Patent Application
20110149694
This invention relates generally to a device used by the swimmer to measure elapsed time of a swim, count the number of laps, and analyze the swim.
Available information on the Internet indicates that there are 300,000 competitive swimmers of all age groups and another 40,000 well trained swimmers who swim regularly in the United States. These numbers probably imply that there are roughly one million competitive and/or well trained swimmers in the world, and the number is probably growing rapidly as the income level of people in some of large developing nations is rising rapidly. One swim device that is probably sought by these swimmers and possibly many more millions of regular recreational swimmers is a wearable device that is capable of measuring elapsed time accurately, counting the number of laps in a swim automatically, and making alarm sounds while the swimmer is swimming the last lap or length.
Two types of swim devices are available in the market for the individual swimmer in measuring elapsed time and counting the number of laps: one is a touch panel that is attached to end walls of a lane and is pressed by the swimmer when he/she reaches an end wall, and the other is a chronograph that is worn on a wrist of the swimmer and its start/finish button is pressed by the swimmer. Each type has a different problem: the former may not work well when a plurality of swimmers share the same lane, and the latter will not be able to measure the elapsed time accurately especially in short distance swims.
The swim device described in this invention is aimed to solve those problems in the available swim devices. The basic approach of the invention is to use pressure sensors worn by a swimmer on at least one hand and at least on one foot, and clock key time points such as the start, turns and the finish in a swim. Each of these sensors is connected by wires to a wearable integrated circuit chip (ICC) computer equipped with an internal clock. One of the ICC computers is housed in a chronograph like housing equipped with a display unit and a whistle-sounding alarm for signaling starting and last lap or last length, and worn on a wrist (a wrist unit) in which the ICC computer analyzes sensor data on-line real time and determines whether a turning is made after every turn. The data collected by the other touch pressure sensors worn on other hand and feet and stored in the ICC computers are transferred to the wrist unit via contactless communications and automatically combined together immediately after the swim, and the results are shown on the display of the wrist unit. A serious competitor who requires accurate measurements of elapsed time and splits in a swim could use a fully equipped system, and a recreational swimmer who does not need splits or accurate total elapsed time could use only a wrist unit to which a sensor (or sensors) is/are connected.
An object of this invention is the provision of a wearable swim device that is able to measure elapsed time of not only the total distance but also splits of a swim; is able to make sounds at the last lap or last length of the swim; and is able to count the number of laps the swimmer swam automatically in any of the existing swim stroke types including individual medley.
An object of this invention is the provision of a swim device that is able to fulfill the aforementioned object even when a plurality of swimmers all of who may or may not use the same device share the same lane.
An object of this invention is the provision of a swim device that is able to fulfill the first aforementioned object even when a plurality of swimmers of a same team wearing this swim device swim a medley.
The preferred embodiment of a swim device includes a wearable wrist unit system equipped with a couple of sensors, a hand sensor unit that is wearable on a hand, and at least one foot sensor unit that is wearable on a foot.
The wrist unit includes at least one integrated circuit chip (ICC) computer that includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM and input/output interface; a couple of pressure sensors attached to finger caps or equivalent, a battery; an alarm with whistle-like sounds produced at the start of a swim and during the last lap or the last length of the swim while the swimmer's wrist unit wearing hand is in the air; a display means and housing equipped with push buttons; and a wrist band with an embedded antenna. The wrist unit receives input data manually from the user, transmits an activation pulse and receives pressure data to/from the hand and foot sensor units via contactless radio frequency communications, processes data generated by the hand and foot sensor units, and displays the input data and processed data.
The hand sensor unit includes at least one integrated circuit chip (ICC) computer that includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM and input/output interface; an antenna used for contactless radio frequency interface; at least one pressure sensor that detects pressure applied to the sensor surface; and a battery. The pressure sensor is attached to an elastic finger cap or equivalent (an elastic band having a fastener at each of the two ends and straps around the tip segment) of a finger in such a manner that the pressure sensor faces the inner side of the finger. The foot sensor unit is identical to the hand sensor unit except that the cap or equivalent to which the pressure sensor is affixed is worn on a big toe.
The swim device also includes an interface that is used in data transfer between a computer (PC or equivalent) and the three wearable units; i.e., the hand sensor unit, the foot sensor unit, and the wrist unit, and software run on the computer.
The above description and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more clearly understood from the following description when considered with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and not by way of limitation of the invention. In the drawings, like reference characters refer to the same parts in the several views:
The preferred embodiment of a wearable (and thus waterproof or water resistance) swim device 10 worn by a swimmer includes a wrist unit system 60 that includes a wrist unit 18 wearable on a wrist and a couple of sensors wearable on the hand on the same side of the body, one hand sensor unit 20 wearable on the hand on the other side of the body, and at least one foot sensor unit 40 that is wearable on a foot. The wrist unit 18, the hand sensor unit 20 and the foot sensor unit 40 are equipped with a contactless communication means, and the wrist unit 18 is able to communicate wirelessly with the hand sensor unit 20 and the foot sensor unit 40 before and after the swim.
