Location determining system

• US 8,762,092 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Vock, Curtis A., Darcy, Dennis, Flentov, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUN, XIUQIN
• Application Number:
  US12/897,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 702/94, 702/160, 482/8, 482/5, 342/357.34, 437/201, 473/201, 473/63
• US Class Current: 702/94
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0433 Detecting, signalling or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6895 Sport equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0071 Distinction between different activities, movements, or kind of sports performed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/185 for ski-jumping
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• 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 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/44 Angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/64 Frequency, e.g. of vibration oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/801 Contact switches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 : Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/19 : Skiing
• 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 5/00 : Apparatus for jumping mats for jumping A63B6/00; for racing or riding sports, e.g. hurdles A63K
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0093 : for surfing, i.e. without a sail; for skate or snow boarding
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 : for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/18 : for skiing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/182 : for cross-country-skiing A63B23/0417, A63B69/0022 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 : Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/10 : for the head A63B71/081 takes precedence ; in the form of caps or hats A42B1/08; helmets A42B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/18 : Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 5/06 : with special devices thereon, e.g. steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/10 : by using measurements of speed or acceleration G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 : Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 : Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/16 : for erasable recording, e.g. magnetic recording
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 : Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 : with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/42 : Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means G01P3/66 takes precedence; measuring electric or magnetic values in general G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/50 : for measuring linear speed G01P3/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 : using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/60 : wherein the transmitter and receiver are mounted on the moving object, e.g. for determining ground speed, drift angle, ground track
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 8/08 : Means used apart from the time-piece for starting or stopping same

Abstract

A location measurement system including a GPS receiver for attachment to a person and for determining earth location of the person; a display for attachment to the person; memory for storing map data; a processor configured to process earth location and the map data to instruct display the person'"'"'s current location with a map on the display.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a receiver;

an ear piece communicatively coupled to the receiver and configured to provide audible output to a user'"'"'s ear;

a microphone sensor communicatively coupled to the receiver, and configured to generate data for determining a contact and a lack of contact with the ground;

a sensing unit coupled to an article of footwear, the sensing unit comprising a force sensitive resistor that includes inter-digitated electrodes over a semi-conductive polymer ink and that is configured for measuring changes in resistance as a function of force and a transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate with the receiver, wherein the sensing unit is configured to;

detect movement of the article of footwear over ground due to locomotion of a user while walking or running;

generate performance data based on the detected movement; and

cause the transmitter to wirelessly transmit the performance data to the receiver, wherein the ear piece is configured to output audio information that continually informs the user of real time speed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is configured to:

determine a first vertical drop based upon the detected movement over the ground during at least one time interval in which lack of contact with the ground is detected followed by the detection of the contact with the ground;

compare the first vertical drop to a second vertical drop; and

cause the ear piece to audibly present the comparison.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit further comprises a vibration sensor configured to generate data for determining the contact and the lack of contact with the ground.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensing unit is configured to process the data to identify the lack of contact with the ground based on identifying that vibration is reduced during the at least one time interval.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location determining device configured to determine a current location.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a memory storing map data wherein the map data includes topographical information, wherein the sensing unit is further configured to process the current location and the map data and to cause the ear piece to audibly present the current location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance data is a measurement of speed or a measurement of distance traveled.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the force sensitive resistor comprises electrodes positioned on a substrate.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the performance data to a remote site.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an altimeter configured to determine altitude and to cause the ear piece to audibly present the altitude.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the data indicates the lack of contact with the ground based on vibration being reduced during the at least one time interval.

12. A method comprising:

detecting, by a sensing unit comprising a force sensitive resistor that includes inter-digitated electrodes over a semi-conductive polymer ink and that is configured for measuring changes in resistance as a function of force and being coupled to an article of footwear, ground movement of the article of footwear over ground due to locomotion of a user while walking or running;

detecting airtime movement using data sensed by a microphone, wherein the data indicates the lack of contact with the ground based on vibration being reduced during the at least one time interval;

generating performance data based on the detected ground movement and airtime movement;

wirelessly transmitting, by a transmitter, the performance data to a receiver that is communicatively coupled to an ear piece; and

outputting, by the ear piece, audio information that continually informs the user of real time speed.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a first vertical drop based upon the detected movement over the ground during at least one time interval in which lack of contact with the ground is detected followed by the detection of the contact with the ground;

comparing the first vertical drop to a second vertical drop; and

audibly presenting the comparison by the ear piece.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an earth location by the sensing unit; and

accessing map data that includes 3-D topographical information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

processing the earth location and the map data to determine a current location; and

audibly presenting the current location by the ear piece.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the movement comprises sensing data by a vibrational sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data indicates the lack of contact with the ground based on vibration being reduced during the at least one time interval.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a speed by the sensing unit; and

causing presentation of the speed.