WO2008042765A1

WO2008042765A1 - Athletic equipment including a health and/or impact sensor

Info

Publication number: WO2008042765A1
Application number: PCT/US2007/079877
Authority: WO
Inventors: Admir Dado Kantarevic
Original assignee: Admir Dado Kantarevic
Priority date: 2006-09-29
Filing date: 2007-09-28
Publication date: 2008-04-10

Abstract

A piece of athletic equipment or clothing such as a glove or boot for use in athletic competitions or training is disclosed, where the equipment includes body including a portion intended for contacting another participant or object and a non-contact portion. The contact portion preferably includes an impact sensor. The piece of athletic equipment also may include a health sensor to monitor vital signs of the athlete, such as heart rate and/or blood pressure, a display to provide useful information to the athlete, a storage device to record impact and/or health related information, and/or a transmitter to send impact and/or health related information to an external location.

Description

ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT INCLUDING A HEALTH AND/OR IMPACT SENSOR

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field Of The Invention

The present invention relates generally to athletic equipment and more particularly to athletic equipment including sensors to monitor the effectiveness and health of the athlete. Problems In The Art

Typically, contact sports such as football, boxing, kick boxing, and martial arts allow athletes to use protective gear in both competition and training. The protective gear usually includes some form of padding surrounding an area of the body that is subject to impact. For example, a boxer puts on boxing gloves over his hands to insulate his hands from the impact of his blows. Similarly, a football players puts on shoulder pads to protect his shoulders during a tackle, block or other action in which his shoulders will be impacted.

Attempts have been made to incorporate electronic sensors into equipment used in contact sports. For example, U.S. Patent No. 4,761,005 to French et al, which is incorporated herein, discloses a scoring device including a flexible layer of piezoelectric material. When such a sensor is impacted an electrical charge results. The charge produced varies based on the amount of impact and thus allows the user to determine when a peak blow has occurred.

Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 5,723,786 to Klapman, which is incorporated herein, also shows a manner in which one can measure the impact of a piece of athletic equipment such as a boxing glove. While the patents to French et al and Klapman both focus on measuring an impact, neither discusses measuring the vital signs of the athlete delivering the blow.

In all sports, the health and well being of the athlete is of paramount concern. This is particularly true in contact sports. For example, the sport of boxing grants victory to the first person to knock the other out. This is done by the contestants delivering blows to each other in the chest and head regions. The effect of such blows can sometimes be life threatening. There is a critical need for trainers and others, including the boxers themselves, to keep a close eye on the vital signs of the athlete.

Keeping a close eye on the vital signs of the athlete is sometimes best monitored during breaks in the sport such as between rounds in a boxing match. Previously, separate heart rate monitors and/or blood pressure machines would have to be brought ring side and attached or placed on the athlete separate from his normal equipment. This requires trainers to have the extra equipment handy and may require removal of some of the athlete's normal equipment. This process can be very time consuming. Instead, it is desirable to provide the information from equipment the athlete is already wearing.

Typically, athletic equipment does not include a way to display either the health of the athlete or the performance of the athlete. In order for a trainer, coach or medical professional to evaluate the health of the athlete, it is desirable to provide a display on equipment the athlete is already wearing. Such a display could also provide information for training purposes.

Features Of The Invention

Accordingly, a general feature of the present invention is the provision of apiece of athletic equipment which overcomes the problems found in the prior art. A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a piece of athletic equipment that can monitor the performance and/or health of the athlete.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a piece of athletic equipment that can display the performance and/or health information of the athlete. A still further feature of the present invention is the provision of a piece of athletic equipment that can store the performance and/or health information of the athlete on a removable media.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a piece of athletic equipment that can transmit the performance and/or health information to a remote receiver for monitoring and/or storage of such information.

These, as well as other features and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent from the following specification and claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally comprises a piece of athletic equipment such as a glove or boot for use in athletic competitions, where the equipment includes body including a portion intended for contacting another participant or object and a non-contact portion. The contact portion preferably includes an impact sensor. The impact sensor may be secured to the contact portion by either embedding the sensor within the contact portion or securing the sensor to the surface of the contact portion. Preferably, the piece of athletic equipment also includes a health sensor to monitor vital signs of the athlete, such as heart rate and/or blood pressure. The health sensor is preferably secured to the piece of athletic equipment in a non-contact area.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the impact sensor and the health sensor are both operatively connected to a display. Preferably, the display is located on the piece of athletic equipment in a non-contact area such that it can be viewed by the athlete, trainer, coach or medical professional without the need to remove the athletic equipment or to add additional equipment.