The wrist unit system 60 (see
The touch pressure sensor 14 is attached to the surface of a cap 12 that is worn on the first segment of a finger, or attached to a band that straps around the first segment of the finger, and connected to the single chip computer 18 by wires; a touch pressure sensor 9 is attached to the surface of another cap 8 or equivalent that is worn on the first segment of another finger, and connected to the single chip computer 18 by wires. The wrist unit receives swim related input data off-line from the user manually and/or wirelessly via a PC or equivalent; transmits the off-line input data to the hand and foot sensor units and receives the pressure data off-line from the hand and foot sensor units via radio frequency communications; processes the on/off sensor data (see the following paragraph) generated by the hand and foot sensor units; and displays the input data and processed data.
The touch pressure sensor shown by reference characters 9 and 14 attached to the caps 12 (and the sensor 24 in the hand sensor unit 20 and the sensor 44 in the foot sensor unit 40) of the preferred embodiment in
As shown in
The foot sensor unit 40 shown in
In
The wrist unit 18 is able to store as much input and output data as its EEPROM in the integrated circuit chip computer allows. While in the input page 82 (see
As the input page displaying a specific swim number, pressing of the display selection button 70 once shows the first page 84 of the output data of that swim number as shown in
It is expected that the pressure applied to the foot pressure sensor will close the circuit at the time point at which the swimmer kicks the pool wall 99 (or the starting stand) at the start. Similarly, it is expected that the pressure applied to the hand pressure sensor and the sensor attached to a finger's cap that is attached to the wrist unit will close the circuit at the time point at which the swimmer touches the pool wall 101 and 101′ at the goal. Thus, from these time points that show the earliest “on” time of the starting time pulses 99 and earliest “on” time (or a starting point of the on pulse) of the finishing time pulses 101′, it should be possible to measure the time duration 107 it took to swim the defined distance. The split 110 may be measured by measuring the time duration between the start and the turning time, which is recognized by the earliest starting time of a pulse 105 generated by one of the feet. If a starting whistle is used, the time duration 109 between the whistle set off time 103 at the start and the earliest time point of the pressure sensor pulses 101 is the time spent in the swim. The swim time duration without the starting whistle should be shorter than that with the starting whistle.
The touch pressure sensor 9 that is attached to the cap worn on a finger detects the pressure caused by the hand and the water, and closes the circuit at every stroke and creates pulses 97 in the pressure diagram. The software in the wrist unit analyzes the pattern of the pulses on-line real time, and is able to identify a turn after the swimmer swam with a dolphin stroke for a several seconds.
It is expected that the pressure applied to the foot pressure sensor becomes distinguishably higher at the time point at which the swimmer kicks the pool wall 99A (or the starting stand) at the start or made a turn, and thus the foot pressure sensor should be able to detect the time point at which the swimmer started or made a turn. Similarly, it is expected that the pressure applied to the hand pressure sensor becomes distinguishably higher at the time point at which the swimmer touches the pool wall 101A at the goal, and thus the hand pressure sensor should be able to detect the time point at which the swimmer finished the swim. Thus, from these time points that show the earliest time of the highest pressures at the starting time and earliest time at the finishing times 101A, it should be possible to measure the time duration 107A it took to swim the defined distance, and the split 110A may be measured by timing the duration between the start and the turning times, which is recognized by the high pressure 105A generated by one of the feet or both feet. If a starting whistle is used, measure the time duration 109A between the whistle set off time 103A at the start and the earliest time the pressure of either hand sensor unit starts to increase at the finish.
An alternative embodiment 60A of the wrist unit with a pressure sensor has only one pressure sensor (instead of two) that is able to detect varying pressure as shown in
Pressure sensors of alternative embodiments shown in
The swim device includes an interface 120 to a PC or equivalent 122 that is used in contactless data transmission between the computer and the three wearable units, and a computer software to analyze the pressure sensor data generated by the hand and foot sensor units; i.e., the hand sensor unit, the foot sensor unit, and the wrist unit system (see
The computer 122 is used to synchronize the internal clocks of the three wearable units with the internal clock of the computer; to input selected data such as user name and password to the wearable units; to analyze pressure data; and to use as a surrogate of a wrist unit for an individual swimmer or a base unit for a plurality of swimmers each using at least one hand sensor unit and one foot sensor unit. The base unit functions like a wrist unit for a plurality of swimmers: it synchronizes clocks as discussed above, creates whistle-like sounds at the start (the computer must be equipped with a speaker), receives on/off data or pressure data of a plurality of swimmers, clocks the starting time, computes the swim results of all the participating swimmers, and analyzes their swim.
Another alternative embodiment of the swim device comprises a chronograph 60B (or equivalent), a mechanically activated push button 20B and a coil shaped wire 121 enclosed in a tube that connects the push button and the chronograph that is equipped with an alarm that makes sounds of a whistle (see
As shown in
Alternative Embodiment 10D includes the wrist unit system (60 or 60A) with the pressure sensor or sensors that is able to make whistle-like sounds in the last lap or last 24, length of the swim.
Alternative Embodiment 10E comprises a computer 122A equipped with necessary software and the interface, at least one hand sensor unit, and at least one foot sensor unit. In this alternative, the computer 122A is a surrogate of the wrist unit 18 in the preferred embodiment, and thus the software included in the computer 122A must include the functionality in the software in the wrist unit 18.
Another alternative embodiment includes a wrist unit that vibrates instead of making sounds while in the last lap or length.
The invention having been described in detail in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Patent Statutes, various other changes and modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in this art. It is intended that such changes and modifications shall fall within the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
