Method for interactive training and analysis

• US 9,350,951 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scott Dallas Rowe
• Original Assignee: Scott Dallas Rowe
• Inventors: Rowe, Scott Dallas
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/682,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/32 using correlation-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/66 of image moments or centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided that can display selected predetermined postures or predetermined motions on a frame by frame basis or as a continuous motion for imitation or emulation by a system user or subject to, for example, learn the motion or posture, or to be guided in rehabilitation from a trauma, surgery or other injury, or to permit comparison of the users posture or motion to a baseline posture or motion for purposes of analysis or diagnosis.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

Providing a motion capture apparatus in communication with a processor operable to capture three-dimensional video and data representations of a subject on a frame-by-frame basis;

locating said subject in front of said motion capture apparatus;

having said subject sequentially maintain each posture of a plurality of predetermined sequential stationary postures, each said posture being maintained by said subject for one of a predetermined period of time, the occurrence of a postural event, and the occurrence of a postural stability event;

utilizing said motion capture apparatus to capture simultaneous frame-by-frame video and data representations of said subject while said subject maintains each posture of said plurality of predetermined sequential stationary postures;

calculating a subject center of gravity (COG) for each frame of said frame-by-frame subject positional data representation;

selecting for each said posture of said plurality of predetermined sequential stationary postures a COG for a predetermined frame of data as a reference COG for said posture;

utilizing said reference COG to determine a reference vector for each said posture of said plurality of predetermined sequential stationary postures;

utilizing each said subject COG for each said frame of data to calculate a frame vector;

determining and storing a sway angle between said reference vector and each said frame vector;

determining standard deviations of each said sway angle to represent a sway index angle for each posture.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

determining and storing for each frame the length of a vector between the location of the reference COG and the location of said COG of said frame;

determining a standard deviation of vector lengths of all frames for each pasture of said plurality of predetermined postures during each said predetermined period of time to represent a sway index position; and

averaging said sway index position for each predetermined posture.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 comprising:

displaying a visual representation of an object to said subject to illustrate one of a predetermined plurality of predetermined test postures for said subject to emulate; and

generating a composite visual representation comprising a visual representation of said subject as captured by said motion capture apparatus and said visual representation of said object.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

displaying a video visual representation to said subject for each of said posture of said plurality of predetermined sequential stationary postures.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

utilizing said motion capture apparatus to collect and store video representations of said subject on a frame-by-frame basis.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, comprising:

displaying a representation to said subject for each of said predetermined postures.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, comprising:

displaying a predetermined representation of said subject imitating each of said predetermined postures.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

generating a composite video representation of said predetermined representation of said subject and said representation of said subject.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

displaying said composite video representations.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

displaying said predetermined representation of said subject as one of a semitransparent image and a transparent image.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

capturing, on a frame-by-frame basis, three-dimensional video and data representations of a subject attempting to sequentially maintain each of a plurality of predetermined sequential postures each for a predetermined period of time;

providing one or more programs executable by said processor to calculate postural stability of said subject; and

operating said processor to execute said one or more programs such that said processor utilizes said data representations to calculate postural stability of said subject.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, comprising:

executing said one or more programs by said processor to calculate sway index angles and sway index positions for said subject.

13. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein:

Executing said one or more programs by said processor to compare previously calculated postural stability of said subject with currently calculated postural stability of said subject.