EP0371042B1 - Process and device for supporting fitness training by means of music - Google Patents

Abstract

In a process for supporting fitness training by playing music, in which the exercising person repeats movement cycles periodically, the motivating effect of the music is enhanced in that the music is synchronized by and with the movement cycles and uses a rythm or a rythmic beat at a predetermined point within the movement cycle of at least one part of the body of the exercising person. A device for implementing this process includes a pulse generator (2, 31A, 5; 14; 28) arranged to correspond to the movement phases of the exercising person during a movement cycle, a synchronization unit which further processes the pulses of the pulse generator, and a device for playing music controlled by the synchronization unit.

Description

The invention relates to a method for supporting fitness training, in which the exercising person repeats movement cycles periodically, by means of playing music, and a device for carrying out this method.

In fitness training, rhythmic movements are carried out, among other things, by the arms and / or legs, for example using bicycle ergometers or exercise bikes with arm and / or leg actuation devices, during running training and trimming trotting, and when training with rowing machines and the like.

The devices mentioned and running are suitable for training endurance fitness, which is an important means of maintaining psychophysical well-being and keeping the cardiovascular system healthy. Good training effects can be achieved with a load that leads to a heart rate of approximately 70% of the individual maximum heart rate over a period of between approximately 20 to 40 minutes. However, sensations of exertion and / or boredom often associated with such training forms lead to such a feeling Training isn't particularly popular.

The perception of unpleasant sensations can be reduced in rhythm with rhythmic music during training.

The practitioner adjusts the tempo of each movement cycle to the tempo of the music so that a movement cycle is accompanied by a certain number of beat times of the music. In such a fitness training after music accompaniment at a given tempo, the training person has to turn part of his attention to keeping to the rhythm and to adapt his rhythm of movement again and again so that the training-facilitating pacemaker effect of the music and the reduced perception of unpleasant sensations come into full effect.

Training according to rhythmic music has been used successfully in recent years in gymnastics with music known as "aerobics" to motivate training. The practitioner has the opportunity to continuously adapt the use of energy to his or her current state of health and performance by varying the intensity of the individual movements. An individual variation The use of energy on exercise bikes is possible with unchanged load by changing the number of pedal revolutions per unit of time. For devices with the possibility of a load setting that is independent of the number of revolutions, changes in the number of revolutions do not lead to changes in the required force, but can be perceived as a change. In any case, changes in the tempo of the movement cycles with music accompanying the training at a constant tempo will cause you to be out of step.

WO-A-87/03498 describes a device which triggers a drum sound pattern of an electronic drum kit when a body part is guided past a sensor device, so that the exerciser can experience his exercises rhythmically. The device according to DE-A-2 433 121 wide sound bodies, which sound a melody when the practitioner touches the hand. In both documents, automatic synchronization of the playing tempo of pieces of music with the movement speed of the exerciser is not provided.

In BE-A-875 526, DE-A-2 949 630 and GB-A-2 114 901 training devices with audio-visual devices are described, the playback speed of which changes in proportion to the movement speed of the training device. Only in GB-A-2 114 901 parts of the device are described which - how in the present invention - establish the synchronization between the movement speed of the exerciser and the playback speed of an audio-visual player. This publication is therefore to be regarded as the closest prior art.

In contrast to GB-A-2 114 901, the present invention is intended to achieve the object of improving the motivational effect of the music in that a special concentration for adapting the rhythm of movement and the beats and beat times of the music is no longer required.

This object is achieved, as described in claim 1, in that a constant number of the beat times and beats of music to be played and the points of use of the beat times are specified per movement cycle, during each movement cycle, signals are emitted to a synchronization unit which recognize the movement position and the The division of each movement cycle into sections allows these sections of each movement cycle to be assigned successive sections of the predetermined number of beat times of the music to be played at predetermined use positions within a movement cycle and the synchronization unit by outputting digital signals to one Music player causes the sections of the beat times and beats of the music to be played during the sections of the movement cycle to which they have been assigned. The use positions of the beat times and beats of the music within each movement cycle can be changed in that signals for different use positions can be input to the synchronization unit.

A development of the method according to claim 2 enables its use even in the case of a non-predictably varying length of the movement cycles.

Simultaneous synchronization of the playback speed of imaging devices from and with the speed of the movement cycle could further support the motivating effect.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the music to be played is in digital form, because the synchronization - with preferred pitch independence from the changes in the movement speed of the person performing it - is particularly simple.

With regard to a device for performing this method, the object is achieved by the features of claim 3.

Music can be in the form of digital codes, especially for pitch, touch dynamics, tone length of note values and further features such as after-touch, modulation and sound, which means that the parameters of all notes of the music to be played can be stored digitally to the required extent. A tempo control by clock-related timing clock codes and output of codes for note parameters to a synthesizer with rhythm machine is possible here without changing the pitch.

In contrast to this, on the compact disc (CD) and the digital audio tape (DAT) no characteristic scores are recorded, but an image of the analog mixed signal of music in digital form by digitization with a high sampling frequency. Changing the playback tempo also changes the pitch.

With a constant music tempo during digitization with a constant number of sample pumps per beat time, even with sampled music, the music tempo can be changed clock-related when the playback speed changes using a digital-to-analog converter.

Compact disks or digital audio tapes can also be used without constant music tempo when recording for the tempo control described below, if clock-related Clock signals can also be saved.

For the purposes of the invention, “fitness training” means any type of sporting and / or gymnastic exercise that is suitable for maintaining or improving the physical well-being, performance and / or health of the exercising person. "Music" is understood to mean any type of sound reproduction in which rhythmic combinations of sounds are emitted. This is the case, among other things, with pure rhythm devices, but also with melodic pieces of music. The "beat time" or "beat time" is the metric subunit of a measure. Their duration is given as a fraction of an entire grade. The tempo of the music is the speed of the beat times. It is indicated by the number of metronome beats per minute. The time from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next metronome beat is usually the length of a quarter note. A "beat" is understood in the sense of the invention to be an emphatically audible event which recurs more or less regularly within successive beat times and preferably at the beginning of a counting time (= beat time) and preferably as part of the rhythm accompaniment begins; however, this event can also occur regularly or irregularly with a time delay, based on the start of a counting time. Beats can also consist of sound sequences perceived as a unit and are acoustic progression forms that stand out clearly from the entirety of the sound sequences of music. They typically return periodically in successive beat times and, when moving to the rhythm of music, provide an acoustic orientation for moving "in time". You can provide psychological support for phases of increased tension and / or accentuated movement during fitness training that repeat rhythmically in successive movement cycles.

