Abstract:
To provide an exercise therapy device capable of highly motivating an exerciser to continue exercise therapy, the exercise therapy device equipped with AV equipment and a rotation shaft includes: a rotation speed detection unit; a display unit for displaying menu items of contents and the content reproduced by the AV equipment; a menu selection unit for sequentially displaying the menu items of contents when the rotation shaft is rotating and, when one of the menu items has been externally selected, confirming the one of the menu items as a menu to be displayed by the AV equipment; and a reproduction speed setting unit for setting a constant or a variable speed. The AV equipment reproduces the content at one of the predetermined constant speed or the variable speed which is set when the rotation shaft is rotating, and stops reproducing the content when the rotation shaft is stopped.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an exercise therapy device used by an athlete, an exerciser in postoperative recovery of orthopedic surgery, an exerciser with cerebrovascular disorder, or the like, for the purpose of exercise therapy. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A conventional exercise therapy device includes a treadmill as an example, which is provided with a driving device for driving an endless belt for running of the treadmill, an operation panel for selecting an operation speed of the driving device and image information in a database to be output on a display device, and a landscape display device for displaying images on the display device through a control section for performing a process of displaying and outputting images in conjugation with the operation speed of the driving device. 
         [0005]    When the treadmill has entered a running state in which the endless belt for running which is driven by the driving device, images are displayed on the display device through the operation of the operation panel for selecting the operation speed of the driving device and image information in the database to be output to the display device and the control section for performing a process of displaying and outputting images in conjunction with the operation speed of the driving device, to thereby highly motivate an exerciser to continue running so as to continue the exercise. 
         [0006]    As described above, the exerciser can watch images that the exerciser likes, and therefore, it is an effective method for ensuring a motivation of the exerciser to continue exercising (see, for example, JP 2005-74211 A). 
         [0007]    According to the conventional exercise therapy device, backgrounds of the images to be displayed change at a lower speed when the running speed is low, then the device produces an effect of giving a sense of realism to the exerciser. However, the exerciser cannot perform exercise while watching or listening to an ordinary movie or music at a normal reproducing speed. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is impossible to reproduce various contents at a normal reproducing speed irrespective of whether the running speed becomes slower or even faster. 
         [0009]    Therefore, the images that the exerciser can watch during exercise are limited, which makes it difficult to keep motivating the exerciser. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise therapy device capable of highly motivating an exerciser to continue exercise therapy. 
         [0011]    According to the present invention, there is provided an exercise therapy device provided with AV equipment for reproducing a content and a rotation shaft which rotates when applied with torque of exercise, the exercise therapy device including: rotation speed detection means for detecting a rotation speed of the rotation shaft; display means for displaying menu items of contents and displaying the content reproduced by the AV equipment; menu selection means for sequentially displaying the menu items of contents when the rotation shaft is rotating and, when one of the menu items displayed on the display means has been externally selected, confirming the one of the menu items as a menu to be displayed by the AV equipment; and reproduction speed setting means for setting to reproduce a content by the AV equipment at one of a predetermined constant speed and a variable speed, in which the AV equipment reproduces the content at one of the predetermined constant speed or the variable speed which is set when the rotation shaft is rotating, and stops reproducing the content when the rotation shaft is stopped. 
         [0012]    According to the exercise therapy device of the present invention, the menu items for allowing the exerciser to select a content that the exerciser wants to watch or listen to are sequentially displayed on the display device only when the exerciser is pedalling the pedals, to thereby produce an effect that an exerciser is highly motivated to continue exercise therapy by a desire to search for a content that the exerciser wants to watch or listen to. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an ergobike according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an ergobike according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0017]    An exercise therapy device according to the embodiment of the present invention is described by taking an ergobike  1  as an example thereof. However, the present invention can be applied to any exercise therapy device as long as the exercise therapy device is provided with a member which is driven at a speed varying with exercise intensity, such as a pedalling speed of a pedal or a running speed of a belt. 
         [0018]    The ergobike  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a load device  5 , a tachometer  6 , AV equipment  7 , a display device  8 , and a control device  9 . The load device  5  includes a pedal rotating shaft  4  which is joined to pedals  3  to be pedalled by an exerciser riding on a saddle  2  and applied with a mechanical load in a reverse rotation direction thereof. The tachometer  6  serves as a rotation detecting unit for detecting a rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4 . The AV equipment  7  reproduces a content. The display device  8  serves as a display unit for displaying the content reproduced by the AV equipment  7 . The control device  9  performs overall control of the ergobike  1 . 
