Position determination system and ball sport training system

• US 20060105849A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebris Medical GmbH
• Original Assignee: Zebris Medical GmbH
• Inventors: Brunner, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 7,837,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/131
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0026 for ice-hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/186 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

Position measuring system including a synchronization transducer used to synchronize a position signal evaluation with the position signal emission of a wireless synchronization transmission line between a position signal transmitter and a position signal evaluation unit, or visa versa, in order to transmit synchronization signals to a series controller of a position signal transmitter or to identifying means of the position signal evaluation unit.

Claims

1. A position measuring system to dynamically determine the position of an object during movement, comprising:

a position signal transmitter that is attachable to the object and that includes a plurality of transmitter elements that are controlled by a series controller with a predetermined transmitter time program in order to emit an ordered quantity of position signals,

a position signal receiver for the reception of the position signals, that is stationary to said position signal transmitter and that has a wireless connection to said position signal transmitter,

a position signal evaluation unit, connected downstream from said position signal receiver, used to evaluate said position signals for the dynamic determination of the object'"'"'s position during movement, whereas said position signal evaluation unit includes identifying means to identify the respective position signals of the ordered quantity due to said transmitter time program, that are emitted by certain transmitter elements of said position signal transmitter,

a synchronization transducer used to synchronize the position signal evaluation with the position signal emission and

a wireless synchronization signal transmission line between said position signal transmitter and said position signal evaluation unit, or visa versa, to transmit synchronization signals to said series controller of said position signal transmitter or to said identifying means of said position signal evaluation unit, whereas said synchronization transducer is assigned to said position signal evaluation unit, and

wherein said series controller of said position signal transmitter includes an internal timer that is triggered by a temporary reception of a synchronization signal from said synchronization transducer and that internally controls said transmitter time program in case of further non-existing external synchronization signals.

2. Position measuring system according to claim 1, characterized by

a synchronization signal transmission line featuring an IR transmitter element at the position signal evaluation unit and an IR receiver element at the position signal transmitter, or visa versa.

3. Position measuring system according to claim 1, characterized by

transmitter elements of the position signal transmitter that are designed as active ultrasonic or IR transmitter with the same transmitter frequency or wavelength and without channel separation.

4. Position measuring system according to claim 1, characterized by

a two-piece position signal transmitter, whereas a first, the transmitter elements including, part is attachable to the object and coupled to a second, spatially displaced, part via a signal and power supply cable comprising a power supply as well as electronic circuits of said position signal transmitter.

5. Position-measuring-system according to claim 1, characterized by

a position signal transmitter or position signal receiver including display elements for displaying the operation state, in particular, multicolored and/or with different flash-operation controlled LEDs, that are triggered depending on the state of the operation of the synchronization signal transmission line.

6. Ball sport training system, in particular putting-training for golf sport, comprising:

a position signal transmitter that is attachable to a club, racket or stick, respectively, used to practice the ball sport, including a plurality of transmitter elements that are controlled by a series controller with a predetermined transmitter time program in order to emit an ordered quantity of position signals,

a position signal receiver for the reception of position signals, that is stationary to said position signal transmitter and that has a wireless connection to said position signal transmitter,

a position signal evaluation unit, connected downstream to said position signal receiver, used to evaluate said position signals for the dynamic determination of the position of the club, racket or stick, respectively, during movement, whereas said position signal evaluation unit includes identifying means to identify the respective position signals of the ordered quantity due to said transmitter time program, that are emitted by certain transmitter elements of said position signal transmitter,

a synchronization transducer used to synchronize the position signal evaluation with the position signal emission,

a wireless synchronization signal transmission line between said position signal transmitter and said position signal evaluation unit, or visa versa, to transmit synchronization signals to said series controller of said position signal transmitter or to said identifying means of said position signal evaluation unit, and

a movement display unit, coupled to the input of said position signal evaluation unit, used to display data representing the movement of the club, racket or stick, respectively, in particular in form of a graphical illustration of the movement.

7. Ball sport training system according to claim 6, characterized by

a synchronization transducer assigned to the position signal evaluation unit and a series controller of the position signal transmitter including an internal timer that is triggered by a temporary reception of a synchronization signal from said synchronization transducer and that internally controls the transmitter time program in case of further non-existing external synchronization signals.

8. Ball sport training system according to claim 6, characterized by

a synchronization transducer assigned to the position signal transmitter, and that controls the identifying means of the position signal evaluation unit via the synchronization transmission line.

9. Ball sport training system according to claim 6, characterized by

a position signal evaluation unit including an internal timer that is triggered by a temporary reception of a synchronization signal from the synchronization transducer and that internally controls the identification procedure in case of further non-existing external synchronization s signals.

10. Ball sport training system according to claim 6, characterized by

a synchronization signal transmission line featuring an IR transmitter element at the position signal evaluation unit and an IR receiver element at the position signal transmitter, or visa versa.

11. Ball sport training system according to claim 6, characterized by

transmitter elements of the position signal transmitter that are designed as active ultrasonic or IR transmitter with the same transmitter frequency or wavelength and without channel separation.

12. Ball sport training system according to claim 6, characterized by

a two-piece position signal transmitter, whereas a first, the transmitter elements including, part is attachable to the club, racket or stick, respectively, and coupled to a second part, that is attachable to a belt, via a signal- and power supply cable comprising a power supply as well as electronic circuits of said position signal transmitter.

13. Ball sport training system according to claim 6, characterized by

a position signal transmitter or position signal receiver including display elements for displaying the operation state, in particular, multicolored and/or with different flash-operation controlled LEDs, that are triggered depending on the state of the operation of the synchronization signal transmission line.