Patent EP-3536386-A1 (EP)
Inventor: PAGANELLI PAOLO
IPC: A63B24/00
Filed: 2019-03-05
Abstract: An adaptive control method for a treadmill (100) comprising, in a current time instant t i , with 1 < i < N, of a plurality of subsequent time instants t 1 , t 2 , ..., t N , steps of: 
- dividing, by an electronic control unit (200) for the movement of a physical exercise surface (104) of the treadmill (100), the physical exercise surface (104) of the treadmill (100) facing a user (U) when training on the treadmill (100) into a plurality (PZ) of control zones of the treadmill (100) as a function of a distance from a reference point (RF) arranged on the treadmill (100), the physical exercise surface (104) having a development direction (DS) and a first feeding direction (v1), 
the plurality (PZ) of control zones, along the development direction (DS) of the physical exercise surface (104), comprising: 
at least a first control zone (Z1) having a respective first width (A1) along the development direction (DS) of the physical exercise surface (104), the first width (A1) being between a first boundary line (E1) and a second boundary line (E1'), the first boundary line (E1) being at a first distance (D1) from the reference point (RF), the second boundary line (E1') being at a second distance (D1') from the reference point (RF), the second distance (D1') being greater than the first distance (D1); 
- at least a second control zone (Z2) having a respective second width (A2) along the development direction (DS) of the physical exercise surface (104), the second width (A2) being included between a third boundary line (E2) and a fourth boundary line (E2'), the third boundary line (E2) being at a third distance (D2) from the reference point (RF), the fourth boundary line (E2') being at a fourth distance (D2') from the reference point (RF), the fourth distance (D2') being greater than the third distance (D2), the fourth boundary line (E2') of said at least a second control zone (Z2) coinciding with the first boundary line (E1) of said at least a first control zone (Z1); 
 
- detecting, by the electronic control unit (200) for the movement of the physical exercise surface (104) of the treadmill (100), a distance value (dU(t i )) of the portion (PU) of the user (U) from the reference point (RF); 
- comparing, by the electronic control unit (200) for the movement of the physical surface (104) of the treadmill (100), the detected distance value (dU(t i )) with the first distance (D1) of the first boundary line (E1) of the at least a first control zone (Z1); 
if the detected distance value (dU(t i )) is smaller than the first distance (D1) of the first boundary line (E1) of the at least a first control zone (Z1), the method further comprises steps of: 
- controlling, by the electronic control unit (200) for the movement of the physical exercise surface (104) of the treadmill (100), an increase in the feeding speed of the physical exercise surface (104); 
- modifying, by the electronic control unit (200) for the movement of the physical exercise surface (104) of the treadmill (100), the first distance (D1) of the first boundary line (E1) of the at least a first control zone (Z1) from a first value to a second value, along the development direction (DS) of the physical exercise surface (104) in a second feeding direction (v2) opposite to the first feeding direction (v1), the second value being either greater than or equal to the detected distance value (dU(t i )).