System and method for analyzing athletic activity

• US 9,743,861 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Giedwoyn, Anna Antonia, Peyton, Lee, Andon, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): YEN, JASON TAHAI
• Application Number:
  US14/717,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20160067584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A system for transitioning from a first footwear type to a second footwear type is usable with an article of footwear including a sensor system with a plurality of force sensors engaged with an article of footwear and configured to sense force exerted by a foot of a user and an electronic module configured to collect data based on force input from the sensors and to wirelessly transmit data generated by the sensor system. An electronic device includes a processor that receives the data from the electronic module, compares the data to a footstrike template corresponding to a desired footstrike pattern of a footwear transitional program, determines whether a deviation from the footstrike template exists, and generates an indication to the user when the deviation from the desired footstrike pattern is determined to exist. The desired footstrike pattern corresponds to a preferred footstrike of the second type of footwear.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method of transitioning from a first footwear type to a second footwear type, comprising:

receiving data, at a processor of an electronic device, from a sensor system located on an article of footwear and configured to sense biomechanical movement of a foot of a user during an athletic activity, the sensor system comprising an electronic module configured to wirelessly transmit data generated by the sensor system;

analyzing the data, by the processor, to determine whether a deviation from a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the second footwear type exists, wherein the desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the second footwear is specific to the second footwear type and differs from a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the first footwear type; and

upon completion of the athletic activity, generating, by the processor, a footwear analysis indication on a display of the electronic device wherein the footwear analysis indication is based on analysis of the data specific to the second footwear type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a plurality of data points of the user during an athletic activity session; and

providing feedback to the user based on data recorded during the athletic activity session.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing feedback to the user includes providing a suggested activity report for a subsequent athletic activity.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

recording a plurality of athletic activities of a user; and

modifying a duration of a transitional program based on at least one of an amount of recorded deviations, a total time of recorded data, and a total distance of recorded data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation is determined to exist if a degree of deviation is determined to exceed a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the footwear analysis indication comprises at least one of a number and degree of deviations during the athletic activity, a suggested stretching activity, and a suggested activity report for a subsequent athletic activity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alert to the user when a number of recorded deviations exceeds a predetermined deviation count threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a deviation from the desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the second footwear type exists includes:

detecting a footstrike pattern based on analysis of the data; and

comparing the footstrike pattern to a footstrike template associated with the second footwear type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor system includes a plurality of sensors located in different locations on the article of footwear, and wherein the footstrike pattern is detected based on at least one of a sequence of forces sensed by the plurality of sensors and a level of forces sensed by the plurality of sensors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor system includes a plurality of sensors configured to measure a pressure distribution under the foot and the electronic device is further configured to compare pressure distribution data to a foot pressure template.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the footwear analysis indication includes transmitting a signal to a second electronic device, and wherein the signal is configured to cause the second electronic device to generate the footwear analysis indication.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving data from a sensor system located on an article of footwear and configured to sense biomechanical movement of a foot of a user, the sensor system comprising an electronic module configured to wirelessly transmit data generated by the sensor system;

detecting a footstrike pattern based on analysis of the data;

comparing the footstrike pattern to a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to a first footwear type to determine whether a deviation from the desired footstrike pattern exists, wherein the desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the first footwear type is specific to the first footwear type and differs from a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to a second footwear type; and

generating a footwear analysis indication on a display of an electronic device associated with the user when the deviation from the desired footstrike pattern is determined to exist, wherein the footwear analysis indication is based on analysis of the data specific to the first footwear type as part of a transitional program from the second footwear type to the first footwear type.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform:

recording a plurality of data points of the user during an athletic activity session; and

providing feedback to the user based on data recorded during the athletic activity session.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform:

recording a plurality of athletic activities of a user; and

modifying a duration of the transitional program based on at least one of an amount of recorded deviations, a total time of recorded data, and a total distance of recorded data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the deviation is determined to exist if a degree of deviation is determined to exceed a predetermined threshold.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the footwear analysis indication includes a degree of deviation from the desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the first footwear type.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform generating an alert to the user when a number of recorded deviations exceeds a predetermined deviation count threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform:

recording the data; and

providing a summary of recorded data to the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein generating the footwear analysis indication includes transmitting a signal to a second electronic device, and wherein the signal is configured to cause the second electronic device to generate the footwear analysis indication.

20. A computer-assisted method of transitioning from a first footwear type to a second footwear type, comprising:

receiving, at a processor of an electronic device, a selection of a footwear transitional program including one or more desired footstrike patterns;

receiving, at the processor, data from a sensor system located on an article of footwear and configured to sense biomechanical movement of a foot of a user during an athletic activity, the sensor system comprising an electronic module configured to wirelessly transmit data generated by the sensor system;

detecting a footstrike pattern based on analysis of the data;

comparing the footstrike pattern to a desired footstrike pattern of the footwear transitional program to determine whether a deviation from the desired footstrike pattern exists, wherein the desired footstrike pattern is specific to the second footwear type and differs from a desired footstrike pattern corresponding to the first footwear type; and

upon completion of the athletic activity, generating, by the processor, a footwear analysis indication to the user on a display of the electronic device wherein the footwear analysis indication is based on analysis of the data specific to the second footwear type.