The invention allows changes in the frequency with which the movement cycles are repeated periodically - that is, changes in the movement speed - without being out of step, since the tempo of the music adapts to the movement speed. Starting points or phases and number of beats of the music within a movement cycle can be predetermined and do not change with the movement speed if they are not changed by the practitioner. When a beat begins at the beginning of a Beating time or constant time delay, its point of use within the movement cycle can be predetermined and changed by the beginning of the beating time. It has been shown that the motivating effect is only pronounced when the beats are used in certain individually different phases of a movement cycle.

Occurring, time-varying use of the beats within the beat times could also be taken into account. However, this is generally not necessary since it is usually not perceived as unpleasant.

In the following exemplary embodiments, we assume that music is used in which - as is customary in rhythmic music - the beats within the beat times occur as the metric subunits of the music measures and return periodically. This makes it possible to achieve the periodic return of a desired number of beats within predeterminable phases of a movement cycle of one or more parts of the body of the practitioner by assigning a corresponding number of beat times to a movement cycle.

In the exemplary embodiments, the practitioner also has the option of selecting and changing desired starting points of the beats from selectable starting points for beating times distributed over the entire movement cycle according to his acoustic impression of the starting points of the associated beats during practice. The assignment of the beats to certain movement phases is thus decisive for his choice of the starting points of the beating times. It does not matter whether they start with the start of the beat times or are delayed in relation to them. With periodically somewhat time-varying starting points of the beats within different beating times, the practitioner could choose a starting point of the beating times that matches the average starting point of the beats within the movement cycle and understand temporal variations of the emphasized tone sequences in his movement cycle.

In the exemplary embodiments, an integral number of beat times is assigned to the movement cycle of the body parts predominantly involved in an exercise, which leads to the usual music tempos at the usual frequencies for these movement cycles.

It can be assumed that the beat times for the rhythmic music used are preferably the length of a quarter note. With exercise bikes and jogging with normal movement frequencies of the legs between 50 and 90 per minute, only 2 quarter notes per movement cycle are practically possible to achieve normal music tempos and with repeated beats at the same point in the movement cycle.

In order to ensure that information about the movement speed, which is available during a training according to a predetermined speed of music, is preserved, for example, the possibility of visual displays of the movement frequency of movement cycles, the instantaneous and total performance and the difference to one preset target performance can be used, which the exercising person can check regularly as required.

Expedient embodiments of the subject matter of the invention, which in particular ensure training-appropriate synchronization of the music and a pleasant feeling for music, are contained in further claims.

The components to be used according to the invention, respectively In terms of size, shape, material selection and technical conception or process conditions, process steps are not subject to any special exceptions, so that the selection criteria known in the respective field of application can be used without restriction.

Further details, features and advantages of the subject matter of the invention result from the following description of the associated drawings, in which two preferred embodiments of devices usable according to the invention are shown.

• Fig. 1 ein Trimmfahrrad mit trainierender Person und Impulsgebern;
• Fig. 2 eine laufende Person mit Impulsgebern, Sendern und Empfängern;
• Fig. 3 eine Synchronisations-/ Abspiel-Einheit als Blockschaltbild ;
• Fig. 4 Vorrichtung zur Impulserzeugung und Bewegungsrichtungserkennung - schematisch, sowie
• Fig. 5 eine alternative Anordnung der Armbetätigungseinrichtung in Fig. 1.

The drawings show:

• 1 shows a fitness bike with a exercising person and pulse generators;
• 2 shows a running person with pulse generators, transmitters and receivers;
• 3 shows a synchronization / playback unit as a block diagram;
• Fig. 4 device for pulse generation and direction of motion detection - schematically, as well
• 5 shows an alternative arrangement of the arm actuation device in FIG. 1.

The exercise bike shown in FIG. 1 has a foot actuation device 1 and handle bars 10 which are eccentrically connected to the toothed rim (drive wheel) 1A and which drive a flywheel 7 as an energy absorption unit (DE-A-517 775, DE-A-2742 719). This is braked mechanically at 8. Because of the possibility of coordinated rhythmic movement of the arms and legs, the use of such a device is particularly suitable for a training supported by the rhythm of music.

In the first exemplary embodiment, each pushing forward of a handle bar 10 and simultaneously depressing the equilateral foot pedal 1B and simultaneously pulling the handle bar 10 and moving up the foot pedal 1B on the other side during this movement subsection of a movement cycle when selecting appropriate music from the onset of a beat of the rhythm accompaniment, which begins with a beat time the length of a quarter note. This causes the contraction of the muscle groups used for this movement - especially the leg extension of one leg, the arm extension on the same side and the arm flexor on the other side - through the onset of a beat mentally supports the rhythm accompaniment of the music.

The opposite coordination with pulling a handle bar 10 while depressing the foot pedal 1B on the same side is also perceived as pleasant.

A pedal frequency of approximately 50 to 80 revolutions per minute is recommended to synchronize the music. This frequency range is relatively pleasant for most people and, at the same time, allows a beat time with the length of a quarter note to be inserted during the leg extension of each leg and the simultaneous arm movements during a pedal revolution.

A rhythm of 100 to 160 metronome beats (or quarter notes) per minute, which is common in rhythmic music, is thus achieved. Some exercisers also prefer rotational frequencies in the range of 100 pedal revolutions per minute for a short time. With two beat times of the length of a quarter note per pedal rotation, this corresponds to music tempos of around 200 (presto).

According to my test results, different positions of the foot pedals 1B in the range between approximately 40 and 170 are used for the onset of the beat Degree forward rotation selected after passing the upper extreme point with the corresponding position of the handle bars 10. Some practitioners also like to have a choice of which pedals to use the first and third quarters of a measure, which are often emphasized in 4/4 time, or the first quarter in 2/4 time (in 3/4 time, the emphasized first quarter changes from one leg to the other). It is also desirable to be able to change the beats' starting points within the movement cycle of each leg during exercise.

It has proven to be useful during training with music to provide the handle bars 10 with handles 35 which can be adjusted in height and distance from the body.

