Sport performance monitoring apparatus including a flexible boot pressure sensor communicable with a boot pressure sensor input, process and method of use

• US 9,078,485 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chris Norcross Bender
• Original Assignee: Chris Norcross Bender
• Inventors: Bender, Chris Norcross, Bishop, Roger S., Netter, Kay Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US13/652,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20130093588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/573.7, 361/32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/50 with sound or music sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0415 Accessories A43B5/0403, A43B5/0413, A43B5/0494 take precedence
• 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 69/18 for skiing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/08 by applying steady tensile or compressive forces G01N3/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A sports monitoring system and method. One disclosed system can be used during skiing and includes a controller transceiver that can be hand held, two ski boot pressure monitor/transmitters, and earphones connectable to the controller/transceiver. The system can be used to provide, through the earphones, sound indicative of pressure applied or not applied by a skier toward a portion of a boot while skiing. The system may also include a proximity sensor mounted within one of the ski boot pressure monitor/transmitters. The system can thereby provide sound responsive to the proximity detector'"'"'s detection of one boot being at or not at a distance, or within or outside of a distance range, with respect to the other boot.

Claims

1. A boot pressure monitoring system comprising:

a controller comprising a left boot pressure sensor input communicable with a left boot pressure indicator and a right boot pressure sensor input communicable with a right boot pressure indicator, the left boot pressure indicator comprising a left boot pressure audio output and a left earphone, and the right boot pressure indicator comprising a right boot pressure audio output and a right earphone;

a left flexible boot pressure sensor communicable with the left boot pressure sensor input;

a right flexible boot pressure sensor communicable with the right boot pressure sensor input, wherein each flexible boot pressure sensor comprises a flexible bladder with an interior, material-container compartment, and a pressure sensor communicable with the flexible bladder;

a boot proximity sensor;

a boot proximity sensor indicator communicable with the boot proximity sensor, the boot proximity sensor indicator comprising a proximity audio output communicable with at least one of the left and right earphones; and

the controller further comprising a proximity adjuster communicable with the boot proximity sensor indicator.