Method and system for calibrating sports implement inertial motion sensing signals

• US 20050227775A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smartswing
• Original Assignee: Smartswing
• Inventors: Eyestone, Richard D., Lupher, John H., Cassady, Eric A., Farrington, John A. Jr., Gabbi, Alessandro U., Hood, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US11/135,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20050227775A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/225
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 15/00 Clubs for gymnastics or the like , e.g. for swinging exercises
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0627 when used improperly, e.g. by giving a warning
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• 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 60/16 Caps; Ferrules
• 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 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0015 for cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• 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 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 : using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 : Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration

Abstract

Techniques for calibrating club-like sports implement inertial motion sensing signals are disclosed. The disclosed method and system generate calibrated output of a motion sensing circuit, which circuit includes an inertial measurement unit and associates with a club-like sports implement. The method and system generate a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said club-like sports implement. The calibration coefficients are applied to a sensing program that operates in association with the inertial measurement unit. The method and system generate sensed motion data using the inertial measurement unit, which includes data relative to the predetermined set of axes. The data is in response to motion of the club-like sports implement. Furthermore, the method and system calibrate the sensed motion data using said plurality of calibration coefficients.

Claims

1. A method for generating calibrated output of a motion sensing circuit comprising an inertial measurement unit, said motion sensing circuit associated with a club-like sports implement, the method comprising the steps of:

generating empirically a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said club-like sports implement;

applying said plurality of calibration coefficients to a sensing program operating in association with said inertial measurement unit;

generating sensed motion data using said inertial measurement unit, said sensed motion data comprising data relative to said predetermined set of axes and in response to motion of said club-like sports implement; and

calibrating said sensed motion data using said plurality of calibration coefficients.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating at least one gyroscope calibration coefficient corresponding to movement of said club-like sports implement.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating at least one accelerometer calibration coefficient corresponding to movement of said club-like sports implement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said club-like sports implement, said club-like sports implement comprising an instrumented golf club.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating said calibration coefficients in a first axis of said set of axes, with movement only in a direction of said first axis and no movement in the remaining of said set of axes.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of associating said calibrated sensed data with data corrected for orientation anomalies.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of associating said calibrated sensed data with data corrected for acceleration anomalies.

8. An integrated circuit forming a portion of a instrumented golf club for operating a cache memory in association with an addressable memory of a microprocessor, the integrated circuit comprising:

calibration coefficient generating circuitry for generating empirically a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said club-like sports implement;

sensing program circuitry for applying said plurality of calibration coefficients to a sensing program operating in association with said inertial measurement unit;

sensed data generating circuitry for generating sensed motion data using said inertial measurement unit said sensed motion data comprising data relative to said predetermined set of axes and in response to motion of said club-like sports implement; and

sensed data calibrating circuitry for calibrating said sensed motion data using said plurality of calibration coefficients.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said calibration coefficient generating circuitry further comprises circuitry for generating at least one gyroscope calibration coefficient corresponding to movement of said club-like sports implement.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said calibration coefficient generating circuitry further comprises circuitry for generating at least one accelerometer calibration coefficient corresponding to movement of said club-like sports implement.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said calibration coefficient generating circuitry further comprises circuitry for generating a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said club-like sports implement, said club-like sports implement comprising an instrumented golf club.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said calibration coefficient generating circuitry further comprises circuitry for generating said calibration coefficients in a first axis of said set of axes, with movement only in a direction of said first axis and no movement in the remaining of said set of axes.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising circuitry for associating said calibrated sensed data with data corrected for orientation anomalies.

14. An instrumented golf club for generating calibrated output of a motion sensing circuit comprising an inertial measurement unit, said motion sensing circuit associated with a club-like sports implement, the instrumented golf club comprising:

means for generating a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said instrumented golf club;

means for applying said plurality of calibration coefficients to a sensing program operating in association with said inertial measurement unit;

means for generating sensed motion data using said inertial measurement unit said sensed motion data comprising data relative to said predetermined set of axes and in response to motion of said instrumented golf club; and

means for calibrating said sensed motion data using said plurality of calibration coefficients.

15. The instrumented golf club of claim 14, further comprising means for generating at least one gyroscope calibration coefficient corresponding to movement of said club-like sports implement.

16. The instrumented golf club of claim 14, further comprising means for generating at least one accelerometer calibration coefficient corresponding to movement of said club-like sports implement.

17. The instrumented golf club of claim 14, further comprising means for generating a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said club-like sports implement, said club-like sports implement comprising an instrumented golf club.

18. The instrumented golf club of claim 14, further comprising means for generating said calibration coefficients in a first axis of said set of axes, with movement only in a direction of said first axis and no movement in the remaining of said set of axes.

19. The instrumented golf club of claim 14, further comprising means for associating said calibrated sensed data with data corrected for orientation anomalies.

20. The instrumented golf club of claim 14, further comprising means for associating said calibrated sensed data with data corrected for acceleration anomalies.

21. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for operation in association with a instrumented golf club for generating calibrated output of a motion sensing circuit comprising an inertial measurement unit, said motion sensing circuit associated with a club-like sports implement, the computer usable medium comprising:

computer readable program code means for generating a plurality of calibration coefficients along a predetermined set of axes, said axes corresponding to the axes of movement for said instrumented golf club;

computer readable program code means for applying said plurality of calibration coefficients to a sensing program operating in association with said inertial measurement unit;

computer readable program code means for generating sensed motion data using said inertial measurement unit said sensed motion data comprising data relative to said predetermined set of axes and in response to motion of said instrumented golf club; and

computer readable program code means for calibrating said sensed motion data using said plurality of calibration coefficients.

22. The computer usable medium of claim 21, further comprising computer readable program code means for generating said calibration coefficients in a first axis of said set of axes, with movement only in a direction of said first axis and no movement in the remaining of said set of axes.