Athletic performance monitoring systems and methods in a team sports environment

• US 9,248,343 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Molyneux, James, Weast, Aaron B., Burroughs, Brandon S., Berggren, Scott R., Lindsay, Clayton J., Rice, Jordan M., Buxton, Bert B., Lowe, Edward S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US14/726,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20150297951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• 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 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• 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 2220/89 : Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 : Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 : Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 : Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 : American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 : Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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 43/00 : Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 : electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 : Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 : using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 : wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/82 : wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 : Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 : using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 : having computer circuitry

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods estimate the distance between a player and a ball by transmitting a chirp (sweep signal) to a radio tag located on the ball. During the chirp, the frequency of the transmitted signal is changed in a predetermined fashion. The radio tag doubles the transmitted frequency and returns the processed signal to a transceiver typically located on the player. The currently transmitted frequency is then compared with the received frequency to obtain a difference frequency from which an apparatus may estimate the distance. The apparatus may simultaneously receive the processed signal from the radio tag while transmitting the sweep signal.

Claims

1. An athletic monitoring system comprising:

a unitary athletic device having a housing comprising;

a retaining mechanism configured to retain the housing on either a first athlete or apparel worn by the first athlete during an athletic activity;

at least one sensor configured to generate, in real-time, athletic movement data from physical movement of the first athlete during the athletic activity;

a processor;

a transceiver configured to communicate in real-time during the athletic activity with a computer device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform at least;

in real-time, process with the processor, the athletic movement data of the respective at least one sensor to calculate athletic metric data of the first athlete; and

a computer device that is not worn by the first athlete or on the first athlete during the athletic activity configured to communicate electrical signals relating to the athletic metric data with the athletic devic, wherein said computer device and said athletic device are specifically paired, defined by at least one of a wired serial connection and wireless bonding which enables the athletic device to authenticate the identity of the computer device prior to communicating the electrical signals therewith, and

wherein said computer device is operable to automatically upload activity data, defined as data generated from one or more electrical signals relating to the athletic metric data from the physical movement of the athletic housing over a network to a remote server configured to store said activity data to enable interactive communication whereby uploaded activity data can be retrieved over the network.

2. The athletic monitoring system of claim 1, the housing further comprising an on-board display unit configured to display athletic information and the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform at least:

during the performance of the athletic activity, display on the on-board display unit, at least a portion of the athletic metric data.

3. The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the athletic device is a first athletic device amongst a plurality of athletic devices, each respectively configured to be uniquely associated and attached to a corresponding plurality of athletes during performance of the athletic activity.

4. The athletic monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the athletic metric data comprises a vertical height measurement obtained from the at least one sensor during the athletic activity.

5. The athletic monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the athletic metric data for each of the plurality of athletes comprises a vertical height measurement obtained from the at least one sensor of the respective athletic device uniquely associated with the respective athlete during the athletic activity.

6. The athletic monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the system further includes the remote server, the remote server comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform at least;

receive the vertical height measurement from each of the plurality of athletic devices;

determine, with the processor, that the first athletic device amongst the plurality of athletic devices transmitted a first vertical height measurement that is characterized by being higher than vertical height measurements from at least a portion of a remaining plurality of athletic devices;

determine, with the processor, an identity of a player that is uniquely associated with the first athletic device; and

display, during performance of the athletic activity, on a second display unit that is viewable to a plurality of individuals, the first vertical height measurement and identity of the player uniquely associated with the first athletic device.

7. The athletic monitoring system of claim 3, wherein a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform at least:

identify at least a portion of the plurality of athletic devices as being uniquely associated with players on a first sporting team based, at least in part, the transceivers of the at least a portion of the plurality of athletic devices being within a proximity threshold.

8. The athletic monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the displayed vertical height measurement is an average vertical height measurement determined from vertical height measurements obtained for predefined period of time.

9. The athletic monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the predefined period of time is a timed duration of a sporting event.

10. The athletic monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the timed duration of the sporting event is a quarter of a basketball game.

11. The athletic monitoring system of claim 3, wherein one of the non-transitory computer-readable mediums comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the computer device to perform at least:

receive electronic information corresponding to an interaction between a radio tag of a ball and athletic metric data from a second athletic device of the plurality of body-worn devices is indicative of a controlled behavior;

identify, with a processor, the identity of a second player uniquely associated with the second athletic device; and

simultaneously displaying on a display unit the identity of the second player with an athletic metric data value.

12. The athletic monitoring system of claim 11, wherein one of the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the computer device to perform at least:

determining the second player is in possession of the ball.

13. The athletic monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the determining the second player is in possession is based on, at least in part, the indication of the controlled behavior.

14. The athletic monitoring system of claim 3, wherein a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform at least:

identify a first portion of the plurality of athletic devices as being uniquely associated with players on a first sporting team; and

identify second portion of the plurality of athletic devices as being uniquely associated with players on a second sporting team;

wherein the determination that the first athletic device transmitted a first vertical height measurement that is characterized by being higher than other vertical height measurements is confined to the athletic devices associated with the first sporting team.

15. The athletic monitoring system of claim 6, wherein a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform at least:

determine that a second athletic device transmitted a second vertical height measurement that is characterized by being higher than vertical height measurements than the remaining athletic devices within the second portion of the plurality of athletic devices; and

display, simultaneously with the displaying of the first vertical height measurement on the second display unit during the performance of the athletic activity, a second vertical height measurement and an identity of a second player which is uniquely associated with the second athletic device.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

processing, in real-time with a processor, athletic movement data from a plurality of body-worn athletic devices that are each respectively configured to be uniquely associated and attached to a corresponding plurality of players during performance of an athletic activity;

wherein the plurality of body-worn athletic devices comprises a first body-worn athletic device that is uniquely associated a first player amongst the plurality of players;

wherein the processing comprises calculating on the first athletic device, athletic metric data comprising at least a first vertical height measurement for the first player;

during the performance of the athletic activity by the first player, displaying on an on-board display unit of the first athletic device, the vertical height measurement of the first player;

transmitting, via a transceiver of each plurality of athletic devices during the athletic activity, a vertical height measurement of each respective player of the respective athletic device, to at least one computer device not attached to an athlete,

wherein said transmitting from the first athletic device to the at least one computer device comprises transmitting to a first computer device that is specifically paired with the first athletic device, defined by at least one of a wired serial connection and wireless bonding which enables the athletic device to authenticate the identity of the first computer device prior to communicating the vertical height measurement.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising

automatically uploading via the first computer device, activity data, defined as data generated from one or more electrical signals relating to the athletic metric data from the physical movement of the athletic housing over a network to a remote server configured to store said activity.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

responsive to an electronically-received request for retrieving athletic data, enabling enable interactive communication such that the uploaded activity data can be retrieved over the network.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying at least a portion of the plurality of athletic devices as being uniquely associated with players on a first sporting team.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first vertical height measurement is an average vertical height measurement determined from a plurality of vertical height measurements obtained for predefined period of time.