Sport performance systems for measuring athletic performance, and associated methods

• US 20060015287A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Darcy, Dennis, Vock, Curtis A., Flentov, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/141
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/10 for the head A63B71/081 takes precedence ; in the form of caps or hats A42B1/08; helmets A42B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 8/08 Means used apart from the time-piece for starting or stopping same

Abstract

System determines impact of a helmet, comprising: accelerometer and processor, the accelerometer detecting acceleration of the helmet, the processor configured to process the signals from the accelerometer to determine impact of the helmet. System determines athletic performance, comprising: pressure sensor for sensing change in elevation; microprocessor for processing signals from the pressure sensor to determine vertical speed corresponding to the change in elevation; and display for reporting the vertical speed to a user. System assesses athletic performance, comprising: protective housing configured for attachment to a human-powered sport vehicle; GPS sensor configured with the housing for generating earth position signals; microprocessor configured with the housing for processing the signals to determine speed and distance traveled of the sport vehicle; and display configured with the housing for displaying one or both of the speed and distance traveled to a user of the human-powered sport vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for determining impact of a helmet, comprising:

at least one accelerometer and a processor, the accelerometer detecting acceleration of the helmet, the processor being configured to process the signals from the accelerometer to determine impact of the helmet.

2. The system of claim 1, the accelerometer and processor being configured within a common housing.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a wireless transmitter configured with the housing for reporting impact to a remote location.

4. A method for determining impact of a helmet, comprising:

utilizing an accelerometer to measure acceleration of the helmet; and

processing signals from the accelerometer to determine impact that exceeds a threshold.

5. A system for determining athletic performance, comprising:

a pressure sensor for sensing change in elevation;

a microprocessor for processing signals from the pressure sensor to determine speed corresponding to the change in elevation; and

a display for reporting the speed to a user

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a watch for reporting the speed to a user wearing the watch.

7. The system of claim 5, the pressure sensor comprising an altimeter.

8. The system of claim 5, the microprocessor processing the signals and information corresponding to angle of descent to determine speed of descent along a slope.

9. The system of claim 8, the microprocessor utilizing predetermined angle of descent to determine the speed along the slope.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising an inclinometer to measure the angle of descent for the microprocessor.

11. The system of claim 5, the sensor converting pressure to analog voltage for use by the microprocessor.

12. The system of claim 5, the microprocessor reading data from the pressure sensor at a fixed rate.

13. The system of claim 5, the sensor, microprocessor and display configured for attachment to a user.

14. The system of claim 12, the sensor and microprocessor configured with a common housing.

15. The system of claim 14, the housing comprising a watch, the display being a display of the watch.

16. The system of claim 5, further comprising a low pass filter for filtering low frequency data from the pressure sensor.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a high pass filter for filtering high frequency data from the pressure sensor.

18. The system of claim 5, the pressure sensor and microprocessor configured with a common housing, and further comprising a wireless transmitter configured with the housing, to transmit data indicative of the vertical speed, and further comprising a watch having the display and a wireless receiver configured to receive the data.

19. The system of claim 5, the speed comprising vertical speed.

20. A system for assessing athletic performance, comprising:

a protective housing configured for attachment to a human-powered sport vehicle;

a GPS sensor configured with the housing for generating earth position signals;

a microprocessor configured with the housing for processing the signals to determine speed and distance traveled of the sport vehicle; and

a display configured with the housing for displaying one or both of the speed and distance traveled to a user of the human-powered sport vehicle.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising memory for storing map data from which the microprocessor reports features along a path taken by the sport vehicle.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising memory for storing map data, the processor configured to display, on the display, a user position using the map data.

23. The system of claim 20, the sport vehicle comprising a bike.

24. The system of claim 20, the sport vehicle comprising a snowboard, ski, windsurf board or mask, roller blade boot, skate board, or kayak.