Patent Application
20070105629
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a movement-information processing system which comprises a control unit adapted to allow a guide image for instructing a plurality of players to perform a physical training consisting of plural types of body movements in a time-series manner to be displayed on a presentation unit, and a plurality of terminal units prepared corresponding to the number of players capable of entry into the physical training and each provided with a movement detection device. The present invention also relates to a terminal unit for use in the movement-information processing system and a battery recharging unit for use with the terminal unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been proposed a game system which comprises a dance game (control) unit adapted to be connected to a domestic television for displaying a screen image for designating dance step positions, and first and second terminal units each formed as a sheet-like foot switch unit and adapted to be connected to the dance game unit (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-38696). This game system is intended to allow up to two players per domestic television to play a dance game together. Further, the dance game unit is equipped with a function of calculating and displaying an amount of calories consumed by stepping movements during the dance game, on a player-by-player basis.
More specifically, the above game system is designed to automatically recognize whether the dance game will be played by a single player or two players, based on player's input into the foot switch units, and select one of a 1P play mode for a single player and a 2P play mode for two players so as to change a subsequent processing. In the 1P play mode, only one step-position guide image is displayed on the domestic television. Differently, in the 2P play mode, two step-position guide images are displayed on the domestic television. That is, the entire display region of a television screen is divided into two separate display regions, and the step-position guide image is displayed in each of the separate display regions. In this manner, the display screen is divided into a plurality of small image screens depending on the number of players. Therefore, from a practical standpoint, the number of players to be allowed to play the game together per dance game unit will be inevitably limited to up to two. In other words, the above game system is required to have one display screen on a player-by-player basis. Moreover, two players will play the game while watching on their respective step-position guide images, which makes it difficult to foment a sense of unity between them.
The sheet-like foot switch unit involves problems about poor durability due to loads from player's jumping and stepping movements thereon, and cumbersome operations for paving and storage.
Further, in the conventional game system, a calorie consumption is determined based on inputs to be achieved only when a player actually steps on a step-detection switch incorporated in the foot switch unit, without acquiring other player's movements, such as steps out of the step-detection switch, and movements of hands.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a movement-information processing system capable of displaying a guide image for instructing a plurality of players to perform various body movements without relation to the number of players so as to offer the guide image with enhanced visibility, and detecting player's movements using a simplified terminal unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a terminal unit effectively usable in the movement-information processing system.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a battery charger effectively usable for the terminal unit.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a movement-information processing system which comprises a control unit including image display control means adapted to allow a guide image for instructing a plurality of players to perform a physical training consisting of plural types of body movements in a time-series manner, to be displayed on a presentation unit, and a plurality of terminal units prepared corresponding to the number of players capable of entry into the physical training. Each of the terminal units includes a movement detection device operable, when the terminal unit is worn on a body of either one of the players, to detect body movements of the player, and a terminal-side communication section for transmitting a detection signal representing the body movements detected by the movement detection device to the control unit. The control unit includes a control-side communication section for receiving the detection signal from the terminal-side communication section of the terminal unit, exercise evaluation means for evaluating an exercise quality of the player wearing the terminal unit, based on the received detection signal and a content of the guide image, and announcement means for announcing the evaluation result of the exercise quality through an announcement section.
In the movement-information processing system of the present invention, the control unit allows the guide image for instructing the players to perform plural types of body movements to be displayed on the presentation unit. Each of the players wears the terminal unit on his/her body, and performs a given body movement in conformity to a content of movement instruction represented by the guide image. Then, the body movement of the player is detected by the movement detection device of the terminal unit, and an obtained detection signal is transmitted to the control unit through the terminal-side communication section. After the detection signal from the terminal-side communication section of the terminal unit is received by the control unit through the control-side communication section, the exercise evaluation means evaluates an exercise quality of (the player wearing) the terminal unit based on the received detection signal, and the announcement means announces the evaluation result of the exercise quality through the announcement section. This makes it possible to display the guide image for instructing the players to perform various body movements without relation to the number of players so as to offer the guide image with enhanced visibility. For example, the terminal unit is formed in a configuration similar to a waistband (band-like configuration) and adapted to be wrapped around the player. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal unit may be designed to be worn on both arms or both legs of the player.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description along with the accompanying drawings.
