Athletic Performance Monitoring Systems and Methods in a Team Sports Environment

• US 20150375044A1
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Molyneux, James, Weast, Aaron B., Burroughs, Brandon S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,173,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• 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 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/1258 for the shin, e.g. shin guards
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 : Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 : Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 : Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 : Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 : Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 : Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 : Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 : American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0095 : Volleyball
• 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 43/00 : Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 : Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/081 : fluid-filled, e.g. air-filled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/1225 : for the legs, e.g. thighs, knees, ankles, feet
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 : using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 : wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/82 : wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 10/65 : Entertainment or amusement; Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 20/10 : relating to the environment, e.g. temperature; relating to location
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 40/10 : Detection; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 : having computer circuitry

Abstract

Systems and methods for sensing and monitoring various athletic performance metrics, e.g., during the course of a game, a practice, a training session, training drills, and the like, are described. These systems and methods can provide useful metrics for players and coaches relating to athletic performances in various sports, including various team sports.

Claims

1. A piece of leg borne equipment, comprising:

a sensor system for monitoring an athletic performance of a first player;

a data storage system for storing data collected by the sensor system;

a receiver programmed and adapted to receive data collected by at least one of the sensor system and a gameball sensor;

a processor system; and

a memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor system to perform at least generating a plurality of athletic performance metrics based on data collected by the sensor system.

2. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 1, wherein the piece of leg borne equipment comprises shin guards.

3. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 2, wherein the receiver includes:

a display device programmed and adapted to output real time information relating to at least the data collected by the sensor system.

4. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 2, wherein the receiver is programmed and adapted to:

receive ball contact data from one or more transmitters within a gameball.

5. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 4, wherein the memory further comprises computer readable instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to at least:

determining whether the first player is in possession of the gameball during the athletic performance.

6. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 2, wherein the receiver further comprises includes:

a transmission system programmed and adapted to transmit data collected by the sensor system to one or more remote computing devices.

7. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 2, wherein the sensor system is programmed and adapted to receive data from a remote computing device.

8. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 2, wherein the sensor system is programmed and adapted to:

determine a first direction of movement for the first player; and

initiate a first data processing algorithm based on the first direction of movement.

9. A piece of leg borne equipment according to claim 8, wherein the sensor system is programmed and adapted to:

detect a second direction of movement for the first player; and

initiate a second data processing algorithm based on the detected second direction of movement.

10. A system, comprising:

a sensor system for monitoring an athletic performance of a first player, the sensor system being mounted to a set of shin guards;

a data storage system for storing data collected by the sensor system;

an output device programmed and adapted to output perceptible athletic performance information based on data collected by the sensor system;

a processor system; and

a memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor system to perform at least generating one or more athletic performance metrics based on data collected by the sensor system.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an on-body receiver programmed and adapted to receive data collected by the sensor system, wherein the on-body receiver includes one or more activity sensors.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the on-body receiver further comprises a wrist worn device.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the on-body receiver is programmed and adapted to determine a plurality of performance metrics based on data collected by the one or more activity sensors.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the on-body receiver is further programmed and adapted to adjust one or more performance metrics in the plurality of performance metrics based on data collected by the sensor system.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein the on-body receiver is further programmed and adapted to calibrate the one or more activity sensors based on data collected by the sensor system.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein the sensor system is programmed and adapted to:

determine a first direction of movement for the first player; and

initiate a first data processing algorithm based on the first direction of movement.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein the sensor system is programmed and adapted to:

detect a second direction of movement for the first player; and

initiate a second data processing algorithm based on the detected second direction of movement.

18. A system according to claim 10, wherein the output device is programmed and adapted to:

display in a first interface a graphic visualization of an amount of time the first player was within a threshold proximity to a gameball.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the output device is programmed and adapted to:

display in the first interface one or more locations of a game field wherein the first layer was in possession of the gameball.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the output device is programmed and adapted to:

display in the first interface a heat map comprising one or more colors to indicate at least one of a number of ball possession for the first player at the one or more locations and a time of possession at the one or more locations for the first player.