Treadmill and wake-up method and fall detection method thereof

Abstract

A treadmill adapted for fall detection is provided. The treadmill includes a light sensor and a processor. The light sensor is configured to acquire image frames toward an operating space. The processor is configured to perform occupancy detection using the image frames based on face detection and body detection. When the treadmill is in operation and no user is detected to occupy the operating space, the processor stops the operation of the treadmill and issues a fall alert.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a type of exercise equipment, specifically to a treadmill equipped with a light detection chip and its wake-up method and fall detection method. Background Technology

[0002] It has become increasingly popular for city dwellers to go to gyms to exercise, as gyms offer a wide variety of exercise equipment to train different muscle groups. Among the many pieces of equipment, treadmills are arguably the most basic. Not only do almost every gym have treadmills, but they are also suitable for placement in homes for convenient daily workouts.

[0003] However, because treadmills provide their own power, they do not stop automatically unless manually switched off. Therefore, if a user suddenly feels unwell and cannot keep up with the treadmill's speed during operation, they may fall and cause a hazard.

[0004] Therefore, treadmills with fall detection capabilities have become a demand. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a treadmill that uses a light detection chip to detect whether the operating space is occupied by a user during system operation, thereby enabling fall detection.

[0006] The present invention also provides a configuration of a light detection chip to detect whether the operating space is occupied by the user when the system is idle, so as to automatically start the treadmill on the console to improve the user experience.

[0007] The present invention also provides a treadmill that uses optical methods to detect a user's cadence and / or weight.

[0008] The present invention also provides a treadmill that calculates and displays the user's exercise performance based on changes in the belt's moving speed.

[0009] This invention provides a treadmill comprising a base, a control panel, a light sensor, and a processor. The base determines the operating space of the treadmill. The control panel displays the treadmill's operating information. The light sensor acquires image frames with a viewing angle toward the operating space. The processor performs face detection and human body detection on the image frames and determines whether the operating space is occupied by any user based on the detection results.

[0010] The present invention also provides a wake-up method for a treadmill comprising a control panel, a base, and a light detection chip, comprising the following steps: entering an idle state; performing motion detection through the light detection chip; when motion is detected, performing occupancy detection of the base through the light detection chip; and waking up the control panel when the base is detected to be occupied by a user.

[0011] The present invention also provides a fall detection method for a treadmill comprising a control panel, a base, and a light detection chip, comprising the following steps: entering a running state and using the light detection chip to detect the occupancy of the base; when the light detection chip determines that the base has not been occupied by any user for a first period, controlling the control panel to display a confirmation message; and when the confirmation message is not cleared after a second period, leaving the running state and issuing a warning.

[0012] To make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent, they will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in this invention, the same components are represented by the same symbols, which will be explained first. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a side view of the treadmill in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a top view of the treadmill in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an automatic wake-up method for a treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a fall detection method for a treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a top view of the treadmill in operation according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how a treadmill optically detects a user's weight according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the change in belt speed for one stride relative to different running postures of a user on a treadmill according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0022] 100 treadmills

[0023] 11. Base

[0024] 13 Control Panel

[0025] 15. Optical Detection Chip

[0026] 151 Light Sensor

[0027] 153 processor

[0028] 17 motors

[0029] ROI_b Human body region

[0030] ROI_f (Face Region) Detailed Implementation

[0031] One object of this invention is to provide a treadmill capable of automatically waking up and performing fall detection by detecting whether the operating space is occupied by a user. This invention primarily determines whether the operating space is occupied by a user based on image frames acquired by a light sensor.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, it is a side view of the treadmill 100 in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The screen shows that the first user (e.g., a valid user) 900 is using / occupying the treadmill 100, while the second user (e.g., an invalid user) 800 is standing behind the treadmill 100 and is not using it.

[0033] The treadmill 100 includes a base 11, a control panel 13, and a light detection chip 15. The base 11 and the control panel 13 are connected by a connecting rod, and the connecting rod preferably contains wires and signal lines to electrically connect the base 11 and the control panel 13. The base 11 provides power to the control panel 13 via the wires, and the control panel 13 provides control signals and detection signals to the base 11 via the signal lines. The shape and material of the connecting rod are not specifically limited, as long as it can raise the control panel 13 to a height convenient for user operation. The light detection chip 15 can be disposed on or built into the control panel 13, without specific limitations. In other embodiments, the light detection chip 15 is disposed on the connecting rod and electrically connected to the control panel 13.