In
A projection screen 20 having a given size, e.g. about 100×100 inch, and serving as a presentation unit, is disposed vertically on a front wall of the training room 1 to face rearward, and a projector 21, such as liquid-crystal type, for projecting an image onto the projection screen 20 is disposed on a rearward side of an upper portion (ceiling) of the training room 1. The respective players look at a guide image (see
The projector 21 may be a conventional type which comprises: a white light source; an optical filter for spectrally dividing white light into a plurality of lights different in color, e.g. red, blue and green; a plurality of liquid-crystal panels each disposed on a downstream side of the optical filter and on an light path of a corresponding one of the colors and supplied with an image signal of the corresponding color; a dichroic mirror for combining the respective color light images transmitted through the liquid-crystal panels; and a projecting optical lens system.
In this embodiment, a control unit 30 is disposed at an appropriate position, e.g. on a left side of the training room 1, to control an operation of the movement-information processing system. However, it is not essential to arrange the control unit 30 within the training room 1. At least one (in this embodiment, two) transceiver 40 is disposed adjacent to the control unit 30. The transceiver 40 is operable to receive respective radio signals from a plurality of terminal units 50 each including a belt-like portion which is formed in a configuration similar to a conventional waistbelt and adapted to be wrapped around a waist of the player so as to allow the terminal unit 50 to be worn on the player. A battery recharging station 60 is disposed at an appropriate position in the training room 1, preferably, in the vicinity of a doorway of the training room 1, to serve as both a battery recharging unit and a storage unit for the terminal units. The battery recharging station 60 is designed to store the terminal units 50 in a maximum number equal to the number of the mats 10 in such a manner that they are hung down thereon. Thus, a player who intends to enter into the training can recognize at a glance whether he/she is allowed to enter into the physical training, i.e., an available mat remains. That is, if there is at least one terminal unit 50 hung down on the battery recharging station 60, the player can immediately recognize that the entry is allowed.
As to signal receiving, the transceiver 40 may have, but depending on the number of terminal units 50, only a conventional function. Further, with a view to reliably determining from which of the terminal units 50 each of the received signals is transmitted, each of the terminal units 50 may be designed to transmit a signal coded in a different manner from each other or to transmit a signal on a carrier different in frequency from each other. In a bidirectional communication, it may be designed such that each of the terminal units 50 transmits a signal in response to a transmission request sequentially issued from the transceiver 40, so as to substantially avoid a cross talk. Alternatively, instead of using carriers different in frequency, the terminal units 50 may be designed to simultaneously transmit signals each additionally having individual identification information in the same frequency band, and the transceiver 40 may be designed to receive all of the signals and then determine whether each of the received signals has predetermined valid identification information, to extract only valid signals therefrom. In this embodiment, the pair of transceivers 40 are provided, and one-half of the terminal units 50 are designed to communicate in a different manner from that of the remaining terminal units 50 so as to further effectively prevent a cross talk.
Further, the movement detection device 53 internally has: various functional sections for activating the sensor section, converting a detection result of the sensor section into electrical data, subjecting the electrical data to a given processing, and converting the processed data into a radio signal and finally transmitting the radio signal to the transceiver 40; and a built-in rechargeable battery for supplying an electrical power to the sensor section and the functional sections (see
As shown in
The battery recharging station 60 internally has a recharge control circuit disposed at an appropriate position thereof and adapted to convert an electrical power from a commercial power source (not shown) to a DC power and recharge the built-in battery of the terminal unit 50 through the connector catching member 64. A conventional AC-DC converter-type recharge control circuit may be used as the recharge control circuit. The recharge control circuit may be designed to automatically initiate a recharging operation in response to detection of lowering in voltage between the positive and negative electrodes of the connector catching member 64 connected to the terminal unit 50 or may be designed to initiate the recharging operation in response to an instruction to be manually given thereto.