The also adjustable inclination of the handles 35 with respect to the horizontal - about 30 to 40 degrees - should allow a middle position between pronation and supination of the forearm. A setting is recommended that allows a relatively upright posture of the upper body (about 15 to 20 degrees from the vertical to the front) even when an arm is stretched while pushing a handle bar forward. This can help the relatively static muscle work of the arms when supporting the weight of the inclined upper body, which occurs mainly when the handlebars are in the bent position, be greatly reduced. Static muscle work leads to muscle fatigue even at low loads due to the associated continuous muscle contraction.

In addition, a forward movement of the handle bars 10, which is approximately downward from the horizontal, is usually perceived as more pleasant. It can easily be achieved by choosing a pivot point closer to the foot actuation device for fastening the end of the handlebar lever to the drive rod 37 (corresponding to DE-A-2742 719) in connection with an extension of the handlebars 10 via the adjusting device 35A.

An alternative embodiment to the device for coordinated actuation of the handle bars 10 and foot pedals 1B according to DE-A-2742 719 shown in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 5. It corresponds in principle to the description in DE-A-517 774 with the difference that the driving force emanating from the handle bars 10 does not come from the gearwheel connected to the foot pedals 1B 1A, but via a gear 41 which is separate therefrom and which is located in front of the handle bars 10, acts on the flywheel 7 as an energy absorption unit. As a result, the drive rods 37 no longer move as in FIG. 1 in the area of the foot pedals 1B. This has the advantage that the range of motion of the feet is less restricted, fewer injury protection measures are required and the entire arrangement can be attached to many trim bicycles as an additional device without any design change, in particular the drive device 1. 5 shows the following different arrangement from FIG. 1:

The handlebars 10 are connected to drive rods 37 directed away from the practitioner and these are movably connected with pins 38. The pins 38, crank arms 39 and a drive shaft 40 are rotatably connected to one another and to a gear 41. The gearwheel 41 transmits the movement of the handlebars 10 via a chain in a selectable transmission ratio to a gearwheel 42 which is connected to the flywheel 7 or - if present - to the freewheel of the flywheel 7 in a rotationally fixed manner.

It is advantageous between the gear 41 and the gear 42 of the flywheel 7 connected to it via a chain choose the same gear ratio as between gears 1A and 7A to ensure the generally preferred equality of frequency of arm and leg movement cycles. In contrast to the prior art, it is also easy for some practitioners to halve the frequency of arm movements compared to leg movements by halving the gear ratio 41 and 42 accordingly. The other components correspond analogously to those in FIG. 1.

The described adjustability and displacement of the range of rotation of the handlebars 10 and the transmission of the drive force of the handlebars 10 to the flywheel 7 by means of a device located away from the practitioner are improvements which are also useful when using an exercise bike with handlebars which can be moved in coordination with the foot pedals without music.

For the first embodiment, we first assume that in the case of music that is played, beats start at about the beginning of the beat times. The synchronization of the beats of music by and with Selectable phases of the support can be implemented in a simple manner using devices manufactured in series and a sequencer program by (so-called external) synchronization of the playback speed of digitally stored music. To play digitally stored music, a synchronization and playback unit is shown schematically in FIG. 3; it consists of a microcomputer 20 (for example an IBM-compatible personal computer) with sequencer software for digital storage and playback of music (for example Sequencer Plus mk III, Fa, Voyetra Technologies, Mamaroneck, USA), an intelligent MIDI interface 21 ( e.g. OP 4001, FA.Voyetra Technologies, Mamaroneck, USA) with 5-volt clock input 21A for external tempo control of music playback, as well as a MIDI-compatible player 25 for sound generation (for example synthesizer with rhythm machine or keyboard). MIDI is the abbreviation for Musical Instruments Digital Interface, described in S. Philipp, MIDI Compendium 2; Franconian-Crumbach 1986.

For external tempo control, on the right side of the flywheel 7 are twelve magnets 5 serving as pulse generators at equal distances from one another on a circumference 7B of a flywheel 7 attached. A sensor 6, which is attached to the frame of the exercise bike over the circumference 7B, transmits the pulses 12 generated by the passing magnets 5 via a line 12A to the synchronization and playback unit. Between a gear 1A connected to the handlebars 10 and foot pedals 1B of a foot actuation device 1 and the gear 7A attached to the flywheel 7 there is exactly fourfold translation 4. This means that the sensor 6 with a half turn of the gear 1A and the pedals 1B twenty-four magnetic pulses records. The sensor 6 generates - using a circuit and voltage supply not specified in more detail - with a battery, which is not specifically shown in the drawing, since known per se, each time a magnet is passed, an electrical 5-volt rectangular pulse 12 and conducts it to a 5-volt Clock input 21A of the MIDI interface 21 of the microcomputer 20. Corresponding pulses 12 can also be generated with an optical sensor 29A and pulse windows 28 in the sleeve 1D (see FIG. 4) of the foot control device 1. The sequencer program and the digitally stored music are loaded into the working memory and the program is synchronized with "external" 24 clock pulses per quarter note set so that every half pedal turn can be accompanied by a beat time with the length of a quarter note. With each electrical impulse, 1/24 of the notes of a beat time - including the associated pauses - are played.

If a beat time of the length of a quarter note contains, for example, a tone and a pause of an eighth note length, the tone continues after the start with a first clock pulse during the following pulses and ends with the thirteenth pulse.

The first rectangular pulse 12 causes a microprocessor integrated in the MIDI interface to generate a MIDI start code (= FA (H)) and a first MIDI timing clock code (= F8 (H)). Only one timing clock code is generated for each subsequent pulse. At the moment, twenty-four timing clock codes per quarter note are defined according to the MIDI standard.

There is still a point in the phase of depressing a leg or moving an arm to coordinate with the onset of beats. For this purpose, the first pulse forwarded by sensor 6 to start playing the notes of the first beat time is selected so that the first beat at the desired one Position while depressing foot pedal 1B. This can be set manually or achieved, for example, by using a magnet 2 as a pulse generator on the gearwheel 1A connected to the foot pedals 1B and an associated sensor 3 attached to the frame.