[0034] Please refer to the following at the same time Figure 2 The diagram shows a top view of the treadmill 100 in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. The base 11 has a belt 110, which can be accessed from the front of the treadmill 100 (e.g., at the front). Figure 2 To the right of (e.g.) to the rear (e.g.) Figure 2 The treadmill 100 allows the user 900 to walk or run on it at a controllable speed (e.g., via the control panel 13) on the left side. The base 11 (specifically, the belt 110) determines the operating space / range of the treadmill 100, for example... Figure 1700 shown. Figure 2 The preferred operating space / range is shown as 701, while the maximum operable space / range is 701+702, as an example.

[0035] The control panel 13 includes a screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display, plasma display, organic light-emitting diode display, quantum dot light-emitting diode display, etc., but not limited thereto) for displaying operating information and user information of the treadmill 100, such as the speed of the belt 110, tilt angle, running time, and the user's heart rate, cadence, and weight, but not limited thereto; the screen can display any predetermined information. In one embodiment, the control panel 13 includes a touch screen display so that the user can operate the control panel 13 directly through the touch screen display; in another embodiment, the control panel 13 includes a liquid crystal display and multiple buttons and / or switches, and the user 900 can operate the control panel 13 through the multiple buttons and / or switches. The control panel 13 can control (e.g., through control signal Sc) the motor 17 in the base 11 (see reference 11). Figure 3 This drives the belt 110 to move faster.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a treadmill 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this invention, the light detection chip 15 includes a light sensor 151 and a processor 153.

[0037] The light sensor 151 is, for example, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor, etc., and is not specifically limited thereto. The light sensor 151 has a field of view (FOV), for example... Figure 1 The vertical angle of the displayed field of view (FOV) is 54 degrees. Figure 2 The lateral angle of the field of view (FOV) is 72 degrees, but the invention is not limited to this. The FOV is predetermined based on the dimensions of the treadmill 100 (e.g., the distance between the user and the control panel 13) and the operating space 700. A light sensor 151 acquires image frames Fm directed toward the operating space 700 (i.e., toward the user 900). In some embodiments, the treadmill 100 also includes a light source illuminating the operating space 700.

[0038] In one embodiment, the light sensor 151 is disposed on the control panel 15, and the lower edge of its field of view (FOV) is configured to be approximately parallel to the horizontal line, such as... Figure 1 As shown. One reason for configuring the field of view (FOV) to face upwards and upwards when acquiring image frames Fm will be explained later.

[0039] Processor 153 may be, for example, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., but is not limited thereto. Processor 153 uses software, firmware and / or hardware to perform face detection 1533 and human detection 1535 on the image frame Fm from light sensor 151, and determines whether the operating space 700 is occupied by the user based on the detection results of face detection 1533 and human detection 1535. Figure 3 In the text, face detection 1533 and human body detection 1535 represent different algorithms built into processor 153.

[0040] The face detection algorithm 1533 of processor 153 determines the face region ROI_f in image frame Fm, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The human detection algorithm 1535 of processor 153 determines the human body region ROI_b in image frame Fm, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The face detection algorithm 1533 and the human body detection algorithm 1535 can be commonly used algorithms in this field and are not specifically limited. As long as the processor 153 can use these algorithms to determine the face region ROI_f and the human body region ROI_b in the image frame Fm respectively, and determine whether the operation space 700 (or base 11) is occupied by the user, it is acceptable.

[0041] In this invention, when the processor 153 determines that the operating space 700 (or base 11) is suddenly not occupied by the user while the belt 110 is running (i.e., the motor 17 is running), it indicates that a user may fall. At this time, the processor 153 stops the operation of the belt 110 (i.e., stops the motor 17) and issues a warning. This warning may include issuing a warning sound or transmitting information to the mobile device or central control system, etc., without specific limitations.

