive motor, and initiating operation of a
running belt, 4) a speed control unit determining whether a section
is an inclined or curved section, based on data provided by a data
storage unit, 5) if it is determined that the section is neither
the inclined section nor the curved section, driving the belt drive
motor and operating the running belt in a normal mode under control
of the speed control unit, 6) controlling a screen speed using a
screen speed control unit, 7) if it is determined at 4) that the
section is the inclined or curved section, driving incline drive
motors in an incline mode under control of the speed control unit
and an incline motor control unit, and 8) storing data.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS
[0010] The treadmill having a virtual walking/running image display
device and a method of driving the treadmill according to the
present invention are configured such that a separate image display
device is installed on a treadmill used in a limited space and such
that, if a user selects a virtual walking/running course image menu
set in the virtual walking/running image display device using a
setting unit, an image such as that of each course of Olle Trail in
Jeju Island, each course of Dulle Trail of Jiri Mountain, the
course of Yunjung Road of Yeouido, or each of domestic/foreign
principal marathon courses is displayed, and are configured such
that, depending on the walking/running speed of the user, the speed
of the image on the video monitor is changed, and in the incline of
a walking/running course and the incline mode of a curved section,
a running belt is operated while forming an inclined surface
corresponding to the incline or incline mode in conjunction with
the incline or the incline mode, so that there is an advantage in
that, even if the treadmill is used in a limited space, the user
can feel a sense of realism as if he or she were walking/running
along a real course, thus continuously and pleasantly exercising
without becoming bored. Further, there is an advantage in that, in
a storage unit, walking/running history is stored and managed to
enable personal exercise history to be searched for, and, in the
case of a long-distance walking/running course, the entire course
can be divided into multiple courses to allow the user to walk/run
along the divided courses, and in that the screen of the video
monitor is divided into two or more sub-screens to display two or
more different pieces of image content, so that the user can watch
a broadcast such as a news program while walking/running along a
virtual walking/running course, thus increasing the usefulness of
the treadmill.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] FIGS. 1a and 1b are a schematic perspective view and a
longitudinal sectional view, respectively, of a treadmill according
to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the principal
components of the treadmill having a virtual walking/running image
display device according to a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the treadmill having an
image display device according to a first embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0014] FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart showing the treadmill
having an image display device according to a first embodiment of
the present invention.
BEST MODE
[0015] Hereinafter, a preferred first embodiment of the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to the
attached drawings.
[0016] FIG. 1a is a schematic perspective view showing a treadmill
A having a virtual walking/running image display device according
to a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the treadmill A having the
virtual walking/running image display device according to the first
embodiment of the present invention is configured such that a
controller body 300 is installed at the center of the top of a
support 110 installed upright on the front portion of a treadmill
body 100, and such that a panel monitor 121 for displaying the
operating status of the treadmill and a selection panel unit 120
are installed on the controller body 300.
[0018] The selection panel unit 120 is implemented as a touch panel
and has a setting unit 122 composed of a plurality of buttons.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the controller body 300 includes a main
control unit 310 configured to control various types of control
units, a data storage unit 380 connected to the main control unit
310 and configured to store information about a plurality of
virtual walking/running courses, a speed control unit 340 connected
to the main control unit 310 and configured to analyze and convert
information about each walking/running course, received from the
data storage unit 380, in real time, and transmit signals to a belt
drive motor 160 and an incline motor control unit 370, the incline
motor control unit 370 connected to the main control unit 310 and
configured to control incline motors when an incline mode appears
in the virtual walking/running course information, a screen speed
control unit 360 connected to the main control unit 310 and
configured to output a real-time screen based on the virtual
walking/running course information and to control the speed of the
output screen, and the selection panel unit 120 provided with the
setting unit 122.
[0020] That is, the selection panel unit 120 is electrically
connected to the data storage unit 380 through the main control
unit 310.
[0021] Further, the controller body 300 including the selection
panel unit 120 having the panel monitor 121 and the setting unit
122 formed on the top thereof is connected to a video monitor 130,
and then a virtual walking/running image display device B is
implemented.
[0022] On the video monitor 130, a fragrance generation unit 130b
and a speaker part 130a for generating sounds related to virtual
walking/running courses in conjunction with the virtual
walking/running courses are installed. The speaker part 130a is
installed to output sounds in a wireless manner through earphones
(not shown) inserted into the ears of the user. The fragrance
generation unit 130b causes negative ions or phytoncide fragrance.
