Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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EXERCISE MACHINE CONTROLS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This application relates generally to the field of exercise
equipment and methods
associated therewith. In particular, this application relates to executable
controls and control
methods associated with exercise machines.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] This International Application claims priority to U.S. Application
No. 16/217,548, filed
December 12, 2018, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application No.
15/863,057, filed on
January 5, 2018, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application No.
15/686,875, filed on
August 25, 2017, which is a nonprovisional of U.S. Provisional Application No.
62/380,412, filed
on August 27, 2016, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Exercise has become an increasingly important aspect of daily life,
and most exercise
regimens commonly involve the use of elliptical machines, stationary bicycles,
rowing machines,
treadmills, or other exercise machines. Such exercise machines are typically
designed for use in a
gym or other exercise facility, and may be configured such that a user can
participate in various
exercise classes, training programs, or other activities using such machines.
In particular, such
exercise machines generally provide the user with one or more buttons,
switches, knobs, levers, or
other mechanisms that enable the user to control various parameters of the
exercise machine during
use. For instance, a treadmill may include one or more controls dedicated to
increasing and
decreasing an incline of the treadmill deck, increasing and decreasing a speed
of the treadmill belt,
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or modifying other parameters of the treadmill as the user walks, jogs,
sprints, or performs various
other activities on the treadmill. Similarly, a stationary bicycle may include
one or more controls
dedicated to increasing and decreasing a braking resistance of a flywheel of
the bicycle, increasing
and decreasing a pedal speed or cadence of the bicycle, or modifying other
parameters of the
stationary bicycle during use.
[0004] While such controls are commonplace on treadmills, stationary
bicycles, elliptical
machines, and other known exercise machines, such controls can be challenging
to use in some
situations. For example, due to the dynamic nature of the motion-based
activities typically
performed on such exercise machines (e.g., running, cycling, etc.), it can be
difficult for a user to
manipulate such controls during a workout. Moreover, even if a user is able to
manipulate such
controls while running, cycling, or performing other motion-based activities,
such controls may
not be optimized for enabling the user to select a particular setting or other
parameter of the
exercise machine, with accuracy, as such motion-based activities are being
performed.
[0005] Example embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward
addressing one or
more of the deficiencies of known exercise machines noted above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a method
includes receiving, with
a processor associated with an exercise machine, electronic content via a
network, the electronic
content comprising an exercise class, receiving, with the processor, user data
associated with a
user participating in the exercise class using the exercise machine, and
generating, with the
processor, an executable control for a user interface based at least in part
on the user data. The
method also includes providing the executable control, via a display of the
exercise machine, while
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the user is participating in the exercise class. In such examples, the
executable control is operable
to modify a parameter of the exercise machine while the user is participating
in the exercise class.
[0007] In another example embodiment, an exercise machine includes a
processor operably
connected to a network, a display operably connected to the processor and
configured to display
electronic content received, by the processor, via the network, and a deck
configured to move
relative to a surface supporting the exercise machine. The exercise machine
also includes a belt
rotatable about the deck, a first motor operably connected to the processor
and configured to drive
the belt, and a second motor operably connected to the processor and
configured to change a
position of the deck relative to the support surface. In such an embodiment,
the processor is
configured to cause display of the electronic content via the display, the
electronic content
comprising an exercise class, receive user data associated with a user
participating in the exercise
class using the exercise machine, and generate an executable control based at
least in part on the
user data. The processor is also configured to provide the executable control,
via the display, while
causing the display of the electronic content. In such examples, the
executable control is operable
to modify a parameter of the exercise machine.
[0008] In yet another example embodiment, a method includes capturing audio
content and
video content corresponding to an exercise class being performed by an
instructor, the exercise
class being performed at least partially on a first exercise machine. Such a
method may also
include generating a video file comprising the audio content and the video
content, generating an
executable control corresponding to the exercise class, the executable control
being operable to
modify a parameter of a second exercise machine, and associating the
executable control with the
video file such that playback of at least part of the video file by a
processor of the second exercise
machine, via a display of the second exercise machine, results in display of
the executable control.
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Such a method may also include providing the control, with the video file, to
the processor of
second exercise machine via a network.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The detailed description is described with reference to the
accompanying figures. In
the figures, the left-most digit of a reference number identifies the figure
in which the reference
number first appears. The same reference numbers in different figures indicate
similar or identical
items.
[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example exercise machine as
disclosed herein
with a user shown.
[0011] Figure 2 illustrates another view of the example exercise machine
shown in Figure 1
including first and second rotary controls, and a display.
[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic illustration showing exemplary components
used for content
creation and/or distribution.
[0013] Figure 4 illustrates an example user interface of the present
disclosure showing an
exercise class and a scorecard.
[0014] Figure 5 illustrates another example user interface of the present
disclosure showing an
exercise class and a leaderboard.
[0015] Figure 6 illustrates a flowchart indicative of an example method of
the present
disclosure.
[0016] Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart indicative of another example
method of the present
disclosure.
[0017] Figure 8 illustrates a flowchart indicative of still another example
method of the present
disclosure.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The following description is presented to enable any person skilled
in the art to make
and use aspects of the example embodiments described herein. For purposes of
explanation,
specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the
present invention.
Descriptions of specific embodiments or applications are provided only as
examples. Various
modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in
the art, and general
principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications
without departing
from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present
disclosure is not intended to
be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest possible
scope consistent
with the principles and features disclosed herein.
[0019] Example embodiments of the present disclosure include exercise
machines, networked
exercise systems, and corresponding methods whereby one or more exercise
devices, such as
treadmills, rowing machines, stationary bicycles, elliptical trainers, or any
other suitable
equipment may be equipped with an associated local system that allows a user
to fully participate
in live or recorded exercise classes from any location that can access a
suitable communications
network. The example exercise machines of the present disclosure include one
or more displays
configured to provide various controls operable to change parameters of the
exercise machines. In
particular, the displays of the present disclosure may be configured to
provide user interfaces that
include one or more executable controls operable to modify respective
parameters of the exercise
machine while the user of the machine is participating in an exercise class
and/or otherwise using
the exercise machine.
[0020] Such executable controls may be generated by a processor of the
exercise machine
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and/or by one or more servers of a networked exercise system located remote
from the exercise
machine. In particular, such executable controls may be generated based on
user data indicating
one or more preferences of the user, one or more previous exercise machine
settings selected by
the user during one or more previous workouts, one or more exercise machine
settings previously
specified by the user as a preference and/or as part of a user profile unique
to the user, and/or based
on other user-specific information. Additionally or alternatively, such
executable controls may be
generated based on one or more commands uttered by an instructor of an
exercise class. In some
examples, such executable controls may include a setting corresponding to a
relatively specific
instruction or command given by the instructor. In other examples, on the
other hand, such
executable controls may include a setting corresponding to a relatively vague
or abstract command
given by the instructor during the exercise class. In still further examples,
one or more executable
controls of the present disclosure may be operable to modify a parameter of
the exercise machine
in order to assist the user in achieving one or more targets or exercise goals
stored in a memory
associated with the exercise machine.
[0021] Thus, the exercise machines, executable controls, and corresponding
methods
described herein, may enable a user to easily and accurately modify one or
more parameters of an
exercise machine while participating in an exercise class, and according to a
control setting that is
uniquely personal to the user. Various aspects of such exercise machines and
executable controls
will now be described in more detail.
[0022] Referring generally to Figures 1 and 2, in various example
embodiments of the present
disclosure, a local system 100 may include an exercise machine 102, such as a
treadmill, with
integrated or connected digital hardware including one or more displays 104
for use in connection
with an instructor-led exercise class and/or for displaying other digital
content. While the exercise
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machine 102 may be described and/or otherwise referred to herein as a
"treadmill 102," as noted
above, example exercise machines 102 of the present disclosure may be any
suitable type of
exercise machine, including a rowing machine, stationary bicycle, elliptical
trainer, stair climber,
etc. Accordingly, any of the examples described herein may be applicable to,
incorporated in,
performed by, and/or otherwise associated with a treadmill, rowing machine,
stationary bicycle,
elliptical trainer, stair climber, etc. For ease of description, however, an
exercise machine 102
comprising a treadmill will be referred to below unless otherwise specified.
[0023] In various example embodiments, the one or more displays 104 may be
mounted
directly to the exercise machine 102 or otherwise placed within view of a user
106. In various
exemplary embodiments, the one or more displays 104 allow the user 106 to view
content relating
to a selected exercise class both while working out on the exercise machine
102 and while working
out in one or more locations near or adjacent to the exercise machine 102. In
some examples, the
exercise machine 102 may also include a hinge, joint, pivot, bracket 138 or
other suitable
mechanism to allow for adjustment of the position or orientation of the
display 104 relative to the
user 106 whether the user 106 is working out on the exercise machine 102, or
working out near or
adjacent to the exercise machine 102.
[0024] In example embodiments in which the exercise machine 102 comprises a
treadmill, the
exercise machine 102 may generally include a lower assembly 108 and an upper
assembly 110.
The lower assembly 108 may generally include a deck 112 of the exercise
machine 102 that
provides support for the user 106 while the user 106 is working out on the
exercise machine 102,
as well as other components of both the lower assembly 108 and the upper
assembly 110. For
example, the deck 112 may support a first motor (not shown) of the exercise
machine 102
configured to increase, decrease, and/or otherwise change an incline of the
deck 112 relative to a
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support surface on which the exercise machine 102 is disposed. The deck 112
may also include
one or more linkages 116 coupled to such a motor and configured to, for
example, raise and lower
the deck 112 by acting on the support surface when the motor is activated. The
deck 112 may also
include a second motor (not shown) configured to increase, decrease, and/or
otherwise change a
rotational speed of a belt 120 connected to the deck 112. The belt 120 may be
rotatable relative to
the deck 112 and, in particular, may be configured to revolve or otherwise
move completely around
(i.e., encircle) the deck 112 during use of the exercise machine 120. For
example, in embodiments
in which the exercise machine 102 comprises a treadmill, the belt 120 may
support the user 106
and may repeatedly encircle the deck 112 as the user 106 runs, walks, and/or
otherwise works out
on the treadmill. Such an example belt 120 may include one or more continuous
tracks (not shown)
movably coupled to a gear, flywheel, pulley, and/or other component of the
deck 112. In such
examples, such a gear, flywheel, pulley, and/or other component of the deck112
may be coupled
to an output shaft or other component of the second motor described above. In
such examples,
rotation of the output shaft or other component of the second motor may drive
commensurate
rotation of the belt 120.
[0025] The belt 120 may also include a plurality of laterally aligned slats
126 connected to the
one or more continuous tracks described above. For example, as shown in Figure
1, each slat 126
may extend substantially parallel to at least one adjacent slat 126.
Additionally, each slat 126 may
be hingedly, pivotally, and/or otherwise movably coupled to the one or more
continuous tracks of
the deck 120 via one or more respective couplings. Such couplings may
comprise, for example, a
bracket, pin, screw, clip, bolt, and/or one or more other fastening components
configured to secure
a respective slat 126 to the continuous track described above, while allowing
the slat 126 to pivot,
rotate, and/or otherwise move relative to the track while the belt 120
revolves about the deck 112.
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[0026] With continued reference to Figure 1, the exercise machine 102 may
also include one
or more sidewalls 128 connected to the deck 112. For example, the exercise
machine 102 may
include a first sidewall 128 on a left-hand side of the deck 112, and a second
sidewall 128 on the
right-hand side of the deck 112. Such sidewalls 128 may be made from cloth,
foam, plastic, rubber,
polymers, and/or other like material, and in some examples, the sidewalls 128
may assist in
damping and/or otherwise reducing noise generated by one or more of the motors
and/or other
components of the deck 112.
[0027] The exercise machine 102 may also include one or more posts 130
extending upwardly
from the deck 112. For example, the exercise machine 102 may include a first
post 130 on the
left-hand side of the deck 112, and a second post 130 on the right-hand side
of the deck 112. Such
posts 130 may be made from a metal, alloy, plastic, polymer, and/or other like
material, and similar
such materials may be used to manufacture the deck 112, the slats 126, and/or
other components
of the exercise machine 102. In such examples, the posts 130 may be configured
to support the
display 104, and in some examples, the display 104 may be directly coupled to
a crossbar 132 of
the exercise machine 102, and the crossbar 132 may be connected to and/or
otherwise supported
by the posts 130. For example, the crossbar 132 may comprise one or more hand
rests or handles
useful in supporting the user 106 during exercise. In some examples, the
crossbar 132 may be
substantially C-shaped, substantially U-shaped, and/or any other
configuration. In any of the
examples described herein, the crossbar 132 may extend from a first one of the
posts 130 to a
second one of the posts 130. Further, in some examples, the posts 130 and the
crossbar 132 may
comprise a single integral component of the upper assembly 110. Alternatively,
in other examples,
the posts 130 and the crossbar 132 may comprise separate components of the
upper assembly 110.
In such examples, the upper assembly 110 may include one or more brackets 134,
endcaps 136,
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and/or additional components configured to assist in coupling the one or more
posts 130 to the
crossbar 132.