[0042] In one implementation, when there is no face region ROI_f or human body region ROI_b in the image frame Fm, the processor 153 determines that the operating space 700 (or base 11) is not occupied by any user.

[0043] In one implementation, when it is determined that there is no face region ROI_f within the human body region ROI_b (e.g., the face region ROI_f is outside the human body region ROI_b), and the height of the human body region ROI_b is less than half of the field of view (FOV) (or half of the image frame Fm height), the processor 153 determines that the operating space 700 (or the base 11) is not occupied by any user. This configuration is used to treat users appearing behind the treadmill 100 as invalid users 800, whose human body region is within the FOV. Figure 1 For example, it is displayed as ROI_b2.

[0044] In another implementation, when the human body region ROI_b deviates from the longitudinal centerline of image frame Fm (or base 11) by a predetermined distance greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the processor 153 determines that the operating space 700 (or base 11) is not occupied by any user. The predetermined distance is, for example, determined by the width of base 11 and is not specifically limited. This configuration is used to treat users (not shown) appearing on either side of the treadmill 100 as invalid users.

[0045] In another implementation, when the lower edge of the human body region ROI_b is not aligned with the lower edge of the image frame Fm, the processor 153 determines that the operating space 700 (or the base 11) is not occupied by any user. As mentioned earlier, since the lower edge of the field of view (FOV) is configured to be approximately parallel to the horizontal line, the lower edge of the human body region ROI_b should be aligned with the lower edge of the image frame Fm when the user is standing on the base 11. This configuration is used to treat human figures appearing in posters or images near the treadmill 100 as invalid users.

[0046] In another implementation, when the width of the human body region ROI_b or the face region ROI_f is less than a predetermined width (e.g., determined based on actual measurements), the processor 153 determines that the operating space 700 (or base 11) is not occupied by any user. This configuration can also be used to treat images of people appearing in posters or other images near the treadmill 100 as invalid users.

[0047] In this invention, invalid users will not wake up the treadmill 100 and will be excluded from the occupancy detection.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 4 The diagram shows a flowchart of an automatic wake-up method for a treadmill 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wake-up method includes the following steps: entering an idle state (step S40); performing motion detection via a light detection chip (step S42); when motion is detected, detecting the occupancy of the base via the light detection chip (step S44); and waking up the control panel when the base is detected to be occupied by a user (step S46). Figure 3 As shown, the light detection chip 15 includes a light sensor 151 and a processor 153.

[0049] Step S40: In this embodiment, the so-called idle state refers to the treadmill 100 not being operated by any user for a predetermined period of time, for example, no user enters the operating space 700 (e.g., stands on the base 11) and the control panel 13 is not operated. In the idle state, the control panel 13 is turned off and the base 11 stops running (e.g., the motor 17 stops driving the belt 110). However, in the idle state, the light detection chip 15 continues to detect at a predetermined frequency.

[0050] Step S42: In the idle state, the light detection chip 15 performs motion detection 1531 based on the image frame Fm acquired by the light sensor 151, that is, it uses a motion detection algorithm to calculate whether there is motion in the image frame Fm. This motion can be determined using two consecutive image frames Fm (e.g., using correlation) or directly detected using the pixel circuit of the light sensor 151. For example, the method of detecting motion using the pixel circuit can be referred to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 009,417, filed on September 1, 2020, entitled "Pixel Circuit Capable of Outputting Time Signals and Performing Analog Operations," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and is not described in detail herein.

[0051] When no action is detected, step S42 continues to be executed in the idle state, but the light detection chip 15 does not perform occupancy detection of the base 11, that is, it does not execute the face detection algorithm 1533 and the human body detection algorithm 1535. When an action is detected, step S44 is executed.

[0052] Step S44: Whether the operating space 700 of the treadmill 100 is occupied can be determined based on the face region ROI_b and body region ROI_f as described in the above embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated here. If it is determined that the operating space 700 is not occupied by any user, it means that the action detected in step S42 did not occur in the operating space 700, and then the process returns to step S40 to continue maintaining the idle state. Accordingly, it can be ruled out that a person near the treadmill 100 may accidentally wake up the control panel 13. On the other hand, if it is determined that the operating space 700 has been occupied by a user for more than a predetermined time (e.g., more than 3 seconds, but not limited to), then the process proceeds to step S46.

