Control system for exercise equipment

Abstract

A control system for an exercise apparatus comprising an increment control array including at least three increment control contact elements, wherein each of the contact elements has a different pre-assigned numerical control increment value and the contact elements can be selectively activated both in an individual and in a combined cumulative manner for controlling one of more operating parameters of the exercise apparatus.

1 . A control system for an exercise apparatus, said control system comprising an increment control array including at least three increment control contact elements, wherein each of said increment control contact elements has a different pre-assigned numerical control increment value and said increment control contact elements can be activated by a user both in an individual manner and in a combined cumulative manner for incrementally setting, incrementally changing, or both incrementally setting and incrementally changing one or more operating parameters of said exercise apparatus in accordance with said pre-assigned numerical control increment values.  
     
     
         2 . The control system of  claim 1  wherein: 
 a first of said increment control contact elements has a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of −1;    a second of said increment control contact elements has a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of +2; and    a third of said increment control contact elements has a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of +3.    
     
     
         3 . The control system of  claim 2  wherein said one or more operating parameters of said exercise apparatus include an operating speed of said exercise apparatus, an operating incline of said exercise apparatus, a workout time, a workout distance, a workout calorie count, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The control system of  claim 3  wherein said increment control array further includes: 
 a fourth increment control contact element having a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of −2 and    a fifth increment control contact element having a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of +1.    
     
     
         5 . The control system of  claim 1  wherein said increment control array can be operated for incrementally setting and incrementally changing an operating speed of said exercise apparatus such that, when being used for incrementally setting and incrementally changing said operating speed, said pre-assigned numerical control increment values are numerical units of incremental velocity.  
     
     
         6 . The control system of  claim 5  further comprising a speed increase contact element and a speed decrease contact element which are not included in said increment control array and which can also be used for controlling said operating speed of said exercise apparatus.  
     
     
         7 . The control system of  claim 6  wherein said speed increase contact element and said speed decrease contact element operate to control said operating speed in increments which are smaller, in terms of absolute value, than said pre-assigned numerical control increment values of said increment control contact elements.  
     
     
         8 . The control system of  claim 5  further comprising a speed access contact element for activation before, after, or both before and after activating a selected one or a selected combination of said increment control contact elements to cause said increment control array to operate to control said operating speed of said exercise apparatus.  
     
     
         9 . The control system of  claim 1  wherein said increment control array can be operated for incrementally setting and incrementally changing an operating incline of said exercise apparatus such that, when being used for incrementally setting and incrementally changing said operating incline, said pre-assigned numerical control increment values are numerical units of incremental incline percentage or angle.  
     
     
         10 . The control system of  claim 9  further comprising an incline increase contact element and an incline decrease contact element which are not included in said increment control array and which can also be used for controlling said operating incline of said exercise apparatus.  
     
     
         11 . The control system of  claim 10  wherein said incline increase contact element and said incline decrease contact element operate to control said operating incline in increments which are smaller, in terms of absolute value, than said pre-assigned numerical control increment values of said increment control contact elements.  
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 9  further comprising an incline access contact element for activation by said user before, after, or both before and after activating a selected one or a selected combination of said increment control contact elements to cause said increment control array to control said operating incline of said exercise apparatus.  
     
     
         13 . A control system for a treadmill, said control system comprising an increment control array including at least three increment control contact elements, each of said increment control contact elements having a different pre-assigned numerical control increment value and said increment control contact elements being selectively activatable by a user both in an individual manner and in a combined cumulative manner for incrementally setting and incrementally changing an operating speed of said treadmill and for incrementally setting and incrementally changing an operating incline of said treadmill.  
     
     
         14 . The control system of  claim 13  wherein: 
 when said increment control array is used for incrementally setting and incrementally changing said operating speed, said pre-assigned numerical control increment values are numerical units of incremental velocity and    when said increment control array is used for incrementally setting and incrementally changing said operating incline, said pre-assigned numerical control increment values are numerical units of incremental incline percentage or angle.    
     
     
         15 . The control system of  claim 14  wherein said numerical units of incremental velocity are incremental miles per hour and said numerical units of incremental incline percentage or angle are incremental percent incline.  
     
     
         16 . The control system of  claim 15  wherein: 
 a first of said increment control contact elements has a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of −1;    a second of said increment control contact elements has a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of +2; and    a third of said increment control contact elements has a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of +3.    
     
     
         17 . The control system of  claim 16  wherein said increment control array further includes: 
 a fourth increment control contact element having a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of −2 and    a fifth increment control contact element having a pre-assigned numerical control increment value of +1.    
     
     
         18 . The control system of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 a speed increase contact element and a speed decrease contact element which are not included in said incremental control array and which can also be used for controlling said operating speed and    an incline increase contact element and an incline decrease contact element which are not included in said increment control array and which can also be used for controlling said operating incline.    
     
     
         19 . The control system of  claim 18  wherein: 
 said speed increase contact element and said speed decrease contact element operate to control said operating speed in increments which are smaller, in terms of absolute value, than said numerical units of incremental velocity represented by said pre-assigned numerical control values of said increment control contact elements and    said incline increase contact element and said incline decrease contact element operate to control said operating incline in increments which are smaller, in terms of absolute value, than said numerical units of incremental incline percentage or angle represented by said pre-assigned numerical control values of said increment control contact elements.    
     
     
         20 . The control system of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 a speed access contact element for activation before, after, or both before and after activating a selected one or a selected combination of said increment control contact elements to cause said increment control array to operate to control said operating speed and    an incline access contact element for activation before, after, or both before and after activating a selected one or a selected combination of said increment control contact elements to cause said increment control array to operate to control said operating incline,    wherein said incline access contact element is different from said speed access contact element.