Exercise Machine Sensing Device

Abstract

An exercise-diligence-encouragement and coaching system, providing a small and widely configurable position-sensing device to existing weightlifting machines which provide resistance by leveraging the weight of a rack of vertically-stacked incremental weights. The position-sensing device communicates with a mobile device kept in view of a user of the weightlifting machine, to provide live instructions to the user and track progress of the user over time and tailor future exercises. Location of the device, type of sensor used, power source, and method of communication are all variable.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority to provisional patent application No. 61 / 948,015 filed on 4 Mar. 2014.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to fields of exercise equipment and exercise recording and monitoring equipment, devices for exercise planning, live instruction and feedback, coaching, analyzing, scheduling. It also relates to wireless communications, pulleys, linkages, selectable weights, strain measuring devices, optical sensors, magnetic sensors, distance sensors, networked devices, wired communications, and smart-connection-powered devices.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Exercise is most plainly beneficial to increasing strength and endurance, but its potentially greatest benefit is that it is key to health and mobility with aging. It also has more immediate benefits of lowering stress, and of a more speculative nature, fostering a sense of well-being and organization. While these benefits are well-recognized, avoidance and ineffective exercise ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]To encourage the exerciser to finish a set of repetitions, the application presents instructions and a count of how many repetitions they've performed or have left to complete. While exercising, the mobile device can be held atop a stand that can be elevated and easily relocated relative to any user or machine in order to afford a view of the application's instructions on the screen of the mobile device. Convenient viewing allows the exercise to be performed without disturbing correct use of a machine.

[0015]The application also has functions to tabulate use and performance of each sort of exercise, coordinate the exercise within a routine, schedule the routine according to a built in calendar, track performance and conformity to such exercise routines, and help develop better-tailored regimens for exercise, as time goes-on. The application can also issue reminders to prevent forgetting or neglecting to exercise.

[0018]Displays are a necessary fourth category, but generally are less varied than the other three. It is contemplated that a variety of forms of displays are possible, whether wired, wireless, or built into the sensor device or the stand. If built into the sensor device, a mobile device may be unnecessary, but preferred embodiments use mobile devices that carry a display screen and receive the data communicated from the sensor device, to provide greater flexibility in affording convenient usage and furthering the goal of the invention to encourage regular personal tracking of one's own routine by embedding the behavior in devices that will be carried with users as part of their existing daily routines.

Problems solved by technology

While these benefits are well-recognized, avoidance and ineffective exercise persist, despite countless variations of equipment, training professionals, structured routines, and methods of monitoring progress.

Further, disorganized efforts to keep to a routine and poorly performed routines defeat the ability of an exercise routine to deliver its potential benefits

One notoriously neglected and poorly-executed form of exercise is weightlifting.

Despite a weightlifting routine's relative time efficiency and small quantity of motions compared to other exercises, it is generally impractical and unhealthy to attempt performing a broad range of weightlifting exercises at any one time.

Therefore, weightlifting routines have many potential modes of failure to provide their highest benefit.

A related problem is the convenience of implementing such tools in settings where weightlifting may occur.

However, home weightlifting exercises are generally limited to a only a few pieces of equipment, and usually do not warrant the very large expense and space commitment to have a range of equipment to facilitate a comprehensive regimen's broad range of exercises.

However, the great range of weightlifting exercise machines that are used in any individual's routine require many people sharing space to coordinate turns and attempt to be courteous to others by not consuming too much time on any particular machine.

Without a plan for using each machine, a weightlifter may select exercises at random, fail to do an optimal number of sets or fail to complete enough repetitions in sets.

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