Physical education kinematic motor skills testing system

• US 10,695,611 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AssessLink LLC
• Original Assignee: AssessLink LLC
• Inventors: Starkey, Jonathan Bradford
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullington, Robert P
• Application Number:
  US15/676,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20190046836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 434257, 434357
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0015 Comparing movements or motion sequences with computerised simulations of movements or motion sequences, e.g. for generating an ideal template as reference to be achieved by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• 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: G01S 17/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• 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

Disclosed herein is a system for testing motor skills involved in locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative activities. The system utilizes joint data created by a motion sensor during a subject'"'"'s performance of an activity to determine the subject'"'"'s motor skill proficiency for that activity. The system compares the subject'"'"'s joint data to benchmark data to detect one or more phases of the activity. Based on the comparison, the system also determines the subject'"'"'s proficiency in the particular motor skill tested. The system is embodied in a computer-implemented application that provides various user interfaces for navigating through the user interfaces, accessing a database of the system, testing a subject'"'"'s motor skills, analyzing a subject'"'"'s proficiency, and facilitating practice of motor skills.

Claims

1. A computer program product encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, the computer program product comprising instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving motion sensor data from motion sensors communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the motion sensors are adapted to generate motion sensor data associated with a subject performing a motor skill activity, and wherein at least one of the motion sensors includes a camera, an IR emitter, an IR sensor, one or more processor modules, and one or more memory modules;

comparing motion sensor data to benchmark data to detect temporal phases of the motor skill activity, wherein the comparing includes identifying, in the motion sensor data, one or more values of the motion sensor data that correspond to one or more markers of the motor skill activity that are among the benchmark data;

displaying, through a display screen of the computing device, an interactive practice interface including a video preview showing a skeleton of the subject performing the motor skill activity, the video preview being based upon the motion sensor data, and further including a plurality of frames corresponding respectively to different ones of the temporal phases; and

determining, based upon at least one comparison of the motion sensor data associated with the temporal phases to the benchmark data, a score representing a proficiency of the subject for performing the motor skill activity.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor data comprises body-joint data associated with at least one position or at least one orientation of one or more body parts of the subject.

3. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein the one or more body parts are selected from the group consisting of:

spine, hips, shoulder center, shoulders, neck, elbows, wrists, hands, hand tips, thumbs, knees, ankles, feet, head, and eye sockets.

4. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the benchmark data comprise biomechanically advantageous joint orientation values or ranges for one or more body parts for each of the temporal phases.

5. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein each of the temporal phases comprises a start time and an end time.

6. The computer program product according to claim 5, wherein the interactive practice interface provides an ability to modify the start time or the end time of any of the temporal phases, and further includes a radar graph illustrating a plurality of subscores associated with the respective temporal phases, wherein the score is based at least in part upon the plurality of subscores associated with the respective temporal phases and based upon at least one comparison of the motion sensor data to the benchmark data.

7. The computer program product according to claim 1,

wherein for each temporal phase of the motor skill activity, the markers comprise a start time marker and an end time marker, and

wherein the comparing of the motion sensor data to the benchmark data to detect the temporal phases involves identifying, in the motion sensor data, the start time marker and the end time marker of each temporal phase of the motor skill activity.

8. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the interactive practice interface additionally includes a video preview of an ideal performance of the motor skill activity, and one or more alerts indicating a discrepancy between the motion sensor data and the benchmark data.

9. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor data and the benchmark data comprise position and/or orientation data for physical education activities, physical therapy activities, sports activities, or physiological research activities.

10. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the comparing of the motion sensor data to the benchmark data involves comparing the motion sensor data to a predetermined model, wherein the predetermined model indicates when each temporal phase begins and ends based on one or more of the markers associated with the performed motor skill activity, wherein the markers are joint orientation markers.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the benchmark data comprise biomechanically advantageous joint orientation values or ranges for one or more body parts for each of the temporal phases.

17. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the markers comprise a start time marker and an end time marker for each of the temporal phases of the motor skill activity, and

wherein the comparing of the motion sensor data to the benchmark data to detect the temporal phases involves identifying, in the motion sensor data, the start time marker and the end time marker of each temporal phase of the motor skill activity.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interactive practice interface additionally includes a video preview of an ideal performance of the motor skill activity, and one or more alerts indicating a discrepancy between the motion sensor data and the benchmark data.

11. A system, comprising:

a computing device having a processor and one or more non-transitory computer storage media;

motion sensors communicatively coupled to the computing device,

wherein the motion sensors are adapted to generate motion sensor data associated with a subject performing a motor skill activity, and wherein at least one of the motion sensors includes a camera, an IR emitter, an IR sensor, one or more processor modules, and one or more memory modules;

wherein the one or more non-transitory computer storage media store instructions therein that when executed by the processor of the computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising;

receiving motion sensor data from the motion sensors; and

comparing motion sensor data to benchmark data to detect temporal phases of the motor skill activity, wherein the comparing includes identifying, in the motion sensor data, one or more values of the motion sensor data that correspond to one or more markers of the motor skill activity that are among the benchmark data;

displaying, through a display screen of the computing device, an interactive practice interface including a video preview showing a skeleton of the subject performing the motor skill activity, the video preview being based upon the motion sensor data, and further including a radar graph illustrating a plurality of subscores associated with the respective temporal phases and based upon at least one comparison of the motion sensor data to the benchmark data; and

determining a score based at least in part upon the plurality of subscores associated with the respective temporal phases, the score representing a proficiency of the subject for performing the motor skill activity.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the motion sensor data comprises body-joint data associated with at least one position or at least one orientation of one or more body parts of the subject.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more body parts are selected from the group consisting of:

spine, hips, shoulder center, shoulders, neck, elbows, wrists, hands, hand tips, thumbs, knees, ankles, feet, head, and eye sockets.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein each of the temporal phases comprises a start time and an end time.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the interactive practice interface further includes a plurality of frames corresponding respectively to different ones of the temporal phases, and provides an ability to modify the start time or the end time of any temporal phase.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the motion sensor data and the benchmark data comprise position and/or orientation data for physical education activities, physical therapy activities, sports activities, or physiological research activities.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the comparing of the motion sensor data to the benchmark data involves comparing the motion sensor data to a predetermined model, wherein the predetermined model indicates when each temporal phase begins and ends based on one or more of the markers associated with the performed motor skill activity, wherein the markers are joint orientation markers.