Electronic measurement of the motion of a moving body of sports equipment

• US 7,021,140 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Michigan
• Original Assignee: Noel C. Perkins
• Inventors: Perkins, Noel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/201,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20030024311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 734/91, 734/89, 734/95, 734/98, 734/99, 735/10, 735/11, 473/219, 473221-226, 473231-233, 473256-258, 473288-290, 473/307, 473/407, 473/409
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 87/00 Fishing rods
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/00 Accessories for angling fish stringers A01K65/00; landing-nets or landing-spoons for fishing A01K77/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/005 Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration

Abstract

An application of rate gyros and accelerometers allows electronic measurement of the motion of a rigid or semi-rigid body, such as a body associated with sporting equipment including a fly rod during casting, a baseball bat, a tennis racquet or a golf club during swinging. For instance, data can be collected by one gyro according to the present invention is extremely useful in analyzing the motion of a fly rod during fly casting instruction, and can also be used during the research, development and design phases of fly casting equipment including fly rods and fly lines. Similarly, data collected by three gyros and three accelerometers is extremely useful in analyzing the three dimensional motion of other sporting equipment such as baseball bats, tennis racquets and golf clubs. This data can be used to support instruction as well as design of the sporting equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising:

electronic means, releasibly connectible to and associated with the body, for continuously measuring six rigid body degrees of freedom corresponding to motion of the body over time; and

means for powering the electronic means, wherein the electronic means includes at least one angular rate gyro for generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a single-axis angular rate gyro.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a micro electro mechanical system angular rate gyro for generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body over time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic means further comprises:

at least one angular rate gyro for generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body; and

at least one accelerometer for generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the powering means further comprises:

a battery connectible to the electronic means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the electronic means for generating a signal corresponding to movement of the body over time; and

central processing means for processing the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time in accordance with a program stored in memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

means for transmitting a data signal from the electronic means to the central processing means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the transmitting means further comprises an electrical signal transferred through wires connecting the electronic means to the central processing means.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the transmitting means further comprises a wireless signal transferred through the electronic means to a receiver for delivery to the central processing means.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

the central processing means for generating an output signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the output signal is an audio signal corresponding to a variance between a comparison of the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time with a predetermined signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the output signal is visual signal corresponding to a graphic display of the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the graphic display compares the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time with a predetermined signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting bracket for connecting the electronic means to a body corresponding to a standard piece of sporting equipment.

37. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing enclosing at least a portion of the electronic means, the housing separate from the body and removably associated with the body.

5. An apparatus for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising:

electronic means, associated with the body, for continuously measuring six degrees of freedom corresponding to motion of the body over time, wherein the electronic means includes at least one angular rate gyro for generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body, and at least one accelerometer for generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body, the at least one gyro including three angular rate gyros, each gyro positioned with a sensing axis perpendicular with respect to sensing axes of the other gyros, and the at least one accelerometer including three accelerometers, each accelerometer positioned with a sensing axis perpendicular to sensing axes of the other accelerometers; and

means for powering the electronic means.

16. An apparatus for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising:

electronic means, located in a housing separate from the body and removably associated with the body, for continuously measuring at least one parameter corresponding to an angular rate of motion of the body over time; and

means for powering the electronic means, wherein the body is a fly rod having en attached fly reel and fly line for performing an actual fly casting stroke.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the electronic means generates a signal corresponding to an angular rate of motion of the fly rod during an actual fly casting stroke.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

the electronic means connectible to a reel seat of the fly rod for measuring angular velocity perpendicular to a plane of the fly rod formed while casting and for generating an analog voltage proportional to the measured angular velocity.

19. A method for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising steps of:

continuously measuring six rigid body degrees of freedom corresponding to motion of the body over time with an electronic means, releasibly connectible to and associated with the body, wherein the measuring step includes the step of generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one angular rate gyro; and

powering the electronic means.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a single-axis angular rate gyro.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one gyro further comprises:

a micro electro mechanical system angular rate gyro for generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body over time.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the measuring step further comprises the steps of:

generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one angular rate gyro; and

generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one accelerometer.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the powering step further comprises the step of:

connecting a battery to the electronic means.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

generating a signal corresponding to movement of the body over time with at least one gyro;

processing the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time in accordance with a program stored in memory with a central processing means.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

transmitting a data signal from the electronic means to the central processing means.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the transmitting step further comprises an electrical signal transferred through wires connecting the electronic means to the central processing means.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the transmitting step further comprises a wireless signal transferred through the electronic means to a receiver for delivery to the central processing means.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of:

generating an output signal with the central processing means.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the output signal is an audio signal corresponding to a variance between a comparison of the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time with a predetermined signal.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the output signal is visual signal corresponding to a graphic display of the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the graphic display compares the signal corresponding to movement of the body over time with a predetermined signal.

33. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

connecting the electronic means to a body corresponding to a standard piece of sporting equipment with a mounting bracket.

38. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

enclosing at least a portion of the electronic means in a housing, the housing separate from the body and removably associated with the body.

23. A method for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising the steps of:

continuously measuring six degrees of freedom corresponding to motion of the body over time with an electronic means, associated with the body, wherein the measuring step further includes the steps of generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one angular rate gyro, and generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one accelerometer, the at least one gyro including three angular rate gyros, positioning each gyro with a sensing axis perpandicular with respect to sensing axes of the other gyros, and the at least one accelerometer including three accelerometers, positioning each accelerometer with a sensing axis perpandicular to sensing axes of the other accelerometers.

34. A method for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising the steps of:

continuously measuring at least one parameter corresponding to an angular rate of motion of to body over time with an electronic means located in a housing separate from the body and removably associated with the body; and

powering the electronic means, wherein the body is a fly rod having an attached fly reel and fly line performing an actual fly casting stroke.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the electronic means generates a signal corresponding to an angular rate of motion of the fly rod during an actual fly casting stroke.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of:

connecting the electronic means to a reel seat of the fly rod for measuring angular velocity perpendicular to a plane of the fly rod formed while casting and for generating an analog voltage proportional to the measured angular velocity.