[0053] Step S46: When the control panel 13 is activated (e.g., via signal So), such as by screen activation, the user can set the speed and tilt angle of the base 11 by operating the control panel 13, and start the motor 17 to drive the belt 110. The method of the motor 17 driving the belt 110 is known and is not the main purpose of this invention, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0054] In this embodiment, the treadmill 100 may also include other detectors to determine the state of the belt 110 (e.g., height, pressure, etc.) to help determine whether the user is standing on the base 11.

[0055] Therefore, if a user stands on the base 11 for more than the predetermined time, the control panel 13 can be automatically activated, that is, the waiting operation can be started.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 5The diagram shows a flowchart of a fall detection method for a treadmill 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fall detection method includes the following steps: entering a running state (step S50); using a light detection chip to detect the occupancy of the base or determine whether the control panel is being operated (step S51); when the light detection chip determines that the base has not been occupied by the user for a first period, the control panel displays a confirmation message (step S52); after the confirmation message is displayed, the light detection chip determines whether the base is occupied by the user or whether the control panel is being operated (step S53); if the confirmation message is deleted, the process returns to step S51 (step S54); and if the confirmation message is not cleared after a second period, the process leaves the running state and issues a warning (step S55). Figure 3 As shown, the light detection chip 15 includes a light sensor 151 and a processor 153.

[0057] Step S50: In this embodiment, the so-called running state (or operating state) refers to the state in which the motor 17 is driving the belt 110 to move at a selected speed. In the running state, a user 900 is usually walking or running on the base 11.

[0058] Step S51: In the operating state, the light detection chip 15 (or the processor of the control panel 13, such as a microprocessor unit or a central processing unit) continuously performs occupancy detection and / or confirms whether the control panel 13 is being operated, such as touching the screen, pressing a button, or toggling a switch. Occupancy detection can be performed using the method described above, so it will not be repeated here.

[0059] S52: If the light detection chip 15 confirms that the treadmill 100 has not been used for more than (greater than or equal to) the first period, including when no user occupies the operating space 700 or the control panel 13, it will prompt a confirmation message (e.g., via signal So) to allow the user to indicate whether to continue using the treadmill 100. The confirmation message can be displayed on the screen or by sound, and there are no specific restrictions.

[0060] S53: After the confirmation information is generated, the light detection chip 15 continues to perform occupancy detection and / or confirm whether the control panel 13 is being operated. When the light detection chip 15 determines that the base 11 is occupied by the user, or determines that the control panel 13 is being operated by the user, it indicates that the user will continue to use the treadmill 100. The second period may be the same as or different from the first period. In addition, in order to make the treadmill 100 respond quickly, the first and second periods should not be too long, for example, less than 5 seconds.

[0061] S54: When it is determined that the base 11 is occupied by the user or the control panel 13 is operated by the user during the second period, the light detection chip 15 stops prompting confirmation information (e.g., via signal So), such as removing the information from the screen or stopping the alarm sound, depending on the method of prompting the confirmation information.

[0062] S55: When the light detection chip 15 determines that the base 11 is not occupied by the user and the control panel 13 is not operated by the user during the second period, it indicates that a fall may occur. At this time, the light detection chip 15 controls (e.g., by controlling the control panel 13 to send a signal Sc) the motor 17 to stop driving the belt 110 and issues a fall warning. Preferably, the fall warning is an audible warning to alert nearby personnel, or the fall warning can be transmitted wirelessly to a mobile device or central control system to remind on-site staff. There are no specific restrictions on the method of transmitting the fall warning, as long as it can alert nearby personnel.

[0063] In this invention, Figure 4 The embodiment is used to start the treadmill 100 from an idle state, while Figure 5 An example is used to forcibly stop the treadmill 100 from a running state.

[0064] In another embodiment, the light detection chip 15 also includes a thermal sensor for liveness detection. For example, the thermal sensor has a field of view that is substantially the same as that of the light sensor 151. The processor 153 may first determine a key region (WOI) in the thermal image acquired by the thermal sensor, and then perform motion detection 1531, face detection 1533, and human body detection 1535 only on the pixel region corresponding to the key region in the image frame Fm, thereby eliminating other interference around the user 900, such as portraits on posters.

