Computer systems and methods for interaction with exercise device

A computer system for enabling interaction between one or more users with one or more trainers, the computer system comprising:

• (a) a user module adapted to control one or more operating parameter of an exercise device, the user module being adapted to receive packetized programming including at least one control signal;
• wherein the user module comprises:
• a user interface module adapted to gather one or more user inputs from the user;
• an exercise module in communication with the user interface and configured to enable a user to exercise;
• and
• an interface module, in communication with the exercise module, configured to receive the packetized programming including one or more control signals and deliver the same to the exercise module
• (b) a trainer module remote from and communicating with the user module so that a trainer at said trainer module may visually and audibly communicate with a user at the user module, the trainer module being capable of generating the packetized programming representative of changes to be made to the one or more operating parameters of the exercise device;
• and
• (c) a communication module in communication with the user module and the trainer module, the communication module being configured to deliver the packetized programming including the at least one control signal to the user module
• (d) a communication module in communication with the user module and the trainer module, the communication module being configured to deliver the packetized programming including the at least one control signal to the user module, wherein the user module further comprises a safety module disposed between the exercise module and the interface module, the safety module being configured to maintain the operation of the exercise module in the event that the user module becomes disconnected from the communication module.

A computer system for enabling interaction between one or more users with one or more trainers, the computer system comprising:

• (a) a user module adapted to control one or more operating parameter of an exercise device, the user module being adapted to receive packetized programming including at least one control signal;
• wherein the user module comprises:
• a user interface module adapted to gather one or more user inputs from the user;
• an exercise module in communication with the user interface and configured to enable a user to exercise;
• and
• an interface module, in communication with the exercise module, configured to receive the packetized programming including one or more control signals and deliver the same to the exercise module
• (b) a trainer module remote from and communicating with the user module so that a trainer at said trainer module may visually and audibly communicate with a user at the user module, the trainer module being capable of generating the packetized programming representative of changes to be made to the one or more operating parameters of the exercise device;
• and
• (c) a communication module in communication with the user module and the trainer module, the communication module being configured to deliver the packetized programming including the at least one control signal to the user module
• (d) a communication module in communication with the user module and the trainer module, the communication module being configured to deliver the packetized programming including the at least one control signal to the user module, wherein the user module further comprises a safety module disposed between the exercise module and the interface module, the safety module being configured to automatically disconnect the user module from the communication module when the user has completed the programming received from the communication module.

A computer system for enabling one or more users to interact with one another, comprising:

• (a) a first user module adapted to control one or more operating parameters of an exercise device, the first user module generating a first signal;
• (b) a second user module remote from and communicating with the first user module so that a user of the first user module may both visually and audibly communicate with a user of the second module, said second user module being adapted to control one or more operating parameters of an exercise device;
• (c) a communication module, in communication with the first user module and the second user module, the communication module being configured to deliver said first signal to said second user module;
• and
• (d) a third party control module to control the operating parameters of the first user module and the second user module in real-time.

A computer system for enabling interaction, the computer system comprising:

• (a) a first audio video input/output device module mounted on an exercise device having a display, a first video camera, and a first microphone, said first module being adapted to control one or more operating parameters of said exercise device and transmitting first video data received from said first video camera and first audio data received from said first microphone, wherein the display includes a plurality of interface devices to allow a user to change one or more parameters of the exercise device;
• (b) a second audio video input/output device module mounted on another exercise device having a display, a second video camera, and a second microphone, said second module being remote from and communicating with said first module, said second user module being adapted to transmit second video data received from said second video camera and second audio data received from second first microphone, wherein the display includes a plurality of interface devices to allow a user to change one or more parameters of the exercise device;
• and
• (c) a communication module, in communication with said first module and said second module, the communication module being configured to deliver said first video data and said first audio data to said second module and to deliver said second video data and said second audio data to said first module so that a user at the first module may visually and audibly communicate with another user at the second module.

A computer system for enabling interaction, the computer system comprising:

• (a) a first module associated with an exercise device having a first video camera and a first microphone, said first module being adapted to control one or more operating parameters of said exercise device and transmitting at least one of first video data received from said first video camera and first audio data received from said first microphone;
• (b) a communication module, in communication with said first module, the communication module being configured to receive at least one of said first video data and said first audio data;
• and
• (c) a communication network disposed between said first module and said communication module and being capable of facilitating delivery of at least one of said first video data and said first audio data from said first module to said communication module so that a user at said first module may visually and audibly communicates with another user in communication with said communication module;
• and wherein at least one of said first video data and said first audio data includes information regarding intensity of one or more parameters of the user's exercise, the one or more parameters comprising one or more of speed, incline, resistance, distance, heart rate, total calories burned, and fat calories burned.