The present invention also may include a storage device, such as a flash card, memory stick, or other memory card to store the data collected by the impact and/or health sensors. Alternatively, the data collected can be transmitted to a remote location for storage and/or monitoring. A battery, preferably secured to the piece of athletic equipment in a non-contact area, is used to provide the power necessary to amplify, process, store, display and/or transmit the information received from the impact and health sensors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure l is a pictorial representation of one type of athletic equipment, here a boxing glove, including many of the features of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of section A-A from Figure 1 showing one embodiment of the impact sensor in the contact portion of a piece of athletic equipment. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating details of the electrical circuitry incorporated in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is another embodiment of the present invention on another type of athletic equipment, here a boot.

Figure 5 is another embodiment of the present invention on another type of athletic equipment, here a set of shoulder pads.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) The present invention will be described as it applies to its preferred embodiment. It is not intended that the present invention be limited to the described embodiment. It is intended that the invention cover all modifications and alternatives which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Now, referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a piece of athletic equipment 10. In Figure 1, the piece of athletic equipment 10 is a boxing glove 12. As shown, the body of the boxing glove 12 includes a mitten 14 into which the boxer places his hand and a wrist portion 16 which is used to secure the glove 12 to the boxer. The mitten 14 typically includes a finger portion 18 and a thumb portion 20. Ln a usual boxing match the finger portion 18 is the area used to strike the athlete's opponent. Thus, in a boxing situation, the finger portion 18 would be the contact portion 22 for this particular piece of athletic equipment 10.

Similarly, since neither the thumb portion 20 nor the wrist portion 16 of the glove 12 are typically used for contacting one's opponent, they may be considered the non-contact portion 24 for this particular piece of athletic equipment 10. The determination of where the contact portion 22 and the non-contact portion 24 are will vary for each particular piece of athletic equipment 10 and may depend on the intended usage of that equipment for the particular sport played.

As shown further in Figure 1, the boxing glove 12 includes many features of the present invention. Not all of these features need to be included. Instead, the features included will likely depend on the intended use of the particular piece of athletic equipment 10. The features shown include an impact sensor 26 located in the contact portion 22 of the glove 12.

As can be seen in Figure 2, it is preferred that the impact sensor 26 be located within the glove 12 and behind substantial padding 32. The location of the impact sensor

26 may vary according to the desired use. If desirable, the impact sensor 26 may be located on the exterior of the glove 12 on top of the padding 32 and any coating 36 that may be present. The impact sensor 26 may be secured with glue, stitching or any other known means. Locating the sensor 26 behind substantial padding 32 within the glove 12 minimizes the potential for the sensor's presence to be felt by an opponent. Preferably, padding 32 is placed on both sides of the impact sensor 26 to minimize any potential for injury caused by contacting the sensor 26 during an impact such as a punch.

The impact sensor 26 is preferably a film of piezoelectric material of minimal thickness. This type of impact sensor 26 may be mounted on either a flexible or rigid substrate, if necessary, depending on the application. Other types of impact sensors may be used, such as accelerometers or pressure sensors. As shown in Figure 3 and using the piezoelectric film material of the preferred embodiment, the impact sensor 26 is operatively connected by wiring to an amplifier 38. The amplifier 38 increases the signal produced by the impact sensor 26 to ensure the signal is distinguishable from any electrical noise that may be present. After amplification, the signal is transmitted to an analog to digital converter 40 and sent to a processor 42. The processor 42 converts the signal to a force value. The electric signal produced by the impact sensor 26 of the preferred embodiment will have an amplitude that is a function of the force of the blow. The value of this amplitude is received by the processor 42 which converts the amplitude to a force value. This force value is then preferably sent to a display 30. The display 30 is preferably a LED display that is sown into the wrist portion 16 or other non-contact portion 24 of the glove 12. The display 30 may also be a flexible display such as that made by Koninklijke Philips Electronics. Alternatively, the display 30 made be made from OLEDs, a plasma display, E-Ink or any other suitable known technology. The display 30, processor 42, analog to digital converter 40 and amplifier 38 may all be powered by a battery 46.

Preferably, the battery 46 is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which is removably secured to the non-contact portion 24 of the glove 12. The battery 46 may also be used to power a radio frequency or Bluetooth transmitter 48. The transmitter 48 is located in the non-contact portion 24 of the glove 12 and sends signals to a receiver (not shown) which may be connected to a computer or any other system to monitor the athlete during a competition. The transmitter may be set to send signals via a unique radio frequency or to send an identification signal to the receiving device. This allows the receiving device to differentiate between contestants.

