Instrumented athletic device for coaching and like purposes

• US 20020134153A1
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aaron E. Grenlund
• Original Assignee: Aaron E. Grenlund
• Inventors: Grenlund, Aaron E.
• Application Number:
  US09/817,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134153A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• 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 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/50 Substantially rod-shaped bats for hitting a ball in the air, e.g. for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• 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

Abstract

An instrumented athletic training or coaching device is described. A baseball bat may be used as an example. The bat is instrumented with a plurality of accelerometers that are coupled to circuitry and a signal processor that will indicate position in three dimensional space, acceleration, velocity, bat rotation, and force at any time during a swing. The position in space of impact with a ball can be calculated and the force of the impact measured. Further, the position of impact on the bat can be indicated. One preferred accelerometer that can be mounted within the bat consists of an optical fiber with a cantilevered end that is sensitive to inertial lag. This is supplied with a constant output light source at one end. The transmitting end is directed to a photocell array that can indicate two dimensional position and rotation. Another conventional accelerometer indicates movement in the third dimension.

Claims

1. A training device showing instantaneous acceleration, force and position of an athletic implement during use which comprises:

an athletic implement;

a plurality of accelerometers associated with the athletic implement to indicate real time spatial movement of the device;

a power supply for the accelerometers;

output means to sample and condition the signals from the accelerometers; and

signal processing means to convert signals from the accelerometer and output means to position and force data.

2. The training device of claim 1 which has multiple accelerometers sensing movement in three dimensional space.

3. The training device of claim 2 which further comprises a multiplexing means associated with the output means, said multiplexing means being controlled by a timing circuit so as to sequentially and repeatedly sample the signals from the accelerometers.

4. The training device of claim 1 that is hard wired to the signal processing means.

5. The training device of claim 1 which further includes a transmitter to direct the conditioned signal from the output means to a remote receiver;

and a receiver to supply the transmitted data to the signal processing means.

6. The training device of claim 3 in which one accelerometer comprises

a constant output light source,

at least one optical fiber light transmitter, said optical fiber or fibers having a fixed end or ends adjacent the light source and a cantilevered motion and position responsive free end or ends;

at least one photoreceptor array having a plurality of photosensors located adjacent the free end or ends of the optical fiber transmitter, the photoreceptor array adapted to detect direction and amplitude of any movement of the free end or ends of the light transmitter, the photoreceptor array signals being sampled by the multiplexing means.

7. The training device of claim 6 in which the photoreceptor array comprises at least four photosensors.

8. The training device of claim 6 in which the photoreceptor array comprises a multiple photosensor matrix.

9. The training device of claim 6 in which the multiplexing means sequentially and repetitively reads the output from each individual photosensor.

10. The training device of claim 6 in which the individual photosensors in the photoreceptor are masked so that output of each photosensor is a function of the lateral position of the optical fiber relative to the photosensor.

11. The training device of claim 6 in which the individual photosensors in the photoreceptor array are arranged adjacent to each other about a central point and have inner and outer portions, the inner portions being located adjacent the central point, and the photosensors are masked so that light transmission to the inner portion is reduced relative to light transmission to the outer portion.

12. The training device of claim 10 in which the photosensors in the photoreceptor array are individually masked to provide a generally V-shaped open area with the apices of the V-shaped open areas directed toward the central point of the photoreceptor array.

13. The training device of claim 6 in which the optical fiber light transmitter is a single optical fiber.

14. The training device of claim 6 in which the optical fiber light transmitter comprises a plurality of optical fibers.

15. The training device of claim 13 in which the optical fiber light transmitter means is weighted adjacent the cantilevered free end to increase the mass subject to inertial forces affecting the accelerometer.

16. The training device of claim 14 in which of the optical fiber light transmitter means is weighted adjacent the cantilevered free ends to increase the mass subject to inertial forces affecting the accelerometer.

17. The training device of claim 9 further including an output means which converts an analog signal from the photoreceptor array to a digital signal.

18. The training device of claim 17 in which the output means is hard wired to the receiving means to transmit position and acceleration, the receiving means including a timing circuit synchronized to the timing circuit associated with the accelerometer.

19. The training device of claim 17 in which the output means is coupled to a transmitter to transmit position and acceleration to a receiving means at a remote location, the receiving means including a timing circuit synchronized with the timing circuit of the accelerometer.

20. The training device of claim 1 in which the athletic implement is a baseball bat.

21. The training device of claim 1 in which the athletic implement is a tennis racquet.

22. The training device of claim 1 in which the athletic implement is a golf club.

23. A method of determining position and acceleration of a moving object which comprises:

providing a power supply associated with the object;

creating a constant output light source powered by the power supply;

transmitting the output of the light source through at least one optical fiber light transmitter, said optical fiber or fibers having a fixed end or ends adjacent the light source and cantilevered motion and position responsive free end or ends;

determining light output and position of the optical fiber or fibers by at least one photoreceptor array having a plurality of photosensors located adjacent the free end or ends of the optical fiber light transmitter, the photoreceptor array adapted to detect direction and amplitude of any movement of the free end or ends of the light transmitter;

sequentially and repetitively sampling the output of each photosensor of the photoreceptor array;

conditioning the signal from the photosensors in an output means; and

receiving and processing signals from the output means to show position and acceleration of the object as indicated by inertial displacement of the optical fiber or fibers relative to the photoreceptor array during movement of the object.