Sensor 3 and magnet 2 can be positioned so that the sensor 3, after pressing a start / stop button 9, which closes a relay 22 via a line 13 (FIG. 3), forwards a first pulse via a line 11 and 11A when the right foot pedal has reached the desired point of impact of the stroke times in its movement cycle. This pulse switches a relay 23, which closes a contact 23A of a line 12A for tempo control. After the forwarding of the first pulse of the magnets 5 via the line 12A, the first beat time begins to play. The start of playback can be postponed by moving the magnet 2 so that the beat of a beat time coincides with the desired phase of the muscle contractions as precisely as possible.

In order to reinforce the favorable effect, it is advantageous to choose a rhythm accompaniment with pronounced beats.

When the start / stop button 9 is pressed again, the following pulse from sensor 3 opens the contacts of relays 22 and 23 simultaneously. With the interruption of the rectangular pulses 12 by a pulse from the sensor 3 - that is to say at the starting position - it is ensured that the playing of the music program is stopped at the end of a quarter note. However, the notes played with the last pulse are still generated; so they are still audible.

It is possible to continue playing the music at the beginning of the next beat time by pressing the Start / Stop button 9 again.

Accidental back pedaling due to the flywheel's torque and thus a shift in the starting point of the stroke times and the beats is generally excluded during training without freewheeling when the foot pedals are rotated, even if the movement speed is changed.

However, since shifts due to backward movements of the pedals can easily occur at the beginning of training or during pedal breaks, it is recommended that the start / stop button 9 only be pressed after pedaling has started and before pedaling breaks. If a shift of the point of use nevertheless occurs or if it is desired by the practitioner, it can be set by the practitioner himself using a simple device. By pressing a button on the control panel 9A, the forwarding of pulses 12 can be interrupted and the pedal position at the point of use of the stroke times can be shifted back by forty-eighth part of a pedal rotation with each suppressed pulse 12. A second button, which sends an additional pulse each time the button is pressed, could shift the starting point to a later pedal position.

If at times a constant music pace is required regardless of movement, a switch on the control panel 9A can be used to switch to a 5-volt square-wave generator. The latter can transmit square-wave pulses 12 at the frequency required for the desired music tempo (tempo times 24) to the 5-volt clock input 21A using a frequency which can be varied by means of a rotary knob.

The embodiment described above can be installed with little effort. However, it has the disadvantage that the setting of an application point which deviates from the position of the foot pedals 1B in the event of a pulse 12 from the sensor 3 of the beat times, as well as checks of the maintenance of the preselected starting point and in the event of inadvertent backward pedaling (exceptionally also in the case of pulse irregularities), corrections required an audiovisual observation of the starting point of the beats by the practitioner and the manual shifting of the starting point via buttons on the control panel 9A.

With the support of a microcomputer 24 or 20, the start of the playing of the music at the selected point of use, the controls of its maintenance during the following beat times and the necessary corrections can be carried out automatically without stressing the practitioner.

In addition, further setting and selection options described below can be provided for the practitioner or at least made more comfortable. The microcomputer 24, which only carries out such control and correction tasks, can be a single-board computer. The microcomputer 20 can take over these tasks in addition to sending timing clock and note codes to the playback device 25. A personal or home computer with mass storage for the digital codes for playing music is suitable for this purpose.

In order to correct a shift in the starting points of the beat times and thus the beats, for example due to backward pedaling, the microcomputer 24 could continuously calculate the ratio of the pulses emitted by the sensors 3 and 6 and, if the ratio deviates from the ratio 1.48 per pedal revolution, to restore the ratio accordingly suppress many pulses to the 5 volt clock input 21A. You can also forward a corresponding number of additional impulses or combine both correction methods.

However, a device for the computer-aided detection of impulses given during backward pedaling enables a faster and more flexible correction. Exercise bikes also often have flywheel freewheels.

It does not make sense here to derive the synchronization pulses as described above from pulse generators mounted on the flywheel 7. Every time the pedals were rotated in relation to those of the flywheel, there would be shifts in the start of the beat times and thus the beats in relation to the predetermined phase of the movement cycle when freewheeling. Therefore, the synchronization pulses from Pulse generators are triggered, which are preferably arranged on a circumference of the gear wheel 1A, which is fixedly connected to the pedal rotation, or parallel to the latter. When using a freewheel, standstill, accidental turning backwards or slight forward and backward movements of the pedals due to the decoupling from the torque of the flywheel - even when pedaling forward at a higher frequency - can be relatively easy.

A device for recognizing the direction of pedaling when freewheeling is therefore particularly expedient.

To generate 48 square-wave pulses per pedal revolution, which are also suitable for music control when the flywheel is idling and at the same time show the direction of pedaling, you can - as shown in Fig. 4 - on the center of the axis 1C of the gear 1A in the space between the axis 1C and the sleeve 1 d fasten a pulse disk 33 and distribute it on its circumference 27, at the same lateral distance from one another forty-eight windows as pulse generator 28. Two sensors 29A and 29B fitted into a recess in the sleeve 1D and comprising the outer edge of the pulse disk 33 (the manufacturer is, for example, the TRW Electronic Components Group, Optoelectronics Division, Carrollton, USA; see Optoelectronics Data Book, OPB980 Series, page 292) can deliver from the scanning of the windows 28 per pedal rotation over two lines 30A and 30B forty-eight pulse sequences 33A and 33B offset by 90 degrees with a pulse-pause ratio of approximately 1: 1. The sensors 29A and 29B are arranged so that the pulses 33A lead the pulses 33B by 90 degrees when the pedals 1B are advanced. The microcomputer 24 or 20 can derive the direction of rotation 32 from this. A further optical sensor 31 can deliver a reference pulse 34 per pedal rotation via line 34A to the microcomputers 24 or 20 by scanning the window 31A.

One can also distribute twelve pulse generators (for example pulse windows for optical sensors or magnets) at the same lateral distance from one another on two circumferences of the gearwheel 1A in such a way that two rectangular pulse sequences offset by 90 degrees with a pulse-pause ratio of 1: 1 are derived from them can be. The evaluation of the rising and falling edges of both pulse sequences enables the registration of forty-eight pulses independent of the direction of rotation per pedal revolution and the simultaneous determination of the direction of rotation by a computer.

