Patent Application
20240058648
Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with boxing exercise and fitness tracking systems, devices, and methods. More particularly, the invention describes a pair of boxing gloves equipped with wireless trackers communicating with a central computing block to detect and report a variety of desirable fitness parameters, including those based on the measured arm length as well as the weight of the used weighted blocks, such as punch type, punch speed, punch momentum, total work, and calories burnt, among others.
Boxing is a popular sport. It provides a comprehensive workout and improves physical stamina, among other benefits. Proper boxing technique is important to maximize the benefits as well as to improve the chances of winning a boxing match. Objective monitoring of boxing is helpful to facilitate improvements in boxing techniques and determining personalized recommendations to the boxer.
The use of trackers inserted into or otherwise mounted on the boxing gloves is generally known. Typically, these trackers contain accelerometers or other sensors that can be used to track the number of boxing punches and other basic information characterizing a boxing exercise session. However, these trackers do not distinguish between different users and therefore cannot provide user-specific information that is needed for a comprehensive understanding of a boxing exercise session, or user performance in a boxing match.
Other types of known sensors to track boxing exercises utilize optical markers that are recognized by external cameras and configured to track the motion of these markers as a way to characterize the boxing exercise. These systems suffer from similar limitations of having to rely on an assumption of a generic user and not capable of taking into account individual characteristics or a particular user or whether an additional weight is added to the glove for the increased difficulty of the exercise.
Weighted boxing gloves are used to increase the intensity and difficulty of the boxing workout. A variety of such gloves are broadly known from the prior art. Some of the designs of a weighted boxing glove are described in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 16,949,138 and 17,712,092 incorporated herein by reference. Other designs are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,279,163; 4,911,433; and 4,830,360 describing weighted gloves that include weights positioned at various points along the hand portion of the glove, including on the back of the hand and on the fingers. Further types of weighted gloves for use as exercise gloves are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,553,574; 4,923,418; 4,330,120; 3,124,806; 2,011,362; and 889397. These gloves likewise employ weights located on the back of the user's hand and, while potentially useful for certain fitness purposes, for the glove to provide meaningful exercise to the arms and chest, the user may prefer weights that are heavier than those that can be easily supported by the hand or fingers alone.
Since the weight of the weighted inserts may change as the user switches from one pair of inserts to another, current boxing glove trackers are not capable to take into account the additional weight of the weighted boxing gloves, and therefore while used, they may show erroneous tracking information.
Another limitation of the current tracking systems for boxing gloves is that they are not capable of differentiating between different types of boxing punches. Detecting the punch by itself is useful but detecting the type of the punch is much more descriptive in characterizing the boxing session.
The need exists therefore for a more comprehensive tracking system capable of providing user-specific information about the boxing exercise session, types of punches performed by the user, and featuring high accuracy of detected and computed information in case of the use of weighted boxing gloves.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior art by providing a novel system and methods for monitoring a boxing session.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel boxing tracking system capable of providing more complete information about the boxing exercise including parameters calculated using user-related data.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel system for tracking a boxing exercise that maintains its accuracy when boxing gloves are equipped with various additional weights to increase the intensity of the exercise.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method of accurately characterizing and detecting various known types of punch during the exercise.
The exercise data tracking system of the invention and an exercise kit may include a pair of battery-operated or rechargeable trackers configured to be associated with a corresponding pair of boxing gloves. The term “associated with” in this description refers to attaching the tracker to a corresponding boxing glove so that the movement of the glove is the same as the movement of the tracker. Various types of attachments include embedding the tracker inside the glove, attaching the tracker outside the glove, etc. The glove may be configured to receive the tracker, for example, the glove may have a compartment configured for positioning the tracker therein. In other embodiments, the glove may be of a conventional design and the tracker may be equipped with fastening elements configured for such attachment.
Each tracker in turn may contain a tracker processor, a tracker wireless transmitter/receiver, and a tracker motion sensor, such as an accelerometer.
The system may include a set of pairs of weighted blocks of predetermined weights configured to be associated with the pair of boxing gloves. In other words, the weights may be configured to be made insertable into a dedicated weight pocket, for example using a design described in my co-pending patent applications.
