System and method for selective adjustment of exercise apparatus

Abstract

An exercise system including a support base and an operable member movably coupled to the support base. Electrically coupled to the operable member is an interface console. The interface console includes a plurality of speed level keys and a plurality of grade level keys. The speed level keys enable a user to selected different pre-set speeds of the operable member, while the grade level keys enable a user to select different pre-set grades of the operable member. Associated with the speed level and grade level keys are incremental keys that enable a user to incrementally increase and/or decrease the speed, grade, or resistance of the exercise system.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by united states letters patent is:  
     
         1 . A control interface configured to be coupled to an exercise apparatus, the control interface enabling a user to control workout parameters of the exercise apparatus, the control interface comprising: 
 means for adjusting the exercise apparatus to operate using one of a plurality of pre-set workout parameters selectable by the user of the exercise apparatus; and    means for incrementally changing a pre-set workout parameter selected by the user of the exercise apparatus.    
     
     
         2 . A control interface as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the workout parameters are selected from the group consisting of a speed parameter, a grade parameter, and a resistance parameter.  
     
     
         3 . A control interface as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the means for adjusting comprises a plurality of speed level keys, each of the plurality of speed level keys being associated with one of a plurality of pre-set speeds.  
     
     
         4 . A control interface as recited in  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of speed level keys is configured to initiate a change in a speed of the exercise apparatus to said one of said plurality of pre-set speeds upon selection of each of said plurality of speed level keys.  
     
     
         5 . The exercise system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein upon selecting one of the plurality of speed level keys the exercise apparatus is automatically adjusted to one of a plurality of pre-set speeds.  
     
     
         6 . The exercise system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of pre-set speeds are 0.5 miles per hour, 1.0 miles per hour, 1.5 miles per hour, 2.0 miles per hour,  3 . 0  miles per hour, 4.0 miles per hour, 5.0 miles per hour, and 6.0 miles per hour.  
     
     
         7 . The exercise system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said wherein the means for adjusting comprises a plurality of grade level keys, each of the plurality of grade level keys defining one of a plurality of pre-set grades.  
     
     
         8 . The exercise system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein upon selecting one of the plurality of grade level keys, the exercise apparatus is adjusted to one of the plurality of pre-set grades.  
     
     
         9 . The exercise system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of pre-set grades are −5%, 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60%.  
     
     
         10 . The control interface as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the means for incrementally changing comprises at least one of: (i) an incremental speed control; and (ii) an incremental grade control.  
     
     
         11 . The control interface as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said incremental speed control changes the speed of said exercise apparatus in 0.1 miles per hour increments.  
     
     
         12 . The control interface as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said incremental grade control changes the grade of said exercise apparatus in 1% increments.  
     
     
         13 . A control interface configured to be coupled to an exercise apparatus, the control interface enabling a user to control workout parameters of the exercise apparatus, the control interface comprising: 
 a direct adjustment keypad configured to adjust the exercise apparatus to operate using one of a plurality of pre-set workout parameters selectable by the user of the exercise apparatus; and    an incremental control configured to incrementally change said one of said plurality of pre-set workout parameters selected by the user of the exercise apparatus.    
     
     
         14 . A control interface as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the direct adjustment keypad is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a direct adjustment keypad for selecting a desired grade of an operable member of the exercise device; and (ii) a direct adjustment keypad for selecting a desired speed of an operable member of the exercise device.  
     
     
         15 . A control interface as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said direct adjustment keypad comprises a grade keypad that includes plurality of grade level keys, each of said plurality of grade level keys defining said plurality of pre-set grades.  
     
     
         16 . A control interface as recited in  claim 15 , wherein upon selecting one of said plurality of grade level keys, said operable member is adjusted to said one pre-set grade of said plurality of pre-set grades.  
     
     
         17 . A control interface as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the direct adjustment keypad comprises a plurality of speed level keys, each of said plurality of speed level keys being associated with one of a plurality of pre-set speeds, and wherein each of said plurality of speed level keys is configured to initiate a change in a speed of the exercise apparatus to said one of said plurality of pre-set speeds upon selection of each of said plurality of speed level keys and wherein upon selecting one of said plurality of speed level keys, an operable member of the exercise device automatically adjusts from a current speed to a pre-set speed.  
     
     
         18 . A control interface as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the direct adjustment keypad comprises a direct incline adjustment interface that with one touch allows the incline of a selectively adjustable exercise system to be automatically adjusted upon selection of one of several preset grade levels.  
     
     
         19 . A control interface as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the direct adjustment keypad comprises a direct speed adjustment interface that with one touch allows the selectively adjustable exercise system speed to automatically shift upon selection to one of several preset speed levels.  
     
     
         20 . A control interface configured to be coupled to an operable member of an exercise apparatus, the control interface comprising a grade keypad configured to enable a user to selectively adjust a grade of said operable member to a pre-set grade, said grade keypad including one or more grade level keys defining different pre-set grades to which said operable member can be moved.  
     
     
         21 . The exercise system as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising an incremental grade control configured to incrementally adjust the grade of the operable member.  
     
     
         22 . The control interface as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising 
 a speed keypad configured to enable a user to selectively adjust a speed of said operable member to a pre-set speed, said speed keypad including one or more speed level keys defining different pre-set speeds to which said operable member can be moved wherein each speed level key is associated with a pre-set speed and is configured to initiate a change in a speed of an operable member to a pre-set speed upon selection of a speed level keys.    
     
     
         23 . The control interface as recited in  claim 22  further comprising an incremental speed control for allowing the user to incrementally adjust the speed of said operable member.  
     
     
         24 . An exercise system comprising: 
 a support base;    an operable member movably coupled to said support base; and    an interface console electrically coupled to said operable member, said interface console comprising: 
 a plurality of speed level keys selectable by a user of the exercise system, each of said plurality of speed level keys being associated with a different pre-set speed of said operable member;  
 a plurality of grade level keys selectable by a user of the exercise system, each of said plurality of grade level keys being associated with a different pre-set grade of said operable member; and  
 an incremental control, said incremental control being configured to incrementally change a workout parameter of the exercise apparatus upon being selected by the user of the exercise apparatus.  
   
     
     
         25 . A system as recited in  claim 24 , wherein 
 each speed level key defines a pre-set speed for the exercise apparatus and is configured to initiate a change in the speed of the exercise apparatus from a current speed to said pre-set speed upon being selected by the user of the exercise apparatus wherein upon selecting one of said plurality of speed level keys, the operable member automatically    adjusts from a current speed to said pre-set speed; and wherein each grade level key defines a pre-set grade for the exercise apparatus and is configured to initiate a change in the grade of the exercise apparatus from a current grade to said pre-set grade upon being selected by the user of the exercise apparatus, wherein upon selecting one of said plurality of grade level keys, the operable member automatically adjusts from a current grade to said pre-set grade.