Portable training post for independent training

Abstract

The application concerns a portable training post (102) for independent training according to an embodiment. The training post comprises a body (212), a controller (214) to control the training post, a light element (224) to guide the training, and a sensor element (232) to detect an independently training exerciser. The body is configured to protect other parts (214, 220, 222, 224, 232) of the training post and to serve as a mounting platform for the other parts. The controller is configured to control the light element to produce a guidance light (OV) for the independent exerciser to conduct the training. The controller is further configured to control the light element to produce a timing light (AV) to indicate to the exerciser a time remaining to round the training post, once the produced guidance light has indicated to the exerciser the training post to be rounded and a side on which the training post is to be rounded.

Description

[0001] PORTABLE TRAINING POST FOR INDEPENDENT TRAINING

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The invention concerns in general a portable training post for independent training.

[0004] Background

[0005] For independent training in football, different types of marker cones are available, to be placed in a desired pattern in a training area, e.g., a grass or artificial turf field, where an exerciser rounds the marker cones as agreed beforehand. Such training improves the speed and agility of the exerciser, but as the order and direction of rounding the cones are pre-arranged, the exerciser's ability to react to the changing situations that a player will constantly face in a football match are not put to the test.

[0006] For reactivity training, a training system called Fitlight® is available, where training posts equipped with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) controlled by a mobile terminal via a wireless connection can be arranged in a desired pattern. A training application on the mobile terminal controls one training post at a time to light up a diode-containing LED element in a specific order that is not known to the exerciser in advance, or in a random order, requiring the exerciser to react to the changing situation by trying to turn off each training post by touching it as it emits light through the LED element. The exercise ends when the exerciser has managed to switch off all the training posts lit by the training application.

[0007] Summary

[0008] One of the objectives of the invention is to solve problems of the prior art and to provide an inexpensive training system that uses training posts to enable independently training athletes (exercisers), with or without a ball (playing implement), to perform interactive and motivating exercises that improve the exerciser's reaction time, speed, and agility.

[0009] One of the objectives of the invention is achieved by the training post, training system, training method, computer program, and computer program product according to the independent claims. Embodiments of the invention are presented in the claims.

[0010] A portable training post for independent training comprises a body, a controller to control the training post, a light element to guide the training (exercise), and a sensor element to detect an independently training exerciser. The body is configured to protect other parts of the training post and to serve as a mounting platform for the other parts. The controller is configured to control the light element to produce (emit) a guidance light for the independent exerciser. The controller is further configured to control the light element to produce a timing light to indicate to the exerciser a time remaining to round the training post, once the produced guidance light has indicated to the exerciser the training post to be rounded and a side on which the training post is to be rounded.

[0011] A portable training system for independent training includes comprises multiple (several) training posts as described above and a mobile terminal of the training system for controlling the training posts.

[0012] In a training method for independent training, a controller of a portable training post controls (instructs) a training post transceiver to receive an instruction from a mobile terminal to produce, via a light element mounted on a body of the training post, a guidance light for guiding an exerciser in the independent training (exercise) and a timing light to indicate to the exerciser a time remaining to round the training post. The training method further uses the training post controller to control the training post light element to produce the guidance and timing lights for the independent exerciser in accordance with the instruction. In addition, the training method uses the controller to receive, from a sensor element mounted on the body of the training post, a detection related to an exerciser's rounding direction as the exerciser (he or she) rounds the training post. In addition, the training method uses the controller to control the transceiver to send information to the mobile terminal indicating that the training post was successfully rounded based on the detection received from the sensor element when the produced guidance light has shown to the exerciser the training post to be rounded and a side on which the training post is to be rounded.

[0013] A computer program comprises instructions for causing the above-described controller of the portable training post, comprising a processor, to perform the training method as described above when the computer program is executed by the controller.

[0014] A computer program (software) product comprises the above-described computer program stored on it (thereon).

[0015] Brief description of the figures

[0016] In the detailed description of the figures, embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example, in more detail with reference to the following figures: fig. 1 shows a training system for independent training fig. 2 shows a training post used in the training system and its functional parts

[0017] Detailed explanation of the figures

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a portable training system 100 for independent training of a sport played with a playing implement, such as football, floorball, basketball, etc., or for training without any playing implement, to provide an exerciser (user, not shown) with interactive and motivating exercises to improve the exerciser's reaction time, speed, and agility.

[0019] The training system 100 comprises a plurality of portable training posts 102, e.g., two, four, six, eight, or more training posts, which, prior to an exercise, can be arranged according to an exercise pattern HK of the exercise determined by a training application HA executed on a mobile terminal 104, rearranged according to a new exercise pattern HK determined by the training application HA, and collected, after the exercise, from a training area 106 for storage of the training posts 102 for a subsequent exercise.

