State finding apparatus finding state of object based on value of angular velocity

• US 10,203,347 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Abe, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Huls, Natalie
• Application Number:
  US13/968,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20140083187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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: G01P 3/56 for comparing two speeds

Abstract

A state finding apparatus includes an obtaining unit and a finding unit. The obtaining unit obtains a value of an angular velocity of a first object around a predetermined axis when the first object and a second object contact with each other. The finding unit finds a state of the second object based on the obtained value of the angular velocity.

Claims

1. A state finding apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor which executes a program stored in the memory to perform processes comprising;

an obtaining process which obtains a value of an angular velocity of a first object around a predetermined axis when the first object physically hits a second object; and

a finding process which finds a speed or an amount of rotation of the second object based on the obtained value of the angular velocity of the first object,

wherein the first object is an object distinct from the state finding apparatus, and the state finding apparatus is provided on the first object.

2. The state finding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined axis includes two predetermined axes being perpendicular to each other,

the obtaining process obtains the value of the angular velocity of the first object around each of the axes, and

the finding process finds the speed or the amount of rotation of the second object having been hit with the first object based on the obtained values of the angular velocities.

3. The state finding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes the program to further perform a contact detection process which detects physical contact between the first object and the second object when the first object physically hits the second object, and

wherein the obtaining process obtains the value of the angular velocity when the contact detection process detects the physical contact.

4. The state finding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the state finding apparatus is attached to a tool as the first object, and

the finding process finds the speed or the amount of rotation of the second object based on the obtained value of the angular velocity of the tool.

5. The state finding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the obtaining process obtains a value of a first angular velocity of the state finding apparatus around a first axis which is approximately parallel to a surface of the tool, the surface including a hitting part to hit the second object, and approximately perpendicular to an extending direction of a holding part of the tool, the holding part being held by a user, and

the finding process finds the speed of the second object having contacted with the tool based on the obtained value of the first angular velocity.

6. The state finding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the obtaining process obtains a value of a second angular velocity of the state finding apparatus around a second axis which is approximately perpendicular to the surface, and

the finding process finds the amount of rotation of the second object on a predetermined axis, the second object having being hit with the tool, based on the obtained value of the second angular velocity.

7. The state finding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the state finding apparatus is attached to the tool in such a way as to be fixed onto an axis in the extending direction of the holding part of the tool.

8. The state finding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the contact detection process detects contact between the tool and the second object based on a value of an angular velocity of the state finding apparatus around an axis which is approximately parallel to a surface of the tool, the surface including a hitting part to hit the second object, and approximately perpendicular to an extending direction of a holding part of the tool, the holding part being held by a user.

9. The state finding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes the program to perform further processes comprising:

a comparison process which compares a state of the second object found by the finding process with a predetermined state; and

a notifying process which notifies a result of the comparison carried out by the comparison process.

10. The state finding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first object comprises a racket or a golf club, and

the second object comprises a ball.

11. The state finding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the state finding apparatus is attached to a tool as the first object,

the obtaining process obtains the value of the angular velocity of the state finding apparatus around an axis which is approximately perpendicular to a surface of the tool, the surface including a hitting part to physically hit the second object, and

the finding process finds the amount of rotation of the second object having been physically hit with the tool based on the obtained value of the angular velocity.

12. The state finding apparatus according claim 1, wherein the obtaining process obtains the value of the angular velocity of the first object around the predetermined axis when the first object makes physical contact with the second object.

13. The state finding apparatus according claim 1, wherein the obtaining process obtains the value of the angular velocity of the first object around the predetermined axis when the first object directly physically hits the second object.

14. A state finding method using a state finding apparatus, the state finding method comprising:

obtaining a value of an angular velocity of a first object around a predetermined axis when the first object physically hits a second object; and

finding a speed or an amount of rotation of the second object based on the obtained value of the angular velocity of the first object,

wherein the first object is an object distinct from the state finding apparatus, and the state finding apparatus is provided on the first object.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which a program is stored, the program controlling a computer of a state finding apparatus to perform processes comprising:

an obtaining process which obtains a value of an angular velocity of a first object around a predetermined axis when the first object physically hits a second object; and

a finding process which finds a speed or an amount of rotation of the second object based on the obtained value of the angular velocity of the first object,

wherein the first object is an object distinct from the state finding apparatus, and the state finding apparatus is provided on the first object.