[0065] In another embodiment, the light detection chip 15 also has a user identification function. For example, the light detection chip 15 also has a built-in identification algorithm for identifying the user based on facial features. Therefore, the treadmill 100 also has memory (including volatile and / or non-volatile memory) for recording user-related operation settings, such as the belt speed, inclination angle, running time, etc., but not limited to these. For example, when entering... Figure 4 After step S46, the control panel 13 automatically calls up the relevant operation settings based on the currently identified user identity to improve the user experience.

[0066] Figure 6 Another embodiment of the treadmill 600 of the present invention also includes a base 61 and a control panel 63, which are identical to the base 11 and control panel 13, and therefore will not be described again here. The treadmill 600 and... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The difference between the treadmill 100 and the embodiment is that the treadmill 600 includes two light detection chips 65 and 66, which are used to acquire image frames facing the front of the control panel 63. In this embodiment, the image frames acquired by the two light detection chips 65 and 66 can be used to directly calculate whether the user's position is within the operating space (i.e., the base 61), and to confirm whether the base 61 is occupied.

[0067] For example, when the treadmill 600 performs as follows Figure 4 In the wake-up method, in step S44, the processor of the light detection chip 65 or the light detection chip 66, or the processor of the control panel 63 (e.g., a microprocessor unit or a central processing unit), calculates the user's three-dimensional position based on the image frames acquired by the light detection chips 65 and 66 and determines whether the position is within the operating space (i.e., within the range of 701+702), in order to decide whether to proceed to step S46 or step S40. The method of calculating the three-dimensional position using image frames from two different perspectives is known and will not be described further here.

[0068] For example, when the treadmill 600 performs as follows Figure 5 In the fall detection method, during the occupancy detection in steps S51 and S53, the processor of the light detection chip 65 or the light detection chip 66 or the processor of the control panel 63 is used to calculate the user's three-dimensional position based on the image frames acquired by the light detection chips 65 and 66 and determine whether the position is within the operating space (i.e., within the range of 701+702) to determine whether the operating space is occupied by the user.

[0069] In another implementation, Figure 1 and Figure 6 The implementation method can be combined, meaning the treadmill includes three optical detection chips to prevent some of the chips from being blocked by obstacles and thus unable to acquire a user image. For example, if at least one of the optical detection chips 65 and 66 is blocked by an obstacle, the treadmill will use... Figure 1 It operates in one mode; however, when the light detection chip 15 is blocked by an obstacle, the treadmill uses... Figure 6 It runs in that way.

[0070] In another embodiment, when it is determined (after entering the running state) that the face region ROI_f and / or the human body region ROI_b have not moved (e.g., exceeded a predetermined distance) for a predetermined period (e.g., 30 to 60 seconds, but not limited to this), the processor 153 (or the processor of the console) also determines that the current user is an invalid user, as a way of liveness detection, since a real user is unlikely to remain completely still for a long time when on the base 11.

[0071] In another embodiment, the processor 153 (or the processor of the control panel) can also determine the user's running or walking speed and efficiency (e.g., displayed on the control panel 13, 63) based on changes in the position of the face region ROI_f and / or the position of the eyes (e.g., simultaneously during face detection), for example, based on the frequency of changes in the vertical position in the image frame Fm. For example, when the frequency of change slows down, it indicates that the user's movement speed has slowed down. Furthermore, the processor 153 (or the processor of the control panel) can even determine whether a fall has occurred based on the position of the face region ROI_f and / or the position of the eyes; for example, if the position suddenly moves downwards beyond the lower edge of the field of view (FOV), it is determined to be a fall event. When combined with whether the base 11 is occupied by the user as described above, the fall detection capability of the treadmill can be further improved.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 7 The diagram shows a treadmill (only the belt 110 is shown here, and other components are omitted) 100 and 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which uses optical methods to detect the user's weight. Figure 7 The display shows that when the user is not standing on bases 11 and 61, the height of belt 110 is H'; while when the user is standing on bases 11 and 61, the height of belt 110 is reduced to H.

