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Control system for exercise equipmentRelated Patent Categories: Exercise Devices, Involving User Translation Or Physical Simulation Thereof, Treadmill For Foot TravelControl system for exercise equipment description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070167293, Control system for exercise equipment. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to operating control systems for treadmills and other exercise equipment. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A need presently exists for a system for controlling, programming, and operating treadmills, stationary bicycles, elliptical machines, stair climbers, and other exercise equipment which will allow the user to more quickly input, change, and establish any desired value of exercise speed, degree of incline, amount of resistance or tension, exercise time, targeted distance, targeted calorie count, and/or any other operating and/or program parameter. Most treadmill systems currently available on the market have user control panels which include up and down speed buttons, keys, or other contact elements which only allow the user to set or change the speed in small increments of about 0.1 miles per hour (MPH). Consequently, in order to establish a speed of 5 MPH, the user must press the up speed button 50 times or must continue to hold the up speed button for a period of time amounting to 50 presses. Similarly, many treadmills also include a pair of up and down incline buttons, keys, or other contact elements which only allow the user to set or change the incline of the treadmill belt in small increments of about 0.5%. [0003] In order to make the operation and programming of the system a bit more convenient, some treadmills include alternative or added buttons, keys, or other contact elements, which correspond to specific preset speed and/or incline values. Unfortunately, however, these precise preset values of speed and/or incline often will not correspond to the specific actual operating parameters or conditions desired by the user. Consequently, in those systems which only include the specific preset options, the user will be forced to operate the system at conditions which may be significantly below or above the values actually desired. [0004] Moreover, even in the prior art systems which include dual sets of controls, the user is still required to use the small increment, up and down controls extensively for zeroing in on specific desired parameters and/or for making a desired increment change from a base or current operating condition. Thus, by way of example, if the specific preset speed options for a treadmill of this type are 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 MPH (or e.g., medium, low, and high), there is no convenient way for the user to establish an initial speed of say 1.5 MPH and then quickly adjust the speed in intervals while exercising to speeds of 2.5 MPH, 3.5 MPH, and then 4.5 MPH. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] The present invention satisfies the needs and addresses the problems discussed above. In one aspect, there is provided a control system for an exercise apparatus. The control system comprises an increment control array including at least three increment control contact elements. Each of the increment control contact elements has a different pre-assigned numerical control increment value. The increment control contact elements can be selectively activated by a user both in an individual manner and in a combined cumulative manner for incrementally setting, incrementally changing, or both incrementally setting and incrementally changing one or more operating parameters of the exercise apparatus in accordance with the pre-assigned numerical control increment values. [0006] In another aspect, the increment control array can be operated, for example, for incrementally setting and incrementally changing an operating speed of the exercise apparatus such that, when being used for incrementally setting and incrementally changing the operating speed, the pre-assigned numerical control increment values are numerical units of incremental velocity. In another aspect, the incremental control array can be operated, for example, for incrementally setting and incrementally changing an operating incline of the exercise apparatus such that, when being used for incrementally setting and incrementally changing the operating incline, the pre-assigned numerical control increment values are numerical units of incremental incline percentage or angle. [0007] In another aspect, the control system can further comprise, for example, a speed increase contact element and a speed decrease contact element which are not included in the increment control array and which can also be used for controlling the operating speed of the exercise apparatus. The speed increase contact element and the speed decrease contact element will preferably operate to control the operating speed of the exercise apparatus in increments which are smaller, in terms of absolute value, than the pre-assigned numerical control increment values of the increment control contact elements. [0008] In another aspect, the control system can further comprise, for example, an incline increase contact element and an incline decrease contact element which are not included in the increment control array and which can also be used for controlling the operating incline of the exercise apparatus. The incline increase contact element and the incline decrease contact element will preferably operate to control the operating incline of the exercise apparatus in increments which are smaller, in terms of absolute value, than the pre-assigned numerical control increment values of the increment control contact elements. [0009] In another aspect, the control system can further comprise a speed access contact element for activation before, after, or both before and after activating a selected one or a selected combination of the increment control contact elements to cause the increment control array to operate to control the operating speed of the exercise apparatus. In another