EXERCISE MACHINE AND USER INTERFACE FOR EXERCISE MACHINE
An exercise machine may include a tower enclosing, at least in part, a cable and pulley system, a base supporting the tower on a surface, and a plurality of handles operatively coupled to the cable and pulley system and configured to extend from the tower. The exercise machine may include a resistance motor operatively coupled to the cable and pulley system. The resistance motor may include a fan and a flywheel connected to a common shaft. The exercise machine may be operatively associated with a user interface which includes an exercise display area configured to activate one or more exercise indicators in a predetermined sequence and a control area including at least one mode control operable to change the sequence of activation of the one or more exercise indicators. The user interface may be provided on a console of the exercise machine.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 119 of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/331,617 filed May 4, 2016 and entitled “EXERCISE MACHINE AND USER INTERFACE FOR EXERCISE MACHINE,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/374,633 filed Aug. 12, 2016 and entitled “EXERCISE MACHINE AND USER INTERFACE FOR EXERCISE MACHINE,” which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUNDVarious fitness devices, such as exercise machines, exist to enable a user to perform a variety of fitness exercises. Often, a user may require a large number of fitness devices to perform a complete workout, which may be cost prohibitive for example in a home setting. In a fitness facility setting, where a variety of fitness devices are typically be available, the user may nonetheless need to engage in planning of his or her workout in advance or during the workout. Advance planning of the sequence of exercises or equipment that the user may need to use can be burdensome and may discourage the user from even beginning a workout. Often, while performing a workout in a fitness facility, a user may need to adjust their workout to accommodate other users that may be using a particular exercise machine, which may reduce the overall efficiency of the user's workout and or may be distracting and/or frustrating for the user. It may therefore be desirable to provide an exercise machine which improves the user experience.
The description will be more fully understood with reference to the following figures in which components may not be drawn to scale, which are presented as various embodiments of the exercise machine described herein and should not be construed as a complete depiction of the scope of the exercise machine.
The present disclosure relates generally to exercise machines, and more specifically to exercise machines with cable and pulley systems. An exercise machine according to the present disclosure may optionally include a configurable user interface.
The exercise machine 100 may include a plurality of handles 110, each of which is operably connected to a frame 102 and operatively engaged with a resistance assembly 130 (also referred to herein as resistance motor or resistance engine). The frame 102 may include a tower 104 and a base, each of which may at least partially enclose a cable and pulley system 120. The tower 104 may form a housing structure to shield a user from many of the moving parts of the cable and pulley system 120, and may be generally perpendicular to the base 106. The base 106 may be positioned adjacent to and extend from the tower 104. In some examples, the base 106 may, at least partially, extend below and support the tower 106. The base 106 may be configured to support a user during use of the exercise machine 100. A user may stand on or proximate to the base 106 when using the exercise machine 100. The exercise machine 100 may be operatively associated with a user interface 180, which may be provided on a console 108. The console 108 may be part of the tower 104 or may be provided elsewhere on or proximate to the frame 102. In some examples, the user interface 180 may be provided elsewhere in proximity to the exercise machine 100, for example on a display movably or immovably attached to the frame 102 or a display separate from the frame 102. In some examples, the user interface 180 or components thereof may be provided on the user's mobile device.
The plurality of handles 110 may be operatively associated with the resistance assembly 130 via the cable and pulley system 120. The plurality of handles 110 may include upper handles (e.g., upper right handle 112-1 and upper left handle 112-2), middle handles (e.g., middle right handle 114-1 and middle left handle 114-2), and lower handles (e.g., lower right handle 116-1 and lower left handle 116-2). The terms upper, middle and lower are used to refer to a relative vertical position of the handles. The term middle is meant only to imply that the handles 114-1 and 114-2 are at an intermediate location between the upper and lower handles but not necessarily at a midpoint between the upper and lower handles. In some embodiments, fewer or greater number of handles, and different relative handle locations, may be included.
With specific reference to
The resistance assembly 130 may be configured to provide selectable and/or variable resistance to a pulling force applied via the handles 110. For example, the resistance assembly 130 may be rotatably coupled to the pulley and cable system 120, e.g., via a shaft 118, and may be configured to vary the resistance to rotation of the shaft 118. In some examples, the resistance assembly 130 may include a first resistance assembly 132 and a second resistance assembly 134 which may be coupled to a common shaft (e.g., shaft 118).
The first resistance assembly 132 may be operable to vary the amount of resistance to rotation responsive to user input (e.g., a selected resistance level). In this regard, the first resistance assembly 132 may also be referred to as adjustable resistance assembly. The adjustable resistance assembly may be implemented using one or more DC motors, a single weight or mass, a weight stack, an eddy-current brake, a fan, resilient elastomeric element(s), or combinations thereof. The resistance provided by the adjustable resistance assembly may be adjustable manually (e.g., responsive to user input such as via a user control of the user interface 180) or automatically (e.g., responsive to a resistance setting in a user profile). In some examples, the automatically-adjustable feature may be disabled via a setting in a user profile. In the illustrated example, the adjustable resistance assembly 132 is implemented using a flywheel 133 and a brake 135 (e.g., eddy-current brake) operatively coupled to the flywheel 132 to vary the resistance to rotation of the flywheel 133. An eddy current brake may be implemented using conventional techniques for example using one or more magnets movably coupled to the flywheel to adjust the position of the magnet(s) with respect to the flywheel and thereby vary the magnetic force between the magnet(s) and flywheel and thereby vary the amount of resistance to rotation of the flywheel. Other types of brakes or resistive elements may be used. The flywheel 133 may be coupled to the shaft 118 such that the flywheel 133 rotates responsive to rotation of the shaft 118. In some examples, the flywheel 133 may be connected directly to the shaft 118 and may rotate synchronously with the shaft 118. In other examples, a transmission assembly may be used to adjust the speed and/or torque of the first resistance assembly 132. The first resistance assembly 132 may be configured to provide resistance at any rotational speed (e.g., relatively lower and relatively higher RPMs) of the shaft 118. The first resistance assembly 132 may be configured to provide a same level of resistance (e.g., based on a selected resistance level) regardless of the rotational speed of the shaft.
In some examples, the second resistance assembly 134 may be a passive resistance assembly in that the amount of resistance is not selectable by the user. The resistance provided by the second resistance assembly 134 may depend only on the amount of force (e.g., pulling force) applied by the user. In some examples, the second resistance assembly 134 may be configured to provide a different amount of resistance as a function of the rotational speed of the shaft 118. That is, the second resistance assembly 134 may provide a higher amount of resistance at higher RPMs of the shaft 118, and may thus be also referred to as non-linear resistance assembly. The second resistance assembly 134 may be implemented using a fan 136 connected to the shaft 118. The fan 136 may include a plurality of blades 138 which may provide an increasing amount of resistance to rotation as the rotational speed of the shaft 118 increases. In yet further examples, the resistance provided by the second resistance assembly 134 may be adjustable (e.g., selectable by the user).
Referring now to
In a similar manner, the upper left handle 112-2 is attached to one end 123-2 of a first left cable 122-2 and the middle left handle 114-2 is attached to the opposite end 125-2 of cable 122-2. The cable 122-2 is routed through a one of a first pair of left floating pulleys 142-2. The lower right handle 116-2 is attached to one end 127-2 of a second left cable 124-2 which is routed through the other of the first pair of left floating pulleys 142-2. The cable 124-2 passes through the resistance assembly 130 and its opposite end 129-2 is anchored.
