System and Method for Multifunctional Racket Performance Training

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method of processing sensor data for users to learn about their tennis game, wherein a sensor chip is embedded in a tennis racket shaft/frame and transmits sensor data to a software application installed in an electronic device. In one embodiment, a sensor chip includes 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a pressure sensor to collect sensor data and a wireless transmitter wirelessly transmits the sensor data to the performance tracking software application. The application processes the data and generates graphical and textual representations of at least swing speed, swing type, and stroke number (i.e., count). In some embodiments, comparison with threshold data is performed and recommendations and/or training plans are generated.

Claims

1. A sensor-equipped racket for tracking stroke performance, the sensor-equipped racket comprising: a racket with a tracking sensor chip including a stroke data collection module having a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope; wherein said 3-axis accelerometer measures acceleration and gravity of said racket during a stroke for creating a stroke trajectory pattern of said stroke; wherein said 3-axis gyroscope measures rotational and angular motion information of said stroke of said racket; and further wherein said 3-axis accelerometer measures vibration of said racket for detecting a speed of a ball when it hits said racket.

2. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 1, wherein said information measured from said 3-axis accelerometer and said 3-axis gyroscope are combined together by a sensor fusion software program.

3. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 2, wherein said tracking sensor chip embedded in a racket shaft.

4. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 3, wherein said tracking sensor chip encased in a rubber housing.

5. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 2, wherein said tracking sensor chip mounted to a racket handle.

6. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 2 further comprising a pressure sensor for identifying distribution of pressure on the hand of a player playing with said racket, and further wherein said distribution of pressure on the hand of the player determinative of a type of stroke of said racket.

7. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 6, wherein said type of stroke is selected from a group consisting of a forehand, a backhand, a volley, a slice, and a serve.

8. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 7, wherein said pressure sensor further detecting a pressure on strings of said racket.

9. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 8, wherein said racket is a paddle.

10. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 2, wherein said 3-axis accelerometer, said 3-axis gyroscope, and said pressure sensor are piezoelectric sensors.

11. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 10, wherein said tracking sensor chip is an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) having a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the measured performance metrics to a sensor fusion software program.

12. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 11, wherein said transmitting is in real time during play with said racket.

13. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 11, wherein said transmitting is after play with said racket.

14. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 11, wherein said tracking sensor chip having a counter for counting a number of strokes during play with said racket.

15. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 11, wherein said tracking sensor chip having a digital converter for converting measured information to digital form to wirelessly transmit to said sensor fusion software program.

16. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 11, wherein said sensor fusion software program having machine readable instructions to generate textual and graphical displays showing said stroke of said racket.

17. A sensor-equipped racket for tracking stroke performance, the sensor-equipped racket comprising: a racket with a tracking sensor chip including a stroke data collection module having a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope; wherein said 3-axis accelerometer measures acceleration and gravity of said racket during a stroke for creating a stroke trajectory pattern of said stroke; wherein said 3-axis gyroscope measures rotational and angular motion information of said stroke of said racket; further wherein said 3-axis accelerometer measures vibration of said racket for detecting a speed of a ball when it hits said racket; wherein said information measured from said 3-axis accelerometer and said 3-axis gyroscope are combined together by a sensor fusion software program; a pressure sensor for identifying distribution of pressure on the hand of a player playing with said racket; wherein said distribution of pressure on the hand of the player determinative of a type of stroke of said racket; and further wherein said tracking sensor chip is an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) having a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the measured performance metrics to a sensor fusion software program.

18. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 17, wherein said tracking sensor chip having a counter for counting a number of strokes during play with said racket.

19. A sensor-equipped racket for tracking stroke performance, the sensor-equipped racket comprising: a racket with a tracking sensor chip including a stroke data collection module having a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope; wherein said 3-axis accelerometer measures acceleration and gravity of said racket during a stroke for creating a stroke trajectory pattern of said stroke; wherein said 3-axis gyroscope measures rotational and angular motion information of said stroke of said racket; wherein said tracking sensor chip embedded in a racket handle; a pressure sensor for identifying distribution of pressure on the hand of a player playing with said racket; and further wherein said distribution of pressure on the hand of the player determinative of a type of stroke of said racket.

