US4817940A — Computerized exercise monitoring system and metho…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 154 words

A system for monitoring and comparing electrical signals representative of the movement of an exercise machine, said movement corresponding to a user's exercise performance with criteria representative of the user's previous exercise performance on the exercise machine, said system comprising: (a) a monitoring means for measuring in real time a present movement of the exercise machine corresponding to a user's exercise activity and for providing signals representative thereof; (b) memory means for providing signals representative of the user's past movement of the exercise machine; and (c) evaluating means coupled to said monitoring means for receiving said signals representative of the user's present movement of the exercise machine and coupled to said memory means for receiving said past signals, for comparing said present signals to said past signals, and for computing a repetition count based on a percentage change between said past and present movements and providing an output signal representative of said repetition count.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 154 words

A system for monitoring and comparing electrical signals representative of the movement of an exercise machine, said movement corresponding to a user's exercise performance with criteria representative of the user's previous exercise performance on the exercise machine, said system comprising: (a) a monitoring means for measuring in real time a present movement of the exercise machine corresponding to a user's exercise activity and for providing signals representative thereof; (b) memory means for providing signals representative of the user's past movement of the exercise machine; and (c) evaluating means coupled to said monitoring means for receiving said signals representative of the user's present movement of the exercise machine and coupled to said memory means for receiving said past signals, for comparing said present signals to said past signals, and for computing a repetition count based on a percentage change between said past and present movements and providing an output signal representative of said repetition count.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 1, further comprising a user display connected to said evaluating means for receiving said output signal to provide an indication of the user's present movement of the exercise machine compared to the user's past movement of the exercise machine.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 2, wherein said display comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes in a predetermined order, each light emitting diode responsive to an output signal from said evaluating means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 53 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 2, further comprising: (d) a user input means coupled to said evaluation means for generating a user input signal representative of a selected exercise machine configuration; and (e) an output display connected to said evaluating means for providing an indication of a selected exercise machine configuration.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 16 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 4, wherein said evaluation means comprises a programmed microcomputer.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 34 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 4, wherein said evaluating means is responsive to said user input signals to generate an output signal to the memory means indicative of the exercise machine configuration.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 1 or 6, wherein said memory means receives said output signal from said evaluating means and stores said output signal.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 26 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 7, wherein said memory means is capable of being disconnected from said evaluating means and retains said stored signals.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 8, wherein said memory means comprises an electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 14 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 9, wherein said memory means is portable.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 21 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 1, wherein said movement of the exercise machine corresponds to the user's exercise pace.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 26 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 1, wherein said movement of the exercise machine corresponds to the distance moved by weights of the exercise machine.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 1, wherein said monitoring means further comprises: (a) a predetermined number of sensors for detecting the movement of a moving member of the exercise machine.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 15 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 13, wherein the moving member is a chain.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 54 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 13, wherein the monitoring means further comprises: (a) a rotary member connected to the frame of the exercise machine and coupled to said moving member of the exercise machine; and (b) said sensors detecting the rotation of the rotary member and providing an output signal representative thereof.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 103 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 15, wherein said rotary member further comprises: (c) a spring wound take-up reel having a first end of a cable attached to the moving member of the exercise machine and a second end of a cable connected to the reel, such that a movement in the exercise machine causes a corresponding rotational movement in the spring wound take up reel; and (d) a disc having a plurality of equally spaced openings on the circumference attached at the center to the reel such that rotational movement in the reel causes a corresponding rotational movement in the disc.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 54 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 16, wherein said sensor comprises an emitter of infrared light on one side of the disc and a detector of infrared light on the opposite side of the disc for producing a signal when the infrared light passes through an opening and illuminates the infrared light detector.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 35 words

Monitoring and comparing system as claimed in 17, wherein a first sensor is located on the disc for producing a signal which is ninety degrees out of phase with a signal from a second sensor.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 103 words

A physical exercise system comprising: (a) an exercise machine having at least one movable member; (b) a sensor for detecting the movement of said movable member and providing an output signal representative thereof; (c) a memory means for providing past signals indicative of the past movement of said movable member; (d) a first evaluation means connected to said sensors for receiving said output signal, and connected to said memory means for receiving said past signals; for comparing said signals to generate a pacing signal indicative of the difference of said signals; and (e) a plurality of display lamps for displaying said pacing signals.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 103 words

