Method and system for accurately measuring and modeling a sports instrument swinging motion

• US 20050261073A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smartswing
• Original Assignee: Smartswing
• Inventors: Gabbi, Alessandro U., Hood, Nathan J., Eyestone, Richard D., Lupher, John H., Cassady, Eric A., Farrington, John A. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/176,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261073A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/221
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• 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: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration

Abstract

Techniques for measuring and modeling club-like sports instrument inertial motion sensing signals are disclosed. The disclosed method and system generate corrected output of a motion sensing circuit, which circuit includes an inertial measurement unit and associates with a club-like sports instrument. One aspect of the disclosed subject matter includes a method and system for isolating analysis positions of a golf swing, which analysis positions facilitate measuring and modeling the swinging motion. Another aspect of the disclosed subject matter includes a method and system for correcting golf swing measurement errors for more accurately measuring and modeling the swinging motion. Yet another aspect of the disclosed subject matter provides a method and system for determining an impact position of a swinging sports instrument.

Claims

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of identifying a latest set of consecutive at-address point for establish a final at-address region.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of identifying an optimal address point within an identified at-address region.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of continuing to test for a new optimal address point within said at-address region.

10. A system for analyzing a swinging motion of a sports instrument, said swinging motion for contacting an object, said sports instrument comprising:

an inertial measurement unit embedded within said sports instrument, said inertial measurement unit comprising,

a gravity sensing circuit for generating a plurality of gravity signals associated with the movement os said sports instrument, and

an acceleration sensing circuit for generating a plurality of acceleration signals associated with the movement os said sports instrument;

a signal processing circuit for receiving said plurality signals from said inertial measurement, said signal processing circuit further for analyzing said plurality of gravity signals and said plurality of acceleration signals and generating from said analysis a sports instrument swinging motion measurement;

position analysis instructions for use in association with said signal processing circuit determining from said sports instrument swinging motion measurement said sports instrument to be at a top-of-swing position relative to the object;

swinging motion analysis instructions for use in association with said signal processing circuit for determining from a sports instrument swinging motion measurement said sports instrument to be in a swinging motion; and

impact point analysis instructions for determining from a sports instrument swinging motion measurement for determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be at an impact point wherein said sports instrument contacts the object.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for determining an at-address position at which said sports instrument addresses said object.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for identifying a narrowest parameter set wherein an interval during address for qualifying as an at-address region.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for identifying a latest set of consecutive at-address point for establish a final at-address region.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for identifying an optimal address point within an identified at-address region.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for continuing to test for a new optimal address point within said at-address region.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be at an impact point wherein said sports instrument contacts an object having a mass approximating a whiffle golf ball.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving so as to generate a plurality of vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said impact point analysis instructions further comprise instructions for determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving for generating at least on section vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

19. A method for determining an impact point at which swinging sports instrument impacts an object, said sports instrument associated with an inertial measurement unit, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an acceleration measurements stream from said inertial measurement unit, said acceleration measurements stream comprising a plurality of acceleration signals from said inertial measurement unit associated with movement of the sports instrument, each of said plurality of acceleration signals corresponding to a position of said sports instrument during said movement;

receiving said acceleration measurements stream in a signal processing circuit, said signal processing circuit for relating said acceleration measurements stream to movement of said sports instrument;

determining the presence of a shock vibration measurement within said acceleration measurements stream; and

relating said shock vibration to a position at which said sports instrument impact the object.

1. A method for analyzing a swinging motion of a sports instrument, said swinging motion for contacting an object, said sports instrument having an embedded inertial measurement unit, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of signals from said inertial measurement unit, said plurality of signals comprising a plurality of gravity signals and a plurality of acceleration signals;

receiving said plurality signals from said inertial measurement unit in a signal processing circuit, said signal processing circuit for analyzing said plurality of gravity signals and said plurality of acceleration signals;

determining from the analysis of at least plurality of acceleration signals said sports instrument to be at a top-of-swing position relative to the object;

determining from the analysis of said signals from said inertial measurement unit said sports instrument to be in a swinging motion; and

determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be at an impact point wherein said sports instrument contacts the object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining an at-address position at which said sports instrument addresses said object.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of identifying a narrowest parameter set wherein an interval during address for qualifying as an at-address region.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be at an impact point wherein said sports instrument contacts an object having a mass approximating a whiffle golf ball.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving so as to generate a plurality of vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving for generating at least on section vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be at an impact point wherein said sports instrument contacts an object having a mass approximating a whiffle golf ball.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving so as to generate a plurality of vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving for generating at least on section vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

20-1. The system of claim 19, wherein said movement analysis instructions further comprise instructions for determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be at an impact point wherein said sports instrument contacts an object having a mass approximating a whiffle golf ball.

21-2. The system of claim 19, wherein said movement analysis instructions further comprise instructions for determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving so as to generate a plurality of vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

22-3. The system of claim 19, wherein said movement analysis instructions further comprise instructions for determining at least from said plurality of accelerometer signals said sports instrument to be moving for generating at least on section vibrating data points as said accelerometer signals.

23. A system for determining an impact point at which swinging sports instrument impacts an object, said sports instrument associated with an inertial measurement unit, the method comprising the steps of:

acceleration measurement circuitry for generating an acceleration measurements stream from said inertial measurement unit, said acceleration measurements stream comprising a plurality of acceleration signals from said inertial measurement unit associated with movement of the sports instrument, each of said plurality of acceleration signals corresponding to a position of said sports instrument during said movement;

signal processing circuitry for receiving said acceleration measurements stream in a signal processing circuit, said signal processing circuit for relating said acceleration measurements stream to movement of said sports instrument;

acceleration measurement analysis instructions for determining the presence of a shock vibration measurement within said acceleration measurements stream; and

movement analysis instructions for relating said shock vibration to a position at which said sports instrument impact the object.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of performing said acceleration measurements correction step after performing at least once said orientation measurements correction step.

23-4. A method for correcting swing analysis data deriving from an inertial measurement unit associated with a sports instrument, said inertial measurement unit for sensing motion of said sports instrument in impacting an object, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of signals from said inertial measurement unit in response to movement of said sports instrument, said plurality of signals comprising a plurality of orientation measurements and a plurality of acceleration measurement;

correcting said orientation measurements in response to rotation of said sports instrument occurring upon said sports instrument impacting the object;

correcting said acceleration measurements for removing inaccuracies deriving from the orientation of at least one accelerometer and the orientation of at least one gyroscope differing from the point at which said sports instrument contacts the object.