METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A CYCLIST IS SITTING OR STANDING

• US 20150345925A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Smit, Theodorus J., Foy, Clark F., Weatherall, Alan D., Thomas, Geoffrey A., Carlson, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,180,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/83 characterised by the position of the sensor
• 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: B62J 45/41 characterised by the type of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/22 electronic, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/00 Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining a bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position, such as sitting or standing, while riding a bicycle. Sensors measure a force applied by the bicyclist to the pedals. The measurement data is analyzed to identify a feature, such as whether a radial force is higher or lower than a tangential force or whether a total vertical force is high or low, which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position. A series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position during the ride is recorded. A series of changes in the geographic location of the bicyclist and/or a series of changes in one or more performance metrics while riding the bicycle may also be recorded. The series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position, the geographic location, and the performance metrics may be correlated, graphically communicated in real-time or post-ride, and used to improve the bicyclist'"'"'s performance.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to determine a bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position while the bicyclist is riding a bicycle, wherein the bicycle includes a seat, a handlebar, left and right pedals, and one or more sensors configured to measure a force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals, the electronic device comprising:

a communication element configured to receive data from the one or more sensors regarding the force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals;

a processing element configured to analyze the data to identify a feature of the data which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position; and

a memory element configured to record a series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position while the bicyclist is riding the bicycle.

2. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electronic device determines the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position with regard to whether the bicyclist is sitting on the seat or standing on the left and right pedals.

3. The electronic device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure a radial force and a tangential force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals, and wherein the feature of the data which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position is that the radial force is higher than the tangential force when the bicyclist is standing, and the radial force is lower than the tangential force when the bicyclist is sitting.

4. The electronic device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure a total vertical force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals, and wherein the feature of the data which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position is that the total vertical force on the left and right pedals is at a higher level when the bicyclist is standing on the left and right pedals, and the total vertical force on the left and right pedals is at a lower level when the bicyclist is sitting on the seat.

5. The electronic device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the processing element is further configured to infer an amount of force applied by the bicyclist to the handlebar based on the total vertical force and an actual weight of the bicyclist.

6. The electronic device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the processing element is further configured to determine the actual weight of the bicyclist based on the force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals when standing upright and otherwise unsupported on the left and right pedals.

7. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a location-determining element configured to determine a geographic location of the bicyclist while the bicyclist is riding the bicycle,

wherein the memory element is further configured to record a series of changes in the geographic location,

wherein the processing element is further configured to correlate the series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position with the series of changes in the geographic location;

and

a display configured to graphically communicate the correlated series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position and the series of changes in the geographic location.

8. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the bicycle further includes one or more performance metric sensors configured to measure one or more performance metrics of the bicyclist or the bicycle while the bicyclist is riding the bicycle,

wherein the memory element is further configured to record a series of changes in the one or more performance metrics,

wherein the processing element is further configured to correlate the series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position with the series of changes in the one or more performance metrics;

and

the electronic device further includes a display configured to graphically communicate the correlated series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position and the series of changes in the one or more performance metrics.

9. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electronic device determines the bicyclist'"'"'s position with regard to how the bicyclist is gripping the handlebar.

10. The electronic device as set forth in claim 1, further including a display that is mountable to the handlebar and configured to graphically communicate the series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position in real-time.

11. An electronic device configured to determine a bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position while the bicyclist is riding a bicycle, wherein the bicycle includes a seat, a handlebar, left and right pedals, and one or more sensors configured to measure a radial force and a tangential force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals, the electronic device comprising

a communication element configured to receive data from the one or more sensors regarding the radial and tangential forces applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals;

a processing element configured to analyze the data to identify a feature of the data which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position, wherein the feature is that the radial force is higher than the tangential force when the bicyclist is standing, and the radial force is lower than the tangential force when the bicyclist is sitting;

a memory element configured to record a series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position while the bicyclist is riding the bicycle,

the memory element being further configured to record a series of changes in a geographic location of the bicyclist and to record a series of changes in one or more performance metrics while the bicyclist is riding the bicycle, and

the processing element being further configured to correlate the series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position with the series of changes in the geographic location and with the series of changes in the one or more performance metrics; and

a display configured to graphically communicate the correlated series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position, the series of changes in the geographic location, and the series of changes in the one or more performance metrics.

12. A method of determining a bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position while the bicyclist is riding a bicycle, wherein the bicycle includes a seat, a handlebar, left and right pedals, and one or more sensors configured to measure a force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving data via a communication element from the one or more sensors regarding the force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals;

analyzing the data using a processing element to identify a feature of the data which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position;

recording in a memory element a series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position while the bicyclist is riding the bicycle; and

graphically communicating using an electronic display the series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position in real-time.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the method determines the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position with regard to whether the bicyclist is sitting on the seat or standing on the left and right pedals.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure a radial force and a tangential force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals, and wherein the feature of the data which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position is that the radial force is higher than the tangential force when the bicyclist is standing, and the radial force is lower than the tangential force when the bicyclist is sitting.

15. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure a total vertical force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals, and wherein the feature of the data which is indicative of the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position is that the total vertical force on the left and right pedals is at a higher level when the bicyclist is standing on the left and right pedals, and the total vertical force on the left and right pedals is at a lower level when the bicyclist is sitting on the seat.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, further including the step of inferring an amount of force applied by the bicyclist to the handlebar based on the total vertical force and an actual weight of the bicyclist.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the actual weight of the bicyclist is determined based on the force applied by the bicyclist to the left and right pedals when the bicyclist is standing upright and otherwise unsupported on the left and right pedals.

18. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the steps of

determining a geographic location of the bicyclist while the bicyclist is riding the bicycle;

recording in the memory element a series of changes in a geographic location;

correlating the series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position with the series of changes in the geographic location using the processing element; and

graphically communicating on a display the correlated series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position and the series of changes in the geographic location.

19. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the steps of

receiving data via the communication element from a performance metric sensor regarding a performance metric of the bicycle or the bicyclist;

recording in the memory element a series of changes in the performance metric;

correlating the series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position with the series of changes in the performance metric using the processing element; and

graphically communicating on an electronic display the correlated series of changes in the bicyclist'"'"'s bodily position and the series of changes in the performance metric.

20. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the method determines the bicyclist'"'"'s position with regard to how the bicyclist is gripping the handlebar.