Abstract:
This invention discloses an operation interface configured to couple to an exercise apparatus for controlling workout parameters of the exercise apparatus, the exercise apparatus comprising a central processing unit and an exercise unit, the central processing unit receiving a controlling signal from the operation interface for controlling the workout parameters of the exercise apparatus, the operation interface comprising: a plurality of grouped selection keys coupled to the central processing unit, each of the grouped selection keys respectively associated with a predetermined workout parameter; and a confirmation key outputting the controlling signal to the central processing unit upon being pressed; wherein the confirmation key is surrounded by the grouped selection keys, the exercise apparatus being adjusted to correspond to the predetermined workout parameter via the controlling signal while one of the grouped selection keys and the confirmation key are both pressed by a user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to an operation interface, and more particularly to an operation interface configured in an exercise apparatus. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    With growth industry, people always invest too much time in their works so as to reduce the exercise time, but a regular exercise schedule is very helpful for health. Therefore, the exercise apparatus with small occupied space has been popular for everyone such as the treadmill, the exercise bike, the elliptical machine, the stepper etc. Each exercise apparatus has different exercise functions, and each exercise apparatus comprises an operation interface for adjust the workout parameters of the exercise apparatus, therefore the layout of the operation interface is an important issue. 
         [0005]    The traditional exercise apparatus is not easy to adjust the workout parameter of the exercise apparatus or operates other related functions during operation period because the user can not know which button or key can adjust the workout parameter of the exercise apparatus. Furthermore, the user still has no idea to press which key or button to confirm the adjustment of the workout parameter. 
         [0006]    In addition, referring to  FIG. 1 , another traditional operation interface of the exercise apparatus comprises some selection keys of workout parameter arranged in an order of lateral line and a confirmation key located on the right side of the operation interface for workout parameters setting. Due to the arrangement of the selection keys, each distance between the selection keys and the confirmation key has different length so that the user may move his/her arm for a long distance to press one of the selection keys to adjust workout parameter. The long distance operation may cause more difficulty of operation or occur injury easily during operation period, especially in high speed or resistance operation status. 
         [0007]    By using the aforementioned arrangement of the selection keys and the confirmation key, user can not instinctively understand which key is the confirmation key after pressing one of the selection keys, which is very inconvenient for the user during operation period of the exercise apparatus. 
         [0008]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved operation interface for exercise apparatus to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    This invention relates to an operation interface configured to couple to an exercise apparatus for controlling workout parameters of the exercise apparatus, the exercise apparatus comprising a central processing unit and an exercise unit, the central processing unit receiving a controlling signal from the operation interface for controlling the workout parameters of the exercise apparatus, the operation interface comprising: a plurality of grouped selection keys coupled to the central processing unit, each of the grouped selection keys respectively associated with a predetermined workout parameter; and a confirmation key outputting the controlling signal to the central processing unit upon being pressed; wherein the confirmation key is surrounded by the grouped selection keys, the exercise apparatus being adjusted to correspond to the predetermined workout parameter via the controlling signal while one of the grouped selection keys and the confirmation key are both pressed by a user. Furthermore, the grouped selection keys form an internal geometry area, and the confirmation key locates at the internal geometry area. Due to the arrangement of the plurality of grouped selection keys and the confirmation key, the user will press the confirmation key directly and instinctively after pressing one of the grouped selection keys capable of saving time for searching the confirmation key so as to operate the exercise apparatus more convenience. 
         [0010]    Furthermore, the internal geometry area is preferably a circle, and the confirmation key locates at the center of the circle. Therefore, linear distances between the confirmation key and each of the grouped selection keys are substantially equal. Accordingly, the user only should move his/her arm for a short distance for pressing the confirmation key for adjusting the workout parameters of the exercise apparatus without changing any exercising pose. In addition, this present invention not only can increase the comfort of operation, but also prevent the sport injury. 
         [0011]    Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the console according to the prior art. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates the operation interface of the present invention applied with a console. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a left side respective view of a console with operation interface of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates the console coupled to a treadmill. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the console according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart of the operation method according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  shows a respective view of a operation interface for the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]    Please refer to  FIG. 2  to  FIG. 4 , in this embodiment, there are three operation interfaces  11 , 12 , 13  coupled to an exercise apparatus for controlling the workout parameters and other predetermined programs of the exercise apparatus, wherein the exercise apparatus is preferably a treadmill  100 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the treadmill  100  comprises a central process unit  101 , a movable member  102  and a console  105 ; the central process unit  101  disposes inside the console  105  and electrically connects to the operation interfaces  11 , 12 , 13  for receiving a controlling signal from the operation interface  11 , 12 , 13  for controlling the workout parameters of the treadmill  100 . For example, while the user presses the operation interfaces  11 , the operation interface  11  will output a controlling signal to the central processing unit  101  for controlling the operation status of the treadmill  100  such as the speed, or the incline of the movable member  102 . In this embodiment, the treadmill  100  further comprises a display device  15  for displaying the operation status of the treadmill  100 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, the treadmill  100  comprises three operation interfaces  11 , 12 , 13  mounted on the console  105  showed in  FIG. 4 , and each operation interface corresponds to different workout parameter respectively. The operation interface  11  corresponds to the speed; the operation interface  12  corresponds to the incline; and the operation interface  13  corresponds to the predetermined programs. Please also refer to  FIG. 6 , when the user starts to operate the treadmill  100 , the user should select an operation interface on the console  105  for adjusting workout parameter (Step S 01 ). Due to the similar operating method of the control interfaces  11 , 12 , 13 , this embodiment will only describe the operation interface  11  thereinafter for an example. In this embodiment, the operation interface  11  comprises a plurality of grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  and a confirmation key  21 . If the user wants to adjust the operation speed of the movable member  102 , the user should press one of the grouped selection key  110 ˜ 119  corresponding to an operation speed value of desired change (Step S 02 ). The operation interface  11  uses to control the operation speed of the movable member  102 , and the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  only use to select the operation speed of the movable member  102  so that each selection key associates with a predetermined value of speed parameter. 
