Wireless system for monitoring and analysis of skiing

• US 8,612,181 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motion Metrics Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IPCOMM LLC
• Inventors: Czaja, Stanislaw, Bachleda-Curus, Andrzej, Nanowski, Tadeusz, Stawski, Ilona, Czaja, Marty
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US13/024,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 702/141, 702/182, 702/188, 702/142, 702/150, 702/94, 702/44, 702/19, 702/72, 702/160, 702/149, 422/566, 422/504, 422/400, 422/506, 422/81, 422/72, 422/502, 422/68.1, 422/63, 422/101, 324/214, 436/177, 436/180, 436/50, 436/43
• US Class Current: 702/188
• 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 5/0415 Accessories A43B5/0403, A43B5/0413, A43B5/0494 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/18 Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/22 Radio waves emitting or receiving, e.g. remote control, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 5/06 with special devices thereon, e.g. steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 9/00 Ski bindings
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 19/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

This invention allows for remote monitoring of the skier/skiing performance. The system consists of a various MEMS sensors embedded in skier clothing and equipment. These sensors measure instantaneous changes in acceleration in x/y/z axis and changes in earth magnetic field—relative to the skier position, to provide six degree of freedom in calculation of skier position as well as moments applied to the ski edge and forces experiences by the skier body. These sensors communicate with the monitoring application residing in the user wireless terminal (call phone) over the PAN wireless network. The instantaneous measurements are analyzed either locally or remotely and when the system is configured in an active mode, a corrective response to the MEMS actuators embedded in the ski or ski bindings may be send does changing the parameters of the run or provide enhanced safety.

Claims

1. A ski monitoring system comprising:

at least one wireless port for providing bi-directional communication with one or more MEMS sensors or actuators, wherein the at least one wireless port is usable in providing wireless communication in a local area;

a wireless port providing bi-directional communication with a cellular service provider network, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area using a base station;

a processor coupled to the at least one wireless port;

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium comprises executable program instructions to;

at the specified intervals retrieve information from the sensor sub-system, and based on such information and the selected user information, and the ski equipment information, perform piece-wise calculation of velocity moments and reactive forces applied to the skis and skier body;

provide corrective or emergency feedback to the actuators embedded in the ski equipment; and

to construct graphical representation of the skier body during the run;

store these piece-wise calculation in the mobile terminal memory or transmit them to the remote destination;

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium comprises storage of the system operational parameters;

user information;

the selected user ski equipment information;

a ski slope topological information;

type and location of sensors and actuators;

IP addresses of the remote computer systems for downloading of the topological information and uploading measurement information; and

a user interface to allow entry of the system operational parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical reconstruction is performed within the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical reconstruction is performed at the remote computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein parameters corresponding to such selected user contains among the others:

weight, height, distance from ankle to knee, distance from ankle to hip, distance from hip to shoulder, and length of the arm information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein parameters corresponding to such selected user ski equipment contains among the others:

length and weight of the ski, length of the ski edge, ski tip/center/tail width, ski turning radius, tip/center/tail stiffness, ski-binding height, and ski boot stiffness information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein parameters corresponding to such ski slope topological contains information such as:

3-D maps, location and type of radio-telemetry sensors, presence, type and method of triggering of ski sloe vide equipment, etc.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein such piece-wise analysis comprises:

sampling the outputs of sensors embedded in the sensor sub-system to obtain the acceleration vectors, including translational movement, then calculate changes in;

velocity, tilt, rotation, torsion and vibration at each sensor location and use such measurements together with the selected user information to estimate, for each sensor location the reactionary forces due to such changes, then send such results to the predefined remote location for further analysis.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein such corrective action involves calculation of the inverse metrics of the velocity, tilt, rotation, torsion and vibration vectors to obtain a control signal to be send to the actuators embedded in the sensor sub-module.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein farther analysis of the received data includes superimposing of such data over the graphical representation of the skier, or over the time synchronized video of the run to provide visual feedback.