Systems and methods for quantitatively detecting motion

Abstract

A system for quantitatively detecting motion includes a signal transmitter (203) and two signal receivers (202, 204) positioned in series along a first axis (212) parallel to a second axis (211) of motion of a reflective marker (M) disposed on a moving object. The reflective marker (M) is configured to reflect a signal emitted by the transmitter (203) toward the receivers (202, 204). The two receivers (202, 204) have a signal receiving coverage area that allows for the presence of a reflective marker (M) location on the second axis (211), wherein a reflective marker (M) of a given size is simultaneously identified by both receivers (202, 204). The distance between these parallel axes is D. The distance between the transmitter (203) and the receivers (202) is D1E, and the distance between the transmitter (203) and the receivers (204) is D2E. The transmitter (203) emits a signal at an angle β, the receiver (202) receives a signal at an angle α, and the receiver (204) receives a signal at an angle y. In an embodiment, the integrated sensor includes a transmitter (203) typically an infrared LED and two receivers (202, 204) positioned on a single axis (typically a vertical axis). Another object of the invention is to provide a weightlifting system comprising a weight plate assembly having at least one barbell plate comprising the system described above, wherein reflective markings are affixed to at least one barbell plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for quantitatively detecting motion. In particular, the present invention relates to motion encoders utilizing reflective markers, the characteristics of which are very important factors in the system. Such encoders (commonly referred to as reflective encoders) are used to determine the direction and speed of motion of a reflective marker attached to an object. Background Art

[0002] The prior art specifies European patent application number 18461537.5, in which a system for assisting weightlifting exercises is disclosed. The system uses reflective markers that occupy only a portion of the side area of ​​the corresponding barbell plate, while the remaining side area of ​​the corresponding barbell plate is such that it reflects the transmitted signal to a lesser extent than the reflective marker. In addition, each reflective marker includes two different elements: reflector A and reflector B, which have different reflection characteristics.

[0003] While effective, this approach has several disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that it is more expensive to manufacture such a two-part marker. The second is that using a given sensor, such a two-part marker is larger than a typical single-part marker. Third, the process for detecting the two-part marker is more complex and requires more hardware / software resources, especially if there is a gap between the object on which the reflective marker is positioned. Fourth, the setup process of such a system is more difficult when using a two-part reflective marker, and therefore the deployment cost is relatively higher.

[0004] Additionally, large reflective markers limit the range of equipment that can employ such markers. Not all equipment has sufficient space to mount large markers (e.g., the side areas of a barbell plate).

[0005] Furthermore, known two-part reflective tags require a relatively small distance between the sensor and the tag, and in some deployment scenarios, a small distance may not be feasible. At larger distances, two-part reflective tags result in a gradual mixing of readings based on light reflected by the two reflective regions.

[0006] Therefore, it is preferable to overcome the above disadvantages and support barbell plates (or other sports objects) as thin as 1 cm (centimeter) or thinner, which is impossible with the prior art.

[0007] It would be advantageous to reduce the costs associated with reflective markings while maintaining the desired reliability of detection by motion encoder systems.

[0008] Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide a method for determining the minimum reflective mark size in a system and the minimum distance between consecutive reflective marks.

[0009] The present invention was developed with the goal of providing a system and method for quantitatively detecting motion, wherein a specific process is used to determine the minimum reflective mark size and the minimum distance between consecutive reflective marks. Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is a system for quantitatively detecting movement, the system comprising: a signal transmitter and two signal receivers, the signal transmitter and the two signal receivers being positioned in series along a first axis parallel to a second axis of movement of a reflective marker (M) arranged on a moving object, wherein the reflective marker (M) is configured to reflect the signal emitted by the transmitter toward the receiver; the system is characterized in that the two receivers have a signal receiving coverage range, allowing the presence of a reflective marker (M) position on the second axis, wherein a reflective marker (M) having a given size is simultaneously identified by the two receivers.

[0011] Preferably, the dimension H of the reflective mark on the second axis is m Calculated according to the following: The distance De between the first axis and the second axis m ; The distance between the transmitter and the first receiver De r0 ; the distance Der1 between the transmitter and the second receiver; the signal transmission angle βe of the transmitter; the signal reception angle αr0 of the first receiver; and the signal reception angle αr1 of the second receiver.

