Systems and methods for controlling the operation of one or more exercise devices and providing motivational programming
First Claim
1. A central control unit for controlling one or more exercise devices, the central control unit comprising:
- a receptacle that receives exercise programming, said exercise programming comprising (i) motivational content, and (ii) control signals synchronized with said motivational content; and
a transmitter supported by said receptacle, said transmitter delivering said programming to the one or more exercise devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for providing exercise devices with motivational programming. The programming includes motivational content and control signals, synchronized with the motivational content, for controlling operation of the exercise device. The motivational content includes audio and/or video designed to simulate a group exercise setting and optionally instructional and educational content for the benefit of a user. The control signals can be carried in wireless carrier signals and can include bytes of data that define changes to the value of one or more operating parameters of an exercise device. The control signals can control one or more operating parameters of one or more exercise devices, whether at once, or device specific.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. A central control unit for controlling one or more exercise devices, the central control unit comprising:
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a receptacle that receives exercise programming, said exercise programming comprising (i) motivational content, and (ii) control signals synchronized with said motivational content; and
a transmitter supported by said receptacle, said transmitter delivering said programming to the one or more exercise devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A central control unit for controlling one or more exercise devices through wireless control signals, the central control unit comprising:
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a receptacle that supports at least one storage medium containing exercise programming, said exercise programming comprising (i) motivational content, and (ii) control signals synchronized with said motivational content; and
a wireless transmitter communicably connected with said at least one storage medium and receiving said exercise programming, said transmitter delivering said programming to the one or more exercise devices. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24)
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19. A central control unit for controlling one or more exercise devices through wireless control signals, the central control unit comprising:
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a support structure that rests upon a support surface;
a control panel mounted to said support structure, said control panel comprising;
an input receptacle that receives at least one storage medium containing exercise programming, said exercise programming comprising (i) motivational content and (ii) control signals synchronized with said motivational content; and
a wireless transmitter communicably connected with said input receptacle and receiving said exercise programming from said at least one storage medium, said transmitter delivering said programming to the one or more exercise devices using a wireless carrier signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. The central wherein each of the one or more exercise devices is either a first type of exercise device or a second type of exercise device, said first type of exercise device and said second type of exercise device being selected from the group of a treadmill, an elliptical, a weight stack, or a bike.
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35. In a computerized exercise environment including a central control unit and one or more exercise devices, a method of controlling the one or more exercise devices using wireless control signals, the method comprising:
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receiving data that includes a motivational content portion and one or more control signals at the central control unit;
processing the received data at the central control unit to create a wireless signal compatible with the one or more exercise device and having the one or more control signals; and
transmitting the wireless signal from a wireless signal transmitter to at least one exercise device of the one or more exercise devices. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. In a computerized exercise environment including a central control unit and one or more exercise devices, a method of controlling the one or more exercise devices using wireless control signals, the method comprising:
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a step for receiving data that includes a motivational content portion and one or more control signals at the central control unit;
a step for processing the received data at the central control unit wherein at least one of the one or more control signals are converted into a wireless signal to be directed out of a transmitter; and
a step for transmitting the at least one converted control signal out of a wireless signal transmitter to an exercise device. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A control signal for controlling one or more exercise devices over a wireless communication medium through a central control unit, the control signal carrying data comprising:
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a first data field defining a first operating parameter value for one of one or more operating parameters of an exercise device;
a second data field defining a second operating parameter value for another of said one or more operating parameters of the exercise device;
a third data field identifying an exercise device type; and
a forth data field defining a checksum of said first data field and said second data field, said checksum configured to be used by the exercise device for error detection of the first operating parameter value and the second operating parameter value. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57)
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Specification