         [0019]    The contents related to the present invention are divided into two kinds. One of the two kinds includes a constant speed content including a movie having a story or music having a rhythm, which should be reproduced at a constant reproduction speed. The other one includes a variable speed content including a sequence of background images, which can be reproduced with comfort even if a reproduction speed is varied. 
         [0020]    The AV equipment  7  reproduces a content recorded in an AV recording medium such as a DVD or a CD or a content downloaded online through the Internet, and inputs the content as AV signals into the display device  8 . 
         [0021]    Also, the AV equipment  7  reproduces a content at a constant speed when a command to instruct constant speed reproduction is input, and reproduces a content at a speed variable in accordance with a rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4  when a command to instruct variable speed reproduction is input. 
         [0022]    The display device  8  may include any kind of display such as a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel. 
         [0023]    The control device  9  has a storage unit  21 , a menu selection unit  22 , a reproduction speed setting unit  23 , a pause unit  13 , and a display switching unit  14 . The storage unit  21  stores a menu of contents. The menu selection unit  22  displays the menu of contents in conjunction with the rotation of the pedal rotating shaft  4  and allows the exerciser to select a content from the menu of contents. The reproduction speed setting unit  23  allows an exerciser to set a reproduction speed of a content through an operation panel  11 , with respect to the content selected through the menu selection unit  22 . The pause unit  13  outputs a pause signal when the rotation of the pedal rotating shaft  4  has stopped in the case where the constant speed content has been selected. The display switching unit  14  transmits a display switching signal to the display device  8 . 
         [0024]    The control device  9  is formed of a computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an interface circuit. 
         [0025]    The storage unit  21  stores a menu of contents including a movie and a sequence of background images. 
         [0026]    To select contents from the menu, the pedals  3  are pedalled after a menu selection button (not shown) provided to the operation panel  11  is pressed, whereby the items of the menu corresponding to the selected contents are sequentially transmitted to the display device  8 . The display device  8 , to which the items of the menu corresponding to the selected contents are transmitted, updates the menu items corresponding to the contents to be displayed. 
         [0027]    To confirm the menu item, a confirmation button (not shown) provided to the operation panel  11  is pressed when a desired menu item is displayed on the display device  8 . 
         [0028]    To change the menu item, a menu cancel button (not shown) provided to the operation panel  11  is pressed and then the menu selection button is pressed again to start the menu selecting operation from the beginning. 
         [0029]    The reproduction speed setting unit  23  allows an exerciser to set a reproduction speed of a content in accordance with the content selected by the menu selection unit  22 , through the operation panel  11 . When the constant speed content is selected, the reproduction speed setting unit  23  instructs the AV equipment  7  to reproduce the content at a predetermined constant speed. Alternatively, when the variable speed content is selected, the reproduction speed setting unit  23  instructs the AV equipment  7  to reproduce the content at a reproduction speed corresponding to the rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4 . 
         [0030]    For example, in a case where a movie is selected as the content, the AV equipment  7  is instructed to reproduce the movie at a predetermined constant speed. In a case where a sequence of background images is selected, the AV equipment  7  is instructed to reproduce the sequence of background images at a variable speed. 
         [0031]    The pause unit  13  operates when the constant speed content is selected, in a manner that the pause unit  13  instructs the AV equipment  7  to reproduce the content when the rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4  exceeds a predetermined value, and instructs the AV equipment  7  to stop reproducing the content when the rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4  is equal to or lower than the predetermined value. The predetermined value is set to zero with which it is determined that the pedal rotating shaft  4  is not rotating, but the predetermined value is not limited thereto and may be set to an arbitrary value. 
         [0032]    The display switching unit  14  instructs to turn on the power to the display device  8  when the constant speed content is selected and reproduction of the content is instructed, and instructs to turn off the power to the display device  8  when it is instructed to stop the reproduction of the content. 
         [0033]    The display switching unit  14  also instructs to turn on the power to the display device  8  when the variable speed content is selected. 
         [0034]    Next, an operation of the ergobike  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention is described. 
         [0035]    When an exerciser presses the menu selection button provided to the operation panel  11  while pedalling the pedals  3 , the menu items of contents are sequentially displayed on the display device  8 . The exerciser presses the confirmation button provided to the operation panel  11  when the exerciser has found a menu item corresponding to the content to watch or to listen to, to thereby confirm the menu item. 
