WO2007088544A2

WO2007088544A2 - Personal sporting activity monitor

Info

Publication number: WO2007088544A2
Application number: PCT/IL2007/000132
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Cohen
Original assignee: David Cohen
Priority date: 2006-02-02
Filing date: 2007-02-01
Publication date: 2007-08-09
Also published as: WO2007088544A3

Abstract

Sports monitoring apparatus (12) comprises a vectorized accelerometer (14) for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vector information of acceleration activity at said site (10), and a processor for processing the vector information to produce sports related output data based on said vector information The apparatus may be located on the sports participant or on his equipment and may record data or may report to remote monitoring apparatus or both, and may give warnings to the participant.

Description

PERSONAL SPORTING ACTIVITY MONITOR

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a personal sporting activity monitoring device and a method of use thereof.

Background of the Invention

During sporting activities the body goes through stresses and strains and can be subject to injury. Often the first the sports person knows of the difficulty is when the injury occurs. It is desirable for the sports person to be able to obtain some kind of advance warning regarding impending injuries and overworking. This is especially important for elderly persons or persons unused to exercise.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided sports monitoring apparatus comprising: a vectorized accelerometer for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vector information of acceleration activity at said site, and a processor associated with said accelerometer for processing said vector information to produce sports related output data based on said vector information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for activity monitoring and guessing, comprising: a detector for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vectorized information of activity at said site, an output unit for outputting said vectorized information or a derivation therof, an input unit for allowing users to input guesses for said vectorized information or a derivation therof or a further derivation thereof, and a comparator connected to said output unit for comparing said vectorized information or a derivation therof or additional non- vectorized measurement data with said guesses, thereby to allow selection of a user providing a best guess of said vectorized information or a derivation therof.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a sports monitoring apparatus comprising: an accelerometer for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vector information of acceleration activity at said site, and a processor associated with said accelerometer for processing said accelerometer information to produce sports related output data based on said vector information.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings.

With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a simplified diagram of sports person with a personal sports monitor according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a simplified block diagram of internal components of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a simplified flow chart showing a method of using the device of Fig.

1; and

Fig. 4 is a simplified block diagram showing a further embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The present embodiments provide a personally mounted sports monitor capable of indicating automatically & in real-time any condition of stress or the like which a person engaged in sport is likely to wish to know about in order to prevent excess stress, danger or injury. The sports monitor is able to establish at least some of the following: that the sports person is placing too much stress on a particular part of the body, especially the back or the knees, that the sports person is moving at a dangerous angle, that the heartbeat or sweat or other physiological reaction indicate a stressful or dangerous situation, and that the sports person is in the wrong location.

In one preferred feature, the sports person's medical condition can be monitored vie ECG, sweat & respiratory state evaluation.

The device can provide a warning to the sports person when a danger condition is indicated. The warning may be auditory, visual or tactile.

Data can be taken from a physical sensor which measures physical body attitude and forces in general which relate to the external environment, such as an external mechanical impact, a sudden acceleration, a sudden angular change, gases or other substances in the atmosphere and the like. The use of an average, or other combination, of the signals from the various sensors gives sophisticated information which can be used in a rule engine to provide outputs based on their combinations. The signals may be measured against a threshold, or a delta may be used.

In a preferred embodiment, the sensor is preprogrammed with the user's weight so that g-forces detected by the accelerometer can be translated directly into the forces being exerted on the user's spine or knees etc.

The sensor may be provided with user profile information such as body type, e.g. slim or broad, and age, sex etc. Thus for example if the system knows that the user is female and has a certain chest size such as DD, then certain inferences may be made about the effect of G forces on the back. In a further embodiment the monitor device is able to use its measurements to provide data on the effectiveness of particular actions or of training in general. In one embodiment the device may be placed on the ankle. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which shows an emergency situation detection apparatus placed on a user.