The right and left cables 124-1, 124-2 respectively are connected to a biasing assembly 140 which includes one or more biasing members configured to bias or tension the cable towards a retracted position of the handles. In the illustrated example, the biasing assembly 140 includes a biasing member 126, the ends of which are anchored (e.g., attached to a fixed frame such as the frame 102 of the exercise machine). The biasing member 126 is connected to the second right cable 124-1 via a second pair of right floating pulleys 144-1 and to the second left cable 124-2 via a second pair of left floating pulleys 144-2. The biasing member 126 may be an axially extendable member such as a bungee cord or other resilient member. When the user pulls on any of the handles, the biasing member 126 may stretch to allow the handle to extend away from the frame. When the force is reduced and/or handle released, the resilience of an axially extendable basing member 126 may act to retract the handle towards the frame. The floating pulleys 144-1 and 44-2 will move away from the anchor points of the biasing member 126. The biasing member 126 may thereby be operable to apply a biasing or tensioning force to the cables 121. The biasing or tensioning force may act to remove slack in the cables and/or to return the cables to their retracted position in the absence of user applied pulling force. In other examples, a plurality of axially extendable members or different types of biasing members (e.g., one or more coil springs) may be used. In yet further examples, the biasing member 126 may not be axially extendable. The biasing member 126 may be routed through a central pulley positioned between the floating pulleys 144-1 and 44-2, and the central pulley may be movably coupled to the frame 102 to allow the central pulley to move with one or more of the floating pulleys when the user pulls on the handles. A biasing force may be applied to the central pulley (e.g., via a spring connected to the central pulley) to return the pulley and handles to a neutral (i.e., retracted) position. The term cable as used herein is meant to include any type of easily bendable material (e.g., a member that can transmit an axial load but not compressive loads) such as a cable, a rope, a wire, a strap, a chain, or others.
As described, the flywheel and the fan may be on a common shaft and may thus be operable to rotate simultaneously and/or synchronously. In the illustrated example, the cables 124-1 and 124-2 pass through the resistance assembly 130 and operatively engage the first resistance assembly (e.g., flywheel 133) and the second resistance assembly (e.g., fan 136). The cables 124-1 and 124-2 may engage the shaft 118 of the resistance assembly 130 using respective first and second one-way clutch assemblies 138-1 and 138-2. Each of the one-way clutch assemblies includes a cable engagement member and a clutch. The cable engagement member is frictionally engaged with the respective cable (e.g., the 124-1 or the 124-2 cable) and the clutch is operatively coupled to the shaft 118. Each one-way clutch assembly is configured to engage its clutch to rotate the shaft 118 when the cable is rotating the cable engagement member in one direction (e.g., a pull direction) and to disengage the clutch when the cable is rotating the cable engagement member in the opposite direction (e.g., a return direction). In this manner, while the cables and handles are returning to their retracted position (e.g., responsive to biasing force from the biasing assembly), the clutch engagement members of the one-way clutch assembly may spin freely (i.e., without engaging the shaft to rotate the shaft) thereby reducing the resistance to rotation in the return direction.
The exercise machine 100 may be utilized by a user to perform a variety of exercises, for example by grasping one or more of the handles 110 and applying a pulling force. Depending on the combination of handles that the user grasps, the user's orientation relative to the machine and the direction of the application of pulling force, the user may be able to exercise many muscle groups with a single machine such as the exercise machine 100. The exercise machine 100 may thus be used to perform a full or substantially full work-out in which a user exercises multiple muscle groups. The exercise machine 100 may be configured to guide the user through a full or substantially full work-out, which may improve the user experience by reducing the user's effort in determining which exercises to perform and the sequence to perform them. To that end, the exercise machine 100 may be operatively associated with a user interface, examples of which will be described with reference to the remaining figures.
The user interface 400 may include a plurality of exercise indicators 410, which may be provided in an exercise display area 402. The exercise display area 402 may be configured to display an exercise sequence by activating one or more of the exercise indicators 410 in a predetermined sequence, as will be further described. The plurality of exercise indicators 410 may include two or more unique exercise indicators, e.g., a first unique exercise indicator 412, a second unique exercise indicator 414, and so on. Each unique exercise indicator 412, 414 may be associated with or correspond to a different type of exercise. The activation of a given unique exercise indicator provides instruction to the user to perform the particular exercise with which the given unique exercise indicator is associated with. In this manner, the sequential activation of exercise indicators may display a sequence of instructions to the user which corresponds to an exercise sequence that may be performed by the user.
The plurality of exercise indicators 410 may be implemented using a plurality of differently colored lights, or a plurality of patterns of lights. Differently colored lights may be obtained using differently colored LEDs or other types of light sources, or using color overlays over white LEDs or other types of light sources. In such examples, the term activating implies continuous or periodic illumination of a light source (or pattern of light sources) associated with a specific exercise indicator. In some example, the differently colored lights may be implemented using individual or groups of pixels of a display unit (e.g., an LCD, OLED display). In some examples, each exercise indicator may be implemented using a single colored light (e.g., a colored LED or white LED with a color overlay). Unique exercise indicator may provide a unique color of light while exercise indicators associated with a same type of exercise may provide a same color of light. In other examples, each unique exercise indicator may be implemented using a unique pattern of lights (e.g., a unique pattern or single or multi-colored LED). In some examples, the pattern of lights may provide a visual representation of the exercise to be performed. In some examples, the exercise indicators may be implemented as visual representations of the corresponding exercises which are displayed on a display device (e.g., an LCD, OLED, or another currently known or later developed display) in accordance with the selected sequence.
In some examples, the exercise indicators 410 may be different from a representation of the associated exercise. That is, the exercise indicators 410 in and of themselves may be insufficient to inform the user which exercise to perform. In such cases, an instruction unit may be associated with the exercise system 1000. For example, the instruction unit may include an instruction manual (see e.g., 101 in
The user interface 400 may be configured to receive an indication of one or more user inputs responsive to operation of user interface control elements (also referred to as user controls). The user controls may be implemented using mechanical controls (e.g., knobs, pushbuttons, and switches) or touch sensitive controls (e.g., resistive or capacitive touch sensors or switches). Whether using mechanical or soft controls, the term button may be used herein to refer to a user control which allows the user to trigger an event, such as and without limitation making and/or confirming a selection, triggering an execution of a function, selecting one of a plurality of selectable options such as by pressing the button more than once or by pressing and holding the button for a time to scroll through the selectable options. Similarly, and irrespective of whether using mechanical or soft controls, the term dial may be used to refer to a user control that enables a user to select one of a plurality of settings, such as by turning the dial to increase or decrease the resistance, the volume, or other settings. The functionality of a dial may, in some examples, be implemented using a button which is configured to enable a selection of one of a plurality of selectable options such as by pressing the button more than once or pressing and holding the button to scroll through the selectable options. In some examples, a user control may be implemented in the form of a dial button, which may provide the combined functionalities of a dial and a button such as to allow a user to turn the dial to select one of a plurality of settings and/or to press the dial to make and/or confirm a selection, whether related or unrelated to the selected setting. In some examples, one or more user controls of the user interface 400 may be implemented on a single touch sensitive display (e.g., touchscreen). The operation of user controls may enable the user to configure the user interface (e.g., input user-specific parameters such as weight, age, etc., or select an exercise mode) and/or to control operation of the user interface and/or the exercise machine.