[0020] The training system 100 further comprises an exerciser's mobile terminal 104 running the training application HA that allows the exerciser to control, via a short-range wireless connection LK, e.g., a radio frequency (Bluetooth) or infrared connection, each training post 102 according to the exercise determined by the training application HA. The mobile terminal 104 comprises, e.g., a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a laptop computer. The mobile terminal 104 maintains, via the training application HA, information about at least one exercise, e.g., one, two, three, four, or more exercises, comprising instructions about an order of producing the guidance lights OV of the training posts 102, rounding directions KS of the training posts 102, the training posts 102 to be touched, and a time available (allocated) for the performance related to each training post 102.

[0021] The training system 100 further comprises a system computer 108 comprising, e.g., one, two, three, four, or more computers. The system computer 108 receives, via a communication network 110, e.g., a mobile telephone network, the Internet, or both, from the mobile terminal 104, at least an exercise data HR of the exercise performed by the exerciser, a time data (performance data) AK of a time (overall time) spent on the exercise, and a personal data HK of the exerciser, sent by the exerciser via the training application HA.

[0022] The time data AK may comprise, in addition to the overall time taken for the exercise according to the exercise data HR, other time data, e.g., a time taken to progress a distance between each pair of training posts 102 in the exercise according to the exercise data HR, and a reaction time between each pair of training posts 102 in the exercise according to the exercise data HR, i.e., the time taken by the exerciser identified by the personal data HK to progress the distance between each pair of training posts 102 in the exercise after the guidance light OV produced by the second training post 102 of the cone interval. In addition, the time data AK may comprise success data for the success or failure of the performance related to each training post 102 of each exercise according to the exercise data HR.

[0023] The system computer 108 maintains a database of the received time data and personal data AK, HK related to each exercise (exercise data HR) and transmits them via the communication network 110 to the mobile terminal 104 upon receiving a request from the mobile terminal 104 to provide the time data AK related to an exercise HR or exerciser.

[0024] The system computer 108 further transmits, via the communication network 110, to each mobile device 104, when the mobile terminal 104 connects to the training system 100, a training application HA comprising a plurality of different exercises to be performed on the training system 100. The system computer 108 further transmits, via the communication network 110, to each mobile device 104, training application HA updates when necessary.

[0025] Each training post 102 comprises a body 212 that protects the other parts 214, 220, 222, 224, 232 of the training post, serves as a mounting platform for the other parts 214, 220, 222, 224, 232, and is positionable on a surface of the training area 106, e.g., grass, artificial turf, sand, a running track, or a surface of an indoor training facility where the training takes place. The body 212 is formed, e.g., substantially into a cone, as shown in the figure, truncated cone, pyramid, cube, rectangular cuboid, column, sphere, hemisphere, or plate. The body 212 is made of, e.g., plastic, plastic composite (fibre-reinforced plastic), wood, wood composite, or metal, e.g., steel or aluminium.

[0026] Each training post 102 further comprises a controller 214 protected by the body 212, which controls the operation of the training post 102 by controlling the operation of its parts 220, 222, 224, 232 as explained in the description of the figures.

[0027] The controller 214 comprises a processor 216 which executes control commands from applications (computer programs) LS, VS, HS and the mobile terminal 104 and processes data. The processor 216 comprises at least one processor, e.g., one, two, three, four, or more processors.

[0028] The controller 214 further comprises a memory 218 which stores the applications LS, VS, HS that control the operation of the parts 220, 222, 224, 232 of the training post 102, other applications used by it, and operational data. The memory 218 comprises at least one memory, e.g., one, two, three, four, or more memories.

[0029] The memory 218 stores at least a transceiver application LS controlling the operation of a transceiver 220, a power supply application VS controlling the operation of a power supply 222, and an application HS controlling the operation of the training post 102.

[0030] The application HS comprises computer program code (instructions) to control the operation of the training post 102 as depicted in the figures and their explanation, when the application HS is jointly executed by the processor 216 and memory 218 of the controller 214 in the training post 102. The application HS is further made into a computer program product formed by storing it on a computer-readable, i.e. , readable by the controller 212, storage medium, e.g., a USB memory stick or a portable memory.

[0031] Each training post 102 further comprises the transceiver 220, protected by the body 212, which, under the control of the controller 214, transmits commands and information to at least other parts 222, 224, 232 of the training post 102 and receives information transmitted by them, e.g., charge information transmitted by the power supply 222 and detection information transmitted by the sensor element 232. Data is sent and received over fixed cable connections, short-range wireless connections, e.g., radio frequency or infrared connections, or both.