As the video monitor 130, a monitor having a size of at least 30
inches must be installed so as to implement walking/running with a
sense of realism.
[0023] In the present embodiment, the video monitor 130 is
installed on the top of the support 110, but it may be installed to
be supported by a separate stand (not shown) due to the problem of
vibration. On the top of the support 110, electric fans 111 may be
installed to dry the perspiration of the user or cool off the
user.
[0024] Four incline drive motors 151 are installed at four corners
of a running belt 150 on a deck 140, on which the user will stand
and run, in the treadmill body 100 of the treadmill A. A driven
shaft 150a is installed in the front portion of the running belt
150, and is installed to rotate using a power transmission belt 161
through which the rotary power of the belt drive motor 160 is
transferred.
[0025] Guide handles 142 are installed upright on the front and
rear portions of the top of the deck 140 of the treadmill body 100,
and photo-sensors 143 are installed on the respective guide handles
142 and are configured such that a front photo-sensor 143 installed
on the front guide handles 142 generates a warning sound against
the danger of the forward approach of the user and such that a rear
photo-sensor 143 senses the danger of the rearward fall of the user
on the running belt 150 and generates a warning sound against the
danger. Further, emergency stop switches 144 are formed on the
front guide handles 142, thus stopping the operation of the running
belt 140 in an emergency.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a relation between
the principal components of the treadmill body 100 having a virtual
walking/running image display device according to a first
embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram
showing a relation between the components of the virtual
walking/running image display device according to the present
invention.
[0027] A treadmill A having the virtual walking/running image
display device is configured such that, when walking/running
conditions, such as identification (ID), password, a
walking/running course, and season, are entered using the setting
unit 122 formed on the selection panel unit 120, and a
walking/running start button is turned on, a walking/running
information signal for a virtual walking/running course stored in
the data storage unit 380 is transferred to the speed control unit
340. The speed control unit 340 analyzes and converts, in real
time, information about each walking/running course received from
the data storage unit 380, and then controls the belt drive motor
160 and the incline motor control unit 370.
[0028] The data storage unit 380 stores information about a
plurality of virtual walking/running courses in addition to
information such as the ID, password, and exercise history of the
user, and such virtual walking/running course information includes
images of the corresponding course and information about the
height, curve, distance, etc. of each section of the corresponding
course obtained by a Geographic Information System (GIS). For
example, such virtual walking/running course information may be a
Chuncheon marathon course, for which an image of a course for
walking/running along the lakeside of Uiam Dam is produced with a
length of about 4 hours (this is designated as a "Chuncheon
full-course marathon stream"). Such a Chuncheon full-course
marathon stream is produced to include eight divided sectional
streams, each being played for about 30 minutes, and the user may
load a desired sectional stream and use it for walking/running
exercise. At this time, screen speed may be changed according to
the doubled-speed of the video monitor 130 and may run along a
marathon course of an hour (at double speed) or of an hour and a
half (at 3.times. speed) by means of exercise taken for 30
minutes.
[0029] When the received information indicates an inclined or
curved section based on the information stored in the data storage
unit 380, the speed control unit 340 functions to operate
individual incline drive motors 151 by transferring information
about the corresponding section to the incline motor control unit
370 using a preset program while functioning to control the speed
of the belt drive motor 160 to speed corresponding to the operation
speed of the motors 151.
[0030] That is, the belt drive motor 160 is operated using a
program preset to be operated slow on an uphill road and to be
operated fast on a downhill road, in proportion to the degree of
the inclination.
[0031] The screen speed control unit 360 analyzes the intensity of
input power of the belt drive motor 160, converts the input power
intensity into a signal, and controls the speed of the video
monitor 130. In this way, the screen speed of the video monitor 130
may be associated with the rotational speed of the belt drive motor
160.
[0032] Further, the treadmill A having the virtual walking/running
image display device has a double speed walking/running function.
The double speed walking/running function executed by the image
display device B allows the user to enjoy interesting exercise
based on various experiences in such a way that, when the user
selects the double speed walking/running function using the setting
unit 122, the screen speed of the video monitor 130 in the
treadmill A is increased by a designated scale factor regardless of
the speed of the running belt 150 by the screen speed control unit
360 based on a preset program and then the user may walk/run along
a long-distance course for a short period of time. Such a double
speed walking/running function is operated using a double speed
function used in a typical digital Television (TV) or Digital
Versatile Disk (DVD).