[0028] As noted above, the exercise machine 102 may also include a hinge,
joint, pivot,
bracket 138 and/or other suitable mechanism to allow for adjustment of the
position or orientation
of the display 104 relative to the user 106 whether they are walking, jogging,
running, and/or
otherwise working out on the exercise machine 102, or working out near or
adjacent to the exercise
machine 102. For example, such brackets 138 may include at least one component
rigidly
connected to the crossbar 132. Such brackets 138 may also include one or more
additional
components rigidly coupled to the display 104. In such examples, the
components of the bracket
138 connected to the display 104 may be moveable, with the display 104
relative to the components
of the bracket 138 connected to the crossbar 132. Such components may include
one or more
dove-tail slider mechanism, channels, and/or other components enabling the
display 104 to
controllably slide and/or otherwise move relative to the crossbar 132. Such
components may also
enable the user 106 to fix the position of the display 104 relative to the
crossbar 132 once the user
106 has positioned the display 104 as desired.
[0029] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the exercise machine 102 may also
include one or more
controls 144, 146 configured to receive input from the user 106. The exercise
machine 102 may
further include one or more sensors 147 configured to sense, detect, and/or
otherwise determine
one or more performance parameters of the user 106 before, during, and/or
after the user 106
participates in an exercise class using the exercise machine 102. In any of
the examples described
herein, the controls 144, 146 and the one or more sensors 147 may be operably
and/or otherwise
connected to one or more controllers, processors, and/or other digital
hardware 148 of the exercise
machine 102.
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[0030] The digital hardware 148 (shown in phantom in Figures 1 and 2)
associated with the
exercise machine 102 may be connected to or integrated with the exercise
machine 102, or it may
be located remotely and wired or wirelessly connected to the exercise machine
102. The digital
hardware 148 may include digital storage (e.g., a hard drive or other such
memory), one or more
processors (e.g., a microprocessor) or other like computers or controllers,
communications
hardware, software, and/or one or more media input/output devices such as
displays, cameras,
microphones, keyboards, touchscreens, headsets, and/or audio speakers. In
various exemplary
embodiments these components may be connected to and/or otherwise integrated
with the exercise
machine 102. All communications between and among such components of the
digital hardware
148 may be multichannel, multi-directional, and wireless or wired, using any
appropriate protocol
or technology. In various exemplary embodiments, the digital hardware 148 of
the exercise
machine 102 may include associated mobile and web-based application programs
that provide
access to account, performance, and other relevant information to users from
local or remote
exercise machines, processors, controllers, personal computers, laptops,
mobile devices, or any
other digital device or digital hardware. In any of the examples described
herein, the one or more
controllers, processors, and/or other digital hardware 148 associated with the
exercise machine
102 may be operable to perform one or more functions associated with control
logic of the exercise
machine 102. Such control logic may comprise one or more rules, programs, or
other instructions
stored in a memory of the digital hardware 148. For example, one or more
processors included in
the digital hardware 148 may be programmed to perform operations in accordance
with rules,
programs, or other instructions of the control logic, and such processors may
also be programmed
to perform one or more additional operations in accordance with and/or at
least partly in response
to input received via one or more of the controls 144, 146, via one or more of
the sensors 147,
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and/or via various controls, user interfaces, or other components provided by
the display 104. In
any of the examples described herein, the display 104 may comprise a touch
screen, a touch-
sensitive (e.g., capacitance-sensitive) display, and/or any other device
configured to display
content and receive input (e.g., a touch input, tap input, swipe input, etc.)
from the user 106.
[0031] In any of the examples described herein, one or more of the controls
144, 146 associated
with the exercise machine 102 may comprise an infinity wheel-type control.
Such a control may
be useful in changing and/or otherwise controlling, for example, the incline
of the deck 112, the
speed of the belt 120, and/or other parameters of the exercise machine 102
associated with
incremental increases or decreases. In an example embodiment, one or more of
the controls 144,
146 associated with the exercise machine 102 may include a rotary dial
connected to a
corresponding rotary encoder. In such examples, the rotary encoder may include
one or more
detents or other components/structures that may be tuned for a desired
incremental change in a
corresponding parameter of the exercise machine 102. For example, the rotary
encoder may be
tuned such that each detent thereof may correlate to a 0.5% increase or
decrease in an incline angle
of the deck 112. Alternatively, the rotary encoder may be tuned such that each
detent thereof may
correlate to a 0.1 mph increase or decrease in a speed of the belt 120. In
still further examples,
percentages, speeds, and/or other increments greater than or less than those
noted above may be
chosen. Additionally, one or more such controls 144, 146 may include one or
more additional
buttons, wheels, touch pads, levers, knobs, or other components configured to
receive additional
inputs from the user 106, and such additional components may provide the user
106 with finer
control over the corresponding parameters of the exercise machine 102. One or
more such controls
144, 146 may also include a respective control housing configured to assist in
mounting the control
144, 146 to the crossbar 132 or other components of the exercise machine 102.
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[0032] With continued reference to Figures 1 and 2, in various example
embodiments, the one
or more sensors 147 of the exercise machine 102 may be configured to sense,
detect, measure,
and/or otherwise determine a range of user data, parameters of the exercise
machine 102, and/or
other information, from both the exercise machine 102 and the user 106,
instantaneously and/or
over time. For example, the exercise machine 102 may include one or more
sensors 147 that
measure the incline of the deck 112, the speed of the belt 120, a load applied
to the deck 112, the
belt 120, one or more of the motors described above, and/or other components
of the exercise
machine 102, an amount of energy expended by the user 106, a power output of
the exercise
machine 102, user weight, steps, distance, total work, repetitions, an amount
of resistance applied
to the belt 120 by one or more of the motors described above and/or other
components of the
exercise machine 102, a pedal cadence, a brake force or resistance, as well as
any other information
associated with, for example, a treadmill, a stationary bicycle, or other
exercise machine 102. The
exercise machine 102 may also include sensors 147 to measure user heart-rate,
respiration,
hydration, calorie burn, or any other physical performance metrics, or to
receive such information
from sensors provided by (e.g., worn by) the user 106. Where appropriate, such
information can
be calculated as current/instantaneous values, maximum, minimum, average, or
total over time, or
using any other statistical analysis. Trends can also be determined, stored,
and displayed to the
user, the instructor, and/or other users. Such sensors 147 may communicate
with memory and/or
processors of the digital hardware 148 associated with the exercise machine
102, nearby, or at a
remote location, using wired or wireless connections. Such sensors 147 and/or
the processors of
the digital hardware 148 may also communicate with one or more processors
disposed remote from
the exercise machine 102 using such wired or wireless connections.
[0033] In various exemplary embodiments, the exercise machine 102 may also
include one or
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more indicators (not shown) to provide information to the user 106. Such
indicators may include
lights, projected displays, speakers for audio outputs, or other output
devices capable of providing
a signal to a user 106 to provide the user 106 with information such as timing
for performing an
exercise, time to start or stop exercise, or other informational indicators.
For example, such
indicators (e.g., lights or projected displays) could display information
regarding the number of
sets and repetitions performed by the user 106 at a location where it can be
seen by the user 106
during the performance of the relevant exercise.
[0034] With reference to Figure 2, and as noted above, the display 104 of
the exercise machine
100 may comprise and/or may be driven by a user input device such as a
touchscreen, mouse,
voice control, or other suitable input device. In some examples, the display
104 or at least a portion
thereof, may comprise a touchscreen configured to receive touch input from the
user 106. The
display 104 may be any size, but optimally are large enough and oriented to
allow the display of a
range of information including one or more video streams, a range of
performance metrics
corresponding to the user 106, a range of additional performance metrics
associated with one or
more additional users exercising on exercise machines remote from the exercise
machine 102, and
a range of different controls. In various exemplary embodiments, the display
104 may include
some or all of its area that can reflect the image of the user 106 to provide
user feedback regarding
their form and performance of various activities.
[0035] In various exemplary embodiments the user 106 can use the display
104 or one or more
user interfaces 200 displayed on the display 104 to selectively present a
range of different
information including live and/or archived video, performance data, and other
user and system
information. In any of the examples described herein, such user interfaces 200
can provide a wide
range of control and informational windows that can be accessed and removed
individually and/or
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as a group by a click, touch, voice command, or gesture. In various exemplary
embodiments, such
windows may provide information about the user's own performance and/or the
performance of
other participants in the same exercise class both past and present.
[0036] Example user interfaces 200 presented via the display 104 may be
used to access
member information, login and logout of the system 100, access live content
such as live exercise
classes and archived classes or other content. User information may be
displayed in a variety of
formats and may include historical and current performance and account
information, social
networking links and information, achievements, etc. The user interfaces
described herein can
also be used to access the system 100 to update a user profile (e.g., a user
profile that is unique to
the user 106) or member information, manage account settings such as
information sharing, and/or
to modify one or more settings of a control included in the user interface
200.
[0037] An example user interface 200 may also be presented on the one or
more displays 104
to allow users to manage their experience, including selecting information to
be displayed and
arranging how such information is displayed on the display 104. Such a user
interface 200 may
present multiple types of information overlaid such that different types of
information can be
selected or deselected easily by the user 106. For example, performance
metrics and/or other
information may be displayed over video content using translucent or partially
transparent
elements so the video behind the information elements can be seen together
with (i.e.,
simultaneously with) the performance metrics and/or other information itself
Further, example
user interfaces 200 may present a variety of screens to the user 106 which the
user 106 can move
among quickly using the provided user input device, including by providing a
touch input via the
display 104.
[0038] In any of the examples described herein, the processor and/or other
components of the
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digital hardware 148 may control the display 104 and/or otherwise cause the
display 104 to display
the various user interfaces 200 of the present disclosure. For example, the
processor or other
components of the digital hardware 148 may cause the display 104 to display a
user interface 200
comprising a home screen that provides basic information about the system 100
and/or the exercise
machine 102, as well as available options. Such a home screen may provide
direct links to
information such as scheduled classes, archived classes, a leaderboard,
instructors, and/or profile
and account information. The home screen may also provide direct links to
content such as a link
to join a particular class. The user 106 can navigate among the different
portions of the home
screen by selecting such links using the applicable input device such as by
touching the display
104 at the indicated location, or by swiping to bring on a new screen. An
example user interface
200 providing such a home screen may also provide other information relevant
to the user 106
such as social network information, and navigation buttons that allow the user
to move quickly
among the different screens in the user interface 200.
[0039] In various example embodiments, one or more of the user interfaces
200 may include
various components configured to provide information to the user 106 while the
user 106 is
participating in an exercise class. For example, as will be described in
greater detail below, one
or more example user interfaces 200 may include a timeline 202 (e.g., a
segmented timeline)
indicating portions of an exercise class being displayed on the display 104,
and a position and/or
location within the timeline corresponding to the current portion of the
exercise class being
displayed. An example user interface 200 may also include a scorecard 204,
leaderboard, or other
component providing rankings, output, exercise machine parameters, user data,
and/or other
information related to other users participating in (either in real time, or
previously) the exercise
class being displayed on the display 104. An example user interface 200 may
further include
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various display bars 206 or other components providing performance metrics,
performance
information, and/or other user data associated with the user 106. Such
information may include,
for example, various settings or other parameters of the exercise machine 102
(e.g., a current
incline of the deck 112, a current speed of the belt 120, a current pedal
cadence of a stationary
bicycle, a current braking force or resistance of the stationary bicycle,
etc.), an output of the user
106, and/or other information corresponding to the user 106 participating in
an exercise class.
Additionally, in some examples the user interface 200 may include one or more
executable controls
210 operable to modify an incline of the deck 112, a speed of the belt 120, a
pedal cadence of a
stationary bicycle, a braking force or resistance of the stationary bicycle,
and/or other parameters
of the exercise machine 102 while the user 106 is participating in an exercise
class. As shown in
at least Figure 2, in such embodiments the timeline 202, scorecard 204,
leaderboard, display bars
206, executable controls 210, and/or other components of the user interface
200 may be displayed
on the display 104 together with (e.g., simultaneously with) content 208
comprising the exercise
class that the use 106 is currently participating in.
[0040] In various exemplary embodiments, the user interfaces 200 described
herein may be
run through a local program or application using a local operating system such
as an Android or
iOS application, or via a browser-based system. Any of the performance metrics
or other
information described herein with respect to the various user interfaces 200
may also be accessed
remotely via any suitable network such as the internet. For example, users 106
may be able to
access a website from a tablet, mobile phone, computer, and/or any other
digital device, and such
users 106 may be able to review historical information, communicate with other
participants,
schedule classes, access instructor information, and/or view any of the
information described
herein with respect to the various user interfaces 200 through such a website.
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[0041] Figure 3 illustrates an example networked exercise system 300 of the
present disclosure
including one or more exercise machines 102 that are in communication via an
example network.
Such an example networked exercise system 300 may be used to, for example,
capture and/or
otherwise generate audio content, video content, and/or other content
corresponding to an exercise
class being performed by one or more instructors. The networked exercise
system 300 may also
be configured to generate a video file and/or any other electronic file,
digital file, or the like
comprising the captured audio content and video content. In some examples, the
networked
exercise system 300 may also be configured to generate one or more of the
executable controls
210 described herein with respect to the user interface 200 (Figure 2), and to
associate such
executable controls with the video file such that playback of at least part of
the video file by a
processor of an exercise machine 102 (e.g., via a display 104 of the exercise
machine 102) may
result in the display of the executable control 210. In any of the examples
described herein, content
captured and/or distributed by the networked exercise system 300 may comprise
live and/or
archived exercise classes, live and/or archived instructional content such as
video content
explaining how to properly perform an exercise, scenic or map-based content,
videos, and/or
animations that can be rendered in three- dimensions from any angle may be
created and stored in
various local or remote locations and shared across the networked exercise
system 300.