[0073] In this embodiment, the treadmills 100 and 600 further include a light source 71 (e.g., a laser diode or light-emitting diode, but not limited thereto) and a light detection chip (e.g., similar to the light detection chip 15 described above, including a light sensor and a processor, but not limited thereto) 73 disposed below the belt 110 for detecting changes in the height of the belt 110. Preferably, the light detection chip 73 includes a two-dimensional detection surface. Figure 7 As shown, when the belt 110 is at height H', the reflected light from the light source 71 is projected onto the first position PH'; while when the belt 110 is at height H, the reflected light from the light source 71 is projected onto the second position PH. The processor 153, based on trigonometric operations, can calculate the corresponding height according to different light projection positions.

[0074] It must be noted that, although Figure 7 The light projection position PH' and the change of PH along the length of the belt 110 are shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the light source 71 and the light detection chip 73 may also be arranged along the width direction or other directions of the belt 110.

[0075] Furthermore, by measuring the relative relationship between different heights and the user's weight in advance and recording it in memory, the processor 153 (or the processor of the control panel) can calculate the user's weight based on the height of the belt 110 relative to the light projection position.

[0076] In one implementation, the processor 153 (or the processor of the control panel) can control the output of the motor 17 according to the user's weight to maintain the belt 110 running at a fixed speed. For example, when the user is heavier, the motor 17 is controlled to increase its output, which can be controlled by a pre-set correspondence between the user's weight and the motor output recorded in memory. Accordingly, regardless of the user's weight, the belt 110 can accurately reflect the user's desired running speed.

[0077] In another embodiment, when user 900 walks or runs on base 11, the height of belt 110 changes regularly according to user 900's step frequency. Therefore, processor 153 (or the processor of the control panel) can also calculate the user's step frequency based on the frequency of the height changes of belt 110. For example, the interval between the two lowest points of belt 110 represents the time of one step. Processor 153 can also instruct the control panel to display this step frequency.

[0078] In another embodiment, the processor 153 (or the processor of the control panel) can also calculate the moving speed of the belt 110 based on the image frames acquired by the photodetector chip 73, for example, using correlation, but not limited thereto. However, when the height of the belt 110 changes, the speed calculated by the processor 153 also changes. Therefore, the processor 153 (or the processor of the control panel) can also correct the moving speed of the belt 110 calculated from the image frames based on the calculated height of the belt 110. The speed correction amount relative to different belt 110 heights can be measured in advance and recorded in memory for the processor 153 to access in order to obtain the correct calculated speed value.

[0079] It must be noted that, although Figure 7 The light source 71 and the light detection chip 73 are located on the same substrate, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the light source 71 and the light detection chip 73 may be separate components.

[0080] It can be noted that when a user walks or runs on the running belt 110, the speed of the belt 110 changes due to the force exerted by the user on the belt 110. The present invention also provides a treadmill capable of analyzing the performance of a user's current movement on the belt 110 (e.g., including walking and / or running).

[0081] Please refer to again Figure 1The treadmill 100 or 600 of the present invention also includes another light detection chip 75 for detecting the movement speed of the belt 110, for example by calculating the correlation between image frames using its processor, but not limited to calculating the movement speed using the correlation. The light detection chip 75 is, for example, the same as the light detection chip 15 described above, and includes, for example, a light sensor and a processor, which have been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0082] Please refer to Figure 8 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the change in belt speed for one stride relative to different running postures of the user on treadmill 100 or 600 in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 The display shows that when a user runs on belt 110, if they first step onto belt 110 with their heel and then with the ball of their foot, the speed of belt 110 during its upward movement (i.e., the period when the foot moves from front to back on belt 110) experiences a low point 80 (i.e., it is not a monotonous upward movement). Furthermore, the more force the user applies to belt 110 through their heel, the lower the low point 80 becomes. During continuous running... Figure 8 The changing shape shown repeats with each step, reflecting the user's running posture. On the other hand, when the user runs on the belt 110, if the forefoot steps onto the belt 110 first, the belt 110's movement speed will not experience a low point 80, i.e., as... Figure 8 The shape increases continuously up to the apex. By utilizing this changing shape, it is possible to distinguish the user's running posture.

