Exercise device with body fat monitor

Abstract

An exercise system with a body fat monitor. The exercise system includes biometric sensors including a body fat sensor. Some of the electrodes used by the biometric sensors are used by more than one sensor. A body fat monitor is linked with the exercise device and includes a processing assembly that uses an impedance sensed by the body fat sensor in combination with user data to determine a body fat percentage of the user. The body fat percentage is then displayed to a user. Historical values of the body fat percentage are stored and can also be displayed to a user.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An exercise system comprising: 
 a. an exercise device comprising: 
 a frame; and  
 an operable member operably linked to the frame; and  
   b. a body fat monitor linked to the exercise device, wherein the body fat monitor monitors a body fat of a user of the exercise device.    
     
     
         2 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the body fat monitor is integrated with a console supported by the frame.  
     
     
         3 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the body fat monitor senses an impedance of the user and determines a body fat percentage of the user using at least the impedance of the user.  
     
     
         4 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the body fat monitor comprises: 
 a display for conveying a body fat percentage to the user;    a processing assembly for computing the body fat percentage of the user using at least one regression analysis that incorporates at least the impedance of the user; and    a plurality of electrodes used by the processing assembly to determine the impedance of the user.    
     
     
         5 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein at least the display and the processing assembly are integrated into a console linked to the frame.  
     
     
         6 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the processing assembly further comprises: 
 a body fat sensor that uses the plurality of electrodes to determine the impedance of the user; and    a biometric processor that uses the impedance and user data in the at least one regression analysis to determine the body fat percentage of the user.    
     
     
         7 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising a heart rate monitor linked to the exercise device for determining a heart rate of the user, wherein the heart rate is conveyed to the user on the display.  
     
     
         8 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 8 , wherein at least one electrode included in the plurality of electrodes is shared by the body fat sensor and the heart rate sensor.  
     
     
         9 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising a body mass index monitor that monitors a body mass index of a user.  
     
     
         10 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the body mass index monitor displays a current body mass index of the user or at least one historical value of the user's body mass index and wherein the body mass index is updated when the user data changes.  
     
     
         11 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the body fat monitor further comprises: 
 a measure input for activating the body fat sensor such that the impedance of the user is measured when the user is in contact with the plurality of electrodes;    a progress input that causes at least one historical value of the body fat percentage to be displayed on the display; and    a program input that selects a workout routine for the user based on one or more measurements of the body fat.    
     
     
         12 . An exercise system comprising: 
 an exercise device comprising: 
 a frame; and  
 an operable member operably linked to the frame; and  
   a body fat monitor linked to the exercise device, the body fat monitor comprising: 
 a processing assembly having a body fat sensor, wherein the processing assembly determines a body fat percentage of a user; and  
 a display for conveying the body fat percentage to the user; and  
 a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with the body fat sensor.  
   
     
     
         13 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the processing assembly determines a body fat percentage using one or more of: 
 an impedance of the user sensed by the body fat sensor; and    user data that is accessed by the processing assembly, wherein the user data includes one or more of: 
 a height of the user;  
 a weight of the user;  
 an age of the user; and  
 a sex of the user.  
   
     
     
         14 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the processing assembly further comprises a processor that uses at least one regression analysis to determine the body fat percentage of the user.  
     
     
         15 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one regression analysis combines the impedance of the user and user data to determine the body fat percentage of the user.  
     
     
         16 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the body fat monitor stores user data for more than one user.  
     
     
         17 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the body fat monitor further comprises: 
 a first input for activating the body fat sensor such that the impedance of the user is measured;    a second input that causes a progress of the user to be displayed on the display; and    a third input that selects a workout routine for the user based on one or more measurements of the body fat percentage.    
     
     
         18 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a reference electrode that is configured for use by other biometric sensors.  
     
     
         19 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the processing assembly further comprises a heart rate sensor that uses the reference electrode.  
     
     
         20 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are mounted in one or more handles linked with at least one of the body fat monitor and the frame of the exercise device.  
     
     
         21 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a first electrode mounted in a first handle and a second electrode mounted in a second handle, wherein the first handle and the second handle each include a contact of a reference electrode.  
     
     
         22 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are used to determine the impedance of the user.  
     
     
         23 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising a body mass index monitor that tracks and displays a body mass index of a user.  
     
     
         24 . An exercise system comprising: 
 a frame;    an operable member operably linked to the frame; and    a body fat monitor linked to at least one of the frame and the operable member, wherein the body fat monitor comprises: 
 a body fat sensor electrically connected to a first electrode, a second electrode, and a reference electrode, wherein an impedance of a user is measured using the first electrode, the second electrode, and the reference electrode; and  
 a display for displaying a body fat percentage of the user, wherein the body fat monitor computes the body fat percentage using at least one of (i) the impedance of the user and (ii) user data.  
   
     
     
         25 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the exercise system further comprises a heart rate sensor having a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the heart rate sensor shares the reference electrode with the body fat sensor.  
     
     
         26 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the body fat monitor further comprises a measure input that activates the body fat sensor such that an impedance of a user is measured when the user contacts the first electrode of the body fat sensor, the second electrode of the body fat sensor, and the reference electrode.  
     
     
         27 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 26 , wherein the measure input deactivates the heart rate sensor.  
     
     
         28 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the body fat monitor further comprises a program input that provides a workout routine for the user based on measurements from the body fat sensor.  
     
     
         29 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the body fat monitor stores measurements of a user's body fat, wherein the body fat monitor further comprises a progress input that displays a progress of the user over a particular time period using the stored measurements of the user's body fat.  
     
