Exercise class apparatus and method

Abstract

Exercise class systems and methods may include a plurality of pieces of exercise equipment and/or a plurality of sensing systems adapted to be worn on people in the class, each piece of equipment or sensing system outputting plural exercise signals relating to exercise performance on the piece of equipment or of the person with the sensing system. A computer system may also be provided. The computer system may include at least one electronic storage device which stores the plural signals from the pieces of equipment or sensing system and at least one processor which generates an output signal containing an animation corresponding to at least two of the exercise signals from each of the pieces of equipment or sensing systems. At least one display device, visible from each of the pieces of equipment or people in the class, may receive the output signal and display the animation.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a computer system including:
 at least one electronic storage device configured to store a plurality of exercise signals relating to exercise performance; and 
 at least one processor configured to generate an output signal containing an animation, the animation including at least one graphic shape, each graphic shape of the at least one graphic shape corresponding to at least two different exercise signals of the plurality of exercise signals, a first exercise signal of the at least two different exercise signals including data relating to a first aspect of exercise performance, and a second exercise signal of the at least two different exercise signals including data relating to a second aspect of exercise performance, each graphic shape animated with a first animated feature corresponding to the first exercise signal and a second animated feature corresponding to the second exercise signal; and 
   at least one display device configured to receive the output signal and display the animation.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the at least one processor is configured to, for each graphic shape:
 generate the output signal to define the graphic shape; and 
 cause the graphic shape to spin at a rate related to the first exercise signal and move along a path based on the second exercise signal, wherein the first animated feature includes the spin and the second animated feature includes the move along the path. 
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein a thickness of a line forming the graphic shape corresponds to a third exercise signal of the plurality of exercise signals. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein, for each graphic shape, the at least one processor is configured to cause the graphic shape to change color when a user is on track to at least match a distance from a previous session. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the output signal to produce a display indicating top users from a plurality of users associated with the plurality of exercise signals after a predetermined time. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising a user display device associated with a user and coupled to the at least one processor,
 the user display device being constructed and arranged to display individual information concerning the user. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the individual information includes cumulative data for the user over time. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the individual information includes data comparing the user to at least one other user. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the user display device is configured to receive the individual information from the at least one processor. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein, for each graphic shape, the at least one processor is configured to generate the output signal so that the graphic shape drops into a second graphic shape when at least one exercise signal of the at least two different exercise signals corresponding to the graphic shape achieves a predetermined value, wherein the second graphic shape is different from the graphic shape. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the graphic shape rotates in response to the second exercise signal and a thickness of a line forming the graphic shape corresponds to a third exercise signal of the plurality of exercise signals, wherein the second animated feature includes rotating of the graphic shape in response to the second exercise signal. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the output signal, when the second graphic shape is completed, to cause another second graphic shape to be built from a dropping of graphic shapes 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate each graphic shape moving along a path in response to the first exercise signal, the at least one processor being configured to generate the output signal to cause the animation to include upper and lower boundaries along the path for a user to keep a graphic shape of the at least one graphic shape between the upper and lower boundaries, wherein the first animated feature includes the moving along the path. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein, for each graphic shape, the at least one processor is configured to generate the output signal to cause an appearance of the graphic shape to change based on the second exercise signal, wherein the second animated feature includes the change in appearance. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the output signal to cause the animation to move the upper and lower boundaries after a predetermined time. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the output signal to display on the at least one display device an abstract animation included in the animation that varies in response to the at least two different exercise signals. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the output signal to cause the animation to provide at least three games wherein in a first game, the animation illustrates an individual effort of each user of a plurality of users, in a second game, the animation illustrates both the individual effort of each user and an effort of a plurality of users, and in a third game, the animation illustrates the effort of a plurality of users without illustrating individual effort. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of exercise signals relating to exercise performance comprise at least one of speed of motion, distance traveled, energy expended, heart rate, blood pressure, blood-oxygen content, and blood-sugar content. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the plurality of exercise signals is received from at least one of a plurality of pieces of exercise equipment, each piece of the plurality of pieces of exercise equipment configured to output at least one of the plurality of exercise signals. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of exercise signals include signals representing two or more of speed, distance, power and energy. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein one of the plurality of exercise signals representing distance represents a combination of rotation rate and power. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the plurality of exercise signals is received from at least one of a plurality of sensors, each sensor of the plurality of sensors configured to output at least one of the plurality of exercise signals. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein each respective exercise signal of the plurality of exercise signals relates to a respective user of a plurality of users grouped into two or more teams. 
     