In Fig. 1, a subject 10 has a personal sports monitor 12 attached thereto. The detector comprises a belt 14 and housing module 16. The housing module 16 comprises sensing devices and a transmitter. The detector 12 is preferably able to send signals in non-contact manner to a nearby repeater, which will be discussed in greater detail below. Alternatively some or all of the processing may be carried out locally.

Reference is now made to Fig. 2, which is a simplified block diagram illustrating the interior of housing module 16. The housing module 16 comprises bodily function sensor 18 and physical reaction sensor 20. The bodily function sensor may for example detect pulse rate or sweat levels of the subject. It may also detect ECG or like signals.

The bodily function sensor 18 receives physiological information. The physical reaction detector 20, for example a 3D accelerometer, or a piezoelectric sensor or any other suitable sensor, preferably detects movements, g-forces, angles etc and/or may provide indications of an impact of some kind or the attainment of a horizontal position or like indicators of physical reaction. Additional sensors such as a GPS or other location sensor and the like may be provided as well as spare capacity for adding additional sensors.

Preferably a logic unit 22 is associated with the detectors. In one embodiment there may just be a single detector and the logic unit observes outputs of the unit to make inferences. Thus a monitor may be provided having only a physical detection unit. The physical detection unit may have only an accelerometer; however the logic unit is able to understand much about the sports activity from the output of the accelerometer. Thus the pattern of g-forces could tell the unit that the person is running on hard ground. A given size of g-force may give cause for concern if combined in the logic unit with a user profile indicating an older female, but may be passed as acceptable if in a younger female. The logic unit may be programmed with personal profiles. The profile may include any information relevant to monitoring of safety or achievement of a given user. The profile may be specific to a given user, or may be generic, say including basic assumptions for age, build and sex. Furthermore the profile may in one embodiment be transmitted or otherwise uploaded to the device from a laptop or the like where it is input using a suitable client program. Hence the monitor device itself does not have to be separately programmable.

In an alternative embodiment the logic unit may carry out only minimal processing of the data. The data is downloaded to a laptop and there processed. hi another embodiment there are both bodily function and reaction detectors, for comparing signal information to apply logical rules and make decisions. The sampling rate may be set to measure the same event at different rates to obtain different information. The detections may be tliresholded as deemed sensible by the skilled person to increase reliability of detection. Different thresholds may be appropriate for different kinds of subject. Thus elderly people may be better served by a lower threshold than a candidate for the Olympic team. As a further alternative, instead of a fixed threshold level, the system may monitor the change in signal level over time. The change or delta may then be thresholded. Thresholding the deltas can distinguish high signal levels which are due to a rapidly occurring event from high signal levels which may be due to background stress and the like.

The thresholded output of the comparison unit or output of the logical rules following a positive result of the thresholding is passed to a state manager 24 to imply the presence of an alarm situation and to enter an alarm state, or to reach any other desired output. The device may be stand-alone. In a non-stand-alone embodiment a transmitter 26 preferably responds to the alarm state manager 26 to transmit alarm signals say via Bluetooth, to the nearby repeater. As well as R.F. the transmitter 26 may be able to transmit using sonic ultrasonic, infra-red or like signals.

When an individual comes under physical stress, such as when he engages in sport, his body is subjected to changes in two identifiable parameter groups, physiological changes and physical changes. The physiological changes include changes in pulse rate, increased sweating and/or changes in the rate of respiration. Physical changes may include changes in the three dimensional angle of recline, a detectable directional impact, a directional sway, changes in motion, thus step count, etc, directional positioning sensing, unexpected changes in the GPS or other positioning fix, audio signals, changes in acceleration or g-force and the like. Thus many persons may sway whilst walking, but the sway is measurably different from the sway of someone walking away with a serious injury, and is different again from someone undergoing an impact. A given g-force may be fine for a certain weight, but persons of greater weight may be endangering their knees and should be warned. A preferred embodiment of the present invention uses at least a two-layer logic system for describing events and deciding whether to derive an alarm state. In the first level different kinds of events that could indicate trouble are identified. On the second level various combinations of the events in the first level are defined as setting alarm states. The use of the two level system thus reduces the level of computation required in order to arrive at the alarm states.