For example, the user interface 400 may be operable to engage any one or a plurality of modes, one or more of which may be associated with a predetermined sequence of exercises. In this regard, the user interface 400 may include one or more mode controls 406 for selecting one of the plurality of modes. In some examples, the mode control 406 may be implemented using one or more buttons, which may be referred to as program buttons. In some example, the mode control 406 may be implemented using a dial which may be configured to enable the user to select any of the plurality of modes by turning the dial between a plurality of predetermined settings. The mode control 406 and/or other user controls may be provided in a control area 417 (e.g., a control panel) of the user interface. In some example, one or more of the user controls may be provided elsewhere in the user interface. The mode control 406 may be operable to change the sequence of activation of one or more of the exercise indicators 410. Responsive to a selection of one of the modes and/or the activation of the sequence (e.g., using a start button), the exercise display area 404 may be configured to sequentially activate each of the exercise indicators of the sequence in the order corresponding to the sequence. In this manner, the user interface is operable to provide a sequence of instructions to the user which corresponds to an exercise sequence that may be performed by the user. In some examples, the control area 417 may include a plurality of individual mode controls, each associated with a respective one of the plurality of sequences. In some examples, each of the predetermined sequence of exercises may be selectable using a single mode control, for example by depressing it multiple times or for example using a toggle switch, with each side of the toggle switch corresponding to one of the plurality of modes.
The user interface 400 may be configured to display information such as biometric information (e.g., weight, heart rate, etc.), workout metrics associated with a workout in-progress or a completed workout (e.g., total time worked, total calories burned, total power, max or average resistance, etc.), one or more timers (e.g., work and rest timers), and any other information as may be desired. The user interface 400 may be configured to provide this information in an information display area 407 (e.g., info panel) or elsewhere in the user interface. For example, the user interface 400 may include a timer 408 which may be provided in the information display area 407 or elsewhere in the user interface 400. The timer 408 may be configured to provide an indication of time remaining or time elapsed in a given workout segment and/or a time associated with a rest or break period. The timer 408 may be configured to provide an indication of time for an exercise or group of exercises corresponding to an active exercise indicator or group of exercise indicators. The timer 408 may alternatively or additionally be configured to provide an indication of a rest period following an exercise or group of exercises corresponding to an active exercise indicator or group of exercise indicators. In some examples, the timer 408 may be configured to provide indication of time associated with different rest periods such as rest periods of different type or different length. In some examples, a single timer may be configured to display time associated with different types of workout segments (e.g., work, rest, and break) and the single timer may change to provide a visual indication of the type of workout segment with which the time displayed is associated. This may reduce the amount of physical space utilized by the UI. In some examples, the functionality of the timer 408 may be implemented using a plurality of separate user interface elements (e.g., separate timers for each of the workout segments).
The user interface 400 may include one or more additional display elements (e.g., elements 411, 413, 415), which may include one or more biometric indicators, workout metric indicators, auxiliary information indicators, and others. These additional display elements may be configured to provide additional information, such as biometric information (e.g., weight, height, gender, and heart rate), workout metrics (e.g., running total of calories burned, exercise time, a maximum resistance, and an average resistance) and/or additional information such as instructions, program and/or machine status information, to the user.
The user interface 500 may be used to implement the user interface 180 of exercise machine 100. The user interface 500 or components thereof may be used to implement the user interface 400 or components thereof and such components may be indicated using similar reference numbers. For example, the user interface 500 may include a plurality of exercise indicators 510, which may be provided in a display area 502, as well as a timer 508, which may be provided in an information display area 507, and a plurality of user controls (e.g. mode controls 506), which may be provided in a control area 517. The exercise indicators 510 may be used to implement the exercise indicators 410 of the user interface 400. The timer 508 and mode control 506 may be used to implement the timer 408 and mode control 406, respectively, of the user interface 400. The user interface 500 may be configured to guide a user of an exercise machine (e.g., exercise machine 100) through a sequence of exercises. The user interface 500 may be configured to guide the user through any one of a plurality of predetermined sequences of exercises responsive to a selection of an exercise mode, also referred to simply as mode, program, or workout program (e.g., sprint, circuit, and builder mode or program).
A sequence of exercises may be divided into exercise segments (e.g., repetitions and sets). A repetition may involve a same exercise. A single exercise indicator 510 of the user interface 500 may correspond with the instruction to perform the same exercise for a period of time during which the exercise indicator remains active. Thus, a single exercise indicator may be associated with a single repetition. In some examples, a single repetition may involve performing the same exercise (e.g., pulling on both upper handles, performing a squat, a squat jump, a chest press, a bent row, a lunge, a triceps extension, a bicep curl, a deadlift, or virtually any other exercise with or without holding and/or pulling on one or more of the handles) multiple times during the predetermined period of time, also referred to as repetition time. Thus, an individual exercise indicator may function to indicate not only the exercise to be performed during a given repetition but also the repetition time association with that exercise. The duration during which an exercise indicator is active may correspond with the repetition time. Exercise segments may be grouped into a workout segment, which for illustrative purposes may be referred to as work period. That is, a set of exercises which are associated with a work period may include a grouping of exercises that are performed consecutively, for example without a rest period. The duration of time in a work period may be indicated by the work timer. In some examples, a set may include a plurality of repetitions of a same exercise without a rest period between the repetitions. In some examples, a set may include repetitions of different exercises. One or more repetitions or one or more sets may be grouped into a workout round, which may be separated from other rounds by a break period. A break period may be of different duration, for example longer, than a rest period. The combination and duration of repetitions in a set and the repetitions and/or sets in a round as well as the rest or break periods between may be determined by the selected mode (e.g., responsive to a selection via the mode selector 506). For example, in one mode, the sequence may include four rounds, each separated by a break period of a predetermined duration (e.g., 60 seconds). Each of the four rounds may include four sets, each of which includes a single repetition of two different exercises, the sets separated by a rest period of a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds). The work period for each of the four sets may also be of a predetermined duration (e.g., 20 seconds) with each repetition being half of that predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds). Different sequences may be used, additional examples of which will be described further below.
Each of the predetermined sequences may be configured to continue for a predetermined period of total time (e.g., 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes, or any other shorter or longer period of time), also referred to as sequence time. In some examples, the sequence times of each of the predetermined sequences may be the same. That is, in some examples, the duration of time which includes all of the repetition times and all of the rest times may be the same regardless of the selected sequence of exercises. In some examples the sequence times of different pre-programmed sequences may differ. In some examples, the user interface may be configured such that the sequence time of any of the pre-programmed sequences is less than a threshold maximum time, for example 25 minute, 30 minutes, 38 minutes, 40 minutes, or other. As described, a sequence of exercises may include one or more sets of exercises. In some examples, a sequence may include one or more first rest periods each having a first duration and one or more second rest periods each having a second duration, which may be different from or the same as the first duration. In some examples, the second rest period may be longer than the first rest period. In some examples, a first rest period may follow a set of exercises, and the second rest period may follow a group of sets (e.g., two or more sets of exercises).
The exercise indicators 510 in the example illustrated in
Individual lights 522 in the array 505 correspond to individual exercise indicators 510. The array 505 includes at least two unique exercise indicators (e.g., two uniquely colored lights), and each unique exercise indicator may be associated with a different exercise. Some of the exercise indicators may be the same or similar (e.g., same color lights) and same or similar exercise indicators may be associated with the same exercise. Thus, when activating the exercise indicators, a change from one exercise indicator to a different unique exercise indicator instructs the user to change the exercise which is being performed, while activation of another same exercise indicator instructs the user to continue to perform the same exercise. In the illustrated example, the lights 522 in any given row have the same color and are associated with the same exercise. Each row includes multiple exercise indicators (e.g., lights 522) corresponding to multiple repetitions of the same exercise. In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured to instruct the user to perform multiple or all repetitions of the same exercise consecutively and/or without a rest period (e.g., by sequentially activing all of the lights in a given row without a rest period) before proceeding to the next exercise. In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured to instruct the user to perform all of the repetitions associated with multiple rows consecutively and/or without a rest period. In this regard, the lights in any given row or groups of rows may be said to correspond with a set (e.g., S1, S2, S3, and S4).