[0042] In various example embodiments, the networked exercise system 300
may be managed
through one or more networked backend servers 302 and may include various
databases 304 for
storage of user data, system information, performance information, archived
content, etc. Example
local systems 100 (Figure 1) may be in communication with the networked
backend servers 302
via any appropriate network 306 (e.g., a content distribution network 306),
including without
limitation, the internet. As an example of an alternative distribution
approach, in various
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exemplary embodiments the backend servers 302 could be eliminated and data
could be
communicated throughout the system in a distributed or peer-to-peer manner
rather than via a
central server network. In such a networked exercise system 300, user data
(e.g., performance
data) may be broken up into small packets or "pieces" and distributed among
user devices such
that complete data sets are quickly distributed to all devices for display as
required.
[0043] Content for distribution through the network 306 can be created in a
variety of different
ways. Content recording locations may include professional content recording
studios, amateur
and home-based locations, gyms, etc. In various exemplary embodiments,
recording studios may
include space for live instructor-led exercise classes with live studio
participation, or may be
dedicated studios with no live, in-studio participation. As shown in Figure 3,
recording equipment
including one or more video cameras 308, microphones 310, mp3 players or other
music players
312, and/or other components and can be used to capture the instructor and/or
participants during
the class. Multiple cameras 308 can provide different views, and 3D cameras
308 can be used to
create 3D content. In various exemplary embodiments, content may also be
generated locally by
users 106. For example, exercise machines 102 may be equipped with recording
equipment
including microphones 310 and cameras 308. Users 106 may generate live or
recorded classes
that can be transmitted, stored in or by the networked exercise system 300,
and distributed via the
network 306.
[0044] With continued reference to Figure 3, class content may be generated
by providing
outputs of the one or more video cameras 308, microphones 310, and/or music
players 312 as
inputs to an audio mixer 314. The audio mixer 314 may output content to an
analog to digital
converter 316, which may provide converted data to a production switcher 318.
The production
switcher 318 may send the production video to a video encoder 320, which may
store the encoded
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video to a local storage device 322, and may also send it to a video
transcoder 324.
[0045] In some examples, the video encoder 320 may receive input from one
or more users of
the backend servers 302 comprising a command to associate an executable
control 210 with the
video file being created by the networked exercise system 300. In such
examples, the video
encoder 320 may embed and/or otherwise associate such an executable control
210 with the video
file, and at a desired location within the video file. Alternatively, the
video encoder 320 and/or
other components of the backend servers 302 may identify a verbal command from
an instructor
that is leading an exercise class. In such examples, the video encoder 320
and/or other components
of the backend servers 302 may identify the verbal command included in audio
content received
from a microphone 310 and/or from a video camera 308. Such a command may
correspond to a
parameter of an exercise machine 102 (e.g., an incline of the deck 112, a
speed of the belt 120, a
pedal cadence of a stationary bicycle, a braking force or resistance of the
stationary bicycle, etc.).
In such examples, the video encoder 320 and/or other components of the backend
servers 302 may
identify a timestamp associated with the command (e.g., a timestamp in the
video content and/or
the audio content corresponding to the command). In such examples, the video
encoder 320 and/or
other components of the backend servers 302 may associate the executable
control 210 with the
video file by linking the executable control 210 to a part of the video file
corresponding to the
timestamp. Additionally in any of the examples described herein, the video
encoder 320 and/or
other components of the backend servers 302 may identify such a verbal command
via natural
language processing software or techniques.
[0046] Further, the video transcoder 324 may output transcoded data to a
video packetizer 326,
which may then send a packetized data stream out through the network 306 to
remote users 106.
In various exemplary embodiments, instructors and/or users 106 may be provided
with access to a
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content creation platform that they can use to help them create content. Such
a platform may
provide tools for selecting and editing music, managing volume controls,
pushing out chat or other
communications to users 106.
[0047] As described above with respect to Figures 1 and 2, through the
display 104 and/or
other user interface on their exercise machine 102, users 106 may access
lists, calendars, and
schedules of live and recorded exercise classes available for delivery through
the display 104. In
various exemplary embodiments, once the user 106 selects a class, the local
system 100 may access
and/or display a primary data stream for the class. This primary data stream
may include video,
music, voice, text, or any other data, and may represent a live or previously
recorded exercise class.
The local system 100 may be equipped for hardware video accelerated
encoding/decoding to
manage high definition video quality at up to 1080 pixels based on existing
technology. The local
system 100 may automatically adjust bitrate/quality of the data stream for the
class in order to
bring participant the highest quality video according to user's
bandwidth/hardware limitations.
[0048] In various exemplary embodiments, networked exercise systems 300 and
methods of
the present disclosure may include multi-directional communication and data
transfer capabilities
that allow video, audio, voice, and data sharing among all users 106 and/or
instructors. This allows
users 106 to access and display multi-directional video and audio streams from
the instructor
and/or other users regardless of location, and to establish direct
communications with other users
106 to have private or conferenced video and/or audio communications during
live or recorded
classes. Such data streams can be established through the local system 100 for
presentation via
the one or more displays 104 via one or more of the user interfaces 200
described above. In various
exemplary embodiments, users 106 can manage multiple data streams to select
and control inputs
and outputs. The local system 100 may allow the user 106 to control the volume
of primary audio
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stream for the class as well as other audio channels for different users or
even unrelated audio
streams such as telephone calls or their own music selections. For example,
this would allow a
user 106 to turn down the instructor volume to facilitate a conversation with
other users.
[0049] For live classes, in various exemplary embodiments the instructor
may have the
ability to communicate with the entire class simultaneously or to contact
individual users, and
solicit feedback from all users regardless of location in real-time. For
example, instructors
could ask users verbally, or text a pop-up message to users 106, seeking
feedback on difficulty
level, music choice, terrain, etc. Users 106 could then respond through
components of the local
system 100 by selecting an appropriate response, or providing verbal feedback.
This allows
instructors to use crowdsourcing to tailor a class to the needs of the
participants, and to improve
their classes by soliciting feedback or voting on particular class features or
elements.
[0050] In various exemplary embodiments, instructors may also be able to
set performance
targets, and the system can measure and display to the user 1 06 and the
instructor their
performance relative to the target. For example, the instructor may set target
metrics e.g. target
power and speed, then display this next to users' readings with a color coding
to indicate whether
or not the user is meeting this target. The system may allow the instructor to
remotely adjust
exercise machine settings for individual users 106. In various exemplary
embodiments, the
exercise machine 102 may also automatically adjust based on information from
the user 106,
the instructor, or based on performance. For example, the exercise machine 102
may adjust
the difficulty to maintain a particular performance parameter such as heart
rate within a particular
range or to meet a particular performance target. Any of the executable
controls described herein
may be generated and/or configured to modify a parameter of the exercise
machine 102 in order
to assist the user 106 in meeting and/or exceeding such performance goals or
targets.
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[0051] With continued reference to Figure 3, in various exemplary
embodiments, the
networked exercise system 300 described herein may allow users 106 to create
accounts (e.g., user
profiles) and save and manage their user data (e.g., performance data). As
discussed above, the
system may allow users 106 to browse schedules for upcoming live classes,
signup for future live
streaming classes, and setup reminders. Users 106 may also be able to invite
others to participate
in a live class, and setup text, email, voice, or other notifications and
calendar entries. Users 106
may be able to access system, account, performance, and all other data via web-
based or
application based interfaces for desktop and/or mobile devices, in addition to
the user interface for
the local system 100 associated with their exercise machine 102.
[0052] In various exemplary embodiments, the networked exercise system 300
can provide for
simultaneous participation by multiple users in a recorded class, synchronized
by the system and
allowing access to all of the same communication and data sharing features
that are available for
a live class. With such a feature, the participants simultaneously
participating in the same archived
class can compete against each other, as well as against past performances or
"ghost" participants
for the same class. In some of the examples described herein, one or more
executable controls
may be generated and/or configured to modify a parameter of the exercise
machine 102 in order
to assist the user 106 in keeping pace with such past performances, "ghost"
participants, and/or
other performance goals or targets.
[0053] In some examples, the networked computer system 300 may be
configured to feed
synchronized live and/or archived video content and live and/or archived
sensor data to users over
the network 306. In various exemplary embodiments, and as illustrated in
Figure 3, the networked
exercise system 300 may be configured with a plurality of user exercise
machines 102 in
communication with the video content distribution network 306. The user
exercise machines 102
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may also be in communication with various other networks and servers.
Additionally, in any of
the examples described herein, a control station (not shown) may provide
signals via the network
306 to control the collection, storage, and management of data (e.g., user
data, video content, audio
content, parameters of the various exercise machines 102, etc.) across the
networked exercise
system 300.
[0054] Figure 4 illustrates an example user interface 400 of the present
disclosure, and the user
interface 400 may be similar to and/or the same as the user interface 200
described above with
respect to Figure 2. In such examples, the user interface 400 may be provided
to the user 106
during a selected exercise class. When an exercise class is being displayed
and/or otherwise
provided via the one or more displays 104 through the user interface 400, in
various exemplary
embodiments the primary video feed may be shown as the background video full-
screen or in a
sub-window on the display 104. Information elements may be provided on
different parts of the
display screen to indicate any performance metrics, including total time,
elapsed time, time left,
distance, speed (e.g., speed of the belt 120), mile pace of the user 106,
incline (e.g., incline of the
deck 112), elevation, resistance, braking force, power, total work, energy
expended (e.g., output),
cadence (e.g., pedal cadence), heart rate, respiration, hydration, calorie
burn, and/or any custom
performance scores that may be developed. The displayed information may also
include the trend
or relationship between different performance metrics. For example, the
display 104 can indicate
a particular metric in a color that indicates current performance compared to
average performance
for an exercise class or over time, such as red to indicate that current
performance of the user 106
is below average or green to indicate above average performance. Trends or
relative performance
can also be shown using color and graphics, such as a red down arrow to show
that current
performance is below average.
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[0055] In various exemplary embodiments, the display 104 may also display
information that
supports or supplements the information provided by the instructor. Examples
include one or more
segmented timelines 402 that are illustrated together with at least part of
the selected exercise class
in the user interface 400. As shown in at least Figures 4 and 5, an example
segmented timeline
402 may include one or more segments 404a, 404b, 404c ... 404n (collectively,
"segments 404")
corresponding to respective portions, parts, or other exercise segments of the
selected exercise
class. The size, length, width, height, relative position, color, opacity,
and/or other configurations
of such segments 404 may be representative of, for example, the length of the
corresponding
portions or parts of the selected exercise class. The segmented timeline 402
may also provide an
indication 406 of elapsed time and/or remaining time for the present workout
segment and/or for
the exercise class generally. The segmented timeline 402 may also include one
or more visual
indica 408a, 408b, 408c ... 408n (collectively, "indicia 408") indicating an
activity requirement
(e.g., run, jog, sprint, lift weights, etc.), an equipment requirement (e.g.,
dumbells), and/or other
requirement associated with a respective exercise segment of the selected
exercise class. For
example, the indicia 408a may indicate that the segment 404a comprises a
walking segment,
indicia 408d may indicate that the segment 404c comprises a running segment,
and the indicia
408b may indicate that weights are required for at least part of the segment
404a. In any of the
examples described herein, such segmented timelines 402 may also include one
or more lists or
windows identifying and/or describing upcoming workout segments or features,
instructional
information such as graphics or videos demonstrating how to properly perform
exercises, or other
information relevant to the exercise class in progress. Such segmented
timelines 402 may also
provide and/or otherwise include information 409 indicating the current
segment of the exercise
class and/or the current activity that the instructor is requesting the user
106 perform.
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[0056] As shown in at least Figure 4, the user interface 400 may include a
primary window
410 configured to show the live or archived exercise class or other content
that the user 106
selected. In various exemplary embodiments, the user interface 400 may further
include one or
more performance metric windows 412 (e.g., the "scorecard" illustrated in
Figure 4) overlaid on
and/or otherwise displayed together with the primary window 410. Such
performance metric
windows 412 may show a ranking, total output, current output, incline, belt
speed, mile pace,
and/or other specific performance metrics for the user's current class, past
classes, or other
performance information. Such performance metric windows 412 may be presented
anywhere on
the display 104, and may be user selectable such that they can be displayed or
removed by a screen
touch or gesture.
[0057] The user interface 400 may also allow the user 106 to toggle between
display of
maximum, average, and total results for different performance metrics.
Additionally, the user
interface 400 may allow the user 106 to hide or display information elements,
including
performance metrics, video streams, user information, etc. all at once or
individually. Performance
metrics and/or other performance information can also be displayed in various
display bars 414,
416 that can be hidden or displayed as a group or individually. The user
interface 400 may provide
for complete controls for audio volume, inputs, and outputs as well as display
output
characteristics.
