Athletic Equipment Motion Monitoring With Variable Data Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing athletic equipment monitoring devices are often not portable, heavy, lack sufficient battery and processing power, and provide inaccurate or insufficient performance feedback, making it difficult for individuals to assess their athletic activities and improve their performance.
Innovation Solution
A portable electronic device that wirelessly receives motion data from a sport ball, determines the point of impact, and processes this data to provide real-time or post-activity feedback, enabling individuals to improve their performance through accurate monitoring of the ball's motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing athletic equipment monitoring devices are made non-portable to ensure durability and functionality, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is divided into separate functional modules: a lightweight sensor unit attached to the athletic equipment and a separate portable electronic device for data processing. This segmentation allows the sensor unit to be minimal and lightweight while the processing device can be fully portable without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication interface acts as an intermediary between the sensor unit and the portable electronic device. This allows the sensor unit to remain simple and lightweight while transmitting data to the processing device, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and processing capability.
2Ease of operation
If portable electronic devices are made lightweight to improve ease of operation, then portability is improved, but power and processing capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates computational tasks into two locations: simple motion detection in the lightweight sensor unit and complex data processing in the portable electronic device. This segmentation allows the portable device to remain lightweight while still providing comprehensive analysis capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit performs only the minimal necessary function of detecting motion and capturing basic data, while the portable electronic device performs the full range of analysis and processing functions. This partial action approach allows the sensor unit to be lightweight while the overall system maintains full capability.
3Device complexity
If existing devices provide simple motion determinations to reduce complexity, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection and basic processing in the sensor unit, then transmits the data to the portable electronic device for comprehensive analysis. This preliminary action allows the sensor unit to remain simple while the overall system achieves high measurement precision through the combined capabilities of both devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Wireless data transmission serves as an intermediary that connects the simple sensor unit with the sophisticated analysis capabilities of the portable electronic device. This intermediary allows the system to maintain low device complexity at the sensor level while achieving high measurement precision through the processing device.
4Device complexity
If existing devices lack sufficient battery life to sustain extended use, then device complexity is reduced, but duration of action deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides power consumption into two parts: minimal power for the sensor unit that collects and transmits data, and variable power for the portable electronic device that performs analysis. This segmentation allows the sensor unit to have a small battery while the overall system achieves extended operation duration through efficient power management.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit operates in periodic cycles of data collection and wireless transmission, followed by low-power idle periods. This periodic action pattern reduces average power consumption and extends battery life, allowing the lightweight sensor unit to operate for extended periods without requiring a large battery.
Data Source
AI summary
A monitoring system configured to monitor the motion of a piece of athletic equipment may include: one or more memory devices configured to store a file and including a buffer; a motion sensor configured to couple to the piece of athletic equipment; and one or more processors. The one or more processors may: sample motion data from the motion sensor at a sampling rate; save the sampled motion data in the buffer; save at least a portion of the sampled motion data in the file separate from the buffer at a saving rate that depends upon a variability of the sampled motion data; and alter the saving rate separately from the sampling rate based on at least one of an impact to the piece of athletic equipment or movement of the piece of athletic equipment by the individual during the course of an athletic activity.