     
         25 . A method of communicating exercise results in a graphic form comprising: receiving, by a computer system, a plurality of exercise signals and storing the plurality of exercise signals relating to exercise performance in at least one electronic storage device included in the computer system;
 generating, by at least one processor included in the computer system, an output signal containing an animation, the animation including at least one graphic shape, each graphic shape of the at least one graphic shape corresponding to at least two different exercise signals of the plurality of exercise signals, a first exercise signal of the at least two different exercise signals including data relating to a first aspect of exercise performance, and a second exercise signal of the at least two different exercise signals including data relating to a second aspect of exercise performance, each graphic shape animated with a first animated feature corresponding to the first exercise signal and a second animated feature corresponding to the second exercise signal; and   generating a display on at least one display device from the output signal including the animation.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising, for each graphic shape:
 generating, by the at least one processor, the output signal to define the graphic shape; and 
 causing, by the at least one processor via the display, the graphic shape to spin at a rate related to the first exercise signal and move along a path based on the second exercise signal, wherein the first animated feature includes the spin and the second animated feature includes the move along the path. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein a thickness of a line forming the graphic shape corresponds to a third exercise signal of the plurality of exercise signals. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising, for each graphic shape, causing, by the at least one processor, the graphic shape to change color when a user is on track to at least match a distance from a previous session. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising causing, by the at least one processor, the output signal to produce a display indicating top users from a plurality of users associated with the plurality of exercise signals after a predetermined time. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising displaying, by a user display device associated with a user and coupled to the at least one processor, individual information concerning the user. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the individual information includes cumulative data for the user over time. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the individual information includes data comparing the user to at least one other user. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the user display device receives the individual information from the at least one processor. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising, for each graphic shape, generating, by the at least one processor, the output signal so that the graphic shape drops into a second graphic shape when at least one exercise signal of the at least two different exercise signals corresponding to the graphic shape achieves a predetermined value, wherein the second graphic shape is different from the graphic shape. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the graphic shape rotates in response to the second exercise signal and a thickness of a line forming the graphic shape corresponds to a third exercise signal of the plurality of exercise signals, wherein the second animated feature includes rotating of the graphic shape in response to the second exercise signal. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising generating, by the at least one processor, the output signal, when the second graphic shape is completed, to cause another second graphic shape to be built from a dropping of graphic shapes. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising generating, by the at least one processor via the display, each graphic shape moving along a path in response to the first exercise signal, including generating the output signal to cause the animation to include upper and lower boundaries along the path for a user to keep a graphic shape of the at least one graphic shape between the upper and lower boundaries, wherein the first animated feature includes the moving along the path. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  further comprising generating, by the at least one processor for each graphic shape, the output signal to cause an appearance of the graphic shape to change based on the second exercise signal, wherein the second animated feature includes the change in appearance. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  further comprising generating, by the at least one processor, the output signal to cause the animation to move the upper and lower boundaries after a predetermined time. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising causing, by the at least one processor, the output signal to display on the at least one display device an abstract animation included in the animation that varies in response to the at least two different exercise signals. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising generating, by the at least one processor, the output signal to cause the animation to provide at least three games wherein in a first game, the animation illustrates an individual effort of each user of a plurality of users, in a second game, the animation illustrates both the individual effort of each user and an effort of a plurality of users, and in a third game, the animation illustrates the effort of a plurality of users without illustrating individual effort. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the plurality of exercise signals relating to exercise performance comprise at least one of speed of motion, distance traveled, energy expended, heart rate, blood pressure, blood-oxygen content, and blood-sugar content. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 25  wherein at least one of the plurality of exercise signals is received from at least one of a plurality of pieces of exercise equipment, each piece of the plurality of pieces of exercise equipment configured to output at least one of the plurality of exercise signals. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the plurality of exercise signals include signals representing two or more of speed, distance, power and energy. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein one of the plurality of exercise signals representing distance represents a combination of rotation rate and power. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 25  wherein at least one of the plurality of exercise signals is received from at least one of a plurality of sensors, each sensor of the plurality of sensors configured to output at least one of the plurality of exercise signals. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 25  wherein each respective exercise signal of the plurality of exercise signals relates to a respective user of a plurality of users grouped into two or more teams.