GOLF DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20120264534A1
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eljas Saastamoinen, Jussi Rouhento, Michael Miettinen, Sami Ruotsalainen
• Inventors: Saastamoinen, Eljas, Rouhento, Jussi, Ruotsalainen, Sami, MIETTINEN, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,986,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/213
• 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 computing system for monitoring the performance a sportsman performing a plurality of motor acts, the system comprising:

a portable main device containing at least a timing device, a signal processing unit, a computing unit and a display unit,

an external sensor unit attachable to an object used by the sportsman in said motor acts, the sensor being responsive to movement and arranged to generate a sensor output signal,

wireless communication means adapted to enable wireless communication of the sensor output signal from the external sensor to the main device,

wherein

the signal processing unit is arranged to extract data on the course of each of the motor acts from the sensor output signal, said data including key time points of the motor acts,

the computing unit is arranged to calculate at least one statistical value representative of the users repeatability of the series of motor acts using said extracted data from the signal processing unit; and

the display unit is arranged to display the at least one of the statistical value calculated by the computing unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the portable main device comprises a housing provided with means for attaching the housing to a users wrist.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit is arranged to calculate a forecasted handicap of the sportsman, the forecasted handicap being based in part on the at least one statistical value.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the forecasted handicap is directly comparable to the users actual handicap in the sports concerned.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor in the external sensor unit is an acceleration sensor.

6. The 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.

7. The device according to claim 6, 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.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the portable main device comprises a microprocessor programmed to perform at least some of the functions of the signal processing unit and the computing unit.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one statistical value characterizes the overall repeatability of the series of motor acts, and is selected from the group of:

tempo of the series of motor acts, rhythm of the series of motor acts, duration of the first phase of the series of motor acts, velocity of the series of motor acts.

10. The 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 user.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the external sensor unit is adapted to be attached to a club, bat, stick, racquet or mallet.

12. A method of monitoring the performance a sportsman performing a plurality of motor acts, the method comprising:

attaching a portable main device containing at least a timing device, a signal processing unit, a computing unit and a display unit, to a body part of the sportsman,

attaching an external sensor unit to an object used by the sportsman in said motor acts, the sensor being responsive to movement and arranged to generate a sensor output signal,

wherein the portable main device and external sensor unit comprise wireless communication means adapted to enable wireless communication of the sensor output signal from the external sensor to the main device,

wherein the method further comprises;

extracting data on the course of each of the motor acts from the sensor output signal in said signal processing unit, the extracted data including key time points of the motor acts,

computing at least one statistical value representative of the users repeatability of the series of motor acts in the computing unit using said extracted data from the signal processing unit; and

displaying the at least one of the statistical value calculated by the computing unit on the display unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the portable main device is attached to a users wrist.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the computing unit is arranged to calculate a forecasted handicap of the sportsman, the forecasted handicap being based in part on the at least one statistical value.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the forecasted handicap is directly comparable to the users actual handicap in the sports concerned.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor in the external sensor unit is an acceleration sensor.

17. The method according to claim 12, 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.

18. The method according to claim 17, 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.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the portable main device comprises a microprocessor programmed to perform at least some of the functions of the signal processing unit and the computing unit.

20. A method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one statistical value characterizes the overall repeatability of the series of motor acts, and is selected from the group of:

tempo of the series of motor acts, rhythm of the series of motor acts, duration of the first phase of the series of motor acts, velocity of the series of motor acts.

21. The method according to claim 12, 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 user.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the external sensor unit is attached to a club, bat, stick, racquet or mallet.