20. The sensor-equipped racket of claim 19, wherein said tracking sensor chip having a counter for counting a number of strokes during play with said racket.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

[0015] FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of a racket of the present invention equipped with a performance tracking sensor in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0016] FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment of a racket of the present invention equipped with a performance tracking sensor in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0017] FIG. 1C illustrates a perspective view of yet another potential embodiment of a racket and wrist band of the present invention equipped with a performance tracking sensor in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram showing components of the sensor chip in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view showing one potential embodiment of the racket performance tracking system in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface showing different options available for tracking on the sensor fusion software program installed in the electronic device in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary user interface shown by the sensor fusion software program for displaying stroke and swing information of a particular swing in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view showing pairing of a performance tracking chip and performance tracking application in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0023] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram depicting a process of analyzing the sensor information by racket performance application in accordance with the disclosed architecture; and

[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates the exemplary electronic device used for installing the racket performance application of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0025] The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined. It is to be appreciated that the device can be used for other racquet and paddle sports and not limited to tennis.

[0026] As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved performance tracker for tracking and receiving information about players playing, for example, a tennis game. There is also a long felt need in the art for a performance tracking system for tennis players that allows efficient measurement and collection of tennis racket and stroke performance parameters. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a multifunctional performance tracking system that tracks performance of racket and strokes of a tennis player while playing a tennis game. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a multifunctional tennis racket performance tracking system that does not depend on video analysis, but use advanced sensors embedded in a tennis racket shaft/frame for tracking player performance. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a tennis player stroke performance tracking system that is easy to analyze and that provides real time information. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a tennis racket performance system that helps tennis players of all ages and skill levels improve their tennis game with statistical data.

[0027] The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a method of tracking a tennis racket performance enabling players to learn about their tennis game. The method includes the steps of receiving, by a computer implemented tracking application, sensor information from a sensor chip embedded in a tennis racket shaft/frame; analyzing, by the computer implemented tracking application, the received sensor information; displaying, by the computer implemented tracking application, at least swing speed, swing type, and stroke number in textual and/or graphical form; and generating, a recommendation for display by the computer implemented tracking application.

[0028] Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of, for example, the tennis racket of the present invention equipped with a performance tracking sensor in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The sensor-equipped tennis racket 100 of the present invention is used by players to play tennis and for tracking racket and stroke performance while training and playing a tennis game. The tennis racket 100 looks and functions like a conventional tennis racket, but has a performance tracking sensor 102 in the form of a chip embedded in the racket shaft/frame 103. The sensor 102 is encased in a rubber housing of the racket 100 and is protected from any physical damage. Details of the performance tracking sensor 102 is shown in FIG. 2 and includes a stroke data collection module 104, which includes a 3-axis accelerometer 106 that is configured to measure acceleration of the tennis racket 100 during a stroke. Further, the accelerometer 106 is also used for measuring gravity information to create a shaft/frame of direction of stroke made by a player.

[0029] The data collection module 104 further has a 3-axis gyroscope 108 for measuring rotational and angular motion information of a stroke. The information measured from the 3-axis accelerometer 106 and the 3-axis gyroscope 108 are fused together by a sensor analysis software program as described later in the disclosure. For detecting the speed of a tennis ball with which it hits the racket 100, the 3-axis accelerometer 106 is also configured to measure vibration behavior. In alternative embodiment, a piezoelectric-type vibration sensor may be used for measuring vibration behavior.

[0030] For determining a type of stroke made by a player, a pressure sensor 110 is included in the sensor. The pressure sensor 110 is used for identifying distribution of pressure on the hand of a player playing with the racket 100 and based on the pressure detected by the sensor 110, a type of stroke is determined. The types of strokes can be one of at least forehand, backhand, volley, slice, and serve. The pressure sensor 110 may also be used for detecting pressure on the strings 118 of the racket 100. It should be appreciated that the various sensor components 106, 108, 110 in the sensor chip 102 are piezoelectric sensors and the chip 102 functions as an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).