         [0021]    The grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  can form an internal geometry area, preferably, but not limited to areas such as circle, elliptical, triangle, or rectangle. In addition, the quantity of the selection keys is preferably over and above three because three or more points can form an internal geometry area  120 . In this embodiment, the internal geometry area  120  formed by the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  preferably is a circle, and the confirmation key  21  correspondingly locates at the center of the circle. For instance, the operation interface  11  comprises ten selection keys  110 ˜ 119  respectively corresponding to ten different speed parameters such as 1 to 10 (mile/hr) for the user to adjust the operation speed of the movable member  102 . 
         [0022]    In the embodiment showed in  FIG. 5 , linear distances between the confirmation key  21  and each of the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  are substantially equal because the confirmation key  21  respectively locates at the center of internal geometry area  120 . Because the selection keys group around the operation interface  11 , the user will not move his/her arm for a long distance to press the key of desired change so as to prevent inconvenience during operation period. 
         [0023]    In addition, after pressing one of the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  of desired change, and then the user should press the confirmation key  21  for outputting a controlling signal to the central processing unit  101 . Upon the confirmation key  21  being pressed by the user, the current workout parameter changes immediately (Step S 03 ). In this embodiment, because the confirmation key  21  locates within the internal geometry area  120  formed by the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119 , the user will press the confirmation key  21  directly and instinctively for adjusting the operation speed of the movable member  102  after pressing one of the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119 . Due to the arrangement of the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  and the confirmation key  21 , the user will feel more convenient and comfortable during operation period of the treadmill  100 . 
         [0024]    Furthermore, the location of the confirmation key  21  is not limited to locate within the internal geometry area  120  formed by the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , the location of the confirmation key  51  may also partially overlap the internal geometry area  520 . Although the confirmation  51  is not completely within the internal geometry area  520  formed by the grouped selection keys  510 ˜ 519 , it also locates near the grouped selection keys  510 ˜ 519 . Because the confirmation key  51  and the internal geometry area  520  are partially overlapped, it is defined that the confirmation key  51  is still surrounded by the grouped selection keys  510 ˜ 519 . Therefore, the user still can press the confirmation key directly and instinctively after pressing one of the grouped selection keys  510 ˜ 519 . 
         [0025]    Furthermore, the adjusting of workout parameter may be highly frequent because different workout phases (ex: warm up, exercising, and cooling down) need different operation speed values of the movable member  102  to match the user demand in different workout phases. Therefore, when the user press one of the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  and the confirmation key  21  to adjust operation speed of the movable member  102 , the user will determine whether the current operation speed of the movable member  102  is suitable for the user or not (Step S 04 ). If the new operation speed of the movable member  102  is not suitable for the user, the user continues to select a new operation speed value (Step S 02 ) until the operation speed of the movable member  102  becomes suitable for the user. 
         [0026]    During exercising period, the user usually changes the operation speed of movable member  102  for achieving the user demand in different workout phases. If the linear distances between the confirmation key  21  and the grouped selection keys  110 ˜ 119  are too long, the user should move his/her arm for a long distance to adjust the workout parameter. This may be capable of occurring sports injury. Therefore, the grouped selection keys of this present invention can resolve the aforementioned problems, and one operation interface corresponds to a single workout parameter for user capable of preventing misunderstanding about operation method of the operation interface. 
         [0027]    In addition, the treadmill  100  still has two operation interfaces  12 , 13 . Due to the operation method similar to the operation interface  11 , description of interfaces  12 , 13  thereinafter only describes the function of the two operation interfaces. In the embodiment showed in  FIG. 5 , the operation interface  12  is to control the incline of the movable member  102 , and each selection key corresponds a predetermined incline value, for example, the operation interface  12  comprises ten selection keys respectively corresponding to ten incline value such as 1 to 10 (degree) for the or a user to adjust the incline of the movable member  102 ; the operation interface  13  is to control the predetermined programs of the treadmill  100  such as music playing, personal sports module, or simulation environment changing. 
         [0028]    For exercise apparatus, two workout parameters, speed and incline, are frequently changed by the user during operation period. Therefore, the speed parameter and the incline parameter respectively corresponds to a operation interface for user to adjust the workout parameter more easily, and the other preset programs such as personal operation module, environment simulating, or other related programs would integrate to an operation interface for user to control other programs such as the operation interface  13  of this present invention. 
         [0029]    Further, the operation interface of this present invention respectively corresponds to different workout parameters, and the grouped selection keys group around the operation interface for user to distinctly select a workout parameter of desired change during operation period capable of saving time for recognizing how many functions on a selection key. 
         [0030]    From abovementioned, the user can press the confirmation key located at the center of the circle directly and instinctively after pressing one of the grouped selection keys capable of saving time for searching the confirmation key so as to operate the exercise apparatus more convenient. Furthermore, a plurality of the grouped selection keys forms an internal geometry area, and the confirmation key locates at the internal geometry area. Therefore, linear distances between the confirmation key and each of the grouped selection keys are substantially equal. Accordingly, the user only should move his/her arm for a short distance for pressing the confirmation key to adjust the workout parameters of the exercise apparatus without changing any exercising pose. In addition, this present invention not only can increase the comfort of operation, but also can prevent the sport injury. 
         [0031]    Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.