Patents by Inventor James S. Birrell

James S. Birrell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9724566
    Abstract: An apparatus and method concurrently present a plurality of visible tracings or a single continuous visible tracing that overlaps itself, each of the visible tracings being based upon movement taken by a member of an exercise device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventor: James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 9636543
    Abstract: An apparatus obtains an exercise route of workouts associated with a person for achieving a fitness objective, determines parameters for first workout option of a first type to replace a second workout option of a second different type such that the first workout option is interchangeable with the second workout option while satisfying the exercise route and displays the determined parameters for the first workout option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: David E. Dyer, James S. Birrell, Brady A. Olason, Brian D. Wilson, David W. Flynt, Autumn L. Stroupe
  • Patent number: 9604096
    Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprises a frame, left and right foot link supporting left and right foot pads. The left and right foot pads synchronously move out of phase through an elliptical path having an adjustable step height. The apparatus may include left and right side arms pivotally connected to the left and right foot links and pivotally supported by the frame. Left and right cranks eccentrically support left and right crank guides. Left and right links each have a first end pivotably connected to left and right foot links and a second end operably coupled to the left and right crank guides, respectively. A movable adjustment member is connected to left and right flexible members operably coupled to the left and right foot links. Movement of the adjustable member adjusts an extent to which the left and right flexible members wrap about the respective left and right crank guides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 9586085
    Abstract: A method and apparatus guide inclined movement of a left foot pad in a fore-aft direction on a first side of a longitudinal centerline of an exercise apparatus and inclined movement of a right foot pad in the fore-aft direction on a second side of the longitudinal centerline of the exercise apparatus such that the right foot pad and the left foot pad are transversely spaced from the longitudinal centerline by a first distance when proximate to a front of the exercise apparatus and are transversely spaced from the longitudinal centerline by a second distance greater than the first distance when proximate to a rear of the exercise apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell, Jonathan M. Stewart
  • Publication number: 20170028247
    Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprises a frame, left and right foot link supporting left and right foot pads. The left and right foot pads synchronously move out of phase through an elliptical path having an adjustable step height. The apparatus may include left and right side arms pivotally connected to the left and right foot links and pivotally supported by the frame. Left and right cranks eccentrically support left and right crank guides. Left and right links each have a first end pivotably connected to left and right foot links and a second end operably coupled to the left and right crank guides, respectively. A movable adjustment member is connected to left and right flexible members operably coupled to the left and right foot links. Movement of the adjustable member adjusts an extent to which the left and right flexible members wrap about the respective left and right crank guides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 9468795
    Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprises a frame, a left foot link supporting a left foot pad, a right foot link supporting a right foot pad in a left foot link supporting a left foot pad. The right foot pad is linked to the left foot pad so as to synchronously move out of phase with the left foot pad through an elliptical path having an adjustable step height and an adjustable stride length. An adjustment synchronizer is operably coupled to the left foot link and the right foot link to synchronously adjust both the step height and the stride length of the elliptical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 9418349
    Abstract: A system and method manage distribution of fitness equipment units based upon automatically collected usage information for the fitness equipment units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark E. Ainsworth, Robert J. Silbernagel, Susan W. M. Bell, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 9367668
    Abstract: A method and exercise system obtain at least one parameter of ongoing exercise on a fitness equipment unit and adjust at least one operational characteristic of the user interface while a person is exercising and based upon the obtained at least one parameter of ongoing exercise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: David W. Flynt, Salman A. Khilji, Piet H. Schouten, James S. Birrell
  • Publication number: 20160151659
    Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprises a frame, a left foot link supporting a left foot pad, a right foot link supporting a right foot pad in a left foot link supporting a left foot pad. The right foot pad is linked to the left foot pad so as to synchronously move out of phase with the left foot pad through an elliptical path having an adjustable step height and an adjustable stride length. An adjustment synchronizer is operably coupled to the left foot link and the right foot link to synchronously adjust both the step height and the stride length of the elliptical path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 9272181
    Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprises a frame, a left foot link supporting a left foot pad, a right foot link supporting a right foot pad in a left foot link supporting a left foot pad. The right foot pad is linked to the left foot pad so as to synchronously move out of phase with the left foot pad through an elliptical path having an adjustable step height and an adjustable stride length. An adjustment synchronizer is operably coupled to the left foot link and the right foot link to synchronously adjust both the step height and the stride length of the elliptical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell
  • Publication number: 20150352402
    Abstract: A method and apparatus guide inclined movement of a left foot pad in a fore-aft direction on a first side of a longitudinal centerline of an exercise apparatus and inclined movement of a right foot pad in the fore-aft direction on a second side of the longitudinal centerline of the exercise apparatus such that the right foot pad and the left foot pad are transversely spaced from the longitudinal centerline by a first distance when proximate a front of the exercise apparatus and are transversely spaced from the longitudinal centerline by second distance greater than the first distance when proximate a rear of the exercise apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell, Jonathan M. Stewart
  • Publication number: 20150306451
    Abstract: An exercise apparatus comprises a frame, a left foot link supporting a left foot pad, a right foot link supporting a right foot pad in a left foot link supporting a left foot pad. The right foot pad is linked to the left foot pad so as to synchronously move out of phase with the left foot pad through an elliptical path having an adjustable step height and an adjustable stride length. An adjustment synchronizer is operably coupled to the left foot link and the right foot link to synchronously adjust both the step height and the stride length of the elliptical path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Peter J. Arnold, James S. Birrell
  • Publication number: 20150224365
    Abstract: An apparatus and method concurrently present a plurality of visible tracings or a single continuous visible tracing that overlaps itself, each of the visible tracings being based upon movement taken by a member of an exercise device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventor: James S. Birrell
  • Publication number: 20150120348
    Abstract: A system and method manage distribution of fitness equipment units based upon automatically collected usage information for the fitness equipment units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Mark E. Ainsworth, Robert J. Silbernagel, Susan W. M. Bell, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 9011291
    Abstract: An apparatus and method concurrently present one or more visible tracings on a display, each of the one or more visible tracings being based upon one of a plurality of available paths actually taken by a member of an exercise device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventor: James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 8944961
    Abstract: A system and method manage distribution of fitness equipment units based upon automatically collected usage information for the fitness equipment units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark E. Ainsworth, Robert J. Silbernagel, Susan W. M. Bell, James S. Birrell
  • Publication number: 20140351150
    Abstract: A system and method manage distribution of fitness equipment units based upon automatically collected usage information for the fitness equipment units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Mark E. Ainsworth, Robert J. Silbernagel, Susan W.M. Bell, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 8882637
    Abstract: A system and method manage distribution of fitness equipment units based upon automatically collected usage information for the fitness equipment units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark E. Ainsworth, Robert J. Silbernagel, Susan W. M. Bell, James S. Birrell
  • Patent number: 8827870
    Abstract: An exercise guidance system and method dynamically adjusts an exercise route for meeting a fitness objective based upon a comparison of the route and actual received exercise metrics on an exercise device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: David E. Dyer, James S. Birrell, Brady A. Olason, Brian D. Wilson, David W. Flynt, Autumn L. Stroupe
  • Publication number: 20140179491
    Abstract: An apparatus obtains an exercise route of workouts associated with a person for achieving a fitness objective, determines parameters for first workout option of a first type to replace a second workout option of a second different type such that the first workout option is interchangeable with the second workout option while satisfying the exercise route and displays the determined parameters for the first workout option.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Precor Incorporated
    Inventors: David E. Dyer, James S. Birrell, Brady A. Olason, Brian D. Wilson, David W. Flynt, Autumn L. Stroupe