METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING USER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

• US 20130178958A1
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Kulach, Christopher J., Rooney, James K., Skarsgard, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/736,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02

Abstract

A system for determining user performance characteristics includes an inertial sensor and a processing system. The inertial sensor may be coupled with the user'"'"'s torso and generates one or more signals corresponding to the motion of the user'"'"'s torso. The processing system is in communication with the inertial sensor and is operable to use the one or more signals to determine one or more user performance characteristics. The user performance characteristics may include speed, cadence, time energy cost, distance energy cost and acceleration energy cost.

Claims

1. A system for determining performance characteristics of a user, the system comprising:

an inertial sensor for coupling with the user and generating one or more signals corresponding to striding motion of the user'"'"'s torso; and

a processing system in communication with the inertial sensor and operable to use the one or more signals to determine vertical torso displacement.

2. The system of claim 1, the inertial sensor including at least one accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine a change in the potential energy of the torso.

4. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine the change in potential energy from the vertical torso displacement.

5. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine a change in vertical kinetic energy of the torso.

6. The system of claim 5, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine a maximum vertical torso speed, and to use the maximum vertical torso speed to determine the change in vertical kinetic energy.

7. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to determine the vertical torso displacement by twice integrating a vertical acceleration signal with respect to time.

8. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine cadence.

9. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine contact time per step.

10. The system of claim 1, further including a display coupled with the processing system, the display operable to present an indication of one or more calculated user performance characteristics associated with the determined vertical torso displacement.

11. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine an amount of power used to raise the user'"'"'s torso.

12. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to identify the foot of the user associated with the striding motion.

13. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine an amount of energy used per unit of distance.

14. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine an amount of energy used to accelerate and decelerate the user'"'"'s torso in a direction perpendicular to gravity.

15. The system of claim 1, the processing system operable to use the one or more signals to determine an amount of energy used to reposition one of the user'"'"'s legs.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the inertial sensor is integrated with a torso-mounted heart rate monitor.

17. A method of determining user performance characteristics, the method comprising:

receiving, with a processing system, one or more signals corresponding to the user'"'"'s torso motion, the one or more signals being generated by an inertial sensor coupled with the user;

determining, with the processing system, vertical torso displacement using the one or more signals; and

presenting a visual indication of a user performance characteristic associated with the determined vertical torso displacement.

18. The method of claim 17, further including determining one or more user performance characteristics including determining a change in potential energy of the torso.

19. The method of claim 17, further including determining one or more user performance characteristics including determining a change in horizontal kinetic energy of the torso.

20. The method of claim 17, further including determining one or more user performance characteristics including determining an amount of energy used.