Athletic performance and technique monitoring

• US 8,573,982 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas C. Chuang
• Original Assignee: Thomas C. Chuang
• Inventors: Chuang, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US13/422,878
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 36/83, 702/141, 734/88, 434/247, 434/255, 607/48, 377/24.2, 600/509, 600/592, 600/595, 482 1- 9, 482 51- 52, 482/54, 482900-902, 345/156, 345/158, 701/201, 701/207
• US Class Current: 434/255
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 1/00 Horizontal bars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• 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 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• 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 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• 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: A63C 2203/18 : Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/52 : Predicting or monitoring the response to treatment, e.g. for selection of therapy based on assay results in personalised medicine; Prognosis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/54 : Determining the risk of relapse
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/57415 : of breast
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 : Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/00 : Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; direction and speed indication G01P13/045; counting mechanisms G06M
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 : Determining velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2193 : based on specific statistical tests
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10056 : Microscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 : Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 : Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 : Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/698 : Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 : Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 : Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for athletic performance and technique monitoring are disclosed. In one example, a sensor output is received associated with a movement of a user torso during a running motion. The sensor output is analyzed to identify an undesirable torso motion.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a user stride comprising:

monitoring a user vertical displacement during a running stride with a first device;

monitoring a user motion parameter associated with the running stride with a second device;

determining whether the user vertical displacement exceeds a threshold value, the threshold value dependent on the user motion parameter; and

outputting an indication the user vertical displacement exceeds the threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user motion parameter comprises a user horizontal displacement during the running stride.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a vertical displacement/horizontal displacement ratio.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user motion parameter comprises a user speed during the running stride.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold value is adjusted upward when the user speed increases and is adjusted downward when the user speed decreases.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the indication comprises outputting an alarm.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a striding angle utilizing a torso mounted sensor.

8. A system for monitoring a user stride comprising:

a sensor system adapted to be worn on a user torso, the sensor system comprising a first wireless transceiver; and

a device adapted to be worn on a user comprising;

a second wireless transceiver configured to receive a sensor system output from the first wireless transceiver;

a user interface;

a processor;

a positioning system unit configured to monitor a user speed; and

a memory comprising a torso analysis application configured to process the sensor system output to determine whether a user torso motion exceeds a threshold value during a running motion, wherein the threshold value is dependent on the user speed.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user torso motion is a torso stride angle.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the user torso motion is a vertical displacement or vertical acceleration.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the user torso motion is a torso rotation.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the torso analysis application is further configured to output an alarm if the threshold value is exceeded.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the threshold value is specific to the user.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage memory storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for monitoring a user stride comprising:

receiving a sensor output associated with a movement of a user torso during a running motion;

receiving a user speed data and

analyzing the sensor output to identify an undesirable torso motion in excess of a threshold value dependent on a user speed.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 14, wherein the undesirable torso motion comprises a torso stride angle, a torso vertical displacement, a torso vertical acceleration, or a torso rotation.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 14, wherein the threshold value is adjusted upward when the user speed increases and is adjusted downward when the user speed decreases.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 14, wherein the threshold value is specific to a user.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one more computers to perform operations comprising:

monitoring a first user motion parameter during a running motion;

monitoring a second user motion parameter during the running motion;

determining whether the first user motion parameter exceeds a threshold value, the threshold value dependent on the second user motion parameter; and

outputting an indication the first user motion parameter exceeds the threshold value.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the second user motion parameter comprises a user horizontal displacement during the running motion.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the first user motion parameter comprises a user vertical displacement.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the second user motion parameter comprises a user speed during the running motion.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the threshold value is adjusted upward when the user speed increases and is adjusted downward when the user speed decreases.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein outputting the indication the first user motion parameter exceeds the threshold value comprises outputting an alarm.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the first user motion parameter is associated with a user arm motion, a user foot motion, or a user torso motion.