[0031] The chip 102 has a wireless transmitter 112 for wirelessly transmitting the measured performance metrics to the sensor fusion software program. The lightweight chip 102 can weigh up to 5 grams. In another mounting arrangement, the chip 102 can be attached to the handle 114 of the racket 100 (refer to FIG. 1B). In still another mounting arrangement, the chip 102 can be mounted to a wrist band 105 and worn by the player during play (refer to FIG. 1C). The chip 102 may transmit the information in real time or can transmit once a game is finished. A counter 116 included in the chip 102 is used for counting the number of strokes based on the readings of accelerometer 106. The sensor data from the chip 102 may include an identification data of the tennis racket 100 with which the chip 102 is associated. The identification data allows a trainer to uniquely identify the tennis racket for effectively tracking performance. The sensor data from the chip 102 can also comprise stroke-trajectory data of the tennis racket 100 for effective performance tracking and training.

[0032] All the sensor data may be recorded in digital form or can be analog. The sensor chip 102 can have a digital converter 120 for converting measured information to digital form before wirelessly transmitting to the sensor fusion software program.

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view showing one potential embodiment of the tennis racket performance tracking system in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The tennis racket performance tracking system 300 includes an electronic device 302 in which sensor fusion software program 304 is installed. The sensor fusion software program/performance tracking application 304 is configured to process the sensor data received from the chip 102 to provide insights and performance tracking in the form of visual and textual representation on display device 306 of the electronic device 302. The sensor fusion software program 304 includes machine readable instructions that configures a processor of the electronic device 302 to generate textual and graphical display showing racket and stroke performance of the racket device 100 with which the sensor chip 102 is associated.

[0034] The chip 102 is configured to wirelessly transmit the sensor data obtained by various sensors as described in FIG. 2 using the wireless network 308 to a cloud server 310 and to the electronic device 302. The cloud server 310 includes data storage and is configured to store sensor data uniquely identified by the identification ID of the racket (or the chip 102). Storage space on the cloud server 310 may be purchased in the form of a subscription and the stored information can be retrieved by the sensor fusion software program 304.

[0035] The sensor fusion software program 304 is also configured to provide recommendations based on the stored threshold information to help players and trainers in improving performance. Further, the software 304 may display information of more than one racket along with the identifier ID enabling a trainer to view and analyze performance of two or more players playing a tennis game.

[0036] The electronic device 302 may include, but are not limited to, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, a wearable electronic device, a television, a projector, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), and/or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device. Examples of the wireless network 308 may include, but are not limited to, the Internet, a cloud network, a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a plain old telephone service (POTS), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), and/or a short-range communication medium. Protocols used for transmitting sensor data may include, but not limited to, Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), ZigBee, infrared (IR), IEEE 802.11, cellular communication protocols, near-field communication (NFC) protocol, and/or Bluetooth (BT) communication protocols.

[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface showing different options available for tracking on the sensor fusion software program installed in the electronic device in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As illustrated, a device ID 402 uniquely identifying a racket is displayed on top of the interface 400. The user interface 400 provides a “Track your game” option 404 that allows a user to see sensor information received from the performance tracking chip. The “Track your game” option 404 displays textual and graphical representation along with recommendations for improving game of a player using the racket with device ID 402. Further, distribution of various types of strokes made using the racket are displayed under the option 404.

[0038] A “Forehand” option 406 allows a user to view sensor information about forehand swing. As described earlier, various types of strokes are identified using various sensors included in the chip 102. A “Backhand” option 408 allows a user to view sensor information about backhand swing. Similarly, separate options are provided for “Volley” 410, “Slices” 412, and “Serves” 414. In other strokes, the sensor information identifies any other swing or movement of the racket 100, “Other” 416 option provides information about those strokes.

[0039] It should be noted that information such as the number of hits, number of misses, acceleration, and angular motion in each type of stroke is provided by the user interface 400 and thus, provides a granular level of information than conventional performance tracking solutions. Based on the number of hits and misses, the sensor fusion software program 304 can provide recommendations to improve performance of a player. The information recorded by the application 304 can be timestamped for generating graphical representation.

[0040] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary user interface shown by the sensor fusion software program for displaying stroke and swing information of a particular swing in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The user interface 500 is displayed when a user clicks on the “Forehand” option 406 in FIG. 4. As illustrated, the user interface 500 is configured to display total number 502 of strokes of the swing 504 and based on the sensor information, the hit ratio 506 is provided. This provides an insight to the performance of a player in a specific stroke and similar information may be provided for all strokes in a tennis game.

[0041] A graphical representation 508 of the swing and stroke is provided by the interface 500 which may also include comparison with a threshold value 510 for the swing and the stroke. It should be noted that the representation of a type of graph can be changed as per requirements and preferences of a user.

