EP0337603A2

EP0337603A2 - Management system for training by recording of data

Info

Publication number: EP0337603A2
Application number: EP89301941A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Otsuro Wakamatsu; Tadashi Mukai; Kozo Tanaka; Masaaki Toyohara
Original assignee: Shimizu Construction Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shimizu Construction Co Ltd
Priority date: 1988-04-11
Filing date: 1989-02-27
Publication date: 1989-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-27
Also published as: EP0337603B1; JPH01259881A; DE68909089D1; DE68909089T2; EP0337603A3

Abstract

Disclosed is a band (11) with a rewritable memory device (4) wherein specific information peculiar to an individual carrying the band is recorded and administered. Ihe memory device (4) is capable of rewriting the information in noncontacting fashion and is sealed in a pliable band portion (2). The band (11/2) is worn on the arm of a user of any of various facilities, or is affixed to a domestic animal or the like, whereby the specific information relating to the subject having the band (11) can be freely read and written. Accordingly, services to, and management of, the users of a facility or the like can easily be performed without a troublesome data input operation even when a data processing system (22) is employed.

Description

The present invention relates to a band with a noncontacting rewritable memory device in which information is read and written so as to manage information relating to a subject carrying the band.
When managing a large group of people as in the physical fitness industry or industries relating to the elderly, the number of items of information specific to each group is so large that input/output processing becomes a considerable burden. Managing such information has recently become a requirement in various industries.
Improvements in eating habits and housing and the progress of medical science have led to a longer average life span year by year, while the birth rate is levelling off. In consequence, those of advanced age are becoming an ever larger proportion of society, and the trend toward an increase in the population of the middle-aged and advanced-aged is manfesting itself in various aspects. Meanwhile, though bodily strength and motility tend to increase with age up to the twenties, these usually decline in and after the thirties. Here the expression "motility" is used to mean a capacity demonstrated as the overall result of muscular strength, general stamina, flexibility, power, agility, dexterity, balance and cooperative response.
Those of middle- and advanced-age who wish to stop or slow the decline in bodily strength and motility and maintain these functions are becoming more conspicuous. These individuals are taking a growing interest in the fitness industry, such as in training gyms and other sports and leisure activities to maintain and promote health and body strength. When such facilities come to be extensively utilized, enhancement in services to many users necessitates the proper management of the users and the provision of information. The management of information peculiar to each individual is a focus of interest. In industries directed toward the elderly, who will form an increasingly large group as the graying of society accelerates, the types of information to be administered differ widely, depending upon age, bodily strength, health condition, daily behavior, etc. This necessitates the administration of appropriate information.
With regard to the management of such information, the practice at physical fitness clubs or the like is to administer such items as Member Number, health condition, bodily strength, mobility, amount of exercise and the like, by inputting them to a CPU by keying. In other industries, administration by ledger in which information is written in by hand, mechanical administration in which information is inputted by buttons or keys, etc., are employed in substantially the same fashion.
In addition, some facilities employ IC cards or magnetic cards which do not require key input operation, or media possessing bar codes.
With the handwriting or key input operations, however, considerable labor is expended in inputting the data. For this reasons, users find it difficult to accustom themselves to the system and are often reluctant to perform the required operations. On the other hand, methods employing the IC cards, magnetic cards or the media bearing the bar codes do not readily withstand wet, contaminated and hot environments, and problems arise with regard to water-resisting property, portability, durability, etc., of the card or bar-code media.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to solve the problems mentioned above, and its object is to provide an easy-to-use band with a rewritable memory device exhibiting excellent water-resistance, portability and durability.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a band with a memory device with which information can be read and written with ease when utilized for the member management of a membership club or the like.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