[0012] Preferably,

[0013] for and

[0014] Preferably, the dimension H of the reflective mark on the second axis is m and the distance between reflective markers are further calculated based on:

[0015]

[0016] Where: F-sampling frequency;

[0017] V max - Maximum movement speed of the reflective marker;

[0018] S req - the number of samples required to detect the direction of motion; and

[0019] H v - The distance between the reflective markers.

[0020] Preferably, D er0 and D er1 equal.

[0021] Preferably, α r0 and α r1 equal.

[0022] Preferably, the distance D between the transmitters is ee Calculated as:

[0023]

[0024] Preferably, at said position, when the signals reported by said two signal receivers are identical, their waveforms cross, while at the same time their respective values ​​are greater than 25% of the maximum value reported for the reflective marker.

[0025] Another object of the invention is to provide a weightlifting system comprising a weight plate set with at least one barbell plate, characterized in that the weightlifting system comprises a system according to the invention, wherein a reflective marking is attached to at least one barbell plate.

[0026] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining the direction of movement in the system for quantitatively detecting movement, the method comprising the following steps: determining that both signals from the two receivers have a predefined low value (T1); determining that one of the signals has presented a predefined high value and the other signal has maintained the low value (T2); then, checking whether the corresponding signal has presented the value of the other signal at (T2), thereby inverting the value of the signal (T3); checking again whether both signals have the low level (T5); and determining the direction of movement of the reflective mark based on the first signal and the last signal having the high level.

[0027] Preferably, the method further comprises the step of estimating the value of the signal (W ) at the time (T3) when the signal values ​​cross tr ); determine the maximum value registered by the receiver (W max ), and if The system then accepts the passage of the reflective marker.

[0028] Another object of the invention is to provide a computer program comprising program code means for performing all the steps of the computer-implemented method according to the invention, when said program is run on a computer.

[0029] Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computer, can perform all the steps of the computer-implemented method according to the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] These and other objects of the present invention set forth herein are achieved by providing a system and method for quantitatively detecting motion. Other details and features of the present invention, its nature and various advantages will become more apparent through the following detailed description of preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] Figure 1A A diagram of a system according to the invention is presented;

[0032] Figure 1B depicts an example of a reflective marking according to the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 Examples of combined transmitter / receiver pairs are presented;

[0034] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3F Different signal states depending on the determined position of the reflective marking according to the invention are presented;

[0035] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C The waveform of the signal presented when the marker is too small or the marker changes the direction of motion is shown;

[0036] Figure 5 An equation is presented that allows determining the minimum size of a reflective marker on the axis of motion;

[0037] Figure 6 Presented for supplementation Figure 5 An equation for determining the minimum size of the reflective marker on the axis of motion;

[0038] Figure 7 presents equations for calculating the distance between transmitters when the system utilizes multiple sensors positioned on an axis parallel to the axis of motion; and

[0039] Figure 8 A method according to the invention for determining a direction of motion based on a reflective encoder and a reflective marker is presented.

[0040] Symbols and terminology

[0041] Some portions of the detailed description that follows are presented in terms of data processing procedures, steps, or other symbolic representations of operations on data bits that can be performed on a computer memory. Accordingly, the computer's execution of such logical steps requires physical manipulations of physical quantities.

[0042] Typically, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. These signals are referred to, by convention, as bits, packets, messages, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.

[0043] Additionally, all of these terms and similar terms will be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Terms such as "process" or "create" or "transmit" or "execute" or "determine" or "detect" or "obtain" or "select" or "compute" or "generate" refer to the actions and processes of a computer system that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within memories or registers or other such information storage devices.

[0044] Computer-readable (storage) media such as those referred to herein may generally be non-transitory and / or include non-transitory devices. In this context, non-transitory storage media may include devices that may be tangible, meaning that the device has a specific physical form, but the device may change its physical state. Thus, for example, non-transitory means that the device remains tangible despite changes in state.

[0045] As used herein, the term "example" means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms "for example" and "such as" are used to list one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Figure 1A A diagram of a system implementing said motion detection according to the invention is presented. The system is a set of modules aimed at monitoring exercise activity on a weight plate set system.

[0047] Such a system is merely an example for employing a motion encoder according to the present invention.Quantitative detection of motion and direction is a common feature of so-called intelligent weight stack systems.

