Fitness facility equipment distribution management

• US 8,882,637 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peloton Interactive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Precor Incorporated (Peloton Interactive, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ainsworth, Mark E., Silbernagel, Robert J., Bell, Susan W. M., Birrell, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US13/789,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482900-902, 434/247, 705/2
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/305 Remote servicing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 having computer circuitry

Abstract

A system and method manage distribution of fitness equipment units based upon automatically collected usage information for the fitness equipment units.

Claims

1. An electronic method of managing fitness facility fitness equipment unit distribution, the method comprising:

automatically collecting with a computing device usage information from each of a plurality of fitness equipment units;

outputting distribution changes for individual fitness equipment units of the plurality of fitness equipment units based on the collected usage information, wherein the distribution changes comprise switching locations of fitness equipment units at a fitness facility.

2. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the distribution changes comprises changes in fitness equipment unit distribution between a plurality of fitness facilities.

3. The electronic method of claim 2, wherein the distribution changes comprise a new distribution of existing fitness quickly units amongst the plurality of fitness facilities.

4. The electronic method of claim 3, wherein the distribution changes comprise a distribution of new fitness equipment units amongst the plurality of fitness facilities.

5. The electronic method of claim 2, wherein the distribution changes comprise changing a relative number of different types of fitness equipment unit amongst the plurality of fitness facilities.

6. The electronic method of claim 5 wherein changing a relative number of different types of fitness equipment units comprise relocating existing fitness equipment units amongst the plurality of fitness facilities.

7. The electronic method of claim 5, wherein changing a relative number of different types of fitness equipment units comprises locating new fitness equipment units at a fitness facility.

8. The electronic method of claim 5, wherein the distribution changes further comprises switching locations of existing fitness equipment units at least one of the plurality of fitness facilities.

9. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the distribution changes are such that usage of fitness equipment units is more uniform amongst the fitness equipment units.

10. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the distribution changes are such that the usage of fitness equipment units with usage greater than an average usage of fitness equipment units at a particular fitness facility is reduced.

11. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the distribution changes comprise:

relocating a first fitness equipment unit at a first location with a first usage to a second location of a second fitness equipment unit with a second usage less than the first usage and of a same type as the first fitness equipment unit; and

relocating the second fitness equipment unit to the first location or another location.

12. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the distribution changes comprise:

relocating a first fitness equipment unit at a first location with a first usage to a second location of a second fitness equipment unit with a second usage less than the first usage and of a same type as the first fitness equipment unit;

relocating the second fitness equipment unit to a third location of a third fitness equipment unit with a third usage less than the second usage and of the same type as the first fitness equipment unit; and

relocating the third fitness equipment unit to the first location or another location.

13. The electronic method of claim 1 further comprising collecting warranty expiration information for each of the plurality of fitness equipment units, wherein the distribution changes are based upon the collected warranty expiration information.

14. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the collected usage information comprises a combination of both (1) a usage state of each of the plurality of fitness equipment units, the usage state indicating an age or total wear for each of the plurality of fitness equipment units and (2) a usage rate of each of the plurality of fitness equipment units at the present installation location, the usage rate indicating an extent that each of the plurality of fitness equipment units at a currently assigned location is being used during a predefined period of time.

15. The electronic method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining electronic implementation authorization for the distribution changes; and

forwarding electronic instructions for implementing the distribution changes to at least one of a fitness equipment unit supplier.

16. The electronic method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an estimated future replacement date based upon the automatic collection of usage information; and

automatically generating and electronically forwarding a purchase order for a fitness equipment unit based upon the estimated future replacement date.

17. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the distribution changes are based upon a future estimated replacement date for each of a particular type of the plurality of fitness equipment units and wherein the distribution changes are determined and output so as to alter the future estimated replacement dates to increase a number of the particular type of fitness equipment unit units that are replaced at one time.

18. The electronic method of claim 1, wherein the computing device automatically determines a new layout for fitness equipment units within a fitness facility based on the collected usage information and displays new locations for each of the plurality of fitness equipment units within the fitness facility as part of the new layout.

19. An electronic method of managing fitness facility fitness equipment unit distribution, the method comprising:

automatically collecting with a computing device usage information from each of a plurality of fitness equipment units;

outputting distribution changes for individual fitness equipment units of the plurality of fitness equipment units based on the collected usage information, wherein the usage information comprises usage state information for fitness equipment units and usage rate information for locations of the fitness equipment units.

20. An electronic method of managing fitness facility fitness equipment unit distribution, the method comprising:

automatically collecting with a computing device usage information from each of a plurality of fitness equipment units;

outputting distribution changes for individual fitness equipment units of the plurality of fitness equipment units based on the collected usage information, further comprising;

obtaining electronic implementation authorization for the distribution changes; and

forwarding electronic instructions for implementing the distribution changes to at least one of a fitness equipment unit supplier or a fitness equipment unit mover-installer.