According to the present invention, the foregoing objects are attained by providing a band with a rewritable memory device wherein specific information peculiar to an individual carrying the band is recorded and administered, characterized in that the memory device is capable of rewriting the information in a noncontacting fashion and is sealed in a pliable band portion.
Owing to the construction described above, in the band with the rewritable memory device according to the present invention, the memory device capable of rewriting information in noncontacting fashion is embedded in a pliable band portion, so that the specific information peculiar to the subject carrying the band can be read and written at will by putting the band on the arm of a person using any of various facilities, affixing the band to a domestic animal, or the like. Accordingly, services to, and management of, the users of a facility or the like can easily be performed by the use of a data processing system and without the troublesome operation of inputting data.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1(a) through 1(c) illustrate an embodiment of a band with a rewritable memory device according to the present invention, in which Fig. 1(a) is a front view of the embodiment, Fig. 1(b) is a sectional view of an information reading/writing portion, and Fig. 1(c) is a schematic view showing the manner in which the band of the embodiment is affixed to an arm as a wrist band;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the management system of a physical fitness club;
Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a system which is installed on an exercise load machine for physical fitness;
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a training system for managing and promoting health; and
Figs. 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams each showing an example of the output of a training menu.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1(a) - 1(c), a wrist band 2, which is made of, e.g., a pliable, thermal insulating material, has a tail lock portion 3 at one end thereof and an information reading/writing portion 1 at the central part thereof. As shown in the sectional view of Fig. 1(b), the information reading/writing portion 1 is a portion having a built-in memory device 4, the periphery of which is covered with a thermal insulator 5. The memory device 4 is a so-called readable/writable memory chip which has no electrical connection and is not optically read, but which is capable of reading/writing information by electromagnetic waves in noncontacting fashion. Therefore, even though the periphery is covered with the thermal insulator, the information can be read from and written into the memory device 4 by a reader/writer without contact and at a single touch, and information storage means highly resistant to water, contaminants, heat etc. can be realized. Accordingly, when affixed to an arm as shown in Fig. 1(c), the wrist band 2 can be used as one which is excellent in water-resistance, portability and durability.
Described next will be an example in which the above band with the rewritable memory device is utilized for a physical fitness club.
Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, numeral 11 indicates the band with the rewritable memory device, numerals 12 and 21 readers/writers, numeral 13 an interface, numeral 14 a CPU, numeral 15 a memory, numeral 16 a display, numeral 17 a keyboard, numeral 18 a printer, numeral 19 a file, numeral 22 a data processing unit, numeral 23 a measuring unit, numeral 24 a load setting unit, and numeral 25 an exercise load machine for fitness.
Shown in Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the construction of a management system which manages the personal data, fitness menu and analytical data of each member of the club so as to analyze the member's motility and prepare the member's exercise menu. In this system, the memory 15 stores various processing programs together with the fitness menus and analytical data. According to input instructions from the keyboard 17, the CPU 14 performs data processing for accessing the file 19, reading/writing information from/into the band 11 with the rewritable memory device means of the reader/writer 12, displaying the information on the display 16, and printing out the information by means of the printer 18. The file 19 stores the personal data, for example the utilization history information and health information of the individual members. In addition, each of the exercise load machines for fitness is furnished with the system as shown in Fig. 3. In this system, the data processing unit 22 functions to write data, which is measured by the measuring unit 23, from the reader/writer 21 into the band with the rewritable memory device, and to control the load setting unit 24 on the basis of data read from the band 11 with the rewritable memory device by the reader/writer 21. The measuring unit 23 measures the amount of exercise employing the exercise load machine 25, while the load setting unit 24 sets the load magnitude of the amount of motion on the exercise load machine 25.
By installing such systems in a fitness club, utilization is possible in the following manner:

