Athletic performance monitoring with overstride detection

• US 9,227,108 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Chu-Shan Chuang
• Original Assignee: Thomas Chu-Shan Chuang
• Inventors: Chuang, Thomas Chu-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US13/894,193
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 434/247, 434/255
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 24/0062 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 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for athletic performance monitoring are disclosed. In one example, a system includes an inertial sensor configured to measure an acceleration in a moving direction of a user foot of a user during locomotion and output an acceleration signal, a memory storing a stride acceleration motion profile, and a processing system configured to process the acceleration signal and the stride acceleration motion profile to identify a reduced user overstride.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an inertial sensor configured to measure an acceleration in a moving direction of a user foot of a user during locomotion and output an acceleration signal responsive to the acceleration;

a memory storing a stride acceleration motion profile; and

a processing system configured to process the acceleration signal and the stride acceleration motion profile to determine a user stride improvement.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user stride improvement is relative to a prior user stride by the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user stride improvement is a reduced user overstride.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the stride acceleration motion profile is generated from a prior user stride by the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the stride acceleration motion profile is an undesired stride acceleration motion profile.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the stride acceleration motion profile is a goal stride acceleration motion profile.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage memory storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for analyzing athletic activity comprising:

receiving a first data associated with a first foot sensor output signal responsive to a motion of a first portion of a user foot;

receiving a second data associated with a second foot sensor output signal responsive to a motion of a second portion of the user foot; and

comparing the first data and the second data to identify a desirable stride characteristic or an undesirable stride characteristic.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 7, wherein the first foot sensor is an accelerometer and the second foot sensor is an accelerometer.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 7, wherein the desirable stride characteristic is a reduction in user overstride.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 7, wherein the undesirable stride characteristic is a user overstride.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 7, further comprising outputting an alert to the user associated with an identification of the undesirable stride characteristic.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 7, further comprising processing the first data or the second data to identify a user speed or distance traveled.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 7, wherein the desirable stride characteristic is a user stride improvement.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage memory of claim 7, wherein comparing the first data and the second data comprises identifying a landing of the user foot relative to an athlete center of gravity.

15. An athletic performance monitoring system comprising:

a first foot worn device configured to be worn on a first foot portion, comprising;

a first sensor configured to output first sensor data associated with movement of the first foot portion;

a second foot worn device configured to be worn on a second foot portion, comprising;

a second sensor configured to output second sensor data associated with movement of the second foot portion; and

an arm worn device configured to be worn device worn an arm of a person, comprising;

a processing system comprising a processor configured to receive the first sensor data and the second sensor data and identify an undesirable user stride motion; and

a user interface.

16. The athletic performance monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the first sensor comprises a first accelerometer and the second sensor comprises a second accelerometer.

17. The athletic performance monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the first foot worn device further comprises a first wireless transceiver and the second foot worn device further comprises a second wireless transceiver.

18. The athletic performance monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the undesirable user stride motion comprises a user overstride motion.

19. The athletic performance monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the arm worn device further comprises a GPS unit.

20. The athletic performance monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the processing system is further configured to process the first sensor data to determine a user speed or a user distance traveled.