[0058] In any of the examples described herein, the user interface 400 may
also include one or
more additional windows 418 overlaid on and/or otherwise displayed together
with the primary
window 410, and such additional windows 418 may include one or more executable
controls
operable to modify a parameter of the exercise machine 102 while the user 106
is participating in
an exercise class. For example, as shown in Figure 4, such an additional
window 418 may include
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a plurality of executable controls configured to modify a speed of the belt
120, an incline of the
deck 112, a resistance associated with the belt 120, a pedal cadence of a
stationary bicycle, a
braking force or resistance of the stationary bicycle, and/or other parameters
of the exercise
machine 102. For example, as illustrated in Figure 4, in embodiments in which
the exercise
machine 102 comprises a treadmill, the window 418 may include a "jog"
executable control 420,
a "run" executable control 422, a "sprint" executable control 424, and/or
other executable controls
configured to modify a speed of the belt 120. In particular, such executable
controls may be
configured to receive one or more inputs from the user 106 while the user 106
is participating in
an exercise class using the exercise machine 102. The "jog" executable control
420, "run"
executable control 422, and "sprint" executable control 424 may be operable to
modify the speed
of the belt 120 based at least in part on such an input.
[0059] In such examples, the "jog" executable control 420 may be associated
with a first speed
of the belt 120 such that, upon receipt of a touch input via the executable
control 420, the processor,
and/or other digital hardware 148 of the exercise machine 102 may control the
motor of the deck
112 driving the belt 120 to cause the belt 120 to rotate about the deck 112,
at a speed corresponding
to a jogging pace of the user 106. In some examples, the speed associated with
the "jog" executable
control 420 may be a default jogging pace stored in a memory of the digital
hardware 148 and/or
otherwise associated with the executable control 420. Alternatively, in other
examples the speed
associated with the "jog" executable control 420 may be customized,
programmed, entered, and/or
otherwise selected by the user 106, when establishing a user profile unique to
the user 106, before
the user 106 begins participating in the current exercise class, while the
user 106 is participating
in the exercise class, and/or at any other time. Accordingly, in such examples
the user 106 may
select a speed at which the user 106 desires the belt 120 to rotate when the
user selects and/or
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otherwise, provides a touch input via the "jog" executable control 420. In
such examples, the speed
of the belt 120, and/or other parameter of the exercise machine 102 associated
with the "jog"
executable control 420 may be stored as part of the user profile of the user
106 in the memory
associated with the digital hardware 148 and/or in, for example, the database
304 and/or other
memory associated with the one or more servers 302 of the system 300 (Figure
3).
[0060] In still further examples, the speed associated with the "jog"
executable control 420
may be a speed that is identified, calculated, selected, and/or otherwise
determined by, for
example, the processor of the exercise machine 102, and/or a processor or
other component of the
one or more servers 306. In such further examples, the speed associated with
the "jog" executable
control 420 may be determined based on, for example, aggregate user data
associated with past
user selections, past user performances, or other previous workouts of the
user 106. In such
examples, for instance, the processor and/or other digital hardware 148 of the
exercise machine
102 may sense, collect, and/or otherwise determine user data including belt
speeds that the user
106 commonly selects during participation in exercise classes using the
exercise machine 102. In
such examples, the processor, and/or other digital hardware 148 of the
exercise machine 102 may
store such user data in a memory associated with the digital hardware 148. The
processor may also
select, identify, and/or otherwise determine a belt speed frequently selected
by the user 106 based
at least in part on such user data, and may associate the selected speed with
the "jog" executable
control 420. For instance, such a selected speed may be associated with a warm-
up period/segment
of previous exercise classes participated in by the user 106, and such a speed
may comprise a speed
most frequently selected by the user 106 during such previous warm-up
periods/segments. As will
be described in greater detail below, in further examples, one or more
additional methods may be
used by the processor of the digital hardware 148 in determining which speed
to associate with the
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"jog" executable control 420.
[0061] It is understood that the "run" executable control 422, the "sprint"
executable control
424, and/or other controls included in the window 418 may be configured in a
similar fashion. For
example, the "run" executable control 422 may be associated with a second
speed of the belt 120
greater than the first speed described above with respect to the "jog"
executable control 420. In
such examples, upon receipt of a touch input via the executable control 422,
the processor, and/or
other digital hardware 148 of the exercise machine 102 may control the motor
of the deck 112
driving the belt 120 to cause the belt 120 to rotate about the deck 112, at a
speed corresponding to
a running pace of the user 106. In some examples, the speed associated with
the "run" executable
control 420 may be a default running pace stored in a memory of the digital
hardware 148 and/or
otherwise associated with the executable control 422. Alternatively, in other
examples the speed
associated with the "run" executable control 420 may be entered, and/or
otherwise selected by the
user 106, when establishing a user profile unique to the user 106, before the
user 106 begins
participating in the current exercise class, while the user 106 is
participating in the exercise class,
and/or at any other time. Accordingly, in such examples the user 106 may
select a speed at which
the user 106 desires the belt 120 to rotate when the user selects and/or
otherwise, provides a touch
input via the "run" executable control 420. In such examples, the speed of the
belt 120, and/or
other parameter of the exercise machine 102 associated with the "run"
executable control 420 may
be stored as part of the user profile of the user 106 in the memory associated
with the digital
hardware 148 and/or in, for example, the database 304, and/or other memory
associated with the
one or more servers 302 of the system 300 (Figure 3).
[0062] In still further examples, the speed associated with the "run"
executable control 422
may be a speed that is identified, calculated, selected, and/or otherwise
determined by, for
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example, the processor of the exercise machine 102, and/or a processor or
other component of the
one or more servers 306. In such further examples, the speed associated with
the "run" executable
control 422 may be determined based on, for example, aggregate user data
associated with past
performances, selections, or other workouts of the user 106. In such examples,
for instance, the
processor and/or other digital hardware 148 of the exercise machine 102 may
sense, collect, and/or
otherwise determine user data including belt speeds that the user 106 commonly
selects during
participation in exercise classes using the exercise machine 102. In such
examples, the processor,
and/or other digital hardware 148 of the exercise machine 102 may select,
identify, and/or
otherwise determine a frequently selected belt speed of the user 106 based at
least in part on such
user data, and may associate the selected speed with the "run" executable
control 420. For
instance, such a selected speed may be associated with a relatively long
and/or sustained
period/segment of previous exercise classes participated in by the user 106,
and such a speed may
comprise a speed most frequently selected by the user 106 during such previous
relatively long
and/or sustained periods/segments. As will be described in greater detail
below, in further
examples, one or more additional methods may be used by the processor of the
digital hardware
148 in determining which speed to associate with the "run" executable control
420.
[0063] It is understood that similar methods and/or processes may also be
used by the
processor of the digital hardware 148 in determining which speed to associate
with the "sprint"
executable control 424. For instance, such a selected speed may be associated
with a relatively
short period/segment of previous exercise classes participated in by the user
106, and such a speed
may comprise a top speed most frequently selected by the user 106 during such
previous relatively
short periods/segments.
[0064] As illustrated in Figure 4 the window 418 may also include a
plurality of additional
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executable controls 426, 428, 430 and/or other executable controls configured
to modify an incline
of the deck 112 and/or other parameters of the exercise machine 102. In
particular, such executable
controls 426, 428, 430 may be configured to receive one or more inputs from
the user 106 while
the user 106 is participating in an exercise class using the exercise machine
102, and such
executable controls 426, 428, 430 may be operable to modify the incline of the
deck 112 based at
least in part on such an input. One or more of the executable controls 426,
428, 430 may be
configured through a process similar to that described above with respect to
the executable controls
420, 422, 424.
[0065] For example, the executable control 426 may be associated with a
first incline of the
deck 112, the executable control 428 may be associated with a second incline
of the deck 428
greater than the first incline, and the executable control 430 may be
associated with a third incline
of the deck greater than both the first and second inclines. In such examples,
upon receipt of a
touch input via the executable control 426, the processor and/or other digital
hardware 148 of the
exercise machine 102 may control the motor of the deck 112 controlling the
incline of the deck
112 to increase or decrease the incline of the deck 112 so that the incline of
the deck 112 matches
the incline associated with the executable control 426. The processor and/or
other digital hardware
148 of the exercise machine 102 may also control the motor of the deck 112
controlling the incline
of the deck 112 to increase or decrease the incline of the deck in a similar
fashion in response to
receipt of a touch input via the executable controls 428, 430.
[0066] In some examples, the respective inclines of the deck 112 associated
with the
executable controls 426, 428, 430 may comprise respective default inclines
stored in a memory of
the digital hardware 148 and/or otherwise associated with the executable
controls 426, 428, 430.
Alternatively, in other examples the respective inclines of the deck 112
associated with the
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executable controls 426, 428, 430 may be entered, customized, and/or otherwise
selected by the
user 106, when establishing a user profile unique to the user 106, before the
user 106 begins
participating in the current exercise class, while the user 106 is
participating in the exercise class,
and/or at any other time. Accordingly, in such examples the user 106 may
select respective inclines
at which the user 106 desires the deck 112 to be positioned, relative to a
support surface on which
the exercise machine 102 is disposed, when the user 106 selects and/or
otherwise provides a touch
input via the various executable controls 426, 428, 430. In such examples, the
respective inclines
of the deck 112 associated with the executable controls 426, 428, 430 may be
stored as part of the
user profile of the user 106 in the memory associated with the digital
hardware 148 and/or in, for
example, the database 304, and/or other memory associated with the one or more
servers 302 of
the system 300 (Figure 3).
[0067] In still further examples, the respective inclines of the deck 112
associated with the
executable controls 426, 428, 430 may comprise inclines that are identified,
calculated, selected,
and/or otherwise determined by, for example, the processor of the exercise
machine 102, and/or a
processor or other component of the one or more servers 306. In such further
examples, the
respective inclines of the deck 112 associated with the executable controls
426, 428, 430 may be
determined based on, for example, aggregate user data associated with past
performances or other
workouts of the user 106. In such examples, for instance, the processor and/or
other digital
hardware 148 of the exercise machine 102 may sense, collect, and/or otherwise
determine user
data including deck incline settings that the user 106 commonly selects during
participation in
exercise classes using the exercise machine 102. In such examples, the
processor, and/or other
digital hardware 148 of the exercise machine 102 may store such user data in a
memory associated
with the digital hardware 148. The processor may also select, identify, and/or
otherwise determine
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one or more deck inclines frequently selected by the user 106 based at least
in part on such user
data, and may associate one or more such deck inclines with the respective the
executable controls
426, 428, 430. For instance, during a warm-up period/segment of multiple
previous exercise
classes participated in by the user 106, the user may choose to jog at a
relatively flat deck incline.
In such examples, a deck incline most frequently selected by the user 106
during such previous
warm-up periods/segments may be approximately 0.0 (e.g., a substantially
horizontal deck position
relative to a support surface on which the exercise machine 102 is located).
In such examples, the
processor of the digital hardware 148 may select, identify, and/or otherwise
determine such a deck
incline frequently selected by the user 106 based at least in part on user
data collected over multiple
exercise classes participated in by the user 106 via the exercise machine 102.
The processor of the
digital hardware 148 may also associate such a deck incline with a respective
one of the executable
controls (e.g., with the executable control 426 shown in Figure 4). The
processor of the digital
hardware 148 may associated respective deck inclines with the executable
controls 428 and 430 in
a similar manner. As will be described in greater detail below, in further
examples, one or more
additional methods may also be used by the processor of the digital hardware
148 in determining
which deck incline to associate with the various executable controls 426, 428,
430 described
herein. Additionally, as noted above, any of the processes described herein
with respect to
configuring, generating, providing, causing the display of, and/or modifying
one or more of the
executable controls 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430 may be performed locally at
the exercise machine
102 by the processor of the digital hardware 148, remote from the exercise
machine 102 by one or
more processors of the server 302, and/or by the processor of the digital
hardware 148 operating
in communication and/or in conjunction with one or more processors of the
server 302.
[0068] With continued reference to Figure 4, in some examples the window
418 may include
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an executable control 432 operable to close the window 418 such that the
window 418 (and the
executable controls provided therein) is no longer displayed on the display
402. Additionally, in
any of the examples described herein the window 418 and/or other portions of
the user interface
400 may include an executable control 434 operable to enable the user 106 to
customize one or
more of the executable controls 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430 provided by the
window 418. For
example, the executable control 434 may be configured to receive a touch input
from the user 106
indicative of a request to modify at least one setting of one or more of the
executable controls 420,
422, 424, 426, 428, 430 provided by the window 418. Based at least in part on
such an input, the
processor of the digital hardware 148 may provide one or more further
controls, windows, or other
components via the user interface 400 by which the user 106 may increase or
decrease a belt speed
associated with one or more of the executable controls 420, 422, 424, may
increase or decrease a
deck incline associated with one or more of the executable controls 426, 428,
430, and/or may
modify (e.g., customize) one or more settings associated with any of the other
executable controls
provided via the user interface 400. It is understood that any such
modifications may be saved
and/or otherwise associated with the user profile of the user 106, and may be
accessed, recalled,
and/or otherwise utilized upon accessing the user profile on the exercise
machine 102 and/or on
other exercise machines 102. For example, any such modified settings may
automatically be used
(e.g., may automatically be associated with one or more respective executable
controls of the user
interface 400) when the user 106 participates in a future exercise class via
the exercise machine
102. Additionally, in some embodiments the window 418 may be omitted from the
user interface
400. In such embodiments, one or more of the executable controls 420, 422,
424, 426, 428, 430,
434 described above with respect to the window 418 may be displayed and/or
otherwise provided
via the user interface 400 without the window 418.
