Athleticism rating and performance measuring systems

• US 20070272011A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Arjomand, Hamid, Braun, Adam, Chapa, Rodolfo
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/379.10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/026 stabilised by weight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0661 arranged on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• 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 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 : Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/03 : Athletic drills or obstacles for sport training, other than foot obstacles for skipping
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 : Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 : in connection with sports or games

Abstract

A universal athleticism rating system and related athletic performance measuring systems for accurately detecting and recording athletic performance are disclosed. The athleticism rating system evaluates individual athletes against a common, standardized, set of athletic performance tests. Each athlete performs the athletic tests and his or her scores in the individual tests are entered into a standardized calculation to produce a single athletic performance score. The related performance measuring system is preferably a timing system that ensures quick, easy, and accurate collection of athletic event timing related data without the need for the athlete to wear any special detection devices or the like. In a preferred embodiment, the performance measuring system integrates with the rating system to provide seamless athletic data collection and rating of athletes.

Claims

1. An athleticism rating system for evaluating the athleticism of an athlete in a defined sport, said system comprising the following steps:

determining the athlete'"'"'s performance in a first athletic performance drill defining a first result, said first athletic performance drill being rationally related to a desired athletic performance characteristic in the defined sport;

determining the athlete'"'"'s performance in a second athletic performance drill defining a second result, said second athletic performance drill being rationally related to a desired athletic performance characteristic in the defined sport;

applying the first result and the second result to a normalizing equation to produce a single value representing the athleticism score for the athlete.

2. The athleticism rating system of claim 1, further including a plurality of athletes, each athlete performing the steps of claim 1 using the same first and second athletic performance drills and the same normalizing equation so as to produce an individual athleticism score for each athlete of the plurality of athletes, said athleticism rating system further including the step of:

comparing the athleticism rating scores of each athlete.

3. The athleticism rating system of claim 1, wherein said first athletic performance drill is selected from the group consisting of the 30 yard-dash, the 40-yard dash, the 20-yard shuttle, the vertical jump, and the bench press.

4. The athleticism rating system of claim 3, wherein said second athletic performance drill is selected from the group consisting of the 30 yard dash, the 40-yard dash, the 20-yard shuttle, the vertical jump, and the bench press.

5. The athleticism rating system of claim 1, wherein said first athletic performance drill is directed to evaluating the speed of the athlete, and said second athletic performance drill is directed to evaluating the strength of the athlete.

6. The athleticism rating system of claim 1, further including the step of determining the athlete'"'"'s performance in a third athletic performance drill defining a third result, said third athletic performance drill being rationally related to a desired athletic performance characteristic in the defined sport, and wherein said applying the first result and the second result to a normalizing equation step includes apply the third result to the normalizing equation.

7. The athleticism rating system of claim 6, wherein said first athletic performance drill is directed to evaluating the speed of the athlete, said second athletic performance drill is directed to evaluating the strength of the athlete, and said third athletic performance drill is directed to evaluating the jumping ability of the athlete.

8. The athleticism rating system of claim 6, wherein said third athletic performance drill is selected from the group consisting of the 30-yard dash, the 40-yard dash, the 20-yard shuttle, the vertical jump, and the bench press.

9. The athleticism rating system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first result and said second result are determined with an automated performance measuring system.

10. The athleticism rating system of claim 9, wherein said automated performance measuring system also calculates the athleticism rating of the athlete.

11. The athleticism rating system of claim 9, wherein said automated performance measuring system has a sensor unit in communication with a base unit, the sensor unit performing the following steps:

automatically measuring the athletic performance of the athlete in at least one of said first and second athletic performance drills to determine at least one of said first and second results; and

,

transmitting said at least one of said first and second results to said base unit.

12. The athleticism rating system of claim 11, wherein said sensor unit is portable.

13. The athleticism rating system of claim 12, wherein said sensor unit is in wireless communication with said base unit.

14. The athleticism rating system of claim 9, wherein said automated performance measuring system is a timing device, said timing device has a sensor emitting a sensor field for detecting when an athlete has passed through the sensor field and operating a timer based on the detected presence of the athlete in the sensor field.

