IP Library Granted Patent US 11,465,006
Granted Patent B2
US 11,465,006 · App. 16/737,684 · Granted Oct 11, 2022

Digital strength training

Inventors: Aly E. Orady (San Francisco, CA); Bret G. Stott (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: Tonal Systems, Inc.
A63B21/0059A63B21/00181A63B21/015A63B21/018A63B21/16A63B21/169A63B21/4035A63B23/1281A63B24/0062A63B24/0087A63B71/0054A63B2071/0072A63B2220/17A63B2220/34A63B2220/40A63B2220/62A63B2220/80A63B2220/805A63B2220/833
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,465,006
App. No.
16/737,684
Granted
Oct 11, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information related to the position of an actuator coupled to a cable which is coupled to a motor is received. A filter is used to provide an input to a motor controller coupled to the motor, to adjust torque on the motor such that a strength curve is implemented relative to the position of the actuator.

Claims (42)

1. An exercise machine including:

an actuator;

a motor;

a cable coupled between the actuator and the motor;

a motor controller coupled to the motor;

a filter coupled to the motor controller, configured to:

receive an information related to a position of the actuator, wherein the information related to a position of the cable includes a plurality of points in time to obtain velocity of the cable;

provide an input to the motor controller to adjust torque on the motor such that a strength curve is implemented relative to the position of the actuator, wherein:

the strength curve is a momentum free weight stack filter, at least in part mirroring a behavior of a weight machine with a weight stack without momentum to the actuator;

calculate a friction being applied to the actuator; and

compensate for the friction being applied, wherein the friction is a percentage of the mirrored weight stack weight added during spooling of the cable and subtracted during unspooling of the cable.

2. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a handle, the filter is a digital filter, and the motor is a three phase motor.

3. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the filter is further configured to receive a second information related to the force applied on the cable.

4. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve is a constant torque filter, at least in part driving the actuator with a constant torque.

5. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve is a weight stack filter, at least in part mirroring a behavior of a weight machine with a weight stack to the actuator.

6. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve is a weight stack filter, at least in part mirroring a behavior of a weight machine with a weight stack with at least ten pounds of accuracy to the actuator.

7. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve is a momentum free weight stack filter, at least in part mirroring a behavior of a weight machine with a weight stack without momentum to the actuator.

8. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve is a momentum free weight stack filter, at least in part mirroring a behavior of a weight machine with a weight stack without momentum to the actuator, wherein the filter is further configured to calculate an actuator momentum of the actuator; and compensate for the actuator momentum.

9. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve includes an asymmetry, at least in part providing eccentric loading service to the actuator.

10. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve includes a dynamic spotter protocol, at least in part providing a weight spotter service to the actuator.

11. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve includes a dynamic repetition protocol, at least in part providing at least one of the following to the actuator: a pyramid service, an escalation service, a ladder service, and a drop service.

12. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve comprises a dynamic nonlinear strength curve that changes over time.

13. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the motor is an AC induction motor.

14. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the filter is further configured to compute motor position based on sensor fusion comprising a high speed sensor to determine motor position at high speed and a low speed sensor to determine motor position at low speed.

15. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the filter is further configured to compute motor position based on sensor fusion comprising a magnet sensor to determine motor position based on magnetism and an optical sensor to determine motor position based on optics.

16. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the motor is of pancake style and the machine is of low relative depth.

17. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the motor is of pancake style and the machine is of low relative depth for at least one of the following: wall mounting and floor mounting.

18. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the motor controller is coupled to a user input device, wherein the user input device includes at least one of the following: a touch screen, buttons, and dials.

19. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the motor controller is coupled to a user feedback device, wherein the user feedback device includes at least one of the following: a screen, lights, a haptic feedback, an audible sound generator, and a speaker.

20. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the strength curve is a filter effectuating two or more of strength curves.

21. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the machine makes user adjustments based on the performance of the user.

22. The exercise machine of claim 1 , wherein the filter compensates for at least one of the following: friction, positive velocity, negative velocity, momentum, inertia, and kinetic energy.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving an information related to a position of an actuator coupled to a cable which is coupled to a motor, wherein the information related to a position of the cable includes a plurality of points in time to obtain velocity of the cable;

using a filter to provide an input to a motor controller coupled to the motor, to adjust torque on the motor such that a strength curve is implemented relative to the position of the actuator, wherein: the strength curve is a momentum free weight stack filter, at least in part mirroring a behavior of a weight machine with a weight stack without momentum to the actuator;

calculating a friction being applied to the actuator; and

compensating for the friction being applied, wherein the friction is a percentage of the mirrored weight stack weight added during spooling of the cable and subtracted during unspooling of the cable.

24. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving an information related to a position of an actuator coupled to a cable which is coupled to a motor, wherein the information related to a position of the cable includes a plurality of points in time to obtain velocity of the cable;

using a filter to provide to a motor controller coupled to the motor, to adjust torque on the motor such that a strength curve is implemented relative to the position of the actuator, wherein: the strength curve is a momentum free weight stack filter, at least in part mirroring a behavior of a weight machine with a weight stack without momentum to the actuator;

calculating a friction being applied to the actuator; and

compensating for the friction being applied, wherein the friction is a percentage of the mirrored weight stack weight added during spooling of the cable and subtracted during unspooling of the cable.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2026
From: TONAL SYSTEMS, INC.
To: HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 075306/0212 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2026
From: THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, IN ITS CAPACITY AS RECEIVER FOR SIGNATURE BRIDGE BANK, N.A.
To: TONAL SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 074028/0088 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2025
From: TONAL SYSTEMS, INC.
To: CUSTOMERS BANK
Reel/Frame 073255/0161 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2023
From: TONAL SYSTEMS, INC.
To: THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, IN ITS CAPACITY AS RECEIVER FOR SIGNATURE BRIDGE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063283/0182 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15655682 · Jul 20, 2017
Provisional Application 62366573 · Jul 25, 2016
Related Publication 20200316424A1 · Oct 8, 2020