Wireless motion sensor system and method

• US 10,433,033 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pierre A. Touma
• Original Assignee: Pierre A. Touma
• Inventors: Touma, Pierre A., Murr, Hadi, Bachaalany, Elias, Maalouf, Imad
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mirza F
• Application Number:
  US15/851,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20180139518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• 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 24/0062 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 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A motion analysis system comprises a human wearable peripheral, a human wearable communication hub, a beacon, a data analysis server, and a cloud server. The peripheral comprises an orientation sensor that comprises an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope. The peripheral further comprises a processor and a wireless communication module. The hub comprises a communication module that communicates with the peripheral, as well as a sensor and a second wireless communication module. The beacon comprises a sensor and a communication module that communicates with the second communication module of the hub. The data analysis server communicates with the beacon and receives information from the beacon sensor, the hub sensor, and the orientation sensor. The data analysis server further comprises an internet connection with which the data analysis server can communicate with the cloud server. The cloud server is configured to assess a risk factor in response to the orientation sensor, the hub sensor, and the beacon sensor.

Claims

1. A motion analysis system for use in measuring a human risk factor in sports comprising a first wearable peripheral, a first wearable communication hub, a beacon, a data analysis server, and a cloud server, wherein:

the first wearable peripheral is configured to be worn by a first person;

the first wearable peripheral comprises;

a first orientation sensor comprising an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope;

a first wearable peripheral processor responsive to the first orientation sensor wherein the first wearable peripheral processor is configured for;

receiving rotation rate information from the gyroscope wherein the gyroscope rotation rate information is responsive to angular rotation rates of the gyroscope in three orthogonal axes;

mathematically integrating the gyroscope rotation rate information to generate gyroscope orientation information comprising orientation in three orthogonal axes;

receiving an accelerometer pitch signal and an accelerometer roll signal wherein pitch and roll are rotations about two perpendicular axes orthogonal to a gravitational vector;

receiving a magnetometer yaw signal responsive to yaw of the magnetometer wherein yaw is a rotation in a plane perpendicular to the gravitational vector; and

generating an actual orientation measurement of the first wearable peripheral in response to the gyroscope orientation information, the accelerometer pitch signal, the accelerometer roll signal; and

the magnetometer yaw signal;

generating a predicted orientation signal of the first wearable peripheral in response to an orientation of the first wearable peripheral at a previous time;

generating a first wearable peripheral residual signal in response to a comparison of the first wearable peripheral actual orientation measurement and the first wearable peripheral predicted orientation signal; and

generating a first wearable peripheral fused orientation measurement in response to the first wearable peripheral residual signal and the first wearable peripheral actual orientation measurement; and

a first wearable peripheral short-range communication module configured for transmitting a wireless signal responsive to the first orientation sensor using a radio frequency technology selected from the group of ANT, Bluetooth, LoRA, Near Field Communication, Neul, Sigfox, and Z-Wave;

the first wearable communication hub is configured to be worn by the first person;

the first wearable communication hub comprises a minimum of two wireless communication modules and a sensor comprising;

a first wearable communication hub short-range communication module configured for receiving the first wearable peripheral short-range communication module wireless signal;

a first wearable communication hub sensor selected from the group of an acceleration sensor, an altitude sensor, a chemical sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a gyroscope, a human physiology sensor, a humidity sensor, an impact sensor, a magnetic sensor, a microphone, a position sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a vibration sensor; and

a first wearable communication hub long-range communication module configured for receiving and transmitting a wireless signal using a radio frequency technology selected from the group of Bluetooth, cellular, LoRA, Neul, satellite, Sigfox, WiFi, Zigbee, and Z-Wave wherein the first wearable communication hub long-range communication module signal is responsive to the first wearable peripheral short-range communication module signal and the first wearable communication hub sensor;

the beacon comprises;

a beacon long-range communication module configured for receiving and transmitting information to and from the first wearable communication hub and the data analysis server; and

a first beacon sensor wherein the first beacon sensor comprises a microphone;

the beacon is configured for stationary placement adjacent to a sports field;

the data analysis server comprises;

