System for sensing human movement and methods of using same

• US 8,602,949 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2009
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Pelletter
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Pelletter
• Inventors: Pelletter, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US13/055,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,599 Days
• Field of Search: 482/83, 482/84, 434/247
• US Class Current: 482/84
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/004 Multiple detectors or sensors each defining a different zone
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/801 Contact switches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/10 Combat sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/32 with indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• 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 system and method are provided for translating gross human movement into electronic signals and therapeutic, training, or educational uses for the system. An exercising or video gaming system, comprising: a floor pad controller, and a striking controller. The floor pad controller having force sensor(s) and/or placement sensor(s) arranged in a pattern in the plane of a ground or floor. The striking controller having force sensor(s) and contact sensor(s) arranged in an curved grid between the outer layer of the striking controller and an inner core. Applying force to any sensor(s) in the floor pad controller or striking controller executes an action in response to an instruction from the exercising or video gaming system; and an inner core returnably coupled to a ground or floor of a room, so that the striking controller returns to an upright position after being struck by the user.

Claims

1. An exercising or video gaming system, comprising:

a floor pad controller, comprising;

sensor(s), wherein the sensor(s) are selected from the group consisting of force sensor(s), placement sensor(s), and both force sensor(s) and placement sensor(s) in a plane of the ground or floor, so that whenever force is applied to the floor pad controller by a user, the force is registered by the sensor(s), wherein the sensor(s) detect force or placement of the force applied against the floor pad controller;

a striking controller, comprising;

an outer layer;

an outer shell; and

an inner core,

wherein the outer shell comprises sensor(s),

wherein the outer shell is entirely between the outer layer and the inner core,

wherein the sensor(s) are selected from the group consisting of force sensor(s), placement sensor(s), and both force sensor(s) and placement sensor(s),

wherein the sensor(s) sense force applied against the striking controller,

wherein applying force to any sensor(s) executes an action in response to an instruction from the exercising or video gaming system, and

wherein the inner core is returnably coupled to the ground or floor of a room, so that the striking controller returns to an upright position after being struck by the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer layer is a cushioning layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cushioning layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinylchloride (PVC), silicone, polycarbonate film, and transparent plastic.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cushioning layer is a soft fabric or foam.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the soft fabric or foam has been essentially completely extended to form a safety zone, wherein the fabric or soft cushion may particularly cushion or protect a leg, an arm, a hand, a hip, a thigh, a shoulder or a head of the user from an impact of from the blows exerted upon a bottom tier of the force and/or contact sensors of the outer shell.

6. The exercising or video gaming system of claim 2, wherein the cushioning layer is selected from the group consisting of a polyvinylchloride (PVC) layer, a silicone layer, a polycarbonate film, or a transparent plastic layer.

7. The exercising or video gaming system of claim 2, wherein the cushioning outer shell is selected from the group consisting of a soft fabric and a foam.

8. The exercising or video gaming system of claim 2, wherein the cushioning layer is able to soften the force of impact from the user'"'"'s leg, arm, hand, or any other portion of the user'"'"'s body such as his hip, thigh, shoulder or head, applied against the striking controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one body position sensor(s) directed toward a jump zone.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the body position sensor(s) is operably coupled to telescoping arms and the coupling is an articulating joint, a hinge, or a ball and socket joint.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a program memory of a processor contains instructions that translate a jump and a strike upon the striking controller by the user or individually a strike by the user upon the striking controller into an action figure'"'"'s jump kick on a video monitor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the force sensor(s) and/or contact sensor(s) are in a curved grid, and the curved grid is from about 180°

to about 360°

about the striking controller.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a microphone and headset for communicating with multi-players, which does not also control the exercising or video gaming system.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a hard wire jump switch having an analog sensitivity adjuster and a hard wired logic circuit so that if no switches are triggered and a time determined by the analog sensitivity adjuster is exceeded, a jump signal will be sent and continued to be sent until a placement sensor on the pad is triggered.

15. The controller of claim 1, wherein one of the sensor(s) is located in a center of the floor pad.

16. The exercising or video gaming system of claim 1, wherein the sensor(s) are arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis in the curved grid across the surface of the striking controller(s), wherein a kick executes an action in response to an instruction from the exercising or video gaming system, wherein the sensors are vertically longer side buttons that advantageously allow a more flexible user to kick higher while a less flexible user can still kick, but lower, without injuring themselves, the user thereby customizing their difficulty.

17. The exercising or video gaming system of claim 1, wherein the sensors detect information selected from the group consisting of force information, contact information, and both force information and contact information when force is applied against the striking controller.

18. The exercising or video gaming system of claim 17, wherein the information from the sensors is provided to a processor and the processor executes an action in response to an instruction from the exercising or video gaming system.