Stride change detection and correction

• US 10,758,778 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Chu-Shan Chuang
• Original Assignee: Thomas Chu-Shan Chuang
• Inventors: Chuang, Thomas Chu-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US14/960,933
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• 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: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for athletic performance monitoring are disclosed. In one example, a system includes an inertial sensor configured to measure an acceleration in a moving direction of a user foot of a user during locomotion and output an acceleration signal, a memory storing a stride acceleration motion profile, and a processing system configured to process the acceleration signal and the stride acceleration motion profile to identify a reduced user overstride.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

detecting a first user stride motion with one or more sensors;

detecting a subsequent second user stride motion subsequent to the first user stride motion with one or more sensors;

identifying a change in user stride motion from the first user stride motion and the subsequent second user stride motion, wherein the change in user stride motion is associated with a user overstride motion and a decrease in user stride form; and

prompting a user responsive to identifying the change in user stride motion comprising outputting a prompt to modify a user form at a device user interface.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the prompt to modify the user form at the device interface comprises an instruction in real-time during a running motion to perform a motion of a user body part or position a user body part.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the prompt to modify the user form at the device interface comprises an instruction to increase a user step cadence or reduce a user stride length.

2. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

detecting a first user stride motion with one or more sensors;

detecting a subsequent second user stride motion subsequent to the first user stride motion with one or more sensors;

identifying a change in user stride motion from the first user stride motion and the subsequent second user stride motion; and

prompting a user responsive to identifying the change in user stride motion at a device user interface, wherein prompting the user responsive to identifying the change in user stride motion comprises messaging the user to perform a motion of a user body part other than a user foot or position the user body part other than the user foot.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the first user stride motion and the second user stride motion occur while the user is running and the operations further comprise:

tracking a speed and a direction of the user during a running motion utilizing a global positioning system sensor unit, the speed and the direction different from the first user stride motion detected with one or more sensors and the subsequent second user stride motion detected with one or more sensors; and

providing real-time feedback during the running motion of the speed and messaging the user to perform the motion of the user body part other than the user foot or position the user body part other than the user foot.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a sensor output from a sensor monitoring the user body part other than the user foot; and

providing an indication at the device user interface of the sensor output monitoring the user body part other than the user foot.

3. A method comprising:

detecting a first user stride motion with one or more sensors;

detecting a subsequent second user stride motion subsequent to the first user stride motion with one or more sensors;

identifying a change in user stride motion from the first user stride motion and the subsequent second user stride motion; and

prompting a user responsive to identifying the change in user stride motion at a device user interface, wherein prompting the user comprises a prompt to modify a user form.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the prompt to modify the user form comprises a prompt to modify a motion of a user body part.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user body part comprises a user arm.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the user body part comprises a user foot.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein the prompt to modify the motion of the user body part comprises a prompt to modify a step cadence.

21. The method of claim 4, wherein the prompt to modify the motion of the user body part comprises a prompt to reduce a user stride length.

22. The method of claim 4, further comprising monitoring the motion of the user body part with one or more sensors following the prompt to modify the motion of the user body part.

23. The method of claim 3, wherein the prompt to modify the user form comprises a prompt to modify a position of a user body part in real-time during a running activity during which the subsequent second user stride motion occurs.

24. The method of claim 3, wherein the first user stride motion and the second user stride motion occur while the user is running, and wherein identifying the change in user stride motion comprises identifying an undesirable stride motion and prompting the user further comprises providing real-time user notice during a running activity of the undesirable stride motion.

25. The method of claim 3, wherein the prompt to modify the user form comprises an alarm.

26. The method of claim 3, wherein the change in user stride motion comprises a decrease in user stride form.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first user stride motion and the second user stride motion occur while the user is running and the decrease in user stride form is identified during a running motion.

28. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

monitoring a movement of a user torso from a torso mounted sensor unit providing a sensor output associated with the movement during a running-activity, the sensor output received on an electronic communications link;

determining a horizontal velocity parameter utilizing the sensor output associated with the movement of the user torso from the torso mounted sensor unit;

identifying a motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique during the running activity comprising utilizing the horizontal velocity parameter; and

outputting an indication of the motion of the user at a device interface.

29. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

monitoring a rotational movement of the user from a torso mounted sensor unit providing a sensor output associated with a movement of the user during an athletic activity, the sensor output received on an electronic communications link;

determining a rotation parameter utilizing the sensor output associated with the movement of the user;

identifying an undesirable motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique during the athletic activity comprising utilizing the rotation parameter; and

outputting an indication of the undesirable motion of the user at a device interface.

30. The method of claim 3, wherein the prompt to modify the user form comprises messaging the user to perform a motion of a user body part other than a user foot or position the user body part other than the user foot.

31. The method of claim 3, wherein the first user stride motion comprises a step cadence and the subsequent second user stride motion comprises a step cadence.

32. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

tracking a speed and a direction of the user during the first user stride motion and the subsequent second user stride motion utilizing a global positioning system sensor unit, the speed and the direction different from the first user stride motion and different from the subsequent second user stride motion; and

providing real-time feedback of the speed and the prompt to modify the user form.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first user stride motion is detected utilizing both an output of the global positioning system sensor unit and the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors comprising an inertial sensor, and the subsequent second user stride motion is detected utilizing both the output of the global positioning system sensor unit and the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors comprising the inertial sensor.

34. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

tracking a speed and a direction of the user during the first user stride motion and the subsequent second user stride motion utilizing a global positioning system sensor unit disposed on an arm sensor system;

receiving a sensor output from an arm sensor disposed at the arm sensor system;

identifying an undesirable arm motion from the sensor output from the arm sensor; and

providing real-time feedback of the speed and the undesirable arm motion.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the undesirable arm motion is identified utilizing the sensor output from the arm sensor in conjunction with either an output from the global positioning system sensor unit or an output from the one or more sensors detecting the first user stride motion.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more sensors detecting the first user stride motion are configured to be worn on a user foot.

39. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a third user stride motion different from both the first user stride motion and the second user stride motion, wherein the third user stride motion comprises a step cadence.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

monitoring a user foot stride motion with one or more sensors;

detecting an undesirable user foot stride motion; and

prompting a user at a device user interface to correct the undesirable user foot stride motion by performing a desired motion with a user'"'"'s body part other than a user'"'"'s foot or by positioning the user'"'"'s body part other than the user'"'"'s foot to achieve a desired position.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a subsequent user foot stride motion subsequent to prompting the user; and

identifying a change in a user stride motion from the undesirable user foot stride motion and the subsequent user foot stride motion.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the undesirable user foot stride motion comprises a user overstride.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the user'"'"'s body part comprises a user'"'"'s hip.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the desired motion with the user'"'"'s body part other than the user'"'"'s foot comprises running with a hips-forward body position.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the desired motion with the user'"'"'s body part other than the user'"'"'s foot comprises running with a bent knee.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

prompting the user to correct the undesirable user foot stride motion by running with a decreased stride length.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

prompting the user to correct the undesirable user foot stride motion by modifying a user step cadence.

37. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

tracking a speed and a direction of the user utilizing a global positioning system sensor unit, the speed and the direction different from the user foot stride motion monitored with the one or more sensors; and

providing real-time feedback of the speed and the prompting the user to correct the undesirable user foot stride motion at the device user interface.

38. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 37, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a sensor output from a sensor monitoring the user body part other than the user foot; and

providing an indication at the device user interface of the sensor output monitoring the user body part other than the user foot.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

monitoring a user foot stride motion with one or more sensors;

detecting a user overstride motion from an output of the one or more sensors; and

prompting a user to correct the user overstride motion by increasing a user step cadence or reducing a user stride length; and

detecting the user step cadence or the user stride length subsequent to prompting the user to correct the user overstride motion by increasing the user step cadence or reducing the user stride length.

40. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a rotational movement of the user from a torso mounted sensor unit providing a sensor output associated with a movement of the user during an athletic activity, the sensor output received on an electronic communications link;

determining a rotation parameter utilizing the sensor output associated with the movement of the user;

identifying an undesirable motion of the user indicative of athletic form or technique during the athletic activity comprising utilizing the rotation parameter; and

outputting an indication of the undesirable motion of the user at a device interface.

41. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

tracking a speed and a direction of the user during the first user stride motion and the subsequent second user stride motion utilizing a global positioning system sensor unit disposed on an arm sensor system;

receiving a sensor output from an arm sensor disposed at the arm sensor system;

identifying an undesirable arm motion from the sensor output from the arm sensor; and

providing real-time feedback of the speed and the undesirable arm motion.