COMPACT MOTION-SIMULATING DEVICE

• US 20110028800A1
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Coulter, Ryan C., Thorpe, David, Hoyt, Josh, Lakovic, Tom, Middleton, Meral, Freissler, Christian, Knaub, Dave R., Allen, Andrew, Yoo, Herb, Reichow, Alan W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,430,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/162 Testing reaction times
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 5/00 Exercisers for the eyes

Abstract

A reaction-testing system is provided to simulate motion to an individual. Generally, the reaction-testing system includes a motion-simulating device, a reflective device, a control unit, and an input device that is activated by an individual In exemplary embodiments, the motion-simulating device includes a beam that accommodates a first and second plurality of light sources capable of, at least, alternating between an active and idle condition. These light sources are arranged amongst occlusion features in a mounting pattern such that light emitted from the first plurality is directly viewable by an individual and light emitted from the second plurality is indirectly viewed by the individual through the reflecting surface. The control unit is configured to sequentially activate the light sources sequentially to generate pulses of light on that, when perceived by the individual, appear as a light moving along a vector.

Claims

1. A motion-simulating device that simulates motion to an individual viewing the motion-simulating device from a first position relative to the motion-simulating device, the motion-simulating device comprising:

at least one reflecting surface viewable from the first position;

a first plurality of light sources directly viewable from the first position; and

;

a second plurality of light sources indirectly viewable from the first position using the at least one reflecting surface.

2. The motion-simulating device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of light sources are not indirectly viewable from the first position using the at least one reflecting surface.

3. The motion-simulating device of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of light sources are not directly viewable from the first position.

4. The motion-simulating device of claim 1, wherein only one light source of the first plurality of light sources and the second plurality of light sources is activated at any given time.

5. The motion-simulating device of claim 4, wherein:

the first plurality of light sources are not indirectly viewable from the first position using the at least one reflecting surface; and

the second plurality of light sources are not directly viewable from the first position.

6. The motion-simulating device of claim 5, wherein the at least one reflecting surface comprises a mirror.

7. The motion-simulating device of claim 5, wherein:

the first plurality of light sources comprise display devices that display indicia having at least one visual characteristic; and

the second plurality of light sources comprise display devices that display indicia having at least one visual characteristic.

8. The motion-simulating device of claim 5, further comprising:

a beam that holds the first plurality of light sources and the second plurality of light sources between the at least one reflecting surface and the first position.

9. The motion-simulating device of claim 5, wherein the beam extends longitudinally between the at least one reflecting surface and the first position.

10. The motion-simulating device of claim 5, wherein the beam extends laterally between the at least one reflecting surface and the first position.

11. The motion-simulating device of claim 5, wherein the light sources in the first plurality of light sources and the second plurality of light sources activate in a temporal pattern to create the appearance of movement of a light from the first position.

12. The motion-simulating device of claim 11, further comprising:

an input device to be engaged by the individual at the first position to indicate when the individual believes that light at a predetermined position is activated.

13. The motion-simulating device of claim 12, further comprising:

a secondary input device that receives an input from the individual indicating whether the individual believes they engaged the input device before, after, or while light at a predetermined position was activated.

14. The motion-simulating device of claim 12, wherein the light source activated when the input device is engaged remains activated for a predetermined period of time.

15. The motion-simulating device of claim 12, further comprising a recording device that records which light source is activated when the input device is engaged.

16. A motion-simulating device that simulates motion to an individual viewing the motion-simulating device from a first line of vision, the motion-simulating device comprising:

a reflecting surface;

a beam extending substantially along the first line of sight with a first end proximate to the reflecting surface;

a plurality of light source pairs, positioned, periodically along the beam from the first end to a second end, each light source pair comprising;

a directly viewable light source directly viewable to an individual along the first line of vision, the directly viewable light source occluded to prevent the directly viewable light source from being viewed indirectly in the reflecting surface by an individual along the first line of vision; and

an indirectly viewable light source indirectly viewable in the reflecting surface to an individual along the first line of vision, the indirectly viewable light source occluded to prevent the indirectly viewable light source from being viewed directly by an individual along the first line of vision;

a control unit that sequentially activates individual light sources of the pairs of light sources, beginning with the indirectly viewable light source nearest to the second end of the beam and proceeding to sequentially activate each indirect light source nearest to the first end of the beam and then proceeding to sequentially activate the directly viewable light sources from the first end of the beam to the second end of the beam; and

an input device that is engaged by an individual when the individual believes that a predetermined light source is activated.

17. The motion-simulating device of claim 16, wherein the control unit records the time difference between when the input device is engaged and when the predetermined light source was activated.

18. The motion-simulating device of claim 16, wherein the control unit records the light source that was activated when the input device was engaged.

19. An anticipation-testing system that simulates motion to an individual viewing a motion-simulating device from a first line of vision and evaluates the individual'"'"'s anticipation of when the simulated motion will indicate a target element, the anticipation-testing system comprising:

a reflecting surface;

the motion-simulating device for simulating motion by sequentially activating a plurality of light sources, wherein the motion-simulating device comprises;

(1) a plurality of occlusion features each capable of blocking light emitted from each of the plurality of light sources;

(2) the plurality of light sources capable of alternating between an active condition and an idle condition that includes a first plurality of light sources and a second plurality of light sources,

wherein the first plurality of light sources are directly viewable by the individual, each of the plurality of occlusion features prevent each of the first plurality of light sources, respectively, from emitting light in a direction of the reflecting surface, and

wherein the second plurality of light sources are indirectly viewable by the individual via the reflecting surface, each of the plurality of occlusion features prevent each of the second plurality of light sources, respectively, from emitting light in a direction of the individual;

(3) a beam extending substantially along the first line of vision that accommodates the plurality of light sources in a mounting pattern;

a control unit that sequentially activates individual light sources of the plurality of light sources according to test instructions executed by the control unit, wherein sequentially activating comprises recursively triggering one or more light sources of the plurality of light sources to the cycle through the active condition, wherein the one or more light sources of the second plurality of light sources are sequentially activate precedent to sequentially activating the one or more light sources of the first plurality of light sources; and

an input device that is engaged by an individual when the individual perceives that a predetermined light source is activated during sequential activation, wherein the predetermined light source comprises at least one light source of the plurality of light sources.

20. The anticipation-testing system of claim 19, wherein the mounting pattern comprises laterally offsetting each light source of the first plurality of light sources from each light source of the second plurality of light sources, respectively, with respect to the line of sight.

21. The anticipation-testing system of claim 19, wherein the mounting pattern comprises longitudinally offsetting each light source of the first plurality of light sources from each light source of the second plurality of light sources, respectively, with respect to the line of sight.

22. The anticipation-testing system of claim 19, wherein the beam of the motion-simulating device resides in an angular orientation with respect to the reflect surface such that the individual perceives the simulated motion as originating from a distal location and moving towards a proximal location.

23. The anticipation-testing system of claim 19, further comprising a second input device that is used by the individual to indicate the individual'"'"'s evaluation of the accuracy of the individual'"'"'s engagement of the input device when the individual perceived that the predetermined light source was activated.

24. The anticipation-testing system of claim 23, wherein the second input device receives an input from the individual indicating whether the individual believes the individual'"'"'s engagement of the input device was early or late.

25. The anticipation-testing system of claim 24, wherein the second input device further receives an input from the individual indicating a degree of being early or late.

26. The anticipation-testing system of claim 24, wherein the second input device comprises at least one button.

27. The anticipation-testing system of claim 24, wherein the second input device comprises a voice recognition system.