Intelligent motion capture element

• US 9,866,827 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2017
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newlight Capital, LLC
• Original Assignee: Blast Motion Incorporated
• Inventors: Bose, Bhaskar, Bentley, Michael, Goree, John, Haynes, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Leron
• Application Number:
  US15/497,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20170230651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 348 77
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• 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: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Intelligent motion capture element that includes sensor personalities that optimize the sensor for specific movements and/or pieces of equipment and/or clothing and may be retrofitted onto existing equipment or interchanged therebetween and automatically detected for example to switch personalities. May be used for low power applications and accurate data capture for use in healthcare compliance, sporting, gaming, military, virtual reality, industrial, retail loss tracking, security, baby and elderly monitoring and other applications for example obtained from a motion capture element and relayed to a database via a mobile phone. System obtains data from motion capture elements, analyzes data and stores data in database for use in these applications and/or data mining. Enables unique displays associated with the user, such as 3D overlays onto images of the user to visually depict the captured motion data. Enables performance related equipment fitting and purchase. Includes active and passive identifier capabilities.

Claims

1. A motion capture element comprising:

a memory;

a sensor configured to capture one or more values associated with an orientation, position, velocity, acceleration, angular velocity, proximity, pressure or strain of said at least one motion capture element;

a first communication interface; and

,

a microcontroller coupled with said memory, said sensor and said first communication interface wherein said microcontroller is configured to

collect data that comprises sensor values from said sensor;

store said data in said memory;

transmit said data via said first communication interface; and

,

recalibrate said sensor through

measurement of linear acceleration during a period of time when said sensor is motionless or when said sensor detects that motion is below a motion threshold value;

computation of an average magnitude of the linear acceleration g_m during said period of time; and

,

modification of a calibration matrix based on a difference between g and g_m, wherein g is a gravitational acceleration.

2. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to

estimate an initial orientation based on motion capture data from two points in time wherein said estimate comprises a calculation of an orientation transform matrix Q₀ of the sensor with respect to a world reference frame through integration of u(t)=∫

₀^tPs^Bdt wherein Q₀u(t)=−

gt when said motion capture data at said two points in time comprises estimated velocities that are approximately zero.

3. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein

said microcontroller is further configured to

alter a sampling rate of said sensor based on said sensor values obtained from said sensor to maintain accuracy of said sensor values.

4. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein

said microcontroller is further configured to

detect a first value from said sensor values having a first threshold value and

detect a second value from said sensor values having a second threshold value within a time window;

signify a prospective event;

compare said prospective event to a characteristic signal associated with a typical event and eliminate any false positive events;

signify a valid event if said prospective event is not a false positive event;

save said valid event in said memory comprising information within an event time window as said data.

5. The motion capture element of claim 4 wherein

said microcontroller is further configured to

transmit said valid event as said data after said valid event is detected, wherein said data is transmitted on an event-by-event basis or periodically or when requested by a computer.

6. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to store said data in memory at least until a communications link to a computer exists and said data has been transferred to said computer.

7. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to power off if no motion is detected for a predefined time or power on when motion is detected or both.

8. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to power on when motion is detected via said sensor or wherein said microcontroller is coupled with a passive motion detector that requires no power and wherein said microcontroller is further configured to power on when said passive motion detector that requires no power detects said motion.

9. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to download new firmware, check the new firmware and if the new firmware is valid, execute the new firmware and wherein said download is configured to utilize a universally unique identifier to pair said microcontroller to another computer.

10. The motion capture element of claim 1 further comprising a visual marker.

11. The motion capture element of claim 1 further comprising a battery and a mechanical charger, wherein said battery is coupled with said microcontroller and wherein said battery is further coupled with said mechanical charger.

12. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said transmit of said data is configured to transmit said data to an alarm to turn said alarm off.

13. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said motion capture element is configured to couple with a piece of sporting equipment having an integrated mount or wherein said motion capture element is configured to couple with a mount that is removable from said piece of sporting equipment.

14. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said motion capture element is configured to reside within a SIM card.

15. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said motion capture element is configured to transmit the data to a mobile device that comprises an application configured to blend at least two trajectories in said data to form a more accurate single trajectory.

16. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said motion capture element is configured to output a motion gesture or circle gesture or number of taps gesture to enable the motion capture element to signify that particular motion capture element that is to be communicated with instead of one or more other motion capture elements within the vicinity of the mobile device.

17. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said motion capture element further comprises an output display for local viewing of motion capture data.

18. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said modification of the calibration matrix comprises:

calculation of a scaling factor s=g/g_m; and

,

multiplication of the calibration matrix by the scaling factor if the difference between g and g_m exceeds a predefined threshold.

19. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to

determine a type of equipment or clothing said sensor is coupled with, and based on said type of equipment or clothing, set a sensor personality to utilize dynamically, and based on said sensor personality selected from a plurality of sensor personalities, control sensor settings to collect the data in an optimal manner with respect to a specific type of movement associated with said type of equipment or clothing.

20. The motion capture element of claim 19 wherein said motion capture element is configured to decouple from a first mount on a first piece of equipment or clothing and couple with a second mount on a different type of second piece of equipment or clothing and automatically utilize a different sensor personality associated with said second piece of equipment or clothing.

21. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to

determine a type of movement said sensor has sampled, and based on said type of movement, set a sensor personality to utilize dynamically, and based on said sensor personality selected from a plurality of sensor personalities, control sensor settings to collect the data in an optimal manner with respect to said type of movement.

22. The motion capture element of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller is further configured to

recalibrate said sensor using calibration data from a below threshold sensor or transmission of an out of calibration alert.