The lights 522 in any given column have different colors and may thus be associated with different exercises. In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured to instruct the user to perform a sequence of exercises including a single repetition of different exercises consecutively and/or without a rest period, e.g., by sequentially activating a single light from each row moving down the columns before proceeding to a next column). In this manner, the user interface 500 may be operable to guide the user through a number of different sequences of exercises by activating lights in different patterns.
In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured to wirelessly connect to another computing device, such as via any known wireless communication protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc.). The user interface 500 may be provided with one or more status indicators. For example, the user interface 500 may include a connectivity status indicator, which may activate when the user interface 500 is wirelessly connected to or configured to wirelessly pair with another computing device such as the user's smart phone, smart watch, or the like. In one example, the connectivity status indicator may be provided by a Bluetooth icon and/or an LED proximate a Bluetooth graphical element. The Bluetooth icon and/or LED may illuminate to indicate Bluetooth connectivity status. In some examples, the connectivity status indicator may illuminate differently to indicate different states (e.g., continuously illuminated to indicate paired, flashing to indicate available for pairing or in the process of pairing). In other examples, the user interface 500 may include two or more status indicators for different types of wireless communication devices that may be available.
The user interface 500 may include one or more user controls and may be operable to engage one of a plurality of exercise modes (e.g., four modes as in the example in
The user interface 500 may include one or more timers 508, each of which may be associated with a different type of workout segment (e.g., a rest timer associated with a rest period, a break timer associated with a break period, and a work timer associated with a work period. The timer(s) 508 may be configured to provide an indication of the time elapsed or remaining for the respective exercise segment, such as the time elapsed or remaining for an exercise or group of exercises corresponding to an active exercise indicator or group of exercise indicators (e.g., work timer) or time elapsed or remaining for a rest period following a work period (e.g., rest timer, break timer). One or more of the timer(s) 508 may be configured to count down (e.g., to show a remaining time within a period) or to count up (e.g., to show a running total of elapsed time in a period). For example, the work timer may be configured to count up the period of time elapsed during an exercise segment, also referred to as work period. The rest time, the break timer, or both may be configured to count down a remaining time within a rest period. In some examples, the time count directions for any of the timers may be reversed. In some examples, the break timer may be configured to provide an indication of a manual rest period activated responsive to operation of a user control (e.g., pause/stop button 523), for example by counting up elapsed time following the operation of the user control (e.g., pause/stop button 523).
In some examples, two or more timers may be implemented in substantially the same physical space within the user interface (UI) and may share UI components. For example, in the illustrated example in
Operations of the user interface 500 will be described further with reference now also to
In some examples, a sequence may begin by illuminating a plurality of lights in the array 505. For example, all lights corresponding to the exercises in a given sequence or part of a sequence may be illuminated prior to the start of the sequence and individual lights may be turned Off as exercises are completed in a countdown manner. Activation of a particular exercise indicator (e.g., light 522) may involve the periodic illumination (i.e., blinking) of the light 522 to inform the user which exercise the user should be performing. The exercise indicator (e.g., light 522) may remain active (e.g., blinking) for a predetermined duration of time to indicate the duration of time that the user should be performing that exercise. In some example, the sequence may instead begin with all lights being turned Off and upon start of the sequence, individual lights may be illuminated in accordance with the sequence. Lights corresponding to exercise segments (e.g., a repetition or a set) that have been completed may remain On or be turned Off upon completion of that exercise segment.
In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured, e.g., responsive to a selection of a first mode, to activate all of the lights in one row before activating any lights in a next row. For example, and referring to
In some examples, the sequence may include one or more rest periods. For example, the user interface 500 may be configured to sequentially activate all of the lights in one row followed by a rest period before continuing to the next row. In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured to sequentially activate all of the lights in multiples rows before initiating of a rest period. In yet further examples, the user interface 500 may be configured to initiate a first rest period having a shorter duration following the sequential activation of one row and to initiate a second rest period having a longer duration following the sequential activation of a second row in a set (e.g., S1). During an exercise segment, the work timer may be operative to indicate a running total of all of the repetitions in the segment. At the completion of the segment, the rest timer may be operative to indicate a remaining time in a rest period. The lights which have already been activated in a given sequence may remain illuminated or may be turned off upon the completion of the exercise segment (e.g., during the indication of rest period and/or during activation of lights of a subsequent exercise segment). This pattern may be repeated for some or all of the remaining sets (e.g., S2-S4) to complete the sequence. At any time during the sequence, the user interface 500 may be configured to temporarily suspend the sequence responsive to an indication of a manual rest period such as may be received via operation of a user control (e.g., pause/stop button 523). During the sequence, the user interface 500 may be configured to display, for example in an information display area 507 of the user interface 500, certain information including but not limited to biometric information. The user interface 500 may include a plurality of display elements (e.g., display elements 511 and 515-1 through 515-4), one or more of which may be configured to display information such as biometric information, workout metrics, messages, prompts, instructions, or other information. In some examples, the display elements may be provided via one or more alphanumeric LED panels. In some examples, the display elements may be provided via one or more LCD displays. Other display technology may be used.
In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured, e.g., responsive to a selection of a second mode, to activate all of the lights in one column before activating lights in a next column. For example, and referring to
As with the example in
In some examples, the user interface 500 may be configured to activate all of the lights in one row followed by less than all of the lights in a next row, e.g., responsive to a selection of a third mode. For example, and referring to
In the example illustrated in
Referring back to
The user interface 500 may be configured to receive user input for changing the resistance provided by the resistance motor, e.g., responsive to operation of a resistance control 520 of the user interface 500. The resistance control 520 may be implemented using a mechanical control (e.g., a knob, a dial) or soft control (e.g., a touch sensitive switch), or combinations thereof. In the illustrated example in
The user interface 500 may include additional user controls, such as a user button 516, a start button 525, a pause/stop button 523, an add time button 527, a volume button 529, and others. The user button 516 may be operable to select a preloaded user profile and/or make changes to a user profile, which may include a default resistance level, a default mode, and/or additional user information such as weight, age, and gender, that may be used by the exercise system 1000 to generate workout metrics (e.g., total work done, total calories burned, etc.). The start button 525 may be operable to initiate a selected sequence and/or re-start a paused sequence. The volume button 529 may be operable to control a volume of a speaker, which may be configured to provide audible instructions or other audible sounds such as single, double, or multiple-tone feedback to indicate a start, a rest, a break, or generally any change in the workout sequence).
The add time button 527 may be operable to add additional time to an exercise sequence, for example by adding one or more additional repetitions, sets, and/or rounds to the sequence. In some examples, the type and/or number of exercise segments that are added responsive to pressing the add time button may be based on the selected exercise mode. For example, pressing the add button may add one round of the selected mode and/or one or more rest periods as may be appropriate. In some examples, the type and/or number of exercise segments that are added responsive to pressing the add time button may be controlled by the number and/or manner in which the add time button is operated. For example, pressing the add button once may add a single repetition, pressing the add button twice may add a set, and pressing the add button three times (or pressing and holding the add button) may add a round. Other combinations for controlling the add button functionality may be used. In this manner, the add time button 527 may be operable to increase, responsive to user input, the duration of an exercise sequence beyond the pre-programmed sequence time. The add time button 527 may be operable to add time before or during a workout and the user interface may be configured to provide a visual indication of the total adjusted sequence time (i.e., pre-programmed sequence time plus additional sequence time corresponding to the added segments).
