Swing analyzing apparatus

• US 9,387,361 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nomura, Kazuo, Nakaoka, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W
• Application Number:
  US13/329,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20120157241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 473/459, 473/461, 473/219, 473221-223, 473/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• 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: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A swing analyzing apparatus includes at least an angular velocity sensor, an impact detection section, an angular velocity information calculation section, and an impact state judgment section. The impact detection section detects the timing of impact in a swing of a sporting good. The angular velocity information calculation section calculates at least one of the amount of change in angular velocity with respect to a predetermined axis in a predetermined period after the impact timing and the greatest value of the angular velocity based on data outputted form the angular velocity sensor. The impact state judgment section judges the state of impact based on the result calculated by the angular velocity information calculation section.

Claims

1. A swing analyzing apparatus comprising:

an angular velocity sensor that detects an angular velocity of a sporting good about a predetermined axis;

an impact detection section that detects impact timing in a swing of the sporting good;

an angular velocity information calculation section that calculates at least one of the amount of change in angular velocity with respect to the predetermined axis in a predetermined period after the impact timing and a greatest value of the angular velocity based on the angular velocity outputted from the angular velocity sensor; and

an impact state judgment section that judges a state of the impact based on a result calculated by the angular velocity information calculation section.

2. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined axis is an axis perpendicular not only to an axis around which the sporting good is swung but also to an axis along which the sporting good moves at the impact timing.

3. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined axis is an axis along which the sporting good moves at the impact timing.

4. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the impact detection section detects, as the impact timing, the timing at which a magnitude of the angular velocity with respect to the axis around which the sporting good is swung is maximized by detecting a greatest magnitude of the angular velocity with respect to the axis around which the sporting good is swung based on data outputted from the angular velocity sensor.

5. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the impact state judgment section variably sets a judgment reference based on which the state of the impact is judged in accordance with a greatest magnitude of the angular velocity with respect to the axis around which the sporting good is swung.

6. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the impact state judgment section judges the state of the impact by using a plurality of levels.

7. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the angular velocity sensor is so attached to the sporting good that a detection axis of the angular velocity sensor coincides with the predetermined axis.

8. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the angular velocity sensor is so attached to the sporting good that a detection axis of the angular velocity sensor coincides with the axis around which the sporting good is swung.

9. The swing analyzing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an attitude calculation section that calculates an attitude of the sporting good based on data outputted from the angular velocity sensor; and

a rotational axis calculation section that calculates at least one of the predetermined axis and the axis around which the sporting good is swung based on information on the attitude of the sporting good.