[0032] Each training post 102 further comprises a power supply 222, protected by the body 212, which, under the control of the controller 214, provides the operating power required by the parts 214, 220, 224, 232 of the training post. The power supply 222 comprises at least one battery, e.g., one, two, three, four or more batteries.

[0033] Each training post 102 further comprises a light element 224 to direct the exercise. The light element is mounted at least partly on the mounting surface (outer surface) of the body 212 in such a way that the guidance and timing lights OV, AV produced by the light element are easily visible to the exerciser regardless of the exerciser's position relative to the training post 102.

[0034] Each light element 224 comprises at least two element parts 226, 228, with the guidance element part 226, for producing the guidance light OV, being mounted on the upper portion 230 of the body 212 of the training post 102, a cone jacket in the figure, to indicate the training post 102 to be rounded and the rounding direction KS, which indicates the side on which the training post 102 is to be rounded. By lighting the guidance light OV, the training post 102 indicates being the training post 102 to be rounded, and a colour of the guidance light OV indicates the side on which the training post 102 is to be rounded. E.g., a red guidance colour generated by the guidance element part 226 indicates that in the situation depicted, the training post 102 is to be rounded on the left side and, e.g., a blue guidance colour indicates that the training post 102 is to be rounded on the right side. In addition to the guidance light OV indicating the rounding direction KS, the guidance element part 226 produces a second guidance light OV which indicates to the exerciser which training post 102 the exerciser should touch (hit) with the playing implement or through a physical contact. The training post 102 indicates, by lighting the second guidance light OV, e.g., by a white guidance colour produced by the guidance element part 226, being the training post 102 to be touched with the playing implement or physically.

[0035] The guidance element part 226 switches off the guidance light OV, which it has generated, when it is instructed by the controller 212 to switch off the guidance light OV after the exerciser has rounded the training post 102 in the rounding direction KS indicated, after the exerciser has touched the training post 102, or when the exerciser has run out of time to complete the training post 102.

[0036] The timing element part 228 in each light element 224 for producing the timing light AV is mounted below the guidance element part 226 at least partly on the mounting surface of the body 212 so as to completely or at least partly encircle the body 212, allowing the exerciser to perceive the timing light AV regardless of the position of the exerciser relative to the training post 102. The training post 102 indicates the running-out of time by means of a gradual or stepwise decrease in an area of the illuminated timing light AV until the timing light AV disappears (switches off) to indicate that the time has run out, or by means of changing a time colour of the timing light AV produced by the timing element part 228 before it goes out, e.g., from green to amber, from amber to red, as known from traffic lights, and finally by switching off the red timing light AV to indicate that the time has run out.

[0037] The timing element part 228 switches off the timing light AV, which it has generated, when it is instructed by the controller 212 to switch off the timing light AV after the exerciser has rounded the training post 102 in the rounding direction KS indicated, after the exerciser has touched the training post 102, or when the exerciser has run out of time to complete the training post 102.

[0038] Alternatively, the light element 224 may be implemented such that the guidance element part 226 produces a guidance light OV indicating the training post 102, and the timing element part 228 produces a second guidance light OV indicating the rounding direction KS or the contact requirement for the training post 102, and a timing light AV indicating the available time.

[0039] Alternatively, the light element 224 comprises only the guidance element part 226 mounted to the upper portion 230 of the body 212, in which case the light element 224 may be implemented such that the guidance element part 226 produces a guidance light OV that indicates the training post 102, with the colour of the guidance light OV indicating the rounding direction KS or the contact requirement for the training post 102 as described above. The light element part 226 is further controlled to provide a guidance light OV such that the guidance light OV functions as a timing light AV, e.g., by indicating the available time by turning on and off, i.e., blinking, the guidance light OV, whereby the timing element part 228 is not required. The available time can be indicated by the guidance light OV, e.g., by increasing the blinking frequency of the guidance light OV as the available time decreases (progresses) and by lighting the guidance light OV continuously when the available time has expired.

[0040] Each element part 226, 228 of the light element 224 comprises at least one light-emitting diode (LED), e.g., one, two, three, four or more diodes, so that the light element 224 is capable of producing at least the guidance and timing lights OV, AV as explained in the description of the figures.

[0041] The training post 100 further comprises a sensor element 232 to detect the movement and activity of the independent exerciser.

