US 6,902,513 · Granted 2005-06-07
The Patent Behind Virtual Racing on Your Treadmill
Imagine being able to race against your friend on their treadmill across town without leaving your gym. This patent covers the technology that lets fitness machines talk to each other, compare your speed and performance in real time, and show you both competing on a shared display. It's the blueprint for turning solo workouts into multiplayer competitions.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a computerized fitness machine that has sensors to track your performance (like how fast you're running), a display to show your stats, and a communication system that sends your performance data to other similar machines and receives theirs back. What's protected here is the specific logic that compares your numbers with remote equipment and displays the results side-by-side so you can see how you stack up against someone else working out elsewhere.
Why it matters
This patent captures the core idea of connected fitness before it became mainstream. By locking down the concept of multiple machines communicating performance data and rendering competitive displays in real time, it established intellectual property around what would eventually become standard in interactive home fitness and connected gym equipment. The patent essentially claims the method of turning isolated cardio machines into networked, competitive experiences.
Real-world use
When you hop on a Peloton or other connected stationary bike and see your name racing against a friend's avatar on screen, you're using technology built on foundations like this patent.
Original USPTO abstract
The present invention is generally directed to a computerized fitness equipment that is designed to simulate, emulate, or implement actual race conditions with other users. An exemplar fitness equipment includes at least one operating component and sensors to monitor performance parameters of the at least one operating component (such as speed of movement). A display is also provided, along with logic to provide a visual display of a user's performance (as measured through the first performance parameters). In one embodiment, a communication interface is provided to communicate the first performance parameters to at least one remote, similarly-configured, fitness equipment. Performance parameters from the remote fitness equipment are also received through the communication interface. The fitness equipment includes logic to compare the first performance parameters with performance parameters received from remote fitness equipment and display the results in a comparative fashion to the user.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,902,513
- Filing date
- 2002-04-02
- Grant date
- 2005-06-07
- Assignee
- Mcclure Daniel R.
- Inventor(s)
- MCCLURE DANIEL R.
- CPC class
- A63B24/0006
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