Controlling a force generator of an exercise apparatus

A method of determining a geometry of a non-circular gear for a mechanical power transmission system of an exercise apparatus, the method comprising:

• determining or receiving angular positions of a rotatable axle of the exercise apparatus when a force is applied to a force receiving structure of the exercise apparatus, the rotatable axle being part of the mechanical power transmission system connecting the force receiving structure via the rotatable axis to a force generator which is controlled by a computer based on a kinetic model, the kinetic model being based on equations of motion of an exercise on the exercise apparatus;
• determining or retrieving first geometrical scaling values associated with the angular positions and using the first geometrical scaling values in the kinetic model to form a first modified kinetic model, the first geometrical scaling values being used for simulating a first non-circular gear of a first predetermined non-circular geometry;
• determining applied force values for the angular positions, each of the applied force values representing the force that is applied to the force receiving structure;
• and,
• controlling the force generator based on first resistive force values so that the exercise apparatus behaves as an exercise apparatus comprising the mechanical power transmission system including the first non-circular gear, the first resistive force values being computed using the first modified kinetic model and the applied force values;
• determining a loss value based on a cost function, the cost function depending on a physical quantity of the exercise apparatus;
• and,
• adjusting of at least part of the first non-circular geometry to define a second non-circular gear having a second non-circular geometry when the first loss value does not comply with an optimization condition;
• and, determining or retrieving for the second non-circular gear, second geometrical scaling values associated with the angular positions and incorporating the second geometrical scaling values into the kinetic model to form a second modified kinetic model.

A controller for an exercise apparatus comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, and a processor coupled to the computer readable storage medium, wherein responsive to executing the computer readable program code, the processor is configured to perform executable operations comprising:
• determining or receiving angular positions of a rotatable axle of the exercise apparatus when a force is applied to a force receiving structure of the exercise apparatus, the rotatable axle connecting the force receiving structure to a force generator which is controlled by a computer based on a kinetic model, the kinetic model being based on equations of motion of an exercise on the exercise apparatus;
• determining or retrieving first geometrical scaling values associated with the angular positions and using the first geometrical scaling values in the kinetic model to form a first modified kinetic model, the first geometrical scaling values being used for simulating a first non-circular gear of a first predetermined non-circular geometry;
• and,
• determining applied force values for the angular positions, each applied force value representing the force that is applied to the force receiving structure;
• and, controlling the force generator based on first resistive force values so that the exercise apparatus behaves as the exercise apparatus comprising a mechanical power transmission system including the first non-circular gear, the first resistive force values being computed using the first modified kinetic model and the applied force values.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an axle rotatable mounted to the frame;
• a force receiving structure connected to the axle;
• a force generator connected to the axle;
• a computer system connected to the force generator;
• and,
• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, and a processor coupled to the computer readable storage medium, wherein responsive to executing the computer readable program code, the processor is configured to perform executable operations comprising:
• determining or receiving angular positions of the rotatable axle of the exercise apparatus when a force is applied to the force receiving structure of the exercise apparatus, the rotatable axle connecting the force receiving structure to the force generator which is controlled by the computer system based on a kinetic model, the kinetic model being based on equations of motion of an exercise on the exercise apparatus;
• determining or retrieving first geometrical scaling values associated with the angular positions and using the first geometrical scaling values in the kinetic model to form a first modified kinetic model, the first geometrical scaling values being used for simulating a first non-circular gear of a first predetermined non-circular geometry;
• and
• determining applied force values for the angular positions, each of the applied force values representing the force that is applied to the force receiving structure;
• and,
• controlling the force generator based on first resistive force values so that the exercise apparatus behaves as an exercise apparatus comprising a mechanical power transmission system including the first non-circular gear, the first resistive force values being computed using the first modified kinetic model and the applied force values.

A method of controlling a force generator of an exercise apparatus, the method comprising:

• determining or receiving angular positions of an axle of the exercise apparatus when a force is applied to a force receiving structure of the exercise apparatus, the axle connecting the force receiving structure to a force generator which is controlled by a computer based on a kinetic model, the kinetic model being based on equations of motion of an exercise on the exercise apparatus;
• determining or receiving gearing ratio values as a function of the angular positions, the gearing ratio values being associated with a geometry of a non-circular gearing and using the gearing ratio values in the kinetic model to form a modified kinetic model, the gearing ratio values being used for simulating a non-circular gear of a predetermined non-circular geometry;
• determining for each of the angular positions, an applied force value representing a force that is applied to the force receiving structure;
• and, providing the angular positions and the applied force values to the input of the modified kinetic model of the exercise apparatus;
• and
• controlling the force generating device based on the gearing ratio values and applied force values to generate a resistive force so that the exercise apparatus behaves as an exercise apparatus comprising a mechanical power transmission system including the non-circular geometry.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• an axle rotatable mounted to the frame;
• at least one force receiving structure connected to a first part of the rotatable axle and a force generator connected to a second part of the rotational axle;
• a position detection system configured to measure an angular position of circular gearing of a mechanical power transmission system, the angular position being generated by the position detection system in response to a user of the exercise apparatus applying a force to the force receiving structure;
• and
• a computer configured to control the force generator, the computer being configured to:
• determine or receive angular positions of the rotatable axle of the exercise apparatus when the force is applied to the force receiving structure of the exercise apparatus, the rotatable axle connecting the force receiving structure to the force generator which is controlled by the computer based on a kinetic model, the kinetic model being based on equations of motion of an exercise on the exercise apparatus, gearing ratios being used for simulating a non-circular gear of a predetermined non-circular geometry;
• determine or receive gearing ratio values as a function of the angular positions, the gearing ratio values being associated with a geometry of a non-circular gearing and using the gearing ratio values in the kinetic model to form a modified kinetic model;
• determine for each of the angular positions, an applied force value representing the force that is applied to the force receiving structure;
• and provide the angular positions and the applied force values to an input of the modified kinetic model of the exercise apparatus;
• and
• control the force generating device based on the gearing ratio values and applied force values to generate a resistive force so that the exercise apparatus behaves as an exercise apparatus comprising the mechanical power transmission system including the non-circular geometry.