Software Application for Generating a Virtual Simulation for a Sport-Related Activity

• US 20150157944A1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Glenn I. Gottlieb
• Original Assignee: Glenn I. Gottlieb
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Glenn I.
• Application Number:
  US14/564,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20150157944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations

Abstract

A system and a software method for generating a virtual simulation for a sport related activity based on real-world performance and input allows a user to assess their athletic performance during a sport-related activity. The system provides an external computing device and a sports ball that is implanted/integrated with internal sensors. The internal sensors collect of movement data for the sports ball during the sport-related activity. This movement data in conjunction with the ball specifications is used to generate a virtual movement model, a virtual representation of the sports ball and the associated physical and dynamic characteristics. A virtual environment is generated and adjusted by the environmental settings. Then, the virtual movement model is integrated within the virtual environment and the resultant is displayed and stored as a performance simulation on the external computing device. Data patterns are then derived from performance simulations collected over a period of time.

Claims

1. A method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method comprises the steps of:

(A) providing inertial measurement sensors within a sports ball;

(B) providing a ball specifications for a sport-related activity, wherein the ball specifications describe physical characteristics of the sports ball;

(C) directly or indirectly collecting spatial positioning and orientation data from the inertial measurement sensors during the sport-related activity;

(D) generating a virtual movement model of the sports ball by analyzing the spatial positioning and orientation data;

(E) generating a virtual environment independent of the virtual movement model;

(F) integrating and displaying the virtual movement model within the virtual environment; and

(G) storing the virtual movement model and the virtual environment as a performance simulation.

4. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a portable power source integrated within the sports ball;

providing an external computing device;

powering the inertial measurement sensors with the portable power source during steps (C);

communicating raw data collected from the inertial measurement sensors to the external computing device; and

executing steps (C) through (G) with the external computing device.

5. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

designating a specific period of time for the sport-related activity before step (C); and

directly or indirectly collecting the spatial positioning and orientation data for the specific period of time.

6. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, or a combination thereof as the inertial measurement sensors; and

collecting the spatial positioning and orientation data from the inertial measurement sensors during the sport-related activity.

7. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing impact sensors as the inertial measurement sensors, wherein the impact sensors are distributed about an outer surface of the sports ball;

collecting external forces data from the inertial measurement sensors during the sport-related activity; and

extrapolating the spatial positioning and orientation data from the external forces data.

8. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, impact sensors, or a combination thereof as the inertial measurement sensors, wherein the impact sensors are distributed about an outer surface of the sports ball;

collecting the spatial positioning and orientation data from the accelerometers, the gyroscopes, and/or the magnetometers during the sport-related activity;

collecting external forces data from the inertial measurement sensors during the sport-related activity; and

analyzing the external forces data in addition to the spatial positioning and orientation data in order to generate the virtual movement model.

9. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

calculating three dimensional position, velocity, acceleration, and spin of the sports ball from the spatial positioning and orientation data;

designating the three dimensional position, the velocity, acceleration, and spin of the sports ball as an environment-independent data set;

compiling the environment-independent data set with the ball specifications into the virtual movement model;

animating the environment-independent data set with the ball specifications within the virtual environment; and

storing the environment-independent data set as part of the performance simulation.

10. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing or receiving user input for environmental settings; and

modifying the virtual environment according to the environmental settings.

11. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, the method as claimed in claim 10 comprises the steps of:

providing an environment-independent data set for three dimensional position, velocity, acceleration, and spin of the sports ball;

calculating an environment-dependent data set by adjusting the three dimensional position, the velocity, the acceleration, and the spin of the sports ball according to the environmental settings;

compiling the environment-dependent data set with the ball specifications into the virtual movement model;

animating the environment-dependent data set with the ball specifications within the virtual environment; and

storing the environment-dependent data set as part of the performance simulation.

12. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

repeating steps (C) through (G) in order to accumulate a plurality of performance simulations; and

identifying data patterns amongst the plurality of performance simulations.

13. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity as claimed in claim 12 comprising:

identifying movement differences between the virtual movement model for each of the plurality of performance simulations by comparing the virtual movement model for each of the plurality of performance simulations against each other;

identifying trends within user-inputted preliminary information across the plurality of performance simulations; and

computing the data patterns by correlating the movement differences to the trends within the user-inputted preliminary information.

14. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

providing a plurality of player profiles as part of a game platform;

generating the virtual movement model of the sports ball for each of the plurality of player profiles by implementing steps (C) through (E);

integrating and displaying the virtual movement model for each of the plurality of player profiles with the virtual environment during step (F); and

generate a performance score defined by the game platform for each of the plurality of player profiles by analyzing the performance simulation for each of the plurality of player profiles.

2. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, wherein the inertial measurement sensors are physically implanted into the sports ball.

3. The method of generating a virtual simulation for a sport-related activity, wherein the inertial measurement sensors are physically integrated into the sports ball.