Monitoring of physical training events

• US 8,597,095 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Russell Brands LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Information Sports Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Crowley, Michael James, King, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US13/572,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 473/467, 473/570, 463/4
• US Class Current: 463/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1124 Determining motor skills
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6895 Sport equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• 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 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• 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 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• 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 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 24/0084 : Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/00 : Hollow inflatable balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 : Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 : for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 : for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/03 : Athletic drills or obstacles for sport training, other than foot obstacles for skipping
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 : automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 : Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 : Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 : Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 : Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• 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

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed that includes instructing a human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball, including actions of bouncing the physical basketball, and obtaining, with one or more electronic sensors, data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball being handled by the human player who is performing the instructed actions at a location. The method also includes communicating the data from the sensors to a console videogame system that is proximate to the location, and graphically representing, in a videogame displayed on a display device, performance by the human player, the performance being affected by the captured data, the representation of performance by the human player being compared against a standard of performance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

instructing a human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball, including actions of bouncing the physical basketball, wherein at least some of the instructed actions replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game and some of the instructed actions do not replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game;

obtaining, with one or more electronic sensors, data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball being handled by the human player who is performing the instructed actions at a location;

communicating the data from the sensors to a videogame system that is proximate to the location; and

graphically representing, in a videogame displayed on a display device, performance by the human player, the performance being affected by the captured data, the representation of performance by the human player being compared against a standard of performance.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring actions by the human player over time and communicating improvement to the human player regarding the human player'"'"'s performance of actions via motion of the physical basketball.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing patterns of forces on the physical basketball over time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball comprises obtaining data that characterizes rotation of the physical basketball.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein graphically representing performance by the human player comprises displaying an indicator of performance with an avatar for the human player in a videogame.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining data that characterizes the motion comprises obtaining data using a laser.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the laser is used to identify a loss of control over the basketball by the human player.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transforming, sampling, and converting the data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball after the data is obtained.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method provides for head-to-head gameplay between multiple players.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball is obtained at multiple separate sessions.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein instructing the human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball comprises instructing the human player to repeat a particular action a determined number of times.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the human player an indicator of performance that involves a value displayed along a predetermined scale.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing advice to the human player for improving performance by the human player.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a speed of the dribble is matched against a determined proper speed in order to judge the performance of the human player.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining data that characterizes motion of the human player, separate from the motion of the physical basketball.

16. A physical article comprising one or more non-transitory storage media having recorded thereon instructions that, when executed, cause operations to be performed that comprise:

instructing a human player to perform a plurality of different actions in an determined order with a physical basketball, including actions of bouncing the physical basketball, particular ones of the plurality of different actions being part of one or more first drills that differ in style from one or more second drills corresponding to other ones of the plurality of different actions;

obtaining data sensed with one or more electronic sensors, the data characterizing motion of the physical basketball being handled by the human player who is performing the instructed actions,

communicating the data from the sensors to a videogame system

identifying separations between different types of the actions of bouncing the physical basketball, wherein each of the different types of actions of bouncing the physical basketball includes a particular type of ball handling that includes one or more bounces of the physical basketball; and

graphically representing, in a videogame displayed on a display device, performance by the human player, the performance being affected by the captured data, and with the representation of performance by the human player being compared against a standard of performance.

17. The physical article of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring actions by human player over time and communicating improvement to the human player regarding the human player'"'"'s performance of actions via motion of the physical basketball.

18. The physical article of claim 16, wherein graphically representing performance by the human player comprises displaying the human player'"'"'s performance compared to a benchmark of performance.

19. The physical article of claim 16, wherein at least some of the instructed actions replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game and some of the instructed actions do not replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game.

20. The physical article of claim 16, further comprising a physical basketball packaged with the non-transitory storage medium.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising obtaining data that characterizes motion of the human player, separate from the motion of the physical basketball.

22. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

instructing a human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball, including actions of bouncing the physical basketball;

obtaining, with one or more electronic sensors, data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball being handled by the human player who is performing the instructed actions at a location;

communicating the data from the sensors to a videogame system that is proximate to the location; and

graphically representing, in a videogame displayed on a display device, performance by the human player, the performance being affected by the captured data, the representation of performance by the human player being compared against a standard of performance,

