System, device and method for quantifying motion

Abstract

There is provided a device for motion identification, the device comprising: an enclosure and a plurality of sensors being provided with the enclosure and configured to measure acceleration in three axes and angular motion in three axes. The acceleration may be measured in a first acceleration range and a second acceleration range,

1 . A device for motion identification, the device comprising:
 an enclosure; and   a plurality of sensors being provided with the enclosure and configured to measure acceleration in three axes in a first acceleration range, acceleration in three axes in a second acceleration range, and angular motion in three axes.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises three accelerometers for measuring acceleration in three axes in the first acceleration range and in the second acceleration range and at least three gyroscopes for measuring the angular motion in three axes. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensor comprises a first accelerometer group of at least three accelerometers for measuring acceleration in three axis in the first acceleration range and a second accelerometer group of at least three accelerometers for measuring acceleration in three axis in the second acceleration range. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first acceleration range is between about 0 G to about 10 G and wherein the second acceleration range is from at least 10 G and above. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of accelerometers, a first subset of the accelerometers measuring at a high measurement rate of more than 1000 measurements per second and a second subset of the accelerometers measuring at a low measurement rate of less than 1000 measurements per second. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensor comprises a magnetometer for measuring the strength and direction of magnetic fields. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is adapted to be positioned in the hollow section of a stick handle; and
 wherein the enclosure comprises one or more stopper parts each having one or more tongues for gripping the interior surface of the stick handle.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are operable between a sleep state and a wake state, wherein at least one of the sensors remains in a wake state while the remainder of the sensors are operating in a sleep state, and wherein detection of a motion by the at least one sensor in the wake state triggers activating at least one of the remainder of the sensors to the wake state. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured for:
 receiving one or more measurements taken by the plurality of sensors during an user-executed movement; and   characterizing the user-executed movement based on the received one or more measurements, the characterizing comprising:
 correlating the received measurements with the sets of predetermined metrics; and 
 detecting whether the received measurements substantially matches one of the sets of predetermined metrics. 
   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured for:
 when the received measurements substantially matches one of the sets of predetermined metrics, identifying the type of the user-executed movement.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured for:
 quantifying at least one of a duration, speed and angle of the user-executed movement based on the received measurements.   
     
     
         12 . A system for motion identification, the system comprising:
 the device of  claim 9 ;   at least one external sensor being external to the device, and being configured to measure at least one of vibration, acceleration, rotation, magnetic field, temperature, humidity, flexion, bend, orientation, distance to an object, sound, image, heart-beat, blood, wind pressure at the external sensor;   wherein the controller is further configured to receive at least one measurement from the at least one external sensor; and   wherein characterizing the user-executed movement is further based on the at least one measurement received from the at least one external sensor;   wherein the external sensor is positioned on one of a user and a stick used during the user-executed movement.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the external sensor is a bending sensor for measuring a mechanical bend of one of a blade part of a stick and a shaft part of a stick. 
     
     
         14 . A method for motion identification, the method comprising:
 receiving one or more measurements taken by a plurality of sensors during an user-executed movement, the measurements being representative of the user-executed movement and comprising acceleration measurements in three axes in a first acceleration range, acceleration measurements in three axis in a second acceleration range, and angular motion measurements in three axes; and   characterizing the user-executed movement based on the received one or more measurements, the characterizing comprising:
 correlating the received measurements with a plurality of sets of predetermined metrics; and 
 detecting whether the received measurements substantially matches one of the sets of predetermined metrics. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 when the received measurements substantially matches one of the sets of predetermined metrics, identifying a type of the user-executed movement.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 quantifying the user-executed movement based on the received measurements.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of sensor are fixed to a stick;
 wherein the received measurements indicate a motion of the stick, and   wherein quantifying the user-executed movement comprises determining a speed of an object hit by the stick.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein quantifying the user-executed movement is further based on at least one additional set of predetermined metrics chosen swing amplitude, swing duration, stick speed, stick acceleration, wrist effect, flex analysis, motion amplitude, and motion behavior, user age, user gender, user location, user height, user weight, stick length, stick model and stick flex. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein characterizing the user-executed movement comprises:
 detecting a motion starting event when a first subset of the received measurements substantially corresponds to one of a plurality of sets of predetermined starting event metrics, each set of predetermined starting event metrics being associated with one or more event continuation metrics;   determining a presence of a motion continuation event when a second subset of the received measurements received after the first subset substantially corresponds to one of the one or more event continuation metrics associated to said one of the plurality of sets of predetermined starting event metrics; said one of the event continuation metrics being associated with one or more event completion metrics; and   determining the presence of a motion completion event when a third subset of the received measurements received after the second subset substantially corresponds to one of the one or more event completion metrics associated to said one of the event continuation metrics.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the motion starting event is a backswing of a stick, the motion continuation event is a downswing of a stick and the motion completion event is an impact of the stick with an object; and
 wherein detecting the motion starting event comprises detecting from the received measurements a motion pattern associated with the backswing of the stick;   wherein determining the presence of the motion continuation event comprises monitoring received acceleration measurements and detecting that the received acceleration measurements exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold; and   wherein determining the presence of a motion completion event comprises monitoring over an impact detection period received measurements and detecting that the received one or more measurements exceeds an impact threshold.