Multi-sensor monitoring of athletic performance

• US 10,668,324 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Case, Jr., Charles W., Martin, Jason P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US16/429,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20190299059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/75 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/76 Wind conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/08 other bio-electrical signals
• 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 24/0021 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: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 : Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 : Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 : wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 : Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 : with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

Athletic performance monitoring systems and methods, many of which utilize, in some manner, global positioning satellite (“GPS”) data, provide data and information to athletes and/or to equipment used by athletes during an athletic event. Such systems and methods may provide route information to athletes and/or their trainers, e.g., for pre-event planning, goal setting, and calibration purposes. Such systems and methods optionally may provide real time information to the athlete while the event takes place, e.g., to assist in reaching the pre-set goals. Additionally, data and information collected by such systems and methods may assist in post-event analysis for athletes and their trainers, e.g., to evaluate past performances and to assist in improving future performances.

Claims

1. An athletic performance monitoring system, comprising:

a device configured to be worn by an athlete during an athletic event, the device comprising;

a user interface;

a sensor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least;

receiving, from the sensor, data relating to at least one physical characteristic of an athletic performance along a route during the athletic event;

receiving from the user interface, data related to at least one physiological characteristic of the athlete during the athletic event;

calculating difficulty ratings for one or more portions of the route based on the at least one physical characteristic and the at least one physiological characteristic;

producing a view of the route simultaneously displaying the calculated difficulty ratings; and

outputting the view to the user interface.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the view of the route is an animated view of the route, wherein a playback of the athletic performance between a first location and a second location of the route of the athletic event is set at a first playback speed, and wherein the first playback speed of the animated view of the route is based on, at least in part, a calculated difficulty rating between the first location and the second location.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to receive input data relating to a route to be used during the athletic event.

4. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the difficulty ratings are additionally based on a comparison of data associated with the route against data associated with one or more other routes taken by the athlete during one or more previous athletic performances and at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of:

route length, elevation changes over the route, altitude of the route, temperature during the athletic performance, humidity during the athletic performance, wind speed during the athletic performance, and wind direction during the athletic performance, and a combination thereof.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information is conducted during the athletic event.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information is provided to the athlete during the athletic event.

7. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least in part, instantaneous speed or pace of the athlete between the first location and the second location during the athletic event.

8. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least in part, data related to the at least one physiological characteristic between the first location and the second location during the athletic event.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one physiological characteristic comprises heart-rate data for the athlete.

10. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information comprises a route marker configured to designate movement of the athlete between the first location and the second location along the route, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least:

base, at least in part, a visual appearance of the route marker on at least one of the at least one physical characteristic and the at least one physiological characteristic of the athletic performance.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the route marker configured to designate the movement of the athlete between the first location and the second location along the route is based on a calculated difficulty rating.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving data from a first sensor worn by an athlete comprising at least one physical characteristic of an athletic performance along a route during an athletic event;

receiving data from a user interface worn by the athlete comprising at least one physiological characteristic of the athlete during the athletic event;

calculating difficulty ratings for one or more portions of the route based on the at least one physical characteristic and the at least one physiological characteristic of the athlete;

generating with a processor, a view of the route that simultaneously displays the calculated difficulty ratings; and

outputting the view to a display device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the view of the route is an animated view of the route, wherein a playback of the athletic performance between a first location and a second location of the route of the athletic event is set at a first playback speed, and wherein the first playback speed of the animated view of the route is based on, at least in part, a calculated difficulty rating between the first location and the second location.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information during the athletic event is conducted during the athletic event.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least in part, instantaneous speed or pace of the athlete between the first location and the second location during the athletic event.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the first playback speed is based on data related to the at least one physiological characteristic.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information comprises a route marker configured to designate movement of the athlete between the first location and the second location along the route, wherein a visual appearance of the route marker is based on a comparison of data associated with the route against data associated with one or more other routes taken by the athlete during one or more previous athletic performances and at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of:

route length, elevation changes over the route, altitude of the route, temperature during the athletic performance, humidity during the athletic performance, wind speed during the athletic performance, and wind direction during the athletic performance, and a combination thereof.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information comprises a route marker configured to designate movement of the athlete between a first location and a second location along the route, and

wherein a visual appearance of the route marker is based on at least one physical characteristic and the at least one physiological characteristic.

19. An athletic performance monitoring system, comprising:

a device configured to be worn by an athlete during an athletic event, the device comprising;

a user interface;

a sensor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least;

receiving, from the user interface, at least one physiological characteristic of the athlete during the athletic event;

calculating difficulty ratings for one or more portions of a route based on the at least one physiological characteristic;

producing a view of the route simultaneously displaying the calculated difficulty ratings; and

outputting the actual or animated view to the user interface.

20. The athletic performance monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the user interface is configured to receive input data relating to a route to be used during the athletic event.