Sport ball athletic activity monitoring methods and systems

• US 9,257,054 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Coza, Aurel, Dibenedetto, Christian, Allen, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, THOMAS HAYNES
• Application Number:
  US13/446,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20130274040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 473/570
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A method for monitoring a ball used for an athletic activity includes detecting movement of the ball at a first time, using a sensor module coupled to the ball, determining that the movement of the ball corresponds to a predetermined activation movement, entering an active state of the sensor module in response to the determination that the movement of the ball corresponds to the predetermined activation movement, and detecting movement of the ball at a second time, using the sensor module in the active state.

Claims

1. A method for determining trajectory of an object used for an athletic activity, the method comprising:

sensing first magnetic field data and first acceleration data at a first time, using a sensor module coupled to the object;

determining an orientation of the object at the first time, based on the first magnetic field data and first acceleration data;

sensing second magnetic field data and second acceleration data at a second time, using the sensor module;

determining an orientation and an acceleration direction of the object at the second time, based on the second magnetic field data and second acceleration data; and

determining a trajectory of the object at the second time, based on the orientation of the object at the first time, and the orientation and the acceleration direction of the object at the second time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor module includes an acceleration sensor and a magnetic field sensor,

wherein the first magnetic field data and the second magnetic field data are sensed by the magnetic field sensor, and

wherein the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data are sensed by the acceleration sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the object at the first time comprises determining an orientation of the object relative to an external reference, and

wherein determining trajectory of the object at the second time comprises determining trajectory of the object with respect to the external reference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the object at the first time comprises determining an orientation of the object relative to one or both of external magnetic effects and external gravitational effects, and

wherein determining trajectory of the object at the second time comprises determining trajectory of the object with respect to the one or both of external magnetic effects and external gravitational effects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the trajectory of the object comprises:

determining the launch angle of the object,

wherein the trajectory is determined to be the launch angle of the object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second time is less than 150 ms after initiation of motion of the object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second time corresponds to the earliest time after initiation of motion of the object at which acceleration magnitude is sensed.

8. The method of claim 5, comprising:

determining that the object is in free flight at the second time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the object is in free flight comprises:

sensing resultant acceleration of less than 1 G.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing an output based on the trajectory of the object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with a characteristic of an individual.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with characteristics of a plurality of individuals.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with a past trajectory of the object.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with a target trajectory of the object.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the output comprises transmitting data representative of the trajectory to a display device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the display device is a portable phone.

18. A method for determining trajectory of a ball used for an athletic activity, the method comprising:

sensing first magnetic field data and first acceleration data at a first time, using a sensor module coupled to the ball;

determining an orientation of the ball at the first time, based on the first magnetic field data and first acceleration data;

sensing second magnetic field data and second acceleration data at a second time, using the sensor module;

determining an orientation and an acceleration direction of the ball at the second time, based on the second magnetic field data and second acceleration data; and

determining a trajectory of the ball at the second time, based on the orientation of the ball at the first time, and the orientation and the acceleration direction of the ball at the second time.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising determining a rate of rotation of the ball based on the first magnetic field data and the second magnetic field data.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising determining a plane of rotation of the ball based on at least one of the first magnetic field data and the first acceleration data and on at least one of the second magnetic field data and the second acceleration data.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising determining a peak speed of the ball based on at least one of the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data.

22. The method of claim 18, comprising:

determining a distance traveled by the ball based on a trajectory model.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the trajectory model is based on a speed, launch angle, rotation plane, and rotation rate of the ball.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the distance traveled is the distance the ball would have traveled if its flight had not been interrupted.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising:

providing an output presenting the distance traveled as a function of the trajectory.

26. The method of claim 18, comprising:

determining a maximum acceleration of the ball based on at least one of the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data.

27. The method of claim 18, comprising:

providing an output presenting an activity metric as a function of the trajectory.

28. A method for determining trajectory of an object used for an athletic activity, the method comprising:

determining a gravity direction with respect to a magnetic field, based on first magnetic field data and first acceleration data sensed by a sensor module coupled to the object, at a first time;

determining a relative acceleration direction at a second time, based on second acceleration data sensed by the sensor module at the second time;

determining an acceleration direction with respect to the gravity direction at the second time, based on the determination of the gravity direction with respect to the magnetic field and the determination of the acceleration direction with respect to the sensor module at the second time; and

determining a trajectory at the second time based on the determination of the acceleration direction with respect to the gravity direction at the second time.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the object is a ball.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the sensor module includes an acceleration sensor and a magnetic field sensor,

wherein the first magnetic field data and the second magnetic field data are sensed by the magnetic field sensor, and

wherein the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data are sensed by the acceleration sensor.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the relative acceleration direction at the second time is determined with respect to the magnetic field.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the relative acceleration direction at the second time is determined with respect to the sensor module.

33. The method of claim 28, comprising:

sensing rotational motion data from the first time to the second time, using the magnetic field sensor,

wherein determining the acceleration direction with respect to the gravity direction is based on the rotational motion data from the first time to the second time.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the rotational motion data comprises a representation of an angle of rotation of the sensor module from the first time to the second time, and

wherein determining the acceleration direction with respect to the gravity direction comprises subtracting or adding the angle of rotation from or to an angle of the relative acceleration direction.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein determining the trajectory of the object comprises determining the launch angle of the object, and

wherein the trajectory is determined to be the launch angle of the object.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the second time is less than 150 ms after initiation of motion of the object.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the second time corresponds to the earliest time after initiation of motion of the object at which acceleration magnitude is sensed.

38. The method of claim 35, comprising:

providing an output based on the launch angle of the object.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the output is a display of the launch angle of the object.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the output is a display of the launch angle of the object in conjunction with a characteristic of an individual.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the output is a display of the launch angle of the object in conjunction with characteristics of a plurality of individuals.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the output is a display of the launch angle of the object in conjunction with a past launch angle of the object.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein the output is a display of the launch angle of the object in conjunction with a target launch angle of the object.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein providing the output comprises transmitting data representative of the launch angle to a display device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the display device is a portable phone.

46. The method of claim 28, comprising:

determining that the object is in free flight at the second time.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein determining that the object is in free flight comprises:

sensing resultant acceleration of less than 1 G.

48. The method of claim 28, comprising:

providing an output based on the trajectory of the object.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with a characteristic of an individual.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with characteristics of a plurality of individuals.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with a past trajectory of the object.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein the output is a display of the trajectory of the object in conjunction with a target trajectory of the object.

54. The method of claim 48, wherein providing the output comprises transmitting data representative of the trajectory to a display device.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the display device is a portable phone.