Methods and systems for analyzing the motion of sporting equipment

• US 20030207718A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Perlmutter, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US09/966,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20030207718A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/221
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/44 Angular acceleration
• 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 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0026 for ice-hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for analyzing the motion of a sporting equipment, such as a golf club, a baseball bat, a hockey stick, a football or a tennis racquet, for example. The systems comprises a motion sensing system in communications with the sporting equipment to measure motion parameters, wherein the motion sensing system has at least one at least one accelerometer or at least one gyroscope, and a command station having a data acquisition system to process the measured motion parameters and produce data. The motion sensing system may be located on the sporting equipment or, optionally, within the sporting equipment. The systems and methods described herein can be used to determine the impact location of the sporting equipment with another object, the force of the sporting equipment, the velocity of the sporting equipment and/or the angular orientation of the sporting equipment during a motion.

Claims

1. A system for measuring motion of a sporting equipment, the system comprising:

a motion sensing system in communications with said sporting equipment to measure motion parameters, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one of;

at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a command station comprising a data acquisition system to process said measured motion parameters and produce data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said sporting equipment is at least one of the following:

a golf club, a baseball bat, a hockey stick, a football and a tennis racquet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing system is located on said sporting equipment.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing system is located within said sporting equipment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one accelerometer is a micromachine device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one gyroscope is a micromachine device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing system includes an accelerometer, a first gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a first axis and a second gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a second axis.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing system includes:

a first gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a first axis;

a first accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a first axis;

a second gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a second axis;

a second accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis;

a third gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a third axis; and

a third accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis, and wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis and said third axis is orthogonal to said first and said second axes.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein said data acquisition system processes said measured motion parameters and produces data representative of an impact location of said sporting equipment.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein said data acquisition system processes said measured motion parameters and produces data representative of a velocity of said sporting equipment.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein said data acquisition system processes said measured motion parameters to produce data representative of an angular orientation of said sporting equipment.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said motion sensing system comprises memory for storing said measured motion parameters.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said memory is detachable from said sporting equipment.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit said measured motion parameters to a command station.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said transmitter is a wireless communications transmitter.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said wireless communications transmitter transmits said measured motion parameters in accordance with one of the following wireless communication protocols:

Bluetooth and IEEE 804.12.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said wireless communications transmitter is a radio-frequency transmitter.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said wireless communications transmitter is an Infrared-frequency transmitter.

22. The system of claim 2, wherein the data acquisition system includes a data error correction module for compensating for an error rate of said motion sensing system.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising a command station that includes a display monitor.

24. The system of claim 2, wherein said data acquisition system compares said produced data to previously stored data.

25. A system for analyzing a golf swing, comprising:

a golf club head; and

a motion sensing system in communications with said golf club head to measure golf swing motion parameters, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one of;

at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a command station comprising a data acquisition system to process said measured motion parameters and produce data.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said motion sensing system is located on said golf club head.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein said motion sensing system is located within said golf club head.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein said motion sensing system includes an accelerometer, a first gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a first axis and a second gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a second axis.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein said motion sensing system includes:

a first gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a first axis;

a first accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a first axis;

a second gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a second axis;

a second accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis;

a third gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a third axis; and

a third accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis, and wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis and said third axis is orthogonal to said first and said second axes.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein said data acquisition system processes said measured motion parameters and produces data representative of an impact location of a golf ball on a club face of said club head.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein said data acquisition system processes said measured motion parameters and produces data representative of a velocity of said club head.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein said data acquisition system processes said measured motion parameters and produces data representative of an angular orientation of a club face of said club head.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said data acquisition system provides an angular orientation of said club face when said club face impacts a golf ball.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said data acquisition system provides a reference angular orientation of said club face at an initiation of said golf swing.

38. The system of claim 25, wherein said motion sensing system comprising memory for storing said measured motion parameters.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said memory is detachable from said golf club.

40. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit said measured motion parameters to a command station.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said transmitter is a wireless communications transmitter.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said wireless communications transmitter transmits said measured parameter data in accordance with one of the following wireless communication protocols:

Bluetooth and IEEE 804.12.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein said wireless communications transmitter is a radio-frequency transmitter.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein said wireless communications transmitter is an Infrared-frequency transmitter.

45. The system of claim 26, wherein the data acquisition system includes a data error correction module for compensating for an error rate of said motion sensing system.

46. The system of claim 25, further comprising a command station that includes a display monitor.

47. The system of claim 26, wherein said data acquisition system compares said produced data to previously stored data.

48. The system of claim 25, wherein said golf club head is a putter.

49. The system of claim 25, wherein said golf club head is a driver.

50. A golf club, comprising:

a club head;

a shaft; and

a motion sensing system to measure motion parameters of said golf club during a golf swing, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one of;

at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

51. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system is located on said club head.

52. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system is located within said club head.

53. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system is located on said shaft.

54. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system is located within said shaft.

55. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

56. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system includes an accelerometer, a first gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a first axis, and a second gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a second axis.

57. The golf club of claim 56, wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis.

58. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system includes:

a first gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a first axis;

a first accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a first axis;

a second gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a second axis;

a second accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis;

a third gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a third axis; and

a third accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis, and wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis and said third axis is orthogonal to said first and said second axes.

59. The golf club of claim 50, further comprising memory for storing said measured motion parameters.

60. The golf club of claim 59, wherein said memory is detachable from said golf club.

61. The golf club of claim 50, further comprising a transmitter to transmitting said measured motion parameters to a command station.

62. The golf club of claim 61, wherein said transmitter is a wireless communications transmitter.

63. The golf club of claim 62, wherein said wireless communications transmitter transmits said measured parameter data in accordance with one of the following wireless communication protocols:

Bluetooth and IEEE 804.12.

64. The golf club of claim 62, wherein said wireless communications transmitter is a radio-frequency transmitter.

65. The golf club of claim 62, wherein said wireless communications transmitter is an Infrared-frequency transmitter.

66. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said motion sensing system is removable and replaceable from said golf club.

67. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said golf club is a putter.

68. The golf club of claim 50, wherein said golf club is a driver.

69. A method for analyzing a golf swing, comprising:

having a motion sensing system in communications with a golf club to measure golf swing motion parameters, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one of;

at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope; and

processing said measured motion parameters to produce data.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

locating said motion sensing system on a club head of said golf club.

71. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

locating said motion sensing system within a club head of said golf club.

72. The method of claim 69, wherein said motion sensing system comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope.

73. The method of claim 69, wherein said motion sensing system includes an accelerometer, a first gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a first axis and a second gyroscope for detecting an angular acceleration relative to a second axis, and wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis.

74. The method of claim 69, wherein said motion sensing system includes:

a first gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a first axis;

a first accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a first axis;

a second gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a second axis;

a second accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis;

a third gyroscope for detecting angular acceleration relative to a third axis; and

a third accelerometer for detecting linear acceleration relative to a second axis, and wherein said second axis is orthogonal to said first axis and said third axis is orthogonal to said first and said second axes.

75. The method of claim 69, wherein said data is representative of an impact location of a golf ball on a club face of said golf club.

76. The method of claim 69, wherein said data is representative of a velocity of a club head of said golf club.

77. The method of claim 69, wherein said data is representative of an angular orientation of a club face of said golf club.

78. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

storing said measured motion parameters.

79. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

transmitting said measured motion parameters to said command station.

80. The method of claim 69, wherein said processing of said measured motion parameters includes compensating for an error rate of said motion sensing system.

81. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

displaying said data on a display monitor.

82. The method of claim 69, further comprising:

comparing said produced data to previously stored data.