Combining signal information from shoes and sports racket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9710612-B2
Application number	US-201414269499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2014
Priority date	May 5, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for correlating signals from a sports racket with signals from the shoes worn by a player wielding the racket to gain insight into the player's footwork at ball striking moments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor for:
receiving first signals from at least one sensor on a sports racket;
receiving second signals from at least one sensor on a shoe worn by a player wielding the sports racket; and
based at least in part on the first and second signals, presenting an indication on at least one display, the indication including indications of whether a forehand or a backhand was hit based on a time of variation in the first signals, with a forehand being indicated responsive to an increase in pressure as indicated by the first signals and with a backhand being indicated responsive to a decrease in pressure as indicated by the first signals.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the indication is audible.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the indication is video.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable for:
determining the player struck an object with the racket based at least in part on signals from at least one strike sensor on the racket.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable for:
determining the player struck an object with the racket based at least in part on signals from at least one pressure sensor on a handle of the racket.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable for:
determining from signals from at least one motion sensor on the racket whether the racket has been swung in clockwise or counterclockwise arc.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the indication includes at least one expert evaluation.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the indication includes at least one timeline of shoe pressure.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the indication includes video of the player synchronized with at least one comment derived from the first and second signals.

10. Method comprising:
correlating first wireless signals from a sports racket with second wireless signals from shoes worn by a player wielding the racket to render footwork indication along with contemporaneous racket motion indication; and
presenting the indications to allow the player to gain insight into the player's performance,
wherein the racket motion indication includes backhand or forehand stroke, forehand stroke being output response to a determination that an accelerometer indicates forward motion of the sports racket and pressure signals from a handle of the sports racket indicate pressure on a back of the handle relative to a direction of forward motion of the sports racket, backhand stroke being output response to a determination that an accelerometer indicates forward motion of the sports racket and pressure signals from a handle of the sports racket indicate pressure on a front of the handle relative to a direction of forward motion of the sports racket.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of: the footwork indication, racket motion indication, is audible.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of: the footwork indication, racket motion indication, is video.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
determining a player struck an object with the racket based at least in part on signals from at least one strike sensor on the racket.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
determining a player struck an object with the racket based at least in part on signals from at least one pressure sensor on a handle of the racket.

15. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
determining from signals from at least one motion sensor on the racket whether a racket has been swung in clockwise or counterclockwise arc.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of: the footwork indication, racket motion indication, includes at least one expert evaluation.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of: the footwork indication, racket motion indication, includes at least one video of the player synchronized with at least one comment derived from the first and second wireless signals.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Sampathkumaran Sriram

Classifications

• A63B2220/833

  Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement · CPC title

• A61B5/6895

  Sport equipment · CPC title

• A61B2505/09

  Rehabilitation or training · CPC title

• A63B2220/803

  Motion sensors · CPC title

• A63B69/38

  for tennis {(A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence)} · CPC title