An application for an entry into the physical training may be performed by generating a detection signal by the movement detection device 53 of a selected one of the terminal units 50 based on a movement to be caused when a player detaches the selected terminal unit 50 from the battery recharging station 60 or when a player subsequently wears the selected terminal unit 50 on his/her waist, and transmitting the detection signal from the selected terminal unit 50 to the control unit 30. Preferably, the application is performed by detecting a fact that a player wears a selected one of the terminal units 50 on his/her waist (i.e., a fact that the second end of the belt-like portion 51 is inserted into the buckle portion 52) by another detection device provided in each of the terminal units 50, and transmitting an entry signal from the selected terminal unit 50 to the control unit 30 together with identification information uniquely given to each of the terminal units 50. Alternatively, an entry button may be additionally provided in each of the terminal units 50. In this case, the application may be performed simply by pushing the entry button of a selected one of the terminal units 50, and transmitting an entry signal from the selected terminal unit 50 to the control unit 30 together with identification information uniquely given to each of the terminal units 50.
The battery recharging station 60 is designed such that the engagement member 63 is located at a given height, i.e., the support member has a given length, greater than at least the entire length of the terminal unit 50, so as to prevent an lower end of the terminal unit 50 being hung down on the battery recharging station 60 from coming into contact with the floor. As above, the battery recharging station 60 serves as both the batter recharging unit and a storage rack for the terminal units 50.
Further, the battery recharging station 60 is designed to hang the terminal units 50 downward from the elongated engagement member 63. This makes it easy to visually check a remaining number of the terminal units 50, and allows a player who intends to entry the physical training to recognize at a glance whether he/she is allowed to enter into the physical training. That is, if there is at least one terminal unit 50 hung down on the battery recharging station 60, the player can immediately recognize that the entry is allowed.
The belt body 501 includes a first tubular member 505 attached to a first end thereof to extend over the entire width thereof, an approximately quadrilateral-shaped ring member 506 having one edge inserted through the tubular member 505, and a second tubular member 507 through which an opposite edge of the ring member 506 is inserted. The first tubular member 505, the ring member 506 and the second tubular member 507 make up a buckle portion. Further, a given number (in this example, six) of retainers 508 are planted on a region of the front surface of the belt body 501 on the side of the first end thereof.
In this example, a movement detection device 510 includes a housing which has a width approximately equal to that of the belt body 501 and a rear surface curved at a given curvature conformable to a human waist. This makes it possible to prevent an unnecessary movement during wearing of the terminal unit 500 so as to suppress the occurrence of noise.
The rear surface of the housing of the movement detection device 510 is provided with a given number (in this example, six) of insertion members (although not located in view in
The movement detection device 510 has the same function as that of the movement detection device 53 of the terminal unit 50 illustrated in
An imaging processing section 34 is operable, in response to an imaging command issued by the CPU 31, to read requited image data from the ROM 32 so as to perform an imaging processing to a display area of the RAM 33, and repeatedly send an output to the projector 21 in a high-speed cycle (e.g. 1/60 sec). In this embodiment, the contents of the guide images consist time-series instructions about positions of the upper, lower, right and left regions on the mat 10 to be stepped on by player's foot (to be stepped on in a given order and at given intervals so as to achieve simulated body movements equivalent to walking, running and jumping).
As shown in
Returning to
Data of the music pieces and the guide images may be loaded from an external memory through a driver (not shown). In this case, the external memory may be a DVD, a CD-ROM, a hard disk, an optical disk, a flexible disk and a semiconductor memory. In one embodiment where image data, audio data and/or program data are read from an external memory through a driver, the read data is loaded into the RAM through a decoder (not shown), or into the audio processing section 35. Along with a progress of the music pieces, the guide images associated with respective playing times of the music pieces in advance are sequentially output from the projector 21 in synchronization with the playing times.
The storage section 535 is provided, where necessary, as a memory for storing the detection signal and the temporal information. In this embodiment, the time-series guide images are displayed to instruct the players to perform various body movements in a given cycle. Thus, for example, a plurality of detection signals in a plurality (e.g. two or three) of time periods each between the initiation of one body movement instruction and the initiation of the next body movement instruction (this time period will hereinafter be refereed to as “unit sequence period”) may be stored in the storage section 535 together with temporal information representing each of the unit sequence periods and a detection timing of each of the detection signals within the unit sequence period, and then the detection signals and the temporal information may be collectively transmitted to the control unit 30 at given time intervals.
According to need, a remaining capacity of the battery 530 is checked, and the result is informed using the light-emitting elements 54.