wherein the method provides for head-to-head gameplay between multiple players.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising monitoring actions by the human player over time and communicating improvement to the human player regarding the human player'"'"'s performance of actions via motion of the physical basketball.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising analyzing patterns of forces on the physical basketball over time.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein obtaining data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball comprises obtaining data that characterizes rotation of the physical basketball.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein graphically representing performance by the human player comprises displaying an indicator of performance with an avatar for the human player in a videogame.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein at least some of the instructed actions replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game and some of the instructed actions do not replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein obtaining data that characterizes the motion comprises obtaining data using a laser.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 28, wherein the laser is used to identify a loss of control over the basketball by the human player.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising transforming, sampling, and converting the data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball after the data is obtained.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball is obtained at multiple separate sessions.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein instructing the human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball comprises instructing the human player to repeat a particular action a determined number of times.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising providing to the human player an indicator of performance that involves a value displayed along a predetermined scale.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising providing advice to the human player for improving performance by the human player.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein a speed of the dribble is matched against a determined proper speed in order to judge the performance of the human player.

36. The method of claim 22, further comprising obtaining data that characterizes motion of the human player, separate from the motion of the physical basketball.

37. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

instructing a human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball, including actions of bouncing the physical basketball;

obtaining, with one or more electronic sensors, data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball being handled by the human player who is performing the instructed actions at a location;

communicating the data from the sensors to a videogame system that is proximate to the location; and

graphically representing, in a videogame displayed on a display device, performance by the human player, the performance being affected by the captured data, the representation of performance by the human player being compared against a standard of performance,

wherein a speed of the dribble is matched against a determined proper speed in order to judge the performance of the human player.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, further comprising monitoring actions by the human player over time and communicating improvement to the human player regarding the human player'"'"'s performance of actions via motion of the physical basketball.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, further comprising analyzing patterns of forces on the physical basketball over time.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein obtaining data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball comprises obtaining data that characterizes rotation of the physical basketball.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein graphically representing performance by the human player comprises displaying an indicator of performance with an avatar for the human player in a videogame.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein at least some of the instructed actions replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game and some of the instructed actions do not replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game.

43. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein obtaining data that characterizes the motion comprises obtaining data using a laser.

44. The computer-implemented method of claim 43, wherein the laser is used to identify a loss of control over the basketball by the human player.

45. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, further comprising transforming, sampling, and converting the data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball after the data is obtained.

46. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein the method provides for head-to-head gameplay between multiple players.

47. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein the data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball is obtained at multiple separate sessions.

48. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein instructing the human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball comprises instructing the human player to repeat a particular action a determined number of times.

49. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, further comprising providing to the human player an indicator of performance that involves a value displayed along a predetermined scale.

50. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, further comprising providing advice to the human player for improving performance by the human player.

51. The method of claim 37, further comprising obtaining data that characterizes motion of the human player, separate from the motion of the physical basketball.

52. A physical article comprising one or more non-transitory storage media having recorded thereon instructions that, when executed, cause operations to be performed that comprise:

instructing a human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball, including actions of bouncing the physical basketball;

obtaining, with one or more electronic sensors, data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball being handled by the human player who is performing the instructed actions at a location;

communicating the data from the sensors to a videogame system that is proximate to the location; and

graphically representing, in a videogame displayed on a display device, performance by the human player, the performance being affected by the captured data, the representation of performance by the human player being compared against a standard of performance,

wherein the method provides for head-to-head gameplay between multiple players.

53. The physical article of claim 52, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring actions by the human player over time and communicating improvement to the human player regarding the human player'"'"'s performance of actions via motion of the physical basketball.

54. The physical article of claim 52, wherein graphically representing performance by the human player comprises displaying an indicator of performance with an avatar for the human player in a videogame.

55. The physical article of claim 52, wherein at least some of the instructed actions replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game and some of the instructed actions do not replicate movements that would be performed in an actual basketball game.

56. The physical article of claim 52, wherein obtaining data that characterizes the motion comprises obtaining data using a laser.

57. The physical article of claim 56, wherein the laser is used to identify a loss of control over the basketball by the human player.

58. The physical article of claim 52, wherein the data that characterizes motion of the physical basketball is obtained at multiple separate sessions.

59. The physical article of claim 52, wherein instructing the human player to perform a plurality of different actions in a determined order with a physical basketball comprises instructing the human player to repeat a particular action a determined number of times.

60. The physical article of claim 52, wherein the operations further comprise providing to the human player an indicator of performance that involves a value displayed along a predetermined scale.

61. The physical article of claim 52, wherein a speed of the dribble is matched against a determined proper speed in order to judge the performance of the human player.

62. The physical article of claim 52, further comprising obtaining data that characterizes motion of the human player, separate from the motion of the physical basketball.