System, Use of Said System and Method For Monitoring and Optimising a Performance of at Least One Human Operator

• US 20080206726A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Schie, Michael Petrus van, Lombaers, Jacobus Henricus Maria, Kalisvaart, Sytze Hendrik, Lefeber, Frans Jan
• Application Number:
  US11/596,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20080206726A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

The invention relates to a system, for monitoring and optimising a performance of at least one human operator, comprising—monitoring means (2) for collecting performance parameters, representative for the status of the performance;—processing means (3) for assessing the operator'"'"'s performance on the basis of said collected performance parameters and for providing the human operator with guiding instructions for improving said performance; and—communication means (4) for communicating the guiding instructions to the human operator, wherein the performance parameters comprise at least one physiological parameter of the human operator, at least one interactive parameter, representative for any interaction between the human operator and his environment and preferably at least one contextual parameter regarding the human operator'"'"'s direct environment.

Claims

1. System for monitoring and optimising a performance of at least one human operator, comprising

monitoring means (2) for collecting performance parameters, representative for the status of the performance;

processing means (3) for assessing the operator'"'"'s performance on the basis of said collected performance parameters and for providing guiding instructions for the at least one operator, to improve said performance; and

communication means (4) for communicating the guiding instructions to the or each human operator, characterised in that, the collected performance parameters comprise at least one physiological parameter of the human operator and at least one interactive parameter, representative for any interaction between the human operator and his environment.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the collected performance parameters furthermore comprise at least one contextual parameter, representative for the human operator'"'"'s environment.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the processing means (3) are provided with a performance specific algorithm, containing information regarding the influence of the collected performance parameters on the performance in question.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring means (2) are arranged to be worn by the human operator during use, and provided with sensor means (S1), for measuring at least the physiological parameter.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the communication means (4) are arranged to be worn by the human operator and arranged to communicate said guiding instructions to the human operator by means of visible, audible and/or tactile indicators.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein the processing means (3) comprise input means (12), allowing the human operator and/or a third party to provide the processing means (3) with additional data, to be taken into account when providing said guiding instructions.

7. System according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring means (2), processing means (3) and communication means (4) are arranged to operate real-time.

8. System according to claim 1 comprising memory means (6, 8), for at least temporarily storing at least part of the collected data and/or the guiding instructions.

9. System according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the processing means (3) is arranged to be worn, during use, by the human operator, thereby allowing real time in-situ coaching by said system.

10. System according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the monitoring means (2) are accommodated in a shoe, arranged to measure a walking pattern of a human operator wearing the shoe, e.g. by measuring a force exertion pattern, thereby preferably allowing real time in-situ coaching of the operator.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the processing means (3), during use, is located remote from the human operator, allowing remote coaching.

12. System according to claim 1, wherein the processing means (3) are arranged to co-operate with a series of monitoring means (2) and communication means (4), to provide guiding instructions to a series of human operators, to improve their individual and/or combined performance.

13. Communication means of a system according to claim 1, comprising a garment, in particular a shirt or vest, provided with vibrating elements, arranged to act on specific parts of the body of a human operator, when worn by said operator, thereby directing the operator in a specific direction associated with said particular body part and/or guiding the movement of said particular body part.

14. Use of the system according to claim 1, for anyone of the following purposes:

for monitoring and coaching individual and/or team players in a sports environment, for training, assisting and/or navigating professionals such as firemen, rescue teams or pilots in performing a specific task, for monitoring the health and/or recovery of patients.

15. Method for monitoring and optimising a performance of at least one human operator, comprising the steps of:

identifying key physiological, interactive, and possibly contextual parameters, representative for the performance;

formulating a performance algorithm, defining the influence of these key performance parameters on the performance;

measuring said identified key performance parameters during the performance and evaluate the status of the performance using said performance algorithm;

providing guiding instructions on the outcome of said evaluation, so as to improve the performance; and

communicate these instructions to the respective operators.