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[0069] Figure 5 illustrates another example user interface 500 of the
present disclosure. In
such examples, the user interface 500 may be substantially similar to the user
interface 400
described above with respect to Figure 4 and/or may be substantially similar
to the user interface
200 described above with respect to Figure 2. As shown in Figure 5, such an
example user
interface 500 may include, among other things, a leaderboard 502 that is
displayed so as to allow
the user 106 to see his or her performance in comparison to other users
participating in the same
exercise class. In various exemplary embodiments, a leaderboard 502 may
comprise a separate
window overlaid on and/or otherwise displayed together with the primary window
410. An
example leaderboard 502 may be configured to display the relative performance
of all participants,
and/or of one or more subgroups of participants. For example, the user 106 may
be able to select
a leaderboard 502 that shows the performance of participants in a particular
age group, male
participants, female participants, male participants in a particular age
group, participants in a
particular geographic area, etc. For instance, in the example shown in Figure
5, the leaderboard
502 has been configured to show the performance of a group of female
participants in their 20's.
Users 106 may have the ability to individually curate and/or otherwise
configure a leaderboard
502, or have the local system 100 curate a leaderboard 502 by selecting an
appropriate group of
participants relative to the user 106. Users 106 may be able to curate their
own leaderboards 502
for specific previously recorded classes to create a leaderboard 502 that
provides the maximum
personal performance incentive to the user 106.
[0070] Users 106 may also be provided with the ability to deselect the
leaderboard 502 entirely
and remove it from the user interface 500. In various exemplary embodiments,
the exercise
machine 102 may incorporate various social networking aspects such as allowing
the user 106 to
follow other participants, or to create groups or circles of participants.
User lists and information
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may be accessed, sorted, filtered, and used in a wide range of different ways.
For example, other
users can be sorted, grouped and/or classified based on any characteristic
including personal
information such as age, gender, weight, or based on performance such as
current power output,
speed, or a custom score.
[0071] The leaderboard 502 may be fully interactive, allowing the user 106
to scroll up and
down through the participant rankings, and to select a participant to access
their detailed
performance data, create a connection such as choosing to follow that
participant, or establish
direct communication such as through an audio and/or video connection. The
leaderboard 502
may also display the user's personal best performance in the same or a
comparable class, to allow
the user 106 to compare their current performance to their previous personal
best. In some
examples, such performance information may also be displayed in one or more of
the display bars
414, 416. The leaderboard 502 may also highlight certain participants, such as
those that the user
106 follows, or provide other visual cues to indicate a connection or provide
other information
about a particular entry on the leaderboard 502.
[0072] In various exemplary embodiments, the leaderboard 502 may also allow
the user 106
to view their position and performance information at all times while
scrolling through the
leaderboard 502. For example, if the user 106 scrolls up toward the top of the
leaderboard 502
such as by dragging their fingers upward on the display 104, when the user 106
reaches the bottom
of the leaderboard 502, it may lock in position and the rest of the
leaderboard 502 will scroll
underneath it. Similarly, if the user 106 scrolls down toward the bottom of
the leaderboard 502,
when the user's window reaches the top of the leaderboard 502, it may lock in
position and the rest
of the leaderboard 502 will continue to scroll underneath it. In various
exemplary embodiments,
performance information about other users may also be presented on the
leaderboard 502 or in any
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other format, including formats that can be sorted by relevant performance
parameters. Users may
elect whether or not to make their performance available to all users, select
users, and/or
instructors, or to maintain it as private so that no one else can view it.
[0073] As shown in Figure 5, the example user interface 500 may also
include one or more
executable controls 504 that are generated based at least in part on a verbal
command from an
instructor of an exercise class. For example, the executable control 504 may
correspond to the
particular exercise class that the user 106 is currently participating in, and
the executable control
504 may be provided to the user 106 via the user interface 500 while the user
106 is participating
in the exercise class using the exercise machine 102. Additionally, the
executable control 504 may
be operable to modify one or more parameters of the exercise machine 106 in
response to one or
more touch inputs. In such examples, the executable control 504 may be
embedded within, linked
to, and/or otherwise associated with a part of a video file comprising audio
and video of the
exercise class being presented via the user interface 500. In particular, the
executable control 504
may be linked to a part of the video file of the exercise class that
corresponds to a timestamp
associated with the verbal command uttered by the instructor of the exercise
class. In such
examples, upon displaying the exercise class via the user interface 500 (e.g.,
either in substantially
real time via live streaming, and/or upon playback of the exercise class using
an archived video
file), the processor of the digital hardware 148 may provide the executable
control 504 via the user
interface 500 at the point in time during the exercise class in which the
instructor uttered the verbal
command.
[0074] In example embodiments, the executable control 504 may be
substantially similar to
an/or the same as one or more of the executable controls 420, 422, 424, 426,
428, 430 described
above with respect to Figure 4. For example, the executable control 504 may
correspond to an
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exercise class currently being performed by an instructor, and the executable
control 504 may be
operable to modify one or more parameters of the exercise machine 102 that the
user 106 is using
to participate in the exercise class. For example, the executable control 504
may be configured to
modify a speed of the belt 120 of the exercise machine 102 being utilized by
the user 106, an
incline of the deck 112 relative to the support surface on which the exercise
machine 102 is
disposed, a resistance of the belt 120, a pedal cadence, a braking force or
resistance, and/or any
other such parameters of the exercise machine 102.
[0075] For example, in some embodiments the instructor may utter a
relatively specific
command during an exercise class. Examples of such relatively specific
commands may include,
among other things, "run at a 6-minute mile pace," "go to a 5.0 incline,"
"reach your Zone 4 power
output for the next 2 minutes," or any other relatively definite command
corresponding to a desired
speed of the belt 120, a desired running speed of the user 106, a desired
incline of the deck 112, a
desired power zone of the user 106, a desired output level of the user 106, a
desired pedal cadence,
and/or any other such parameter. Such commands may correspond to the current
segment and/or
current part of the exercise class. In response, an operator of the server
302, and/or any other
operator of a control station associated with the studio in which the
instructor is performing the
exercise class, may identify the verbal command uttered by the instructor, and
may generate the
executable control 504 based at least in part on the command.
[0076] In such examples, the operator may identify a timestamp associated
with the command
(e.g., an elapsed time in a video file comprising audio content, video
content, and/or other content
corresponding to the exercise class) and/or otherwise identifying the time
during the exercise class
at which the instructor uttered the command. The operator may embed, link,
and/or otherwise
associate the executable control 504 with a video file comprising the exercise
class. In particular,
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the operator may link, the executable control 504 to a part of the video file
corresponding to the
timestamp. As a result, when providing the exercise class to the user 106 via
the user interface
500 (e.g., either in substantially real time via live streaming, and/or upon
playback of the exercise
class using an archived video file), the processor of the digital hardware 148
may provide the
executable control 504 via the user interface 500 at the point in time during
the exercise class in
which the instructor uttered the verbal command.
[0077] Additionally or alternatively, it is understood that one or more
such executable controls
504 may be generated utilizing natural language processing software and/or
other at least partially
automated techniques. For example, such natural language processing software
operating on the
server 302 may identify the verbal command uttered by the instructor during
the exercise class,
and/or after the exercise class has been completed. In such examples, the
natural language
processing software may provide an indication of the verbal command to the
video encoder 320,
and/or other components of the server 302 operable to generate the executable
command 504. In
such examples, the video encoder 320, and/or other components of the server
302 may generate
the executable control 504 based at least in part on such information. In some
such examples, the
natural language processing software may also provide the indication of the
verbal command to
one or more operators of the server 302, and such operators may confirm, for
example, the
accuracy of the identified verbal command and/or the placement of a
corresponding executable
control 504 within the video file being generated at the server 302.
[0078] In additional embodiments, the instructor may utter a relatively
abstract or vague
command during an exercise class. Examples of such relatively abstract or
vague commands may
include, among other things, "jog for a few minutes," "let's go up this hill,"
or any other command
that may have a different meaning for respective users 106 participating in
the current exercise
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class, but that may still correspond to the current segment and/or current
part of the exercise class
being performed by the instructor. In response, an operator of the server 302,
and/or any other
operator of a control station associated with the studio in which the
instructor is performing the
exercise class, may identify the verbal command uttered by the instructor, and
may generate a
corresponding executable control 504 based at least in part on the command.
[0079] In such examples, the operator may identify a timestamp associated
with the command
(e.g., an elapsed time in a video file comprising audio content, video
content, and/or other content
corresponding to the exercise class) and/or otherwise identifying the time
during the exercise class
at which the instructor uttered the command. The operator may embed, link,
and/or otherwise
associate the executable control 504 with a video file comprising the exercise
class. Additionally,
the operator and/or the server 302 may configure the executable control 504 to
affect a
corresponding parameter of the exercise machine 102 in a manner that best fits
and/or
approximates the activity desired by the instructor, and that is tailored to
the preferences, previous
activities, physical abilities, and/or other characteristics of the particular
user 106 participating in
the exercise class. For example, the operator and/or the server 302 may
configure the executable
control 504 such that when a touch input is received via the executable
control 504 (e.g., when the
executable control 504 is selected by the user 106), the processor of the
digital hardware 148 may
control and/or modify the speed of the belt 120, the incline of the deck 112,
a pedal cadence of a
stationary bicycle, a braking force or resistance of the stationary bicycle,
and/or one or more other
parameters of the exercise machine 102 in a manner that most closely
approximates the intent of
the instructor and/or the contextual meaning of the command.
[0080] For example, based at least in part on identifying the relatively
abstract or vague
command "jog for a few minutes," the operator may generate an executable
control 504 configured
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to cause the belt 120 to rotate at a 4-minute mile pace, and/or at any other
relatively common
jogging pace, and such a setting of the executable control 504 may comprise a
default setting.
Such default settings may be utilized by the operator in situations in which
relatively little user
data is available corresponding to the particular user 106, a user profile of
the user 106 does not
include user data associated with a preferred jogging pace, and/or in any
other situation in which
the operator and/or the server 302 does not have access to adequate
information corresponding to
the user 106. Alternatively, in examples in which a user profile of the user
106 identifies a
preferred jogging pace, and/or in which the database 304 includes stored user
data or other
information indicating previously selected, previously customized, and/or
previously entered
jogging speeds of the particular user 106, a weight, height, age, gender, or
other physical
characteristics of the user 106, and/or other such information, the operator
may generate an
executable control 504 configured to cause the belt 120 to rotate at a jogging
pace that corresponds
to such user-specific information.
[0081] In particular, in any of the examples described herein in which a
relatively vague or
abstract command has been identified, the operator of the server 302 may
generate an executable
control 504 corresponding to such a command, and upon receiving a touch input
via the executable
control 504 while the exercise class is being presented to the user 106 via
the user interface 500,
the processor of the digital hardware 148 may determine an appropriate
response (e.g., an
appropriate modification of one or more parameters of the exercise machine
102) based on user
data stored within a memory of the digital hardware 148 and/or stored within
the database 304
associated with the server 302. As noted above, such an appropriate response,
may comprise a
default setting (e.g., a default jogging speed, and/or a default deck incline
associated with jogging),
a previously selected, previously customized, and/or previously entered
setting (e.g., a jogging
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speed and/or a jogging deck incline included in the user profile of the user
106), and/or a setting
that is determined by the processor of the digital hardware 148 and/or by the
processor of the server
302 based at least in part on user data (e.g., aggregate user data
corresponding to the user 106
participating in one or more previous exercise classes using the exercise
machine 102) stored
within a memory of the digital hardware 148 and/or stored within the database
304.
[0082] Figure 6 illustrates a flow chart depicting an example method 600 of
the present
disclosure. The example method 600 is illustrated as a collection of steps in
a logical flow diagram,
which represents operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or
a combination
thereof. In the context of software, the steps represent computer-executable
instructions stored in
memory. When such instructions are executed by, for example, the processor of
the digital
hardware 148 and/or by one or more processors of the server 302 described
above, such
instructions may cause the processor of the digital hardware 148 and/or the
one or more processors
of the server 302 to perform the recited operations. Such computer-executable
instructions may
include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like
that perform
particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The order in
which the operations
are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number
of the described steps
can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the process. For
discussion purposes,
and unless otherwise specified, the method 600 is described with reference to
the local system 100,
the exercise machine 102, the user 106, the user interfaces 200, 400, and/or
other items shown in
FIGS. 1-5. In particular, although any part of and/or the entire method 600
may be performed by
the one or more processors of the server 302, and/or other components of the
networked exercise
system 300, unless otherwise specified, the method 600 will be described below
with respect to
the processor of the digital hardware 148 for ease of description.
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[0083] With reference to FIG. 6, at 602 the processor of the digital
hardware 148 may receive
user data associated with a user 106 participating in an exercise class using
the exercise machine
102. For example, as described above, the exercise machine 102 may include one
or more sensors
147 configured to sense, collect, measure, and/or otherwise determine
performance metrics of the
user 106, parameters of the exercise machine 102, and/or other information.