Examples of the events are as follows: A sudden linear acceleration in any direction, sudden acceleration being defined in any suitable manner, say an acceleration in any direction of greater than IG. As well as acceleration in general, there is also angular acceleration. An event of no movement for a period often minutes could also be chosen for an alarm, with the time and acceleration being varied depending on whether the sports person is supposed to be moving.

A user falling or leaning forward at a given angle or greater may be one kind of event and the same backwards may be another. Likewise sideways, either left or right can be defined as separate events, and typically different threshold levels would apply to these events.

In a preferred embodiment a relay device may be provided, so that the sports person is in contact with a central control or the like. The relay device may have additional functions. For example it may have its own sensors that are activated upon detection of an emergency situation at a nearby device. Thus it may be connected to a video camera or a microphone.

Once a real state of emergency is determined by the mounted alert device, the following occurs, preferably entirely automatically.

The sports mom^'tor sends an Alert Signal, typically, but not necessarily, via RP. The sports monitor sends a GPS fix or other geographical fix via RF to the center, affixing the sports person's location on say a target area digital map.

The sports monitor may for example send the sports person's online ECG & respiratory data, enabling real time remote evaluation of a developing medical condition. As well as dealing with emergency situations, the device is also able to deal with regular situations, reporting on day to day activities. Thus the personally mounted sports monitor preferably constantly records all Data as a memory package. Then, upon request from the center, all audio & data content of the memory package can be downloaded for analysis according to predetermined parameters. It is thus possible to find out such things as whether the sports person is following a training program reliably, whether he is making the correct moves, whether a person is in good health, and the like.

As mentioned above, a preferred embodiment includes a GPS detector to provide positioning information. For use in a building or other places where GPS signals may not be available, a triangulation system may be installed for accurate positional information. As a further alternative, location information may not be provided by the detector 12 but rather by the relay device.

Further preferred embodiments are provided to determine attitude, position and motion of a subject. Thus the personal monitor may include an accelerometer. A detector for detection of a direction that a user is facing may be strapped to the chest or a like part of the body. The detector preferably includes a compass needle and the relative alignment of the compass needle relative to a predefined forward direction of the body provides information as to the direction the user is facing. At the controller's end the individual user may be represented by a 3D animation which reproduces the direction and attitude of the subject.

In one embodiment, data is stored for a predetermined time in a stack, for example a FIFO stack. The size of the stack may be a given amount of data, or may be a given amount of time, or some other factor as preferred. In the event of the detection of a particularly serious emergency situation, all of the data currently in the stack may be saved or immediately transmitted for remote saving, so as to allow subsequent analysis. The stack embodiment is useful because it makes available information from directly before the emergency, often extremely useful in any investigation. Embodiments of the present invention may use a private communication channel. In one embodiment the equipment located on the user has a short range radio transmitter receiver and a corresponding transmitter receiver is located over a telephone socket, to provide the relay device referred to above. The device at the telephone socket includes an automatic dialer which makes a connection with the controller. For greater range the device at the user may transmit to a repeater which then transmits over a greater range. One embodiment of the repeater may be located at a convenient nearby power socket. Another embodiment may be located on the person. Other embodiments may make use of existing channels such as the cellular network. Yet other embodiments may comprise universal communicators which make use of public networks if detected and use their own channel of communication otherwise.

According to a further embodiment a system comprises rule based logic and one or more body sensors for location on the subject. The subject is expected to follow certain behavioral rules, depending on the sport involved. A marathon runner is expected to run whereas a marksman in a rifle shooting event is expected to lie down. If the marksman were to run or the runner to lie down it would be apparent that an abnormal situation may have arisen. Thus the sensor is usable in combination with the rule based logic to detect non-compliance with the behavioral rules, to indicate an abnormal situation and if necessary to set off an alarm or otherwise summon help. It will be clear that the more independent sensors are used the more reliable the determination can be.

