Automated method and apparatus for providing real time personal physical fitness instruction

• US 6,027,428 A
• Filed: 04/29/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark Thomas, William Stuntz
• Original Assignee: Mark Thomas, William Stuntz
• Inventors: Thomas, Mark, Stuntz, William
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US09/069,695
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 434/253, 434/319, 434/320, 482/1-9, 482/900-902
• US Class Current: 482/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/00 Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements force-resisting aspects A63B21/00; for particular parts of the body, e.g. to strengthen particular limbs or muscles A63B23/00; electric or electronic controls therefor A63B24/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• 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: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A system providing for personalized real-time instructions for physical fitness training. A data storage medium stores data comprising a set of instructions for physical fitness training on one or more tracks. A playback device reads the instructions stored on the data storage medium and converts them to an audio signal. An audio speaker connected to the playback device provides the audio signal, comprising the set of instructions, to a user located proximate the speaker.

Claims

1. A system providing personal physical fitness training, comprising:

an audio cassette tape having a first and a second audio channel and a first set of instructions for physical fitness training stored on the first audio channel and a second set of instructions for physical fitness training stored on the second audio channel;

an audio cassette player that reads the first and second set of instructions respectively stored on the first and second channels of the audio cassette tape; and

an audio speaker communicatively coupled to the audio cassette player to provide audio tones comprising the first and second set of instructions read by the audio cassette player to a user wearing the audio speaker.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of instructions stored on the first audio channel comprises a set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training using a first piece of exercise equipment and the second set of instructions stored on the second audio channel comprises a set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training using a second piece of exercise equipment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio cassette player concurrently reads the first and second set of instructions respectively stored on the first and second audio channels, the audio cassette player further comprising:

an audio channel selector that selects between the first and second audio channels such that the audio speaker communicatively coupled to the audio cassette player to provide audio tones comprising the set of instructions read by the audio cassette player to a user wearing the audio speaker provides audio tones from one of the first and second set of instructions read by the audio cassette player depending on whether the user has selected via the audio channel selector the first or second audio channel.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user, responsive to the set of instructions, selects via the audio channel selector the first or the second audio channel.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the audio cassette tape having a first set of instructions for physical fitness training stored on the first audio channel and a second set of instructions for physical fitness training stored on the second audio channel comprises an audio cassette tape having a first set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training stored on the first audio channel and a second set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training stored on the second audio channel.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first set of instructions stored on the first audio channel comprises a set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training using exercise equipment.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first set of instructions stored on the first audio channel comprises a set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training using a first piece of exercise equipment and the second set of instructions stored on the second audio channel comprises a set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training using a second piece of exercise equipment.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second set of instructions stored on the second audio channel comprises a set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training using kinesthetic movements of the body.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of real-time instructions stored on the first audio channel and the set of real-time instructions stored on the second audio channel are synchronized to provide physical fitness training involving a similar muscle group.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of real-time instructions stored on the first audio channel and the set of real-time instructions stored on the second audio channel are synchronized to provide physical fitness training involving similar exercises.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the user may switch via the audio output selector from the set of real-time instructions stored on the first audio channel to the set of real-time instructions stored on the second audio channel if the exercise equipment is unavailable.

2. The system of claim 2, wherein the audio cassette tape having a first and a second audio channel and a first set of instructions for physical fitness training stored on the first audio channel and a second set of instructions for physical fitness training stored on the second audio channel comprises an audio cassette tape having a first and a second audio channel and a first set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training stored on the first audio channel and a second set of real time instructions for physical fitness training stored on the second audio channel.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second set of instructions stored on the second audio channel comprises a set of real-time instructions for physical fitness training using kinesthetic movements of the body.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the set of real-time instructions stored on the first audio channel and the set of real-time instructions stored on the second audio channel are synchronized to provide physical fitness training involving a similar muscle group.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the set of real-time instructions stored on the first audio channel and the set of real-time instructions stored on the second audio channel are synchronized to provide physical fitness training involving similar exercises.

16. A method for providing real-time instructions for personal physical fitness training, comprising the steps of:

a) selecting an audio cassette tape having stored thereon instructions for personal physical fitness training responsive to a person'"'"'s physical fitness training objectives, the instructions comprising a plurality of sets of real time instructions, wherein each one of the sets of real time instructions comprises real time instructions for exercising a particular muscle group;

b) reading from the audio cassette tape via an audio cassette player the real time instructions for exercising a particular muscle group;

c) transmitting audio output via an audio speaker communicatively coupled to the audio cassette player to the person wearing the audio speaker, the audio output comprising the real time instructions for exercising a particular muscle group read from the audio cassette tape; and

d) repeating steps b) through c) for different ones of the sets of real time instructions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each one of the sets of real time instructions for exercising a particular muscle group further comprises:

a) instruction specifying when to begin exercising the particular muscle group;

b) a number of repetitions to perform in exercising the particular muscle group; and

c) a prescribed period of time for the person to rest upon completing the number of repetitions.

18. A method for providing real-time instructions for personal physical fitness training, comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a data storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of sets of real time instructions, each set providing instruction for exercising a particular muscle group responsive to a person'"'"'s physical fitness training objectives;

b) reading from the data storage medium via an electronic device at least one of the sets of real time instructions;

c) transmitting audio output via an audio speaker communicatively coupled to the electronic device to the person wearing the audio speaker, the audio output comprising the at least one of the sets of real time instructions read from the data storage medium; and

d) repeating steps b) through c) for different ones of the sets of real time instructions.

19. An article of manufacture, comprising an electronic device usable medium having stored thereon electronic device readable data for causing the electronic device to transmit audio and video output comprising real time instructions for performing physical fitness training.

20. The article of manufacture in claim 19, wherein the electronic device usable medium having stored thereon electronic device readable data comprises a plurality of sets of electronic device readable data, wherein one of the plurality of sets of electronic device readable data is selected by the user in response to the real time instructions for performing physical fitness training.

21. The article of manufacture in claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of sets of electronic device readable data stored on the electronic device usable medium is accessible via a separate audio channel.

22. The article of manufacture in claim 21, wherein two of the plurality of sets of electronic device readable data stored on the electronic device usable medium are synchronized in real time for simultaneous access via separate audio channels.

23. The article of manufacture in claim 22, wherein the separate audio channels are selectable by a user.