Exercise machine including weight measurement system

• US 20040018915A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Core Health & Fitness LLC
• Original Assignee: Unisen Incorporated (Prosegur Compañia de Seguridad SA)
• Inventors: Marin, Felipe J., Cornejo, Victor Torres, Corbalis, Kevin P., Wallace, Gregory A., Reyes, Javier J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,070,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/025 on rollers or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0023 the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0242 with speed variation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0664 performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/203 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/096 automatically adjusted according to anthropometric data of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/66 Cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/682 for beverages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/687 for others, e.g. keys, wallets, books
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/01 User's weight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 having computer circuitry

Abstract

An exercise machine including a weight measurement system which provides a signal representative of a user'"'"'s weight. An embodiment of the weight measurement system includes at least one load cell outputting a signal used by a microprocessor to determine an accurate value of the users weight. An embodiment of the weight measurement system includes a plurality of load cells using a Wheatstone bridge configuration to output a signal representative of a user'"'"'s weight regardless of whether the weight is evenly distributed across each load cell. A calibration process calibrates the load cells for each exercise machine.

Claims

1. An exercise machine comprising:

an exercise assembly configured to facilitate exercise of a user, wherein the exercise assembly includes one or more configuration parameters;

a weight measurement system configured to acquire a representation of a current weight of the user by weighing the user; and

a processor configured to acquire the representation of the current weight and adjust at least one of the one or more configuration parameters of the exercise assembly.

2. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more configuration parameters comprises speed.

3. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more configuration parameters comprises resistance.

4. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more configuration parameters comprises one or more parameters of one or more programmatic exercises.

5. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein the weight measurement system further comprises one or more footpads.

6. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein the weight measurement system further comprises a deck detection system.

7. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein the weight measurement system further comprises one or more load cells.

8. The exercise machine of claim 7, wherein the one or more load cells electrically comprise a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

9. The exercise machine of claim 7, wherein the each of the one or more load cells electrically comprise a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

10. The exercise machine of claim 7, wherein the one or more load cells comprise a plurality of load cells.

11. The exercise machine of claim 10, wherein the plurality of load cells output the representation of the current weight even when the user'"'"'s weight is unevenly distributed across the plurality of load cells.

12. The exercise machine of claim 7, wherein the one or more load cells comprise aluminum.

13. The exercise machine of claim 7, wherein the one or more load cells comprise metal.

14. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein the representation of the current weight of the user comprises an output signal of the weight measurement system.

15. The exercise machine of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a value of the current weight of the user by processing the acquired representation of the current weight of the user.

16. The exercise machine of claim 1, further comprising a display.

17. The exercise machine of claim 16, wherein the processor determines a value of the current weight of the user and the value is displayed on the display.

18. The exercise machine of claim 16, wherein the processor uses the representation of the weight of the user in determining one or more target exertion levels, and wherein at least one of the one or more target exertion levels is displayed on the display.

19. The exercise machine of claim 16, wherein the processor uses the representation of the weight of the user in determining one or more physiological parameters, and wherein at least one of the one or more physiological parameters is displayed on the display.

20. The exercise machine of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the one or more physiological parameters includes one of caloric burn rate, current calories burned and total calories burned.

21. The exercise machine of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the one or more physiological parameters includes a body mass index.

22. The exercise machine of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the one or more physiological parameters includes a fitness value.

23. The exercise machine of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the one or more physiological parameters includes a percent body fat.

24. The exercise machine of claim 16, wherein the processor uses the representation of the weight of the user in determining the one or more configuration parameters of the exercise assembly, and at least one of the one or more configuration parameters is displayed on the display.

25. An exercise machine displaying user feedback information, the exercise machine comprising:

an exercise assembly configured to facilitate a user'"'"'s exercise and including one or more platforms configured to receive the feet of the user;

a weight measurement system communicating with the one or more platforms and including one or more load cells configured to acquire a measurement indicative of a user'"'"'s weight;

a processor configured to receive the measurement indicative of the user'"'"'s weight and configured to determine one or more exercise parameters from the measurement; and

a display including visual components conveying information to the user corresponding to the one or more parameters.

26. The exercise machine of claim 25, wherein the one or more platforms are proximate a deck portion of the exercise assembly.

27. The exercise machine of claim 25, wherein the one or more load cells electrically comprise a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

28. The exercise machine of claim 27, wherein the each of the one or more load cells electrically comprise a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

29. The exercise machine of claim 25, wherein the one or more load cells comprise a plurality of load cells.

30. The exercise machine of claim 25, wherein the plurality of load cells output the measurement indicative of the user'"'"'s weight even when the user'"'"'s weight is unevenly distributed across the plurality of load cells.

31. The exercise machine of claim 25, wherein the one or more load cells comprise aluminum.