Before, during, and after a workout, one or more of the user interface elements (e.g., user controls, display elements, exercise indicators) may be illuminated or otherwise activated to indicate that the interface element is active or enabled for user operation. One or more of the user controls may be provided in a control area 517 (e.g., control panel) of the user interface 500. In some examples the exercise display area 502, the information display area 507, and the control area 517 may all be provided on a single panel (e.g., console 108 or a display unit associated with exercise machine 100). In some examples, any of the exercise display area 502, the information display area 507, and the control area 517 may all be provided on separate panels (e.g., separate consoles or displays operatively associated with exercise machine 100). In some examples, the one or more panels that include components of user interface 500 may be movably connected to the exercise machine 100 (e.g., via an articulating arm extending from the frame 102). In yet further examples, components of the user interface 500 may be implemented on a mobile device 1020, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet, a smart watch, or another portable computing device, e.g., as shown in
Referring now to
A user interface in accordance with the present disclosure (e.g., user interface 500 or 900) may be configured to activate one or more exercise indicators in accordance with a variety of sequences, such as described herein. Non-limiting examples of sequences according to further examples are described below.
Example 1An example sequence, which may be associated with a first selected mode, starts by illuminating at least one full row of lights, and in some examples all rows, in the array. Individual lights are sequentially activated (by flashing or blinking) from left to right for a period of time (e.g., repetition time) after which a flashing light is turned off. The repetition time may be 20 seconds. A work timer counts the repetition time down to zero. When the work timer reaches zero, the flashing light is turned off and the work timer is turned off, while a rest time turns on and begins to count a rest period down to zero. The rest period may be 10 seconds. When the rest period reaches zero, the next light in the same row of lights is activated (e.g., begins flashing) and the work timer begins to count down another period of time (e.g., repletion time), which may also be 20 seconds. When the work timer reaches zero, the flashing light is turned off and the rest timer is again turned on for another rest period, which may also be 10 seconds. This is repeated for all 8 lights in the first row. After the last light in the first row is turned off, all lights in the first row would have been deactivated and instead of a rest period, a break timer turns on, which counts a break period (up or down). The break period may be 30 seconds. After the break period has elapsed, the first light in the second row is activated (e.g., begins flashing) and the work timer begins to count down another repletion time, which may again be 20 seconds. The same pattern is repeated for the entire second row, at the completion of which a break timer is again activated to count another break period, which may again be 30 seconds. After the last light in the second row has been turned off, all of the lights in both the first and second row will remain off. The sequence will end after all of the lights in the array have been turned off. This exemplary sequence may be completed in less than 35 minutes, accounting for all repetition times and all rest and break periods.
Example 2Another example sequence, which may be associated with a first selected mode, starts by illuminating at least one full row of lights, and in some examples all rows, in the array. Individual lights are sequentially activated (by flashing or blinking) from left to right for a period of time (e.g., repetition time) after which the flashing light is turned off. The repetition time may be 10 seconds. A work timer counts the repetition time down to zero. When the work timer reaches zero, the flashing light is turned off, the counter resets for a new repetition (which may also be 10 seconds) and the next light in the same row begins to flash. When the work timer again reaches zero, this second flashing light is turned off, the counter resets again for the next repetition (which may also be 10 seconds) and the next light in the same row begins to flash. This is repeated for all lights in the same row. When the work timer for the last light in the row reaches zero the last light in the row is turned off and a rest timer is activated and counts down a rest period, which may be 20 seconds. After the rest period ends, the first light in the second row begins to flash and the work timer begins to count down a new repetition time, which may again be 10 seconds. The same pattern as described for the first row is repeated for the second row, with each of the eight lights sequentially flashing for 10 seconds each. And the counter counting down the work time associated with each light. Alternatively, the counter may count up or down the total time for a row of lights without resetting between repetitions. At the completion of the second row (e.g., end of set S1), another rest period, in some cases a longer rest period of 30 seconds is initiated. A break timer may count the period of 30 seconds down and during this time no lights are flashing. When the break timer reaches zero, the break timer turns off and a new work timer begins to count a new repetition associated with the first light of the next row (e.g., third row). The third and fourth rows of lights are activated in this manner with a shorter rest period of 20 seconds between the lights in the third and fourth rows and a break period of 30 seconds is initiated upon the completion of the second set S2. This pattern of light activation and rest periods is repeated for all four sets and the sequence ends at the completion of fourth set S4, at which time all lights would be turned off. This sequence may be completed in less than 15 minutes, assuming the user does not activate a manual rest period during the sequence. The total work time of any given sequence may be displayed via the user interface.
Example 3An example sequence, which may be associated with a second selected mode, starts by illuminating at least one full column of lights, and in some examples all columns, in the array. Individual lights are sequentially activated (by flashing or blinking) from top to bottom for a period of time (e.g., repetition time) after which a flashing light is turned off. The repetition time may be 20 seconds. A work timer counts the repetition time down to zero. When the work timer reaches zero, the flashing light is turned off, the work timer is reset to the start of a new repetition time (e.g., 20 seconds) and the next light down along the column is activated (e.g., begins flashing) for the duration of the repetition time. This is repeated for all lights in a single column. When the work timer for the last light in a column reaches zero, the last light in the column is turned off, the work timer is turned off and the rest timer is activated for a rest period, which may be 20 seconds. In some cases, the rest period between columns may be longer, for example 30 seconds, or the rest periods may alternate between 20 seconds between columns in a set and 30 seconds between sets (e.g., two consecutive columns). At the completion of the sequence, all lights have been deactivated (e.g., turned off) and the work timer is turned off. A sum total of worked time may be displayed e.g., via a total timer of the user interface. This sequence may be completed in less than 25 minutes depending on the combination and duration of rest periods between sets.
Example 4An example sequence, which may be associated with a third selected mode, starts by illuminating all of the lights in a triangular pattern defined by a full first row or column and partial subsequent rows or columns of the array (e.g., as in the sequence shown in
Another example sequence, which may be associated with a third selected mode, may include the activation of lights in a pyramid manner as described above in Example 4 with the difference being that the triangular pattern of lights is instead defined along columns of the array. That is at the start of the sequence, all lights in the first column, all but one light in the second column, all but two lights in the third column, and so on are illuminated. The lights are sequentially activated in accordance with a pyramid step through pattern similar to that described above except that the activation sequence moves from top to bottom along the columns and from left to right from full to partial columns. The work period for each repetition may again be 10 seconds, or in some cases 20 seconds. The rest periods between sets may be 20 seconds, or in some cases 30 seconds. As in Example 4, the sequence would include a total of 7 rest periods and 8 sets including 8, 15, 21, 26, 30, 33, 35, and 36 repetitions consecutively. Alternatively, the sequence may begin with none of the lights being illuminated and the lights being sequentially turned on and remaining on after sequential activation (e.g., after each step of the pyramid is completed).
The specific examples of work periods, rest periods, and sequence of activation of lights described are provided for illustration only and other combinations of work periods, rest periods, and sequences of activation of lights may be implemented with a user interface in accordance with the present examples.
With continued reference to
The exercise machine 100 and/or components thereof may be formed from a variety of materials and means. For instance, the frame 102 and the handles, among others, may be formed from metal, plastic, or other suitable material with sufficient strength. Metals may include aluminum, steel, titanium, or any other suitable metal, alloy, or composite. Plastics may include a thermoplastic material (self-reinforced or fiber reinforced), nylon, LDPE, ABS, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC, polyamide, and/or PTFE, among others, and may be formed or molded in any suitable manner, such as by plug molding, blow molding, injection molding, extrusion, or the like. The cables 121 may be formed of nylon or steel wire, braided or otherwise, and may be coated with a vinyl or other coating for increased durability.
