Networked biometrically secured fitness device scheduler

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of physical fitness equipment. More specifically, it relates to controlling access to physical fitness equipment utilizing biometric data.

[0003] Modern gymnasiums and exercise facilities contain a great number of various physical fitness exercise equipment. This equipment includes stationary bicycles, treadmills, stair steppers, weight resistance machines, and many others. The attraction for individual users to purchase memberships to such gymnasiums and exercise facilities is the opportunity to use many different types of exercise equipment. It is not practical or affordable to have the variety of exercise equipment in the individual's home.

[0004] With the number of persons becoming members of gymnasiums increasing, scheduling the use of individual exercise equipment becomes problematic. It is an inevitable problem that certain exercise equipment becomes more popular than others among users, or that certain exercise equipment is in greater demand due to its limited supply. Continuous unavailability of certain exercise equipment because other individuals are using it often causes gymnasium members to become discontent and to cancel their memberships.

[0005] Existing scheduling techniques used by gymnasium staffs consist of taking reservations over the phone, or instituting a sign-up log sheet. These techniques, however, fall short of solving the scheduling problem. For example, difficulties continue to arise when unauthorized users begin using exercise machines out of turn. Additionally, these techniques do not address concerns of gymnasiums that have franchises in multiple locations. Existing reservation techniques do not allow a member of such a gymnasium to make a reservation to use exercise equipment at various locations. What is needed is a system that combines scheduling and access control for individual exercise equipment located at one or more gymnasium locations.

[0006] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for scheduling use and controlling access to exercise equipment using biometric data. An electronic reservation system is provided to enable potential users to schedule desired date and time of use for physical fitness devices at one or more gymnasium locations. Individual physical fitness devices are provided with a sensor capable of perceiving biometric characteristics from a potential user. Prior to initiating use of a particular fitness device, the potential user provides personal biometric data to the sensor. The biometric data is sent to a biometric characteristics database that identifies the potential user. The potential user's identity is then compared with the information in the reservation system to determine whether or not to allow the potential user access to the particular fitness device.

[0007] Such access control allows a scheduler or owner of the exercise equipment to effectively manage a reservation system for individual pieces of exercise equipment in one or more locations. It also allows the scheduler or owner to enable use, or exclude unauthorized use, of the exercise equipment. The biometric data may include various body characteristics, such as fingerprints, eye retinas, and facial patterns.

[0008] These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0009] FIG. 1 shows a general layout of the system;

[0010] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the reservation process;

[0011] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the user identification process.

[0012] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention is used with one or more fitness machines 1 located in a physical fitness facility. Biometric readers or sensors 3 are located on or near each fitness machine. Each biometric sensor 3 is capable of enabling and disabling each associated fitness machine. Each biometric sensor 3 is connected to a biometric characteristics database 7 via a signal line 5. The signal line 5 can be a wired connection, wireless local area network connection, or other wireless connection such as Bluetooth. The biometric characteristics database is connected to a reservation system database 11 via a signal line 9. Similarly, signal line 9 can be a wired connection, wireless local area network connection, or other wireless connection such as Bluetooth. Reservation system database 11 can be associated with biometric characteristics database 7 in a central controller 10, such as a computer. Alternatively, reservation system database 11 can be separate from the biometric characteristics database 7. Fitness equipment reservations are entered into the reservation system database 11 through a remote or local interface 14 via a communications link 12. Communication link 12 may be as simple as a keyboard connection for a computer containing the databases 7 and 11, or may be a wired or wireless telephone link, or Internet link, or other communications link such as Bluetooth.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the method of the present invention begins when a user initiates a reservation process for a particular piece of exercise equipment (Block 13). The user can be at a local keyboard, or at a remote system interface, or utilize various other interface 14 methods that would allow the user to send and receive information, such as registration via the telephone or internet. The user inputs information on a) the desired exercise equipment, b) preferred day and time of use, c) preferred time duration of use, and d) similar information for using additional exercise equipment as desired. If the user is a member of an exercise facility that has more then one location, e.g. franchises in different cities, the user would also enter the desired location of the exercise equipment. This step allows gymnasiums to better serve members who travel between locations where a particular gymnasium may have franchise or member exercise facilities.

[0014] The information input by the user is then transferred to the reservation system database 11 (Block 15). The reservation system database contains information on all exercise equipment available for use in the particular gymnasium or exercise facility, and its affiliated locations. The reservation system compares the user's request with the availability of the exercise equipment (Block 17), and determines whether the requested exercise equipment is available during the day and time requested (Block 21). The reservation system database 11 can be contained in one central location. Alternatively, the reservation system database 11 can be comprised of multiple databases in various locations. Such multiple databases can be located on each piece of exercise equipment, or in a central location in each gymnasium. If multiple reservation databases 11 are utilized, the databases would communicate with each other over communication links such as wired or wireless telephone links, or Internet links, or other communications links such as Bluetooth.