[0048] The electronic system may be implemented using dedicated components or custom FPGA or ASIC circuits. The system includes a system bus (101) communicatively coupled to a memory (104). In addition, other components of the system are communicatively coupled to the system bus (101) so that they can be managed by a controller (105). It will be apparent that instead of the system bus (101), a separate electrical connection may be used.

[0049] The memory (104) may store one or more computer programs executed by the controller (105) in order to perform the steps of the method according to the present invention. The memory (104) may store any configuration parameters of the system.

[0050] An external communication means (108) may be used to update the operating instructions of the controller (105) and to transmit exercise parameters and statistics to an external device such as the Internet. Such an external communication means (108) may be, but is not limited to, Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi.

[0051] A proximity sensor (107) such as an RFID sensor may be used to identify a particular user of the operating system. Such a user may be identified using a smartphone including RFID functionality or suitable exercise clothing (such as a glove) including RFID functionality configured to identify a particular user.

[0052] The system may also include several modules positioned on the fitness equipment, such as on a weight plate set.

[0053] These modules may include at least one reed switch (106) (or similar contact / proximity sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor) that provides an operating current when two contacts are in close proximity or direct connection with each other. Typically, a magnet will be used to activate the reed switch. The function of such a reed switch (106) is twofold, firstly it may indicate a low power mode when such a switch has not been activated for a longer period of time (a predefined time, such as 3 minutes), and secondly such a reed switch may identify the first barbell plate of a given weight plate set.

[0054] According to the present invention, the system comprises at least one transmitter / receiver pair (102, 103). Preferably, the at least one transmitter is an optical transmitter (102), and a corresponding receiver (103) comprising a pair of receivers is configured to conditionally receive a signal from the corresponding transmitter (102).

[0055] Said conditional reception requires the presence of appropriate reflective markers, as will be explained later.Thus, in a preferred embodiment, each transmitter (102) transmits a signal in a given axis (e.g. horizontally or vertically) depending on the orientation (direction of movement) of the weight plate.

[0056] Each transmitter (102) is configured to transmit a signal detectable by a receiver (103), such as a visible light beam, although other signals such as radio signals and infrared signals may also be used.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, the transmitter (103) is an infrared diode and the receiver (102) is a phototransistor.

[0058] As will become apparent from subsequent figures, at least one transmitter / receiver pair (102, 103) is positioned on one side of the fitness equipment. Thus, each barbell plate includes a reflective marker configured to reflect the detectable signal of the transmitter (102) and reflect it toward the receiver (103).

[0059] In a more general embodiment, the reflective marker is positioned on an object whose motion is monitored. In addition to weight plates, other possible objects for carrying the above-mentioned reflective markers are, for example: (1) automated guided vehicles and reflective markers positioned along a route; (2) different types of conveyor belts with reflective markers thereon; (3) controls for the motion and positioning of equipment (such as doors of elevators with reflective markers thereon).

[0060] In some embodiments, the reflective markings are more broadly referred to as encoding elements. In the case of reflective encoders, the rotational / linear motion of the object being monitored is converted into an equivalent light pattern by using a code wheel or codestrip or a sequence of reflective encoding elements.

[0061] As per Figure 1A It is obvious that the system can be operated using only a single transmitter / receiver pair (102, 103). However, embodiments with several transmitter / receiver pairs (102, 103) are also possible, as shown in the following part of this description.

[0062] The reflective markings (111, 121) are preferably such that they occupy only a portion of the side area of ​​the corresponding barbell plate (e.g. Figure 1B ), while the remaining side areas of the corresponding barbell plates (110, 120) are preferably rough (112, 122) and reflect the transmitted signal to a much lesser extent than the reflective markers.

[0063] When a barbell plate with said reflective marking (111, 121) on it has passed the phototransistor (receiver), it will register a change in the characteristics of the received signal (light) from a given state to another state. Naturally, different thresholds can be set for high and low states.

[0064] The degree to which the reflector reflects light enables a distinction to be made between the reflector and the plates and between situations where empty space exists between the plates in front of the receiver (103).

[0065] Referring to the reflectivity parameter of the reflective marker (111, 121), it is most convenient to use the value range provided by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) responsible for converting the signal received from the corresponding sensor.

[0066] In case of a 12 bit ADC the range is (0-4095). For barbell plates (when using a typical matte dark colour such as black) the returned values ​​are typically below 2000. The reflectors (111, 121) typically return values ​​in the range of over 2000.