An image display control section 312 serves as a means to send a given image signal to the projector 21 through the imaging processing section 34 so as to allow the projector to project an image onto the projection screen 20. The image to be displayed includes an entry image (not shown), the training image illustrated in
The image display control section 312 is designed to change a display mode, such as brightness or color, of the individual display region PA corresponding to an entry-authorized terminal unit 50, so as to allow a player to visually check the authorization of entry.
As mentioned above, the training image illustrated in
In the example illustrated in
Further, the image display control section 312 is operable to additionally display an instructor image IG prepared as a background image, on the projection screen 20 in the form of a moving image. The movement, particularly leg's movement, of the instructor image IG is pre-set to correspond to the guide images. The instructor image IG is operable, in synchronization with the timing of overlapping between the reference mark RM and the corresponding sequence mark SM, or at a given timing irrespective of the overlapping timing, to instruct the players to perform a body movement other than the leg's movements, such as arm's movement, specifically, a movement of stretching player's arms outward or upward, so as to allow the physical training to be a more worthwhile training including upper-body movements in addition to lower-body movements. In this embodiment, the arm's movements are not particularly detected, and a given amount of calories to be consumed by the arm's movements is preset.
Returning to
A demonstration processing section 318 serves as a means to allow the entry-authorized players to take a preliminary practice about the body movements in response to the guide images before initiation of the training. A sensor input detection section 319 serves as a means to determine whether a detection signal from each of the terminal units 50 in response to each of the guide images (i.e., within each of the unit sequence periods) is present or absent. A noise removal processing section 320 serves as a means to remove a detection signal entered in a time period out of a given time range above or below the timing of overlapping between the reference mark RM and the corresponding sequence mark SM (this time range will hereinafter be referred to as “valid time range”, as noise. In this embodiment, the noise removal processing section 320 is designed to remove such noise only for an evaluation on player's response.
A timing evaluation section 321 serves as a means to evaluate the player's response based on a deviation time, i.e., a time deviating from the timing of overlapping between the reference mark RM and the corresponding sequence mark SM within the valid time range. The player's response is evaluated as “cool”, “normal” and “bad” in ascending order of the deviation time, and compiled and displayed on player-by-player basis, for example, on the projection screen after completion of the training.
When the player's response is evaluated as “cool”, an image of the individual display region PA for the corresponding terminal unit 50 is displayed in a special motivational display mode which is recognizable by the player, for example, by changing a color of the image or by flashing the individual display region. This allows the player to recognize that his/her movement timing is accurate.
Returning to
A training result evaluation section 324 serves as a means to accumulate the timing evaluation results of each of the players wearing the corresponding terminal units 50, for example, in the form of a point or the number of the evaluations “cool”, “normal”, “bad”, and display the accumulated result as the training-termination image on the projection screen 20 in the form of a list, or display the accumulated total calorie consumption in the form of a list, such that “the identification number 01: 100 kcal”, “the identification number 02: 105 kcal”, ----.
The control unit 30 is connected to a printer 70. A printing-out control section 325 serves as a means to print out at least the total calorie consumption of each of the terminal units 50, i.e., the players in association with the identification information of the terminal unit 50. The printing-out control section 325 is operable, when the training is completed, to automatically print out the total calorie consumption of each of the entry-authorized terminal units 50 to a separate recording sheet. Each of the players can obtain the recording sheet having the identification information of the terminal unit 50 which has been used by the player, and keep it as a record. While some of the players are likely to be unable to check the evaluation of total calorie consumption during the training due to concentration only on physical movements, such players can obtain the recording sheet and check the evaluation result in a relaxed manner after the training. A timer 326 serves as a means to perform a time-of-day control and a time management.
In Step 17, a replay of the music piece is initiated, and the guide image GG corresponding to the respective music piece is displayed in synchronization with the music piece to initiate a sequential instruction in conjunction with appearance of an initial sequence mark SM on the projection screen 20 (Step S19). Then, it is determined whether the music piece has been terminated (Step S21). If the music piece has not been terminated, it is determined whether the non-input count has been set (Step S23). If the non-input count has been set, a virtual calorie consumption is calculated, i.e., a virtual reference calorie consumption is added to the previously-calculated calorie consumption (Step S25).
