Method and apparatus for analyzing movements of an individual

• US 5,419,562 A
• Filed: 08/10/1993
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John I. Cromarty
• Original Assignee: John I. Cromarty
• Inventors: Cromarty, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Owens, Kerry
• Application Number:
  US08/104,985
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 273/183.1, 273/186.1, 273/187 R, 273/26 R, 273/186.4, 482/902, 434/247, 434/252
• US Class Current: 473/269
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/367 Detection of balance between both feet, i.e. weight distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0024 for hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3667 Golf stance aids, e.g. means for positioning a golfer's feet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/902 Employing specific graphic or video display

Abstract

In method and apparatus for analyzing motion of an individual for a predetermined activity, such as during a golf swing, forces on weight pads supporting the individual'"'"'s feet are converted to signals corresponding to relative weights and dynamic forces on the weight pads. These parameters are displayed numerically as well as graphically on a video image of the individual during performance of the activity, in order to enable the analysis of variation in weight distribution and dynamic forces during the activity.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing signals for display on a display screen for analyzing motions of an individual during a pre-determined activity in which said individual is standing on right and left weight pads for supporting separate feet of said individual comprising;

a source of background video signals on said display screen corresponding to a video image of said individual during said activity;

a graphical inset on said screen having a graphic line display of first signals on said graphical inset corresponding to forces on the feet of the individual, said display including a pair of lines on said graphical inset forming a display segment in which each of the lines depicts a moving temporal display of the respective weight on the right and left weight pads for a period of time of one to four seconds before said display segment is displaced off the left side of said inset and another segment of said lines appear on said graphical inset, and means for superimposing said pair of lines on said background signals, and means for storing and outputting said background signals with said pair of lines superimposed thereon.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means on an inset on said display screen for alphanumerically displaying the relative vertical forces on the feet of said individual, and means for numerically displaying deviations between the current forces on said feet and an average of forces on said feet for a predetermined period.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each line graph presents a display of the weight on the respective foot for approximately two seconds and thereafter the existing line graph is scrolled to the left while a new line graph appears from the right on said inset.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for producing reference video signals corresponding to a fixed reference image, said background video signals corresponding to a video image of an individual during a predetermined activity, means for superimposing said reference video signals on said background video signals, said means producing reference video signals which includes means for producing signals that correspond to a grid, and said means for superimposing said grid signals on at least one portion of said background signals that correspond to said individual, and means for modifying the portion of said background signals upon which said reference video signals are superimposed.

5. A method for producing a display on a display screen for analyzing motion of an individual in which said individual is standing with his right and left feet on right and left weight pads respectively during a pre-determined activity, comprising:

(a) producing a background display on a display screen of said individual during said activity,

(b) superimposing a pair of lines on a graphical inset forming a display on said display screen in which each of the lines depicts a moving temporal display showing the respective weights on the right and left weight pads for a predetermined period of time of at least one second before a display segment is displaced off the left side of said inset and another display segment of said pair of lines appears on said graphical inset,

(c) said step of superimposing a graphical display includes superimposing mutually distinguishable line graphs corresponding separately to forces on said left and right feet during activity,

(d) said step of superimposing line graphs comprises inserting line graph data on one side of said inset on said display screen,

(e) and continually moving the display of line graph data toward an opposite side of said inset whereby the instantaneous line graph data is superimposed on said background display for a predetermined time period during said activity.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said predetermined time period is one to four seconds.

7. In a device for analyzing an activity of an individual, in which said individual is standing on right and left weight pads wherein means are provided for producing first signals corresponding to the vertical forces on the feet of said individual on both said left and right weight pads, the improvement comprising a pair of lines on a graphical inset forming a display in which each of the lines depicts a moving temporal display of the respective weight on said right and left weight pads for a period of one to four seconds before the display is displaced off the left of said inset, and another segment of said lines appears on said graphical inset.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 further comprising an alphanumeric inset on said display screen which shows deviations between current forces applied to said feet of said individual and the average of forces applied to said feet for a predetermined time period.