[0067] The specific values ​​and ranges above depend on the resolution of the ADC. 0 represents black, while the maximum value represents white. For example, a 14-bit ADC will have a range of 0 to 16383, and the corresponding value of a 12-bit ADC will be proportionally converted by x4.

[0068] It is clear to those skilled in the art that the corresponding reflection characteristics can be defined within different ranges as long as the barbell plate and the reflector (111, 121) can be clearly distinguished.

[0069] Figure 2 An example of a combined transmitter / receiver pair (102, 103) is presented. In this embodiment, the integrated sensor comprises a transmitter (203), typically an infrared LED, and two receivers (202, 204) located on a single axis, typically a vertical axis.

[0070] This single axis is the axis of motion, i.e., in the case of vertical motion (Y axis), the X and Z coordinates of the transmitter and receiver (102, 103) are constant, while in the case of horizontal motion (X axis), the Y and Z coordinates of the transmitter and receiver (102, 103) are constant.

[0071] Typically, the two receivers (202, 204) will be identical, however embodiments with different receivers (202, 204) are possible but more difficult to manage by the controller (105).

[0072] The receiver (202, 204) is configured to register reflected light emitted by the transmitter (203).

[0073] Additional electrical and / or digital components such as transistors and resistors required for the transmitter (203) and receiver (202, 204) may be integrated in the form of a sensor controller (201) that is controlled by and reports to the main controller (105).

[0074] The sensor controller (201) may report the direction of motion detected (eg, up, down, absent) and the speed of the motion, and preferably a corresponding timestamp.

[0075] Now that the sensor arrangement has been presented, the method of operation of the sensors will be described in detail. The sensors and their proper placement allow for the correct detection of the barbell plates (having reflective markings thereon) and their direction of movement.

[0076] The data from the phototransistor receivers (103, 202, 204) is typically in the form of a stream of digital values ​​(after conversion by an analog to digital converter, which is preferably part of the controller (105)).

[0077] Therefore, in order to reliably detect the direction of motion, two receivers (202, 204) are used which will detect a given reflective marker at different times.

[0078] An additional signal range to consider when detecting marks is to define the range of barbell plates without marks. Typically, this range falls between 0 and 650 (12-bit ADC) because barbell plates are often painted black or other dark colors (obviously, other definitions of this range are possible).

[0079] In such a setup of such a system it is very important to determine the minimum size of the reflective marks and the minimum distance between consecutive reflective marks.

[0080] The determination requires the signal transmission angle of the transmitter (203), the signal reception angle of the receiver (202, 204), the distance between the receiver (202, 204) and the transmitter (203), the distance between the receiver (202, 204) and the reflective marker, and the sampling frequency of the receiver (202, 204).

[0081] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3F Different signal states according to the invention are presented which depend on the determined position of the reflective marking.

[0082] The preferred behavior of the system is such that during the movement of the reflective marker along its axis (211) parallel to the axis (212) of motion of the sensor, there is a period of time during which both receivers (202, 204) detect the reflective marker. FIG. 3A to FIG. 3F This situation is depicted in .

[0083] Figure 3A An arrangement is presented in which a transmitter (203) and receivers (202, 204) are positioned in series along an axis (212) parallel to an axis (211) of motion of a reflective marker (M). The distance between these parallel axes is (D). The distance between the transmitter (203) and the receiver (202) is (D1E), while the distance between the transmitter (203) and the receiver (204) is (D2E). The signal transmission angle of the transmitter (203) is β, while the signal reception angle of the receiver (202) is α, and the signal reception angle of the receiver (204) is γ.

[0084] Figure 3BThe system state at time T1 is shown, where the marker (M) starts moving towards the sensor and the receivers (202, 203) do not pick up any signal from the reflective markers because the transmitted signal (203) is not reflected towards them (205).

[0085] exist Figure 3C , the reflective marker (M) reflects light only toward the reflector (204), and the reported value is high or close to high. A high (H) value may correspond to a maximum value or to a value above a given threshold. Similarly, a low (L) value may correspond to a minimum value or to a value below a given threshold. Thus, in the figure, a (H) level is present at time T2.

[0086] Figure 3D A reflective marker (M) is depicted at approximately the location of the transmitter (203). Thus, the signals from the receivers (202, 204) have very similar values ​​at time T3.