[0033] For example, in the case of a Chuncheon marathon course
image played using a double speed walking/running function, when it
is desired to run, for 30 minutes, along the first sectional stream
and the second sectional stream of a Chuncheon full-course marathon
stream produced with a length of 4 hours, if a 2.times. speed
function is selected and walking/running is conducted, the user may
view an image corresponding to walking/running along a 1-hour
marathon course as a 1-hour image corresponding to the first and
second sectional streams has passed, by means of exercising for 30
minutes. Such a double speed walking/running function is
implemented to extract only components configuring an I picture
from a specific location of a stream written in a large-capacity
storage device with reference to the stored information, and
transfer the extracted components to a Moving Picture Experts Group
(MPEG) decoder, thus enabling walking/running to be conducted.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0035] When a user turns on the power of the treadmill A according
to the present invention, enters his or her ID and password using
the setting unit, selects a walking/running course, and starts
walking/running, the data storage unit 380 initiates the generation
of a data signal for the selected course. The speed control unit
340 that received the signal analyzes and converts the received
signal in real time, and controls the speed of the belt drive motor
160, so that the belt drive motor 160 is operated depending on the
controlled speed. The screen speed control unit 360 analyzes and
converts an electrical signal from the input unit of the belt drive
motor 160, and then controls the screen speed of the video monitor
130.
[0036] If the signal received from the data storage unit 380 is
information about an incline mode related to an inclined section or
a hill section, the speed control unit 340 separately transmits the
signal to the incline motor control unit 370, and the incline motor
control unit 370 analyzes and converts the received signal, and
then controls the incline drive motors 151. That is, when a
walking/running course is an uphill section, two front incline
drive motors 151 are driven to be rotated to the right, so that the
running belt 150 is forwardly and upwardly inclined, thus enabling
the uphill section to be implemented. Simultaneously, the speed of
the belt drive motor 160 is controlled to be low by the speed
control unit 340, so that the speed of the running belt 150 becomes
low while the screen speed is also controlled to be low by the
screen speed control unit 360, thus completing the walking/running
conditions of the virtual walking/running course.
[0037] In contrast, on a downhill road, operation contrary to that
of the uphill road is performed, but the speed of the running belt
150 is controlled with the running belt 150 being forwardly and
downwardly inclined at an angle close to a horizontal state on the
downhill road, in consideration of the characteristics of the
treadmill and the safety of the user.
[0038] Further, in a curved section, the speed control unit 340
transmits curve data received from the data storage unit 380, and
the incline motor control unit 370 analyzes and converts the curve
data, differently controls the heights of the four incline drive
motors 151, and then implements a virtual curved inclined surface
on the deck 140.
[0039] In the case of a right curved section, the running belt 150
is upwardly moved while the right incline drive motors 151 are
combined and rotated to the right, so that the left surface of the
running belt 150 is raised and the right surface of the running
belt 150 is lowered, thus enabling the shape of the right curve to
be implemented.
[0040] Further, even in a section in which an incline and a curve
overlap each other, such functions may be combined to implement the
section.
[0041] Furthermore, the present invention may store the ID,
password, and personal walking/running history of the user in the
data storage unit 380, may divide the entire long-distance course
into sections and separately walk/run along the divided sections
for respective dates in the case of long-distance course
walking/running, and may store and refer to the walking/running
history of the user for respective periods, thus enabling the
amount of exercise for each person to be managed.
[0042] In the present invention, the video monitor 130 includes the
function of dividing a single screen into two sub-screens 131 and
132 or more sub-screens and simultaneously displaying multiple
screens depending on the user's selection, and then provides the
function of allowing the user to watch a TV broadcast while viewing
a virtual walking/running course image, by means of the
function.
[0043] As described above, although the present invention has been
described with reference to the specific preferred embodiment of
the present invention, it should be understood that the present
invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various
modifications and changes can be implemented by those skilled in
the art, without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0044] Since, for a treadmill having a virtual walking/running
image display device and a method of driving the treadmill
according to the present invention, it is possible to repeatedly
produce and execute the same product in normal treadmill
manufacturing factories, the present invention may be considered to
have industrial applicability.
* * * * *