15. The athleticism rating system of claim 14, wherein said sensor is a distance sensor.

16. The athleticism rating system of claim 15, wherein said distance sensor is an optical device that produces an output voltage proportional to the distance an object is located from the sensor, and the timer is activated when a threshold voltage produced by the optical device is exceeded, thereby indicating the presence the athlete adjacent to the sensor.

17. An athleticism performance measuring system for automatically determining the athletic performance of an athlete, said system comprising:

a portable, self-contained, sensor unit for automatically measuring the athletic performance of the athlete in a defined athletic task to define a first result; and

,

a base unit in communication with the sensor unit for receiving and recording the first result.

18. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said sensor unit has a sensor therein emitting a sensor field therefrom, and said automatic measuring of the athletic performance of the athlete includes the athlete entering the sensor field.

19. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said athleticism performance measuring, system is a timing device and said athletic task is a timed athletic drill.

20. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said sensor unit includes a distance sensor producing a sensor field thereby detecting the presence of an athlete therein.

21. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 20, wherein said distance sensor is an optical device that produces an output voltage proportional to the distance an object is located from the sensor, and the is timer activated when a threshold voltage produced by the optical device is exceeded, thereby indicating the presence the athlete adjacent to the sensor.

22. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said base unit is separate from said sensor unit.

23. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 22, wherein said sensor unit is in wireless communication with said base unit.

24. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 23, wherein said sensor unit has a base portion and a tower portion extending substantially vertically therefrom.

25. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 24, wherein said base portion is detachably secured to said tower portion.

26. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 24, wherein said base portion has a substantially planar bottom surface for resting on a substantially horizontal surface, and said sensor is positioned within said tower portion so as to be positioned above said substantially horizontal surface by a defined distance.

27. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 26, wherein said defined distance is between 14 to 18 inches, inclusive.

28. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 27, wherein said defined distance is substantially near 16 inches.

29. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 20, wherein said distance sensor is positioned within said sensor unit so as to be directed upward from a substantially horizontal plane by about 30 degrees plus or minus 10 degrees.

30. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 26, wherein said tower portion is slideably secured to said base portion thereby making the vertical height of said sensor adjustable.

31. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 30, further including a locking means for holding said tower portion at a predetermined positioned relative to said base portion.

32. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 26, wherein said tower portion includes an opening therein and said sensor is recessed within said opening so as to be shielded from inadvertent light.

33. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 32, wherein said tower portion has a substantially circular cross-section portion and said sensor is positioned substantially central within said circular cross-section portion.

34. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said sensor unit is a substantially flat mat in communication with said base unit.

35. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said sensor is pivotally secured to said sensor unit at a first pivot so as to define at least a first axis of rotation.

36. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 35, wherein said sensor is pivotally secured to said sensor unit at a second pivot so as to define a second pivot axis.

37. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 36, wherein said first pivot axis is aligned substantially vertically, and said second pivot axis is aligned substantially horizontally.

38. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, further including:

a second sensor unit in communication with said base unit, said second sensor unit spaced apart from said sensor unit by a defined distance so as to define the start and end of defined athletic task.

39. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 38, further including a third sensor unit in communication with said base unit, said third sensor positioned along a path of said defined athletic task so as to allow an intermediate performance athletic performance characteristic to be determined.

40. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said base unit is a portable hand-held device.

41. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 40, wherein said base unit includes a display for displaying the first result.

42. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 41, wherein said base unit includes a processor for applying said first result to a normalized athleticism rating equation to determine an athleticism rating score for the athlete.

43. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 18, wherein said base unit includes a processor for determining the amount of time said athlete dwells within a sensor field of said sensor unit, and determines the when to start the timer based on the detected amount of time the user dwells within the sensor field.

44. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 17, wherein said base unit includes a display, and at least one control button for operating a user interface.

45. The athleticism performance measuring system of claim 44, wherein said user interface is menu-driven to allow a user to select from a list of pre-determined defined athletic tasks.