SWING MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD EMPLOYING SIMULTANEOUS MULTI-SWING DISPLAY

• US 3,792,863 A
• Filed: 05/30/1972
• Issued: 02/19/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James W. Evans
• Original Assignee: James W. Evans
• Inventors: Evans, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US05/258,018
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 273/186,26,29,73,DIG.28,183B 35/29A
• US Class Current: 473/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/54 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00

Abstract

A system and method for measuring at least one element of motion of the swing of an athletic implement, in which electrical signals from torque, strain and flex gauges in the implement representative of successive swings are sequentially stored and then at least two signals of successive swings of one of torque, strain or flex are simultaneously displayed, as magnitude versus time, for comparison.

Claims

1. A measurement system comprising:

an athletic implement;

motion sensing means responsive to successive movements of said implement for providing a sequence of electrical signals, each of which is a function of at least one element of motion of a corresponding movement;

means responsive to a plurality of input signals for providing a simultaneous visual display representative of said input signals; and

signal processing means responsive to sequential outputs of said motion sensing means for simultaneously providing said input signals to said display means.

2. A measurement system as recited in claim 1, wherein said motion sensing means comprises a sensor responsive to one of velocity, torque, and flex during movement of said implement.

3. A measurement system as recited in claim 2, wherein said signal processing means comprises means for sequentially storing said motion element signals.

4. A measurement system as recited in claim 3, wherein said sequential storing means comprises at least two memory means, one of said memory means being adapted to receive an output from another one of said memory means.

5. A measurement system as recited in claim 4, further comprising means for selecting an output from said another memory means for storage in said one memory means.

6. A measurement system as recited in claim 5, wherein said selecting means further comprises means for playing back said output stored in said one memory means simultaneously with another output of said another memory means.

7. A measurement system as recited in claim 6, further comprising means responsive to the simultaneous outputs of said selecting means for providing inputs to said visual display means each of which is visually distinguishable from all other inputs.

8. An athletic swing measurement system, comprising:

an athletic implement adapted for swinging to strike an object;

motion sensing means responsive to successive swings of said implement for providing a sequence of electrical signals which are representative of at least one element of motion of successive swings;

signal processing means responsive to said sequence of signals for providing outputs each of which represents said element of motion for each successive swing;

first and second memory means, said first memory means responsive to said processing means for serially storing each successive one of said outputs;

selector means for feeding one output of said first memory means into said second memory means, said selector means further comprising means for playing back said one output out of said second memory means simultaneously with another output of said first memory means; and

visual display means responsive to said one and another outputs from said selector means for providing a simultaneous visual display representing said outputs.

9. An athletic swing measurement system as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

an additional number of said memory means; and

wherein said selector means comprises means for feeding and playing back another, and subsequent outputs of said first memory means serially into and out of said additional memory means.

10. An athletic swing measurement system as recited in claim 9, further comprising means for providing a reference swing input to said selector means.

11. An athletic swing measurement system as recited in claim 9, further comprising logic generating means electrically interposed between said selector means and said visual display means, said logic generating means responsive to outputs of said second and additional memory means for providing inputs to said visual display each of which is visually distinguishable from other inputs thereto.

12. A golf club swing measurement system, comprising:

a golf club having a shaft with a club head attached thereto;

motion sensing means carried by said golf club and responsive to a plurality of successive swings of said club for providing an electrical signal which is a function of at least one element of motion of each swing;

means supported by said shaft for transmitting an output modulated by each said signal;

means for receiving and demodulating said output of said transmitting means and reproducing each said signal;

means responsive to an output of said receiving means for converting each said signal to a series of digital values;

first and second memory means, said first memory means providing means for serially storing the digital values representative of each successive swing;

selection means responsive to an output of said first memory means for recording and playing back the digital values representative of one swing into and out of said second memory means; and

means responsive to outputs of said selection means for simultaneously provIding visual displays representative of said element of said one swing and a like element of another, successive swing.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, further comprising logic generating means responsive to the output of said selection means representative of said one swing for generating a logic which distinguishes said visual display of said one swing from that of said another swing.

14. A method for measuring and displaying an element of motion of one swing of an athletic implement and a like element of a subsequent swing, comprising the steps of:

sensing said motion element for said one swing;

storing an electrical signal representative of said motion element for said one swing;

sensing said motion element for said subsequent swing;

storing an electrical signal representative of said motion element for said subsequent swing;

simultaneously playing back said signals from storage;

rendering one of said signals distinguishable from the other signal; and

simultaneously providing a visual display representative of said signals.