Image analysis – Applications – Motion or velocity measuring
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-16
2003-05-20
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Applications
Motion or velocity measuring
C382S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567536
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates generally to a method and system for providing physical motion training and instruction. More particularly, the invention relates to a computer-implemented system for providing athletic training and instruction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Over the course of time, many different techniques have been implemented in order to teach the proper mechanics of swinging a golf club. Currently, most instructors, e.g., golf professionals, use a video analysis system to teach a student how to properly swing a golf club. Using a typical video analysis system, the student's golf swing is captured by a video-recording device. The instructor replays the recorded video information to illustrate the student's golf swing while providing feedback regarding the swing. Instructional feedback may be comments relative to problems associated with the student's swing, compliments regarding improvement in the student's swing, suggestions on correcting the user's swing, or any other verbal instructional comments in context with the student's swing. Visualizing one's personal golf swing in this manner has been recognized as a valuable tool in identifying problems as well as correcting those problems in order to improve the overall golf swing.
Although video analysis systems are widely used by golf professionals, these systems have particular drawbacks. One particular drawback relates to the fact that a golf professional must subjectively analyze the video information. Not only is this analysis subjective and therefore open to interpretation and subject to inaccuracies, but also such analysis is exacerbated by the fact that many problems associated with a golf swing are typically not captured by the video recording system given different camera angles, too few cameras, or loose clothing. Therefore, golf professionals are typically forced to guess the problem. Accordingly, the advice given by a golf professional may be inaccurate since it is difficult to isolate mechanics and measurements of the swing on video.
In order to overcome the drawbacks associated with typical video analysis systems, instructors have implemented motion or position analysis systems. Current motion analysis systems require that the student/athlete to wear sensor elements on their body and the sensor elements transmit positional data of isolated body parts, such as hands, hips, shoulders and head. The isolated points on the body are measured during a swing in accordance with an absolute reference system, e.g., a Cartesian coordinate system wherein the center point is a fixed point in the room. By using motion analysis, exact measurements are provided from which an instructor can more accurately determine problems in a student's swing. Even though motion analysis provides accurate positional data of the student's swing, it is not, in and of itself, particularly useful since it gives no visual aid as to where the problems may really be. When used by itself, the motion analysis system is not an effective teaching tool since the instructor is only provided with numbers and not a visualization of what the student is doing wrong. Some motion analysis systems provide animation that depicts elements of a golf swing based upon captured data. However, the animation is crude and doesn't show the golfer what he/she looks like during a swing.
Consequently, motion analysis systems are used with video analysis systems in order to try to overcome the problems associated with each system as it is used independently of the other. The instructor will use the motion capture data and subjectively map the information to the video data. Although this provides more specific data to the instructor, it is associated with at least one significant problem. The instructor, while viewing the video, must estimate the swing positions corresponding to the data points from the motion analysis information. Accordingly, analysis of the swing requires not only considerable effort, but also a significant amount of estimation in associating the positional data points with an associated position on the student's swing. Not only must the instructor estimate which portions of the video information relate to the corresponding portions of the positional measurement information, the instructor must also do so for hundreds, if not thousands, of data points if a complete analysis is performed. Clearly, this task is burdensome at best and most likely impossible.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, the above and other problems are solved by an analysis tool that synchronizes at least two signals carrying sensed information associated with physical motion. The synchronized signals are used in providing analysis related to the physical motion conducted. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the analysis tool incorporates a processing environment and at least two sensors sensing information related to physical motion. The processing environment synchronizes signals received from the sensors and processes the synchronized signals to generate analysis information. The analysis information provides information to allow for correction and instruction. In accordance with other aspects, the processing environment includes a synchronization module to perform the synchronization of the signals, a processing module for processing the sensed information into analysis information, and an analysis module for presenting the analysis information to the athlete. Consequently, the present invention synchronizes information signals carrying two different forms of information, processes these signals, and presents combined information to provide correction and instruction.
In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, the analysis tool is used to provide athletic training and instruction. Two or more signals carrying sensed information associated with athletic motion are synchronized to provide an athlete with analysis regarding the athletic motion sensed. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the analysis tool is used for golf swing analysis. While used for golf swing analysis, the signals relate to video frame data signal carrying video information of a golf swing and a positional data signal carrying positional motion information associated with positional measurements of elements of the golf swing. The video frame data signal and the positional data signal are synchronized by the analysis tool to provide golf swing analysis. In accordance with other aspects, the analysis tool might be used for educational analysis of any element of an athletic motion where the element is used as a measure through which a sport is conducted.
In accordance with other aspects, the present invention relates to an overall system for providing athletic training and instruction. The system has a first sensor generating a first information signal carrying a first type of sensed information and a second sensor generating a second information signal carrying a second type of sensed information. The analysis tool also includes a synchronization module receiving the first and second signal and synchronizing the first signal with the second signal to provide a combined signal that can be used for athletic training and instruction.
In accordance with still other aspects, the present invention relates to a method for providing athletic training and instruction, wherein the method includes the acts of receiving a first signal carrying sensed information samples from a first sensor and receiving a second signal carrying sensed information samples from a second sensor. The sensed information from the second sensor is associated with a different form of sensed information than carried by the first signal. The method includes the act of synchronizing the first signal with the second signal to provide an analysis tool for providing athletic training and instruction.
The invention may b
Erb David Arthur
McNitt Michael John
Parks Jeffrey Jack
Golftec Enterprises LLC
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Nakhjavan Shervin
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