For example, one or
more such sensors 147 may comprise a heart rate monitor, a proximity sensor,
and/or other
biometric sensor configured to sense, collect, measure, and/or otherwise
determine a heart rate, a
blood pressure, a body temperature, and/or other physical characteristics of
the user 102 as the
user participates in an exercise class using the exercise machine 102. The
exercise machine 102
may also include one or more additional sensors configured to sense, collect,
measure, and/or
otherwise determine a speed of the belt 120, an incline of the deck 112, a
resistance of the belt
120, a rotational speed of an output shaft of the motor utilized to drive the
belt 120, a position of
an output shaft of the motor utilized to modify the incline of the deck 112
relative to the support
surface on which the exercise machine 102 is disposed, a pedal cadence of a
stationary bicycle, a
braking force or resistance of the stationary bicycle, and/or other parameters
of the exercise
machine 102. In such examples, the one or more sensors 147 may include, among
other things, a
proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and/or other sensors
configured to determine
speed, motion, position, and/or other parameters. In any of the examples
described herein, at 602
one or more such sensors 147 may provide signals (e.g., continuously,
substantially continuously,
and/or at regular intervals) to the processor of the digital hardware 148
including such user data
and/or other information.
[0084] Additionally, at 602 the processor of the digital hardware 148 may
receive electronic
content via the network 306 described above. In such examples, such electronic
content may
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comprise, among other things, one or more signals from the server 302 and/or
other components
of the networked exercise system 300, and such signals may comprise any of the
user data
described above. Additionally and/or alternatively, such electronic content
may comprise, among
other things, an exercise class. For example, the user 106 may utilize the
exercise machine 102 to
participate in a live exercise class being streamed in substantially real-
time, and in such examples,
the electronic content may comprise one or more video files (e.g., a live
stream) comprising audio
content, video content, and/or other content associated with the live exercise
class. Alternatively,
the user 106 may utilize the exercise machine 102 to participate in an
archived (e.g., previously
recorded) exercise class, and in such examples, the electronic content may
comprise one or more
video files comprising audio content, video content, and/or other content
associated with the
archived exercise class.
[0085] Further, in any of the examples described herein, at 602 the
processor of the digital
hardware 148 may receive a plurality of user data corresponding to various
exercise classes. For
example, at 602 the processor of the digital hardware 148 may receive first
user data corresponding
to a first exercise class that the user 106 is currently participating in
using the exercise machine
102, or that the user 106 previously participated in using the exercise
machine 102. Further, at
602 the processor of the digital hardware 148 may receive additional user data
corresponding to
one or more additional exercise classes (e.g., a second exercise class, a
third exercise class, etc.)
that the user 106 previously participated in using the exercise machine 102.
In any such examples,
the user data received at 602 may be stored locally (e.g., in a memory of the
digital hardware 148)
and/or remotely (e.g., in the database 304 associated with the networked
exercise system 300).
Additionally, it is understood that the user data received at 602 may comprise
a plurality of belt
speeds, a plurality of deck incline settings, a plurality of belt resistances,
and/or any other
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collection of parameters that the user 106 selected, entered, and/or otherwise
utilized while the
user 106 participated in one or more respective exercise classes (e.g., a
plurality of exercise classes)
using the exercise machine 102. Such user data may be received at 602 for each
exercise class
participated in by the user 106.
[0086] At 604, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may determine
whether the user data
received at 602 comprises greater than a minimum amount of user data required
to generate an
executable control of the present disclosure. For example, in order to
determine, with a relatively
high degree of confidence, one or more settings of an executable control being
generated by the
processor of the digital hardware 148, the processor may determine whether a
minimum amount
of user data has been received. For instance, in embodiments in which user
data associated with
only a single exercise class (e.g., a minimum amount equal to two exercise
classes) has been
received at 602, the processor may determine that the amount of user data
received at 602 is less
than the minimum required amount (604 ¨ No). On the other hand, in embodiments
in which user
data associated with three or more exercise classes (e.g., a minimum amount
equal to two exercise
classes) has been received at 602, the processor may determine that greater
than a minimum
required amount of user data (e.g., first user data associated with a first
exercise class, combined
with second user data associated with a second exercise class, and combined
with third user data
associated with a third exercise class) has been received at 602 (604 ¨ Yes).
[0087] At 606, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may determine
whether the user data
received at 602 is characterized by, is indicative of, and/or otherwise
corresponds to one or more
metrics above a required threshold. For example, even in embodiments in which
greater than a
minimum amount of user data has been received at 602 (604 ¨ Yes), such user
data may or may
not be sufficient to determine one or more settings of an executable control
and/or otherwise
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sufficient to generate such an executable control. For instance, one or more
minimum percentage
thresholds, minimum length of time thresholds, frequency ranges, minimum
and/or maximum
parameter values, and/or other metrics may be established and/or otherwise
utilized in the process
of generating an executable control. In any of the examples described herein,
at 606 the processor
of the digital hardware 148 may compare the user data received at 602 with one
or more such
thresholds and/or other metrics in order to determine whether the received
user data satisfies such
thresholds and/or other metrics.
[0088] For example, in one embodiment, one or more such thresholds and/or
other metrics
may comprise a minimum percentage threshold (e.g., 20%, 25%, 30%, etc.)
associated with the
percentage of the total duration of the exercise class that the user 106
selected, entered, and/or
otherwise utilized a particular belt speed, deck incline, belt resistance,
and/or other parameter of
the exercise machine 102 while the user 106 participated in the respective
exercise class. In such
an example embodiment, if the user 106 utilized a particular belt speed (e.g.,
a speed corresponding
to a 6.0 minute mile pace) for greater than such a minimum percentage (e.g.,
20%) of the total
duration of the exercise class corresponding to the user data being considered
at 606 (606 ¨ Yes),
the processor of the digital hardware 148 would proceed to step 608.
Alternatively, if the user 106
utilized a particular belt speed or less than or equal such a minimum
percentage of the total duration
of the exercise class corresponding to the user data being considered at 606
(606 ¨ No), the
processor of the digital hardware 148 would proceed to step 602.
[0089] In another example embodiment, one or more such thresholds and/or
other metrics may
comprise a minimum length of time (e.g., 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes,
etc.) within and/or
during the total duration of the exercise class that the user 106 selected,
entered, and/or otherwise
utilized a particular belt speed, deck incline, belt resistance, and/or other
parameter of the exercise
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machine 102 while the user 106 participated in the respective exercise class.
In such an example
embodiment, if the user 106 utilized a particular belt speed (e.g., a speed
corresponding to a 6.0
minute mile pace) for a length of time within the duration of the exercise
class (e.g., the exercise
class corresponding to the user data being considered at 606) greater than
such a minimum length
of time (606 ¨ Yes), the processor of the digital hardware 148 would proceed
to step 608.
Alternatively, if the user 106 utilized a particular belt speed for a length
of time within the duration
of the exercise class less than or equal to such a minimum length of time (606
¨ No), the processor
of the digital hardware 148 would proceed to step 602. In further example
embodiments, as noted
above, one or more such metrics or thresholds may comprise a range of belt
speeds, range of deck
inclines, range of belt resistances, a range of pedal cadences, a range of
brake forces or resistances,
and/or other ranges of parameters associated with the exercise machine 102.
Additionally or
alternatively, maximum and/or minimum belt speeds, deck inclines, resistance
ranges, and/or other
values corresponding to parameters of the exercise machine 102 could also be
utilized by the
processor of the digital hardware 148 for purposes of comparison at 606.
[0090] At 608, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may generate one
or more executable
controls for a user interface 400 based at least in part on the user data
received at 602. For example,
as described with respect to Figure 4, the user interface 400 may include a
window 418 overlaid
on and/or otherwise displayed together with the primary window 410, and such a
window 418 may
include one or more executable controls operable to modify a parameter of the
exercise machine
102 while the user 106 is participating in an exercise class. As shown in
Figure 4, such an
additional window 418 may include a plurality of executable controls
configured to modify a speed
of the belt 120, an incline of the deck 112, a resistance associated with the
belt 120, a pedal cadence
of a stationary bicycle, a braking force or resistance of the stationary
bicycle, and/or other
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parameters of the exercise machine 102. For example, such executable controls
may include a
"jog" executable control 420, a "run" executable control 422, a "sprint"
executable control 424,
one or more deck incline executable controls 426, 428, 430, and/or other
executable controls
configured to modify a speed of the belt 120 and/or an incline of the deck
112. In such examples,
the speeds associated with the respective executable controls 420, 422, 424
may be default belt
speeds stored in a memory of the digital hardware 148 and/or in the database
304. Similarly, the
deck inclines associated with the respective executable controls 426, 428, 430
may be default deck
incline heights stored in the memory of the digital hardware 148 and/or in the
database 304.
Alternatively, in other examples the speeds associated with the respective
executable controls 420,
422, 424 may be entered, and/or otherwise selected by the user 106 when
establishing a user profile
unique to the user 106, before the user 106 begins participating in the
current exercise class, while
the user 106 is participating in the exercise class, and/or at any other time.
Similarly, the deck
inclines associated with the respective executable controls 426, 428, 430 may
be deck incline
heights entered and/or otherwise selected by the user 106 in a similar manner.
In still further
examples, the speeds associated with the respective executable controls 420,
422, 424 and/or the
deck inclines associated with the respective executable controls 426, 428, 430
may comprise
respective speeds or deck inclines that are identified, calculated, selected,
and/or otherwise
determined by, for example, the processor of the digital hardware 148 and/or a
processor or other
component of the one or more servers 306. In such further examples, the speeds
associated with
the respective executable controls 420, 422, 424 and/or the deck inclines
associated with the
respective executable controls 426, 428, 430 may be determined based on, for
example, aggregate
user data associated with past performances or other workouts of the user 106
(e.g., the user data
received at 602) and in accordance with the steps 604, 606 described above. In
any of the examples
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described herein, the one or more executable controls generated at 608 may
comprise data files,
text files, digital files, metadata, settings, requirements, instructions,
and/or any other electronic
file executable by the processor of the digital hardware 148 to modify at
least one parameter of the
exercise machine 102.
[0091] In example embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more of the
executable
controls generated at 608 may comprise one or more settings associated with
modifying a
parameter of the exercise machine 102. For example, as described above, one or
more of the
executable controls 420, 422, 424 may be configured to change, set, and/or
otherwise modify the
speed of the belt 120, and the speeds associated with the respective
executable controls 420, 422,
424 may comprise respective settings of the executable controls 420, 422, 424.
Likewise, one or
more of the executable controls 426, 428, 430 may be configured to change,
set, and/or otherwise
modify the incline of the deck 112, and the incline heights and/or decline
heights associated with
the respective executable controls 426, 428, 430 comprise respective settings
of the executable
controls 426, 428, 430.
[0092] Additionally, in some examples the user interface 400 may include
more than one
executable control configured to modify a particular parameter of the exercise
machine 102, and
in such examples, one or more such executable controls may exist as a
component of the user
interface 400 prior to the generation of one or more additional executable
controls at 608.
Accordingly, at 610, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may determine
whether one or more
of the executable controls generated at 608 includes a respective setting that
is adequately spaced
from the one or more respective settings of an existing executable control
included in the user
interface 400. For example, in some situations, the user interface 400 may
include a first executable
control (e.g., executable control 420) having a first setting (e.g., a belt
speed equal to a 6.0 minute
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mile pace) corresponding to a speed of the belt 120. In such examples, the
processor of the digital
hardware 148 may generate a second executable control (e.g., executable
control 422) having a
second setting (e.g., a belt speed equal to a 5.0 minute mile pace)
corresponding to the speed of
the belt 120. In such examples, at 610 the processor of the digital hardware
148 may determine
whether a difference between the first setting of the first executable control
(e.g., executable
control 420) and the second setting of the second executable control (e.g.,
executable control 422)
exceeds a threshold. In such examples, such a threshold may have any desired
value corresponding
to the parameter of the exercise machine 102 associated with the various
executable controls being
considered at 610, an age, gender, weight, health, physical fitness, and/or
other physical condition
of the user 106, and/or any other characteristics associated with the exercise
class being
participated in by the user 106. In such examples, if at 610 the processor of
the digital hardware
148 determines that the difference between the first setting and the second
setting does not exceed
such a threshold (610 ¨ No), the processor may proceed to 612 where the
processor may modify
the setting of the newly created executable control in order to satisfy the
difference threshold
described above. Alternatively, at 612 the processor may delete the executable
control generated
at 608. On the other hand, if at 610 the processor of the digital hardware 148
determines that the
difference between the first setting and the second setting does exceed such a
difference threshold
(610 ¨ Yes), the processor may proceed to 614.
[0093] Further, as noted above, in some examples of the present disclosure
one or more
controls 434 included in the user interface 400 may be operable to receive one
or more touch inputs
indicative of a request to customize and/or otherwise modify one or more
settings of an executable
control provided via the user interface 400. For example, in response to
receiving a touch input
via the control 434, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may provide one
or more number
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pads, text entry fields, slider bars, control wheels, and/or other controls
via the user interface 400
configured to receive further input from the user 106. In such examples, the
processor of the digital
hardware 148 may receive one or more touch inputs via such additional
controls, and such touch
inputs may be indicative of a requested modification to the setting of at
least one of the executable
controls 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430 included in the user interface 400. In
such examples, the
processor of the digital hardware 148 may modify the setting of the at least
one of the executable
controls 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430 included in the user interface 400 based
at least in part on
the one or more touch inputs received via such additional controls.
