System and Method for Counting Spatially Arranged, Moving Markers

The present invention relates to a system and method for counting spatially arranged, moving markers positioned on corresponding objects. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for counting markers, present in a moving group, by sensors for detecting weight of at least one weight stack plate moved in a given weightlifting machine.

Prior art of “Sensor arrays for exercise equipment and methods to operate the same” US 20070213183 A1, discloses a linear array of sensors. The array of sensors includes a plurality of sensors positioned adjacent and opposite the resting position of each weight plate, and at equally spaced locations above the example stack of weights up to the highest travel position attainable by the top weight plate of the example stack of weights. The example sensor array is enclosed in, covered and/or attached to any variety of housing and/or mounting bracket.

A drawback of this solution is that there must be present a lot of sensors wherein the number of sensors greatly exceeds the number of weight plates because the sensors must extend up to the highest travel position attainable by the top weight plate.

Therefore, due to the number of required sensors this solution is also ineffective with relation to cost.

There have been attempts to mitigate this problem so that the number of sensors is lower than the number of weight plates in order to decrease the cost of the sensors system.

Further, the lower the number of required sensors the lower power consumption of the entire system, which is often battery powered.

Such solution is present in EP3542874 entitled “System and method for assisting a weightlifting workout” describes a system where distances between the sensors are set during mounting and setup and are fixed for a given weight stack device.

Nevertheless, these distances are a multiplication of a height of a single weight plate, for example four weight plates distance equals 10 cm for a weight plate having 2.5 cm height.

A disadvantage of this solution is that it cannot immediately detect a moved weight because a weight stack must be moved (typically lifted) by a distance (typically height) equal to a spread of sensors so that one may determine how many markers (weight plates) have been moved.

There is also a problem arising from the fact that different weight stacks having different weight plate sizes will require different rails of sensors where such sensors have different spacing.

Such system is also not suitable to support weight stacks having weight plates of different sizes (e.g. weight plates of increasing height).

It would be advantageous to present a solution where the aforementioned drawbacks would be obviated.

The aim of the development of the present invention is therefore an improved and cost effective system and method counting spatially arranged, moving markers.

An object of the present invention is a method for counting spatially arranged, moving markers wherein said markers are arranged to move along a movement axis being parallel to a sensors axis of sensors configured to detect said markers during movement, whereas there are fewer sensors than markers, the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing information on a number of markers; providing information on a sequence of said sensors; providing information on an initial setup of the system by specifying how many markers are preceding and following each sensor taking into account the axis of movement and a direction of an engaging movement; arranging said sensors, in said initial setup, such that at least two of the sensors are arranged such that all the markers precede them taking into account the axis of movement and said direction of the engaging movement; determining a sensor Shaving 0 following markers and a sensor Sfollowing the Ssensor in the direction of the engaging movement; awaiting detection of a marker by the sensor S; determining a sensor Sclosest to the starting sensor taking into account said direction of an engaging movement and at the same time having more than 0 detected markers; verifying whether the Ssensor is the starting sensor and in case it is not, determining a number of moved markers as a sum of detected markers and following markers for the S.

Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of: in the case the verifying step is positive, setting a variable H as a sum of predefined heights of objects associated with said markers preceding the starting sensor based on the number of markers preceding the starting sensor as well as the number of markers counted by the starting sensor; determining a sensor Sas the closest sensor following S−H; and awaiting detection of a marker by the sensor S.

Preferably, said number of moved markers is increased by 1 when the Sis facing a marker.

Preferably, said information on an initial setup of the system comprises a list defining heights of all objects associated with said markers.

Preferably, said information on an initial setup of the system comprises a list defining weights of all objects associated with said markers whereas after said verifying step the method is configured to provide a total weight as a sum of weight of all objects associated with said moved markers.

Preferably, the method further comprises a step of awaiting a return of the weight plates to the initial position and increasing a counter of repetitions.

Preferably, said information on an initial setup of the system further comprises information on whether each sensor is facing a marker.

Preferably, said sensors are mounted on at least one rail being configured to be connectable to other such rails in order to form longer rails along said sensors axis.

Preferably, the method further comprises: providing at least one reference sensor positioned to detect a first marker of the set of markers at the resting position; detecting, via the reference sensor, an absence of the first marker to determine that movement of the set of markers has commenced; and detecting, via the reference sensor, a return of the first marker to said resting position to confirm that the set of markers is fully lowered or returned to its initial position.

Preferably, the method further comprises calibrating the system by storing in memory, upon a detection by the reference sensor of the first marker in the resting position, a zero-point position for the set of markers; and using the zero-point position for automatically resetting a repetition counter upon each return of the first marker to the reference sensor.

Preferably, the reference sensor is configured such that it is in a physical contact or a visual contact with the first marker when said first marker is in the resting position, thereby minimizing measurement error associated with determining a fully lowered position.

Preferably, the method further comprises storing in a memory, for each marker, at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: a weight, a height, or both; and calculating a total load moved based on which markers are determined to have been moved during the engaging movement and determining a travel distance for each marker from said height parameter and incrementing a repetition count upon detecting that each marker has returned to the initial resting position.

Another object of the present invention is a computer program comprising program code means for performing all the steps of the computer-implemented method according to the present invention when said program is run on a computer.

Another object of the present invention is a computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions performing all the steps of the computer-implemented method according to the present invention when executed on a computer.

