Sport Ball Athletic Activity Monitoring Methods and Systems

• US 20160121164A1
• Filed: 01/13/2016
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: COZA, Aurel, DIBENEDETTO, Christian, ALLEN, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 10,369,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A method for monitoring a ball used for an athletic activity includes detecting movement of the ball using a sensor module coupled to the ball, determining a characteristic of the movement of the ball, comparing the characteristic to a known profile, and determining a second characteristic using the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for determining speed of an object used for an athletic activity, the method comprising:

sensing acceleration data, using a sensor module coupled to the object;

determining a drag force applied to the object, based on the acceleration data;

comparing the drag force with a drag profile that expresses drag as a function of object speed; and

determining speed of the object based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a ball.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor module includes an acceleration sensor, and wherein the acceleration data is sensed by the acceleration sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the drag profile is based on calculated data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the drag profile is based on experimental data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration data comprises a representation of a magnitude of acceleration sensed by the sensor module.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that the object is in free flight at the time of sensing the acceleration data.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing an output based on the speed of the object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the output is a display of the speed of the object in conjunction with a characteristic of an individual.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the output is a display of the speed of the object in conjunction with an activity metric.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the output comprises transmitting data representative of the speed to a display device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the display device is a portable phone.

13. A method for determining distance traveled by an object used for an athletic activity, the method comprising:

determining that the object is in free flight, using a sensor module coupled to the object;

determining a condition of the object during free flight, using the sensor module;

determining a trajectory model for the flight of the object based on the condition of the object during flight; and

determining the distance traveled by the object based on the trajectory model.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

determining a speed of the object during free flight;

determining a launch angle of the object;

determining a plane of rotation of the object; and

determining a rate of rotation of the object,

wherein the condition of the object during free flight comprises the speed, launch angle, plane of rotation, and rate of rotation of the object.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the object is a ball.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining speed of the object comprises:

sensing acceleration data, using the sensor module;

determining a drag force applied to the object, based on the acceleration data;

comparing the drag force with a drag profile that expresses drag as a function of object speed; and

determining speed of the object based on the comparison.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising:

providing an output based on the distance traveled by the object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the output is a display of the distance traveled by the object in conjunction with a characteristic of an individual.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the output is a display of the distance traveled by the object in conjunction with an activity metric.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein providing the output comprises transmitting data representative of the distance traveled by the object to a display device.