Abstract: A stationary exercise cycle is disclosed having a drive wheel which receives both user driving force and automatically controlled friction brake resistance, i.e., it is a single-stage device. Free-wheeling is provided between a user-driven shaft and the periphery of the drive wheel, which is braked by a friction belt. Automatic resistance control is provided by an electronic system, which receives actual load information from a load cell, and RPM information from a speed sensor. The friction belt is tightened or loosened by a motor-driven pulley, in response to signals indicating an "error" between load command and actual load. The load information is accurately obtained by a pivoted member to which both ends of the friction belt are attached.

Abstract: A racing system for a group of exercise machines is disclosed. The race is entirely flexible, in that each exercise unit communicates electronically with all of the other potential racing units. Any user may offer a race, accept or reject another user's race offer, or join a race during a limited countdown period. More than one race can be underway. For cost reduction, a daisy chain hookup is used, in which each unit's microprocessor has an input port receiving message flow from the output port of the preceding unit, and an output port transmitting message flow to the input port of the following unit. The racing function is controlled by the same microprocessor which is embedded in each exercise machine as the controller for that machine, receiving commands from the user and feedback from the machine.

Abstract: An exercise apparatus is disclosed which simulates a stair climber, and which determines the amount of user exercise by the speed of rotation of a flywheel. The speed of the flywheel is controlled to maintain the desired speed of stair climbing by a friction belt engaging the flywheel. A rotary electrical motor is moved in one direction to tighten the belt on the flywheel and in the opposite direction to loosen the belt on the flywheel. A slack sensor determines whether the motor has been moved to a limit in the belt-loosening direction. Incremental changes of motor energy are used to gradually reduce an error signal between command speed and actual speed. Pulse width modulation is used to vary the motor energy in accordance with the size of the error signal.

Abstract: A running/walking machine, or treadmill, is disclosed which has an automatically controlled speed-varying electric motor and an automatically controlled elevation-varying electric motor. The commands are entered in a display panel having a microprocessor which communicates with the motor controlling circuitry. The display panel has feedback information in a pictorial display, controlled by the microprocessor, in which an oval track simulating a running track displays both the current position of the user in moving around the track and the percentage of completion of a pre-established goal. The track has a multiplicity of segments, each represented by an LED, and each constituting a given fraction of the distance represented by the complete track. A lighted LED, which changes as the user progresses, indicates the current position of the user; and a string of LEDs behind the LED indicates the portion of the total program which has been completed.

Abstract: A machine positioning apparatus and method are disclosed in which motor control values are established by causing intentional overshoot of the destination, and automatically reducing the motor control values each time an overshoot occurs. The system disclosed is a three stage system in which: (1) the first stage is a continuation motion relatively fast stage wherein the motor control values relate to the distance traveled; (2) the second stage is a much slower stage in which a series of interim targets are set, each of which is at a distance from current position which is a fraction of the remaining distance to destination, the motor control values during the second stage being motor duty cycle values; and (3) the third (final) stage is the slowest and involves setting a series of interim targets to be passed, each of which is substantially the current position, the motor control values during the third stage being motor duty cycle values.

Abstract: A motor-driven exercise apparatus is disclosed, which incorporates a plurality of runaway-preventing features, thus reducing the chance of injury to the user. A motor control circuit is effectively controlled by pulse width modulated commands from a CPU, and by frequency-variable feedback information. These data are converted to voltages and input to a differential amplifier. A relay switch is used to cause immediate power turn off at both speed and elevation motors if any of the following occurs: (a) loss of feedback signal from the speed feedback at the CPU, (b) too rapid speed change sensed by the CPU, (c) failure of the motor control circuit to receive a signal from the CPU within a certain period, or (d) an elevation motor runaway sensed by the CPU.

Abstract: An adaptive motor pulsing apparatus for a driven element positioning system is disclosed which divides the available time between recurring motor on periods and motor off periods, and which also varies the duty cycle of the motor during successive on periods in order to provide precise positioning control. The final approach uses a "nudging" technique which increases the duty cycle by increments until forward motion of the driven element is detected.

Abstract: An exerciser is disclosed, of the type providing automatically controlled variations of effort levels, wherein "random" variations of effort level are included which are not predictable by the operator. The effort levels [steps] are provided in a sequence of four: the second [step] level is random; the fourth [step] level is different from the second [step value] level by half of the range; and the first and third [steps] levels are averages of the immediately preceding and immediately following [steps] levels.

Abstract: A motor control positioning apparatus and method are disclosed wherein variable duration pulses are fed to a DC motor. After the vicinity of the destination has been reached, the final pulsing stage is initiated, in which a short duration pulse is fed to the motor; position is then checked to determine if forward movement of the driven element has occured; and if movement has not occurred, the pulse duration is increased by an increment which is repeated until movement does occur. Thereupon a new series of such pulses is started; and this cycling continues until destination is reached.

Abstract: A digital motor control positioning system, and method, are disclosed in which lead screw position is measured by an encoder, and the error between that position and the destination is measured, either continuously or repetitively, to provide digital, distance-representing control pulses to the motor. In the final, settling-in portion of motor movement, it is successively started and stopped to provide incremental distance movements, which preferably are reduced in size as the destination is approached.