For computer-aided checks and automatic corrections of shifts in the starting points of the beat times, which occur almost only when the user steps backwards, the microcomputers 24 or 20 can use the pulses 33A, 33B and 34 emitted by the sensors 29A, 29B and 31 via the lines 30A, 30B and 34A Record via parallel inputs and determine in the manner described later whether the conditions for further music play are given. The microcomputer 24 (for example a single-board computer) can initiate the playback by sending square-wave pulses to the 5 V clock input 21A or simple midi timing clock codes to midi in 21B of the midi interface 21. The use of the microcomputer 20 (for example a personal or home computer) for the recording and processing of the pulses 33A, 33B and 34 and further inputs described later is more economical than the use of the microcomputer 24, since the former performs these tasks in addition to transmitting MIDI signals. Transfer timing clock codes and note codes for music generation to a player for music 25 (synthesizer with rhythm machine) can. It is also possible to use a synthesizer card as a slot for a personal computer (for example the expander module FB01 from Yamaha, Japan for IBM-compatible PCs). The MIDI codes required to play each piece of music can be generated in a program-controlled manner by entering its note values with a music editor program or by importing it with a keyboard, saved on a floppy disk or hard disk and loaded into the main memory at the start of the training. An assembler program was developed for the tasks of the microcomputers 24 or 20 described in more detail below.

First, it will be explained how with the help of the microcomputers 24 or 20 and the sensors 29A, 29B, and 31 and by setting a coding switch on the control panel 9A, the point of use of the beat times or beats within a pedal revolution and thus within a movement cycle of the handle bars 10 at the beginning of Training can be individually selected and easily changed during the training.

One can at the start of the program (for pieces of music with 4/4 and Pre-select 2/4 measure), with which leg the emphasized 1.

Beat time of a measure.

To enter the desired point of use, the practitioner can, for example, be given the option of selecting between 15 positions via the coding switch, which can be assigned to 15 pedal positions in the range from approximately 60 to 165 degrees and pulses 33A triggered there. With 48 pulses per pedal rotation, insert points can be selected at a distance of 360: 48 = 7.5 degrees.

The use position for a beat time, which can be set with a coding switch, can be read in via a parallel input of the microcomputers 24 or 20 when a reference pulse 31A arrives during forward rotation of the pedals.

As soon as the first pulse from sensor 31 is registered at the same time as a pulse 33A during forward rotation (that is, leading a pulse 33B by approximately 90 degrees), the microprocessor program-controlledly waits for the following subsequent pulses 33A during forward rotation, the position of the selected foot pedal 1B corresponds to the position chosen by the practitioner for a striking time the length of a quarter note.

The starting point of the next stroke time is then automatically at the corresponding position of the other foot pedal.

In the case of impulses registered during the search for the deployment position during backward pedaling, a correspondingly large number of impulses reduced by n (= number of complete revolutions during backward pedaling) times 48 during forward pedaling must be waited for before the search for the deployment point is continued. You can also start the search again with the next reference pulse when rotating forward.

If the beats start with a delay in relation to the beginning of the beating times, the practitioner, who is acoustically oriented to the beats, will advance the starting point of the beating times within the movement cycle by a corresponding number of pulses 33A.

After reaching the starting point, the microcomputer 24 forwards a MIDI timing clock code (= F8 (H)) for tempo control for each pulse 33A registered during forward rotation, or the microcomputer 20 additionally forwards codes for note characteristics, as long as no pulses 33A during reverse rotation of the pedals 1B registered will. If this is the case, however, a timing clock code is only forwarded again after waiting for a corresponding, preferably un nx 48, reduced number of pulses during the forward rotation (where n is the number of completely reversed revolutions). It is also possible to correct the shift in the starting point of the beat times and thus the beats at the next pulse 33A while stepping forward again by sending additional timing clock codes F8 (H). Their number corresponds to the difference to 48 of the impulses counted (and reduced by n times 48) for backward pedaling.

For additional control, the transmitted timing clock codes can be added to zero by resetting the counter at 48 each and when the reference pulse is reached during forward rotation, after completing reverse corrections, it can be checked whether the number of timing clock codes changes the target number of pulses 33A for forward rotation from the reference pulse to the point of use added to 48. With a total of more than 48, there are no timing clock codes for the number of the following pulses 33A corresponding to the difference when rotating forward to be sent out and, if the total is less than 48, to send out a corresponding number of additional codes.

During the training, the position of the coding switch for the operating position can also be read in for each reference pulse 34 during forward rotation and, apart from during corrections of pulses 33A during backward pedaling, a deviation of the addition with the number of timing clock codes of 48 corrected as just shown will.

This means that any necessary corrections (in the case of deviations without changing the position) and changes to the selected position can be carried out with the same operation.

An automatic correction after kicking backwards can also be carried out by continuing to play the music with the next bar or the next quarter note at the intended point of use. This procedure is also suitable for continuing playback after a pause with an appropriate input.

It is for a manual or automatic continuation of the playback with the clock in which the stop point is located or for synchronization shifts required that the microcomputers 24 or 20 have calculated the clock position of the piece of music by previously adding all the sent timing clock codes. For example, a MIDI stop code can be automatically sent on pulses 33A while pedaling backwards.

To continue playing, after stepping forward again, a song position pointer code with two data bytes, which denote the beginning of the next quarter note or the next bar of the piece of music, can be transmitted from the microcomputer 24 via a MIDI interface to external control by SPP, MIDI timing clock and chase mode can be automatically set to the sequencer program. The microcomputer 24 indicates the song position pointer code (= F2), the data bytes and the MIDI continue code (= (FB-H)) via the MIDI interface 21 as soon as the first pulse from sensor 31 arrives the sequencer program continues.

For each pulse 33A subsequently registered by the microcomputer 24 when pedaling forward, a MIDI timing clock code is forwarded to the input MIDI-In 21B for tempo control, as previously described, until a MIDI stop code is again provided by a pulse 33A Kicking backwards is triggered.

An even faster automatic correction after stopping when pedaling backwards is possible by jumping to the smallest unit of the song position pointer, which corresponds to a sixteenth note.

If the microcomputer 20 directly records and evaluates the pulses 33A and 33B, it can accordingly play back by sending the timing clock codes and note codes for the beginning of the next bar or also the next sixteenth note at the corresponding following pulse 33A Continue forward rotation to Syntheziser 20.

After the previous test results, the practitioners also want the possibility of switching between motion-controlled and preset music tempo.