A physical exercise system comprising: (a) an exercise machine having at least one movable member; (b) a sensor for detecting the movement of said movable member and providing an output signal representative thereof; (c) a memory means for providing past signals indicative of the past movement of said movable member; (d) a first evaluation means connected to said sensors for receiving said output signal, and connected to said memory means for receiving said past signals; for comparing said signals to generate a pacing signal indicative of the difference of said signals; and (e) a plurality of display lamps for displaying said pacing signals.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 29 words

The physical exercise system of claim 19, wherein said first evaluation means provides an output signal to said memory means indicative of the present movement of said movable member.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 19 words

The physical exercise system of claim 20, wherein said memory means is portable and retains said present movement signals.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 51 words

The physical exercise system of claim 21, further comprising: (a) a digital indicator device for displaying data; and (b) a second evaluation means capable of being connected to said memory means and providing data to said digital indicator device indicative of exercise data of a user of said physical exercise machine.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 18 words

The physical exercise system of claim 22, wherein said first and second evaluation means are a programmed microcomputer.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 146 words

In an exercise monitoring system having an evaluation means, a memory means, and a sensing means, a method of monitoring and comparing a user's exercise performance on an exercise machine to the user's past exercise performance, said method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring a movement in the exercise machine caused by a physical exertion of a user and producing a signal representative thereof; (b) retrieving data from the memory means, the data identifying the user's past movement of the exercise machine and producing a signal proportional thereto; (c) comparing, with the evaluation means, the signal from the present movement of the exercise machine with the signal from the past movement of the exercise machine and computing a repetition count based on a percentage change between said present and past movements; and (d) displaying an indication of the movements and the repetition count to the user.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 146 words

In an exercise monitoring system having an evaluation means, a memory means, and a sensing means, a method of monitoring and comparing a user's exercise performance on an exercise machine to the user's past exercise performance, said method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring a movement in the exercise machine caused by a physical exertion of a user and producing a signal representative thereof; (b) retrieving data from the memory means, the data identifying the user's past movement of the exercise machine and producing a signal proportional thereto; (c) comparing, with the evaluation means, the signal from the present movement of the exercise machine with the signal from the past movement of the exercise machine and computing a repetition count based on a percentage change between said present and past movements; and (d) displaying an indication of the movements and the repetition count to the user.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 24, wherein the step (d) of displaying further comprises the step of providing a pacing signal for perception by the user, the pacing signal equal to the past exercise rate of the user.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of: (e) providing data to the evaluation means, the data representative of a user selected operation; and (f) storing into the memory means the present movement of the exercise machine.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of storing into the memory means information representative of a selected configuration of the exercise machine.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of determining the difference between the present movement of the exercise machine and the past movement of the exercise machine.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of providing a pacing signal for perception by the user, the pacing signal equal to the difference between the present movement of the exercise machine and the past movement of the exercise machine.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of displaying the pacing signal on a plurality of lights, each light representative of the difference in pacing between the user's present movement of the exercise machine and past movement of the exercise machine.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of: (g) computing a performance value representative of the user's present performance compared to the user's past performance; and (h) displaying the performance value to the user.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method of claim 31, wherein step (g) further comprises the step of: (m) decreasing the performance value when the user's present movement of the exercise machine is not equal to the user's past movement of the exercise machine.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 24, wherein the step (d) of displaying further comprises the steps of: (n) illuminating the plurality of lights, each light representative of the difference in movement between present movement and past movement.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 71 words

The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of: (o) illuminating a row of lights having a first light representative of the user's present movement being slow compared to the user's past movement and a last light representative of the user's present movement being fast compared to the user's past movement, said illumination of each light depending upon light position and difference in user's present movement and user's past movement.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1992-04-03	1992-10-03	1993-04-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1996-04-03	1996-10-03	1997-04-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2000-04-03	2000-10-03	2001-04-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Computerized exercise monitoring system and method for comparing present and past exercise activities

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