Intelligent Treadmill and Enhancements to Standard Treadmills

Abstract

An intelligent treadmill is described with modifications to existing treadmills, and associated methodology. The invention allows the conveyor belt automatically keeps track of and fixes the user's position dynamically with respect to a stationery reference point of the treadmill by adjusting its own speed free hands. Two position measurement techniques and their corresponding belt speed control algorithms are described. Other features of the invention allow users to perceive in real time how their surroundings would be changing by means of video, incline of platform, fan speed, sound and illumination as if they were in fact running in the natural environment. Real time positions of the runner and his partners on other treadmills with respect to a chosen track are displayed. The invention also utilizes a vectored controlled 2/3-phase AC induction motor or a BLDC motor to drive the conveyor belt for energy efficiency and fast response.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An intelligent treadmill allowing the conveyor belt automatically keeps track of and fixes the runner position dynamically with respect to a stationary reference point of the treadmill by adjusting its own speed free hands based on speed varying algorithms, the said intelligent treadmill comprising: a touch screen monitor, transmitter/receiver, motor, electronic drive, control panel, reflector and three pairs of poles,
 the said touch screen monitor equipped with a pair of loudspeakers and lamp, displaying the video of the surrounding environment of an outdoor track, downloaded from the Internet and a simple map showing current position of runner,   the said receiver for distance measurement emitting and receiving a laser beam to help estimate the exact distance of the reflector on the said runner away from it,   the said motor which is a vectored controlled pulse width modulation based two or three phase alternating current or brushless direct current motor to adjust the speed of the conveyor belt to fix the said runner at a more or less constant distance from the transmitter/receiver or at a dynamically stable and stationary position on the moving belt,   the said motor which is energized by an electronic drive which gets power from a standard single phase supply,   the said control panel which controls the speed of the treadmill and has additional control to adjust the speed of the conveyor belt to fix the said runner at a more or less constant distance from the transmitter/receiver or at a dynamically stable and stationary position on the belt,   the said reflector worn on the waist belt of the said runner for reflecting the laser beam from the said transmitter/receiver,   the said three pairs of poles installed on both sides of the platform of the said treadmill equipped with laser based transmitters, receivers and reflectors.   
     
     
         2 . The intelligent treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said means for measuring instantaneous position of the said runner of the said treadmill comprise a laser based transmitter and receiver installed at an appropriate position of the said treadmill, and a reflector worn on the body of the said runner. 
     
     
         3 . An intelligent treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said means for measuring instantaneous position of the said runner comprise several pairs of poles installed on both sides of the said platform of the said treadmill at appropriate positions, equipped with laser based transmitters, receivers and reflectors for detecting the existence of any obstacle between two corresponding said poles. 
     
     
         4 . An intelligent treadmill of  claim 2  wherein said a speed varying algorithm of the conveyor belt of the said treadmill based on the said position of said runner measured of  claim 2  is according to a set of differential equations with tuned gains, K I  and K P , for automatically and dynamically fixing the said position of said runner at a desirable position on the moving belt with reference to a stationary point of the said treadmill. 
     
     
         5 . An intelligent treadmill of  claim 3  wherein said a speed varying algorithm of the conveyor belt of the said treadmill based on the said position of said runner measured of  claim 3  is according to a set of differential equations with tuned gains, K I , C 1  and C 2 , for automatically and dynamically fixing the said position of said runner at a desirable position on the moving belt with reference to a stationary point of the said treadmill. 
     
     
         6 . An intelligent treadmill of  claim 3  and  claim 4  wherein an emergency stopping procedure stops the moving belt when either the said position of  claim 3  or the said position of  claim 4  exceeds a safety limit. 
     
     
         7 . An intelligent treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said means for keeping track of the instantaneous position of the said runner with respect to the said outdoor track for synchronization of the video display and environmental background controls, means for continuously updating the said position of the said runner along the said track based on the said speed of the conveyor belt for displaying the corresponding scene of the surrounding environment of the said track, the said position of the runner on a map of the said track and parameters on the said monitor, and means for providing environmental background control at the local said treadmill including incline of said platform, music and sound, speed of circulating fan on a control panel of the said treadmill, and the level of illumination, are provided. 
     
     
         8 . An intelligent treadmill of  claim 1  wherein said means for intercommunicating the instantaneous positions of said runners on different said treadmills using the same outdoor track for displaying the updated positions of all said runners on the said monitors, allowing a group of said runners running on their corresponding said treadmills, exchanging instantaneous positions of said runners, and displaying positions of all said runners of the said group on the map of common said outdoor track on all said monitors.