Athletic performance monitoring systems and methods in a team sports environment

• US 8,562,487 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Burroughs, Brandon S, Molyneux, James, Rice, Jordan M, Weast, Aaron B, Berggren, Scott R, Lindsay, Clayton J, Buxton, Bert B, Lowe, Edward S
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHMAN, GLENN E
• Application Number:
  US13/531,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20120262329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482900-902, 473/151, 473/155, 473/222, 473/353
• US Class Current: 482/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• 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 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• 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 2220/89 : Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 : Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 : heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 : Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 : Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 : American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 : Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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 43/00 : Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 : electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 : Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• 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: G01S 13/34 : using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 : wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/82 : wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 : Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 : using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/901 : having computer circuitry

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods estimate the distance between a player and a ball by transmitting a chirp (sweep signal) to a radio tag located on the ball. During the chirp, the frequency of the transmitted signal is changed in a predetermined fashion. The radio tag doubles the transmitted frequency and returns the processed signal to a transceiver typically located on the player. The currently transmitted frequency is then compared with the received frequency to obtain a difference frequency from which an apparatus may estimate the distance. The apparatus may simultaneously receive the processed signal from the radio tag while transmitting the sweep signal.

Claims

1. A method for determining a distance between a player and a ball in a game, the method comprising:

starting transmission of a sweep signal to a radio tag on the ball, a sweep frequency of the sweep signal changing in accordance with a predetermined pattern;

simultaneously receiving a return signal from the radio tag while transmitting the sweep signal;

comparing a received frequency of the return signal with a current sweep frequency to obtain a frequency difference;

estimating the distance between the player and the ball from the frequency difference; and

determining when to start the sweep signal to reduce interference by another transceiver, the other transceiver associated with another player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises:

doubling the current sweep frequency to obtain a second harmonic signal; and

mixing the second harmonic signal with the return signal to obtain a mixer output, the mixer output characterized by the difference frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating comprises:

determining an estimated distance between the player and the ball from a plurality of measurements of the frequency difference.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

when a variability of the plurality of measurements is greater than a predetermined threshold, generating a subsequent sweep signal to approximate the distance between the player and the ball.

5. The method of claim 1, the radio tag comprising

a frequency doubler circuit configured to generate the return signal at the different frequency while simultaneously receiving the sweep signal, wherein the different frequency equals twice the sweep frequency.

6. The method of claim 5, the radio tag further comprising:

an antenna for receiving at the transmit frequency and for transmitting at twice the sweep frequency.

7. The method of claim 5, the transceiver comprising:

a mixer configured to mix the return signal with a second harmonic of the sweep signal.

8. The method of claim 7, the antenna comprising a cross magnetic slotted dipole.

9. The method of claim 7, the transceiver further comprising:

a filter having a bandwidth to accommodate a mixer output generated by the mixer.

10. A tangible computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that when executed cause and apparatus to perform the steps comprising:

starting transmission of a sweep signal to a radio tag on the ball, a sweep frequency of the sweep signal changing in accordance with a predetermined pattern;

simultaneously receiving a return signal from the radio tag while transmitting the sweep signal;

comparing a received frequency of the return signal with a current sweep frequency to obtain a frequency difference;

estimating the distance between the player and the ball from the frequency difference; and

determining when to start the sweep signal to reduce interference by another transceiver, the other transceiver associated with another player.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the comparing comprises:

doubling the current sweep frequency to obtain a second harmonic signal; and

mixing the second harmonic signal with the return signal to obtain a mixer output, the mixer output characterized by the difference frequency.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the estimating comprises:

determining an estimated distance between the player and the ball from a plurality of measurements of the frequency difference.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the apparatus to perform the step comprising:

when a variability of the plurality of measurements is greater than a predetermined threshold, generating a subsequent sweep signal to approximate the distance between the player and the ball.