The setting to one of the two operating modes can be made via a changeover switch and read in via a parallel input from microcomputer 24 or 20.

When switching from motion-controlled to a predetermined music tempo, the microcomputer 24 timing clock codes or the microcomputer 20 timing clock codes with the associated note codes with a constant Send out frequency.

The desired constant music tempo can be selected from 15 different tempos, for example, using the coding switch, which is now not required for setting the deployment points.

Alternatively, the speed corresponding to the last current speed when switching (speed x 2) can be adopted as a default. An additional possibility to change the given tempo during the training with a plus and minus button, by pressing which the music tempo can be increased or decreased constantly by one metronome beat, makes sense.

When switching from a fixed to a movement-controlled music tempo, just like when playing after a stop, it is necessary to have calculated the beat position within the piece of music and to know it.

For the sake of simplicity - as shown above - the playback can then be continued with the next bar when the point of use for the beat times has been reached.

To avoid frequent corrections due to kicking backwards and playing at a very slow pace, you can consider switching automatically to a constant music pace when the pedal turns below a certain frequency and only switch on the motion control of the music pace again when this limit frequency is exceeded.

The microcomputers 24, 20 or a second processor 26 can calculate the instantaneous and average number of revolutions per minute from the time differences with each revolution of sensor 31 and on a screen 26A the positive or negative difference of the total number of revolutions to a preset target number per unit of time Output continuously in graphic form (DE -A-2753041), as well as the pedal position at the beginning of the beat and possibly other parameters.

By means of the described synchronization pulses 33A when the foot pedals are turned forward, the microcomputer 20 can, in principle, also control the playback speed of digital measured values of a sampled piece of music by means of analog-digital converters instead of sending note codes to a synthesizer. This requires that at beat times the length of a quarter note which can be recognized by the microcomputer for every twenty-fourth of a quarter note, for example by importing special codes at the beginning of each such section during digitization. When playing, the successive synchronization pulses could each start playing a section at a constant tempo. If the synchronization pulse for the following unit arrives more quickly, the sample points to be assigned to the previous pulse but not yet played back would have to be skipped. If the pulse train was slowed down and the playback speed was constant, small gaps would arise, which could possibly be bridged by repetitions.

The possibilities of tempo control of music with a trim bike are generally applicable to ergometers with frequency-independent load settings. It is advantageous to use the latter with a device for controlling the tempo of music for the rehabilitation of the heart-damaged, because speeding up the pace brings variety without endangering the excessive stress.

For the second example for controlling the music pace according to FIG. 2 by the leg movements during running training, training on the track of a sports field is described in which telemetric transmission of signals to the location of the synchronization / playback unit is easily possible from all points.

In the movement cycle of a leg during running training, it is not possible to establish a fixed relationship between the movement sections and a rigid size such as a pedal rotation on the exercise bike. The stride length can be changed unpredictably at any time. For tempo control of music, however, you can restrict yourself to the registration of some characteristic points of the movement cycle of the legs and use these to estimate the subsequent periods of a movement cycle. The rhythmic bending and stretching of each thigh in the hip or knee can be registered by two transducers, for example two goniometers 14, and amplified and transmitted to a receiver 18 via a transmitter 15.

Goniometers (manufacturer is Penny & Giles, Blackwood / GB; see data sheet) are suitable for this via goniometer), the output voltage of which changes in proportion to the flexion of the joint. The synchronization and playback unit according to FIG. 3 can also be used in principle in this exemplary embodiment. With the microcomputer 24 or 20 after analog / digital conversion of the diffraction-dependent signals of the goniometer 14, the extreme position in the movement cycle of each thigh during the transition from bending to stretching can be a starting point for the beating times after the extreme position and the time difference from the respectively corresponding corresponding extreme position of the respective one other thighs as the basis for estimating the time difference to the next corresponding extreme position of this leg or the time difference between the corresponding points of use for the stroke times.

The influence of higher-frequency artifacts (for example due to vibration of the transducers or interference with the telemetric transmission) can be reduced in real time by hardware bandpass filtering and / or moving averaging. The phase shifts dependent on the selected cut-off frequencies or the number of averaged values must be taken into account.

Artifact suspected higher frequency voltage changes can also be eliminated by software from microcomputer 24 or 20. For this purpose, he can determine the change in voltage for each of the digitized voltage values and check whether this change lies above a predetermined limit value, which corresponds to a diffraction change per unit of time, which experience has shown that can no longer occur when the intended type is running. Values above this can be discarded as artifacts.

After artifact cleaning, the microcomputer 24 or 20 can instantly compare whether the voltage maxima of the goniometers 14 are at maximum flexion in the hip or knee while running, for each voltage value sampled by the analog / digital converter, whether it reaches or exceeds a minimum value that one Diffraction corresponds to the minimum that is generally recognized as the maximum between flexion and extension during running movements of the intended type. After registering such a minimum voltage maximum, the following values can be checked to see whether they are above and the highest value can be recorded. Passing a diffraction maximum can be recognized as soon as the one following the diffraction maximum Stretching an artifact-adjusted tension value is reached, which falls below the previous maximum by a predetermined percentage of the maximum value or absolute amount, which corresponds to a certain degree of diffraction.

You can also choose a fixed distance from the minimum required maximum. In addition to the artifact exclusion for the recognition of a diffraction maximum, one could call for mid-time intervals between the values of increasing and decreasing diffraction at the same voltage distance from the intermediate value for the maximum diffraction. They should have increased with the distance from the maximum diffraction and should always be reached when running the intended type. For the sake of simplicity, the predetermined voltage value, which must be reached to confirm the preceding cyclic diffraction maximum, can be chosen so that it can simultaneously be used as the starting point for a stroke time. You should be able to determine them individually in accordance with the procedure for the exercise bike, for example by entering different degrees of diffraction at which the stroke times begin.

Set the beats with a time delay within the beat times a, the practitioner can choose an earlier point in time of the strike.

