Hang timer for determining time of flight of an object

• US 7,379,842 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Drop Zone (UK) Limited
• Original Assignee: Drop Zone (UK) Limited
• Inventors: Alexander, Jeffrey Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem; Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US11/207,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 702/141, 702/160, 702/176
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/185 for ski-jumping
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 8/08 Means used apart from the time-piece for starting or stopping same

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein relates to systems and methods for detecting, calculating, and displaying the time-of-flight or hang-time of a moving and jumping object such as a skier or snowboarder by using at least one accelerometer secured within a small wearable device. In one embodiment, the inventive device comprises: a static acceleration detection means for detecting the static acceleration of the object over at least first, second, and-third periods of time as the object respectively moves, jumps in at least first, second, and third trajectories, and lands at least first, second, and third times along the surface thereby defining at least respective first, second, and third time-of-flight events; a calculating means for determining the approximate time-of-flight of the object during the first, second, and third time-of-flight events; and a display means for displaying in a readable format the approximate time-of-flights associated with the first, second, and third time-of-flight events.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing;

at least one accelerometer disposed within the housing, the at least one accelerometer being configured to detect a static acceleration of the device during a time-of-flight event, and being further configured to provide an accelerometer output electrical signal indicative of the static acceleration of the device during the time-of-flight event;

a microprocessor in electrical communication with the at least one accelerometer, the microprocessor being configured to calculate an approximate time-of-flight of the device during the time-of-flight event from the accelerometer output electrical signal, the microprocessor being further configured to provide a microprocessor output electrical signal indicative of the calculated time-of-flight of the device during the time-of-flight event;

a memory component for storing the calculated time-of-flight, wherein the calculated time-of-flight is configured to be used by a user of the device; and

wherein the microprocessor is further configured to calculate a greatest time-of-flight selected from the time-of-flight and an additional time-of-flight.

2. A device, comprising:

a housing;

at least one accelerometer disposed within the housing, the at least one accelerometer being configured to detect a static acceleration of said device during a time-of-flight event, and being further configured to provide an accelerometer output electrical signal indicative of the static acceleration of the device during the time-of-flight event;

a microprocessor in electrical communication with the at least one accelerometer, the microprocessor being configured to calculate an approximate time-of-flight of the device during the time-of-flight event from the accelerometer output electrical signal, the microprocessor being further configured to provide a microprocessor output electrical signal indicative of the calculated time-of-flight of the device during the time-of-flight event and to calculate a greatest time-of-flight selected from the time-of-flight and an additional time-of-flight; and

a memory component for storing the calculated time-of-flight, wherein the calculated time-of-flight is configured to be used by a user of the device;

wherein the housing includes a latching mechanism that is designed to latch the device to a wearer and designed to be removable from the wearer.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the latching mechanism has a securing mechanism designed to ensure that the wearer is latched to the device during the time-of-flight event.

4. A device for determining the hang-time of an object, comprising:

an accelerometer, wherein the accelerometer is configured to measure a first static acceleration and a second static acceleration;

a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to determine a first change in magnitude from the first static acceleration to the second static acceleration, wherein

the first change in magnitude corresponds to a take-off event of the object, and wherein the computing device determines a following second change in magnitude from the second static acceleration back to the first static acceleration, wherein the second change in magnitude corresponds to a landing event of the object, and wherein a current time-of-flight is calculated based on the first change in magnitude, during the take-off event, and the second change in magnitude, during the landing event;

a storage device for storing the current time-of-flight, wherein the current time-of-flight is configured to be used by a user of the device; and

wherein the computing device is configured to determine a subsequent time-of-flight, and wherein the computing device is further configured to determine a greatest time-of-flight based on the current time-of-flight and the subsequent time-of-flight.

5. A method for determining approximate time-of-flights of an individual who moves, jumps, and lands a plurality of times along a surface, the individual having a first static acceleration when the individual is on the surface, and a second static acceleration when the individual is off of the surface, the method comprising:

securing a device housing to the individual at or near a center of mass of the individual;

detecting, by use of at least one accelerometer secured within said housing, the first and second static acceleration of the individual over a first period of time as the individual moves, jumps in a first trajectory, and lands for a first time along the surface thereby defining a first time-of-flight event;

calculating from the detected first and second static acceleration over the first period of time an approximate time-of-flight of the individual during the first time-of-flight event, wherein the time-of-flight begins when the first static acceleration changes to the second static acceleration and ends when the second static acceleration changes back to the first static acceleration, wherein the first and second static acceleration are separated in magnitude a predetermined unit of gravity; and

storing the first time-of-flight for use by the individual.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined unit of gravity is about 1 g.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting a third and fourth static acceleration of the individual over a second period of time as the individual moves, jumps in a second trajectory, and lands for a second time along the surface thereby defining a second time-of-flight event.

8. The device of claim 5, providing the housing with a mechanism for binding the housing to the individual such that the housing and the individual jump substantially similarly.