a data analysis server long-range communication module configured for receiving information from the beacon long-range communication module wherein the beacon long-range communication module information comprises first orientation sensor information, first wearable communication hub sensor information, and first beacon sensor information;

a data storage module responsive to the beacon long-range communication module information;

a data analysis module responsive to the beacon long-range communication module information;

a graphical data presentation module responsive to the data analysis module; and

a data analysis server internet connection configured for communication over the internet; and

the cloud server comprises;

a cloud server internet connection configured for communication over the internet with the data analysis server; and

a web server wherein the web server is configured for assessing a human risk factor in response to;

the first wearable peripheral fused orientation measurement; and

the first wearable communication hub sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first wearable peripheral is configured to be worn on the first person'"'"'s head;

the first orientation sensor is configured to be responsive to a linear acceleration and a rotational acceleration;

the first wearable peripheral is configured to immediately send a signal if the acceleration of the first orientation sensor exceeds a threshold value;

the first wearable peripheral communications module is configured for transmitting a signal using a Bluetooth Class 3 protocol at 2.4 gigahertz;

the first wearable communication hub sensor comprises an impact sensor;

the first wearable communication hub long-range communication module is configured for transmitting a signal using a Bluetooth Class 1 protocol at 2.4 gigahertz;

the beacon further comprises;

a fixed beacon configured for stationary placement;

a cellular data modem configured for transmitting a signal over a cellular telephone network; and

a second beacon sensor configured for measuring a position of the beacon; and

the graphical data presentation module is configured for displaying the number of times an acceleration event has occurred and the magnitude of each acceleration event.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first wearable peripheral is configured to be worn on the first person'"'"'s head;

the first wearable peripheral processor is configured to change from a power-conserving sleep mode to an active mode in response to the first orientation sensor;

the first wearable peripheral processor is configured for generating the fused orientation measurement using a computation selected from the group of;

a Kalman filter computation, wherein the Kalman filter computation comprises a linear, unbiased, recursive algorithm that optimally measures an unknown position from noisy first orientation data taken at discrete real-time intervals; and

a Madgwick filter computation, wherein the Madgwick filter computation determines the fused orientation measurement by numerically integrating estimated orientation rates from the first orientation sensor;

the system further comprises a second wearable peripheral wherein the second wearable peripheral comprises;

a second orientation sensor comprising a second accelerometer, a second magnetometer, and a second gyroscope wherein the second orientation sensor is responsive to movement of the first person'"'"'s trunk;

a second wearable peripheral processor responsive to the second orientation sensor wherein the second wearable peripheral processor is configured for;

receiving rotation rate information from the second gyroscope wherein the gyroscope rotation rate information is responsive to angular rotation rates of the second gyroscope in three orthogonal axes;

mathematically integrating the second gyroscope rotation rate information to generate second gyroscope orientation information comprising orientation in three orthogonal axes;

receiving a second accelerometer pitch signal and a second accelerometer roll signal wherein pitch and roll are rotations about two perpendicular axes orthogonal to a gravitational vector;

receiving a second magnetometer yaw signal responsive to yaw of the second magnetometer wherein yaw is a rotation in a plane perpendicular to the gravitational vector; and

generating an actual orientation measurement of the second wearable peripheral in response to the second gyroscope orientation information, the second accelerometer pitch signal, the second accelerometer roll signal; and

the second magnetometer yaw signal;

generating a predicted orientation signal of the second wearable peripheral in response to an orientation of the second wearable peripheral at a previous time;

generating a second wearable peripheral residual signal in response to a comparison of the second wearable peripheral actual orientation measurement and the second wearable peripheral predicted orientation signal; and

generating a second wearable peripheral fused orientation measurement in response to the second wearable peripheral residual signal and the second wearable peripheral actual orientation measurement; and

a second wearable processor short-range communication module configured for transmitting a wireless signal responsive to the first orientation sensor using a radio frequency technology selected from the group of ANT, Bluetooth, LoRA, Near Field Communication, Neul, Sigfox, and Z-Wave;

the first wearable communication hub long-range communication module signal is responsive to the second wearable peripheral fused orientation measurement; and