The search should always start with the signals for one leg and, if successful, continue alternately for each leg. Finally, a program-controlled analysis of a curve section to determine characteristic values is also conceivable. When using the synchronization and playback unit of digitally stored music described above and with FIG. 3, after determining an upper extreme position and a starting point as a signal for the insertion of a beat, twenty-four timing clock codes for playing a beat time the length of a quarter note on the estimated time difference until the next corresponding extreme position of the other leg, which is to trigger the following beat, is distributed. With the sending of the timing clock codes, the recognition procedure for the maximum for the other leg begins in parallel. Instead of the time difference between the last registered point of use for a beat on one leg and the previous corresponding value of the other leg, a moving average value can also be used for the estimate from a small number of the last quotation differences use the next time difference. Unrecognized flexion and subsequent stretching phases, for example due to insufficient leg elevation or artifacts, would result in the last played note being continued. To alleviate a disturbing musical impression, for example, if the detection of the next stretching phase is delayed, for example by more than 20% compared to the estimated value, a series of synchronization codes could alternatively be sent at the same time interval from one another in accordance with the last estimated time difference. In order to partially compensate for possible reductions in the time difference when the pedaling frequency of the other leg is increased, the estimate can also be reduced somewhat. 1/24 of the reduced estimated time difference is then available for each timing clock code. The forwarding of the timing clock codes to the synchronization unit or, in the case of microcomputers 20 (with note codes), to the playback device 25 can be delayed by a certain percentage of the time difference if the beat is more in the middle between the maximum lifting of the thigh or should contact the ground. Before sending the timing clock codes, it should be checked whether the forwarding the previous timing clock code series has ended.

If this is not the case due to an acceleration of the leg that is moving forward (even with a possibly reduced estimate), the following series of MIDI timing clock codes can only be sent after the corresponding (possibly to the maximum possible frequency) forwarding of the forwarding has ended outstanding timing clock codes from the previous series - also accelerated according to the delay - can be sent (or could fail). The determination of an upper extreme position and the necessary calculations, controls and preparations for the start of a pulse series should only take about a millisecond so that the beat can start shortly after this extreme position, if desired. The music synchronized by the running rhythm can be transmitted with a transmitter 19 connected to the sound output 25A of the playback device 25 to a receiver 16 with headphones 17 which can be carried by the runner.

In the described process, when the pace of the movement slows down, there are minimal extensions to the pauses that often occur when accompanying the rhythm at the end of a quarter note and the playing of those that have not yet ended Notes of the estimated time differences at the end of each beat time of the length of a quarter note, which increase somewhat when the time estimate is reduced. With a pedaling speed of 80 to 90 steps per minute for each leg and a corresponding music pace of 160 to 180 metronome beats per minute, they are no longer disturbing. Rather, they add to the emphasis on rhythm. On the other hand, the security deduction can be omitted if the walking speed is expected to be constant. The rest that occurs when the running speed accelerates at the beginning of the next beat time and the faster playback of the rest are usually not disturbing acoustically.

One can also determine the time differences between the opposite extreme positions, namely between the stretching and bending of each leg in the hip or between other prominent points of the movement cycle, which the time difference between the other extreme positions, i.e. between the bending and stretching of each leg in an approximately constant Share relationship. If you use these in addition to estimate time differences and to send synchronization pulses, you can adjust the music tempo improve something about changes in movement speed.

The method described can be used accordingly, for example using pressure transducers in each shoe, if one wants to synchronize the insertion of the beats with a later section in the stretching phase of each leg.

A miniaturized version of the synchronization and playback unit with digitally stored music that the runner wears on the body is already inexpensive to produce. The scope of the stored music and the synthesis performance are still limited.

The signals of the goniometer 14 can be forwarded to an egg-board computer with an integrated preamplifier, analog / digital converter and memory for the codes of pieces of music, which, according to the calculations described, corresponds to the timing clock codes and codes for note values in accordance with the personal computer 20 Synthesizer module forwards.

With such a portable device, the music tempo can not only be controlled by running, but also by (preferably faster) walking.

Such a portable synchronization and playback unit with inputs for the pulses of the sensors 29A and 29B and 31 instead of the analog / digital converter is a portable form of the synchronization and playback unit described in the exemplary embodiment for training with an exercise bike. After installing pulse generators in the sleeve 1D of the axis 1C of a gearwheel 1A, it can also be used regardless of location when riding with any normal bicycle to play music at movement-controlled speed.

When synchronizing music through training with oar trimmers, there is the problem that - similar to running stride length - the way the back and forth movement can vary somewhat.

Here you can record the turning points for the forward and backward movement as characteristic points, estimate the expected time to the next from the time difference to the previous turning point and proceed according to the example described for running training.

Because when rowing the usual stroke rate in training only around 20 to 30 beats per minute, 2 to 3 beating times - each with a length of a quarter note - should be allocated to each forward and backward movement of the practitioner. A music pace of 80 to 180 metronome beats per minute would be achieved.

We describe here an embodiment in which a handlebar attached in the middle to a wire rope, when the upper body is moved backwards on a roller seat and the arms are pulled towards the body, unwinds the wire rope from a flywheel connected to a brake unit. For pulse generation, the arrangement according to FIG. 4 can be implemented in accordance with the attachment to gearwheel 1A with a disk fixed parallel to the flywheel on its axis. In the following description, we refer to the arrangement having the same effect according to FIG. 4 with sensors 29A and 29B, detection of the direction of rotation and sensor 31 for a reference pulse 34 and pulse disk 33 (for example with 96 pulse windows).

This can be mounted on the axle of the brakeable flywheel parallel to it. The window for a reference pulse 34 per movement phase, which, like the exercise bike, can be used for controls and for determining the position of the starting point of the stroke times, is to be positioned in such a way that it is triggered approximately in the middle between the maximum possible forward and backward movement of the handle, i.e. at a position that is also passed with a small amount of movement.

A microcomputer 24 or 20 can continuously determine the reversal points during forward and backward movement from the change in the direction of rotation of the sensors 29A and 29B and from this - as well as from the point of use entered by the trainee for the first beat time, the specification of which is based on the point of use of the first beat during a train phase on the premise that the striking times should be distributed spatially equidistantly, estimate the operating points, for example, a further three striking times of a movement cycle. It is possible to determine the starting point of the first beat time of the train phase in relation to the number of pulses 33A and 33B before or after the reference pulse 34. The number of pulses 33A and 33B between the extreme points reached in each case and their distance from pulse 34 of sensor 31 must be recorded and divided by 48 in accordance with the required number of control pulses for, for example, two beat times per phase. The result indicates at how many pulses a MIDI timing clock code F8 (H) has to be passed on. For example, with 1.5 pulses per code, a MIDI timing clock code F8 (H) would have to be omitted for every third pulse in order to maintain the ratio.

