Performance monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10736574-B2
Application number	US-201815863412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2018
Priority date	Feb 21, 2017
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A system for monitoring performance of a user includes at least one processor, and at least one memory including a computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system to perform operations including obtaining force data measured by at least one force sensor coupled with one or more poles and velocity data measured by at least one sensor for measuring velocity of the user, determining poling power based on the force data and the velocity data, and outputting a poling power indicator based on the determined poling power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring performance of a user, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
obtaining force data measured by at least one force sensor coupled with one or more poles and velocity data measured by at least one sensor for measuring velocity of the user;
determining poling power based on the force data and the velocity data; and
outputting a poling power indicator based on the determined poling power, wherein the system further comprises:

at least one grip comprising the at least one force sensor; and
at least one adapter configured to enable the at least one grip to be attached to at least one pole, wherein the at least one adapter comprises a flexible extension element configured to radially extend to enable attachment of the at least one adapter to the at least one pole, wherein the flexible extension element is configured to radially extend inside a hollow of the pole using one or more fixing elements.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one force sensor comprises a first force sensor coupled with a first pole and a second force sensor coupled with a second pole.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system further to perform operations comprising:
determining first poling power associated with the first pole based on force data from the first force sensor and the velocity data; and
determining second poling power associated with the second pole based on force data from the second force sensor and the velocity data,
wherein outputting the poling power indicator comprises outputting a first poling power indicator based on the first poling power and a second poling power indicator based on the second poling power.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system further to perform operations comprising:
obtaining inclination data associated with the one or more poles;
determining, based at least on the force data and the inclination data, magnitude of a horizontal force component; and
outputting at least one indicator based at least partly on said magnitude of the horizontal force component.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the horizontal force component is substantially parallel with a movement direction of the user.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system further to perform operations comprising determining the poling power based on said magnitude of the horizontal force component and the velocity data.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system further to perform operations comprising:
obtaining cardiac activity data of the user measured by at least one cardiac activity sensor; and
outputting at least one indicator based at least partly on the cardiac activity data.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system further to perform operations comprising:
determining, based on at least one of the force data, the velocity data, motion data measured using at least one motion sensor, and user input, a type of physical activity performed by the user using the one or more poles; and
adapting heart rate zones of the user based on the determined type of physical activity.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system further to perform operations comprising:
obtaining cardiac activity data of the user measured by at least one cardiac activity-sensor; and
outputting a cardiac activity indicator based on the cardiac activity data and the adapted heart rate zones.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the system further to perform operations comprising:
determining heart rate of the user based on the cardiac activity data;
determining performance efficiency of the user based on the determined poling power and the determined heart rate; and
outputting an efficiency indicator based on the determined performance efficiency.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one force sensor is configured to measure longitudinal forces applied to the one or more poles.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication circuitry operatively coupled with the at least one force sensor and configured to wirelessly transmit force data.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one user interface unit for indicating the poling power indicator via at least one of visual indication, audio indication, and haptic indication.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a wrist unit configured to be worn by the user, wherein the wrist unit comprises the user interface unit for indicating the poling power indicator via at least one of the visual indication, the audio indication, and the haptic indication.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outputting the poling power indicator comprises storing the poling power indicator in a database of the system.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fixing elements comprise a nut and a bolt, and the flexible extension element is placed between the nut and the bolt, wherein tightening of the bolt and the nut with each other pinches the flexible extension element and thus radially extends the flexible extension element inside the hollow of the pole.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one adapter comprises a socket part comprising one or more fixing points, and the at least one grip comprises corresponding fixing elements with which the at least one grip is fixed to the at least one adapter and thus to the one or more poles.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more grip comprises a hollow to receive the at least one adapter attached to the at least one pole.

Assignees

• Polar Electro Oy

Inventors

• Tuulari Esa
• Happonen Jukka
• Olstad Daniela

Classifications

• G06V40/23

  Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training · CPC title

• A61B5/224

  Measuring muscular strength · CPC title

• G16H20/30

  relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising · CPC title

• A63C2203/22

  Radio waves emitting or receiving, e.g. remote control, RFID · CPC title

• G09B19/0038

  Sports · CPC title