Methods for providing an improved exercise device with access to motivational programming over telephone communication connection lines
View Patent ↗The present invention is directed to systems and methods for controlling an exercise device with one or more control signals associated with an exercise program received from a telephone answering service. The exercise device includes an input device through which a user can request an exercise program from the telephone answering service. The telephone answering service delivers selectable options to the exercise device, which presents the options to the user. In response to the user selecting a particular option, the telephone answering service delivers the selected exercise program, including one or more control signals, to the exercise device. The exercise device identifies the one or more control signals, either by detecting the audible representation of the one or more control signals or analyzing the electronic representation of the received exercise program, and controls one or more operating parameters of the exercise device based upon such one or more control signals.
1. A method of controlling an exercise device through at least one exercise program, the method comprising:
transmitting a request for at least one exercise program from the exercise device to a telephone answering service, the at least one exercise program comprising at least one control signal for controlling at least one operating parameter of the exercise device;
receiving at the exercise device the at least one exercise program from the telephone answering service; and
in response to identifying the at least one control signal of the at least one exercise program, controlling at least one operating parameter of the exercise device in accordance with the at least one control signal.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising dialing a telephone number associated with the telephone answering service to transmit the request for the at least one exercise program.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising automatically dialing a telephone number associated with the telephone answering service and automatically receiving the at least one exercise program from the telephone answering service.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the exercise device an audio recitation of a list of available exercise programs stored at the telephone answering service.
5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising selecting the at least one exercise program from the list of available exercise programs and delivering data indicative of the selected at least one exercise program to the telephone answering service.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising presenting the at least one exercise program to a user of the exercise device.
7. The method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising capturing the at least one control signal presented to the user.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein upon capturing the at least one control signal presented by the user using a microphone, processing the at least one control signal to control at least one operating parameter of the exercise device in accordance with the at least one control signal.
9. A method of delivering an exercise program to an exercise device, the method comprising:
receiving a first request for a selected exercise program at a telephone answering service having access to a store of available exercise programs;
delivering an audio recitation of a list of available exercise programs at the store of available exercise programs to the exercise device; and
in response to a second request received from the exercise device identifying the selected exercise program, delivering the selected exercise program to the exercise device, the selected exercise program having at least one control signal for controlling at least one operating parameter of the exercise device.
10. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising dialing a telephone number associated with the telephone answering service to send the first request to the telephone answering service.
11. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising automatically dialing a telephone number associated with the telephone answering service and automatically delivering the at least one exercise program from the telephone answering service.
12. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising transmitting to the telephone answering service the second request, the second request including data indicative of the selected exercise program.
13. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising requesting user specific data from the exercise device, the user specific data comprising data indicative of at least one of a user's identity, a username, a password, payment information, and a type of the exercise device.
14. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising accessing the store of available exercise programs at a location remote from the telephone answering service.
15. A method of receiving an exercise program to control at least one operating parameter of an exercise device, the method comprising:
delivering a first request for a selected exercise program to a telephone answering service having a store of available exercise programs;
upon receiving an audio recitation of a list of available exercise programs at the store of available exercise programs to the exercise device, transmitting a second request for at least one exercise program from the store of available exercise programs; and
receiving at the exercise device the at least one exercise program from the telephone answering service to control at least one operating parameter of the exercise device in accordance with the at least one exercise program.
16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein delivering the first request comprises dialing a telephone number associated with the telephone answering service to send the first request to the telephone answering service.
17. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising dialing the telephone number by way of a keypad integral with the exercise device.
18. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein delivering the first request comprises selecting an input device to automatically dial a telephone number associated with the telephone answering service.
19. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising selecting a single key of a keypad to automatically dial the telephone number for the telephone answering service.
20. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein transmitting the second request comprises activating one or more keys of a keypad integral with the exercise device to transmit the second request.