Then, it is determined whether an input of detection signals from the terminal units is present or absent (Step S27). If the detection signals are input, the noise removal processing is performed, and the player's response and the calculated calorie consumption are evaluated (Step S29). Respective results of evaluations consisting of the evaluation on player's response and the calculation on calorie consumption are written in a storage area associated with the identification information of the corresponding terminal unit as a movement record. Further, the respective results of the evaluations consisting of the evaluation on player's response and the calculation on calorie consumption in each of the unit sequence periods are displayed on the projection screen 20 in association with the above identification information (Step S31). The result of the evaluation on player's response is displayed in the individual display region PA in the special motivational display mode, as described above.
If the music piece has been terminated in Step S21, a comprehensive evaluation for the music piece is displayed on the projection screen 20, and data of the evaluation result is transferred to a printing buffer or the like (Step S33) to print out it. In this embodiment, the players are changed to new players every time one music piece is terminated. Thus, information about the exercise stored in the time period of the music piece is cleared from the storage area every time one music piece is terminated (Step S35).
Then, it is determined whether all of the music pieces have been terminated (Step S37). If all of the music pieces have not been terminated, the process returns to Step S3, and the above steps will be repeated. When all of the music pieces have been terminated, an image representing the termination of the training is displayed on the projection screen 20 (Step S39).
The above embodiment of the present invention may be modified as follows.
(1) The movement-information processing system according to the above embodiment may be applied to games as well as physical training. Further, the system is suitable for a rehabilitation exercise and training for care receivers, and usable in rehabilitation facilities and nursing-care facilities. Furthermore, the system may be applied to games for children and infants.
(2) The control unit 30 may be designed to transmit a start signal for informing the terminal units 50 of a training start timing. In this case, each of the terminal units 50 may be designed to perform a timing management based on the unit sequence period and transmit a combination of a detection signal and information about the timing of generating the detection signal to the control unit, in response to receiving the start signal. This makes it possible to achieve the aforementioned function of temporarily storing detection signals over the plurality of unit sequence periods in the storage section 535 and then collectively transmitting the detection signals to the control unit 30.
(3) The communication between the terminal unit 50 and the control unit 30 in the above embodiment is designed to be unidirectional. In the above configuration where the detection signals for the plurality of unit sequence periods are collectively transmitted to the control unit 30, a bidirectional communication is essentially required to transmit the start signal to the terminal units in synchronization with initiation of the training in Step S17 so as to match respective internal timers (clocks) of the terminal units 50 with a timer (clock) of the control unit 30. Even in the configuration where the detection signals are transmitted for each of the unit sequence periods, the bidirectional communication may be employed, for example, to output a request for transmitting a detection signal.
(4) While the terminal unit and the player in the above embodiment are not directly associated with each other, the terminal unit and the player may be associated with each other through a transponder wearable on a body, such as wrist, of the player. In this case, the terminal unit 50 may have a function of authenticating contents stored in the transponder. Specifically, the terminal unit 50 may be provided with an antenna for reading personal information written in a memory of the transponder TP, and a storage section for temporarily storing the read personal information, and designed to receive the stored personal information from the transponder TP when the player pushes an entry button of the terminal unit 50 so as to associate the player's personal information with the identification information of the terminal unit 50. Thus, instead of the identification information, the player's personal information, such as player's name, can be displayed in the individual display region PA on the projection screen 20.
(5) The mat 10 is simply used for assisting the body movements of the player, but not essential. As an alternative for achieving the function of the mats 10, a large-size carpet or a floor having the same patterns as that of the plurality of mats 10 may be used in place of the mats 10.
(6) Each of the terminal units 50 may be also provided with an announcement section, such as a speaker, light-emitting means or a vibrating element, to perform a motivational announcement when an evaluation result of player's response is excellent. In this case, a bidirectional communication may be employed between the terminal unit 50 and the control unit 30. Further, the control unit 30 may be designed to transmit an instruction signal for the special motivational announcement when an evaluation result of player's response is excellent (in the above embodiment, “cool”, and the terminal unit 50 may be designed to activate the announcement section in response to receiving the instruction signal.
