System and method for analyzing athletic activity

• US 10,327,672 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Giedwoyn, Anna Antonia, Peyton, Lee, Andon, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason T
• Application Number:
  US15/646,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A system for transitioning from a first footwear type to a second footwear type is usable with an article of footwear including a sensor system with a plurality of force sensors engaged with an article of footwear and configured to sense force exerted by a foot of a user and an electronic module configured to collect data based on force input from the sensors and to wirelessly transmit data generated by the sensor system. An electronic device includes a processor that receives the data from the electronic module, compares the data to a footstrike template corresponding to a desired footstrike pattern of a footwear transitional program, determines whether a deviation from the footstrike template exists, and generates an indication to the user when the deviation from the desired footstrike pattern is determined to exist. The desired footstrike pattern corresponds to a preferred footstrike of the second type of footwear.

Claims

1. A method of transitioning from a first footwear type to a second footwear type, comprising:

receiving, at a processor of an electronic device, data from a sensor system located on an article of footwear of the second footwear type and configured to sense biomechanical movement of a foot of a user during an athletic activity;

analyzing, by the processor, data specific to a desired footstrike pattern, wherein the desired footstrike pattern is associated with the second footwear type and differs from a desired footstrike pattern associated with the first footwear type; and

generating, by the processor, a footwear analysis indication on a display of the electronic device wherein the footwear analysis indication is based on analysis of data specific to the second footwear type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

providing feedback to the user based on data recorded during the athletic activity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing feedback to the user includes providing a suggested activity report for a subsequent athletic activity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a plurality of athletic activities performed by the user; and

modifying a transitional program for transitioning from the first footwear type to the second footwear type based on the recorded plurality of athletic activities performed by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the data includes determining whether a deviation from the desired footstrike pattern is associated with the second footwear type exists.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the deviation is determined to exist if a degree of deviation is determined to exceed a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating an alert to the user when the deviation is determined to exist.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving data from a sensor system located on an article of footwear and configured to sense biomechanical movement of a foot of a user;

analyzing the data to detect a footstrike pattern;

comparing the footstrike pattern to a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to a first footwear type, wherein the desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the first footwear type is specific to the first footwear type and differs from a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to a second footwear type; and

generating a footwear analysis on a display of an electronic device associated with the user, wherein the footwear analysis is based on analysis of the data specific to the first footwear type as part of a transitional program from the second footwear type to the first footwear type.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform:

recording a plurality of data points of the user during an athletic activity; and

providing feedback to the user based on data recorded during the athletic activity.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform:

modifying at least one aspect of the transitional program based on analysis of the data specific to the first footwear type.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein comparing the footstrike pattern to the desired footstrike pattern corresponding to a first footwear type includes determining whether a deviation from the desired footstrike pattern exists.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the footwear analysis includes an indication of a degree of deviation from the desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the first footwear type.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform generating an alert to the user when a deviation from the desired footstrike pattern is determined to exist.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform providing a summary of recorded data to the user.

15. A method of transitioning from a first footwear type to a second footwear type, comprising:

receiving, at a processor of an electronic device, data from a sensor system located on an article of footwear and configured to sense biomechanical movement of a foot of a user during an athletic activity;

detecting a footstrike pattern based on analysis of the data;

comparing the footstrike pattern to a desired footstrike pattern of a footwear transitional program, wherein the desired footstrike pattern is specific to the second footwear type and differs from a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the first footwear type; and

generating, by the processor, a footwear analysis indication to the user on a display of the electronic device wherein the footwear analysis indication is based on analysis of data specific to the second footwear type.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the footwear analysis indication includes at least one of a deviation from the desired footstrike pattern, a suggested stretching activity, and a suggested activity report for a subsequent athletic activity.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, a selection of the footwear transitional program prior to the user beginning the athletic activity, the footwear transitional program including one or more desired footstrike patterns.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor system includes a plurality of sensors located in different locations on the article of footwear, and wherein the footstrike pattern is detected based on at least one of a sequence of forces sensed by the plurality of sensors and a level of forces sensed by the plurality of sensors.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor system includes a plurality of sensors configured to measure a pressure distribution under the foot and the electronic device is further configured to compare pressure distribution data to a foot pressure template.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the footwear analysis indication includes transmitting a signal to a second electronic device, and wherein the signal is configured to cause the second electronic device to generate the footwear analysis indication.