Athletic peformance and technique monitoring

• US 10,143,887 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas C. Chuang
• Original Assignee: Thomas C. Chuang
• Inventors: Chuang, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US15/613,114
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 1/00 Horizontal bars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/18 : Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/52 : Predicting or monitoring the response to treatment, e.g. for selection of therapy based on assay results in personalised medicine; Prognosis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/54 : Determining the risk of relapse
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/57415 : of breast
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 : Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/00 : Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; direction and speed indication G01P13/045; counting mechanisms G06M
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 : Determining velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2193 : based on specific statistical tests
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10056 : Microscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 : Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 : Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 : Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/698 : Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 : Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 : Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for athletic performance and technique monitoring are disclosed. In one example, a sensor output is received associated with a movement of a user torso during a running motion. The sensor output is analyzed to identify an undesirable torso motion.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a sensor system adapted to be worn on a user torso, the sensor system comprising a heart rate monitoring sensor and a first wireless transceiver; and

a device adapted to be worn on a user comprising;

a second wireless transceiver configured to receive a sensor system output from the first wireless transceiver;

a user interface;

a processor;

a positioning system unit configured to monitor a user speed or pace during a running motion; and

a memory comprising a motion analysis application configured to receive the sensor system output and determine a torso vertical displacement and further configured to determine a torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio from the torso vertical displacement and a user stride length during the running motion.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application outputs an indication of a user heart rate in real time during the running motion at the user interface utilizing a heart rate data output from the heart rate monitoring sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to provide real-time notice of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio during the running motion at the user interface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the real-time notice of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio is the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output an indication at the user interface resulting from a comparison of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio to a data stored prior to the running activity.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data stored prior to the running activity utilizes data determined utilizing measurements of other runners.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the data stored prior to the running activity comprises a stored value determined utilizing measurements of other runners.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio and output the average at the user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a distance.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a time.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises a ratio of the torso vertical displacement to the user stride length.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the positioning system unit comprises a global positioning system unit operable to track a change in a user speed or pace in real time during the running motion.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify a user performance characteristic utilizing the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio in conjunction with a stored value identified prior to a start of the running activity.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application identifies a user step cadence from the sensor system output.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises a stored data associated with a torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio parameter.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output the torso vertical displacement at the user interface.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output the user stride length at the user interface.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an average torso vertical displacement over a time interval or a distance interval.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an average torso vertical displacement over a distance interval.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis application outputs a measure of the user speed or user pace in real time during the running motion at the user interface utilizing a real time output from the positioning system unit.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a sensor adapted to monitor a user arm motion, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to provide a notification to the user of a desirable arm motion during the running motion.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a sensor adapted to monitor a user arm motion, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify an undesirable user arm motion in real time during the running motion.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the undesirable user arm motion is identified by a value of an arm motion parameter in excess of a threshold value.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a first sensor adapted to be worn on a first body part and a second sensor adapted to be worn on a second body part, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify a degree to which the movement of the first body part and the second body part are synchronized.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor adapted to be worn on a body part different than the sensor system and the device, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify a motion of the body sensor with respect to a motion of the sensor system or a motion of the device.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor adapted to be worn on a body part different than the sensor system and the device, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify an undesirable motion of the body part.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an undesirable motion of a body part from a real-time output data output from the body sensor.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to detect an impact from a real-time output data output from the body sensor.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system further comprises a motion sensor providing a motion sensor output, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine a horizontal velocity or acceleration parameter from the motion sensor output and identify a motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique utilizing the horizontal velocity or acceleration parameter.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to detect a user step impact from the motion sensor output to identify the motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system further comprises a motion sensor providing a motion sensor output, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine a torso rotation parameter from the motion sensor output and identify a motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique utilizing the torso rotation parameter.

33. The system of claim 3, wherein the user torso is a motion-tracked user torso and the sensor system comprises one or more inertial sensors mounted on the motion-tracked user torso, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to determine an orientation of the motion-tracked user torso relative to a direction of a second tracked object.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the second tracked object comprises a user leg and the direction comprises a monitored direction operable to identify a monitored running speed or pace.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the orientation of the motion-tracked user torso is perpendicular to the direction of the second tracked object.

36. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor system comprises one or more inertial sensors arranged to detect a vertical displacement.

2. A system for monitoring a user stride comprising:

a sensor system adapted to be worn on a user torso, the sensor system comprising a first wireless transceiver; and

a device adapted to be worn on a user comprising;

a second wireless transceiver configured to receive a sensor system output from the first wireless transceiver;

a user interface;

a processor;

a positioning system unit configured to monitor a user speed or pace during a running motion; and

a memory comprising a motion analysis application configured to receive the sensor system output and determine a torso vertical displacement and further configured to determine a torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio from the torso vertical displacement and a user stride length during the running motion, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to monitor a user step cadence from the sensor system output.

