Sports electronic training system with sport ball, and applications thereof

• US 9,087,159 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Original Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Inventors: Oleson, Mark Arthur, DiBenedetto, Christian, Tomlinson, Scott, Van Noy, Allen W., Vaterlaus, Amy Jones, Vincent, Stephen Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US13/740,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473198-200, 473/351
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/00 Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0056 the pivoting movement being in a vertical plane, e.g. steppers with a horizontal axis platforms for rocking motion about a horizontal axis A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0076 Rowing machines for conditioning the cardio-vascular system seats moving during exercise A63B22/0087; training appliances for rowing or sculling on boats A63B69/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 : with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 : performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0664 : performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 : Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 : Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 : Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 : Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 : Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/70 : Measuring or simulating ambient conditions, e.g. weather, terrain or surface conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 : Altitude
• 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 2220/836 : Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 : with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 : P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 : temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 : Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 : Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 : Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 : Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 : Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 : electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 : Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 : Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0273 : using multipath or indirect path propagation signals in position determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 : Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 : Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A sports electronic training system with sport ball, and applications thereof, are disclosed. In an embodiment, the system comprises at least one monitor and an electronic processing device for receiving data from the at least one monitor and providing feedback to an individual based on the received data. The monitor can be a motion monitor that measures an individual'"'"'s performance such as, for example, speed, pace and distance for a runner. Other monitors might include a heart rate monitor, a temperature monitor, an altimeter, et cetera. In an embodiment, a sport ball that includes a motion monitor for monitoring motion of the sport ball stores an identification value received when a shoe that includes a motion monitor contacts the sport ball. The stored identification value serves as a record of the contact.

Claims

1. A sports electronic system, comprising:

a first motion monitor for use with an article of footwear;

a sport ball having a second motion monitor adapted to generate a value; and

a portable electronic processing device,

wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the first motion monitor and the second motion monitor,

wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate wirelessly with one of

the first motion monitor through the second motion monitor,

the second motion monitor through the first motion monitor, and

both the first motion monitor through the second motion monitor and the second motion monitor through the first motion monitor, and

wherein the system is adapted to predict a movement of the ball based on the value generated by the second motion monitor, and to display an output representing the predicted movement before the ball completes the movement.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the first motion monitor through the second motion monitor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the second motion monitor through the first motion monitor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate directly with the first motion monitor and the second motion monitor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic processing device is selected from the group consisting of:

a mobile phone, an MP3 music file player, a personal digital assistant, and a watch.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second motion monitor is adapted to generate the value in response to a change in motion of the sport ball, and wherein the value is selected from the group consisting of:

an impact force value, a trajectory value, a speed value, and a spin value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic processing device includes a memory for storing wirelessly received data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic processing device includes a transmitter for communicating data stored in the memory to a computer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is a cellular transmitter.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the second motion monitor is configured to transmit the value from the second motion monitor to the portable electronic processing device.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the second motion monitor is configured to transmit the value from the second motion monitor to the first motion monitor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first motion monitor is adapted to monitor movement of an athlete supporting the first motion monitor selected from the group consisting of:

forward distance, backward distance, sideways distance, and speed.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first motion monitor is adapted to monitor athlete movement when the athlete contacts the ball.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the second motion monitor is configured to transmit the value from the second motion monitor to the first motion monitor each time an athlete supporting the first motion monitor contacts the ball.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first motion monitor is adapted to store the value in the first motion monitor and download the value to a computer.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the second motion monitor is adapted to generate the value after an athlete contacts the ball but before the ball completes the movement.

17. An athletic performance monitoring system, comprising:

an athlete motion monitor for monitoring motion of an athlete engaged in an activity, the athlete motion monitor coupled to an article of footwear wearable by the athlete;

a ball monitor coupled to a sport ball for monitoring motion of the sport ball and adapted to generate ball data; and

a portable electronic processing device,

wherein the athlete motion monitor is configured to receive the ball data from the ball monitor during the activity,

wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate

wirelessly with the athlete motion monitor to receive the ball data, and

wherein the system is adapted to predict a movement of the ball, and to display an output representing the predicted movement.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the portable electronic processing device includes memory for storing data relating to the athlete and the motion of the sport ball.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the athlete motion monitor includes memory for storing data relating to the athlete and the motion of the sport ball.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate with the ball monitor.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising a physiological monitor supported by the athlete.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the physiological monitor is selected from the group consisting of:

a heart rate monitor, a temperature monitor, an altimeter, a hydration monitor, and an ionization monitor.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the portable electronic processing device is adapted to communicate wirelessly with the physiological monitor.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the ball data received by the athlete motion monitor is selected from the group consisting of:

ball contact data, impact force data, ball distance data, ball trajectory data, ball spin data, time data, and speed data.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the ball monitor is configured to transmit the ball data from the ball monitor to the athlete motion monitor.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the athlete motion monitor is configured to transmit the ball data from the athlete motion monitor to the portable electronic processing device.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the ball monitor is configured to transmit the ball data from the ball monitor to the portable electronic processing device.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the ball monitor is adapted to generate the ball data after the athlete contacts the sport ball.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the ball monitor is adapted to generate the ball data each time the athlete contacts the sport ball.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the athlete motion monitor is disposed in a sole of the article of footwear.

31. An athletic performance monitoring system for use by an athlete engaged in an activity with a sport ball, the system comprising:

an athlete motion monitor supported by an article of footwear wearable by the athlete configured to receive ball data from a sport ball motion monitor, wherein the ball data is selected from the group consisting of;

ball contact data, impact force data, ball distance data, ball trajectory data, ball spin data, time data, and speed data; and

a portable electronic processing device disposed remotely from the athlete motion monitor,

wherein the athlete motion monitor is configured to communicate with the sport ball motion monitor and the portable electronic processing device to transmit the ball data to the portable electronic processing device, and

wherein the system is adapted to predict a movement of the ball based on the ball data, and to display an output representing the predicted movement.

32. An athletic performance monitoring device for use by an athlete engaged in an activity with a sport ball, comprising:

a housing adapted to be coupled to an article of footwear; and

a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with a sport ball motion monitor coupled to the sport ball and a portable electronic processing device disposed remotely from the transceiver,

wherein the transceiver is configured to receive ball data from the sport ball motion monitor that is generated in response to a change in motion of the sport ball and transmit the ball data to the portable electronic processing device, and

wherein the system is adapted to predict a movement of the ball based on the ball data, and to display an output representing the predicted movement.

33. An athletic performance monitoring system, comprising:

an athlete motion monitor for monitoring motion of an athlete engaged in an activity, the athlete motion monitor coupled to an article of footwear wearable by the athlete;

a ball monitor coupled to a sport ball for monitoring motion of the sport ball; and

a portable electronic processing device,

wherein the athlete motion monitor includes memory for storing data relating to the athlete and the motion of the sport ball,

wherein the portable electronic processing device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the athlete motion monitor, and

wherein the ball monitor is configured to generate a value in response to a change in motion of the sport ball and transmit the value from the ball monitor to the athlete motion monitor each time the article of footwear contacts the sport ball.