In a preferred embodiment, the detectors are programmable. The rules can be changed for different users or for allowing the same device to be given to different users having different requirements. The device can also be dynamically programmable according to parameters it is able to detect or it is told. Thus it may be able to use detected locations or indicated sports to change between different sets of rules. Or as another example, a device programmed for use by a long-distance runner may change the rules it is using depending say on the temperature it detects. Thus if it is hot it may tell the runner to drink more often. In a further example the change of rules may be carried out on line, for example over a radio connection.

A position or location detector may be used in combination with the above system and the rales preferably define location based behaviors.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3, which shows a second preferred embodiment of the present invention in which a vectorized accelerometer 30 is placed at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vector information of acceleration activity at the site. A processor is connected to the accelerometer for processing the vector information to produce sports related output data based on the vector information. The vector information may comprise vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises impact data.

Alternatively, the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises player collision data. As a further alternative, the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises impulse data for acceleration of a ball.

As yet a further alternative, the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises power data associated with the acceleration.

Preferably, the processor is configured with weight data, so that measured accelerations can be translated into impulses, impacts and the like.

In an embodiment, the sport is golf and the vectorized accelerometer includes a sensor placed on a golf club or even within the golf ball. The sports monitor device can measure body attitude as well as the power and angle at which the ball is struck and thus form the basis of a personal interactive golf tutor.

With consideration of Fig. 4, reference is made to a method for activity monitoring and guessing. The monitoring device is placed in situ. The sports event begins and the monitoring device transmits transitory data. An optional stage allows the received data to be compared to user guesses, to allow betting on the feature being measured or a derivation of that feature. Thus viewers of an American Football or rugby game can make guesses of the impacts involved in future tackles. Thus viewers can place bets on the likely power of the heaviest tackle in a game. The method or system can be used for boxing or basketball. In boxing, the public can be informed of the energy of a punch and can therefore place bets on the highest energy punch to be expected in a match or the like. Likewise in basketball the public can be informed of the statistics of jumps etc. Viewers can for example place bets on the percentage of time a given player may spend in the air, overall, hovertime, or the longest slamdunk.

In baseball or softball the system can be used to measure the energy in a strike of the ball. In this case too the sensor can be placed inside the ball or on the bat.

The input guesses are compared in comparator 36 with the actual measured or derived values and the viewer with the closest guess is judged the winner by winner unit 38.

In one preferred embodiment, the activity is golf. The measurements in fact provide much of the necessary input data for a naϊve ballistics calculation for the flight of the golf ball. Thus users may be allowed to use the duration of the flight of the golf ball to input guesses on map of the golf course as to the likely landing position of the ball.

The above golfing example illustrates how the present embodiments include a system for obtaining transitory data from a sporting event. The transitory data or derivatives thereof are published, preferably in real time, and allow participants to make predictions and place wagers based on the transitory data.

As explained, the monitoring device of the above-described embodiments is a measuring sensor placed at the location or site being measured. However, such an embodiment has disadvantages in that the sensing device may interfere with the sporting activity or just be seen as an inconvenience by the sports person, or be vulnerable to damage. In an alternative embodiment the measuring device is located remotely and detects activity at the site using some kind of remote scanning. For example it may be a camera, or a camera combined with a distance detector. Correct knowledge of the distance plus image processing of the view of the site may lead to relatively accurate determination of the movement, acceleration or anything else it is desired to monitor.

It is noted that the sports monitoring device transmits to a receiving unit, and the receiving unit can relay the signal as necessary to a mass media system. Relaying may be direct or indirect. The mass media system may be any kind of system that reaches an audience, and includes a Scoreboard at the sports ground, an Internet website, a private television circuit and a public television or radio system.

In general the sports monitoring device can store data for later use, or can transmit the data for later use.

The device can issue warnings, for example of bad sports technique or use of excessive force. The device could for example be placed on the arm of tennis player and thresholded to warn the player that he is using excess force to hit the ball.

The processor may include a route learning module. The module would be useful for learning a repeated exercise route, say for long distance running, or a sequence, say in dance, and would be able to provide timely information concerning the route or sequence.

