Video analysis system of swing motion

• US 20060281060A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Katayama, Hide
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• 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 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training

Abstract

A video analysis system of swing motion includes an imaging unit that images video of swing motion, an impact detection unit that detects impact, a control unit and a video display unit. The control unit has (a) a function of receiving the video of the swing motion from the imaging unit; (b) a function of receiving an impact detection signal from the impact detection unit; (c) a function of recording the video of swing motion received from the imaging unit into the control unit; and (d) a function of, when the control unit records into the control unit the video of the swing motion received from the imaging unit, determining an impact time based on the impact detection signal received from the impact detection unit, to record images of the swing motion for a predetermined time period containing the impact time.

Claims

1. A video analysis system of swing motion, for analyzing video of swing motion for hitting a ball, the video analysis system comprising:

an imaging unit that-images video of swing motion;

an impact detection-unit that detects impact;

a control unit; and

a video display unit, wherein the control unit has functions (a) to (h);

(a) a function of receiving the video of the swing motion from the imaging unit;

(b) a function of receiving an impact detection signal from the impact detection unit;

(c) a function of recording the video of swing motion received from the imaging unit into the control unit;

(d) a function of—

when the control unit records the video of the swing motion received from the imaging unit—

determining an impact time based on the impact detection signal received from the impact detection unit, to record images of the swing motion for a predetermined time period containing the impact time ;

(e) a function of displaying the video of the swing motion received from the imaging unit, on the video display unit;

(f) a function of slowing down replay speed of the video of the swing motion to be lower than an actual swing speed during the displaying of the video of the swing motion on the video display unit;

(g) a function of temporarily stopping replying the video during the displaying of the video of the swing motion on the video display unit; and

(h) a function of switching video replay between a forward mode and a backward mode during the displaying of the video of the swing motion on the video display unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined time period is a sum of 1.3 to 2.2 seconds before the impact time and 0.8 to 2.2 seconds after the impact time.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further has:

(i) a function of adjusting the predetermined time period when the control unit records the video of the swing motion by the function (d).

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the imaging unit comprises a first camera and a second camera, and the control unit further has;

(j) a function of switching among a first video of the first camera, a second video of the second camera, and a third video provided by center wiping of the first and second videos, to display the switched video on the video display unit.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further has:

(k) a function of switching between a live video imaged at present with the imaging unit and a memory video recorded in the control unit, to display the switched video on the video display unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further has:

(l) a function of erasing the recorded video of the swing motion from the control unit.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a personal computer, wherein;

the control unit further has;

(m) a function of transmitting the video of the swing motion to the personal computer,

the personal computer is connected to the control unit, and the control unit transmits the video of the swing motion to the personal computer.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein:

the control unit further comprises a plurality of buttons and a plurality of switches on an outer surface thereof,

when any one of at least a part of the buttons is depressed, the control unit activates a function corresponding to the depressed button,

when any one of the switches is operated, the control unit activates a function corresponding to the operated switch, and

a total sum of number of all buttons and all switches, which are provided on the outer surface of the control unit, is 20 or less.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the number of the all buttons and the all switches provided on the outer surface of the control unit is 10 or less.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the video of the swing motion transmitted to the personal computer by the control unit includes at least one of a live video imaged at present by the imaging unit and the video recorded in the control unit.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein:

the control unit further comprises a communication interface through which the video of the swing motion is transmitted from the control unit to the personal computer, and

the communication interface complies with USB standard.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

a CPU clock frequency of the personal computer is equal to or higher than 1GHZ, and

the communication interface complies with USB standard 2.0 having 480Mbps in data transmission speed.

13. The system according to claim 7, wherein:

the personal computer includes software having;

(1) a function, by presetting frame number of video at an address position, frame number of video at a top position, frame number of video at an impact position, and frame number of video at a finish position in an image memory, of capturing four types of images at the address position, at the top position, at the impact position, and at the finish position from the video of the swing motion in response to a single menu click operation, and displaying the four captured images on the same screen of the video display unit.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the software has:

(2) a function of arranging the four captured images in a predetermined display format when displaying the four images on the same screen of the video display unit while generating a comment on the video of the swing motion by calling the comment from a previously created comment file and adding and registering a newly created comment to the comment file, and displaying the comment in the display format; and

(3) a function of making it possible to enter a name of a golfer and a name of an instructor in the display format and to record the once entered names of the golfer and the instructor for later calling.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the software has at least one selected from the group consisting of the following functions (4) to (12):

(4) a function of superposing two images in the video of the swing motion on each other on the same screen and making one of the images translucent, to thereby enable a user to recognize the two images on the same screen;

(5) a function of switching between the video provided by one camera of the imaging unit and the videos provided by two cameras of the imaging unit for display;

(6) a function of receiving a first video provided by a first camera of the imaging unit and a second video provided by a second camera of the imaging unit from the control unit and aligning top positions of the first and second videos, thereby displaying the first and second videos in synchronous with each other;

(7) a function of displaying a scale on the screen on which the video of the swing motion is displayed;

(8) a function of displaying a line selected from among a circle, an ellipse, a straight line, a rectangle, a free-form curve, and a grid line on the screen on which the video of the swing motion is displayed;

(9) a function of setting three points within the screen on which the video of the swing motion is displayed and calculating and displaying an angle between two straight lines connecting the three points;

(10) a function of saving a file of the video of the swing motion received from the control unit;

(11) a function of compressing and saving a file of the video of the swing motion received from the control unit; and

(12) a function of making a printer print the screen on which the video of the swing motion is displayed.

16. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a behavior analysis system of a hit ball so that ball behavior data, which is a ball hit result, and the video of the swing motion, which is a cause of ball behavior, can be determined totally.