Exercise machines and methods for controlling exercise machines having adjustable resistance and incline settings

Abstract

An exercise machine for performing an exercise motion. A resistance mechanism controls a resistance for performing the exercise motion. An incline adjustment device controls an incline for performing the exercise motion. A control system is operatively coupled to the resistance mechanism and the incline adjustment device and is configured to receive a resistance setting for controlling the resistance, receive an incline setting for controlling the incline, and determine a resistance modifier for adjusting the resistance based on the incline setting. The control system is further configured to adjust the resistance setting based on the resistance modifier to provide a modified resistance setting, control the incline adjustment device based on the incline setting, and control the resistance mechanism based on the modified resistance setting to thereby cause an exertion by a user for performing the exercise motion to change when the incline setting is changed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exercise machine for performing an exercise motion, the exercise machine comprising:
 a resistance mechanism that controls a resistance for performing the exercise motion;   an incline adjustment device that controls an incline for performing the exercise motion; and   a control system operatively coupled to the resistance mechanism and the incline adjustment device, the control system being configured to:
 receive a resistance setting for controlling the resistance; 
 receive an incline setting for controlling the incline; 
 determine a resistance modifier for adjusting the resistance based on the incline setting; 
 adjust the resistance setting based on the resistance modifier to provide a modified resistance setting; 
 control the incline adjustment device based on the incline setting; and 
 control the resistance mechanism based on the modified resistance setting; 
   wherein controlling the resistance mechanism based on the modified resistance setting causes an exertion by a user for performing the exercise motion to change when the incline setting is changed.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the exercise machine is configured such that the exercise motion comprises a striding exercise motion. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the resistance modifier such that a given change in the incline setting changes the exertion by the user to correspond to a change in a reference exertion from changing an incline setting of a reference exercise machine by that given change. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the reference exercise machine comprises a treadmill. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the resistance modifier is determined such that the exertion for performing the exercise motion is approximately the same as the reference exertion. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the resistance modifier based also on at least one of a weight of the user, a heartrate of the user, a force exerted by the user when performing the exercise motion, and a speed in which the exercise motion is performed. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the resistance modifier based also on at least one of a weight of the user, a heartrate of the user, a force exerted by the user when performing the exercise motion, and a speed in which the exercise motion is performed. 
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling an exercise machine for performing an exercise motion, the method comprising:
 receiving a resistance setting for controlling a resistance for performing the exercise motion;   receiving an incline setting for controlling an incline for performing the exercise motion;   determining a resistance modifier for adjusting the resistance setting based on the incline setting;   adjusting the resistance setting based on the resistance modifier to provide a modified resistance setting;   controlling the incline based on the incline setting; and   controlling the resistance based on the modified resistance setting;   wherein the resistance is controlled based on the modified resistance setting so that an exertion by a user for performing the exercise motion is caused to change when the incline setting is changed.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising determining the resistance modifier based also on a reference exertion for performing a reference exercise motion with a reference exercise machine having an incline controlled at the incline setting, wherein the reference exertion is stored in memory, and wherein the resistance modifier is determined such that the exertion for performing the exercise motion is approximately the same as the reference exertion. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising receiving a scale setting and determining the resistance modifier based on the scale setting, wherein the scale setting changes how much the resistance modifier varies as a function of the incline setting. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising receiving an input from the user and basing the scale setting on the input. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising receiving an input from the user and basing at least one of the resistance setting and the incline setting on the input. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising determining the resistance modifier based also on the resistance setting. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising determining at least one of a weight of the user, a heartrate of the user, a force exerted by the user when performing the exercise motion, and a speed in which the exercise motion is performed and determining the resistance modifier based thereon. 
     
     
         15 . A method for controlling an exercise machine for performing an exercise motion based on a reference exercise machine for performing a reference exercise motion, the method comprising:
 receiving a resistance setting for controlling a resistance for performing the exercise motion;   receiving an incline setting for controlling an incline for performing the exercise motion;   determining a resistance modifier for adjusting the resistance setting based on the incline setting and based on a reference exertion for performing the reference exercise motion at the incline setting using the reference exercise machine;   adjusting the resistance setting based on the resistance modifier to provide a modified resistance setting;   controlling the incline based on the incline setting; and   controlling the resistance based on the modified resistance setting;   wherein the resistance is controlled based on the modified resistance setting so that changing the incline setting changes the reference exertion and causes a change in an exertion by a user for performing the exercise motion correspondingly.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising receiving a scale setting and determining the resistance modifier based on the scale setting, wherein the scale setting changes how much the resistance modifier varies as a function of the incline setting. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising receiving an input from the user and basing the scale setting on the input. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising receiving an input from the user and basing at least one of the resistance setting and the incline setting on the input. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising determining the resistance modifier based also on the resistance setting. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising determining at least one of a weight of the user, a heartrate of the user, a force exerted by the user when performing the exercise motion, and a speed in which the exercise motion is performed, and determining the resistance modifier based thereon.