METHOD AND SYSTEM TO ANALYZE SPORTS MOTIONS USING MOTION SENSORS OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20130102419A1
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AI Golf LLC
• Original Assignee: AI Golf LLC
• Inventors: Jeffery, Mark John, Rana, Manoj, Komorous-King, Robert Sunshin
• Granted Patent: US 9,101,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/409
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/06 Squash
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/44 Angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0054 Bowling, i.e. ten-pin bowling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/16 Spear or javelin throwing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• 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 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 : Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 : Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 : Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports

Abstract

A method and system to analyze sports motions using the motion sensors of a mobile device, such as a smart phone, is provided. This method uses the mobile device motion sensor output to define the impact point with a virtual object, such as a golf ball, baseball or tennis ball. The motion sensor signature of the sports motion is analyzed for characteristics, specific to each type of sports motion. A method is disclosed using multiple sensors outputs in a mobile device to compute the impact point with a virtual object, such as a golf ball, baseball, tennis ball. Further, a method is disclosed where moving virtual sports objects interact with virtual sports motions and the responsive outputs are displayed on the mobile device and/or any Web-enabled display device.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing sports motions, comprising:

(a) determining a starting point of a sports motion to be simulated using a mobile device having integrated motion sensors;

(b) moving the mobile device from the starting point along a path to complete the simulation;

(c) obtaining motion data from the motion sensors relating to the starting point and the movement along the path;

(d) determining an occurrence of a simulated sports event using the obtained motion data; and

(e) outputting information related to the simulated sports motion;

(f) wherein the mobile device is not attached to any piece of sports equipment and the starting point is not indicated by user-entered input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the starting point is indicated by the mobile device being held still for a predetermined length of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps (c) to (e) are performed using a processor integral to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the information related to the simulated sports event includes outputting the information on a screen of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the information related to the simulated sports event includes outputting the information to a gaming system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion sensors include an accelerometer and a multi-axis gyroscope.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sports event is an impact point with a virtual object.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of determining the velocity of a virtual object around the impact point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual object is a virtual golf ball.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the velocity is based at least in part on velocity of the mobile device around the impact point, arm length, club length, and arc length for the swing type.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the velocity does not use data from an accelerometer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the velocity includes applying a multiplier based on estimated wrist hinge and forearm rotation as measured by yaw and roll of the mobile device at the impact point.

14. The method of claim 11, further including determining ball flight distance based at least in part on the determined velocity of the virtual golf ball.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the instantaneous velocity of a virtual object at the impact point.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the mobile device from the starting point along the path includes swinging the mobile device to simulate a golf swing.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the golf swing is one of a full golf swing, a chip, and a putt.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the impact point is determined by finding a moment when pitch of the mobile device is at or near a second minimum.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the impact point is determined by finding a moment when a first rotational orientation of the mobile device is at or near a minimum and the derivative of a second rotational orientation of the mobile device is at or near a maximum.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the motion sensors include a multi-axis gyroscope, and the impact point is determined using two or more of pitch, roll, and yaw.

21. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing the simulated sports motion.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein analyzing the simulated sports motion includes analyzing the pitch of the mobile device during the simulated sports motion.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein analyzing the simulated sports motion includes analyzing the roll of the mobile device at an impact point.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein analyzing the roll of the mobile device at the impact point includes subtracting roll data at the impact point from roll data from the starting point.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the sports event is a release point.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the release point is one of a release point of a bowling ball, a lacrosse handle, a basketball, a baseball, a hockey stick, a bean bag, an American football and a fishing rod.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting information related to the simulated sports motions includes outputting the information using at least one of the mobile device and a separate web-enabled display.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting information related to the simulated sports motions includes outputting one or more of a rendered golf ball flight, a baseball flight, a tennis ball movement, a ping pong ball movement, a bean bag toss, an American football flight, a bowling ball path, a fishing hook flight and other motion responsive to the simulated sports motion.

29. A method for analyzing sports motions, comprising:

(a) displaying a moving virtual object on a screen of a web-enabled display;

(b) obtaining motion data from motion sensors of a mobile device, the motion data relating to a simulated sports motion;

(c) determining a starting point of the sports motions and movements along a path of the sports motion, using the obtained motion data;

(d) comparing timing of the simulated sports motion with that of the moving virtual object to determine whether the virtual object was impacted, and if so, the impact the point; and

(e) outputting information related to the simulated sports motion;

wherein;

the web-enabled display is a separate and distinct device from the mobile device and viewable by a user of the mobile device as the user moves the mobile device to simulate the sports motion;

the web-enabled display and the mobile device are connected via the Internet to a cloud-based engine; and

the cloud-based engine manages game playing and is at least partly responsible for step (d).

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the web-enabled display is one of a computer, a tablet, a web-enabled television, and another mobile device.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the game involves a game featuring a thrown or hit object.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the virtual object is one of a baseball, a tennis ball, a basketball, an American football, a racquet ball, a ping pong ball, a hockey puck, a badminton shuttlecock, and a fish.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein displaying the moving virtual object includes one or more of displaying a video, a sprite, a cinema-graph, and an animation.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein clocks of the cloud-based engine, the web-enabled display, and the mobile device are synchronized using the Network Time Protocol (NTP).

35. The method of claim 29, comparing timing includes using interpolation to determine the impact point.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

(g) displaying a virtual object flight on the web-enabled display responsive to the simulated sports motion.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein, the virtual object flight is one of a flight of a golf ball, a baseball, a tennis ball, a basketball, an American football, a racquet ball, a shuttle cock, a ping pong ball and a fishing hook.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

(h) displaying interaction with the virtual object flight on the web-enabled display.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the interaction includes catching or hitting the virtual object.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein displaying interaction with the virtual object flight includes displaying one or more of a video, a sprite, a cinema-graph, and an animation.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the interaction includes the virtual object being hit back to the user.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein after step (h), steps (b) through (f) are repeated.

43. A system for analyzing sports motions, comprising:

a mobile device including memory, a processor, and integrated multi-axis gyroscope, the mobile device configured to;

(a) determine a starting point of a simulated sports motion;

(b) obtain gyroscope measurements from the gyroscope relating to orientation of the mobile device at the starting point and during movement along a path simulating the sports motion;

(c) determine an impact point with a virtual object and velocity of the mobile device around the impact point using the obtained gyroscope measurements; and

(d) output information related to the simulated sports motion.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the mobile device is attached to an ancillary device.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the ancillary device is one of a piece of sports equipment and a device simulating the grip and feel of the piece of sports equipment.

46. A system for analyzing sports motions, comprising:

a mobile device including memory, a processor, and integrated motion sensors, the mobile device configured to;

(a) determine a starting point of a simulated sports motion, the starting point indicated by the mobile device being held still for a predetermined length of time;

(b) obtain motion data from the motion sensors relating to orientation of the mobile device at the starting point and during movement along a path simulating the sports motion;

(c) determine an impact point with a virtual object using the obtained motion data related to the orientation of the mobile device along at least two different axes; and

(d) output information related to the simulated sports motion via the mobile device.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the mobile device is attached to an ancillary device.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the ancillary device is one of a piece of sports equipment and a device simulating the grip and feel of the piece of sports equipment.