         [0036]    Then, the exerciser presses a constant speed mode button (not shown) or a variable speed mode button (not shown) provided to the operation panel  11  to confirm a reproduction mode for the menu item thus confirmed. 
         [0037]    First, a description is given of an operation to be performed when the constant speed content has been selected. 
         [0038]    When the constant speed content has been selected, the pause unit  13  obtains the rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4  from the tachometer  6  accordingly. The pause unit  13  judges that the pedal rotating shaft  4  is stopped because the tachometer  6  is not rotating, and instructs the AV equipment  7  to stop reproducing the content. Also, when the pause unit  13  has instructed the AV equipment  7  to stop reproducing the content, the display switching unit  14  instructs to turn off the power to the display device  8  accordingly. 
         [0039]    When the exerciser starts pedalling the pedals  3 , the pedal rotating shaft  4  rotates. The pause unit  13  obtains the rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4  from the tachometer  6 , judges that the pedal rotating shaft  4  is rotating based on the rotation of the tachometer  6 , and instructs the AV equipment  7  to reproduce the content. When the pause unit  13  has instructed the AV equipment  7  to reproduce the content, the display switching unit  14  instructs to turn on the power to the display device  8  accordingly. In this manner, when the exerciser starts pedalling the pedals  3 , the content is reproduced at a constant speed to be displayed. 
         [0040]    When the exerciser stop pedalling the pedals  3 , the pause unit  13  judges that the rotation of the pedal rotating shaft  4  has stopped, and outputs a pause signal to the AV equipment  7 . The AV equipment  7  suspends the reproduction of the content according to the pause signal. At the same time, the display switching unit  14  instructs to turn off the power to the display device  8 , because the pause unit  13  has instructed the AV equipment  7  to stop reproducing the content. In this manner, when the exerciser has stopped pedalling the pedals  3 , a screen of the display device  8  is turned off. 
         [0041]    Next, a description is given of an operation to be performed when the variable speed content has been selected. 
         [0042]    When the variable speed content has been selected, the reproduction speed setting unit  23  instructs the AV equipment  7  to reproduce the content at a variable speed accordingly. Also, the display switching unit  14  instructs to turn on the power to the display device  8  because the variable speed content has been selected. Further, the AV equipment  7  reproduces the variable speed content thus selected because the reproduction at a variable speed has been instructed. At this time, when the pedals  3  are not being pedalled and thus the rotation speed is zero, a stationary image is displayed on the display device  8 . When the pedals  3  are started being pedalled, various images are sequentially displayed on the screen according to the rotation speed. 
         [0043]    According to the ergobike  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention, the menu items for allowing the exerciser to select a content that the exerciser wants to watch or listen to are sequentially displayed on the display device  8  only when the exerciser is pedalling the pedals  3 . Accordingly, the exerciser is highly motivated to continue exercise therapy by a desire to search for a content that the exerciser wants to watch or listen to. 
         [0044]    Also, in the case where the constant speed content has been selected, the content is not reproduced unless the pedals  3  are pedalled. In the case where the content is a movie, for example, it is possible to clearly set a goal to watch the content to the end of the story. Accordingly, the exerciser is highly motivated to continue exercise therapy by a desire to watch the content to the end. 
         [0045]    Further, in the case where the variable speed content has been selected, the content is displayed as a stationary image unless the pedals  3  are pedalled. In the case where the content includes a sequence of landscape images, for example, it is possible to clearly set a goal to watch an image of a destination spot. Accordingly, the exerciser is highly motivated to continue exercise therapy by a desire to watch the content to the end. 
         [0046]    Also, when the variable speed content is being reproduced, an image to be displayed on the screen changes in accordance with the rotation speed of the pedal rotating shaft  4 . When the pedals  3  are pedalled at a higher speed, an image to be displayed on the screen quickly changes accordingly, which makes it real to the exerciser that the exerciser is riding a bicycle. 
         [0047]    According to the present invention, a movie recorded on an ordinary DVD and music recorded on an ordinary CD are made available and therefore the number of contents can be enormously increased. Therefore, many exercisers can continue exercise while enjoying a video image or music in which each of the exercisers is interested. 
         [0048]    Further, all the different genres of contents including a movie provided on the Internet are made available as being downloaded through the Internet, which allows exercisers to further continue exercise while enjoying a video image or music in which each of the exercisers is interested.