The user interface may be operable to enable a user to configure certain functions of the exercise system, such as certain aspect of the user interface or settings of the exercise machine. The exercise system 1000 may be configured to store user data such as one or more user profiles. A user profile may include user information (e.g., weight, age, gender, burned-calories target, stored workouts which may include totals of time, work, and burned calories for previous completed workouts, and other information). The user profile may also include default settings that may be applied before or during a workout. For example, a default program may be selected if a user initiates a workout (e.g., presses the start button or pulls on a cable) without selecting a program. Default settings may also be applied automatically by the exercise system during a workout, for example to automatically adjust the resistance during one or more segments of the workout. Manipulating one or more of the user controls of user interface 500 may enable a user to create and/or edit a user profile, select one of a plurality of stored user profiles, select, start, pause, restart and/or terminate a workout program and/or adjust settings during a workout program.
A user profile may be updated by the user, such as via a user profile edit process, or automatically by the system during a workout. For example, if a user modifies the resistance during the workout, the system may update the user profile to store the modified resistance as the default resistance for that segment in the workout program. If a user adds time to a selected sequence, the default sequence in the user's profile may be updated to correspond to the modified sequence (e.g., to include the additional time), such that next time the user defaults are invoked, the user's default sequence already includes the additional time. Of course, one or more of these default settings may be overridden by the user during a workout e.g., via operation of one or more user controls of the user interface.
As shown in block 1102, when the exercise machine is powered up for the first time, the system (e.g., exercise system 1000) may enter a setup state 1001. The system may automatically execute a setup process (see
Referring now also to
During the setup process 1200, one or more of the user interface elements may activate for an aesthetic purpose, such as to display an aesthetic light pattern with the lights 522, and/or for a functional purpose, such as to guide the user through the setup process. In some examples, one or more of the display elements (e.g., display element 511) may active to display one or more welcome messages 1202-1, 1202-2 (e.g., “Thank you for choosing . . . ”, or “Welcome to . . . ”), which may be followed by one or more instructions or prompts 1204, for example for setting up a user profile. Messages and/or instructions may be provided via visual and/or audible elements of the user interface. In some examples, prompts 1204 may be displayed along with a default selection and the user may provide user input by operating one or more user controls. For example, the user may confirm the default selection such as by pressing button, or scroll to another of a plurality of available selections and then confirm the user specified selection. In other examples, the user interface may be configured to receive direct user input, such as via a text input UI element, or through speech recognition of audible input.
As shown in block 1208, the setup process 1200 may terminate without performing a user profile edit process 1210, in which case the user flow 1100 may proceed to a workout program selection process, which may start at block 1130. The system may be configured to terminate the setup process responsive to receiving an indication to terminate setup, as shown in block 1207. For example, the system may be configured to terminate the setup process 1200 responsive to a selection of a predetermined user control such as the pause/stop button 523, or another button such as an EXIT, CANCEL, or END button (not shown), at any time during the setup process. In some examples, the user interface may display a profile setup prompt 1204-1 and the system may be configured to terminate the setup process responsive to a non-confirmatory user input. For example, the user interface may be configured to receive a user input responsive to the profile setup prompt, such as a confirmation to proceed with profile setup. In some example, the system may be configured to terminate the setup process 1200 responsive to lack of user input for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 4 seconds, or other period of time). The user interface 500 may display a message 1206-1 indicating that setup has been completed.
A user profile edit process may be initiated during the setup process 1200 as described above, or at a later time, such as during a user selection process, which may start a block 1116. As described, the user interface 500 may be configured to enable the user to select one of the stored user profiles. For example, as shown in block 1118, the user may press the user button 516, or operate another type of user control, to select one of a plurality of stored user profiles as shown in blocks 1120. After selecting one of the stored profiles, the user may initiate a user profile edit process by operating one or more user controls in a predetermined manner. As shown in block 1104, the user profile edit process 1210 may be initiated responsive to pressing and holding the user button for a period of time (e.g., 2 seconds, 3 seconds, or other). To that end, the user interface 500 may be configured to display a prompt 1204-8 to inform the user how to initiate the user profile edit process in order to edit the selected profile. Responsive to user input corresponding to the instruction 1204-8, the work flow may proceed to the user profile edit process. The user may edit any of the stored profiles by scrolling to that profile (or selecting the profile via dedicated one of a plurality of user buttons) and initiating the user profile edit process.
During a user profile edit process, the user interface 500 may display a plurality of prompts (e.g., prompts 1204-2, 1204-3, 1204-4, and 1204-5) and receive user input to the prompts. The user input may confirm a default value or specify a modified value for one or more of the profile parameters (e.g., units as shown in block 1106, user weight as shown in block 1108, auto-adjust resistance function enabled as shown in block 1110, save workouts function enabled as shown in block 1112, etc.). The user may confirm a selection (e.g., a default value, a modified value) by pressing a button (e.g., pressing the resistance dial as shown in blocks 1114). The user profile edit process may be terminated at any time during the process by operating a predetermined user control (e.g., pressing the pause/stop button 523, an EXIT button, a CANCEL button, an END button, or operating another user control).
During a pre-workout state of the exercise system, the user interface may enable to user to select a workout program and/or make modifications to the selected workout program.
The program selection process may start with displaying a default workout program, For example, as shown in block 1310 of
The user interface may be configured to enable the user to select any of a plurality of workout programs 1140, such as by pressing the program button corresponding to a desired program. Responsive to a selection of another program (e.g., Circuit, Builder, or Manual program as shown in block 1340), the user interface may display a preview of the selected program, in a similar manner as described above, such as by illuminating the lights associated with all segments in the sequence an cycling through the timers associated with a respective sequence.
During the program selection process, the user may modify the selected program, for example by adding time to the selected program by pressing the add time button (block 1142) or changing the resistance by operating the resistance dial (block 1144). The user may initiate the selected program by pressing the start button (block 1146). The user interface may be configured to enable the user to select an unguided workout program (i.e., manual program) by pressing the manual program button or operating another user control. As shown in user flow 1100, the user may adjust the resistance for a manual program but may not add time as the manual program typically is not associated with a predetermined sequence time. In some examples, the user interface may be configured to display a prompt to the user to initiate the workout program. For example, the user interface may cycle through displaying the name of the selected program with a message (e.g., “Press start to begin your workout”) in display element 515.
The Builder workout program (block 1354) includes 8 rounds, starting with the first round in which the user is guided to perform one 30 sec rep of the first exercise (as indicated by the single light in the left most column) followed by a break of 30 seconds. The first round is followed by a second round which includes one 30 second rep of the first exercise (I first row) followed by one 30 second rep of a second exercise (as indicated by the two lights in the second column) without a rest period between reps. A 30 second break is provided after the second round which is followed by a third round that starts again with a 30 rep of first exercise in the first row followed by reps for each of the exercises in the second and third rows, without a rest period in between. A 30 second break is provided again after the third round and the sequence continues by adding one new exercise to the pyramid in each subsequent round until all 8 rounds have been performed. Rest periods are not provided between reps while 30 second breaks are provided between each round, for a total workout time of about 21.5 minutes. In this sequence, the lights are activated in a step pattern from left to right, with each round building up an additional exercise until all eight rounds have been completed.