A storage or memory device 50 is also connected to the processor 42. The memory device 50 is preferably a removable device such as a memory stick or flash card. The memory device 50 will store information from the processor for later use. This enables the athlete, trainer, coach or other interested party to evaluate the athlete's performance after a competition, workout, or training exercise.

Preferably, the glove 12 also includes a health sensor 28 which monitors one or more vital signs of the athlete. This health sensor 28 may be powered by the battery 46 if necessary. For example, the health sensor 28 could be a heart rate monitor that is connected to one or more contacts 54 on the interior surface of the wrist portion 16 of the glove 12. As is shown in FIG. 1, the contacts 54 maybe contained on a wristband 64 that is wired or otherwise operatively connected to the health sensor 28. This allows the contacts to be placed on the wrist or other pulse point of the athlete and also allows the athlete to wrap his hand in a traditional manner. As is known in the art, these contacts 54 use electrical signals to monitor the heart rate of the athlete while the athlete is wearing the gloves 12. This is typically known as electrocardiography. The heart rate or health sensor 28 sends signals to the processor 42 for conversion into a number such as beats per minute. This information may be displayed on the piece of athletic equipment 10 via the display 30, sent to a remote location for monitoring or analysis via the transmitter 48 or may be stored for later analysis on the memory device 50. The health sensor 28 and processor 42 may also include various alarm features, such as when the athlete reaches a maximum allowable heart rate or blood pressure. This alarm may sound through either a built-in speaker (not shown) or an external speaker.

Generally, features of the present invention have been described for use in association with a boxing glove 12. Figures 4 and 5 show the application of many of these features to other forms of athletic equipment 10. Figure 4 shows where an impact sensor 26, health sensor 28 and display 30 may be located on a user's boot 56. This may be useful in evaluating the performance of soccer players, football kickers, etc. Alternatively, Figure 5 shows where an impact sensor 26, health sensor 28 and display 30 may be located on a set of shoulder pads 62. Shoulder pads 62 equipped in such a manner may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a block, tackle or hit during a football game. These sensors may also be placed within athletic clothing as well, such as headbands, wristbands, etc. A general description of the present invention as well as a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been set forth above. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will recognize and be able to practice additional variations in the methods and systems described which fall within the teachings of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications and additions are deemed to be within the scope of the

invention which is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A piece of athletic equipment worn by an athlete for evaluation of the athlete, the piece of equipment comprising: a body including a non-contact portion and a contact portion; an impact sensor secured to the contact portion of the body; and a health sensor secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

2. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 1 further comprising: a processor to receive data from the impact sensor and the health sensor.

3. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 2 further comprising: a transmitter operatively connected to the processor, the transmitter receiving data from the processor and transmitting the data to a remote location.

4. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 1 further comprising: a battery removably secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

5. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 1 further comprising: an amplifier operatively connected to the impact sensor.

6. A piece of athletic equipment worn by an athlete for evaluation of the athlete, the piece of equipment comprising: a body including a non-contact portion and a contact portion; an impact sensor secured to the contact portion of the body; and a display secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

7. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 6 further comprising: a health sensor secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

8. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 6 further comprising: a processor to receive data from the impact sensor.

9. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 8 further comprising: a transmitter operatively connected to the processor, the transmitter receiving data from the processor and transmitting the data to a remote location.

10. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 6 further comprising: a battery removably secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

11. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 6 further comprising: an amplifier operatively connected to the impact sensor.

12. A piece of athletic equipment worn by an athlete for evaluation of the athlete, the piece of equipment comprising: a body including a non-contact portion and a contact portion; an impact sensor secured to the contact portion of the body; and a memory device secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

13. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 further comprising: a health sensor secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

14. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 further comprising: a processor to receive data from the impact sensor.

15. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 14 further comprising: a transmitter operatively connected to the processor, the transmitter receiving data from the processor and transmitting the data to a remote location.

16. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 further comprising: a battery removably secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

17. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 further comprising: an amplifier operatively connected to the impact sensor.

18. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 wherein the memory device is removable.

19. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 further comprising: a display secured to the non-contact portion of the body.

20. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 wherein the athletic equipment is a boxing glove.

21. The piece of athletic equipment of claim 12 wherein the athletic equipment t.