the human sports risk factor system is configured for measuring relative motion of the human in response to a comparison of the first wearable peripheral fused orientation measurement and the second wearable peripheral fused orientation measurement.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first wearable peripheral processor is configured to change from a power-conserving sleep mode to an active mode in response an acceleration event wherein the acceleration event comprises an acceleration of the first person'"'"'s head that is greater than a concussion threshold value;

the first wearable peripheral processor is configured for generating the actual orientation measurement of the first wearable peripheral in response to a quaternion wherein the quaternion comprises a scalar number, a first complex number, a second complex number, and a third complex number wherein;

the product of the first complex number and the second complex number equals the third complex number;

the product of the second and the third complex number equals the first complex number; and

the product of the third and the first complex number equals the second complex number;

the first wearable communication hub comprises a global positioning sensor, a microphone, and a human physiology sensor;

the first wearable communication huh human physiology sensor is responsive to a human physiology parameter selected from the group of gait pattern, nystagmus, heart rate, speed, acceleration, and vestibulo-ocular reflex;

the first wearable communication hub long-range communication module is configured for communicating using Bluetooth Class 1 technology; and

the data analysis server is configured for generating an alarm in response to;

the acceleration event;

the human physiology parameter at a time prior to the acceleration event; and

the human physiology parameter at a time after the acceleration event.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first wearable communication hub comprises a chemical sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a gyroscope, a human physiology sensor, a humidity sensor, an impact sensor, a magnetic sensor, a microphone, a global positioning system sensor, a pressure sensor, a structural integrity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a vibration sensor; and

the first wearable peripheral processor is configured for generating the actual orientation measurement of the first wearable peripheral in response to a mathematical representation of a 3-dimensional space using spherical coordinates in response to the gyroscope, the accelerometer pitch signal, the accelerometer roll signal, and the magnetometer yaw signal.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the system comprises a second wearable peripheral and a second wearable communication hub configured to be worn by a second person;

the first wearable communication hub is configured for transmitting a first person position signal responsive to the position of the first person to the beacon; and

the second wearable communication hub is configured for transmitting a second person position signal responsive to the position of the second person to the beacon;

the beacon comprises a position sensor; and

the beacon is configured for;

improving the position accuracy of the first person; and

improving the position accuracy of the second person.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the system is configured for assessing whether the first person has fallen; and

the system is configured for assessing the human risk factor in response to a comparison of the gait pattern of the first person prior to the time when the first person has fallen with the gait pattern of the first person after the time when the first person has fallen.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the system is configured for use in an American football application;

the first wearable peripheral is configured to be worn on the first person'"'"'s head;

the first wearable peripheral further comprises a video camera;

the wearable peripheral video camera is configured for recording eye movement of the first person; and

the system is configured for assessing the risk of a concussion to the first person in response to a nystagmus measurement using eye movement information recorded by the wearable peripheral video camera.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first orientation sensor comprises a nine-axis inertial measurement unit further comprising;

at least two axes of accelerometer rotation input;

three axes of accelerometer linear displacement input;

three axes of gyroscope rotational input; and

at least one axis of magnetometer orientation input;

the nine-axis inertial measurement unit further comprises a single monolithic integrated circuit;

the first sensor hub comprises a position sensor wherein the position sensor is responsive to a signal from a global positioning system satellite; and

the data analysis module is responsive to the nine-axis inertial measurement unit and the first sensor hub position sensor.

17. The sports risk measurement system of claim 1 wherein:

the system is configured for assessing the human risk factor in response to age, gender, height, and weight of the first person.

18. The sports risk measurement system of claim 1 wherein:

the system is configured for assessing the human risk factor in response to correlation information of past concussions wherein the past concussion correlation data comprises;

past impact data for the first person;

temperature data; and

demographic data.

19. The sports risk measurement system of claim 1 wherein:

the first wearable peripheral further comprises a video camera;

the wearable peripheral video camera is configured for recording eye movement of the first person; and

the system is configured for measuring vestibular ocular reflex performance using eye movement information recorded by the wearable peripheral video camera.