The system may further include a central computing block comprising a central processor and a central wireless transmitter/receiver configured for independent two-way communication with both wireless tracker transmitters/receivers. The central computing block may further include an input block configured for entering the arm length of a user and the weight of each weighted block, and an output block for displaying various information related to the boxing exercise. This information may be computed by the individual trackers based on the entered arm length and weight and communicated back to the central computing block to be displayed to the user. Since it is based on specifics of the weights and the individual user, it is, therefore, an accurate and user-specific record of the boxing exercise. Examples of the information displayed by the output block may include punch speed, punch momentum, and work. In other embodiments, additional information displayed to the user may include punch count, and calories burnt during the exercise.
While the central computing block may be a stand-alone computer or another electronic device, in other embodiments, the entire function thereof may be realized as an application for a smartphone, in which case only the trackers, a set of weighted blocks, and optionally a set of dedicated boxing gloves may constitute a complete boxing exercise and tracking kit.
A further improvement of the present invention is a method of detecting the type of punch during the boxing exercise. The method is based on using the system described above to record motion data for a plurality of users performing preassigned types of boxing punches. This allows for defining a motion “signature” associated with typical types of boxing punches. Once that is accomplished for a sufficiently diverse group of users, these “signatures” may be stored in a processor of each tracker. After that, the system may be used to compare the motion of a new user to the stored “signatures” of different punches to determine the type of punch performed by the new user. That information may also be transmitted to the central computing block and displayed to the user as part of the record of the boxing exercise.
Subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not obscure the present invention.
One or more different inventions may be described in the present application. Further, for one or more of the invention(s) described herein, numerous embodiments may be described in this patent application, and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not intended to be limiting in any sense. One or more of the invention(s) may be widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as is readily apparent from the disclosure. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice one or more of the invention(s), and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural, logical, software, electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the one or more of the invention(s). Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that the one or more of the invention(s) may be practiced with various modifications and alterations. Particular features of one or more of the invention(s) may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments or figures that form a part of the present disclosure, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments of one or more of the invention(s). It should be understood, however, that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or figures with reference to which they are described. The present disclosure is neither a literal description of all embodiments of one or more of the invention(s) nor a listing of features of one or more of the invention(s) that must be present in all embodiments.
Headings of sections provided in this patent application and the title of this patent application are for convenience only and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.
Devices that are in communication with each other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices that are in communication with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.
A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. To the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of one or more of the invention(s).
Further, although process steps, method steps, algorithms, or the like may be described in sequential order, such processes, methods, and algorithms may be configured to work in alternate orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be described in this patent application does not, in and of itself, indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of described processes may be performed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to one or more of the invention(s), and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred.
When a single device or article is described, it will be readily apparent that more than one device/article (whether or not they cooperate) may be used in place of a single device/article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described (whether or not they cooperate), it will be readily apparent that a single device/article may be used in place of more than one device or article.
The functionality and/or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices that are not explicitly described as having such functionality/features. Thus, other embodiments of one or more of the invention(s) need not include the device itself.
Each shock-resistant tracker 12 and 22 may be self-contained (enclosed in a dedicated housing and equipped with a suitable power supply, such as a coin battery or a rechargeable battery) and include a wireless transmitter/receiver with a suitable antenna configured for two-way communication allowing wireless transmission of data to the tracker 12 or 22 from the central computing block 35 and transmission of other data in the opposite direction. Any suitable wireless communication protocol may be used to communicate between the trackers and the central computing block 35, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, and others. Each tracker 12 and 22 may be made to be small enough so as to be attached to or be incorporated with the respective boxing gloves 40 and 50 in an unobtrusive manner so as not to interfere with the boxing exercise.
Each tracker 12 and 22 may comprise a tracker processor and a tracker motion sensor, in addition to the battery and the wireless transmitter/receiver. The tracker motion sensor may be an accelerometer, such as a unidimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional accelerometer, which may be built into the chip containing the tracker processor or represent a separate stand-alone component, as the invention is not limited in this regard. In other embodiments, the motion sensor may include an optical marker or another sensing technology allowing the system to detect the motion of the respective glove associated therewith.
Each tracker processor may be configured to accept data transmitted by the central computing block 35, accept data from the tracker motion sensor, and compute a list of parameters characterizing the boxing session as described below.