[0087] Next, in Figure 3E , at time T4, the reflective marker (M) passes the receiver (202) and its corresponding signal value begins to decrease. The value of the signal corresponding to the receiver (204) is close to (L-low) because the reflective marker (M) completely passes the receiver (204).

[0088] exist Figure 3F , the reflective mark (M) has passed the receiver (202), and the signal values ​​of both receivers are at L level.

[0089] In the case where the size of the marker (M) is too small, the signals will be completely separated, i.e., they will not cross at time T3, as shown in Figure 4A In this case, it is not possible to identify in which direction the reflective marker is moving.

[0090] In the case where the reflective markers are too small, an uncertainty will be presented when a given marker after the T2 position returns to the T1 position instead of advancing to the T3 position (in other words, switching direction of motion) and then another marker above it will generate a signal on the receiver (202). From the perspective of the return signal analyzer, the response will be the same as in the case of normal upward motion.

[0091] In other words, the present invention requires that both receivers (202, 204) have a coverage range that allows the presence of reflective marker positions on the axis (211) of their movement, wherein a given reflective marker (M) of a given size is simultaneously recognized by both receivers (202, 204). In addition, taking into account this requirement, the present invention provides a method for determining the minimum size of a reflective marker when this condition is met.

[0092] Due to this arrangement, when the reflective marker changes its direction of motion while approaching the sensor, the resulting waveform may appear as follows: FIG. 4B to FIG. 4C The two shapes shown in . The shape depends on how far the reflective marker has moved toward the emitter of a given sensor.

[0093] Figure 5 The equations that allow the determination of the minimum size of the reflective marker on the axis of motion are presented. To this end, there are two equations in the case where the distance between the transmitter (203) and the first receiver (202) is different from the distance between the transmitter (202) and the second receiver (204). The parameters of the equations are as follows:

[0094] D er0 - a distance between the transmitter (203) and the first receiver (202) on an axis (212) parallel to the axis (211) of movement of the reflective marking;

[0095] D er1 - the distance between the transmitter (203) and the second receiver (204) on an axis (212) parallel to the axis (211) of movement of the reflective marking;

[0096] α r0 - a reception angle of the first receiver (202) on an axis perpendicular to the axis (211) of movement of the reflective marker;

[0097] α r1 - a reception angle of the second receiver (204) on an axis perpendicular to the axis (211) of movement of the reflective marking;

[0098] β e - the emission angle of the emitter (203) on an axis perpendicular to the axis (211) of movement of the reflective marking;

[0099] H m - the minimum dimension (211) of the reflective mark on the axis of movement;

[0100] D em - The distance between the axis of movement of the reflective marker (211) and the parallel axis of the transmitter / receiver (212).

[0101] Usually, the angle α r0 , α r1 and β e The shape of a cone or cone-like coverage area (transmit or receive, respectively) is formed in three-dimensional space.

[0102] The size of the reflective mark in the axis perpendicular to the axis of motion (211) can be chosen more freely and is usually equal to or similar to H msize, since having a larger size is inefficient, while having a smaller size is possible but not preferred.

[0103] As long as H is applied m , H v and D ee , the maximum size of the reflective mark in the axis of motion is not important. The system works correctly with any size. However, shorter marks that meet the minimum size constraints will always be preferred.

[0104] In D er0 Different from D er1 In the case of , it is preferred to choose the most unfavorable value, that is, the larger of the two, and use that value in the remaining calculations.

[0105] This is the first part that determines the minimum reflective mark size on the axis of motion (211). The other part is related to the sampling frequency and the maximum speed of motion of the reflective mark.

[0106] Figure 6 Presented for supplementation Figure 5 In order to determine the minimum size of the reflective mark on the axis of motion (211), the equation Figure 5 These parameters are optionally used in addition to the calculations shown in .

[0107] The parameters of the equation are as follows:

[0108] F - sampling frequency;

[0109] V max - Maximum movement speed of the reflective marker;

[0110] S req - Number of samples required to detect the direction of movement; this parameter is related to the number of states that must be detected in order to determine the direction of movement. This aspect will be presented in more detail in the remainder of this specification;

[0111] H v - The distance between the reflective markers.

