Position determination system and ball sport training system

• US 7,837,574 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zebris Medical GmbH
• Original Assignee: Zebris Medical GmbH
• Inventors: Brunner, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S
• Application Number:
  US11/281,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473/134, 473/151, 473/152, 473/198, 473/199, 473/200, 473/219, 473/221, 473/222, 473/223, 473/226, 473/231, 473/232, 473/233
• US Class Current: 473/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0026 for ice-hockey
• 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: G01S 5/186 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

Position measuring system including a synchronization transducer used to synchronize a position signal evaluation with the position signal emission of a wireless synchronization transmission line between a position signal transmitter and a position signal evaluation unit, or visa versa, in order to transmit synchronization signals to a series controller of a position signal transmitter or to identifying means of the position signal evaluation unit.

Claims

1. A ball sport training system to dynamically determine the position of an object during movement, comprising:

a position signal transmitter attached to the object including an active ultrasonic transmitter element and an infrared (IR) transmitter element, each with the same transmitter frequency or wavelength and transmitting without channel separation, controlled by a series controller with a predetermined transmitter time program in order to emit an ordered quantity of position signals;

a position signal receiver for the reception of the position signals, that is stationary to said position signal transmitter and that has a wireless connection to said position signal transmitter;

a position signal evaluation unit, connected downstream from said position signal receiver, evaluating said position signals from the position signal transmitter for the dynamic determination of the object'"'"'s position during movement, whereas said position signal evaluation unit includes identifying means to identify the respective position signals of said transmitter time program, that are emitted by the IR and ultrasonic transmitter elements of said position signal transmitter;

a synchronization transducer synchronizing the position signal evaluation with the position signal emission by using a wireless synchronization signal transmission line, external to the ultrasonic and IR sensor signal transmissions, between said position signal transmitter and said position signal evaluation unit to transmit synchronization signals to said series controller of said position signal transmitter or to said identifying means of said position signal evaluation unit, whereas said synchronization transducer is assigned to said position signal evaluation unit; and

wherein said series controller of said position signal transmitter includes an internal timer that is triggered by a temporary reception of an internal synchronization signal from said synchronization transducer and that internally controls said transmitter time program in case of further non-existing external synchronization signals.

2. Ball sport training system according to claim 1 characterized by;

a two-piece position signal transmitter, wherein a part is attached to the object and coupled to a second, spatially displaced part, via a signal and power supply cable comprising a power supply as well as electronic circuits of said position signal transmitter.

3. Ball sport training system according to claim 1 characterized by;

a position signal transmitter or position signal receiver including display elements for displaying the operation state by triggering multicolored flash-operation controlled LEDs that are triggered depending on the state of the operation of the synchronization signal transmission line.

4. Ball sport training system, comprising:

a position signal transmitter that is attached to a club, racket or stick used to practice the ball sport including an active ultrasonic transmitter element and an infrared (IR) transmitter element, each with the same transmitter frequency or wavelength and transmitting without channel separation, that are controlled by a series controller with a predetermined transmitter time program emitting an ordered quantity of position signals;

a position signal receiver receiving position signals that are stationary to said position signal transmitter including a wireless connection to said position signal transmitter;

a position signal evaluation unit connected downstream to said position signal receiver evaluating said position signals from the position signal transmitter for the dynamic determination of the position of the club, racket or stick during movement, whereas said position signal evaluation unit includes identifying means to identify the respective position signals of the ordered quantity of said transmitter time program that are emitted by the IR and ultrasonic transmitter elements of said position signal transmitter;

a synchronization transducer synchronizing the position signal evaluation with the position signal emission by using a wireless synchronization signal transmission line, external to the ultrasonic and IR sensor signal transmissions, between said position signal transmitter and said position signal evaluation unit transmitting synchronization signals to said series controller of said position signal transmitter or internally to said identifying means of said position signal evaluation unit; and

a movement display unit, coupled to the input of said position signal evaluation unit, displaying data representing the movement of the club, racket or stick in a form of a graphical illustration of the movement.

5. Ball sport training system according to claim 4 characterized by;

a synchronization transducer assigned to the position signal evaluation unit and a series controller of the position signal transmitter including an internal timer that is triggered by a temporary reception of a synchronization signal from said synchronization transducer and that internally controls the transmitter time program in case of further non-existing external synchronization signals.

6. Ball sport training system according to claim 4 characterized by;

a synchronization transducer assigned to the position signal transmitter, controlling the identifying means of the position signal evaluation unit via the synchronization transmission line.

7. Ball sport training system according to claim 4 characterized by;

a position signal evaluation unit including an internal timer that is triggered by a temporary reception of a synchronization signal from the synchronization transducer and that internally controls the identification procedure in case of further non-existing external synchronization s signals.

8. Ball sport training system according to claim 4 characterized by;

a two-piece position signal transmitter wherein a first part is attachable to the club, racket or stick and coupled to a second part attached to a belt, via a signal and power supply cable comprising a power supply as well as electronic circuits of said position signal transmitter.

9. Ball sport training system according to claim 4 characterized by a position signal transmitter or position signal receiver including display elements for displaying the operation state with different flash-operation controlled LEDs, that are triggered depending on the state of the operation of the synchronization signal transmission line.