Wearable athletic activity monitoring systems

• US 10,765,364 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2019
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Coza, Aurel, DiBenedetto, Christian, Munson, Ian Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US16/369,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20190223793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 600409
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/242 Detecting biomagnetic fields, e.g. magnetic fields produced by bioelectric currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A sensor garment for monitoring an individual engaged in an athletic activity includes a garment formed of textile material, and a sensor module inseparably coupled to the textile material of the garment. The sensor module includes a single-purpose sensor configured to sense a single characteristic, and a radio antenna configured to transmit data generated by the single-purpose sensor. The sensor module includes no external port.

Claims

1. A garment for monitoring an individual engaged in an athletic activity, comprising:

a textile material;

a sensor module inseparably coupled to the textile material;

wherein the sensor module comprises;

a sensor; and

a transceiver configured to transmit data generated by the sensor;

an external component removably coupled to the textile material and configured to communicate with the sensor module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor module comprises a flexible printed circuit board.

14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the external component comprises at least one of an external memory device, an external power source, and an external radio antenna.

15. The garment of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a single-purpose sensor configured to sense a single characteristic, and the sensor module comprises no sensor in addition to the single-purpose sensor.

3. A garment for monitoring an individual engaged in an athletic activity, comprising:

a textile material,

a sensor module coupled to the textile material, the sensor module further comprising;

a sensor;

transceiver configured to transmit data generated by the sensor; and

a flexible printed circuit board.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor module comprises and is powered by one of thin-film battery and a super capacitor.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor of the sensor module is a single-purpose sensor configured to sense a single characteristic.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor module is sealed within a waterproof membrane.

7. The garment of claim 3, wherein the sensor module comprises and is powered by one of a solar cell, a kinetic energy conversion unit, and a thermoelectric generator.

8. The garment of claim 3, wherein the sensor module further comprises a near field communication circuit.

9. The garment of claim 5, wherein the sensor module comprises no sensor in addition to the single-purpose sensor.

10. The garment of claim 3, wherein the sensor of the sensor module is an acceleration sensor.

11. The garment of claim 3, wherein the sensor of the sensor module is a magnetic field sensor.

12. The garment of claim 3, wherein the sensor module is inseparably coupled to the textile material.

13. The garment of claim 3, wherein the sensor module is arranged on the garment, such that the sensor module is positioned on a back of a torso of the individual when the garment is worn by the individual.

16. A method for determining a jump characteristic of an individual using a garment having a sensor module, the method comprising:

identifying take-off of a jump performed by the individual;

determining a first vertical velocity of the individual based on first acceleration data sensed at an initiation of the jump prior to take-off using the sensor module of the garment worn by the individual, wherein the sensor module is inseparably coupled to the garment;

determining a second vertical velocity of the individual, based on the first vertical velocity and second acceleration data sensed between the initiation of the jump and the take-off of the jump; and

calculating a maximum jump height based on the second vertical velocity.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying take-off of the jump comprises sensing a resultant acceleration of about zero, using the sensor module.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein identifying take-off of the jump comprises sensing a resultant acceleration of about zero for at least 50 ms using the sensor module.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising providing an output based on the maximum jump height of the individual.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the output is a display of the maximum jump height, and the output is displayed following completion of the jump by the individual.