Racing system for exercise machines
First Claim
1. A racing network of exercise machines in which each machine has its own embedded computer for machine control purposes, and in which racing functions are controlled by such machine embedded computers, comprising:
- means for providing intercommunication among the machine-embedded computers without intervention of a non-embedded computer;
each machine embedded computer including all of the following;
means for offering a racing goal to the other embedded computers;
means for accepting a racing goal offered by another embedded computer;
means responsive to such an acceptance for starting a race;
means for transmitting to the other embedded computers the information disclosing the racing progress of the machine containing the transmitting computer; and
means for receiving from the other embedded computers information disclosing the racing progress of each machine involved in the race.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A racing system for a group of exercise machines is disclosed. The race is entirely flexible, in that each exercise unit communicates electronically with all of the other potential racing units. Any user may offer a race, accept or reject another user'"'"'s race offer, or join a race during a limited countdown period. More than one race can be underway. For cost reduction, a daisy chain hookup is used, in which each unit'"'"'s microprocessor has an input port receiving message flow from the output port of the preceding unit, and an output port transmitting message flow to the input port of the following unit. The racing function is controlled by the same microprocessor which is embedded in each exercise machine as the controller for that machine, receiving commands from the user and feedback from the machine.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A racing network of exercise machines in which each machine has its own embedded computer for machine control purposes, and in which racing functions are controlled by such machine embedded computers, comprising:
-
means for providing intercommunication among the machine-embedded computers without intervention of a non-embedded computer; each machine embedded computer including all of the following; means for offering a racing goal to the other embedded computers; means for accepting a racing goal offered by another embedded computer; means responsive to such an acceptance for starting a race; means for transmitting to the other embedded computers the information disclosing the racing progress of the machine containing the transmitting computer; and means for receiving from the other embedded computers information disclosing the racing progress of each machine involved in the race. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 20)
-
-
6. In a network of exercise machines, each of which has an embedded microprocessor which controls its machine in accordance with user-created command signals and machine-created feedback signals, each such microprocessor having an input port and an output port for communication with other microprocessors, a method of providing racing options for the users of the respective machine, comprising:
-
permitting each user to initiate a racing offer at the user'"'"'s microprocessor; transmitting that offer to the other microprocessors in the network; allowing each user to accept or change a racing offer from another user; allowing each user to initiate a race by accepting the then current racing offer; allowing each user to join or not join a race which has been offered and accepted; compiling at each microprocessor the information disclosing the progress of its machine in an ongoing race; and conveying such information from the microprocessor in each machine to all other machine embedded microprocessors in the network. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
-
9. An exercise machine having a microprocessor which includes (a) means for receiving user command signals and machine feedback signals, and (b) means for communicating with one or more microprocessors included in similar exercise machines, the microprocessor having hardware and software for racing, comprising:
-
means for electronically receiving and transmitting racing messages in communication with the other microprocessor(s); means for electronically initiating racing messages, including the suggesting of a goal for a proposed race to the other microprocessor(s); means for electronically responding to racing messages, including the accepting via the microprocessor of a racing goal proposed by another microprocessor; means for electronically synchronizing the start of a race in response to an acceptance of a suggest racing goal; means for exchanging racing information with the other microprocessor(s) disclosing their relative positions in an ongoing race; and means for displaying such information so that each user'"'"'s position in an ongoing race is readily apparent. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for racing an exercise machine having a microprocessor which includes (a) means for receiving user command signals and machine feedback signals, and (b) means for communicating with one or more microprocessors included in similar exercise machines, the microprocessor having hardware and software for racing, said method comprising:
-
receiving and transmitting racing messages in communication with the other microprocessor(s); initiating racing messages, including the suggesting of a goal for a proposed race to the other microprocessor(s); responding to racing messages, including entering or changing a race proposed by another microprocessor; exchanging racing information with the other microprocessor(s) disclosing their relative positions in an ongoing race; and displaying such information so that each user'"'"'s position in an ongoing race is readily apparent. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
21. An exercise machine network comprising:
-
a plurality of independently controlled machines, each including an embedded machine-controlling computer and serial communications means having input and output ports connected to the embedded computer; means for connecting the output port of each machine to the input port of the next machine in the network, with the output of the last machine connected to the input of the first; means in each embedded computer for receiving and transmitting electronic messages one after the other in a stream which continues on the same path through the network of computers; and message altering means in each embedded computer capable of altering the message stream before it is transmitted to the next embedded computer. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification