Personalized instructional aid

• US 5,486,001 A
• Filed: 04/21/1994
• Issued: 01/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rick Baker
• Original Assignee: Rick Baker
• Inventors: Baker, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US08/146,016
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 273/35 R, 273/183.1, 273/185 A, 273/186.1, 434/247, 434/249, 434/252
• US Class Current: 473/266
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• 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 69/3629 Visual means not attached to the body for aligning, positioning the trainee's head or for detecting head movement, e.g. by parallax

Abstract

An instructional aid (10) for enabling and assisting a person to emulate a predetermined movement such as a golf swing including an image/data capturing device (11) for scanning, capturing and storing the image/data signals of the person'"'"'s golf swing or movement, and a transceiver (14) for transmitting the image/data signals over a communications network (15) to a remote computer (17). The computer (16) contains a database (17) which stores in digital form image signals and bio-mechanical data of a number of preselected swing or movements. The computer (16) analyzes the person'"'"'s image/data signals against image/data of a preselected swing and generates in digital form further visual images/data signals which can be transformed so as to assist or enable a person to be able to emulate the preferred swing. The instructional aid may also be used for analyzing or reporting on particular geographical regions or objects and provides a specialized presentation for development of that region or object from information stored in the computer database.

Claims

1. A method for providing an instructional aid for assisting a person to emulate a preferred movement, said method comprising:

capturing and storing initial visual image signals representative of a particular movement at a first location,

storing preferred image signals representative of a selected preferred movement at a second location remote from said first location in a data base of a computer,

transmitting said captured and stored visual image signals from said first location to said computer at said second location,

comparing said captured and stored image signals with stored preferred image signals in said data base of said computer,

regenerating further visual secondary image signals based on said initial image signals of said particular movement adjusted to emulate said stored preferred image signals of said selected movement in said computer, and

transmitting said regenerated signals from said computer at said remote second location to said first location and stored in image presentation means which permits viewing thereof with dialogue relating to said regenerated visual secondary image signals.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said initial visual image signals of said particular movement are captured and stored using a video camera.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said transmitting comprises selecting an independent signal transmitter or a personal computer.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said transmitter transmits said image signals over a communication network to said computer.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein bio-mechanical data relating to said regenerated images is displayed within an image presentation.

6. A method of providing an instructional aid relating to a location development recommendation, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing and storing initial visual image and location data signals of a proposed development proposal at a first location and transmitted to a second location remote from said first location,

analyzing at said second location said initially captured signals against the stored visual image and location data signals of selectively one of a preferred known location development and a new design development stored in a data base of a computer,

regenerating further secondary visual image and location data signals based on said initial signals of said proposed development adjusted in accordance with said visual image and data signals of selectively one of said preferred known location development and said new design development in said stored data base of said computer so as to provide a location development recommendation for said preferred development, and

transmitting said location development recommendation from said computer back to said first location for analysis.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said visual image and data signals of said proposed development are captured and stored using a device selected from a video camera and a remote sensing device.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said transmitted regenerated image and data signals are provided in a format for subsequent home viewing.

9. A method according to claim 8, comprises the addition of dialogue to said format so as to provide an audio-visual presentation.

10. Apparatus for providing an instructional aid for emulation of a preferred movement, said apparatus comprising;

means for capturing visual image signals of a particular movement at a first location,

means for storing said captured visual image signals at a second location remote from said first location,

means for storing visual image signals of a plurality of preferred movements at said second location,

means for comparing said captured visual image signals with the stored image signals of a selected one of said preferred movement at said second location, and

means for regenerating further visual image signals of said particular movement adjusted in accordance with said selected preferred movement to instruct in emulating said selected preferred movement at said first location.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for storing visual image signals of a plurality of referred movements comprises a computer data base and wherein said comparing and regenerating means comprises a computer associated with said computer data base.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 comprising a transceiver means for transmitting to said computer said visual image signals of said particular movement and for receiving from said computer said regenerated visual images signals.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11, comprising means for converting said regenerated image signals into a format which allows viewing thereof.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, comprising means for adding to said format dialogue relating to said regenerated images.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13, comprising means for adding to said format bio-mechanical data relating to said regenerated images.

16. Apparatus for providing an instructional aid based on a visual image of a particular location comprising:

means for visually scanning said location and for producing visual image signals representative of said location,

means for storing said visual image signals,

means for transmitting said visual image signals to a remote location,

means for comparing said transmitted visual image signals with corresponding signals of a selected prestored image,

means for regenerating further image signals comprising said image signals of said particular location adjusted in accordance with said selected pre-stored signals of said image,

means for retransmitting said regenerated image signals,

and converting said image signals into a format which enables viewing of said regenerated image signals of said particular location at said means for visually scanning the instructional aid.

17. Apparatus for providing a personalized instructional aid in a development presentation based upon a visual image signal of a particular location comprising:

means for visually scanning a particular location and for producing image and informational data signals representative of said particular location,

means for storing said representative visual and informational data signals,

means for transmitting said representative visual and informational data signals to a remote location,

means at said remote location for comparing said representative visual and informational data signals with the signals of a selected pre-stored location and a structural procedure related to visual and informational data signals,

means at said remote location for regenerating further visual data and informational signals based on said signals of said particular location adjusted in accordance with said pre-stored procedure signals to assist in said development,

means at said remote location for adding dialogue and informational data to said regenerated signals,

means for transmitting said regenerated image and informational data signals from said remote location, and

converting said regenerated image and informational signals into a format which enables viewing to provide a personalized and instructional development presentation.

18. Apparatus for providing a personalized instructional aid based upon optical photometric characteristics of a particular target comprising:

means for visually scanning, sensing and capturing visual and informational data signals representative of a particular target,

means for storing said representative visual and informational data signals,

means for transmitting said representative visual and informational data signals to a remote location,

means for comparing said representative visual and informational data signals with corresponding pre-stored signals of a selected target,

means for regenerating further visual and informational data signals comprising said signals of said particular target adjusted in accordance with said pre-stored selected target signals,

means for transmitting said further regenerated visual and informational data signals, and

converting said further regenerated visual and informational data signals into a format which enables viewing to provide a personalized instructional aid.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said regenerated format comprises further means for adding selectively one of dialogue and informational data to said regenerated format.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said target scanning means comprises selectively one of an imaging sensor system and a non-imaging sensor system.