(7) As shown in
In summary, the present invention relates to a movement-information processing system which comprises a control unit including image display control means adapted to allow a guide image for instructing a plurality of players to perform a physical training consisting of plural types of body movements in a time-series manner, to be displayed on a presentation unit, and a plurality of terminal units prepared corresponding to the number of players capable of entry into the physical training. Each of the terminal units includes a movement detection device operable, when the terminal unit is worn on a body of either one of the players, to detect body movements of the player, and a terminal-side communication section for transmitting a detection signal representing the body movements detected by the movement detection device to the control unit. The control unit includes a control-side communication section for receiving the detection signal from the terminal-side communication section of the terminal unit, exercise evaluation means for evaluating an exercise quality of the player wearing the terminal unit, based on the received detection signal and a content of the guide image, and announcement means for announcing the evaluation result of the exercise quality through an announcement section.
In the movement-information processing system of the present invention, the control unit allows the guide image for instructing the players to perform plural types of body movements to be displayed on the presentation unit. Each of the players wears the terminal unit on his/her body, and performs a given body movement in conformity to a content of movement instruction represented by the guide image. Then, the body movement of the player is detected by the movement detection device of the terminal unit, and an obtained detection signal is transmitted to the control unit through the terminal-side communication section. After the detection signal from the terminal-side communication section of the terminal unit is received by the control unit through the control-side communication section, the exercise evaluation means evaluates an exercise quality of (the player wearing) the terminal unit based on the received detection signal, and the announcement means announces the evaluation result of the exercise quality through the announcement section. This makes it possible to display the guide image for instructing the players to perform various body movements without relation to the number of players so as to offer the guide image with enhanced visibility. For example, the terminal unit is formed in a configuration similar to a waistband (band-like configuration) and adapted to be wrapped around the player. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal unit may be designed to be worn on both arms or both legs of the player.
In the aforementioned movement-information processing system, the control unit may include an audio output section for outputting a music piece synchronous with the guide image to be displayed. In this specific embodiment, the music piece is output in addition to the guide image. This makes it possible to instruct the players to perform a rhythmic exercise to the music.
In the aforementioned movement-information processing system, each of the terminal units may be adapted to transmit identification information uniquely given thereto, to the control unit through the terminal-side communication section, and the control unit may be adapted to evaluate the exercise quality of the player wearing the terminal unit, in association with the identification information. In this specific embodiment, the identification information given to the terminal unit is automatically transferred to the control unit, and therefore the body movement of the player wearing the terminal unit can be informed in an identifiable manner on a terminal unit-by-terminal unit basis. Identification information, such as unique character, numeral, code and/or graphic symbol, may be described on an outer surface of the terminal unit. In this case, the player can also recognize the identification information of the terminal unit. This allows the player to find his/her evaluation result from a plurality of evaluation results of exercise qualities of the respective terminal units announced by the announcement means, based on the identification information.
In the aforementioned movement-information processing system, the exercise evaluation means may be adapted to calculate an amount of virtual exercise of the player wearing the terminal unit, based on the presence or absence of the detection signal and the type of body-movement instructed by the guide image. In this specific embodiment, an exercise amount, such as a calorie consumption or the number of body movements, in each of the types of body movements designated by the guide image, may be preset to obtain an exercise amount, based on the presence or absence of a corresponding one of the types of body movements, i.e., the presence or absence of a detection signal. Further, such a processing may be performed in each unit sequence period of the time-series display of the guide image to accumulate the exercise amounts and calculate a total exercise amount, such as a total calorie consumption. The evaluation may include an after-mentioned evaluation on the level of matching between timings of the guide image and the body movement.
The exercise evaluation means as described above may be adapted to calculate a calorie consumption as the virtual exercise amount. In this specific embodiment, the result of body movements conforming to the time-series instruction of the guide image is calculated as a calorie consumption.
In the aforementioned movement-information processing system, the display control means may be adapted to create, on a screen of the presentation unit, a plurality of individual display regions for displaying respective contents for the terminal units, on a terminal unit-by-terminal unit basis, and displaying information about the evaluation result of the exercise quality of the player, in a corresponding one of the individual display regions. In this specific embodiment, the individual display regions for displaying respective contents for the terminal units are formed on a screen of the presentation unit on a terminal unit-by-terminal unit basis, and information about the evaluation result of the exercise quality of the player wearing the terminal unit is displayed in a corresponding one of the individual display regions. This allows the player to visually check the evaluation result of his/her exercise quality only by looking at his/her individual display region, without any difficulty.
