DECIDING WEIGHT AND REPETITIONS IN A GYM MACHINE WITH NO MECHANICAL IMPACT

• US 20190015694A1
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumos Holdings US Acquisition Co. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Klinghult, Gunnar, Nyman, Johan, Linge, Anders, Bengtsson, Henrik
• Granted Patent: US 10,987,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/063 Weight selecting means
• 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 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/52 Weight, e.g. weight distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• 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 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• 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: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A weight pin for use with a stacked weight exercise machine includes a handle portion, and a shaft portion extending outwardly from the handle portion. The shaft portion is configured to be removably positioned adjacent to one or more weights of the exercise machine to selectively engage the one or more weights during use of the exercise machine. The weight pin also includes interrogation circuitry arranged relative to the handle portion, the interrogation circuitry configured to read information from the adjacent one or more weights.

Claims

1. A weight pin for use with a stacked weight exercise machine, the weight pin comprising:

a handle portion;

a shaft portion extending outwardly from the handle portion, wherein the shaft portion is configured to be removably positioned adjacent to one or more weights of the exercise machine to selectively engage the one or more weights during use of the exercise machine; and

interrogation circuitry arranged relative to the handle portion, the interrogation circuitry configured to read information from the adjacent one or more weights.

2. The weight pin according to claim 1, wherein the interrogation circuitry comprises a near field communication device.

3. The weight pin according to claim 1, wherein the interrogation circuitry comprises a bar code reader.

4. The weight pin according to claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer configured to respond to movement of the one or more weights during use of the exercise machine.

5. The weight pin according to claim 1, wherein the interrogation circuitry comprises:

a processor to process information read from the adjacent one or more weights; and

memory operably connected to the processor to record information from the processor.

6. The weight pin according to claim 5 when depending from claim 4, further comprising computer-readable instructions stored in the memory, the computer-readable instructions causing the processor to determine a number of repetitions associated with the use of the exercise machine based at least in part on the information received from the accelerometer.

7. The weight pin according to claim 5 when depending from claim 4, wherein the memory includes computer-readable instructions that cause the processor to:

determine rotational movement of the weight pin about an axis of the shaft portion based at least in part on the information received from the accelerometer; and

determine a configuration of the exercise machine based on the rotational movement.

8. The weight pin according to claim 5, wherein the memory includes computer-readable instructions that cause the processor to determine an exercise weight associated with the use of the exercise machine based at least in part on the information received from the adjacent one or more weights.

9. The weight pin according to claim 1, wherein the interrogation circuitry further includes a transceiver for communicating information associated with at least one of the exercise machine or the data collected by the weight pin to another device.

10. An exercise system, comprising:

the weight pin according to claim 1;

a lifting bar;

a plurality of stacked weights selectively engagable to the lifting bar via the weight pin; and

a plurality of tags attached to respective ones of the plurality of weights, each tag of the plurality of tags including information unique to the respective weight.

12. The exercise system according to claim 10, further comprising the exercise machine, wherein the exercise machine includes a support member movably extending through the one or more weights, wherein the support member includes at least one through-hole configured to receive the weight support portion of the device to releasably couple the one or more weights to the support member during use of the exercise machine.

13. The exercise system according to claim 10, further comprising a server communicatively couplable to the weight pin, wherein subsequent to reading information from the adjacent one or more weights the weight pin transmits the information to the server.

11. (canceled)

14. A method for obtaining information related to physical performance on one or more exercise machines, the method comprising using a weight pin for selecting a weight to be lifted to read information on the one or more weights during use of the exercise machine.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising removably positioning at least a portion of a weight pin adjacent to one or more weights of a selected exercise machine, and supporting at least a portion of the one or more weights with the weight pin during use of the exercise machine.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein removably positioning at least a portion of the weight pin includes removably inserting at least a portion of the weight pin beneath the one or more weights to releasably couple the one or more weights to a lifting portion of the selected exercise machine during use of the exercise machine.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising recording information related to an acceleration of the one or more weights during use of the exercise machine, and downloading information from the weight pin after use of the exercise machine.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising detecting rotational movement of the weight pin, and determining a configuration of the exercise machine based on the detected rotation.

18. (canceled)

20. A method for determining a configuration of an exercise machine having at least one handle reconfigurable between a first configuration that provides a resistance in a first direction and a second configuration that provides a resistance in a second direction different from the first direction, the method comprising:

detecting an initial acceleration of the at least one handle;

determining if the initial acceleration is in a first direction or a second direction; and

concluding the machine is in the first configuration when the initial acceleration is in the first direction, and the machine is in the second configuration when the initial acceleration is in the second direction.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein detecting the initial acceleration includes using an accelerometer attached to the at least one handle to detect the initial acceleration.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising wirelessly communicating the detected initial acceleration to a weight pin of the exercise machine, and wherein the determining and concluding steps are performed by a processor of the weight pin.