[0083] It is known that landing on the heel first during running can lead to injury and poor athletic performance. Therefore, in this invention, the optical detection chip 75 identifies the low point 80 in the change of the moving speed of the belt 110 and notifies (e.g., signals) the control panel 13 or 63 to display the calculated athletic performance on its screen.

[0084] For example, the light detection chip 75 or the processor of the control panel 13 or 63 compares the position of the low landing point 80 with a predetermined threshold to determine the exercise performance. For example, the processor (or the memory of the treadmill 100 or 600) has two built-in thresholds (e.g. Figure 8 The displayed thresholds TH1 and TH2 are used to determine a boundary for motion performance displayed on the control panel 13 or 63, such as poor performance (below TH2), medium performance (between TH1 and TH2), and good performance (above TH1). In another embodiment, motion performance is represented by a light source using different colored light (e.g., green, yellow, red, etc., but not limited to) or by sound signals, without any specific limitation.

[0085] It must be noted that the optical detection chip 75 is not limited to... Figure 1It is positioned next to belt 110 as shown. In another embodiment, Figure 7 The light detection chip 73 shown can be used to detect the moving speed of the belt 110, so in this embodiment, the treadmill 100 or 600 does not need to be equipped with the light detection chip 75. The light detection chip used to detect the moving speed of the belt 110 is not limited to the position of 73 or 75, but can be arranged in a position that can acquire an image of the belt 110 or an image of the bearing of the belt 110, and there is no specific limitation.

[0086] In this invention, the movement speed of the belt 110 is not limited to optical detection; it can also be detected mechanically, as long as the detection result (e.g., raw data or speed) is transmitted to the processor of the control panel 13 or 63. The processor of the control panel 13 or 63 then determines the low point 80 in the change of movement speed (e.g., Figure 8 (As shown) and compare the depth of the low point 80 with a predetermined threshold to determine the motion performance, which will be displayed on the control panel 13 or 63 or otherwise indicated.

[0087] The control panel 13 or 63 is configured to display the numerical value or status of the motion performance, or directly display the obtained value. Figure 8 The indicated movement speed.

[0088] It should be noted that although the above embodiments are illustrated using a treadmill as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto. The wake-up method and fall detection method of the present invention can also be applied to other powered devices, such as rehabilitation equipment, and are not specifically limited thereto.

[0089] In summary, powered fitness equipment requires the detection of the user's operational status during operation to promptly detect and issue warnings when the user experiences physical discomfort. Therefore, this invention also provides a treadmill (e.g., see reference 1). Figures 1 to 2 It can be woken up when idle based on the occupancy status of the operating space, and perform fall detection based on the occupancy status of the operating space during operation, so as to stop operation and issue an alert in real time when the user falls, thereby improving the safety of the fitness equipment.

[0090] While the present invention has been disclosed through the above examples, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the description. The scope of protection of this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A treadmill, characterized in that, This treadmill includes: The base, which determines the operating space of the treadmill; A control panel for displaying the treadmill's operating information; A light sensor for acquiring image frames with a viewing angle toward the operating space; as well as Processor, the processor is used for Perform face detection and human body detection on the image frames, and Based on the detection results of the face detection and the human body detection, it is determined whether the operating space is occupied by any user. When the treadmill starts running and the motor drives the belt, the processor performs occupancy detection on the base. When the processor determines in the running state that the base has not been occupied by any user for a first period, it controls the console to display a confirmation message, and If the confirmation information is not cleared during the second period in the running state, the system leaves the running state and issues a fall warning.

2. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein, The optical sensor is disposed on the control panel, and The lower edge of the viewing angle of the optical sensor is configured to be parallel to the horizontal line.

3. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein, The treadmill also includes another optical sensor, positioned below the belt on the base, for detecting changes in the belt's height. The processor is also used to calculate the user's cadence and / or weight based on the height change.

4. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is used for A face detection algorithm is used to determine the face region in the image frame. Using a human detection algorithm, the human body region is determined in the image frame, and Based on the face region and the human body region in the image frame, it is determined whether the operating space is occupied by any user.