[0094] With continued reference to Figure 6, in some examples one or more
of the executable
controls generated at 608 may be provided to the user 106, via the user
interface 400, regardless
of the various configurations and/or requirements of the exercise class that
the user 106 is currently
participating in. Alternatively, in other example embodiments one or more
requirements
associated with the particular exercise class that the user 106 is
participating in may be taken into
account by the processor of the digital hardware 148 in determining whether to
provide the
executable control while the user 106 is participating in the particular
exercise class, and/or
whether to modify one or more settings of the executable control. For example,
an "advanced"
exercise class may have higher level of difficulty requirements and/or other
class-specific
performance requirements than a "beginner" exercise class. For instance,
example performance
requirements of an "advanced" exercise class may dictate that a user 106
participating in such a
class be able to sprint at relatively high speeds, for relatively long periods
of time, and/or at
relatively steep inclines, while corresponding performance requirements of a
"beginner" exercise
class may be relatively less demanding. For example, an "advanced" exercise
class may specify
performance requirements comprising a minimum belt speed corresponding to a
5.0 minute mile
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pace, and/or a minimum deck incline at a level equal to approximately 8 inches
as measured
between the front end of the exercise machine 102 and a substantially
horizontal support surface
on which the exercise machine 102 is disposed. An example "beginner" exercise
class, on the
other hand, may specify performance requirements comprising a minimum belt
speed
corresponding to an 8.0 minute mile pace, and/or a minimum deck incline at a
level equal to
approximately 3 inches as measured between the front end of the exercise
machine 102 and a
substantially horizontal support surface.
[0095] In such examples, at 614 the processor of the digital hardware 148
may determine
whether a setting (e.g., a belt speed) of the executable control generated at
608 has a value that is
greater than or equal to the performance requirement specified by the current
exercise class. In
such examples, if at 614 the processor of the digital hardware 148 determines
that the setting of
the executable control generated at 608 has a value that is less than the
performance requirement
specified by the exercise class (614 ¨ No), the processor of the digital
hardware 148 may proceed
to 616 where the processor may modify the setting of the executable control
generated at 608 such
that the setting of the executable control satisfies the one or more
requirements of the exercise
class. At 616, the processor may also verify that any modifications made to
the settings do not
contradict and/or violate any of the difference (e.g., spacing) thresholds
considered at 610. In such
examples, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may then proceed to 618.
Alternatively, if at
614 the processor of the digital hardware 148 determines that the setting of
the executable control
generated at 608 has a value that is greater than or equal to the performance
requirement specified
by the exercise class (614 ¨ Yes), the processor of the digital hardware 148
may proceed to 618
without modifying the one or more settings of the executable control generated
at 608.
[0096] As noted above, an example exercise class of the present disclosure
may include one
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or more exercise segments. Such exercise segments may be characterized by a
desired physical
activity (e.g., jog, sprint, lift weights, etc.) that the instructor of the
exercise class commands the
user 106 to perform during the respective exercise segment. In some examples,
the user interface
400 may include one or more timelines, such as a segmented timeline 402. An
example segmented
timeline 402 may include one or more segments 404 corresponding to respective
portions, parts,
or other exercise segments of the exercise class that the user 106 is
currently participating in. The
segmented timeline 402 may also include one or more visual indica 408
indicating an activity
requirement (e.g., stretch, walk, run, sprint, lift weights, etc.), an
equipment requirement (e.g.,
dumbells, yoga mat, etc.), and/or other requirement associated with a
respective exercise segment
of the exercise class. In example embodiments, one or more activity
requirements and/or other
requirements associated with the respective exercise segments of the exercise
class may be taken
into account by the processor of the digital hardware 148 in determining
whether to provide the
executable control generated at 608 while the user 106 is participating in the
particular exercise
class, and/or whether to store or delete the executable control. For example,
such activity
requirements of the individual exercise segments may characterize the
respective segments as
being of a particular type (e.g., a stretching segment, a walking segment, a
running segment, a
sprint segment, a weight lifiting segment, etc.). In such examples, the
processor of the digital
hardware 148 may only provide the executable control 148 generated at 608 in
exercise segments
with which the particular executable control corresponds or pertains. For
example, an executable
control generated at 608 configured to cause the belt 120 of the exercise
machine 102 to move or
rotate at a speed corresponding to a 5.5 minute mile pace may not correspond
or pertain to a
stretching segment, a walking segment, or a weight lifting segment. As a
result, the processor of
the digital hardware 148 may not provide such an executable control during
such exercise
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segments based at least in part on the respective activity requirements
associated with such exercise
segments.
[0097] For example, at 618 the processor of the digital hardware 148 may
identify an exercise
segment of the exercise class that the user 106 is participating in, and may
also identify an activity
requirement associated with the exercise segment. At 618, the processor of the
digital hardware
148 may also determine whether a setting (e.g., a speed of the belt 120, an
incline of the deck 112,
a pedal cadence of a stationary bicycle, a braking force or resistance of the
stationary bicycle, etc.)
of the executable control generated at 608 corresponds to, pertains to, and/or
otherwise satisfies
the activity requirement associated with the exercise segment. As described
above, in such
examples the processor of the digital hardware 148 may determine, at 618,
whether the setting of
the executable control is relevant to the type of exercise segment that the
user 106 is currently
participating in. In such examples, the exercise segment may be characterized
by and/or may
include metadata, a classification tag, and/or other information identifying
the exercise segment as
being of a particular type (e.g., a stretching segment, a walking segment, a
running segment, a
sprint segment, a weight lifiting segment, etc.). The executable control
generated at 608 may also
be characterized by and/or may include metadata, a classification tag, and/or
other information
identifying the executable control as being of a particular type (e.g., a
walking control, a running
control, a sprint control, etc.), and such information may comprise one of the
settings of the
executable control. Accordingly, in some examples, at 618 the processor of the
digital hardware
148 may determine whether the setting of the executable control (e.g., the
information identifying
the executable control as being of a particular type) corresponds to, pertains
to, matches, and/or
otherwise satisfies the activity requirement (e.g., information identifying
the exercise segment as
being of a particular type) of the exercise segment that the user 106 is
currently participating in.
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If not (618 ¨ No), the processor of the digital hardware may proceed to 620,
and at 620 the
processor may store the control in the memory associated with the processor
and/or in the database
304. Alternatively, if at 618 the processor of the digital hardware 148
determines that the setting
of the executable control corresponds to, pertains to, matches, and/or
otherwise satisfies the
activity requirement of the exercise segment (618 ¨ Yes), the processor may
proceed to 622.
[0098] At 622, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may provide the
executable control,
via the display 104, while the user 106 is participating in the particular
exercise class. In such
examples, and as described above, the executable control provided at 622 may
be operable to
modify one or more parameters of the exercise machine 102 while the user 106
is participating in
the exercise class.
[0099] At 624, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may store the
executable control in
the memory associated with the processor of the digital hardware 148 and/or in
the database 304.
In some examples, at 624 the processor may associate the executable control,
in the memory of
the digital hardware and/or in the database 304, with a user profile unique to
the user 106. For
example, as described above, the user 106 may generate a user profile during a
set-up procedure
of the exercise machine 102, and may continue to update the user profile, over
time, with
preferences particular to the user 106, desired exercise machine settings,
and/or other information.
In such examples, the user profile may be configured such that, when the user
profile is accessed
on the exercise machine 102, and/or on one or more additional exercise
machines 102, the
executable control stored in association with the user profile may be provided
via a display 104 of
such one or more additional exercise machines 102, as the user 106
participates in one or more
additional exercise classes.
[00100] Figure 7 illustrates a flow chart depicting another example method 700
of the present
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disclosure. Similar to the method 600 described above, the example method 700
is illustrated as
a collection of steps in a logical flow diagram, which represents operations
that can be
implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof In the context of
software, the steps
represent computer-executable instructions stored in memory. When such
instructions are
executed by, for example, the processor of the digital hardware 148 and/or by
one or more
processors of the server 302 described above, such instructions may cause the
processor of the
digital hardware 148 and/or the one or more processors of the server 302 to
perform the recited
operations. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to
be construed as a
limitation, and any number of the described steps can be combined in any order
and/or in parallel
to implement the process. Additionally, the method 700 may include any of the
operations
described above with respect to the method 600, and vice versa. For discussion
purposes, and
unless otherwise specified, the method 700 is described with reference to the
networked exercise
system 300, an instructor using a first exercise machine 102 to perform an
exercise class in a studio
or other location comprising one or more of the video cameras 308, microphones
310, and/or other
components of the networked exercise system 300, a user 106 using a second
exercise machine
102, one or more user interfaces 200, 400, 500, and/or other items shown in
FIGS. 1-5. In
particular, although any part of and/or the entire method 700 may be performed
by the processor
of the digital hardware 148, unless otherwise specified, the method 700 will
be described below
with respect to the one or more processors of the server 302, and/or other
components of the
networked exercise system 300 for ease of description.
[00101] With reference to FIG. 7, at 702 the server 302 and/or other
components of the
networked exercise system 300 may capture content associated with an exercise
class being
performed by an instructor. In such examples, the instructor may be utilizing
a first exercise
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machine 102 to perform the exercise class and a studio, gym, and/or other
workout facility. In such
examples, one or more video cameras 308, microphones 310, music players 312,
audio mixers
314, and/or other components of the networked exercise system 300 may be
utilized by and/or in
conjunction with the server 302 to sense, record, and/or otherwise capture the
exercise class
content at 702. For example, at 702 the server 302 may capture audio content
corresponding to
the exercise class being performed by the instructor, as well as video content
corresponding to the
exercise class.
[00102] At 704, the server 302 may generate a video file comprising the audio
content, the video
content, and/or any other content captured at 702. For example, audio content
may be captured at
702 in an audio track, and video content may be captured at 702 in a video
track separate from the
audio track. In such examples, at 704 the analog to digital converter 316, the
video encoder 320,
the video transcoder 324, and/or other components of the server 302 may merge
the audio track
and the video track to form a single digital video file at 704. Additionally
or alternatively, the
audio content and the video content may be captured at 702 utilizing at least
one analog device. In
such examples, at 704, the analog to digital converter 316 and/or other
components of the server
302 may convert any such analog content to digital content, and may generate a
digital video file
at 704 comprising digital audio content and digital video content. In still
further examples, at 702,
the audio content and the video content may be captured in digital form and in
a single content
capture (e.g., digital recording) process. In such examples, a video file
(e.g., a digital video file)
may be generated at 702 upon and/or as part of capturing the audio content and
video content.
[00103] At 706, the server 302 may identify one or more performance commands
uttered by the
instructor during the exercise class. For example, natural language processing
software and/or
other voice recognition software operating on the server 302 may identify a
verbal command
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uttered by the instructor during the exercise class, and/or after the exercise
class has been
completed. In such examples, at 706 the natural language processing software
and/or other voice
recognition software may provide an indication of the verbal command to the
video encoder 320,
and/or other components of the server 302 operable to generate an executable
command. In some
examples, the natural language processing software and/or other voice
recognition software may
additionally or alternatively provide the indication of the verbal command to
one or more operators
of the server 302 (e.g., via a display or other output device operably
connected to the server 302),
and such operators may confirm, for example, the accuracy of the identified
verbal command
and/or the placement of a corresponding executable control within the video
file generated at 704.
In still further examples, at 706 the performance command may be identified
and/or recognized
by an operator viewing the exercise class (in real time and/or upon playback
of the exercise class)
without the use of natural language processing software and/or other voice
recognition software.
[00104] As noted above, in some embodiments the instructor may utter a
relatively specific
command during an exercise class. Examples of such relatively specific
commands may include,
"run at a 6-minute mile pace," "go to a 5.0 incline," "reach your Zone 4 power
output for the next
2 minutes," or any other relatively definite command corresponding to a
desired speed of the belt
120, a desired running speed of the user 106, a desired incline of the deck
112, a desired power
zone of the user 106, a desired output level of the user 106, a desired
braking force or resistance
of the exercise machine 102, a pedal cadence of the user 106, and/or any other
such parameter. In
such examples, at 706 the server 302, an operator of the server 302, and/or
any other operator of a
control station associated with the location (e.g., a studio) in which the
instructor is performing the
exercise class, may identify the verbal command uttered by the instructor. In
some examples, at
706 natural language processing software and/or other voice recognition
software operating on the
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server 302 may provide an indication of the verbal command to the video
encoder 320, and/or
other components of the server 302 operable to generate an executable command.
Additionally,
at 706 the server 302 may identify a timestamp associated with the command
(e.g., an elapsed time
in the video file generated at 704). Such a timestamp may identify the time
during the exercise
class at which the instructor uttered the command.
[00105] In additional embodiments, the instructor may utter a relatively
abstract or vague
command during an exercise class. Examples of such relatively abstract or
vague commands may
include, "jog for a few minutes," "let's go up this hill," or any other
command that may have a
different meaning for respective users 106 participating in the exercise
class, but that may still
correspond to the current exercise segment and/or current part of the exercise
class being
performed by the instructor. In such examples, at 706 the server 302, an
operator of the server
302, and/or an operator of a control station associated with the location
(e.g., an exercise studio)
in which the instructor is performing the exercise class, may identify the
relatively abstract verbal
command uttered by the instructor. In some examples, at 706 natural language
processing software
and/or other voice recognition software operating on the server 302 may
provide an indication of
the verbal command to the video encoder 320, and/or other components of the
server 302 operable
to generate an executable command. Additionally, at 706 the server 302 may
identify a timestamp
associated with the relatively abstract command.
