Measurement and analysis of foot related forces during a golf swing
First Claim
1. Apparatus for measuring and analyzing a player'"'"'s foot related forces during a golf swing or a sports swing similar to a golf swing, comprising a standing surface for the player;
- a communication means;
a plurality of sensor means which are operable to measure force;
the standing surface comprising two separate foot platforms for the player'"'"'s feet, each foot platform comprising a supporting structure including a surface with a plurality of discrete positions to which vertical forces on the supporting structure are distributed;
the communication means for communicating to the player with information related to a performance of the player, thereby allowing the player to understand the performance without assistance from a skilled third party;
the sensor means, located at the discrete positions, for measuring vertical forces;
a computing means for analyzing the swing, including;
means for receiving and separately processing signals from the sensor means;
means for determining the relative magnitudes and positions of resultant forces by balance-resolution of forces, including individual forces measured by the sensor means in relation to the discrete positions;
means for analyzing and evaluating numerical data related to the measured positions and magnitudes of the forces; and
the computing means for analyzing the swing based on an evaluation of forces from the sensor means against a framework of feature events, determined positions of the feet, and a body of information available to the computing means comprising available reference data;
wherein;
the evaluation related to the framework of feature events is based on a mapping of the times of various detectable principal events which are common to all normal swings;
the evaluation related to the determined positions of the feet is based on a statistical analysis of a batch of resultant forces measured by the sensor means where the player shifts weight with the foot in that position; and
the available reference data include at least one piece of;
information related to known swing performance, including criteria which allow different aspects of the performance to be judged against a predetermined performance when the available reference data is prepared;
information accessible by the computing means from a logging means for logging information concerning previous swings made by the player, and the player'"'"'s previous performance;
andinformation accessible by the computing means from a co-operating means for co-operating with other apparatus, the co-operating means is for receiving further information on the swing from the other apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus (1) comprises a standing surface (2) for the player; a communication means (27); and a plurality of sensors (11) which are operable to measure force. The standing surface (2) comprises two separate foot platforms (3, 4) for the player'"'"'s feet. Each foot platform (3, 4) comprises a supporting structure or supporting members where vertical forces are distributed to a plurality of discrete positions (5). The sensors (11) are located at the discrete positions (5) to which the vertical forces are distributed. The sensors (11) are operable to measure vertical forces. The apparatus also comprises a computing means (26) which is operable to analyze the swing, and includes means to receive and separately process signals from individual or groups of sensors (11); means to determine the relative magnitudes and positions of resultant forces by balance-resolution of forces, including individual forces, measured by the sensors (11) in relation to the discrete positions of the sensors (11); and means to analyze and evaluate numerical data related to the measured positions and magnitudes of the forces.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. Apparatus for measuring and analyzing a player'"'"'s foot related forces during a golf swing or a sports swing similar to a golf swing, comprising a standing surface for the player;
- a communication means;
a plurality of sensor means which are operable to measure force;the standing surface comprising two separate foot platforms for the player'"'"'s feet, each foot platform comprising a supporting structure including a surface with a plurality of discrete positions to which vertical forces on the supporting structure are distributed; the communication means for communicating to the player with information related to a performance of the player, thereby allowing the player to understand the performance without assistance from a skilled third party; the sensor means, located at the discrete positions, for measuring vertical forces; a computing means for analyzing the swing, including; means for receiving and separately processing signals from the sensor means;
means for determining the relative magnitudes and positions of resultant forces by balance-resolution of forces, including individual forces measured by the sensor means in relation to the discrete positions;means for analyzing and evaluating numerical data related to the measured positions and magnitudes of the forces; and the computing means for analyzing the swing based on an evaluation of forces from the sensor means against a framework of feature events, determined positions of the feet, and a body of information available to the computing means comprising available reference data; wherein; the evaluation related to the framework of feature events is based on a mapping of the times of various detectable principal events which are common to all normal swings; the evaluation related to the determined positions of the feet is based on a statistical analysis of a batch of resultant forces measured by the sensor means where the player shifts weight with the foot in that position; and the available reference data include at least one piece of; information related to known swing performance, including criteria which allow different aspects of the performance to be judged against a predetermined performance when the available reference data is prepared; information accessible by the computing means from a logging means for logging information concerning previous swings made by the player, and the player'"'"'s previous performance; and information accessible by the computing means from a co-operating means for co-operating with other apparatus, the co-operating means is for receiving further information on the swing from the other apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
- a communication means;
Specification