Exercise system and method

• US 9,174,085 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peloton Interactive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Peloton Interactive, Inc.
• Inventors: Foley, John Paul, Feng, Yu, Sira, Christopher Brett, Woolley, Hans Schlichting, Cortese, Thomas Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US13/956,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20140038781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482/51, 482/57, 482900-902
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0658 for cycling with a group of people, e.g. spinning classes
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0081 Coaching or training aspects related to a group of users
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0051 using eddy currents induced in moved elements, e.g. by permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/015 including rotating or oscillating elements rubbing against fixed elements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/06 with support elements performing a rotating cycling movement, i.e. a closed path movementsupport stands for bicycles A63B69/16; unicycles B62K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• 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 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/107 Resisting devices being of the same kind
• 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 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/40 respiratory characteristics
• 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: A63B 24/0075 : Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 : for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/10 : all student stations being capable of presenting the same information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 : with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for providing cycling classes to remote users comprising providing information about available cycling classes that can be accessed via a digital communication network by a user at a remote location for display at the remote location, receiving from the user a selection of one of the available cycling classes for display at the remote location, and sending digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class from a server to a computer associated with a stationary bike at the remote location for display to the user on a display screen associated with the stationary bike. In various exemplary embodiments, the digital and audio content sent to the computer associated with the stationary bike is streamed for display to the user in substantially in real-time. In various exemplary embodiments, the digital and audio content sent to the computer associated with the stationary bike is archived content provided from a database.

Claims

1. A method for providing live and archived cycling classes to remote users comprising:

providing information about available live and archived cycling classes that can be accessed via a digital communication network by a first user at a first remote location for display at the first remote location;

providing an interface that includes a display screen associated with a first stationary bike whereby the first user can select either a live cycling class or select among a plurality of archived cycling classes to be displayed on the display screen via the interface;

receiving from the first user a selection of one of the available live or archived cycling classes for display on the display screen associated with the first stationary bike at the first remote location;

sending digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class from a server to a computer associated with the first stationary bike at the first remote location for display to the first user on the display screen associated with the first stationary bike;

detecting a plurality of performance parameters from the first stationary bike at the first remote location at a particular point in the selected cycling class;

displaying at least one of the plurality of current performance parameters detected from the first stationary bike at the first remote location on the display screen associated with the first stationary bike;

detecting a plurality of performance parameters from a second user on a second stationary bike at a second remote location at the same point in the selected cycling class;

displaying at least one of the plurality of performance parameters detected from the second stationary bike on the display screen associated with the first stationary bike such that at least one of the performance parameters from the first stationary bike at the particular point in the selected cycling class and at least one of the performance parameters from the second stationary bike at the same point in the selected cycling class are presented for comparison on the display screen associated with the first stationary bike.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital and audio content sent to the computer associated with the first stationary bike is streamed for display to the first user in substantially in real-time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital and audio content sent to the computer associated with the first stationary bike is archived content provided from a database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class on the display screen associated with the first stationary bike.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class is displayed via a user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the performance data in secondary windows via the user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance data includes pedal cadence.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance data includes power output.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance data includes heartrate.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending video chat data from a server to the computer associated with the first stationary bike at the first remote location for display to the user on the display screen associated with the first stationary bike.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving video chat data from the computer associated with the first stationary bike at the first remote location.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending the video chat data from the computer associated with the first stationary bike at the first remote location to another user.