The Manual workout program (block 1356), may be an unguided workout in which the user is not provided guidance of exercises to perform and the user interface may function to simply track the workout metrics for the duration that the user elects to work out. The user interface may be configured to track a Manual work out of up to 99:59 minutes, in some examples. In the Manual mode, the exercise indicators may activate randomly or in a predetermined manner purely for ornamental reasons. Examples of user interface elements associated with a Manual program are illustrated in
Referring back to
The user interface may indicate user controls that are operable to modify the selected program during the workout. For example, the resistance dial may be illuminated to indicate that the user can change resistance during the workout. However, the active user controls need not be illuminated in some examples. That is, one or more of the user controls (e.g., pause/stop button, add time button, volume button) may not be illuminated and may nevertheless be operable to effect a change during a workout. As one or more segments are completed, the user interface deactivates the corresponding lights (see blocks 1420, 1430, 1440), For example, block 1420 shows a snapshot in time of the user interface at the start of a work period (interchangeably referred to as work interval). As shown, the work timer is active and shows the full amount of time remaining for the work period, which will be counted down as the user performs the exercises, block 1430 shows a snapshot in time of the user interface at the start of the rest period that follows the work interval in block 1420. As shown, the rest timer is active and shows the amount of time associated with the rest period, Block 1440 shows a snapshot in time of the user interface at the start of the break period that follows the first round of the program. As shown, the break timer is active and shows the amount of reaming time associated with the break period,
Referring back to
The system may be configured to automatically save the user's workout metrics, as shown in block 1164. In some examples, the system may be configured to automatically save the user's workout metrics only if the workout duration exceeds a predetermined workout length (e.g., workout metrics for workouts longer than 1 minute are automatically saved while workout metrics for workouts shorter than 1 minute are not automatically saved). The auto-save function may be user-configurable. The user interface may be configured to display a workout summary, as shown in block 1170. The system may return to the pre-workout state 1003 responsive to user input (e.g., pressing the pause/stop button) or responsive to lack of user input for a predetermined duration of time (e.g., 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, or other duration of time). In the pre-workout state, the user interface may remain active (e.g., displaying information and/or being operable to receive user input) for a period of time (e.g., 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 6 minutes, or other period of time), after which the user interface may enter a standby mode for example to preserve power by deactivating (e.g., turning off) on or more UI elements, as shown in blocks 1130, 1132, and 1134, As shown in block 1136, operating a specific user control, or in some examples, any of the user controls may return he user interface to active mode. In some examples, a detected movement of a cable may re-activate the user interface. The user flow may return to block 1130 from any function after inactivity (e.g., lack of user inputs) for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 6 minutes, or other period of time).
The user interface may be configured to enable a user to reset the user interface by operating one or more user controls in a predetermined manner. Referring back to the example in
The frame 1702 may include a tower 1704 and a base 1706 adjacent to the tower 1704. In some examples, the base 1706 may adjoin a side of the tower 1704. In other examples, the base 1706 may at least partially extend below and support the tower 1704. The tower 1704 may extend vertically from the base 1706. In some examples, the tower 1704 may be substantially perpendicular to the base 1706. The base 1706 may be configured to provide a support surface for a user.
The exercise machine 1700 may include one or more hand grips 1746, which may extend from the tower 1704. In some examples, one or more oblique handle bars 1748 may extend between the tower 1704 and base 1706. The hand grips and/or handle bars may be implemented using tubular members. The tubular members may be arranged at suitable locations along the tower and/or base to provide a convenient location for a user to grasp e.g., to stabilize himself while performing an exercise. In some embodiments, the handle bars 1748 may be equipped with one or more handle clips 1749 for securing the handles 1710 when not in use. Additionally or optionally, handle clips may be provided elsewhere, such as on the base 1706, the tower 1704, or arms (not numbered) extending from the tower.
In some embodiments, the media device may complement the functionality of the console. For example, the media device may be a printed media object (e.g., an instruction manual), which may include exercise information that supplements information that is displayed via the console. In yet further embodiments, the media device may provide some or all of the functionality in place of a console. For example, the media device may be an electronic media device (e.g., a tablet), which may be configured to be communicatively coupled to the exercise machine and operable to execute a user interface as described herein. In such examples, the exercise machine may not include a console and certain functions of the exercise machine may be controlled, in part, by the electronic media device. The media holder 1800 may be adjustable to accommodate different types of media devices. In some embodiments, the media holder may be configurable into a first configuration for securing an electronic media device and further configurable into a second configuration for securing printed media (e.g., a spiral bound booklet as shown in
The media holder 1800 includes a support structure, which is configured to at least partially support the media device (e.g., spiral bound booklet 1801) at a desired location on the exercise machine. The media holder 1800 further includes a securing structure, which is configured to retain the media device at the desired location such as to reduce or prevent movement of the media device during use of the exercise machine and/or the media device. In some embodiments, the securing structure may include one or more components which are movably coupled to the support structure to enable the media holder to accommodate devices of different shapes or sizes. The media holder may include a track which is associated with the support structure and the one or more components of the securing structure may be movably connected to the support structure via the track. In some embodiments the track may be in the form of one or more slots, rails, or combinations thereof.
In the embodiment in
In some embodiments, the media tray 1810, or a portion thereof, may be part of the enclosure 1750. For example, the base 1812 and/or the back support member 1814 may be provided by one or more surfaces of the enclosure (e.g., surfaces defining a recess in a portion of the enclosure 1750 such as above console 1780). In other embodiments, the media tray 1810, or a portion thereof, may be joined to the enclosure 1750. In some embodiments, the media tray 1810, or a portion thereof, may be movably joined to the enclosure 1750.
In the illustrated embodiment, the back support member 1814 is provided by a movable cover plate 1826. The movable cover plate 1826 may be movably and in some cases pivotally connected to the frame 1702 to provide access to a storage compartment 1752 located behind the back support member 1814. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover plate 1826 is pivotally connected to the enclosure 1750 along a top edge of the cover plate 1826, as shown in
A wall 1816 extends from the base 1812. The wall 1816 may be arranged generally vertically (e.g., perpendicular to the base 1812 or inclined from the perpendicular for example by the same or similar angle as the back support member 1814). In some examples, the wall 1816 and the back support member 1814 may be substantially parallel to one another. Spacing between the wall 1816 and back support member 1814 is selected to allow a media device to be positioned behind the wall 1816 (i.e., between the wall 1816 and the back support member 1814). The wall 1816 is set back from the front end of the base 1812 to allow a media device, or a portion thereof, to be positioned in front of the wall 1816. In some examples, the wall 1816 may be configured to support a media device at least partially on the wall itself (e.g., on a lip extending from the wall), or straddling the wall. In some embodiments, the wall 1816 may include spaced apart wall portions (e.g., left and right wall portion 1816-1, 1816-2) in order to accommodate the spine or spiral binding of printed media. A base spike 1817 may be positioned in the gap between the wall portions 1816-1, 1816-2 for securing e.g., the spiral binding of a spiral-bound booklet 1801 as shown in
The media holder 1800 includes a securing structure in the form of a movable member 1840. In the illustrated embodiment, the movable member 1840 is slidably engaged with the support structure and is thus interchangeably referred to as slider 1840. The slider 1840 is slidable within a slot 1830 formed in the movable cover plate 1826. Instead of a slot, the slider may be slidable along a rail provided on the support structure in other embodiments. Other mechanisms (e.g., magnetic, spring loaded, latched) may be used for the securing structure of the media holder.
