Patent ID: 7841964

Claim:
A method of controlling stationary exercise apparatus of the type having at least one movable component providing a simulation of a corresponding physical activity involving human motion, wherein the exercise apparatus is capable of controlling at least one of the movement and the resistance of the movable component to simulate the effects of changes in momentum that occur during the physical activity being simulated, the method comprising: determining an applied force that is applied to a component of the exercise apparatus by a user during use thereof by measuring an operating parameter of the stationary exercise apparatus that is related to an applied force that is applied to a component of the exercise apparatus by a user during use thereof; determining a virtual velocity of the physical activity being simulated, wherein the estimate of a target velocity comprises an estimate of a velocity that would occur during the physical activity being simulated if the applied force had been applied by a user during an actual physical activity; determining an actual velocity based on a measured velocity of the movable component of the stationary exercise apparatus; comparing the actual velocity of the virtual velocity; and controlling at least one of the movement and the resistance to movement of the at least one movable component to simulate the effects of changes in momentum based, at least in part, on the comparison of the actual velocity to the virtual velocity.