[0042] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view showing pairing of a performance tracking chip and performance tracking application 304 in accordance with the disclosed architecture. For enabling wireless transmission of sensor information from the chip 102 to the application 304, the chip 102 and the application 304 must be paired together. The pairing can be done by keeping the chip 102 close to the electronic device 302 in which the performance tracking application 304 is installed such that the device ID of the chip is displayed in the application 304. Alternatively, the chip 102 can be configured in the application 304 by manually inputting the chip/device ID by a user.

[0043] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram depicting a process of analyzing the sensor information by tennis racket performance application in accordance with the disclosed architecture. Initially, sensor information from the sensor chip embedded in a tennis racket shaft/frame is received by the application (Step 702). The sensor information is measured by various sensors of the chip and may include, but not limited to, swing speed, swing type, stroke number, and more. The received sensor information is then processed by the performance application (Step 704). After processing of the sensor information, strokes, swings, and movement information is identified (Step 706).

[0044] Based on the identified strokes and swings, textual and graphical representations are generated for display (Step 708). When a specific racket is used by a same player during a plurality of games, a player profile for the player is generated and a training plan based on hits and misses is generated for review by player and trainer (Step 710). Finally, one or more recommendations are generated for the session of play for which the sensor information is received (Step 712).

[0045] FIG. 8 illustrates the exemplary electronic device 302 used for installing the tennis racket performance application 304 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The processing unit 802 may include suitable logic, instructions, circuitry, interfaces, and/or codes for executing various operations, such as the operations associated with the user device 302, or the like. The processing unit 802 may be configured to control one or more operations executed by the user device 302 in response to the input received at the user device 302 from the user. The processor 802 executes the computer readable instructions stored in the application 304. Examples of the processing unit 802 may include, but are not limited to, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Control unit (PLC), and the like. Embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the processing unit 802 including known, related art, and/or later developed processing units. The user device 302 can further include one or more computer executable applications configured to be executed by the processing unit 802. The one or more computer executable applications may include suitable logic, instructions, and/or codes for executing various operations. The one or more computer executable applications may be stored in the memory 808.

[0046] The user device 302 includes input device(s) 804 such as a touch input device, voice input device, etc. for entering data and information. Preferably, the touch interface of the user device 302 is used as the input and various buttons/tabs shown on the application 304 are pressed or clicked by the user. The display of the user device 302 also acts as the output device 806 for displaying various contents to the user. The display can include a touch screen, and may receive, for example, a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using an electronic pen or a part of a user's body.

[0047] Electronic device 302 has memory 808 used for storing programs (sequences of instructions) or data (e.g., program state information) on a temporary or permanent basis for use in the computer system. Memory 808 can be configured for short-term storage of information as volatile memory and therefore not retain stored contents if powered off. Examples of volatile memories include random access memories (RAM), dynamic random-access memories (DRAM), static random-access memories (SRAM), and other forms of volatile memories known in the art. The processor 802, in combination with one or more of memory 808, input device(s) 804, output device(s) 806 is utilized to provide users to execute instructions on the application 304. The connection to a network is provided by wireless interface 810.

[0048] The wireless interface 810 enables the user device 302 to wirelessly receive sensor information. Examples of the communication interface 810 may include, but are not limited to, a modem, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and/or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit.

[0049] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name, but not structure or function. As used herein “performance tracking chip”, “sensor chip”, “lightweight chip”, “chip”, and “sensor” are interchangeable and refer to the tennis racket performance tracking chip 102 of the present invention. Similarly, as used herein “sensor-equipped tennis racket”, “tennis racket”, and “racket” are interchangeable and refer to the sensor-equipped tennis racket 100 of the present invention.

[0050] Notwithstanding the forgoing, the tennis racket performance tracking chip 102 and the sensor-equipped tennis racket 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the tennis racket performance tracking chip 102 and the sensor-equipped tennis racket 100 as shown in the FIGS. Are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the tennis racket performance tracking chip 102 and the sensor-equipped tennis racket 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of tennis racket performance tracking chip 102 and the sensor-equipped tennis racket 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the tennis racket performance tracking chip 102 and the sensor-equipped tennis racket 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

[0051] Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

[0052] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.