Patent ID: 8480541
Filing Date: 2013-07-09
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A treadmill control system comprising: a. a tread base, b. a moving tread belt supported by said tread base on which a user can run or walk, c. a belt motion sensor to generate belt motion measurements related to the speed or displacement of said tread belt, d. a motor assembly to drive said tread belt at a variable speed, e. a plurality of foot sensors to detect the presence or absence of a user foot at various positions along said tread base, f. a compute mechanism which uses the outputs of said foot sensors to detect actual user footfalls distinct from other types of events that can activate said foot sensors, the events comprising: a dragged user foot, a skipping user foot, a user foot moving slightly above said tread belt, or a foreign object, g. a compute mechanism which uses detected user footfalls to produce footfall position estimates of the location of each user footfall upon said tread belt, h. a motor controller which adjusts the speed of said motor assembly in response to footfall position estimates, whereby the speed of said tread belt automatically responds to user position.