In the aforementioned movement-information processing system, the control unit may include printing-out means for printing out the evaluation result of the exercise quality using a printer on a terminal unit-by-terminal unit basis. In this specific embodiment, in addition to display on the presentation unit, the evaluation result of player's exercise quality can be printed out to facilitate checking after the training.
As a second aspect, the present invention relates to a terminal unit for use in the aforementioned movement-information processing system and the terminal unit includes a belt-like portion adapted to be wrapped around a waist of the player, and wherein the movement detection device is mounted to the belt-like portion. In the terminal unit, the player can make preparation for the training only by wearing the belt-like portion on his/her waist to facilitate the preparation.
The aforementioned terminal unit may include a built-in rechargeable battery serving as a power source thereof. In this specific embodiment, the need for replacing a battery every time it runs out can be eliminated, and a recharging operation can be performed in a nonuse state. The terminal unit may be designed to house the battery through a housing cover so as to facilitate a replacing operation of the battery when it deteriorates or has a defect.
In addition, the terminal unit as described above may further include a buckle portion connected to a first end of the belt-like portion and adapted to allow a second, opposite, end of the belt-like portion to be engagingly inserted thereinto in a disengageable manner, the buckle portion being provided with a recharging connector for the buttery. In this specific embodiment, a recharging operation can be performed through the recharging connector when the terminal unit is in a nonuse stare, typically, stored. In addition, an insertion slot of the buckle portion can be used for the recharging connecter to eliminate the need for providing an additional structure for recharging so as to achieve a rechargeable terminal unit while avoiding an increase in size and structural complexity.
In the aforementioned terminal unit, the movement detection device may be detachably mounted to the belt-like portion. In this specific embodiment, even if the belt-like portion is damaged due to long-term use, the movement detection device can be detached to allow only the belt-like portion to be replaced so as to reduce a running cost.
In the terminal unit as described above, the movement detection device may have a peripheral surface formed in a curved shape extending along a part of the entire circumference of the waist region of the player when the belt-like portion is wrapped around the waist of the player. In this specific embodiment, the peripheral surface formed in a curved shape extending along a part of the entire circumference of the waist region of the player can come into close contact with a waist region of the player wearing the terminal unit approximately in its entirety. This allows the movement detection device to further accurately sense a body movement of the player. In addition, wobble and waggle of the movement detection device can be restricted to suppress the occurrence of noise.
In the aforementioned terminal unit, the movement detection device may include a sensor for sensing a change in acceleration. In this specific embodiment, when an acceleration is changed in conjunction with various movements, such as walking, running and jumping, of the player, a variation in acceleration is sensed. The structure of the sensor, an orientation (a direction of sensing axis) of the sensor and/or the number of the sensors can be appropriately adjusted and set up to sense plural types of movements in a distinguished manner.
As a third aspect, the present invention relates to a battery recharging unit for use in the aforementioned terminal, which includes a built-in rechargeable battery as a power source, a buckle portion connected to a first end of the belt-like portion and adapted to allow a second, opposite, end of the belt-like portion to be engagingly inserted thereinto in a disengageable manner, and the buckle portion is provided with a recharging connector for the buttery, said battery recharging unit comprises a plurality of recharging electrodes each engageable with the recharging connector of the buckle portion in each of the plurality of terminal units. In the battery recharging unit, a recharging operation can be performed, for example, by inserting the recharging electrodes, respectively, into the recharge connectors of the buckle portions of the terminal units in a stored state or the like to facilitate the recharging operation for the terminal unit having the built-in rechargeable battery.
The battery recharging unit as described above may include a base member capable of being placed on a floor, and a support member extending upward from the base member. Further, the recharging electrodes may be arranged on an upper portion of the support member, and the support member may have a height from the floor which is greater than the entire length of the terminal unit. In this specific embodiment, each of the terminal units can be efficiently stored in such a manner as to be hung downward from the respective recharging units, while allowing a recharging operation to be performed during the storage.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application Serial No. 2005-321466, filed with Japan Patent Office on Nov. 4, 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention hereinafter defined, they should be construed as being included therein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-321466 | Nov 2005 | JP | national |