Referring now also to
The slider can be made (e.g., molded) from a plastic material, such as rubber. The slider may be frictionally retained in the slot 1830. When inserted into slot 1830 (see cross-sectional view in
In some embodiments, the movable member (e.g., slider 1840) may be removably connected to the support structure of the media holder, such as to enable replacement or interchangeability with differently shaped or sized movable members. Referring back to
During normal use, the user may grasp the knob 1850 to rotate the slider 1840 within the slot 1830 and to orient the slider 1840 in accordance with the first marking 1858-1 (e.g., to point the arrow of the first marking downward towards the base of the support structure) in order to provide the media holder in the first configuration for securing a first type of media device (e.g., an electronic media device). A second marking 1858-2, which may be associated with the second configuration, may be provided opposite the first marking 1858-1. During normal use, the user may rotate the slider 1840 within the slot 1830 to orient the slider 1840 in accordance with the second marking 1858-2 (e.g., to point the arrow of the second marking downward) in order to provide the media holder 1800 in the second configuration for securing a second type of media device (e.g., printed media). In some embodiments, the media holder 1800 may be configured to secure additional types of media devices and the slider 1840 may thus include additional markings. For example, a third marking may be provided which instructs the user to orient the slider in a third orientation with respect to the support structure (e.g., orthogonal to the first and second orientations) to secure yet another type of a media device. Additional securing features for such configurations may be provided along other sides of the knob.
To secure a first type of media device, for example electronic media device, the slider 1840 is rotated such that the clip 1852 points down towards the base 1812 of the media tray 1810. The media device is placed in the media tray e.g., resting against the base 1812 and back support member 1814. The media device may be placed behind the wall 1816 to reduce movement of the bottom end of the media device and thereby reduce the risk of the media device falling from the exercise machine. The slider 1840 is then moved downward along the slot to position at least part of the clip 1852 over a top portion of the media device securing the media device in the media holder. For a relatively thinner media device, the slider may be moved downward until the knob shaft 1856 substantially abuts the media device. For a relatively thicker media device, the clip 1852 may deform to bias the media device towards the back support member 1814 but the top of the media device need not contact the knob shaft 1856 to secure the media device.
To secure a second type of media device, for example printed media object in the form of a spiral-bound booklet 1801 (as shown in
As previously described, the base 1706 may be configured to provide a support surface for a user. In one embodiment (see
In the illustrated embodiment, eight individual slats are joined in an interlocking manner to form the platform 1760. In other embodiments, a different number of slats may be used. In the illustrated embodiment, each slat 1900 has a generally trapezoidal shape, and the plurality of slats 1900 assemble into a platform 1760 having an irregular hexagonal shape. The individual slats may have different shapes in other embodiments depending on the overall shape of the platform 1760.
The slats 1900 may have a substantially hollow interior provided by lengthwise channels 1916 which extend between the minor sides 1912 and 1914. The channels 1916 are defined by vertical ribs 1918, which provide structural support and reduce deflection of the upper major surface (e.g., surface 1902). The slats may be manufactured from a plastic or composite material (e.g., fiber reinforced plastic (FRP)) for example by known casting, molding, extrusion, or pultrusion processes. For example, the slats can molded or cast to their nearly final individual shapes and sizes. In other examples, individual slats may be cut to size from a larger extruded or pultruded part.
All relative and directional references (including: upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, side, above, below, front, middle, back, vertical, horizontal, and so forth) are given by way of example to aid the reader's understanding of the particular embodiments described herein. They should not be read to be requirements or limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use unless specifically set forth in the claims. Connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, joined, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other, unless specifically set forth in the claims.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the presently disclosed embodiments teach by way of example and not by limitation. Therefore, the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between.
Claims
1. An exercise system including a user interface for an exercise machine, the user interface comprising:
- an exercise display area configured to display an exercise sequence by activating one or more exercise indicators of a plurality of exercise indicators in a predetermined sequence; and
- a control area comprising at least one mode control operable to change a sequence of activation of the one or more exercise indicators.
2. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the exercise display area comprises a plurality of lights, each of which correspond to an exercise indicator of the plurality of exercise indicators.
3. The exercise system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of lights comprises at least two uniquely colored lights, each uniquely colored light associated with a same type of exercise.
4. The exercise system of claim 2, wherein the exercise display area comprises an array of lights arranged in m rows and n columns.
5. The exercise system of claim 4, wherein the exercise display area comprises a same number of rows and columns of lights.
6. The exercise system of claim 4, wherein the lights in each row have a same color.
7. The exercise system of claim 4, wherein the lights in each column have a different color.
8. The exercise system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is configured, responsive to a selection of a first mode, to activate all of the lights in one row before activating any lights in another row.
9. The exercise system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is configured, responsive to a selection of a second mode, to activate all of the lights in one column before activating any lights in another column.
10. The exercise system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is configured to activate all of the lights in one row followed by less than all of the lights in another row responsive to a selection of a third mode.
11. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to activate the plurality of exercise indicators in accordance with a plurality of predetermined sequences, each of which is configured to continue for a predetermined period of time.
12. The exercise system of claim 11, wherein all of the sequences of the plurality of predetermined sequences are configured to continue for a same period of time.
13. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a pause control configured to temporarily suspend the sequence.
14. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a timer configured to provide an indication of time associated with an exercise or a group of exercises, an indication of a rest period following the exercise or the group of exercises, or both.
15. The exercise system of claim 14, wherein the timer is a first timer configured to provide the indication of time associated with an exercise or a group of exercises, the user interface further comprising a second timer configured to provide the indication of the rest period following the exercise or the group of exercises.
16. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to activate one or more exercise indicators in accordance with a first sequence responsive to a selection of one of a plurality of modes, the user interface further configured to disengage the exercise display area responsive to a selection of another of a plurality of modes.
17. The exercise system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is associated with an exercise machine comprising a tower enclosing, at least partially, a cable and pulley system.
18. The exercise system of claim 17, further comprising the exercise machine, wherein the exercise machine further comprises a resistance motor operatively coupled to the cable and pulley system.
19. The exercise system of claim 18, wherein the exercise machine is configured to change a resistance provided by the resistance motor responsive to input received via the user interface.
20. The exercise system of claim 18, wherein the resistance motor comprises a fan and a flywheel driven by a common shaft.
21. The exercise system of claim 20, wherein the user interface further comprises a resistance control configured to select a level of resistance provided by the flywheel.
22. The exercise system of claim 17, further comprising the exercise machine, and wherein the user interface is provided on a console of the exercise machine.
23. The exercise system of claim 17, further comprising the exercise machine, and wherein the exercise display area, the control area, or both are located on the tower.
24. The exercise system of claim 17, further comprising the exercise machine, and wherein the user interface is provided, at least partially, on a console movably connected to the tower.
25. The exercise system of claim 1, further comprising:
- an exercise machine comprising: a cable and pulley system; a resistance motor operatively engaged with the cable and pulley system; and a wireless communication interface for communicatively coupling the exercise machine to a portable computing device; and
- non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for providing the user interface on the portable computing device.
26. The exercise system of claim 17, further comprising the exercise machine, and wherein the exercise machine includes a media holder configured to secure a media device to the tower, wherein the media holder comprises a support structure, a track associated with the support structure, and a slider movably connected to the support structure via the track, wherein the slider is adjustable to multiple positions along a length of the track, and wherein the slider is configured to remain at any of the multiple positions by frictional force between the slider and the track.
27. The exercise machine of claim 26, wherein the tower includes a storage compartment, and wherein the support structure comprises a back support member movably coupled to the tower to cover and uncover an opening of the storage compartment.
28. The exercise machine of claim 26, wherein the media holder is configurable in a first configuration for securing an electronic media device to the exercise machine and in a second configuration for securing a printed media to the exercise machine.
Type: Application
Filed: May 4, 2017
Publication Date: Nov 9, 2017
Inventors: Joshua S. Smith (Portland, OR), Todd D. Anderson (Vancouver, WA), Benjamin A. Browning (Vancouver, WA), Gregg A. Wilson (Vancouver, WA), Robert W. Jacobson (Camas, WA), Julia F. Eschman (Vancouver, WA), Kristin A. Beadle (Portland, OR), Elena M. Sherman (Portland, OR), Jeffrey A. Gettle (Portland, OR)
Application Number: 15/587,225
