HANG TIMER FOR DETERMINING TIME OF FLIGHT OF AN OBJECT

• US 20080275670A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drop Zone (UK) Limited
• Original Assignee: Drop Zone (UK) Limited
• Inventors: Alexander, Jeffrey Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/185 for ski-jumping
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 8/08 Means used apart from the time-piece for starting or stopping same

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems and methods for detecting, calculating, and displaying the time-of-flight or hang-time of a moving and jumping object such as a skier or snowboarder by using at least one accelerometer secured within a small wearable device. In one embodiment, the device comprises: a static acceleration detection means for detecting the static acceleration of the object over at least first, second, and-third periods of time as the object respectively moves, jumps in at least first, second, and third trajectories, and lands at least first, second, and third times along the surface thereby defining at least respective first, second, and third time-of-flight events; a calculating means for determining the approximate time-of-flight of the object during the first, second, and third time-of-flight events; and a display means for displaying in a readable format the approximate time-of-flights associated with the first, second, and third time-of-flight events.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing;

at least one accelerometer disposed within said housing, said at least one accelerometer being configured to detect a static acceleration of said device, wherein said static acceleration is determined based on a measurement of a force exerted on an object coupled to said device, said force being about 1 g when said object is near or contacting the surface of the earth and about 0 g when said object is off of said surface;

said at least one accelerometer being further configured to provide an accelerometer output electrical signal indicative of said static acceleration of said device;

a microprocessor electrically coupled to said at least one accelerometer, said microprocessor being configured to calculate a time-of-flight of said device from said accelerometer output electrical signal;

said microprocessor being further configured to provide a microprocessor output electrical signal indicative of a calculated time-of-flight of said device; and

a memory component configured to store said calculated time-of-flight.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display screen electrically coupled to said microprocessor, said display screen being configured to display said calculated time-of-flight.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing encloses in an essentially liquid-tight manner said at least one accelerometer and said microprocessor, and wherein said display screen is on a face of the housing.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one accelerometer comprises a tri-axis accelerometer configured to detect a first, second, and third static acceleration component of said device along three mutually perpendicular axes, and wherein said static acceleration of said device is equal to the vector sum of said first, second and third static acceleration components.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one accelerometer comprises a first and second dual axis accelerometer configured to detect a first, second, and third static acceleration component of said device along three mutually perpendicular axes, and wherein said static acceleration of said device is equal to the vector sum of said first, second and third static acceleration components.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to calculate at least one of:

(a) a cumulative time-of-flight based on said time-of-flight and an additional time-of-flight;

(b) a greatest time-of-flight selected from said time-of-flight and an additional time-of-flight;

(c) an average time-of-flight of based on said time-of-flight and an additional time-of-flight;

(d) a history of a plurality of time-of-flights that includes at least said time-of-flight, and (e) a current time-of-flight based on said time-of-flight.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a latching mechanism that is designed to latch said device to a wearer and designed to be removable from said wearer, and wherein said latching mechanism further comprises a securing mechanism designed to ensure said latching mechanism stays closed.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing is a housing of a cellular device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing is a housing of an audio and visual device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said device operates in at least one of (a) a hang-timer mode, wherein during said hang-timer mode said device has at least a sensitivity input for setting static acceleration sensitivity, (b) a temperature mode, wherein during said temperature mode said device has at least a temperature indicator, (c) a clock mode, wherein during said clock mode said device has a clock indicator, (d) a stopwatch mode, wherein during stopwatch mode said device is configured to measure time, and (e) a set mode, wherein during said set mode said device is configured in receive input regarding parameters of said device.

11. A device for determining a hang-time of an object, comprising:

at least one accelerometer, wherein said at least one accelerometer is configured to measure a first static acceleration level and a second static acceleration level;

a computing device, wherein said computing device is configured to determine a first change in magnitude from about said first static acceleration level to about said second static acceleration level, wherein said first change in magnitude corresponds to a take-off event of said object attached to said device;

wherein said computing device determines a second change in magnitude from said second static acceleration level to said first static acceleration level, wherein said second change in magnitude corresponds to a landing event of the object;

wherein a current time-of-flight corresponds to a time between said first change in magnitude, during said take-off event, and said second change in magnitude, during said landing event; and

wherein said current time-of-flight occurs substantially when said object is in zero g state.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said first change in magnitude and said second change in magnitude range between about 0 g and about 1 g.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein said device is designed to be located near the center of mass of said object.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein said device is configured to be located on an apparatus allowing the object to perform the take-off event and the landing event.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the computing device is configured to determine a subsequent time-of-flight, and wherein said computing device is further configured to determine at least one of:

(a) a cumulative time-of-flight based on said current time-of-flight and said subsequent time-of-flight;

(b) an average time-of-flight based on said current time-of-flight and said subsequent time-of-flight;

(c) a greatest time-of-flight based on said current time-of-flight and said subsequent time-of-flight; and

(d) a history of said current time-of-flight and said subsequent time-of-flight.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein said device operates in at least one of (a) a hang-timer mode, wherein during said hang-timer mode said device has at least a sensitivity input for setting static acceleration sensitivity, (b) a temperature mode, wherein during said temperature mode said device has at least a temperature indicator, (c) a clock mode, wherein during said clock mode said device has a clock indicator, (d) a stopwatch mode, wherein during stopwatch mode said device is configured to measure time, and (e) a set mode, wherein during said set mode said device is configured in receive input regarding parameters of said device.

17. The device of claim 11, further comprising a substantially liquid tight housing enclosing said at least one accelerometer and said computing device, wherein said housing houses an electronic mobile device.

18. A method for determining changes in a static acceleration profile, comprising:

detecting, by use of at least one accelerometer, a static acceleration of an object;

determining when said object experiences about zero static acceleration; and

performing at least one of (a) measuring a hang-time of said object during said zero static acceleration and (b) securing any electronic components associated with said object into a safe state, before said object experiences a substantially different static acceleration from said about zero static acceleration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said object is a mobile device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said substantially different static acceleration is about at least 1 g.