Wearable Jump Duration Detection via Acceleration and Pressure Correlation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for detecting and calculating the duration of a jump require a measuring unit fixed to displacement means, limiting their applicability to jumps without contact with the ground, such as water jumps, and are prone to false detections due to vibration measurements.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing a triaxial accelerometer and pressure sensor embedded in a watch to detect acceleration and pressure peaks, confirming a jump by analyzing successive acceleration measurements near zero followed by a significant peak, and calculating jump duration from these measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a measuring unit is fixed to displacement means to measure vibrations, then jump detection is enabled, but the method cannot detect jumps without ground contact and requires complex equipment attachment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplicability to different jump typesVSAvoidmeasuring unit attachment
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical vibration measurement system (requiring attachment to skis/snowboards) with an inertial measurement system using accelerometers and barometers integrated in a wearable device. This substitution enables detection of both ground-contact jumps and jumps without displacement means, resolving the versatility issue while eliminating the complexity of fixing measuring units to equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The wearable device with inertial and barometric sensors serves multiple functions: detecting jumps with ground contact, detecting jumps without ground contact, measuring jump duration, and providing altitude information. This multi-functionality approach allows a single device to handle all jump types previously requiring different measurement approaches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If vibration measurements are used to detect jumps, then jump detection is achieved, but false detections occur due to vibrations not related to jumps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefalse detection rateVSAvoidjump detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from multiple sensor sources (accelerometers and barometer) to verify jump events. The barometric pressure data provides feedback on altitude changes, which helps distinguish actual jumps from false detections caused by vibrations. This multi-source feedback mechanism significantly reduces false positive rates while maintaining high detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The barometric pressure measurement acts as an intermediary variable that mediates between the acceleration data and jump detection. By introducing pressure changes as an intermediate verification step, the system can confirm whether acceleration peaks correspond to actual jumps or false vibrations, thereby improving reliability without complicating the core detection algorithm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If acceleration measurements alone are used to detect jumps, then detection is simplified, but false positives occur from non-jump acceleration events

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement systemVSAvoiddetection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges acceleration measurements with barometric pressure measurements into a unified jump detection system. By combining these two measurement types, the system maintains simplicity in individual sensor implementation while achieving high reliability through data correlation. The merged approach allows cross-validation of jump events, reducing false positives without requiring complex individual measurement systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Accurately detects and calculates the duration of jumps with both ground-based and non-ground-based movements, reducing false positives by correlating acceleration and pressure data, and enabling precise timing of jump initiation and landing.

Implementation Method 1

the norm of a 3-component acceleration vector, that is to say the square root of the sum of the squares of the components

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcceleration measurement: Accelerometer

Implementation Method 2

a sub-step for detecting a pressure peak of amplitude greater than a second threshold amplitude and of duration less than a second threshold duration, from pressure measurements provided by a pressure sensor embedded in the watch

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure measurement: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP3332697B1Method for detecting and calculating the duration of a jump
Publication Date: 2019.08.14 THE SWATCH GRP RES & DEVELONMENT LTD
  • EP3332697B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3332697B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method (METH) for detecting and calculating the duration of a jump performed by an individual, comprising the following steps: - A detection (METH_Dt2) of an instant associated with a reception following the jump, this step including a substep of detection (METH_Dt2_PCAC) of an acceleration peak with an amplitude greater than a first threshold amplitude, within acceleration measurements provided by a three-axis accelerometer embedded in a watch worn on the individual's wrist. - A detection (METH_Ds) of a jump phase, by detecting, within a time window ending at the instant of reception, a succession of acceleration measurements between 0 and 0.5g for a duration greater than a first threshold duration.