[00106] At 708, the server 302 may generate an executable control 504
corresponding to the
exercise class being performed by the instructor and operable to modify a
parameter of an exercise
machine 102 (e.g., a second exercise machine 102 used by a user 106 to
participate in the exercise
class). In particular, at 708 the server 302 may generate an executable
control 504 corresponding
to the performance command identified at 706. As described above, one or more
executable
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controls 504 generated at 708 may comprise data files, text files, digital
files, metadata,
instructions, and/or any other electronic file executable by the processor of
the digital hardware
148 to modify at least one parameter of the second exercise machine 102. In
example
embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more of the executable controls
504 generated at
708 may comprise one or more settings associated with modifying a parameter of
the second
exercise machine 102.
[00107] For example, in embodiments in which the command identified at 706
comprises a
relatively specific command, the server 302 may configure the executable
control 504 such that,
when the executable control 504 is processed and/or executed by the processor
of the digital
hardware 148 (e.g., of the second exercise machine 102), the processor of the
digital hardware 148
may cause a component of the exercise machine 102 (e.g., a motor of the deck
112 controlling the
speed of the belt 120) to operate and/or perform an action specifically
defined by the executable
control 504. For example, in embodiments in which an example relatively
specific command
identified at 706 comprises "run at a 6-minute mile pace," at 708 the server
302 may generate a
corresponding executable control 504 that includes instructions, metadata,
and/or other
information or components which, when executed by the processor of the digital
hardware 148,
will cause the motor of the deck 112 controlling the speed of the belt 120 to
drive the belt 120 to
rotate at a belt speed corresponding to a 6-minute mile pace. Similar
instructions may be included
in an executable control 504 directed to a particular power zone, a particular
incline of the deck
112, a particular pedal cadence, a particular stationary bicycle braking
resistance, and/or any other
parameter of the exercise machine 102.
[00108] On the other hand, in embodiments in which the command identified at
706 comprises
a relatively vague or abstract command, the server 302 may configure the
executable control 504
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such that, when the executable control 504 is processed and/or executed by the
processor of the
digital hardware 148 (e.g., of the second exercise machine 102), the processor
of the digital
hardware 148 may determine an appropriate (e.g., a best fit) response
corresponding to the
executable control 504 before causing one or more components of the exercise
machine 102 to
operate in a modified manner. For example, in embodiments in which an example
relatively
abstract command identified at 706 comprises "jog for a few minutes," at 708
the server 302 may
generate an executable control 504 including instructions, metadata, and/or
other information
which when executed by a processor of an exercise machine 102 (e.g., a second
exercise machine
102) may cause the belt 120 of such an exercise machine 102 to rotate at a 4-
minute mile pace,
and/or at any other relatively common jogging pace, and such a setting of the
executable control
504 may comprise a default setting. Such a default setting may be associated
with the executable
control 504 at 708 in situations in which relatively little user data is
available corresponding to the
particular user 106, a user profile of the user 106 does not include user data
associated with a
setting or preference of the user 106 related to the abstract command
identified at 706, and/or in
any other situation in which the server 302 does not have access to adequate
information
corresponding to the user 106. Alternatively, in examples in which a user
profile of the user 106
identifies a preferred jogging pace, and/or in which the database 304 includes
stored user data or
other information indicating previously selected, previously customized,
and/or previously entered
jogging speeds of the particular user 106, a weight, height, age, gender, or
other physical
characteristics of the user 106, and/or other such information, at 708 the
server 302 may generate
an executable control 504 configured to cause the belt 120 to rotate at a
jogging pace that
corresponds to such user-specific information.
[00109] In any of the examples described herein in which a relatively vague or
abstract
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command has been identified, the server 302 may generate an executable control
504 at 708
corresponding to such a command, and upon receiving a touch input via the
executable control
504 while the exercise class is being presented to the user 106 via the user
interface 500, the
processor of the digital hardware 148 may determine an appropriate response
(e.g., an appropriate
modification of one or more parameters of the exercise machine 102) based on
user data stored
within a memory of the digital hardware 148 and/or stored within the database
304 associated with
the server 302. As noted above, such an appropriate response, may comprise a
default setting (e.g.,
a default jogging speed, and/or a default deck incline associated with
jogging), a previously
selected, previously customized, and/or previously entered setting (e.g., a
jogging speed and/or a
jogging deck incline included in the user profile of the user 106), and/or a
setting that is determined
by the processor of the digital hardware 148 and/or by the processor of the
server 302 based at
least in part on user data (e.g., aggregate user data corresponding to the
user 106 participating in
one or more previous exercise classes using the exercise machine 102) stored
within a memory of
the digital hardware 148 and/or stored within the database 304.
[00110] At 710 the server 302 may embed, link, and/or otherwise associate the
executable
control 504 with the video file generated at 704 such that playback of at
least part of the video file
by the processor of the digital hardware 148 (e.g., by the processor of the
second exercise machine
102) via the display 104 may result in display of the executable control 504.
In particular, at 710
the server 302 may link the executable control 504 to a part of the video file
corresponding to the
timestamp associated with the command and identified at 706. In such examples,
the timestamp
may comprise an elapsed time of the video file generated at 704 and/or during
the exercise class
at which the instructor uttered the command. As a result, when providing the
exercise class to the
user 106 via the user interface 500 (e.g., either in substantially real time
via live streaming, and/or
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upon playback of the exercise class using an archived video file), the
processor of the digital
hardware 148 (e.g., the processor of the second exercise machine 102) may
provide the executable
control 504 at the point in time during the exercise class in which the
instructor uttered the verbal
command.
[00111] At 712, the server 302 may provide the executable control 504,
together with the video
file generated at 704, to the processor of the digital hardware 148. In such
examples, the video
packetizer 326 of the server 302 may provide one or more signals to the
exercise machine 102
(e.g., the second exercise machine 102) via the network 306, and such signals
may include, at least
part of the video file and/or the executable control 504 embedded therein. In
some examples, such
as an example in which a user 106 is live streaming the exercise class in
substantially real-time,
the server 302 may provide the video file generated at 704 and the executable
control 504 generated
at 708, via the network 306, as part of a live stream of the exercise class.
Alternatively, in examples
in which the user 106 is participating in an archived exercise class, at 712,
the server 302 may
provide the video file generated at 704 and the executable control 504
generated at 708, via the
network 306, as part of a transmission of the archived exercise class. It is
understood that, upon
receipt of the executable control 504, a processor of the digital hardware 148
(e.g., a processor of
the second exercise machine 102) may cause one or more components of the
exercise machine 102
to modify a parameter of the exercise machine 102 based at least in part on
the processor executing
the executable control 504.
[00112] Further, at 714, the server 302 may save and/or otherwise store the
executable control
504 generated at 708 together with the video file generated at 704. In such
examples, the executable
control 504 may be linked to, embedded within, associated with, and/or
otherwise stored with the
video file such that, upon playback of the video file, the executable control
504 may be displayed
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as part of a user interface 500 presented to the user 106 via the display 104.
Further, while the
previous disclosure indicates that the server 302 may perform one or more
operations of the
method 700, in any of the examples described herein, any of the operations
described above with
respect to the method 700 may be performed, in whole or in part, by the server
302, an operator of
the server 302, an operator of a control station at which an exercise class is
being performed by an
instructor, and/or by any combination thereof.
[00113] Figure 8 illustrates a flow chart depicting still another example
method 800 of the
present disclosure. Similar to the methods 600, 700 described above, the
example method 800 is
illustrated as a collection of steps in a logical flow diagram, which
represents operations that can
be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof In the context
of software, the
steps represent computer-executable instructions stored in memory. When such
instructions are
executed by, for example, the processor of the digital hardware 148 and/or by
one or more
processors of the server 302 described above, such instructions may cause the
processor of the
digital hardware 148 and/or the one or more processors of the server 302 to
perform the recited
operations. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to
be construed as a
limitation, and any number of the described steps can be combined in any order
and/or in parallel
to implement the process. Additionally, the method 800 may include any of the
operations
described above with respect to the methods 600, 700, and vice versa. For
discussion purposes,
and unless otherwise specified, the method 800 will be described with respect
to the local system
100, exercise machine 102, user 106, one or more user interfaces 200, 400,
500, and/or other items
shown in FIGS. 1-5. In particular, although any part of and/or the entire
method 800 may be
performed by the one or more processors of the server 302 and/or other
components of the
networked exercise system 300, unless otherwise specified, the method 800 will
be described
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below with respect to the processor of the digital hardware 148 (e.g., the
processor of the exercise
machine 102 shown in Figure 1) for ease of description.
[00114] In any of the example embodiments described herein, the local system
100 and/or the
networked computing system 300 may be operable to assist a user 106 in
achieving one or more
workout targets or goals. Such targets or goals may be, for example, a best
time for a 5 mile run
performed by a particular user 106, a longest distance ran by the user 106 in
a particular length of
time (e.g., a longest distance ran by the user 106 in 30 minutes), a highest
output or calorie burn
by the user 106 in a particular length of time, a best time for a 5 mile run
performed by another
user 106 (e.g., a friend, favorite user, workout partner, spouse, or colleague
of the user 106), etc.
In some examples, information associated with such targets or goals may be
stored within a
memory of the digital hardware 148 and/or in the database 304. In such
examples, such
information may be accessed and utilized by a processor of the digital
hardware 148 and/or by the
server 302 in order to generate and provide one or more executable controls
corresponding to a
target or goal of the user 106.
[00115] For example, with reference to FIG. 8, at 802 the processor of the
digital hardware 148
may provide a control menu, via the display 104 of the exercise machine 102.
In some examples,
such a control menu may comprise, among other things, one or more windows,
sections, and/or
other portions of a user interface 400 displayed by the display 104. For
example, in some
embodiments, such a control menu may comprise one or more windows 418
displayed within the
primary window 410. Such an example window 418 may be substantially similar to
and/or the
same as the window 418 described above with respect to Figure 4. In such
examples, the window
418 may include, among other things, one or more executable controls
corresponding to one or
more targets or goals of the user 106. For example, one or more such
executable controls provided
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via the window 418 may be operable to modify a parameter of the exercise
machine 102, while
the user 106 is utilizing the exercise machine 102. In such examples, the
window 418 may
comprise one or more lookup menus, and each of the executable controls
provided via the window
418 may correspond to, for example, a 5 mile run previously performed by the
user 106, a longest
distance ran by the user 106 in a particular length of time, a workout
corresponding to a highest
output or calorie burn by the user 106, a best time for a 5 mile run performed
by a friend, favorite
user, workout partner, spouse, or colleague of the user 106, a multi-session
training and/or exercise
program that the user 106 may be participating in with one or more additional
users 106, and/or
any other targets or goals that the user 106 may desire to achieve. In such
examples, any of the
targets or goals described herein, and/or information associated with machine
parameters
corresponding to such targets or goals may be stored within the memory of the
digital hardware
148 and/or within the database 304 of the networked exercise system 300.
Additionally, executable
controls corresponding to such targets or goals may also be stored within the
memory of the digital
hardware 148 and/or within the database 304. It is understood that the method
800 may include
any of the processes, and/or other operations described above with respect to
generating and/or
providing such executable controls.
[00116] At 804, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may receive an input
corresponding
to at least one of the executable controls provided via the user interface
400. For example, at 804.
The user 106 may provide a touch input via the display 104 indicating
selection of one of the
executable controls provided therein. In response, the user interface 400
and/or one or more
components of the display 104 may provide a signal to the processor of the
digital hardware 148
indicating the selection of the particular executable control.
[00117] At 806, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may provide one or
more user
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interfaces corresponding to the executable control that was selected at 804.
For example, at 804
the user 106 may select an executable control displayed in the window 418
corresponding to a 5
mile run previously performed by the user 106 (e.g., a best time for a 5 mile
run previously
performed by the user 106 on a particular course). In such examples, at 806,
the processor of the
digital hardware 148 may provide a user interface 400 corresponding to the
particular target or
goal associated with the selected executable control. In the example described
above, at 806, the
processor of the digital hardware 148 may provide a user interface 400
corresponding to the best
time for a 5 mile run previously performed by the user 106. Such a user
interface 400 may include,
for example, one or more visual images replicating a road, scenery, and/or
other items associated
with a course of the targeted 5 mile run. Such a user interface 400 may also
include a ghosted
image of the user 106 performing the targeted 5 mile run along the course.
Such a user interface
400 may further include information indicating stored user data (heart rate,
blood pressure, output,
calories burned, etc.) associated with the targeted 5 mile run, and/or
information indicating current
user data of the user 106 as the user 106 is participating in the targeted
workout.
[00118] At 808, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may operate the
exercise machine
102, according to the executable control selected at 804. For example, in
embodiments in which,
at 804, the user 106 selects an executable control displayed in the window 418
corresponding to a
mile run previously performed by the user 106, based at least in part on such
an input, the
processor of the digital hardware 148 may control and/or modify one or more
parameters of the
exercise machine 102 in order to keep the user 106 on pace for the targeted 5
mile run. For
example, the processor of the digital hardware 148 may adjust the incline of
the deck 112, the
speed of the belt 120, a resistance of the belt 120, and/or any other
parameters of the exercise
machine 102 according to corresponding settings, and/or parameters associated
with the targeted
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mile run. In this way, the exercise machine 102 may operate, in real time,
according to all
portions of the targeted run to ensure that the user 106 stays on and/or ahead
of the targeted pace,
and that the user 106 experiences the conditions and parameters of the
exercise machine 102
corresponding to the targeted run..
Conclusion
[00119] The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration
only and should
not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not
limited to
implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this
disclosure. Various
modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein
without following
the examples and applications illustrated and described, and without departing
from the spirit and
scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
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