[1] First, when a person enters the club as a club member, the wrist band (the band with the rewritable memory device) is issued after recording the Member No. for identification thereon.
[2] The member exercises using each of the exercise load machines for fitness.
[3] The amount of exercise based on each exercise load machine for fitness is inputted to the wrist band.
[4] After the predetermined exercise, the member causes the reader/writer of the management system to read the Member No. and the amount of exercise, based on each exercise load machine for fitness, from the wrist band. When the Member No. and the amount of exercise are thus entered, the management system prepares personal data and reads specific information out of the personal data file so as to render, e. g., an evaluation service regarding the amount of exercise according to the fitness menu. Further, the management system finds an appropriate load exercise coefficient, etc. to be input to the exercise load machine and inputs the coefficient to the wrist band. This sets an appropriate amount of exercise for the next training session.
[5] Accordingly, when the member utilizes the club again, the member inputs the load exercise coefficient, which was inputted to the wrist band at the last training session, from the reader/writer to each exercise load machine, whereby an exercise load suited to each person can be set automatically.

Moreover, the release of a locker, the access management of a member's exclusive room, cashless dealing with an automatic vending machine, recording the lending of any tool, etc. can be realized by utilizing the wrist band. Further, in a fitness facility, medical inspection, measurement of physical strength and the like are conducted for the purpose of promoting health safely and effectively. In this regard, it is permissible to adopt an arrangement in which measured data items are inputted to the wrist band directly from medical check-up instruments and physical strength instruments employed for examination, measurement, etc., such as an automatic urine analyzer, blood analyzer, blood pressure pulsimeter, fat thickness meter, lung function analyzer, body weight meter, muscular strength meter, repeated sideward jumps-meter, and instantaneous power meter, whereupon the information items are inputted to the management system so as to be analyzed. Thus, an exercise menu based on analyzed results is prepared, and the information items are recorded in the wrist band, whereby the wrist band can be actively utilized for daily training.
The Applicant has already and separately proposed a training system for caring for and promoting health wherein an optimal training menu is outputted on the basis of information relating to the motility of each individual so as to instruct and supervise training (see Japanese Patent Application No. 63-25228). The bands with the rewritable memory device according to the present invention can be applied to the proposed system. That is, the management system illustrated in Fig. 2 can be used as the training system for caring for and promoting health. The training system for caring for and promoting health will be explained below.
Referring to Fig. 4, numeral 31 indicates an input processing unit, numeral 32 an estimation table, numeral 33 an arithmetic-logic unit, numeral 34 a training item table, numeral 35 a training item selector, numeral 36 a load determining unit, numeral 37 a re-evaluation processing unit, numeral 38 a personal data base, numeral 39 an output processing unit, and numeral 40 an output unit.
In Fig. 4, the input processing unit 31 processes data applied as inputs from the band with the rewritable memory device, a keyboard, etc. The data items to be entered include the identification information (ID) of each individual person, as well as the data items of a health examination table, a nutrition examination table, medical checkup records, training results, etc., and processing commands for these input data items. The estimation table 32 registers estimative values which correspond to the data items of the health examination table, nutrition examination table, medical checkup records, etc., while the arithmetic-logic unit 33 calculates the estimative values of each individual person on the basis of data items input from the input processing unit 31, with reference to the estimation table 32. The training item table 34 registers training items which correspond to the estimative values, and it is the training item selector 35 that selects the training items on the basis of the estimative values calculated by the arithmetic-logic unit 33, with reference to the training item table 34. As to each of the selected training items listed, the load determining unit 36 determines the period of time of performance, the number of repetition's, or any other amount of exercise as a load value. A training menu thus determined, personal history data, etc. are stored in the personal data base 38. The re-estimation processing unit 37 executes processing in which, from among the data items of the health examination table, nutrition examination table, medical checkup records, training results, etc. as input from the input processing unit 31, those for re-estimating, updating or statistically processing the contents of the personal data base 38 are extracted to rewrite the contents of this personal data base 38. When supplied with an output command from the input processing unit 31, the output processing unit 39 reads out data on a designated output from the personal data base 38 and transfers it to the output unit 40.
The health examination table is prepared based on the report of the member himself concerning the degree of health and the performance of exercise at present, diseases and exercise experience in the past, living environment, the desire to maintain and promote health in the future, desired items of training, etc., while the nutrition examination table is similarly prepared based on the report of the member himself concerning the intake of nutriment, etc.
The medical checkup records are classified into medical check items (medical check data) and physical strength measurement items (physical strength measurement data). The former consists of, for example, diagnoses based on a doctor's questioning and the records of blood analysis, urine analysis, electrocardiogram, lung capacity, form measurement, etc. The latter is intended to estimate, for example, health condition and whether or not exercises can be performed safely, in such a manner that general stamina, agility, muscular strength, etc., are measured by ergometry and tests of grasping power, sit-ups, repeated sideward jumps, repeated vertical jumps, bending the body forward with the back straightened, walking and running speeds, etc. Ergometry is a physical strength measurement performed by changing the pedal resistance of a bicycle in multistage fashion, and the walking and running speed tests are physical strength measurements which use a traveling belt or a traveling passage. In determining the load values of the individual training items, health condition and motility are obtained from the medical check data and the physical strength measurement data, and optimal load values are determined while taking breathing and circulation functions into consideration. The method used in making the determination can employ the results of, for example, ergometry, the physical strength measurements of the items of grasping power, etc., and electrocardiography (an ECG check test) using a treadmill, etc. That is, the exercise load tests and walking and running speed tests are conducted with loads changed in multistage fashion, the maximum oxygen intake of each individual person is predicted from the results of the tests (changes in oxygen intake, heart rate, etc.), and load values corresponding to oxygen intake required during the training session are set as the load values of the training items.