aspect, the control system can further comprise an incline access contact element for activation by the user before, after, or both before and after activating a selected one or a selected combination of the increment control contact elements to cause the increment control array to control the operating incline of the exercise apparatus. [0010] Further aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon examining the accompanying drawings and upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a treadmill 2 having the inventive control system incorporated therein. [0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment 10 of the inventive control system. [0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a user interface control and display panel 12 for the embodiment 10 of the inventive operating and control system used in the treadmill 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0014] An embodiment 10 of the inventive operating and control system for a treadmill 2 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. As is typical, the treadmill 2 comprises: a frame structure 4; a treadmill belt 5 mounted in the frame 4 for continuous rotational movement; a belt motor 6 for driving the belt; and an incline motor 8 for adjusting the angle of inclination of the treadmill belt 5. It will be understood, however, that the inventive control system 10 can be readily adapted for use in any other type of treadmill apparatus, as well as in generally any other type of exercise device or system including, but not limited to, elliptical machines, stationary bicycles, stair climbers, etc. for controlling, e.g., incline, tension, resistance, or any other desired parameters. [0015] The inventive operating and control system 10 employed in the treadmill 2 comprises: a control and display panel 12; a belt or belt motor speed sensor 14; a belt incline sensor 16; a heart rate sensor 18; and a magnetic safety stop key 20 which is receivable in a key slot 22 and includes a cord and clip 24 for attachment to the user's clothing. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control and display panel 12, the speed sensor 14, the incline sensor 16, the heart rate sensor 18, and the key slot 22 are all electrically linked to a microprocessor or other computing system 26. [0016] The control and display panel 12 of the inventive system 10 includes: a mode contact element 30; a stop contact element 32; a first speed control 34 including an up increment contact element 36 and a down increment contact element 38; a first incline control 40 including an up increment button or other contact element 42 and a down increment contact element 44; a time display window 46; a speed display window 48; an incline and pulse display window 50; a distance and calorie display window 52; and a matrix display window 54. In addition, the control and display panel 12 preferably includes: a quick response speed (QRS) access contact element 56; a quick response incline (QRI) access contact element 58; and an array 60 of specific increment control contact elements. As used herein, the term "contact elements" includes buttons, switches, pressure pads, touch screen elements, and all other types of user interface contact elements known in the art. [0017] The increment control array 60 of the inventive control system 10 preferably includes at least three specific increment buttons or other contact elements. Each of these contact elements has a pre-assigned, unique numerical increment control value which is different from the values of all of the other buttons of the increment array 60. In the embodiment 10 of the inventive control system shown in FIG. 3, the increment control array 60 includes five increment control buttons or other contact elements having pre-assigned numerical increment values of -2, -1, +1, +2, and +3. However, by way of example and not by way of limitation, the increment control array 60 might include seven contact elements having respective increment values of -3, -2, -1, +2, +3, +4 and +5. As yet another example, the increment control array 60 might include three contact elements having respective values of -1, +2, and +3. [0018] The increment control array 60 can be used to quickly make large incremental entries and selections for inputting, establishing, and/or changing the belt speed, the degree or angle of incline, a set exercise time, a target speed, a target pulse rate, a workout distance, a workout calorie count, and/or any other desired operating or control parameter. [0019] In the inventive control system 10, the five individual contact elements of the increment control array 60 can be used for making respective automatic incremental entries or changes in speed wherein the pre-assigned numerical control increment values of the five contact elements become numerical units of incremental velocity such as, e.g., -2 MPH, -1 MPH, +1 MPH, +2 MPH, and +3 MPH. Similarly, when used for making incremental entries and changes in incline, the numerical control increment values of the five increment control contact elements become numerical units of incremental incline percentage or angle such as, e.g., -2%, -1%, +1%, +2%, and +3%. Likewise, for time increment entries, the pre-assigned numerical control increment values of the five contact elements will correspond to numerical increments of time, e.g., -2 minutes, -1 minute, +1 minute, +2 minutes, and +3 minutes. Continue reading about Control system for exercise equipment... Full patent description for Control system for exercise equipment Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Control system for exercise equipment patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Control system for exercise equipment or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Gymnastic machine Next Patent Application: Endless belt for exercise treadmill Industry Class: Exercise devices ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Control system for exercise equipment patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.1444 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers 174 |
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