Golf device and method

• US 20070010341A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ruotsalainen, Sami, Miettinen, Michael, Rouhento, Jussi, Saastamoinen, Eljas
• Granted Patent: US 8,226,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/131
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0015 for cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable device and a method for monitoring the performance a sportsman performing a plurality of motor acts, such as golf swings. The device comprises at least one sensor providing an output signal, the sensor being responsive to body movements of the sportsman. A signal processing unit is used for extracting data on the course of each of the plurality of motor acts from the sensor output signal, and a computing unit is used for determining, based on the data on the course of the plurality of motor acts, at least one characteristic number describing the repeatability of the motor act. By the means of the invention, the handicap number of the golfer can be predicted with good accuracy by monitoring several his or her subsequent swings.

Claims

1. A portable device for monitoring the performance a sportsman performing a plurality of motor acts, the device comprising:

at least one sensor providing a sensor output signal, the sensor being responsive to body movements of the sportsman,

a signal processing unit for extracting data on the course of each of the plurality of motor acts from the sensor output signal, and

a computing unit for determining, based on the data on the course of the plurality of motor acts, at least one characteristic number describing the repeatability of the motor act.

2. A device according to claim 1, which is attachable to a body part, such as a wrist, of the sportsman.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an acceleration sensor.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is adapted to extract data on two-phase motor acts comprising a first phase of the motor act and a second phase of the motor act, such as a golf swing, from the sensor output signal.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the signal processing unit is adapted to detect the time points of starting of the motor act, the intervening of the first and second phases of the motor act and ending of the motor act.

6. A device according to claim 1, which comprises a microprocessor programmed to perform at least some of the functions of the signal processing unit and the computing unit.

7. A device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one characteristic number characterizes the repeatability of a property of the motor act selected from the group of:

tempo of the motor act, rhythm of the motor act, duration of the first phase of the motor act, velocity of the motor act.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the computing unit is adapted to calculate at least one coefficient of variance of said property of the motor act.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic number characterizes the overall repeatability of the motor act, the number being calculated as a weighed sum of at least two other characteristic numbers describing properties of the motor act selected from the group of:

tempo of the motor act, rhythm of the motor act, duration of the first phase of the motor act, velocity of the motor act.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic number is in hcp-units.

11. A device according to claim 1, which further comprises

a memory unit for temporarily storing at least part of the data on the course each of the plurality of motor acts,

at least one key button for receiving user input, and

a display.

12. A device according to claim 1, which is adapted to perform an automatic multiple monitoring program of the plurality of motor acts in response to user input and reporting the at least one characteristic number to the sportsman.

13. A device according to claim 1, which comprises a wristop computer.

14. A portable device for monitoring the performance a golfer performing a plurality of golf swings, the device comprising:

at least one sensor providing a sensor output signal, the sensor being responsive to body movements of the golfer,

a signal processing unit for extracting data on the course of each of the plurality of swings from the sensor output signal, and

a computing unit for determining, based on the data on the course of the plurality of swings, at least one characteristic number describing the repeatability of the swing of the golfer.

17. A method according to claim 14, which is at least partly performed in a device attached to a body part, such as a wrist, of the sportsman.

26. A method according to claim 17, wherein at least the step of computing is performed on separate computing means, such as a computer.

15. A portable device for monitoring the performance a sportsman performing a plurality of motor acts, the device comprising:

means for collecting a set of data on individual motor acts of the plurality of motor acts in response to body movements of the sportsman, and

means calculating at least one characteristic number describing the repeatability of the motor act based on said set of data.

16. A method for monitoring the characteristics of a motor act of a sportsman performing a plurality of motor acts, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing body movements of the sportsman with a sensor providing a sensor output signal,

extracting data on the course of each of the plurality of motor acts from the sensor output signal, and

calculating, based on the data on the course of the plurality of motor acts, at least one characteristic number describing the repeatability of the motor act.

18. A method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein at least one acceleration sensor is used for performing said step of sensing.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein a single microprocessor is utilized for performing the steps of extracting and computing.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of extracting data is adapted to enable extracting data on two-phase motor acts comprising a first phase of the motor act and a second phase of the motor act, such as a golf swing, from the sensor output signal,

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the step of extracting comprises detecting the time points of starting of the motor act, the intervening of the first and second phases of the motor act and ending of the motor act.

22. A method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the at least characteristic number characterizes the repeatability of a property of the motor act selected from the group of:

tempo of the motor act, rhythm of the motor act, duration of the first phase of the motor act, velocity of the motor act.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of computing comprises calculating at least one coefficient of variance of said property of the motor act.

24. A method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one characteristic number characterizes the overall repeatability of the motor act, the number being calculated as a weighed sum of at least two other characteristic numbers describing properties of the motor act selected from the group of:

tempo of the motor act, rhythm of the motor act, duration of the first phase of the motor act, velocity of the motor act.

25. A method according to claim 16, which further comprises displaying the at least one characteristic number to the sportsman.

27. A method for monitoring the characteristics of the swing of a golfer performing a plurality of golf swings, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing body movements of the golfer with a sensor providing a sensor output signal,

extracting data on the course of each of the plurality of swings from the sensor output signal, and

calculating, based on the data on the course of the plurality of swings, at least one characteristic number describing the repeatability of the swing.