37. The system of claim 2, wherein the memory further comprises a stored data associated with the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio.

38. The system of claim 2, further comprising a heart rate monitoring sensor.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the motion analysis application outputs an indication of a user heart rate in real time during the running motion at the user interface utilizing a heart rate data output from the heart rate monitoring sensor.

40. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to provide real-time notice of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio during the running motion at the user interface.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the real-time notice of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio is the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio.

42. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output an indication at the user interface resulting from a comparison of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio to a data stored prior to the running activity.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the data stored prior to the running activity utilizes data determined utilizing measurements of other runners.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the data stored prior to the running activity comprises a stored value determined utilizing measurements of other runners.

45. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio and output the average at the user interface.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a distance.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a time.

48. The system of claim 2, wherein the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises a ratio of the torso vertical displacement to the user stride length.

49. The system of claim 2, wherein the positioning system unit comprises a global positioning system unit operable to track a change in a user speed or pace in real time during the running motion.

50. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify a user performance characteristic utilizing the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio in conjunction with a stored value identified prior to a start of the running activity.

51. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output the torso vertical displacement at the user interface.

52. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output the user stride length at the user interface.

53. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an average torso vertical displacement over a time interval or a distance interval.

54. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an average torso vertical displacement over a distance interval.

55. The system of claim 2, wherein the motion analysis application outputs a measure of the user speed or user pace in real time during the running motion at the user interface utilizing a real time output from the positioning system unit.

56. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a sensor adapted to monitor a user arm motion, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to provide a notification to the user of a desirable arm motion during the running motion.

57. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a sensor adapted to monitor a user arm motion, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify and provide real-time user notice of an undesirable user arm motion during the running motion.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the undesirable user arm motion is identified by a value of an arm motion parameter in excess of a threshold value.

59. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a first sensor adapted to be worn on a first body part and a second sensor adapted to be worn on a second body part, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify a degree to which the movement of the first body part and the second body part are synchronized.

60. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor adapted to be worn on a body part different than the sensor system and the device, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify a motion of the body sensor with respect to a motion of the sensor system or a motion of the device.

61. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor adapted to be worn on a body part different than the sensor system and the device, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify an undesirable motion of the body part.

62. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an undesirable motion of a body part from a real-time output data output from the body sensor.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to detect an impact from a real-time output data output from the body sensor.

64. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor system further comprises a motion sensor providing a motion sensor output, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine a horizontal velocity or acceleration parameter from the motion sensor output and identify a motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique utilizing the horizontal velocity or acceleration parameter.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to detect a user step impact from the motion sensor output to identify the motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique.

66. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor system further comprises a motion sensor providing a motion sensor output, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine a torso rotation parameter from the motion sensor output and identify a motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique utilizing the torso rotation parameter.

67. The system of claim 2, wherein the user torso is a motion-tracked user torso and the sensor system comprises one or more inertial sensors mounted on the motion-tracked user torso, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to determine an orientation of the motion-tracked user torso relative to a direction of a second tracked object.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein the second tracked object comprises a user leg and the direction comprises a monitored direction operable to identify a monitored running speed or pace.

69. The system of claim 67, wherein the orientation of the motion-tracked user torso is perpendicular to the direction of the second tracked object.

70. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor system comprises one or more inertial sensors arranged to detect a vertical displacement.

71. A system for monitoring a user stride comprising:

a sensor system adapted to be worn on a user torso, the sensor system comprising a first wireless transceiver; and

a device adapted to be worn on a user comprising;

a second wireless transceiver configured to receive a sensor system output from the first wireless transceiver;

a user interface;

a processor;

a positioning system unit configured to monitor a user speed or pace during a running motion; and

a memory comprising a motion analysis application configured to receive the sensor system output and determine a torso vertical displacement and further configured to determine a torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio from the torso vertical displacement and a user stride length during the running motion, wherein the motion analysis application outputs an indication of the vertical displacement and stride length ratio at the user interface in real time during the running motion.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application outputs the vertical displacement and stride length ratio during a subsequent workout analysis.

73. The system of claim 71, wherein the indication of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio is the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio.

74. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output an indication at the user interface resulting from a comparison of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio to a data stored prior to the running activity.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the data stored prior to the running activity utilizes data determined utilizing measurements of other runners.

76. The system of claim 74, wherein the data stored prior to the running activity comprises a stored value determined utilizing measurements of other runners.

77. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio and output the average at the user interface.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein the average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a distance.

79. The system of claim 77, wherein the average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises an average of the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a time.

80. The system of claim 71, wherein the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio comprises a ratio of the torso vertical displacement to the user stride length.

81. The system of claim 71, wherein the positioning system unit comprises a global positioning system unit operable to track a change in a user speed or pace in real time during the running motion.

82. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify a user performance characteristic utilizing the torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio in conjunction with a stored value identified prior to a start of the running activity.

83. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application identifies a user step cadence from the sensor system output.

84. The system of claim 71, wherein the memory further comprises a stored data associated with a torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio parameter.

85. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output the torso vertical displacement at the user interface.

86. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to output the user stride length at the user interface.

87. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an average torso vertical displacement over a time interval or a distance interval.

88. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an average torso vertical displacement over a distance interval.

89. The system of claim 71, wherein the motion analysis application outputs a measure of the user speed or user pace in real time during the running motion at the user interface utilizing a real time output from the positioning system unit.

90. The system of claim 71, wherein the system further comprises a sensor adapted to monitor a user arm motion, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to provide a notification to the user of a desirable arm motion during the running motion.

91. The system of claim 71, wherein the system further comprises a sensor adapted to monitor a user arm motion, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify an undesirable user arm motion in real time during the running motion.

92. The system of claim 91, wherein the undesirable user arm motion is identified by a value of an arm motion parameter in excess of a threshold value.

93. The system of claim 71, wherein the system further comprises a first sensor adapted to be worn on a first body part and a second sensor adapted to be worn on a second body part, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify a degree to which the movement of the first body part and the second body part are synchronized.

94. The system of claim 71, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor adapted to be worn on a body part different than the sensor system and the device, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify a motion of the body sensor with respect to a motion of the sensor system or a motion of the device.

95. The system of claim 71, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor adapted to be worn on a body part different than the sensor system and the device, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to identify an undesirable motion of the body part.

96. The system of claim 71, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to identify an undesirable motion of a body part from a real-time output data output from the body sensor.

97. The system of claim 96, wherein the system further comprises a body sensor, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to detect an impact from a real-time output data output from the body sensor.

98. The system of claim 71, wherein the sensor system further comprises a motion sensor providing a motion sensor output, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine a horizontal velocity or acceleration parameter from the motion sensor output and identify a motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique utilizing the horizontal velocity or acceleration parameter.

99. The system of claim 98, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to detect a user step impact from the motion sensor output to identify the motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique.

100. The system of claim 71, wherein the sensor system further comprises a motion sensor providing a motion sensor output, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine a torso rotation parameter from the motion sensor output and identify a motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique utilizing the torso rotation parameter.

101. The system of claim 71, wherein the user torso is a motion-tracked user torso and the sensor system comprises one or more inertial sensors mounted on the motion-tracked user torso, wherein the motion analysis application is configured to determine an orientation of the motion-tracked user torso relative to a direction of a second tracked object.

102. The system of claim 101, wherein the second tracked object comprises a user leg and the direction comprises a monitored direction operable to identify a monitored running speed or pace, and wherein the orientation of the motion-tracked user torso is perpendicular to the direction of the second tracked object.

103. A system for monitoring a user stride comprising:

a sensor system adapted to be worn on a user torso, the sensor system comprising a first wireless transceiver; and

a device adapted to be worn on a user comprising;

a second wireless transceiver configured to receive a sensor system output from the first wireless transceiver;

a user interface;

a processor;

a positioning system unit configured to monitor a user speed or pace during a running motion; and

a memory comprising a motion analysis application configured to receive the sensor system output and determine a torso vertical displacement and further configured to determine a torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio from the torso vertical displacement and a user stride length during the running motion, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine an average vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a distance interval and output the average vertical displacement and stride length ratio over the distance interval to the user in real time or during a subsequent workout analysis.

104. A system for monitoring a user stride comprising:

a sensor system adapted to be worn on a user torso, the sensor system comprising a first wireless transceiver; and

a device adapted to be worn on a user comprising;

a second wireless transceiver configured to receive a sensor system output from the first wireless transceiver;

a user interface;

a processor;

a positioning system unit configured to monitor a user speed or pace during a running motion; and

a memory comprising a motion analysis application configured to receive the sensor system output and determine a torso vertical displacement and further configured to determine a torso vertical displacement and stride length ratio from the torso vertical displacement and a user stride length during the running motion, wherein the motion analysis application is further configured to determine an average vertical displacement and stride length ratio over a time interval and output the average vertical displacement and stride length ratio over the time interval to the user in real time or during a subsequent workout analysis.