Health club exercise records system

• US 7,507,183 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brent Anderson, Douglas E. Nichols
• Original Assignee: Brent Anderson, Douglas E. Nichols
• Inventors: Nichols, Douglas E., Anderson, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US10/819,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482900-902, 434/247, 601/23, 705 1- 3
• US Class Current: 482/1
• 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 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: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A health club exercise records system in which members to the health club are given a handheld device that is pre-programmed by the trainer or health club operator to record different exercise activities. The handheld device includes a built-in numeric keypad, a display monitor, and optical reader designed to communicate with a compatible ID tag located on or in the vicinity of the exercise activity data source. Loaded into the working memory of the handheld device is a pre-programmed exercise data collection program. The exercise data collection program displays one or more sub-routines to the member requesting the member to input information regarding the exercise. The sub-routines are specific to the exercise activity data source and present one or more prompts requiring the member to input information. The inputted information is stored in a temporary data file located on the handheld device or transmitted immediately to a permanent member data file on a local server located in the health club. The system may also include an uplink terminal for transmitting the data in the temporarily data file to a remote server connected to a network operations center. A fitness tools software program is loaded into the server for collecting and processing the data in the member'"'"'s permanent data file which may be reviewed by the trainer and/or member.

Claims

1. A physical exercise records system, comprising:

a. a plurality of exercises activity data sources;

b. a unique identifying EIDM associated with each said exercise activity data source;

c. a handheld device including a processor with working memory, an input means, a display means, and an EIDM interrogation means used to identify and interrogate a plurality of said EIDMs each associated with an exercise activity data source, and;

d. an exercise software program loaded into said working memory of said handheld device, said program including a plurality of sub-routines each associated with one said EIDM, said exercise software program presents an exercise data entry page after said EIDM is identified and interrogated on said display means that queries a user to input exercise activity data relevant to the exercise activity data source.

2. The physical exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said EIDM interrogation means and said EIDM is a optical reader and a compatible tag element capable of being interrogated by said optical reader.

3. The physical exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said EIDM interrogation means and said EIDM is a RFID reader and compatible tag element.

4. The physical exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, further including a server capable of receiving the input records from said handheld device.

5. The physical exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, further including a tool set software program.

6. The physical exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, further including a network operation center capable of receiving input records from said handheld device.

7. The physical exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, further including a wireless communication link between handheld device and said server.

8. The physical exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said EIDM interrogation means is a physical connector.

9. An exercise facility exercise recording system, comprising:

a. a plurality of exercise activity data sources;

b. an identifying EIDM attached to or in the vicinity of each said exercise activity data source;

c. a handheld device including an EIDM interrogation means capable of communication with, identifying and interrogating a plurality of said EIDM associated with said exercise activity data sources, said handheld device also including a display monitor and a data input means; and

,

d. an exercise software program loaded into said handheld device, said program being automatically executed after said EIDM is identified and interrogated to present at least one of a plurality of sub-routines each associated with said exercise activity data source attached or in the vicinity of said EIDM, each said sub-routine presents one or more display screens requesting specific exercise data inputted by the user regarding the exercise performed using said exercise activity data source.

10. A method for recording and monitoring exercise activities by users of an exercise facility that contains a plurality of exercise activity data sources each associated with an identifiable EIDM, said exercise facility includes a central server with a member data file created therein for each user and a fitness tools program loaded therein capable of receiving information from a plurality of handheld devices operated within said exercise facility, each said handheld device includes a EIDM interrogation means used to identify and interrogate the EIDM associated with the exercise activity data sources in the exercise facility and a software program that executes a EIDM specific sub-routine that requests specific exercise performed at exercise activity data source to be manually inputted into the handheld device, said method comprising:

a. selecting a handheld device that includes a EIDM interrogation means for identify and interrogating each said EIDM associated with said exercise activity data sources, a display monitor, a data input means, and an exercise software program capable of executing a EIDM specific sub-routine that presents a plurality of queries requesting the input of data pertaining to the exercise performed with said exercise activity data source;

b. selecting an exercise activity data source in the exercise facility with an EIDM associated therewith;

c. using said EIDM interrogation means to identify and interrogate EIDM associated with said exercise activity data source;

d. using said input means on said handheld device inputting data into said handheld device in response to queries presented by a specific sub-routine on said display monitor on said handheld device;

e transmitting said exercise data from said handheld device to said central server; and

,

f. operating said fitness tool program to process said exercise data from said handheld device.