[0042] The sensor element 232 comprises at least one motion sensor 234, e.g., one, two, as shown in the figure, three, four, or more motion sensors, mounted inside the body 212, partly inside the body 212, or on the mounting surface of the body 212, so that the at least one motion sensor 234 is capable of detecting that the exerciser rounds the training post 102 in the rounding direction KS indicated by the guidance light OV. Each motion sensor 234 comprises, e.g., an infrared or ultrasonic motion sensor.

[0043] When the sensor element 232 detects that the exerciser rounds the training post 102 in the indicated rounding direction KS, it sends information about the detection to the controller 214, which, based on the detection (detection information), recognises a successful execution according to the guidance light OV and instructs the light element 224 to turn off the guidance light OV if there is still time left for rounding the training post 102, as indicated by the timing light AV produced by the light element 224. If the time allocated for rounding the training post 102 expires before the exerciser succeeds in carrying out a successful execution as indicated by the guidance light OV, which is indicated by the timing light AV going out, the controller 214 instructs the light element 224 to switch off also the guidance light OV of the guidance element part 226, to blink the guidance and timing lights OV, AV of the guidance and timing element parts 226, 228, e.g., in red or amber, or to switch on the guidance and timing lights OV, AV of the guidance and timing element parts 226, 228, e.g., in red or amber, as an indication of a failed execution.

[0044] The sensor element 232 further comprises at least one vibration sensor 236, e.g., one, as shown in the figure, two, three, four, or more vibration sensors, mounted inside the body 212, partly inside the body 212, or on the mounting surface of the body 212, so that the at least one vibration sensor 236 is capable of detecting that the exerciser touches the training post 102 indicated by the guidance light OV, either with the playing implement or physically. Each motion sensor 234 comprises, e.g., a piezoelectric, capacitive or resistive vibration sensor.

[0045] When the sensor element 232 detects that the exerciser touches the training post 102 indicated by the guidance light OV either with the playing implement or physically, it sends information about the detection to the controller 214, which, based on the detection, recognises a successful execution according to the guidance light OV and instructs the light element 224 to switch off the guidance light OV if there is still time left for the execution, as indicated by the timing light AV produced by the light element 224. If the time allocated for touching the training post 102 expires before the exerciser succeeds in carrying out a successful execution as indicated by the guidance light OV, which is indicated by the timing light AV going out, the controller 214 instructs the light element 224 to indicate a failed execution using any one of the indication methods described in connection with the failure to round a training post 102.

[0046] If the exerciser succeeds in the execution according to the guidance and timing lights OV, AV, the controller 214 sends to the mobile terminal 104, via the transceiver 220, using a short-range connection LK, a message indicating that the execution was successful, whereby the training application HA running on the mobile terminal 104 sends to the next training post 102 in the exercise of the training application HA, via its transceiver 220, using a short-range connection LK, an instruction to light up the guidance and timing lights OV, AV according to the exercise performed.

[0047] If the exerciser fails in their execution according to the guidance light OV, the controller 214 sends a message to the mobile terminal 104 via the transceiver 220, using a short-range connection LK, indicating that the execution has failed, whereby the training application HA running on the mobile terminal 104 stops the ongoing exercise and informs the exerciser, at least via the user interface of the mobile terminal 104, of the interruption of the execution and sends, using a short-range connection LK, to the training post 102, via its transceiver 220, an instruction to switch off all active guidance and timing lights OV, AV, if they are blinking or lit.

[0048] If the exerciser fails in the execution according to the guidance light OV, the controller 214 sends to the mobile terminal 104, via the transceiver 220, using a short-range connection LK, a message indicating that the execution in question failed, whereby, alternatively, the exercise continues despite the failure and the training application HA running on the mobile terminal 104 sends to the next training post 102 in the exercise of the training application HA, via its transceiver 220, using a short-range connection LK, an instruction to light up the guidance and timing lights OV, AV according to the exercise performed.

[0049] When the exerciser has successfully completed all the executions related to the training posts 102 of the exercise of the training application HA or, alternatively, when the exerciser has successfully or unsuccessfully carried out all the executions related to the training posts 102 of the exercise of the training application HA, the exerciser or the training application HA automatically sends, via the mobile terminal 104 and the communication network 110, to the system computer 108 the exercise data HR identifying the exercise carried out by the exerciser, the time data AK indicating the time spent on the exercise, and the personal data HK identifying the exerciser.

[0050] Using the mobile terminal 104 and the training application HA, the exerciser is able to send a request to the system computer 108 via the communication network 110 and the mobile terminal 104, requesting it to present data related to an exercise or the exerciser, and to receive from the system computer 108, via the communication network 110, the requested data HR, AK, HK from a database maintained by it.