Another object of the present invention is a system for counting spatially arranged, moving markers wherein said markers are arranged to move along a movement axis being parallel to a sensors axis of sensors configured to detect said markers during movement, whereas there are fewer sensors than markers, the system being characterized in that: a configuration stored in a memory comprises: information on a number of markers; information on a sequence of said sensors; information on an initial setup of the system by specifying how many markers are preceding and following each sensor taking into account the axis of movement and a direction of an engaging movement; at least two of the sensors are arranged in said initial setup, such that all the markers precede them taking into account the axis of movement and the direction of the engaging movement; a controller configured to execute the steps of: determining a sensor Shaving 0 following markers and a sensor Sfollowing the Ssensor in the direction of the engaging movement; awaiting detection of a marker by the sensor S; determining a sensor Sclosest to the starting sensor taking into account said direction of an engaging movement and at the same time having more than 0 detected markers; verifying whether the Ssensor is the starting sensor and in case it is not, determining a number of moved markers as a sum of detected markers and following markers for the S.

Preferably, one of said sensors is arranged facing or preceding a first marker being the starting marker in said spatially arranged group of markers taking into account a direction of an engaging movement.

Preferably, said sensors are arranged on at least two connected rails arranged along the sensors axis wherein each rail is configured to provide a report to the controller wherein such report comprises sensors identifiers and sensors sequence.

Preferably, said controller is physically separated from said rails.

Preferably, said controller is further configured to execute the steps of: in the case the verifying step is positive, setting a variable H as a sum of predefined heights of objects associated with said markers preceding the starting sensor based on the number of markers preceding the starting sensor as well as the number of markers counted by the starting sensor; determining a sensor Sas the closest sensor following position S−H; and awaiting detection of a marker by the sensor S.

Some portions of the detailed description which follows are presented in terms of data processing procedures, steps or other symbolic representations of operations on data bits that can be performed on computer memory. Therefore, a computer executes such logical steps thus requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities.

Usually these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. For reasons of common usage, these signals are referred to as bits, packets, messages, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.

Additionally, all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Terms such as “processing” or “creating” or “transferring” or “executing” or “determining” or “detecting” or “obtaining” or “selecting” or “calculating” or “generating” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the memories or registers or other such information storage.

A computer-readable (storage) medium, such as referred to herein, typically may be non-transitory and/or comprise a non-transitory device. In this context, a non-transitory storage medium may include a device that may be tangible, meaning that the device has a concrete physical form, although the device may change its physical state. Thus, for example, non-transitory refers to a device remaining tangible despite a change in state.

As utilized herein, the term “example” means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As utilized herein, the terms “for example” and “e.g.” introduce a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations.

The system and method according to the present invention take into account that a sequence of sensors is known wherein the system comprises at least two sensors arranged along an axis parallel to an axis of movement of corresponding markers positioned on weight plates (or objects in general).

presents a basic configuration of the present system wherein there is an axis of movement () positioned vertically, along which weight plates (-) are configured to be moved. This mechanical arrangement is not shown but is evident to a person skilled in the art of weightlifting machines. Upon exertion of a force the weight plates are configured to be moved along the movement axis (in an engaging direction) and return back typically due to gravity forces (in a returning direction being opposite to the engaging direction).

Each weight plate (-) has a corresponding marker (-) configured to be detected by a suitable sensor (-) when such marker passes a detection area covered by such sensor. The number of weight plates (-) is known and is a parameter of the system provided by means of defining a sequence of sensors (-). Typically, the markers (-) are facing the corresponding sensors (-).

The sensors (-) are positioned along an axis parallel () to the axis of movement (). For the ease of mounting, the sensors (-) may be positioned on a suitable rail (), which might house typical components such as power lines, data lines, a controller chip etc, which are typical modules allowing such sensors (-) to operate.

The rail () may be made of a relatively rigid material such as hard plastic in order to protect the sensors (-) and components mounted therein.

The rail () may also function as an element maintaining a fixed positioning of the sensors (-), which is beneficial for a purpose of mounting the sensors (-) on a target weight stack device.

Such rails () may be manufactured in one size (e.g. 100 cm) or in several basic sizes (e.g. 25 cm, 50 cm and 100 cm) and optionally comprise a connector (at one or both of its ends) so that the rails () may be connected an operate as a single system.

In case of connectable rails (), each rail () may comprise its own controller in order to form a system as shown inor the controller may be separated and configured to control a plurality of such rails (). Connected rails () may also have a common power source.

To this end, each rail () is aware of its sensors (-) and may provide a report to a controller wherein such report comprises sensors identifiers, sensors sequence and preferably a length of the rail (). Based on this, a controller may correctly identify sensors (-) from different rails () and act in view of system configuration as explained above.

The sequence of sensors (-) is known (in this case 5) and the distance D between consecutive sensors is also known. The distance D need not be a multiple of a height of each weight plate (-) and thus allows having weight plates (-) of different heights on the same weight stack.

The system assumes a known configuration of said system at rest (i.e. an initial position of the markers (-) with respect to the sensors (-)). In particular, it is known how many markers (-) are positioned prior to (preceding markers) and after (following markers) each sensor taking into account the axis of movement () and the direction of the engaging movement (). In other words, the present system does not need to be aware of exact positions of respective markers (weight plates).

Usually the markers (-) move in a subgroup as not all weight plates (-) are typically lifted. Nevertheless, in rare cases all markers (-) will move.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the distance D between consecutive sensors may differ, but it must be known to the system in relation to all consecutive sensor pairs.