More specifically, when testing the limit of general stamina, the maximal exercise test in which utmost endeavor is required cannot be performed from the viewpoint of safety. Therefore, submaximal exercise tests the loads whereof do not reach those of the maximal exercise test are conducted at several stages of load magnitudes. Subsequently, maximal capacity of general stamina is predicted from the results of the tests conducted, and this is used in finding the appropriate load values for training. By determining load values in this way, training can be instructed very safety and efficiently.
In general, when exercises are performed with, say, about 60 - 80% of the maximum oxygen intake, there is no danger and the effects of training are great. The degree of difficulty, time, frequency, etc., of training differ depening upon adult diseases as diagnosed by medical examination and depending upon the body form and other bodily conditions. In actuality, therefore, these conditions are also taken into consideration.
Described next will be the flow of processing based on the system for caring for and promoting health as shown in Fig. 4.
First, along with the specific information (individual name, ID, etc.) relating to the user (an individual person) of the training system for caring for and promoting health, the data of the items set in the health examination table and nutrition examination table and the data in the medical examination records are entered from the input processing unit 31. Of course, these are items in a predetermined format previously set as objects to be entered and processed. The arithmetic-logic unit 33 picks up pertinent estimation items from among the input data items by referring to the estimation table 32, and finds estimative values of the pertinent items. Subsequently, the training item selector 35 determines training items by referring to the training item table 34. Further, the load determining unit 36 determines load values for the respective training items. A training menu in which the load values are entered is stored in the personal data base 38. The training menu is read out by the output processing unit 39 and is displayed on or printed out by the output unit 40. The display output or the print output is designated by the input processing unit 31. Output examples of the training menu are illustrated in Figs. 5(a) and 5(b).
The training menu delivered as the output is further checked by an expert trainer and becomes the final one after unentered items are entered and partial corrections are made as may be needed. The amounts of load exercises corresponding to the load values are entered in the band with the rewritable memory device, in accordance with such a training menu, whereby training based on the appropriate load values can be carried out. The results of training (amount of exercise and health condition after exercise) are entered as personal history information (achievement information) through the input processing unit 31 by means of the band with the rewritable memory device. On the basis of the personal history information, the re-evaluation processing unit 37 rewrites the predetermined items of personal data of the personal data base 38. Moreover, the re-evaluation processing unit 37 extracts the predetermined items of information applied as inputs from the input processing unit 31 and stores them in the personal data base 38. By way of example, when health condition data is entered before the start of training, past personal data is read out of the personal data base 38 so as to decide whether health condition is good or bad, and the decided result is delivered as an output. Thus, cessation of training is sometimes decided in a case where a fluctuation in blood pressure, pulse rate, body weight or the like is great.
It should be noted that the present invention is not restricted to the foregoing embodiments but can be modified in various ways. For example, although the embodiments have been described with regard to application to the physical fitness industry and the industry for care of the elderly, it goes without saying that the present invention is not restricted to these industries but is similarly applicable to the medical industry for accommodating in-patients, the leisure industry, cattle-breeding industry, etc.
As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a noncontacting type rewritable memory device is sealed in a band portion, and specific information is recorded and administered. Thus, a band with the memory device can be provided with a waterproof property and thermal resistance, and the information can be read and written at a single touch. Accordingly, the band can be used even in harsh environments as are encountered in diving, surfing, sauna rooms, etc. Moreover, the band makes it unnecessary to store specific data such as Member No. and fitness information, and it can be easily substituted for the key of an electronic lock or the like.

Claims

1. A band with a rewritable memory device wherein specific information relating to a subject carrying the band is recorded and administered, characterized in that said memory device is capable of rewriting the information in noncontacting fashion and is sealed within a pliable band portion.

2. The band with a rewritable memory device according to claim 1, characterized in that the periphery of said memory device is covered with a thermal insulator.

3. The band with a rewritable memory device according to Claim 2, characterized in that the band is in the form of a wrist-watch strap, and that the insulated memory device is in the form of a wrist-watch.

4. A management system for use in the training of a group of individuals, comprising a data processor, a reader/writer, a training programme, and for each individual of the group a rewritable memory device according to any preceding claim, each memory device being adapted to retrievably record medical/physical data relating to its individual, and being adapted to retrievably record data representing activities from the training programme which have been completed by the individual, whereby optimum further training activities for the individual can be prescribed.

5. The features berein described, or their equivalents, in any patentably novel selection.