Health club exercise records system

• US 20040198555A1
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brent Anderson, Douglas E. Nichols
• Original Assignee: Brent Anderson, Douglas E. Nichols
• Inventors: Anderson, Brent, Nichols, Douglas E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,507,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• 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 health club exercise records system, comprising:

a. an identifying EIDM attached to or in close proximity to an exercise activity data source;

b. a handheld device including a processor with working memory, an input means, a display means, and a EIDM interrogation means used to identify and interrogate said EIDM, and;

c. 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 on said display means that queries a user to input exercise activity data after using said exercise activity data source.

2. The health club 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 health club 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 health club exercise records system, as recited in claim 1, further including a server capable of receiving the input records from said hand held device.

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

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

8. A health club exercise recording system, comprising:

a. an exercise activity data source;

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

c. a handheld device including a communication link that is used to identify and interrogate said EIDM on said exercise activity data source, a display monitor and a data input means;

d. an exercise software program loaded into said handheld device, said program capable of auto-configuring when said EIDM is detected by said communication link into one of a plurality of sub-routines each associated with an exercise activity data source, each said sub-routine presenting one or more display screens requesting data inputted by a member when associated with said exercise activity data source.

9. A method for recording and monitoring exercise activities by members of a health club, comprising:

a. selecting an exercise activity data source in a health club;

b. selecting an identifying EIDM that identifies said exercise activity data source;

c. locally attaching said EIDM to or in close physical proximity of said exercise activity data source;

d. selecting a handheld device that includes means for identify said EIDM, a display monitor, and a data input means, and an exercise software program capable of auto-configuring when said exercise activity data source is detected, said program presents a plurality of prompts on said display monitor regarding the exercise activity;

e a central server located in said health club, said central server includes a member data file;

f. a communication link between said central server and said handheld device; and

h. a fitness tools program loaded into said central server capable of receiving information from said handheld device and storing, analyzing, and interpreting said information.