Sports electronic training system, and applications thereof

• US 9,625,485 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• 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): LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
• Application Number:
  US15/145,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20160243403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• 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 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• 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 American football A63B2243/007
• 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, 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.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole, the sole comprising a bottom surface and a top surface, the sole including a heel region, a forefoot region and a midfoot region, wherein the sole defines a recess in the midfoot region of the sole;

a motion monitor housing disposed within the recess and having a first housing surface, wherein the first housing surface is disposed substantially parallel to the top surface of the sole; and

a motion monitor disposed in the motion monitor housing, the motion monitor comprising an accelerometer, a memory, a personal area network transceiver, and a battery,

wherein the motion monitor is configured to determine whether a user who engages in a locomotion activity while wearing the article of footwear is walking or running based on whether a maximum acceleration value detected is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the sole defines the recess in the midfoot region of the sole.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first housing surface is disposed in a plane formed by a surface of the sole.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the plane is formed by the top surface of the sole.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the motion monitor housing comprises a hard plastic.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the motion monitor housing comprises a mark configured to ensure proper orientation of the motion monitor within the recess.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the motion monitor is configured to function properly regardless of its orientation within the recess.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein an axis of motion of the accelerometer is parallel to the first housing surface.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is configured to measure acceleration in more than one axis.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the accelerometer is configured to provide a stream of acceleration data that corresponds to the motion of a foot of the user when the user engages in the locomotion activity while wearing the article of footwear.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the motion monitor is configured to filter the stream of acceleration data.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store a program used to generate performance data from acceleration data output by the accelerometer.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the performance data includes information about the performance of the user who engages in the locomotion activity while wearing the article of footwear, wherein the information comprises duration and step number data.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the duration data comprises the total duration of the locomotion activity.

15. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the step number data comprises the total number of steps taken by the user during the locomotion activity.

16. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the performance data includes information about the performance of the user who engages in the locomotion activity while wearing the article of footwear, wherein the information comprises one of speed and pace data.

17. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the performance data includes information about the performance of the user who engages in the locomotion activity while wearing the article of footwear, wherein the information comprises the distance the user covered during the locomotion activity.

18. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the motion monitor is configured to transmit the performance data to a mobile phone via the personal area network transceiver.

19. The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein the motion monitor is configured to transmit the performance data in response to first receiving a message from the mobile phone via the personal area network transceiver that the phone is ready to receive the performance data.

20. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the motion monitor is configured to operate in a first state at a relatively lower power consumption level and in a second state at a relatively higher power consumption level.

21. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the second state corresponds to the motion monitor operating in an active mode in which performance data may be transmitted, and wherein the first state corresponds to the motion monitor operating in a low power mode in which identification information is transmitted but performance data is not transmitted.

22. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the second state corresponds to the motion monitor transmitting performance data to a mobile phone via the personal area network transceiver.

23. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the second state corresponds to the motion monitor recording acceleration data in the memory that corresponds to the motion of a foot of the user when the user engages in the locomotion activity while wearing the article of footwear.

24. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the motion monitor is configured to periodically transmit data to a mobile phone during a workout.

25. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the motion monitor is configured to store data collected during a workout in the memory and transmit the data via the personal area network transceiver only after the workout is completed.

26. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the sole comprises a midsole.

27. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the motion monitor is configured to filter the stream of acceleration data to identify a maximum acceleration value for each stride of the user.

28. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the program further generates time data, and wherein the time data comprises the time that the user who engages in the locomotion activity conducted the locomotion activity.