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Motivational displays and methods for exercise machineRelated Patent Categories: Exercise Devices, Having Specific Electrical Feature, Monitors Exercise ParameterMotivational displays and methods for exercise machine description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070197345, Motivational displays and methods for exercise machine. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/772,625, filed Feb. 13, 2006, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus having a motivational display and electronic methods for motivating a user during a workout routine. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Trends towards physical fitness awareness have led to an increase in the number of individuals exercising to keep physically fit. Stationary exercise machines, such as stepping machines or "steppers," have become popular choices for exercise enthusiasts who are unable to engage in outdoor exercise or who want to avoid the attendant inconvenience of outdoor exercise. [0006] Indoor exercise, however, does have disadvantages. For example, users of stationary exercise machines generally experience the same environment each time they perform their exercise routines. For example, a use often goes to the same indoor workout facility and uses the same machine or group of machines. The surrounding "scenery" remains generally the same from day to day. Furthermore, users of stationary exercise machines often perform their exercise routines alone without interaction from others. [0007] To address at least some of the attendant drawbacks of indoor exercise, several conventional exercise machines include user interfaces for motivating the user during his or her exercise routine. For example, certain treadmills and/or steppers include a motivational track comprised of multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a substantially oval shape. As the user progresses through the workout, the display updates the track display to show the user his or her progress and/or to motivate the user to complete the exercise routine. Similarly, some conventional steppers display to the user information regarding how high in vertical feet the user has "climbed" during the exercise routine and/or how much time has elapsed during the exercise routine. For example, the display may indicate how many steps the user has taken during the exercise routine. [0008] Such display information, however, is relatively disconnected from the variety of experiences and self-fulfillment that may be encountered when engaging in outdoor exercise. In particular, the nature of the display information does not substantially change from day-to-day or between successive exercise routines. Furthermore, the lengths of exercise routines associated with the display information are generally for a preprogrammed or user-selected period of time. [0009] Certain traditional stationary exercise machines also include preprogrammed workouts that relate to a general type of terrain. For example, the user may select a workout that includes a high resistance to simulate the climbing of or running up of a steep incline. Yet other exercise machines allow a user to record information during a period of outdoor physical exercise. This information is then used by the exercise machine to vary the exercise resistance to simulate, for example, slopes and wind resistance, associated with the outdoor physical exercise. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] However, even in light of the foregoing, traditional stationary exercise machines do not provide the user with a motivational exercise routine that simulates or approximates the scaling of a particular object of general or specific interest, such as, for example, a well-known landmark. Accordingly, what is needed is an exercise machine that provides the user with a variety of motivational exercise routines and/or displays for simulating the climb of defined objects. [0011] In certain embodiments of the invention, a stepper exercise machine provides a user with a workout program that allows the user to simulate the scaling of one or more landmarks. In further certain embodiments, the stepper exercise machine adjusts the pedal resistance experienced by the user during exercising in response to changes in the user's weight and/or pedal cadence. [0012] For example, in certain embodiments, the user selects an input key, such as a "landmark" or "FAMOUS STEPS.TM." key to initiate a preprogrammed workout program. The user selects at least one of a plurality of objects that he or she would like to "climb" during his or her exercise routine by alternatively pumping the stepper pedals. The stepper exercise machine determines the height of the selected object and the height of the user's step during exercising to calculate a total number of steps required by the user to scale the object. In certain embodiments, the display of the exercise machine depicts a graphical representation (e.g., a block pyramid) of the selected object and fills in horizontal portions of the display as the user progresses through the climb. [0013] In certain embodiments, the stepper machine also varies the resistive load experienced by the user during exercising based on a user's weight and/or pedal cadence. In an embodiment, the foregoing is accomplished with a stepper machine including a pulley assembly that drives an alternator based on pumping of the pedals. In such an embodiment, the exercise machine may include one or more sensors and feedback circuitry that adjusts the resistance of the alternator to provide for a substantially constant rotation of the alternator, independent of the user's weight and/or pedal cadence. [0014] For purposes of summarizing the disclosure, certain aspects, advantages and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a stepper exercise machine according to an embodiment of the invention. [0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a resistance region of the stepper exercise machine of FIG. 1. [0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a control system of the stepper exercise machine of FIG. 1. [0018] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an electronic display of the stepper exercise machine of FIG. 1. [0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a workout program process executable by the control system of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Continue reading about Motivational displays and methods for exercise machine... Full patent description for Motivational displays and methods for exercise machine Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Motivational displays and methods for exercise machine 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 Motivational displays and methods for exercise machine or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Sports specific movement emulators and cams Next Patent Application: Resistance and power monitoring device and system for exercise equipment Industry Class: Exercise devices ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Motivational displays and methods for exercise machine patent info. 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