The playing of the music expediently begins with a train phase, after the reversal points, the ratio of pulses 30A or 30B to timing clock codes and the point of use for the first beat time have been registered in the preceding forward movement.

There should be a default setting for this. The point of use can be determined by the number of pulses from sensors 29A and 29B before or after reference pulse 34, taking into account the direction of rotation.

For example, if it is twenty pulses away from the reference pulse 34 in the direction of the front reversal point and this is forty pulses away from the reference pulse 34, the playing of the first beat time of the music has to begin with the twenty-first pulse 33A or 33B during backward movement. After that, timing clock codes can be sent in the calculated ratio up to the rear turning point for the registered impulses. At the same time, the pulses 33A and 33B and timing clock codes added up and the lowering of the rear turning point calculated from the value estimated after the previous phase.

According to the difference, the ratio of pulses and codes to the next reversal point is re-estimated taking into account the missing or additionally sent codes up to this pump.

At each reversal point, deviations from the estimated number of pulses per movement phase can be corrected by sending additional codes or by omitting codes, in accordance with the procedure in the exemplary embodiment for running training.

For example, music with the so-called disco rhythm and any other music in which the "beat" coincides with the start of the counting time or has started or is emphasized evenly or periodically after the beginning of the counting time has proven to be particularly suitable for the method according to the invention . But pieces of music in which the onset of the beats shifts somewhat irregularly can also be perceived as pleasant. For music in three-four time with rhythm accompaniment in waltz rhythm With the exercise bike, one pedal turn - as with 4/4 and 2/4 cycles - can be assigned two stroke times.

The stressed first stroke time changes from one leg to the other.

Reference symbol list

• 1 foot control
• 1A gear (drive wheel)
• 1B foot pedals
• 1C axis
• 1D sleeve
• 2 magnet
• 3 sensor
• 4 4x translation
• 5 12 magnets
• 6 sensor
• 7 flywheel
• 7A gear
• 7B circumference
• 8 brake
• 9 Start / Stop button
• 9A control panel
• 10 handles
• 11 line
• 11A lead
• 11B line
• 12 square pulse
• 12A lead
• 13 line
• 14 goniometers
• 14A preamplifier
• 15 transmitters
• 16 receivers
• 17 headphones
• 18 recipients
• 19 transmitters
• 20 microcomputers
• 20A parallel inputs
• 21 MIDI interface
• 21A 5 volt clock input
• 21B MIDI-In
• 22 relays
• 23 relays
• 23A contact
• 24 microcomputers
• 24A parallel inputs
• 25 music player
• 25A sound output
• 26 microprocessor
• 26A screen
• 27 circumference
• 28 forty-eight pulse generators
• 29A sensor
• 29B sensor
• 30A lead
• 30B line
• 31 sensor
• 31A pulse generator
• 32 Direction of rotation
• 33 pulse disk
• 33A pulse wave
• 33B pulse trains
• 34 reference pulse
• 34A lead
• 35 handles
• 35A adjustment direction
• 35B direction of adjustment
• 35C adjustment direction
• 36 lines
• 37 drive rods
• 38 cones
• 39 crank arms
• 40 drive shaft
• 41 gear
• 42 gear

Claims (3)

1. Process for changing the playing tempo of a music playing unit by the tempo of periodically repeated movement cycles of at least one part of the body during fitness training by means of movement generated signals and a synchronizing unit, wherein

a) during the movement cycle signals are emitted continuously or at short intervalls to the synchronizing unit by means of signal indicators which allow the recognition of the position of the movement and the subdivision of the movement cycle into sections, and signals can be transmitted (to the synchronizing unit) which determine the onset position of the musical beats within the movement cycle,

b) to play the music,a device is used with which the playing of successive sections of musical beats can be digitally controlled , e. g. by means of emitting codes which make a synthesizer generate sounds or which indicate to a device the starting point for playing each section of the musical beats,

c) the synchronizing unit - preferably a microcomputer - initiates the playing of successive sections of musical beats during the sections of the movement cycle to which they have been allocated, by emitting digital codes to the music playing device provided that the number of musical beats for each movement cycle and the allocation of the sections of the beats to successive sections of the movement cycle have been predetermined.

2. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synchronization unit - preferably a microcomputer-estimates the length of sections of the movement cycle on the basis of preceding sections, shortens or extends the next sections of the musical beats - if unforeseeable shifts in the length of sections of a movement cycle occur and in case of sections of musical beats either not yet played or played too early - and in this way largely or completely maintains the allocation of the beginning of the next musical beat to the predetermined onset point.

3. Device with signal generators, a microcomputer and a synthesizer with rhythm machine for processing claim 1 or 2, with

a.) circumferentially positioned pulse generators (5 or 28) on the fly wheel (7), on the driving cog wheel (1A) or on the pulse disc (33) of an exercise cycle, and a pulse generator (2, 31A) for reference pulses to transmit signals during the pedal rotation to a microcomputer (20 or 24), as well as a pulse generatori.e. a code switch on a panel (9A) - to input onset positions for the musical beats within a movement cycle, or

b.) two goniometers (14) on a jogger, which after analogous/digital conversion transmit to a microcomputer (20 or 24) signals that continuously change with the bending and stretching of the legs, and a pulse generator i.e. a code switch to input the onset positons of the musical beats within a movement cycle, or

c.) circumferentially positioned pulse generators (33) with a pulse generator for reference pulses (31A) connected to a rowing device, to transmit signals during the movement cycles to a microcomputer (20 or 24),as well as a pulse generator - i.e. a code switch - to input the onset point of the musical beats within a movement cycle, and

d.) a microcomputer (20 or 24), which - program controlled - registers the signals of a.), b.) or c.) via parallel input, determines from this the sections of the movement cycle, allocates successive sections of the musical beats to those sections with reference to the predetermined number of musical beats and selected onset positions and triggers a sound generation in accordance with the note characteristics of the sections of the musical beats by emitting MIDI-codes ,via a MIDI interface (21) to a synthesizer (25) or MIDI-timing codes to a microcomputer(20) with synthesizer (25).

Images