Flight time

• US 10,207,149 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2018
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Balakrishnan, SantoshKumar, Bruce, Robert M., Fraga, Justin, Francis, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US15/877,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20180154214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 700 91
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• 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 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring athletic performances include determining “flight time,” e.g., the amount of time both feet are off the ground, and optionally “flight time” resulting from different types of activities, such as jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, etc. “Flight time” may help a player or coach better understand the effort the athlete is putting out, compare efforts of two or more players, gauge the athlete'"'"'s performance change over time, and/or identify conditioning needs and/or areas for improvement. Such systems and methods also may generate and display various athletic performance metrics, such as: instantaneous flight time; average flight time; cumulative flight time during an athletic performance or other time period; instantaneous jump height; average jump height; cumulative jump height during an athletic performance or other time period; and comparisons of any flight time and/or jump height metric(s) of one player against another player and/or against himself/herself; etc.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing an athletic performance, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

receiving, from a foot sensor system, launch input data relating to a plurality of foot launch events during a first time period;

receiving, from the foot sensor system, strike input data relating to a plurality of foot strike events during the first time period;

determining, by the one or more processors, a first flight time associated with a first set of timestamps of a plurality of timestamps associated with each foot launch event and foot strike event; and

determining, based on the first flight time, a level of exertion of a user during the first time period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to perform:

determining, based on the first flight time, a first jump height of a user during the first time period; and

determining, based at least on the first jump height a rate of fatigue for the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the strike input data includes at least a timestamp associated with each foot strike event indicating a time that a foot strike event occurred.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of timestamps comprises one or more of a left foot strike timestamp;

a right foot strike timestamp;

a left foot launch timestamp;

a right foot launch timestamp;

vertical left foot launch data; and

vertical right foot launch data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving, from a motion sensor system, sensor data corresponding to temporally adjacent right foot launch, left foot launch, right foot strike, and left foot strike events; and

adjusting the first flight time based on the received sensor data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the motion sensor system comprises a body core sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the motion sensor system comprises an image-capturing sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to perform:

processing the launch input data to determine a last foot of the user to launch;

determining timestamp information associated with the launch of the last foot; and

obtaining, based on the timestamp information, vertical launch data for the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving, via an image capturing device, image data corresponding to the plurality of foot launch events and the plurality of foot strike event; and

determining whether the first flight time is associated with at least one of an offensive activity or a defensive activity.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, from a foot sensor system, launch input data relating to a plurality of foot launch events during a first time period;

receiving, from the foot sensor system, strike input data relating to a plurality of foot strike events during the first time period;

determining, by one or more processors, a first flight time associated with a first set of timestamps of a plurality of timestamps associated with each foot launch event and foot strike event; and

determining, based on the first flight time, a level of exertion of a user during the first time period.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, based on the first flight time, a first jump height of a user during the first time period; and

determining, based at least on the first jump height a rate of fatigue for the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the strike input data includes at least a timestamp associated with each foot strike event indicating a time that a foot strike event occurred.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of timestamps comprises one or more of a left foot strike timestamp;

a right foot strike timestamp;

a left foot launch timestamp;

a right foot launch timestamp;

vertical left foot launch data; and

vertical right foot launch data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, from a motion sensor system, sensor data corresponding to temporally adjacent right foot launch, left foot launch, right foot strike, and left foot strike events; and

adjusting the first flight time based on the received sensor data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the motion sensor system comprises a body core sensor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the motion sensor system comprises an image-capturing sensor.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

processing, by the one or more processors, the launch input data to determine a last foot of the user to launch;

determining timestamp information associated with the launch of the last foot; and

obtaining, based on the timestamp information, vertical launch data for the user.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, during a second time period, a cumulative jump height for the plurality of foot launch events and the plurality of foot strike events.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, via an image capturing device, image data corresponding to the plurality of foot launch events and the plurality of foot strike event; and

determining whether the first flight time is associated with at least one of an offensive activity or a defensive activity.