Exercise apparatus with automatically adjustable foot motion

An exercise apparatus comprising

• a frame;
• a footpad for supporting a user's foot;
• a linkage for coupling the footpad to the frame and for guiding the footpad in a closed path in response to first and second forces applied in first and second directions, respectively, to the footpad by the user's foot, wherein the linkage includes a rotatable member having an angular position that changes with a position of the footpad within the closed path, and wherein the linkage adjusts first and second dimensions of the closed path in response to electrical control signals supplied as inputs to the linkage;
• and
• a control system for monitoring the angular position of the rotatable member, for monitoring magnitudes of first and second forces, and for generating the control signals such that the linkage adjusts the first and second dimensions as functions of the monitored first and second forces and of the monitored angular position of the rotatable member,
• wherein the control system controls the first control signal
• such that when a magnitude of the first force is outside a first magnitude range, the linkage alters the first dimension while the angular position of the rotatable member is within a first position range and otherwise refrains from altering the first dimension.

A method for controlling an exercise apparatus having a frame, a footpad for supporting a user's foot, and a linkage for coupling the footpad to the frame and for guiding the footpad in a closed path in response to a force applied to the footpad by the user's foot, wherein the linkage includes a rotatable member having an angular position that changes with a position of the footpad within the closed path, and wherein the linkage adjusts a dimension of the closed path in response to an electrical control signal supplied as input to the linkage, the method comprising the steps of

• a. monitoring the angular position of the rotatable member,
• b. monitoring a magnitude of the force, and
• c. controlling the control signal such that the linkage adjusts the dimension as a function of the monitored force on the footpad and of the monitored angular position of the rotatable member,
• wherein step c comprises controlling the control signal
• such that when a magnitude of the force is outside a magnitude range, the linkage alters the dimension while the angular position of the rotatable member is within a position range and otherwise refrains from adjusting the dimension.

A method for controlling an exercise apparatus having a frame, a footpad for supporting a user's foot, and a linkage for coupling the footpad to the frame and for guiding the footpad in a closed path in response to first and second forces applied in differing directions to the footpad by the user's foot, wherein the linkage includes a rotatable member having an angular position that changes with a position of the footpad within the closed path, and wherein the linkage adjusts first and second dimensions of the closed path in response to a plurality of electrical control signals supplied as inputs to the linkage, the method comprising the steps of

• a. monitoring the angular position of the rotatable member,
• b. monitoring magnitudes of first and second forces, and
• c. controlling the control signals
• such that the linkage adjusts the first and second dimensions as functions of the monitored first and second forces and the monitored angular position of the rotatable member, and wherein step c comprises
• controlling the first control signal
• such that when a magnitude of the first force is outside a first magnitude range, the linkage alters the first dimension while the angular position of the rotatable member is within a first position range and otherwise refrains from adjusting the first dimension.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a frame,
• a right footpad for supporting a user's right foot,
• a left footpad for supporting the user's left foot,
• a linkage for coupling the right and left footpads to the frame and for guiding the right and left footpads in closed paths in response to forces applied to the right and left footpads by the user's right and left feet, the linkage including a rotatable member having an angular position indicative of positions of the right and left footpads within their closed paths, wherein the linkage adjusts dimensions of the closed paths of the right and left footpads in response to electrical control signals supplied as inputs to the linkage, and
• a control system for monitoring the angular position of the rotatable member, for monitoring the forces applied to the right and left footpads, and for generating the control signals such that the linkage adjusts at least one dimension of the path of the right footpad as a function of monitored force on the right footpad and of the angular position of the rotatable member, and independently adjusts at least one dimension of the path of the left foot pad as a function of monitored force on the left footpad and of the angular position of the rotatable member,
• and wherein the control system controls the control signals
• such that when a magnitude of the force on the right footpad is outside a first magnitude range, the linkage alters the dimension of the closed path of the right footpad while the angular position of the rotatable member is within a first position range and otherwise refrains from adjusting the dimension of the closed path of the right footpad.

A method for controlling an exercise apparatus having

• a frame,
• a right footpad for supporting a user's right foot,
• a left footpad for supporting the user's left foot, and
• a linkage for coupling the right and left footpads to the frame and for guiding the right and left footpads in closed paths in response to forces applied to the right and left footpads by the user's right and left feet, the linkage including a rotatable member having an angular position indicative of positions of the right and left footpads within their closed paths, wherein the linkage adjusts dimensions of the closed paths of the right and left footpads in response to electrical control signals supplied as inputs to the linkage,
• the method comprising the steps of
• a. monitoring the angular position of the rotatable member,
• b. monitoring the forces applied to the right and left footpads, and
• c. generating the control signals such that the linkage adjusts at least one dimension of the path of the right footpad as a function of monitored force on the right footpad and of the angular position of the rotatable member, and independently adjusts at least one dimension of the path of the left foot pad as a function of monitored force on the left footpad and of the angular position of the rotatable member,
• and wherein step c comprises generating the control signals such that the control signals cause the linkage to alter the dimension of the closed path of a first of the right and left footpads when a magnitude of the force on the first of the right and left footpads is outside a first magnitude range while the angular position of the rotatable member is within a first position range and otherwise to refrain from adjusting the dimension of the closed path of the first of the right and left footpads.