System and method for monitoring performance characteristics associated with user activities involving swinging instruments

• US 10,427,017 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arccos Golf, LLC
• Original Assignee: Arccos Golf, LLC
• Inventors: Syed, Salman Hussain, Faisal, Mian Ammad, Blanc, Fabrice Claude, Phillips, Collin David, Park, Joon Hyuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Torimiro, Adetokunbo O
• Application Number:
  US15/312,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 473223, 473 1, 473 20, 473 22, 473 25, 473 30, 473 31, 463 1, 463 20, 463 22, 463 25, 463 30, 463 31
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• 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 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/801 Contact switches
• 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 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 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/16 Caps; Ferrules
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• 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 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 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0669 : Score-keepers or score display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to various components of a system for monitoring and/or tracking a user'"'"'s performance during an activity involving an instrument that is swung. Exemplary embodiments can include a sensor module configured to be secured to the instrument. The sensor module can detect a swing event and/or an impact between the instrument and an object and can implement power management features to limit or manage a power consumption of the sensor module. The sensor module can transmit swing information to an electronic device associated with the user, which can display the swing information, process the swing information, and/or transmit the swing information to a remote system.

Claims

1. A sensor module adapted to be operatively coupled to a golf club and configured to detect a golf swing or an impact between the golf club and an object, the sensor module comprising:

a power source configured to power the sensor module;

an inertial sensor operatively coupled to the power source and configured to output one or more electrical signals that correspond to a gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor along a z-axis, the gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor having a sensed magnitude and a sensed directional component; and

control circuitry operatively coupled to the power source, the inertial sensor, and the memory, the control circuitry including a processing device being configured to transition between a plurality of modes of operation to control power consumed by the processing device based one whether the sensed magnitude represented by the one or more electrical signals output by the inertial sensor is between a minimum threshold magnitude and a maximum threshold magnitude and whether the sensed directional component represented by the one or more electrical signals conforming to a specified directional component.

2. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to transition from a first one of the plurality of modes of operation to a second one of the plurality of modes of operation.

3. The sensor module of claim 2, wherein the processing device is configured to transition from the first one of the plurality of modes of operation to the second one of the plurality of modes of operation in response to the sensed magnitude exceeding the minimum threshold magnitude and the sensed directional component conforming to the specified directional component for a specified time period.

4. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry further comprises:

module activation circuitry operatively connected between the inertial sensor and the processing device, the module activation circuitry configured to receive the one or more electrical signals from the inertial sensor and output an activation signal to the processing device in response to the one or more electrical signals output by the inertial sensor corresponding to a gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor along a z-axis having a magnitude that exceeds the minimum threshold magnitude and that has a directional component that conforms to the specified directional component.

5. The sensor module of claim 4, wherein the module activation circuitry comprises:

a high-pass filter that receives the one or more electrical signals from the inertial sensor;

a first comparator operatively coupled to an output of the high-pass filter, the first comparator configured to compare one or more filtered output signals from the output of the high-pass filter to a first reference value;

a second comparator operatively coupled to the output of the high-pass filter, the second comparator configured to compare the one or more filtered output signal from the output of the high-pass filter to a second reference value; and

a first logic gate operatively coupled to outputs of the first and second comparators, the first logic gate configured to output a trigger signal based on the outputs of the first and second comparators.

6. The sensor module of claim 5, wherein the module activation circuitry further comprises:

a counter operatively coupled to the first logic gate, the counter being configured to increment a counter value in response to the trigger signal being output by the first logic gate.

7. The sensor module of claim 6, wherein the counter is configured to increment the counter value until the counter value reaches a threshold counter value or the counter receives a stop signal.

8. The sensor module of claim 7, wherein the module activation circuitry further comprises:

a third comparator that receives the signal from the inertial sensor and compares the signal to a third reference value,

wherein the third comparator outputs the stop signal received by the counter.

9. The sensor module of claim 8, wherein the module activation circuitry further comprises:

a second logic gate operatively coupled to outputs of the counter and the third comparator, the second logic gate being configured to generate the activation signal based on the outputs of the counter and the third comparator.

10. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to transition from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation in response to the signal output by the inertial sensor corresponding to a gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor along a z-axis having a magnitude that exceeds a minimum magnitude of a threshold force and a directional component that conforms to a directional component of the threshold force.

11. The sensor module of claim 10, wherein the processing device does not transition from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation in response to the one or more electrical signals output by the inertial sensor corresponding to a gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor along a z-axis having a magnitude that does not exceed a minimum threshold magnitude or a directional component that does not conform to the specified directional component.

12. The sensor module of claim 10, wherein the processing device is programmed to transition between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation in response to the one or more electrical signals output by the inertial sensor corresponding to a gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor along a z-axis having a magnitude that does not exceed a minimum threshold magnitude or a directional component that does not conform to the specified directional component for a first time period.

13. The sensor module of claim 12, wherein the processing device is programmed to transition from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation after expiration of a second time period during which a swing event is not detected by the sensor module.

14. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the inertial sensor is an accelerometer.

15. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of modes of operation is a sleep mode.

16. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of modes of operation is an awake mode.

17. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the z-axis extends substantially perpendicular from the Earth'"'"'s surface.

18. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the minimum threshold magnitude and the specified directional component of the threshold force define an acceptance cone such that the processing device operates in at least a first mode of operation when the gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor is outside of the acceptance cone and operates in at least a second mode of operation when the gravitation force sensed by the inertial sensor is inside of the acceptance cone for a specified period of time.

19. A method implemented by a sensor module adapted to be operatively coupled to a golf club and configured to detect a golf swing or an impact between the golf club and an object, the method comprising:

sensing, with an inertial sensor of the sensor module, a gravitational force along a z-axis, the gravitational force having a sensed magnitude and a sensed directional component;

outputting, from the inertial sensor, one or more electrical signals corresponding to the gravitational force sensed by the inertial sensor; and

controlling power consumed by a processing device of the sensor module based on whether the sensed magnitude represented by the one or more electrical signals output by the inertial sensor exceeding a minimum threshold magnitude and the sensed directional component represented by the one or more electrical signals conforms to a specified directional threshold component.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating, by module activation circuitry, an activation signal in response to the sensed magnitude exceeding the minimum threshold magnitude and the sensed directional component conforming to the specified threshold directional component; and

transitioning the processing device from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation in response to the activation signal.