Sports ball athletic activity monitoring methods and systems

• US 20150328516A1
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Coza, Aurel, Dibenedetto, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,849,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/24 Angular displacement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices

Abstract

A method for monitoring the motion of a sport ball that has been impacted by an individual during the course of an athletic activity includes the steps of a portable electronic device wirelessly receiving motion data from the sport ball, and the portable electronic device determining a point of impact based on the motion data, wherein the point of impact includes a location on a surface of the sport ball where the impact occurred.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the motion of a sport ball that has been impacted by an individual during the course of an athletic activity, the method comprising:

a portable electronic device wirelessly receiving motion data from the sport ball; and

the portable electronic device determining a point of impact based on the motion data, wherein the point of impact comprises a location on a surface of the sport ball where the impact occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile phone configured to wirelessly make and receive telephone calls.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the portable electronic device determining a speed traveled by the sport ball after the impact based on the motion data; and

the portable electronic device determining a rate of spin by the sport ball after the impact based on the motion, data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the speed traveled by the sport ball after the impact comprises determining how the rate of spin by the sport ball after the impact compares to a predetermined threshold rate of spin.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determination of the point of impact is based on the determination of the speed traveled by the sport ball after the impact and the determination of the rate of spin by the sport ball after the impact.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the point of impact comprises conducting a regression analysis where the speed traveled by the sport, ball and the rate of spin by the sport ball are variables in the regression analysis.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the portable electronic device determining a spin axis orientation for the sport ball after the impact based on the motion data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the portable electronic device determining a launch angle for the sport ball after the impact based on the motion data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion data comprises acceleration data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the point of impact comprises determining that the sport was kicked by the individual.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the portable electronic device generating a graphical display, wherein the graphical display comprises a graphical representation of the point of impact.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the portable electronic device generating a graphical display, wherein the graphical display comprises feedback on how the result of the impact of the sport ball by the individual during the course of an athletic activity compares to a model result associated with another person.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the portable electronic device recording a video that captures a result of the impact of the sport ball by the individual during the course of an athletic activity.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, for use in monitoring the motion of a sport ball that has been impacted by an individual during the course of an athletic activity, that, when executed by one or more processors of a portable electronic device, is capable of causing the portable electronic device to:

wirelessly receive motion data from the sport ball; and

determine a point of impact based on the motion data, wherein the point of impact comprises a location on a surface of the sport ball where the impact occurred.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile phone configured to wirelessly make and receive telephone calls.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program logic is further capable of causing the portable electronic device to:

determine a speed traveled by the sport ball after the impact based on the motion data; and

determine a rate of spin by the sport ball after the impact based on the motion data.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein determining the speed traveled by the sport ball after the impact comprises determining how the rate of spin by the sport ball after the impact compares to a predetermined threshold rate of spin.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the determination of the point of impact is based on the determination of the speed traveled by the sport ball after the impact and the determination of the rate of spin by the sport ball after the impact.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein determining the point of impact comprises conducting, a regression analysis where the speed traveled by the sport ball and the rate of spin by the sport ball are variables in the regression analysis.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program logic is further capable of causing the portable electronic device to:

determine a spin axis orientation for the sport ball after the impact based on the motion data.

21. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program logic is further capable of causing the portable electronic device to:

determine a launch angle for the sport ball after the impact based on the motion data.

22. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the motion data comprises acceleration data.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein determining the point of impact comprises determining that the sport ball was kicked by the individual.

24. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program logic is further capable of causing the portable electronic device to:

generate a graphical display, wherein the graphical display comprises a graphical representation of the point of impact.

25. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program logic is further capable of causing the portable electronic device to:

generate a graphical display, wherein the graphical display comprises feedback on how the result of the impact of the sport ball by the individual during the course of an athletic activity compares to a model result associated with another person.

26. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program logic is further capable of causing the portable electronic device to:

record a video that captures a result of the impact of the sport ball by the individual during the course of an athletic activity.

27-39. -39. (canceled)