Electronic measurement of the motion of a moving body of sports equipment

• US 20030024311A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Michigan
• Original Assignee: University of Michigan
• Inventors: Perkins, Noel C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,021,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 87/00 Fishing rods
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/00 Accessories for angling fish stringers A01K65/00; landing-nets or landing-spoons for fishing A01K77/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion 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 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/005 Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• 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 application of rate gyros and accelerometers allows electronic measurement of the motion of a rigid or semi-rigid body, such as a body associated with sporting equipment including a fly rod during casting, a baseball bat, a tennis racquet or a golf club during swinging. For instance, data can be collected by one gyro according to the present invention is extremely useful in analyzing the motion of a fly rod during fly casting instruction, and can also be used during the research, development and design phases of fly casting equipment including fly rods and fly lines. Similarly, data collected by three gyros and three accelerometers is extremely useful in analyzing the three dimensional motion of other sporting equipment such as baseball bats, tennis racquets and golf clubs. This data can be used to support instruction as well as design of the sporting equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising:

electronic means, associated with the body, for measuring at least one parameter corresponding to motion of the body; and

means for powering the electronic means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic means further comprises:

at least one gyro for generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a single-axis rate gyro.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a micro electro mechanical system rate gyro for generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body over time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic means further comprises:

at least one rate gyro for generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body; and

at least one accelerometer for generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

the at least one gyro including three gyros, each gyro positioned with a sensing axis perpendicular with respect to sensing axes of the other gyros; and

the at least one accelerometer including three accelerometers, each accelerometer positioned with a sensing axis perpendicular to sensing axes of the other accelerometers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the powering means further comprises:

a battery connectible to the electronic means.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the electronic means for generating a signal corresponding to movement of the body over time; and

central processing means for processing the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time in accordance with a program stored in memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means for transmitting a data signal from the electronic means to the central processing means.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the transmitting means further comprises an electrical signal transferred through at least a portion of the path along wires connecting the electronic means to the central processing means.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the transmitting means further comprises a wireless signal transferred through at least a portion of the path from the electronic means to a receiver for delivery to the central processing means.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

the central processing means for generating an output signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the output signal is an audio signal corresponding to a variance between a comparison of the signal from the electronic means with a predetermined signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the output signal is visual signal corresponding to a graphic display of the signal from the electronic means.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the graphic display compares the signal from the electronic means with a predetermined signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting bracket for connecting the electronic means to a body corresponding to a standard piece of sporting equipment.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body is a fly rod.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the electronic means generates a signal corresponding to motion of the fly rod during fly casting.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

the electronic means connectible to a reel seat of the fly rod for measuring angular velocity perpendicular to a plane of the fly rod formed while casting and for generating an analog voltage proportional to the measured angular velocity.

20. A method for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising the steps of:

measuring at least one parameter corresponding to motion of the body with electronic means, associated with the body; and

powering the electronic means.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the measuring step further comprises the step of:

generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one gyro.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a single-axis rate gyro.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a micro electro mechanical system rate gyro for generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body over time.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the measuring step further comprises the steps:

generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one rate gyro; and

generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one accelerometer.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of:

the at least one gyro including three gyros, positioning each gyro with a sensing axis perpendicular with respect to sensing axes of the other gyros; and

the at least one accelerometer including three accelerometers, positioning each accelerometer with a sensing axis perpendicular to sensing axes of the other accelerometers.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the powering step further comprises the step of:

connecting a battery to the electronic means.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

generating a signal corresponding to movement of the body over time with at least one gyro;

processing the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time in accordance with a program stored in memory with central processing means.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

transmitting a data signal from the electronic means to the central processing means.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the transmitting means further comprises an electrical signal transferred through at least a portion of the path along wires connecting the electronic means to the central processing means.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the transmitting means further comprises a wireless signal transferred through at least a portion of the path from the electronic means to a receiver for delivery to the central processing means.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of:

generating an output signal with the central processing means.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the output signal is an audio signal corresponding to a variance between a comparison of the signal from the electronic means with a predetermined signal.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the output signal is visual signal corresponding to a graphic display of the signal from the electronic means.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the graphic display compares the signal from the electronic means with a predetermined signal.

35. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

connecting the electronic means to a body corresponding to a standard piece of sporting equipment with a mounting bracket.

36. The method of claim 20 wherein the body is a fly rod.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the electronic means generates a signal corresponding to motion of the fly rod during fly casting.

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of:

connecting the electronic means to a reel seat of the fly rod for measuring angular velocity perpendicular to a plane of the fly rod formed while casting and for generating an analog voltage proportional to the measured angular velocity.