The central computing block 35 may be made as a stand-alone electronic device or it may be incorporated as a software application with a conventional electronic computing device 30 such as a computer, a laptop, a tablet, a smartphone, a smartwatch, etc. Functionally, the central computing block 35 may include a central processor, a central wireless transmitter/receiver configured for independent two-way communication with both wireless tracker transmitters/receivers, an input block configured for entering user-specific parameters, and an output block for displaying the information related to the boxing session.
The initial setup of the system may include entering the name of the user, and at least one user-specific parameter, such as an arm length measured from the shoulder to the hand. Arm length is a critical parameter that is used in various calculations as described below. Another parameter that may be entered during initial setup is the weight of the weighted blocks 11 and 21, if any.
Other optional information entered into the input block may include user gender, age, height, weight, and other parameters that may be useful in subsequent analysis of the boxing exercise session.
During use, the central computing block 35 may be configured to transmit at least the arm length and the weight of the weighted block to the respective trackers 12 and 22. The motion of the glove 40 or 50 may be recognized by using a corresponding tracker motion sensor and notion data may be recognized and analyzed by the tracker processor. Each tracker processor may be further configured to determine at least some from a number of parameters characterizing the exercise session as follows:
The calculated data for each individual arm may then be transmitted back to the central computing block 35, displayed for the user, or communicated further for additional analysis and processing.
Punch type determination is another advantageous feature of the present invention. Conventional trackers are generally not capable of determining this parameter of the boxing exercise. A typical list of common boxing punch types may include:
One novel method of detecting the type of punch performed by a user is to recognize that all the punch types have individual motion “signature”, or a common motion pattern that is different between different punch types. To recognize these motion patterns, big data processing algorithms and artificial intelligence may be advantageously used to process calibrating data. Such calibrating data may include records of motion patterns for a large number of diverse users who are asked to perform common punch types in a known order. After providing the system of the trackers and, optionally, the sets of paired weighting blocks to this plurality of users, data collection may be performed by recording motion data from all of these users and correlating them to known types of punches.
As a result, motion data for each type of punch from a plurality of users may be collected and analyzed to identify specific patterns characterizing each type of boxing punch and separating each punch type from other punch types.
This effort may produce a digital “signature” identifying unique motion patterns for each punch type. This information may then be loaded into each tracker processor. Once this information is available, the tracker processor may be configured to compare motion data acquired from each new user against digital “signatures” and patterns associated with common boxing punch types. Thereafter, in use, the system of the invention may provide not only the information as discussed above but supplement this information with the punch type for each individual arm of the user.
In embodiments, the method of determining a punch type for a boxing exercise may include the following steps:
At least 20 users may be required to record reliable calibration data, with a higher number providing higher confidence in the result, such as that collected from at least 25 users, at least 30 users, at least 35 users, or at least 40 users. In addition, the boxing gloves may be equipped with weighted blocks of various weights, so the calibration data may be recorded for each weight set individually, in repeated calibration recording sessions.
Overall, there are several important advantages of the present invention as compared to traditional trackers positioned on boxing gloves:
It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented with respect to any method of the invention, and vice versa. It will be also understood that particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
All publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Incorporation by reference is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein, no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein, and any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.
As used in this specification and claims, the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. In embodiments of any of the compositions and methods provided herein, “comprising” may be replaced with “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of”. As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” requires the specified integer(s) or steps as well as those that do not materially affect the character or function of the claimed invention. As used herein, the term “consisting” is used to indicate the presence of the recited integer (e.g., a feature, an element, a characteristic, a property, a method/process step or a limitation) or group of integers (e.g., feature(s), element(s), characteristic(s), propertie(s), method/process steps or limitation(s)) only.
The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, Aft AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, Aft BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.
As used herein, words of approximation such as, without limitation, “about”, “substantial” or “substantially” refers to a condition that when so modified is understood to not necessarily be absolute or perfect but would be considered close enough to those of ordinary skill in the art to warrant designating the condition as being present. The extent to which the description may vary will depend on how great a change can be instituted and still have one of ordinary skill in the art recognize the modified feature as still having the required characteristics and capabilities of the unmodified feature. In general, but subject to the preceding discussion, a numerical value herein that is modified by a word of approximation such as “about” may vary from the stated value by at least ±1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 or 25%.
All of the devices and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the devices and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the devices and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