20. The sports risk measurement system of claim 1 wherein:

the first wearable peripheral further comprises an electroencephalograph; and

the system is configured for assessing the risk of a concussion in response to the electroencephalograph.

10. A wireless system configured for measuring human motion in a sports environment, the system comprising a wearable peripheral, a communication hub, a beacon, a data analysis module, and a cloud server wherein:

the wearable peripheral is configured to be worn by a human;

the wearable peripheral comprises a first accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a processor, and a communication module wherein the first wearable peripheral processor is configured for;

receiving rotation rate information from the gyroscope wherein the gyroscope rotation rate information is responsive to angular rotation rates of the gyroscope in three orthogonal axes;

mathematically integrating the gyroscope rotation rate information to generate gyroscope orientation information comprising orientation in three orthogonal axes;

receiving a first accelerometer pitch signal and a first accelerometer roll signal wherein pitch and roll are rotations about two perpendicular axes orthogonal to a gravitational vector;

receiving a magnetometer yaw signal responsive to yaw of the magnetometer wherein yaw is a rotation in a plane perpendicular to the gravitational vector; and

generating an actual orientation measurement of first wearable peripheral in response to the gyroscope orientation information, the first accelerometer pitch signal, the first accelerometer roll signal; and

the magnetometer yaw signal;

generating a predicted orientation signal of the first wearable peripheral in response to an orientation of the first wearable peripheral at a previous time;

generating a residual signal in response to a comparison of the actual orientation measurement and the predicted orientation signal; and

generating a fused orientation measurement in response to the residual signal and the actual orientation measurement;

the communication hub comprises;

a short-range communication module configured for receiving a signal from the wearable peripheral wireless communication module;

a sensor configured for measuring a parameter selected from the group of acceleration, altitude, chemistry, rotation, human physiology, humidity, impact, sound, position, pressure, temperature, and vibration; and

a long-range communication module configured for transmitting a wireless signal using a radio frequency technology;

the beacon comprises;

a module configured for receiving and transmitting information to and from the communication hub long-range communication module and the data analysis server; and

a a microphone;

the beacon is configured for placement adjacent to a sports field;

the data analysis module comprises;

a transmission element configured for receiving and transmitting information to and from the beacon;

a data storage element;

a data analysis element;

a graphical data presentation element; and

an internet connection; and

the cloud server comprises;

an internet connection configured for exchanging information with the data analysis module via the internet; and

a web server wherein the web server is configured for assessing a human risk factor in response to;

the fused orientation measurement; and

the communication hub sensor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the wearable peripheral communication module is configured to transmit using a wireless radio frequency technology selected from the group of ANT, Bluetooth, LoRA, Near Field Communication, Neul, Sigfox, and Z-Wave;

the communication hub long-range communication module is configured to transmit and receive using a radio frequency technology selected from the group of Bluetooth, cellular, LoRA, Neul, satelliLe, Sigfox, WiFi, Zigbee, and Z-Wave;

the communication hub is configured to be worn by the human;

the communication hub comprises a position sensor responsive to a triangulation position information received from a plurality of stationary beacons; and

the beacon is configured for stationary placement at a fixed location.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the first accelerometer is responsive to linear acceleration and rotational acceleration in a plurality of axes;

the first accelerometer generates a tilt signal relative to a gravitational vector wherein;

the tilt signal is measured as a response of a projection of static gravity on the tilted first accelerometer;

the first accelerometer is most sensitive to tilt when the accelerometer is perpendicular to gravity; and

the tilt signal comprises a pitch signal and a roll signal where pitch and roll are rotations about two perpendicular axes orthogonal to the gravitational vector;

the wearable peripheral processor is configured for generating the actual orientation measurement of the first wearable peripheral in response to a mathematical representation of a 3-dimensional space using spherical coordinates in response to the gyroscope, the accelerometer pitch signal, the accelerometer roll signal, and the magnetometer yaw signal;

the system is configured for generating an alarm in response to an analysis of an acceleration event measured by the first accelerometer; and

the system records the time when the acceleration event occurs.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the communication hub comprises a human physiology sensor configured for measuring a physiologic parameter for the human wherein the physiologic parameter comprises a gait pattern; and

