Exercise system and method

• US 10,486,026 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2019
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peloton Interactive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Peloton Interactive, Inc.
• Inventors: Foley, John Paul, Cortese, Thomas Philip, Feng, Yu, Sira, Christopher Brett, Woolley, Hans Schlichting
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganesan, Sundhara M
• Application Number:
  US16/412,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20190262665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 196 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0658 for cycling with a group of people, e.g. spinning classes
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0081 Coaching or training aspects related to a group of users
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0051 using eddy currents induced in moved elements, e.g. by permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/015 including rotating or oscillating elements rubbing against fixed elements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/06 with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movementsupport stands for bicycles A63B69/16; unicycles B62K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/107 Resisting devices being of the same kind
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/40 respiratory characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 : calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 : Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 : for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/10 : all student stations being capable of presenting the same information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 : with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for displaying archived exercise classes comprising displaying information about archived exercise classes that can be accessed by a first user via a computer network on a display screen at a first location, wherein the first user can select among a plurality of archived classes, outputting digital video and audio content comprising the selected archived class, detecting a performance parameter for the first user at a particular point in the selected class, displaying the performance parameter on the display screen, and displaying performance parameters from a second user at a second location on the display screen such that at least one of the performance parameters from the first user and at least one of the performance parameters from the second user at the same point in the class are presented for comparison.

Claims

1. An exercise system for computer-augmented use at home by a first user participating in an archived exercise class accessible over a computer network, the exercise system comprising:

an exercise device configured for a first user to cause movement of a portion of the exercise device;

a sensor operable to generate first user performance data based on activity by the first user when the first user causes the movement of the portion of the exercise device; and

a computer configured to;

cause a display screen to present a plurality of available archived exercise classes for selection;

accept from the first user, via a user input interface, a selection of one of the available archived exercise classes, thereby resulting in a selected archived exercise class;

receive, via the computer network, data representing content of the selected archived exercise class;

cause the display screen to display the content of the selected archived exercise class while the first user participates in the selected archived exercise class by causing movement of the portion of the exercise device;

receive, via a sensor input interface, the first user performance data from the sensor during at least a portion of the selected archived exercise class;

generate, on a basis of the first user performance data, a first user performance parameter;

receive, via the computer network, archived performance data representing archived user performance parameters for a plurality of other users over at least the portion of the selected archived exercise class, wherein the archived performance data was previously generated by the other users in one or more locations on the exercise device or at least one other exercise device while participating in the archived exercise class;

synchronize the archived performance data with the first user performance data, wherein the archived user performance parameters represented by the archived performance data are synchronized with the first user performance parameter; and

cause the display screen to display a dynamically updating ranked list of the first user performance parameter and at least some of the synchronized archived user performance parameters, to thereby simulate the first user competing with at least some of the other users.

2. The exercise system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface configured to display content of the selected archived cycling class to the first user at a first location, the graphical user interface comprising the display screen and a user input device configured to receive input from the first user during operation of the exercise device by the first user.

3. The exercise system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors operable to detect activity by the first user and generate a plurality of first user performance parameters to measure at least one of pedal cadence, power output or a heartrate of the first user.

4. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the content of the selected archived exercise class comprises digital video content and audio content.

5. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to display on the display screen the first user performance parameter and a second user performance parameter received via the computer network from a second exercise device at second location, wherein the first user performance parameter at a particular point in the selected archived exercise class and the second user performance parameter at the same point in the selected archived exercise class are presented for comparison on the display screen.

6. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises at least one hardware processor and a memory storing instructions that are executable using the at least one hardware processor.

7. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to receive the content of the selected archived exercise class and class participant content associated with the selected archived exercise class from a remote server via the computer network, and wherein the content of the selected archived exercise class and/or class participant content includes live content generated in realtime.

8. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to generate a leaderboard from the archived performance data and the first user performance parameter, the leaderboard representing performance parameters at the same point in the selected archived exercise class, and to display the leaderboard on the display screen.

9. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the content of the selected archived exercise class further comprises a start signal indicating a starting point of the selected archived exercise class, and wherein class participant content is synchronized to the start signal for data comparison.

10. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the exercise device comprises a first stationary cycle operable by the first user.

11. A method for operating an exercise device used by a first user participating in an archived exercise class accessible over a computer network, the method comprising:

causing a display screen to present a plurality of available archived exercise classes for selection;

accepting from the first user, via a user input interface, a selection of one of the available archived exercise classes, thereby resulting in a selected archived exercise class;

receiving, via the computer network, data representing content of the selected archived exercise class;

causing the display screen to display the content of the selected archived exercise class while the first user participates in the selected archived exercise class by causing movement of a portion of the exercise device;

generating first user performance data based on activity by the first user when the first user causes movement of the portion of the exercise device;

receiving, via a sensor input interface, the first user performance data from the sensor during at least a portion of the selected archived exercise class;

generating, on a basis of the first user performance data, a first user performance parameter;

receiving, via the computer network, archived performance data representing archived user performance parameters for a plurality of other users over at least the portion of the selected archived exercise class, wherein the archived performance data was previously generated by the other users while participating in the archived exercise class;

synchronizing the archived performance data with the first user performance data, wherein the archived user performance parameters represented by the archived performance data are synchronized with the first user performance parameter; and

causing the display screen to display a dynamically updating ranked list of the first user performance parameter and at least some of the synchronized archived user performance parameters, to thereby simulate the first user competing with at least some of the other users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the display screen further comprises a graphical user interface with user selectable content for display during the selected archived exercise class, and wherein the method further comprises:

dynamically displaying one or more performance parameters for a second user operating a second exercise device at a second location on the display screen.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the display to display a dynamically updating ranked list further comprises:

generating a leaderboard from the archived performance data and the first user performance parameter, the leaderboard representing performance parameters at the same point in the selected archived exercise class; and

displaying the leaderboard.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the leaderboard is synchronized to the first user'"'"'s performance parameter allowing for comparative class participant content to be presented to the first user.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the content of the selected archived exercise class further comprises a start signal indicating a starting point of the exercise class, and wherein the archived performance data is synchronized to the start signal for data comparison.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, via a communications network, information about the plurality of available archived exercise classes at a computer at a first location of the exercise device; and

providing digital video and audio content comprising content of the selected archived exercise class to the computer at the first location for display to the first user on the display screen.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the content of the selected archived exercise class, the first user performance parameter and at least one of the other users'"'"' performance parameters are output substantially in real-time.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising requesting the content of the selected archived exercise class and archived performance data associated with the selected archived exercise class from a server through the computer network, and wherein the content of the selected archived exercise class and/or the archived performance data includes live content generated while the first user is participating in the selected archived exercise class.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the plurality of first user performance parameters to a server through the computer network, wherein archived performance data content received by at least one of the other users includes the first user performance parameter.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving video chat data from at least one other user for display to the first user on the display screen at a first location.