[0112] Figure 7 An equation for calculating the minimum distance between transmitters when the system utilizes multiple sensors positioned on an axis (212) parallel to the axis of motion (211) is presented. As the distance between transmitters increases, the system loses accuracy, ie, reports changes less frequently.

[0113] The parameters of the equation are as follows:

[0114] D ee- The distance between the transmitters calculated for the two receivers (202, 204) respectively; in case of identical distances, only one equation is sufficient. er1 D ee Different from targeting D er0 D ee In the case of , it is preferred to choose the most unfavorable value, that is, the larger of the two, and use that value in the remaining calculations.

[0115] when When Figure 4A However, if the reflective mark is larger, the waveform will have a shape like FIG. 3B to FIG. 3F This ensures that there is a time point (T3, Figure 3D ). If H m Too small and it is impossible to determine the direction of movement of the reflective mark, especially when multiple reflective marks are positioned on the axis of movement (211).

[0116] Figure 8 A method according to the invention for determining the direction of movement based on a reflective encoder and a reflective marker is presented. This is possible based on reading signals from two receivers (202, 204) having the following characteristics: Figure 3F The waveform shown in .

[0117] Four states are distinguished, and the four states form a sequence. At step (801), it is determined that the two signals from the corresponding receivers (202, 204) have a low value (T1). This can be regarded as state (A). Subsequently, at step (802), one of the signals presents a high value, while the other signal maintains a low value, which occurs at time T2 and can be regarded as state (B). Next, at step (803), it is checked whether the corresponding signal presents an inverted value, i.e., the value of the other signal at T2. This occurs at T3 and is regarded as state (C). Step (803) can be performed multiple times. Finally, at step (804), it is checked whether the two signals have a low level again (at T5), which is regarded as state (D).

[0118] After detecting the sequence AD, the method estimates (805) the value of the signal at the time (T3) when the signal values ​​cross (ie, have the same or substantially the same value) based on the closest sampled value of the signal at T3. tr ).

[0119] Furthermore, during the sequence (801-803), the maximum value (W) registered by the receivers (202, 204) is determined (806). max ).if The system then counts the passage of the reflective mark (807), which is valid.

[0120] The above thresholds are used as a way to eliminate noise (external signal interference such as other ambient reflections of light). Additionally, the area on which the reflective marker is affixed may also be non-uniform in terms of signal reflection. This noise level is typically low and can be cut off using this threshold method.

[0121] At time (T3), when the signal value crosses a preferred level for the signal to cross, preferably greater than 25% of the maximum value reported for a given reflective marker, with higher values ​​being preferred.

[0122] The direction of movement is determined by the first signal and the last signal having a high level (808), such that:

[0123]

[0124] The following and leading receivers (202, 204) are determined based on the primary direction of movement (eg, vertical and upwards from a resting position in the case of a weight stack) and their positioning relative to the transmitter (203).

[0125] For example, assuming that the axis of motion (211) is vertical and upward, the receiver "following in the main direction of motion" is the upper receiver, and the receiver "advancing in the main direction of motion" is the lower receiver of the sensor. When the first H signal is registered by the lower receiver and the last H signal is registered by the upper receiver, then there is "motion in the main direction of motion", i.e., upward vertical motion.

[0126] In another scenario, assuming that the axis of motion (211) is horizontal and towards the left, the receiver "following in the main direction of motion" is the left receiver, and the receiver "advancing in the main direction of motion" is the right receiver of the sensor. When the first H signal is registered by the left receiver and the last H signal is registered by the right receiver, then there is "motion against the main direction of motion", i.e. horizontal motion towards the right.

[0127] The movement speed of the reflective marker can be calculated based on the duration of the state sequence AD. The distance traveled by the marker at time T5-T1 is 2·H m .

[0128] Additionally, there may be a velocity estimate based on the measured time between consecutive markers in registration at a single sensor. This can provide faster velocity determination in situations where markers are located more frequently than the sensor.

[0129] By having a set of Figure 2 Sensors and based on FIG. 3A to FIG. 8 The more sensors and reflective markers there are, the more accurate the position estimate will be.

[0130] To this end, with a single sensor and a single reflective marker (, information can be obtained about whether the reflective marker is present before or after the sensor along the corresponding axis of motion (211). In the case of multiple sensors and reflective markers, the system can count the number of reflective markers that have passed the corresponding sensor and, on this basis, the system can calculate the number of reflective markers that have passed the corresponding sensor by virtue of the distance (D) between the sensors. ee ) or by the distance between reflective markers (H v ) to estimate the position with accuracy.