the data analysis module is configured for generating a brain injury alarm in response to an analysis of;

an acceleration event measured by the first accelerometer;

the gait pattern prior to the acceleration event; and

the gait after the acceleration event.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the wearable peripheral is configured to be worn on a finger of the human;

the system further comprises;

a second accelerometer configured to be worn on the thumb of the human;

a third accelerometer configured to be worn on the wrist of the human;

a fourth accelerometer configured to be worn on the upper arm of the human;

a fifth accelerometer configured to be worn on the torso of the human;

a sixth accelerometer configured to be worn on the head of the human; and

a seventh accelerometer configured to be worn on the leg of the human; and

the system is configured for assessing the human risk factor in response to;

the second accelerometer;

the third accelerometer;

the fourth accelerometer;

the fifth accelerometer;

the sixth accelerometer; and

the seventh accelerometer.

15. A method for wireless communication and analysis of sensed human motion information in a sports environment comprising the steps of:

establishing a human-wearable peripheral comprising an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a processor and a communication module;

generating a fused orientation measurement in the human-wearable peripheral by;

receiving rotation rate information from the gyroscope wherein the gyroscope rotation rate information is responsive to angular rotation rates of the gyroscope in three orthogonal axes;

mathematically integrating the gyroscope rotation rate information to generate gyroscope orientation information comprising orientation in three orthogonal axes;

receiving an accelerometer pitch signal and an accelerometer roll signal wherein pitch and roll are rotations about two perpendicular axes orthogonal to a gravitational vector;

receiving a magnetometer yaw signal responsive to yaw of the magnetometer wherein yaw is a rotation in a plane perpendicular to the gravitational vector; and

generating an actual orientation measurement of first wearable peripheral in response to the gyroscope orientation information, the accelerometer pitch signal, the accelerometer roll signal; and

the magnetometer yaw signal;

generating a predicted orientation signal of the first wearable peripheral in response to an orientation of the first wearable peripheral at a previous time;

generating a residual signal in response to a comparison of the actual orientation measurement and the predicted orientation signal; and

generating a fused orientation measurement in response to the residual signal and the actual orientation measurement;

establishing a communication hub comprising;

a receiver configured for receiving a signal from the human-wearable peripheral communication module;

a sensor selected from the group of an acceleration sensor, an altitude sensor, a chemical sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a gyroscope, a human physiology sensor, a humidity sensor, an impact sensor, a magnetic sensor, a microphone, a position sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a vibration sensor; and

a transmitter configured for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal using a radio frequency technology;

establishing a data analysis device comprising;

a long-range communication module configured for receiving and transmitting information;

a data storage module;

a data analysis module;

a graphical presentation module; and

an internet connection;

establishing a beacon comprising;

a long-range communication module configured for receiving and transmitting information to and from the communication hub and the data analysis device; and

a microphone;

establishing a cloud server comprising an internet connection configured for communication over the internet with the data analysis device;

assessing a human risk factor in response to;

the fused orientation measurement; and

the first wearable communication hub sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the wearable peripheral comprises a 9-axis inertial measurement unit comprising a at least two axes of accelerator rotation input, three axes of accelerometer linear displacement input, three axes of gyroscope rotational input, and at least one axis of magnetometer orientation input;

generating a fused orientation measurement comprises the steps of;

representing a first orientation of the wearable peripheral using spherical coordinates in response to the gyroscope, the accelerometer pitch signal, the accelerometer roll signal, and the magnetometer yaw signal;

converting the first orientation of the wearable peripheral to a quaternion wherein the quaternion comprises a scalar number, a first complex number, a second complex number, and a third complex number wherein;

the product of the first complex number and the second complex number equals the third complex number;

the product of the second and the third complex number equals the first complex number; and

the product of the third and the first complex number equals the second complex number;

rotating the first orientation of the wearable peripheral to a second orientation of the wearable peripheral in response to the gyroscope, the accelerometer pitch signal, the accelerometer roll signal, the accelerometer yaw signal, and a quaternion rotation computation; and

converting the second orientation of the wearable peripheral from a quaternion back to spherical coordinates.