[0015] If the reservation system database 11 determines that the exercise equipment is available during the time period requested, it reserves the equipment for the specific user (Block 23), and stores the information in the reservation system database 11 (Block 25). The reservation system database 11 then sends a signal, via the same communication link 12 used by user to input information or another link, advising the user that a reservation has been made (Block 26). If the reservation system database 11 determines that the exercise equipment is for any reason not available as requested by user, it notifies the user that the request cannot be completed (Block 27). The user is then able to request additional reservations as desired (Block 28). The user learns whether the request has been accepted or denied via the same interface 14 used to contact the reservation system database 11 or a different interface. For example, a user may access the reservation system database 11 via a personal computer by direct connection or electronic mail and receive a reply via the same computer, or via a different interface such as a pager, electronic mail, wired or wireless telephone, etc. The reservation system may be remotely accessed by a user not only by computer directly or by electronic mail, but also by pager, wire or wireless telephone, personal digital access device, or various other communications device. The user may also choose to receive periodic reminders of the reserved schedule from the reservation system database 11 via an interface the user chooses. For example, the user may choose to receive a reminder via electronic email one hour before scheduled reservation time period begins. The process illustrated in FIG. 2 is executed, for example, by a central controller 10, e.g. a computer system that manages databases 7 and 11.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the next phase of the present invention takes place at the fitness machine in the gymnasium or fitness facility. Each fitness machine 1 has an associated biometric sensor 3. The user, prior to initiating use of a machine, must input a biometric characteristic into the biometric sensor 3 (Block 29). The biometric characteristic can be any one or a combination of human characteristic chosen by the particular exercise facility, such as a fingerprint, facial pattern, eye retina, or others. The biometric characteristic is transmitted from the biometric sensor 3 to the biometric characteristics database 7 where the characteristic is compared with stored data and the specific user is identified (Block 33). After the identification is completed, the information regarding the specific user, the fitness machine, the location (if applicable), and the time the request is made is compared with the information stored in the reservation system database 11 (Block 35). The reservation system database 11 makes the determination whether to grant or deny user access to the fitness machine (Block 37).

[0017] If the comparison confirms that the user does not have a reservation for that particular piece of fitness equipment, the reservation system database 11 does not cause central controller 10 to activate the fitness machine (Block 41). Consequently, a person who does not have a reservation to use a particular reserved fitness machine is precluded from initiating exercise. If the particular fitness machine is not reserved in the reservation system database 11, the user may initiate exercise on the machine for a desired time duration by providing a biometric characteristic input to sensor 3, so long as the time duration does not conflict with an existing reservation. Alternatively, the user may simply initiate use of an unreserved machine without providing a biometric input. In this case, the central controller 10 would enable the unreserved machine to remain active for a predetermined time duration so as not to conflict with an existing or potential reservation.

[0018] If the comparison confirms that the user has a reservation for that particular piece of fitness equipment, the reservation system database 11 causes the central controller 10 to activate the fitness machine (Block 39). Enabling activation is accomplished by sending a signal from the central controller 10 to the biometric sensor 3 via signal line 5 indicating that the associated fitness machine 1 can be activated. Upon receiving the enabling signal, sensor 3 activates the associated fitness machine 1. The method for sensor 3 to activate an associated fitness machine 1 will vary according to control logic of various fitness machines.

[0019] After the fitness machine 1 is enabled, the reservation system database 11 makes certain that the user does not occupy the fitness machine for a duration longer then the reserved time period. This can be accomplished, for example, by a simple “time-out” function. The central controller 10 can send a signal to the biometric sensor 3 to initiate an internal “time-out” function equivalent to the reserved time period. For example, if the user reserved the fitness machine 1 for twenty minutes, the signal from central controller 10 to sensor 3 to enable the fitness machine 1 would also initiate a “time-out” function within the biometric sensor equipment to count twenty minutes and then disable the fitness machine 1. Alternatively, the “time-out” function can be performed within the central controller 10, and upon counting the time period of the fitness machine's 1 reservation, the central controller 10 would send a signal to biometric sensor equipment to disable the associated fitness machine 1. This sequence is illustrated in Blocks 43, 45, 47, and 49. If the reserved timeframe has not expired, the fitness machine is allowed to remain active (Block 49). If the reserved timeframe has expired, the fitness machine is deactivated (Block 47).

[0020] This step ensures that the user does not exceed the timeframe for which the fitness machine was reserved, and that subsequent users with a reservation can access the fitness equipment. In the event that a prospective user wishes to use a fitness machine that has not been reserved in the reservation system database 11, the central controller 10 may enable use of that fitness machine until such a time when that fitness machine has been reserved.

[0021] Thus, a method and apparatus are provided to facilitate scheduling of fitness equipment utilizing user's biometric characteristics. The method and apparatus described above allows a physical fitness facility to effectively coordinate use of individual exercise machines, and to preclude unauthorized users from initiating use of fitness equipment.

[0022] While exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it should be apparent that many modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly the invention is not limited by the foregoing description or drawings, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.