[0131] At least part of the method according to the present invention can be computer-implemented. Therefore, the present invention can take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or a combination of software and hardware embodiments, and the above forms can generally be referred to as "circuit", "module" or "system" in this article.

[0132] Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium.

[0133] Those skilled in the art can easily recognize that the above-mentioned method for quantitatively detecting motion can be performed and / or controlled by one or more computer programs. Such computer programs are usually executed by utilizing computing resources in a computing device. The application is stored on a non-transitory medium. An example of a non-transitory medium is a non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, and an example of a volatile memory is RAM. The computer instructions are executed by a processor. These memories are exemplary recording media for storing a computer program, which includes computer executable instructions for executing all steps of the method implemented by a computer according to the technical concepts presented herein.

[0134] Although the invention presented herein has been depicted, described and defined with reference to specific preferred embodiments, such references and implementation examples in the foregoing description do not imply any limitation of the invention. However, it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader scope of the technical concept. The preferred embodiments presented are merely exemplary and do not exhaust the scope of the technical concept presented herein.

[0135] Therefore, the scope of protection is not limited to the preferred embodiments described in this specification, but only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for quantitatively detecting motion, the system comprising: A signal transmitter (203), a first signal receiver (202) and a second signal receiver (204), wherein the signal transmitter (203), the first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204) are positioned in series along a first axis (212) parallel to a second axis (211) of movement of a reflective marker (M) disposed on a moving object, wherein the reflective marker (M) is configured to reflect a signal transmitted by the signal transmitter (203) toward the first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204); The first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204) have a signal receiving coverage range, so as to allow the presence of a reflective mark (M) position on the second axis (211), wherein the reflective mark (M) of a given size is simultaneously recognized by the first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204); The dimension H of the reflective mark on the second axis (211) is m Calculated based on: The distance De between the first axis (212) and the second axis (211) is m ; The distance De between the signal transmitter (203) and the first signal receiver (202) r0 ; The distance De between the signal transmitter (203) and the second signal receiver (204) r1 ; A signal emission angle βe of the signal transmitter (203); A signal receiving angle αr0 of the first signal receiver (202); and A signal receiving angle αr1 of the second signal receiver (204); And among them: right and When D er0 Different from D er1 The larger of the two is used to determine D em .

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The dimension H of the reflective mark on the second axis (211) is m And the distance between the reflective markers is further calculated according to: Where: F is the sampling frequency; V max is the maximum movement speed of the reflective marker; S req is the number of samples required to detect the direction of motion; and H v is the distance between the reflective marks.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: D er0 and D er1 equal.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: α r0 and α r1 equal.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Use D ee to represent the distances to the signal transmitter (203) calculated for the first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204), respectively, wherein D ee is calculated as: When targeting D er1 D ee With D er0 D ee When the same, an equation applies; or when for D er1 D ee With D er0 D ee If not, choose the larger of the two.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: At a location where the signals reported by the first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204) are identical, their waveforms cross, and their respective values ​​are greater than 25% of the maximum value reported for the reflective marker.

7. A weightlifting system comprising a weight plate set having at least one barbell plate, the weightlifting system comprising the system of claim 1, wherein: The reflective marker is affixed to the at least one barbell plate.

8. A method for determining a direction of motion in a system according to claim 1, the method comprising: Determining that both signals from the first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204) have a predefined low value at a first time (T1); determining that one of the two signals has assumed a predefined high value and the other of the two signals has maintained the low value at a second time (T2); Subsequently, checking whether one of the two signals has assumed the value of the other signal at the second time (T2), thereby inverting the value of the other of the two signals at a third time (T3); Check again whether both signals have a low level at the fifth time (T5); Based on the first signal and the last signal having a high level, the direction of movement of the reflective mark is determined.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of: Estimating the value of the signal W at the third time (T3) when the signal values ​​cross tr ; Determining a maximum value W registered by the first signal receiver (202) and the second signal receiver (204) max , and if The system then accepts the passage of the reflective marker.

10. A computer program comprising program code means for performing all the steps of the method according to claim 8 when said program is run on a computer.

11. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions which, when executed on a computer, perform all the steps of the method according to claim 8.

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