The processor may usefully include speech processing functionality so as to verbalize the output data, hi this way the user may receive audible warnings.

In one embodiment the device includes a pair of accelerometers, one for location on leg of an athlete or performer. The pair are connected to the processor, and the processor can compare activities of said limbs and issue a warning in the event of unbalanced effort therebetween. Thus the processor can spot a limp or a sprain in its early development.

The device may include any of a body temperature sensor, an environmental temperature sensor, a body perspiration monitor and an environmental humidity monitor. The processor may use the data from thes sensors to provide a warning of impending heatstroke for example.

The device may download or be connected remotely to a geographical map and may track a location with respect to the map. Thus the device could follow a running route or the like. The map may be a three-dimensional map, and could include information about uphill sections, rough or smooth terrain or like information pertinent to the wellbeing of a sports person. The device may use the map to provide the user with additional warnings.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.

Claims

1. Sports monitoring apparatus comprising: a vectorized accelerometer for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vector information of acceleration activity at said site, and a processor associated with said accelerometer for processing said vector information to produce sports related output data based on said vector information.

2. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises impact data.

3. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises player collision data.

4. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises impulse data for acceleration of a ball.

5. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises power data associated with said acceleration.

6. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured with weight data, thereby to carry out said processing.

7. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sport is golf and wherein said vectorized accelerometer comprises at least one sensor placed on a golf club.

8. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sport is golf and said vectorized accelorometer is loacted within a golf ball.

9. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitter, for transmitting to a receiving device for relaying to a mass-media system.

10. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said relaying is indirect.

11. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said mass media system is one member of the group consisting of the Internet, the public radio system, the public television system, a private television system, a public display screen, a public address system, a private radio system, and a text broadcast system.

12. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said site is a limb of a sports person liable to excess acceleration or force and said monitoring apparatus is thresholded to issue an alert upon detection of excess acceleration or force.

13. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said site is a striking device for striking a ball, and is indicative of excess acceleration or force potentially dangerous to a sports person, and wherein said monitoring apparatus is thresholded to issue an alert upon detection of excess acceleration or force.

14. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said alert is any one of the group consisting of a visual alert and an audio alert.

15. Sports monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, configured to store data for subsequent use.

16. System for activity monitoring and guessing, comprising: a detector for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vectorized information of activity at said site, an output unit for outputting said vectorized information or a derivation therof, an input unit for allowing users to input guesses for said vectorized information or a derivation therof or a further derivation thereof, and a comparator connected to said output unit for comparing said vectorized information or a derivation therof or additional non- vectorized measurement data with said guesses, thereby to allow selection of a user providing a best guess of said vectorized information or a derivation therof.

17. System according to claim 16, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the derivation thereof comprises impact data and the output unit provides said derivation.

18. System according to claim 16, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the derivation thereof comprises player collision data and the output unit provides said derivation.

19. System according to claim 16, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the derivation thereof comprises impulse data for acceleration of a ball and the output unit provides said derivation.

20. System according to claim 16, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the derivation thereof comprises power data associated with said acceleration and the output unit provides said derivation.

21. System according to claim 16, wherein said derivation comprises using weight data.

22. System according to claim 16, wherein said activity is golf, wherein said output provides ballistics data for striking a golf ball and said guess relates to an expected landing position of said golf ball.

23. System according to claim 16, wherein said output unit is a publishing unit for publicising said information.

24. Sports monitoring apparatus comprising: an accelerometer for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vector information of acceleration activity at said site, and a processor associated with said accelerometer for processing said accelerometer information to produce sports related output data based on said vector information.

25. A method of promoting a sporting event including a first sporting activity, the method comprising: fitting a vectorized accelerometer at an acceleration site associated with said sporting activity, obtaining data directly or indirectly from said accelerometer, and publishing said data, thereby enabling betting or other interest in said sporting event.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said sporting event is any one of the group consisting of golf, American Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, Rugby, cricket, boxing, wrestling, horseriding, running, long jump, highjump, triplejump, swimming, tennis, diving, cycling, car-racing, motorcycle racing, skiing, ice hockey, hockey, polo.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said information is at least one of acceleration, angle, impact, time between impacts, hover time, time between events, impulse, power, and energy.