     
         30 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the body fat monitor includes a biometric processor that uses the impedance of the user in combination with the user data stored at the body fat monitor in at least one regression analysis to determine the body fat of the user, wherein the user data includes one or more of: 
 a height of the user;    a weight of the user;    an age of the user; and    a sex of the user.    
     
     
         31 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 30 , wherein the biometric processor further selects at least one regression analysis based on a body mass index of the user.  
     
     
         32 . An exercise system comprising: 
 a frame;    an operable member operably linked to the frame; and    a monitoring assembly linked to at least one of the frame and the operable member, the monitoring assembly comprising: 
 a first set of electrodes including a first reference electrode contact;  
 a second set of electrodes including a second reference electrode contact;  
 a body fat sensor electrically connected with the first and second sets of electrodes, the body fat sensor being adapted to measure a body fat percentage of the user when the user contacts the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes; and  
 a heart rate sensor that is electrically connected with the first and second sets of electrodes, the heart rate sensor using the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes to determine a heart rate of the user when the user.  
   
     
     
         33 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the heart rate is inactive when the body fat sensor is activated and the body fat sensor is inactive when the heart rate sensor is activated.  
     
     
         34 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the monitoring assembly comprises a console having a measure input, a program input, and a progress input.  
     
     
         35 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the measure input activates the body fat sensor to determine a body fat percentage when the measure input is activated.  
     
     
         36 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the program input uses a current measurement of body fat percentage with previous measurements of body fat percentage to suggest a workout routine to the user.  
     
     
         37 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the progress input displays the process of a user on the display using one or more measurements of body fat percentage.  
     
     
         38 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the console stores user data for one or more users.  
     
     
         39 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the monitoring assembly further comprises a biometric processor that uses an impedance of the user sensed by the body fat sensor in combination with stored user data in at least one regression analysis to determine the body fat percentage of the user.  
     
     
         40 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 39 , wherein the biometric processor further selects at least one regression analysis based on a body mass index of the user, wherein the selected at least one regression analysis is used to determine a body fat percentage of the user.  
     
     
         41 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 39 , wherein the biometric processor: 
 selects a first regression analysis if the body mass index is above a first value;    selects a second regression analysis if the body mass index is below a second value; and    averages the first regression analysis with the second regression analysis if the body mass index is between the first value and the second value.    
     
     
         42 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the body fat sensor and the heart rate sensor are electrically connected with the first reference electrode contact and the second reference electrode contact.  
     
     
         43 . An exercise system as recited in  claim 32 , wherein the first set of electrodes is mounted on a first handle and the second set of electrodes is mounted on a second handle.  
     
     
         44 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 32 , further comprising a body mass index monitor that stores a current body mass index of a user and historical body mass index values of the user, wherein the body mass index monitor displays the current body mass index or the historical body mass index values of the user on a display.  
     
     
         45 . A monitoring assembly that measures and monitors one or more biometrics of a user for use with an exercise device, the monitoring assembly comprising: 
 biometric circuitry having: 
 a heart rate sensor electrically connected to a first heart rate electrode, a second heart rate electrode, a first reference electrode contact, and a second reference electrode contact; and  
 a body fat sensor electrically connected to a first body fat electrode, a second body fat electrode, and the first reference electrode contact and the second reference electrode contact;  
   a signal processor adapted to determine an impedance from the data generated by the body fat sensor and to determine a heart rate from the data generated by the heart rate sensor;    a biometric processor that stores user data and that stores one or more regression analyses, wherein the biometric processor determines a user's body fat percentage using the impedance from the signal processor in combination with (i) user data and (ii) at least one regression analysis selected from the one or more regression analyses; and    a display for displaying a user's body fat percentage and heart rate.    
     
     
         46 . A monitoring assembly as defined in  claim 45 , wherein the first heart rate electrode, the first body fat electrode, the first reference electrode contact are mounted in a first handle linked with the monitoring assembly.  
     
     
         47 . A monitoring assembly as defined in  claim 45 , wherein the second heart rate electrode, the second body fat electrode, and the second reference electrode contact are mounted in a second handle linked with the monitoring assembly.  
     
     
         48 . A monitoring assembly as defined in  claim 45 , wherein the first heart rate electrode, the second heart rate electrode, the first body fat electrode, the second body fat electrode, and the first and second reference electrode contacts are mounted in a frame of an exercise device.  
     
     
         49 . A monitoring assembly as defined in  claim 45 , further comprising: 
 a measure input for activating the body fat sensor such that the impedance of the user is measured when a user is in contact with the first body fat electrode, the second body fat electrode and the reference electrode;    a progress input that causes a progress of the user to be displayed on the display such that at least one historical value of a body fat percentage is displayed on the display; and    a program input that selects a workout routine for the user based on one or more measurements of the body fat percentage.    
     
     
         50 . An exercise system comprising: 
 a. an exercise device comprising: 
 a frame; and  
 an operable member operably linked to the frame; and  
   b. a monitoring assembly linked to the exercise device, the monitoring assembly including a body fat monitor, wherein the monitoring assembly provides a workout routine for a user based on user data provided by the user.    
     
     
         51 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 50 , wherein the user data provided by the user includes one or more of: 
 a height of the user;    a weight of the user;    an age of the user;    a sex of the user;    a body fat of the user;    a body mass index of the user;    historical values of the user's body mass index;    historical values the user's body fat;    a heart rate of the user;    historical values the user's heart rate; and    historical values of the user's use of the exercise device.    
     
     
         52 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 50 , wherein the user data provided by the user comprises data input by the user.  
     
     
         53 . An exercise system as defined in  claim 50 , wherein the user data provided by the user comprises historical data generated by the user's use of the exercise device.