[0051] Only a few embodiments of the invention have been described above by way of example. Naturally, the principle according to the invention can be modified within the scope of protection defined by the claims, e.g., with regard to implementation details and fields of application.

Claims

Claims1 . A portable training post (102) for independent training, comprising a body (212), a controller (214) to control the training post, a light element (224) to guide the training, and a sensor element (232) to detect an independently training exerciser, wherein the body is configured to protect other parts (214, 220, 222, 224, 232) of the training post and to serve as a mounting platform for the other parts, and wherein the controller is configured to control the light element to produce a guidance light (OV) for the independent exerciser to conduct the training, characterised in that the controller is further configured to control the light element to produce a timing light (AV) to indicate to the exerciser a time remaining to round the training post, once the produced guidance light has indicated to the exerciser the training post to be rounded and a side on which the training post is to be rounded.

2. The training post according to the previous claim, wherein the light element comprises at least two element parts (226, 228), of which a guidance element part (226) is mounted on an upper portion (230) of the body to indicate the training post to be rounded and the side on which the training post is to be rounded, and a timing element part (228) is mounted below the guidance element part on an mounting surface of the body to indicate the time remaining to round the training post.

3. The training post according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the light element comprises element parts (226, 228) provided with at least one light-emitting diode.

4. The training post according to claim 1 , wherein the light element comprises one element part (226), mounted on an upper portion (230) of the body to indicate the training post to be rounded, the side on which the training post is to be rounded, and the time remaining to round the training post.

5. The training post according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor element comprises at least one motion sensor (234) configured to detect whether the exerciser rounds the training post on the side indicated by the guidance light, and the controller is further configured to determine, basedon the detection of the sensor element, when the exerciser has rounded the training post on the side indicated by the guidance light.

6. The training post according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the controller is further configured to instruct the light element to produce a second guidance light (OV) to guide the training, the second guidance light indicating to the exerciser the training post to be touched by the exerciser with a ball or using a physical contact.

7. The training post according to claim 5, wherein the sensor element comprises a vibration sensor (236) configured to detect contact of a playing implement or the exerciser with the training post, and the controller is further configured to determine, based on the detection of the sensor element, that the contact with the training post has occurred.

8. The training post according to any one of claims 4-6, wherein the controller is configured to switch off the guidance and timing light (AV, OV) when the controller has determined that the exerciser has rounded the training post on the side indicated by the guidance light, or when the controller has detected contact with the training post if the sensor element comprises a vibration sensor.

9. The training post according to any one of the previous claims, further comprising a transceiver (220) configured to receive, via a short range radio connection (LK), instructions from a mobile terminal (104) for producing the guidance and timing lights (AV, OV) of the light element and to transmit, via a short range radio connection, information about a determined successful rounding of the training post to the mobile terminal.

10. The training post according to claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to maintain information about at least one exercise, the information comprising instructions for an order of generation of the guidance lights (OV) of the training posts (102), rounding direction (KS) of each training post (102), and a time available for the rounding of each training post.

11. The training post according to claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to transmit, via a communication network (110), at least data (HR, AK, HK) about an exercise performed by the exerciser, a time spent on thetraining, and an identity of the exerciser to a system computer configured to maintain a database of the data it receives.

12. The training post according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the body is formed substantially in a shape of a cone, truncated cone, cube, rectangle, column, sphere, or hemisphere.

13. A portable training system (100) for independent training, comprising multiple training posts (102) according to any one of the previous claims and a mobile terminal (104) of the training system for controlling the training posts.

14. A training method for independent training with a portable training post (102) according to any one of the previous claims, comprising controlling, by the training post controller (214), the training post transceiver (220) to receive an instruction from a mobile terminal (104) to produce, via the light element (224) mounted on the body (212) of the training post, the guidance light (OV) for guiding the exerciser in the independent training and the timing light (AV) to indicate to the exerciser the time remaining to round the training post, controlling, by the training post controller, the training post light element to produce the guidance and timing lights (OV, AV) for the independent exerciser in accordance with the instruction, receiving, by the controller, from a sensor element (232) mounted on the body of the training post, a detection related to an exerciser's rounding direction (KS) as the exerciser rounds the training post, and controlling, by the controller, the transceiver to send information to the mobile terminal indicating that the training post was successfully rounded based on the detection received from the sensor element when the produced guidance light has shown to the exerciser the training post to be rounded and the side on which the training post is to be rounded.

15. A computer program (HS) comprising instructions for causing the controller (214) of the portable training post (102), comprising a processor (216), to perform the training method according to claim 13 when the computer program is executed by the controller.

16. A computer program product comprising the computer program (HS) according to claim 14 stored on it.

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