5. The treadmill according to claim 4, wherein, When the human body area does not contain the face area and the height of the human body area is less than half of the viewing angle, the processor determines that the operating space is not occupied by any user.

6. The treadmill according to claim 4, wherein, When the human body region deviates from the center line of the image frame by a predetermined distance, the processor determines that the operating space is not occupied by any user.

7. The treadmill according to claim 4, wherein, When the lower edge of the human body region is not aligned with the lower edge of the image frame, the processor determines that the operating space is not occupied by any user.

8. The treadmill according to claim 4, wherein, When the width of the human body area is less than the predetermined width, the processor determines that the operating space is not occupied by any user.

9. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein, The treadmill also includes another optical sensor for detecting the speed of the belt movement, and The processor is also used to calculate the current user's motion efficiency based on the change in the movement speed.

10. A method for operating a treadmill, characterized in that, The treadmill includes a control panel, a base, and a light detection chip. The operating method includes: Entering an idle state; Action detection is performed using the aforementioned optical detection chip; When an action is detected, the occupancy of the base is detected by the optical detection chip; When the base is detected to be occupied by a user, the control panel is awakened and the motor drive belt is started; In the motor-driven state, the occupancy detection of the base is performed using the optical detection chip; When the light detection chip determines that the base has not been occupied by any user for more than a first period while the motor is driven, it controls the control panel to display a confirmation message. as well as If the confirmation message is not cleared during the second period of the motor drive, the motor drive is stopped and a fall warning is issued.

11. The operating method according to claim 10, wherein, In the idle state, the control panel is closed and the belt on the base stops running, and the operating method further includes: When no action is detected in the idle state, the occupancy detection of the base is not performed through the optical detection chip.

12. The operating method according to claim 10, wherein, The optical detection chip is disposed on the control panel, and The light detection chip includes a light sensor for acquiring image frames facing forward of the control panel, and the lower edge of the light sensor's field of view is configured to be parallel to the horizontal line.

13. The operating method according to claim 12, further comprising: Through the light detection chip A face detection algorithm is used to determine the face region in the image frame. Using a human detection algorithm, the human body region is determined in the image frame, and The occupancy detection is performed based on the face region and the human body region in the image frame.

14. The operating method according to claim 13, wherein, The optical detection chip determines that the base is not occupied by a user based on at least one of the following: When the image frame does not contain the face region or the human body region When the human body region does not contain the face region, and the height of the human body region is less than half of the viewing angle, When the human body region deviates from the center line of the image frame by a predetermined distance, When the lower edge of the human body region is not aligned with the lower edge of the image frame, and When the width of the human body area is less than the predetermined width.

15. A fall detection method for a treadmill, characterized in that, The treadmill includes a control panel, a base, and a light detection chip. The fall detection method includes: Enter the running state to start the motor drive belt and use the optical detection chip to detect the occupancy of the base; When the optical detection chip determines in the operating state that the base has not been occupied by any user for more than a first period, it controls the control panel to display a confirmation message. as well as If the confirmation information is not cleared during the second period in the running state, the system leaves the running state and issues a fall warning.

16. The fall detection method according to claim 15, wherein, The confirmation information can be eliminated by at least one of the following methods. The optical detection chip determines during the second period that the base is occupied by the user, and The control panel is operated by the user.

17. The fall detection method according to claim 15, wherein, The optical detection chip is disposed on the control panel, and The light detection chip includes a light sensor for acquiring image frames facing forward of the control panel, and the lower edge of the light sensor's field of view is configured to be parallel to the horizontal line.

18. The fall detection method according to claim 17, further comprising: With the aforementioned optical detection chip A face detection algorithm is used to determine the face region in the image frame. Using a human detection algorithm, the human body region is determined in the image frame, and The occupancy detection is performed based on the face region and the human body region in the image frame.

19. The fall detection method according to claim 18, wherein, The optical detection chip determines that the base is not occupied by a user based on at least one of the following: When the image frame does not contain the face region and the human body region When the human body region does not contain the face region, and the height of the human body region is less than half of the viewing angle, When the human body region deviates from the center line of the image frame by a predetermined distance greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, When the lower edge of the human body region is not aligned with the lower edge of the image frame, and When the width of the human body area is less than the predetermined width.

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