28. Sports monitoring method comprising: extracting vector information of activity at a site related to a sporting activity, and processing said vector information to produce sports related output data based on said vector information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises impact data.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises player collision data.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises impulse data for acceleration of a ball.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the vector information comprises vectorized acceleration and the sports related output data comprises power data associated with said acceleration.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein said processor is configured with weight data, thereby to carry out said processing.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein said sport is golf and wherein said vectorized accelerometer comprises at least one sensor placed on a golf club.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein said sport is golf and said vectorized accelorometer is loacted within a golf ball.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein said vector information is acceleration information.

37. Sports monitoring method comprising: extracting data of activity of a site on the body or equipment of a sportsperson, and processing said data to produce sports related output data based on said activity data.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said activity is basketball and said output is indicative of hover time.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said activity is basketball, said data is acceleration data and said output is hover time.

40. The method of claim 37, comprising extracing said data from a monitoring device located at said site.

41. The method of claim 37, comprising extracting said data using a monitoring device located remotely from said site.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said monitoring device is a camera and said extracting said data comprises image processing.

43. A method of doing business comprising: electronically obtaining transitory data of a sporting event, and publishing said data electronically in real time, to allow participants to verify predictions regarding said transitory data, thereby allowing for wagers to be placed on said sporting event in relation to said transitory data.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said sporting event is any one of the group consisting of golf, American Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, Rugby, cricket, boxing, wrestling, horseriding, running, long jump, highjump, triplejump, swimming, tennis, diving, cycling, car-racing, motorcycle racing, skiing, ice hockey, hockey, polo.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein said transitory data is at least one of acceleration, angle, impact, time between impacts, hover time, time between events, impulse, power, ballistics data, and energy.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein said transitory data is taken from the body of a participant.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein said sporting event is a ballgame involving at least one ball, and said transitory data is taken from said at least one ball.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein said sporting event is a game involving a striking tool for striking a ball, and wherein said transitory data is taken from said striking tool.

49. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a route learning module associated with said processor, for learning a repeated exercise route or sequence, thereby to provide timely information concerning said route or sequence.

50. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising speech processing functionality associated with said processor for verbalizing said output data.

51. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of accelerometers for location on respective limbs of an athlete, said pair being connected to said processor to enable said processor to compare activities of said limbs and issue a warning in the event of unbalanced effort therebetween.

52. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one member of the group consistin of a body temperature sensor, an environmental temperature sensor, a body perspiration monitor and an environmental humidity monitor, said member being associated with said processor thereby to enable said processor to provide a warning of impending heatstroke.

53. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a geographical map associated with said processor, thereby to enable said processor to track a location with respect to said map.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said map is a three-dimensional map.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said processor is configured to utilize said three-dimensional map to detect and warn about high-stress parts of a route.

56. A method of controlled exercise comprising: uploading a digital map of a geographical region to a sports monitoring apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, and carrying out a sporting activity within said geographical region while being monitored by said sports monitoring apparatus.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said sports monitoring apparatus is a personal wearable device.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein said ports monitoring apparatus comprises: a vectorized accelerometer for location at an acceleration site associated with a sporting activity to extract vector information of acceleration activity at said site, and and wherein said processor is associated with said accelerometer for processing said vector information to produce sports related output data based on said vector information.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein said digital map is a three- dimensional digital map.

60. The method of claim 56, wherein said digital map is a map configured with data relevant to sporting safety.

61. A method enabling controlled exercise comprising: distributing personal sports monitoring devices comprising processing capability, for monitoring of sports activities, making available digital maps on demand for use with said personal sports monitoring devices, said maps comprising data relevant to sporting safety.

62. The method of claim 61 , wherein said making available comprises making remotely available via a server.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein said making available comprises making locally available to said device by downloading.