Training device

• US 6,416,327 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rainer Wittenbecher
• Original Assignee: Rainer Wittenbecher
• Inventors: Wittenbecher, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Application Number:
  US09/554,282
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 434/247, 434/252, 434/257, 473/219, 473/220, 473/221, 473/222, 473/225, 473/459
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/04 Badminton
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/16 Spear or javelin throwing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0024 for hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/02 for fencing , e.g. means for indicating hits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/18 for skiing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A training device for training the course of movement of a person by the manipulation of an object to be moved in a predetermined way has a data processing unit with which first sensors placed on the person are connected to transmit data of the movement to the data processing unit. Second sensors are placed on the object and connected to the data processing unit in order to transmit data of the movement of the object to the data processing unit. Mechanical actuating elements are placed on the object and connected to the data processing unit. They are triggered by the data processing unit to simulate contact with a virtual object as a tactile acknowledgement to the person. An indicator placed on the person and a memory for reference data are connected to the data processing unit, and the data processing unit calculates from the reference data the ideal course of movement of the body and the object and represents the ideal course of movement on the indicator.

Claims

1. A training device (100) for training the course of movement of a person (22) by manipulating an object (38) to be moved by the person (22) in a predetermined manner, wherein

a data processing unit (10),

first sensors (28, 30) connected with the data processing unit (10) and adapted to be placed on a person (22) which transmit first data in connection with the movement of the person (22) to the data processing unit (10,

second sensors (40) connected with the data processing unit (10) and adapted to be placed on an object (38) which transmit second data in connection with the movement of the object (38) to the data processing unit (10),

mechanical actuating means (42) connected with the data processing unit (10) and adapted to be placed on the object (38) which, actuated triggered by the data processing unit (10), simulate a contact with a virtual object (21) as a tactile acknowledgement to the person (22),

an indicating means (26) connected with the data processing unit (10) and adapted to be placed on the person (22) and

a memory (12) for reference data,

whereby the data processing unit (10) is constructed in such a way that it calculates an ideal course of movement of body and object (38) from the reference data and alternatively represents

(a) the ideal course of movement in the indicating means or

(b) compares the ideal course of movement with an effective course of movement which results from the first and second data of the first and second sensors (28, 30, 40) or

(c) simultaneously represents in the indicating means (26) the ideal course of movement and the effective course of movement detected by means of the first and second sensors (28, 30, 40).

2. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

that the data processing unit (10) furthermore is constructed in such a way that, from the reference data and the first and second data, it calculates a movement trajectory of the virtual object (21) in space and represents it on the indicating means (26).

3. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

the object (38) is a sports apparatus, for example a tennis racket, a badminton racket, a table tennis racket, a squash racket, a golf club, a baseball bat, a throwing hammer, a hockey stick, a ball racket, a javelin, skis, snowboards, skates, or the like.

4. A training device (100) according to any of the claim 1, wherein

the object (38) is a javelin, a racket, an epee, a foil, an axe, a defensive weapon or the like.

5. A training device (100) according to any of the claim 1, wherein

the virtual object (21) is a ball or a virtual person and/or a virtual object led by the virtual person.

6. A training device (100) claim 1, wherein

the first sensors (28, 30) are data gloves (28) and/or data shoes (30).

7. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

the indicating means (26) is a display.

8. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

the indicating means (26) is integrated into a helmet (24) or a cap placed on the head of the person (22).

9. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

the reference data comprise anthropometric measures and/or kinematic parameters of the body of an average person and the ideal course of movement is determined on the base of these data.

10. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

the reference data comprise anthropometric measures and/or kinematic parameters of the person (22) and the ideal course of movement is determined on the base of these data.

11. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

the reference data comprise static and dynamic properties of the object (38).

12. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

the reference data comprise dimensions of a court, a net height, a net width, a surface structure of a place such as, for example sand, lawn or carpet, and/or further fixed parameters.

13. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

in case (c) the data processing unit (10) is constructed in such a way that divergences of the effective course of movement detected by the first and second sensors (28, 30, 40) from the ideal course of movement are visually stressed in the indicating means (26), for example, in color.

14. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

in case (b) the data processing unit (10) is constructed in such a way that, from the comparison of the courses of movement, there emerge data which correspond to divergences between the courses of movement.

15. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

two lasers (14, 16) connected with the data processing unit (10) and controlled by the data processing unit are provided for, the crossing point of their laser beams (18, 20) corresponding to the place in space of the virtual object (21).

16. A training device (100) according to claim 1, wherein

several virtual objects (21) are provided for, two laser beams (18, 20) being assigned to each virtual object (21) and the respective crossing point of two laser beams (18, 20) corresponding to a place in space of the respective virtual object (21).