Multi-sensor monitoring of athletic performance

• US 9,418,509 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Case, Charles W. Jr., Martin, Jason P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US14/253,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20140228986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• 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 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• 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 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/75 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/76 Wind conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/04 heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/08 other bio-electrical signals
• 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 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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: A63B 71/0686 : Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 : Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 : wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 : Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 : with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

Athletic performance monitoring systems and methods, many of which utilize, in some manner, global positioning satellite (“GPS”) data, provide data and information to athletes and/or to equipment used by athletes during an athletic event. Such systems and methods may provide route information to athletes and/or their trainers, e.g., for pre-event planning, goal setting, and calibration purposes. Such systems and methods optionally may provide real time information to the athlete while the event takes place, e.g., to assist in reaching the pre-set goals. Additionally, data and information collected by such systems and methods may assist in post-event analysis for athletes and their trainers, e.g., to evaluate past performances and to assist in improving future performances.

Claims

1. An athletic performance monitoring system, comprising:

a device configured to be worn by an athlete during an athletic event, the device comprising;

a display;

a sensor;

an input device configured to receive input data relating to a route to be used during an athletic event;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least;

receiving input data from the input device comprising route information;

receiving, from the sensor, athletic sensor data relating to an athletic performance along the route during the athletic event;

producing an actual or animated view of the route simultaneously displaying information from the input data relating to the route and from the athletic sensor data relating to the athletic performance so as to provide data playback of the athletic performance over the route of the athletic event; and

output the actual or animated view to the display,

wherein the playback of the athletic performance between a first location and a second location of the route of the athletic event is set at a first playback speed, and

wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least in part, instantaneous speed or pace of the athlete between the first location and the second location during the athletic event.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information during the athletic event is conducted during the athletic event.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information is provided to the athlete during the athletic event.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least in part, athletic sensor data collected between the first location and the second location during the athletic event.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the athletic sensor data comprises heart-rate data for the athlete, and the first playback speed between the first and second locations is based, at least in part, according to the heart rate data for the athlete as the athlete travelled between the first location and the second location.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information comprises a route marker configured to designate movement of the athlete between the first location and the second location along the route, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least:

base, at least in part, a visual appearance of the route marker on at least one of the athletic sensor data and input data relating to the route.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least:

receiving a user input designating a first route characteristic based on at least the athletic sensor data and the input data relating to the route; and

based on the received user input designating the first route characteristic, updating the visual appearance of the route marker for at least a portion of the route.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the route marker configured to designate the movement of the athlete between the first location and the second location along the route is solely based on athletic sensor data.

9. The monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the visual appearance of the route marker is based, at least in part, according to a route difficulty rating for the route or a corresponding portion of the route, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least:

assign a route difficulty rating to a route or a portion of the route encountered by the athlete during the athletic performance, at least in part based on at least one of;

route length, elevation changes over the route, altitude of the route, temperature during the athletic performance, humidity during the athletic performance, wind speed during the athletic performance, and wind direction during the athletic performance, wherein the route difficulty rating for the route based, at least in part, on a comparison of data associated with the route against data associated with one or more other routes taken by the athlete during one or more previous athletic performances.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving input data from an input device comprising route information of an athletic event;

receiving athletic sensor data from a sensor worn by an athlete during the athletic event, relating to an athletic performance along the route during the athletic event;

generating with a processor, based upon the athletic sensor data and the input data comprising the route information, an actual or animated view of the route that simultaneously displays information from the input data relating to the route and from the athletic sensor data relating to the athletic performance so as to provide data play-back of the athletic performance over the route of the athletic event;

outputting the actual or animated view to a display device; and

setting the data playback of the athletic performance on the route of the athletic event spanning between a first location and a second location at a first playback speed, wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least one of athletic sensor data or input data relating to the route.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information during the athletic event is conducted during the athletic event.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10,

wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least in part, instantaneous speed or pace of the athlete between the first location and the second location during the athletic event.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10,

wherein the first playback speed is based on, at least in part, according to a route difficulty rating for the route or a corresponding portion of the route between the first location and the second location, wherein the route difficulty rating is based on a comparison of data associated with the route against data associated with one or more other routes taken by the athlete during one or more previous athletic performances and at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of:

route length, elevation changes over the route, altitude of the route, temperature during the athletic performance, humidity during the athletic performance, wind speed during the athletic performance, and wind direction during the athletic performance, and a combination thereof.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information comprises a route marker configured to designate movement of the athlete between the first location and the second location along the route, wherein a visual appearance of the route marker is based on a comparison of data associated with the route against data associated with one or more other routes taken by the athlete during one or more previous athletic performances and at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of:

route length, elevation changes over the route, altitude of the route, temperature during the athletic performance, humidity during the athletic performance, wind speed during the athletic performance, and wind direction during the athletic performance, and a combination thereof.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the athletic sensor data comprises heart-rate data for the athlete, and the first playback speed between the first and second locations is based, at least in part, according to the heart rate data for the athlete as the athlete travelled between the first location and the second location.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the simultaneous displaying of information comprises a route marker configured to designate movement of the athlete between a first location and a second location along the route

wherein a visual appearance of the route marker is based on at least one of the athletic sensor data and the input data relating to the route.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a user input designating a first route characteristic based on at least the athletic sensor data and the input data relating to the route; and

based on the received user input designating the first route characteristic, updating the visual appearance of the route marker for at least a portion of the route.

18. An athletic performance monitoring system, comprising:

a device configured to be worn by an athlete during an athletic event, the device comprising;

a display;

a sensor;

an input device configured to receive input data relating to a route to be used during an athletic event;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform at least;

receiving input data from the input device comprising route information;

receiving, from the sensor, athletic sensor data relating to an athletic performance along the route during the athletic event;

producing an actual or animated view of the route simultaneously displaying information from the input data relating to the route and from the athletic sensor data relating to the athletic performance so as to provide data playback of the athletic performance over the route of the athletic event; and

output the actual or animated view to the display,

wherein the playback of the athletic performance between a first location and a second location of the route of the athletic event is set at a first playback speed, and

wherein the athletic sensor data comprises heart-rate data for the athlete, and the first playback speed between the first and second locations is based, at least in part, according to the heart rate data for the athlete as the athlete travelled between the first location and the second location.