Sports electronic training system with sport ball, and applications thereof

• US 8,360,904 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Original Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Inventors: Oleson, Mark Arthur, Dibenedetto, Christian, Tomlinson, Scott, Van Noy, Allen W., Vaterlaus, Amy Jones, Vincent, Stephen Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US11/889,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/39, 473/131, 473198-200, 473/351, 473/570, 340/539.1, 340/539.23, 273/454
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/00 Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0056 the pivoting movement being in a vertical plane, e.g. steppers with a horizontal axis platforms for rocking motion about a horizontal axis A63B22/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0076 : Rowing machines for conditioning the cardio-vascular system seats moving during exercise A63B22/0087; training appliances for rowing or sculling on boats A63B69/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/02 : with movable endless bands , e.g. treadmills other training appliances for running on the spot A63B69/0028
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 : performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0664 : performing an elliptic movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 : Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 : Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 : Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 : Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 : Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/70 : Measuring or simulating ambient conditions, e.g. weather, terrain or surface conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 : Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 : Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 : Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 : Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 : with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/207 : P-O2, i.e. partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 : temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 : Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 : Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 : Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 : Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• 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 24/0087 : Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 : Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 : electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• 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 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 : Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0273 : using multipath or indirect path propagation signals in position determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 : Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 : Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A sports electronic training system with sport ball, and applications thereof, are disclosed. In an embodiment, the system comprises at least one monitor and an electronic processing device for receiving data from the at least one monitor and providing feedback to an individual based on the received data. The monitor can be a motion monitor that measures an individual'"'"'s performance such as, for example, speed, pace and distance for a runner. Other monitors might include a heart rate monitor, a temperature monitor, an altimeter, et cetera. In an embodiment, a sport ball that includes a motion monitor for monitoring motion of the sport ball stores an identification value received when a shoe that includes a motion monitor contacts the sport ball. The stored identification value serves as a record of the contact.

Claims

1. A method of generating data from a sport ball, comprising:

(1) the sport ball determining that it has been contacted by a particular athlete'"'"'s shoe based on an identification value associated with the particular athlete that is received from the athlete'"'"'s shoe;

(2) the sport ball generating data from a sensor located within the sport ball in response to the determination of contact; and

(3) the sport ball transmitting the data to a portable electronic processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (2) comprises generating impact force data as a result of the contact.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (2) comprises generating trajectory data as a result of the contact.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (2) comprises generating speed data as a result of the contact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein (2) comprises generating spin data as a result of the contact.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (1) comprises determining that the particular athlete'"'"'s shoe has contacted the sport ball using a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is located in the center of the ball.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is located on a surface of the ball.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sport ball determines that it has been contacted by a particular athlete'"'"'s shoe by receiving an identification value that is unique to the athlete.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(4) the portable electronic processing device determining how often the athlete contacts the sport ball.

11. A method of interacting with a sport ball, comprising:

receiving with a portable electronic processing device physiological data generated by a physiological monitor that is configured to be worn by an individual during an athletic activity;

receiving with the portable electronic processing device ball data generated by a monitor of the sport ball;

storing the received physiological data and ball data in a memory of the portable electronic processing device; and

calculating a single performance index value for the individual that factors in both the physiological data and the ball data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the ball data includes data generated due to a change in motion of the sport ball, and the data is one of an impact force value, a trajectory value, a speed value, and a spin value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the physiological data includes data related to the athletic performance of the individual.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the physiological monitor is configured to be attached to sports clothing.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the physiological monitor is configured to be attached to a shoe.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the performance index value is capable of indicating the relative level that the individual is capable of performing at.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the physiological monitor is a heart rate monitor and the physiological data is heart rate data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the physiological monitor is a hydration monitor and the physiological data is hydration data.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the physiological monitor is a temperature monitor and the physiological data is temperature data.

20. A sports electronic system, comprising:

a first identification device that is configured to be coupled to an athlete; and

a sport ball that includes a second identification device,

wherein one of the first identification device and the second identification device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag that is involved in the transfer of identification information between the first identification device and the second identification device when the athlete contacts the sport ball,

wherein the identification information is an identification value that is unique to the athlete.

21. The sports electronic system of claim 20, wherein the first identification device is configured to be coupled to the athlete'"'"'s glove while the athlete is engaged in an athletic activity, and wherein the first identification device and the second identification device are configured for the transfer of identification information between them when the athlete'"'"'s glove contacts the sport ball.

22. The sports electronic system of claim 20, wherein the first identification device is configured to be coupled to the athlete'"'"'s shoe while the athlete is engaged in an athletic activity, and wherein the first identification device and the second identification device are configured for the transfer of identification information between them when the athlete'"'"'s shoe contacts the sport ball.

23. The sports electronic system of claim 22, wherein the first identification device is configured to be coupled to the athlete'"'"'s shoe via a separate mount.

24. The sports electronic system of claim 23, wherein the mount is configured to be disposed under the shoe laces of the shoe.

25. The sports electronic system of claim 20, wherein the second identification device is located in the center of the ball.

26. The sports electronic system of claim 20, wherein the second identification device is located on a surface of the ball.

27. The sports electronic system of claim 20, further comprising a processing device that is configured to analyze the identification information to determine how often the athlete contacts the sport ball.

28. The sports electronic system of claim 20, wherein the first identification device comprises the RFID tag.

29. The sports electronic system of claim 20, wherein the second identification device comprises the RFID tag.