Fitness facility equipment usage control system

• US 9,418,349 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• 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:
  US14/589,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A system comprising:

a first fitness equipment unit at a fitness facility;

a first processor in the first fitness equipment unit;

a first non-transitory computer-readable medium within the first fitness equipment unit, the first non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program logic to direct the first processor to;

gather first usage information regarding usage of first fitness equipment unit; and

transmit the gathered first usage information to a remote control server associated with the fitness facility;

a second fitness equipment unit at the fitness facility;

a second processor in the second fitness equipment unit; and

a second non-transitory computer-readable medium within the second fitness equipment unit, the second non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program logic to direct the second processor to;

gather second usage information regarding usage of second fitness community; and

transmit the gathered usage information to the remote control server associated with the fitness facility, the first usage information and the second usage information being useable for preparation of a usage report for transmission to a requester.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first usage information comprises mileage of the first fitness equipment unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first usage information comprises hours of use of the first fitness equipment unit.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first usage information comprises a report indicating a daily number of hours of use of the first fitness equipment unit.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first usage information comprises an indication of warranty term for the first fitness equipment unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first usage information comprises a suggested preventive maintenance timing.

7. A system comprising:

a first non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program logic to direct a processor to;

gather first usage information regarding usage of a first fitness equipment unit at a fitness facility; and

transmit the first gathered usage information to a remote control server associated with the fitness facility; and

a second non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program logic to direct a processor to;

gather second usage information regarding usage of a second fitness equipment unit at the fitness facility; and

transmit the second gathered usage information to the remote control server associated with the fitness facility, the first gathered usage information and the second gathered usage information being useable for preparation of a usage report for transmission to a requester.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first usage information comprises mileage of the first fitness equipment unit.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first usage information comprises hours of use of the first fitness equipment unit.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first usage information comprises a report indicating a daily number of hours of use of the first fitness equipment unit.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first usage information comprises an indication of warranty term for the first fitness equipment unit.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first usage information comprises a suggested preventive maintenance timing.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a control server associated with a fitness facility, the control server comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program logic to directly processor to;

gather first usage information regarding usage of a first fitness equipment unit at the fitness facility; and

transmit the first gathered usage information to a simulated data storage unit; and

gather second usage information regarding usage of a second fitness equipment unit at the fitness facility; and

transmit the second gathered usage information to the accumulated data storage unit, the first gathered usage information and the second gathered usage information being useable for preparation of a usage report for transmission to a requester.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first usage information comprises mileage of the first fitness equipment unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first usage information comprises hours of use of the first fitness equipment unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first usage information comprises a report indicating a daily number of hours of use of the first fitness equipment unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first usage information comprises an indication of warranty term for the first fitness equipment unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first usage information comprises a suggested preventive maintenance timing.