Treadmill power station

• US 9,833,658 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermogenesis Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Thermogenesis Corporation (Cesca Therapeutics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wiener, Ron, Rosenbaum, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Crow, Stephen R
• Application Number:
  US14/851,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20160074705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0677 Input by image recognition, e.g. video signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/068 Input by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0023 the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• 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 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• 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: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A treadmill power station is connected between a treadmill and its power outlet. The treadmill power station contains a power consumption sensor that reads information about the usage of the treadmill by externally analyzing its power consumption pattern. Information that can be derived in this manner includes, but is not limited to, the user'"'"'s speed, distance covered and step count, as well as the general power consumption trend for the treadmill itself. The power station may contain a relay to activate or deactivate power outlets on the power station.

Claims

1. A power station, comprising:

a power input for connecting the power station to a power source operable to provide electrical power;

a power output for connecting the power station to a power load device to provide the power load device with the electrical power from the power source;

the power load device comprises a treadmill;

a current sensor to sense the power consumption of the power load device;

a processor to receive power consumption signals from current sensor and, in response to the received power consumption signals, determine a power consumption pattern of the power load device;

wherein the processor, derives an exercise metric consistent with the human exerting a periodic load on the load device and the periodic load causing the power consumption pattern; and

reporting the inferred exercise metric.

2. The power station of claim 1, wherein:

the periodic variation of the power consumption signal is provided by variations in a mechanical load applied to a belt controlled by a motor of the treadmill.

3. The power station of claim 2, wherein the variations in the mechanical load applied to the motor comprises one or more of steps applied to the belt by a user of the treadmill, speed of the belt, inclination of the belt, or duration of use of the belt.

4. The power station of claim 2, wherein the processor causes the treadmill to prompt a user of the treadmill to perform a previously determined action such that the processor may observe the effect of the previously determined action upon the periodic variation of the power consumption signal and perform a calibration action in accordance therewith.

5. The power station of claim 2, wherein the processor limits an operation of the treadmill in accordance with an attribute of the user.

6. The power station of claim 1, further comprising:

a datastore comprising a user-specific constant; and

wherein the exercise metric further comprises a normalized exercise metric in accordance with the user-specific constant.

7. The power station of claim 6, wherein the user-specific constant comprises at least one of the height or the weight of a user of the treadmill.

8. The power station of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor further determining the power consumption signals comprise a degradation signal; and

the processor outputs a signal soliciting a maintenance activity for the power load device.

9. The power station of claim 8, further comprising:

an automatic lubrication system comprising lubricant in a lubricant reservoir; and

upon receiving the signal soliciting a maintenance activity for the power load device, the automatic lubrication system applies lubricant to a portion of the power load device.

10. The power station of claim 1, wherein the power consumption pattern is determined, at least in part, by a periodic variation of the power consumption signal.

11. The power station of claim 1, wherein the power consumption pattern is determined, at least in part, by a rate of a periodic variation of the power consumption signal.

12. A treadmill power and monitoring station comprising:

a power outlet;

a current sensor circuit adapted to monitor current through the power outlet to a treadmill;

an analog to digital circuit that receives an output of the current sensor and output to a controller a signal;

a relay control circuit adapted to control a relay that switches power to the power outlet on and off; and

a controller adapted to analyze the monitored current to determine one or more of a user'"'"'s speed or a distance covered by the user and step count of the user.

13. The treadmill power and monitoring station of claim 12, further comprising an output component to output the one or more of the user'"'"'s speed or the distance covered by the user and step count of the user.

14. The treadmill power and monitoring station of claim 12, wherein the controller is further adapted to analyze the monitored current to determine a maintenance requirement of the treadmill and outputting indicia of the maintenance requirement.

15. The treadmill power and monitoring station of claim 12, wherein the controller is adapted to selectively limit an operational attribute of the treadmill in accordance with a permission associated with a user of the treadmill.

16. A system, comprising:

means for connecting a power station to a power source to provide electrical power to the power station;

means for connecting a treadmill to the power station to provide the treadmill with the electrical power from the power source;

means for sensing the power consumption of the power load device;

means for receiving a power consumption signals from current sensor and, in response to the received power consumption signals,

means for determining a power consumption pattern of the power load device consistent with the human exerting a periodic load on the load device and the periodic load causing the power consumption pattern; and

means for outputting an inferred exercise metric from the determined power consumption pattern.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the variations in the periodic load are determined by variations in a mechanical load applied to a motor of the treadmill and comprising one or more of steps applied to the belt by a user of the treadmill, speed of the belt, or stride length of a user.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising, means to limit an operation of the treadmill in accordance with an attribute of a user of the treadmill.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising, means to receive indicia of the user.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for analyzing the monitored current to determine a maintenance requirement of the treadmill and means to output the maintenance requirement.