Systems and methods for providing training opportunities based on data collected from monitoring a physiological parameter of persons engaged in physical activity

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for providing training opportunities based on data collected from monitoring a physiological parameter of persons engaged in physical activity. The physical activity can be a sporting activity, such as a contact sport (e.g., football, hockey, lacrosse) or a recreational activity or sport (e.g., biking, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, motorsports). The system is configured with select components that perform a method of (i) recording data related to a physiological parameter of a person engaged in a physical activity (e.g., an impact received by a player engaged in a contact sport), (ii) analyzing the recorded data related to the physiological parameter while the person is engaged in a physical activity (e.g., is the received impact greater than a predetermined threshold), and (iii) providing post-physical activity analysis of the recorded data to make suggested changes in how the person engages in the physical activity.

1 . A multi-functional system that gathers, analyzes and records physiological parameter data for a plurality of players engaged in play of a contact sport, and provides training opportunities based on analysis of the recorded physiological parameter data, the multi-functional system comprising:
 a monitoring unit positioned within a piece of protective sports equipment worn by each of the players, each monitoring unit having (i) at least one sensor configured to gather a physiological parameter data experienced by the player while engaged in playing the contact, and (ii) a control unit that analyzes and records the physiological parameter data experienced by the player;   a database that stores the analyzed and recorded physiological parameter data of the players that is provided by the monitoring units;   a remote terminal having a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to (i) receive and display said analyzed and recorded physiological parameter data for the players, and (ii) selectively display a training opportunity indicator to an authorized user when said analyzed and recorded physiological parameter data for a specific player exceeds a predetermined threshold of a previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein the previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data is any one of the following: (i) the specific player's own historical data, and (ii) a team's historical data. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data includes a number of alertable impacts other similarly situated players have received over an alertable time period, and (ii) the specific player's physiological parameter data includes a number of alertable impacts the specific player has received over the alertable time period. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-functional system of  claim 3 , wherein other similarly situated players have at least one characteristic in common with the specific player, wherein said characteristic is one of either a playing level or a playing position. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-functional system of  claim 3 , wherein the alertable impacts for either of the similarly situated players or the specific player occur when a weighted impact magnitude value exceeds a single impact alert threshold, said weighted impact magnitude value being derived from said physiological parameter data. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-functional system of  claim 3 , wherein the number of alertable impacts other similarly situated players have received over the alertable time period is automatically updated by the system after a predefined amount of time. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data includes a number of high magnitude impacts other similarly situated players have received over an high magnitude time period, and (ii) the specific player's physiological parameter data includes a number of high magnitude impacts the specific player has received over the high magnitude time period. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-functional system of  claim 7 , wherein high magnitude impacts are generated when a weighted impact magnitude value exceeds a high magnitude impact threshold programmed into the system, said weighted impact magnitude value is derived from said physiological parameter data. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data includes a number of impacts other similarly situated players have received over an impact time period, and (ii) the specific player's physiological parameter data includes a number of impacts the specific player has received over the impact time period. 
     
     
         10 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data includes an impact load other similarly situated players have received over an impact load time period, and (ii) the specific player's physiological parameter data includes an impact load the specific player has received over the impact load time period. 
     
     
         11 . The multi-functional system of  claim 10 , wherein the physiological parameter data is pressure exerted upon a player's head due to an impact, wherein an impact magnitude value is derived from the physiological parameter data, wherein said impact load is calculated by summing a weighted number of impact magnitude values that are calculated by splitting the impact magnitude values into groups and weighting each group by a severity value. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data includes an average historical number of high magnitude impacts the specific player has experienced and (ii) the specific player's physiological parameter data includes an average recent number of high magnitude impacts the specific player has experienced. 
     
     
         13 . The multi-functional system of  claim 12 , wherein the high magnitude impacts are designated by the system when a weighted impact magnitude value exceeds a high magnitude impact threshold, said weighted impact magnitude value being derived from said physiological parameter data of the specific player. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data includes an average historical number of impacts the specific player has experienced and (ii) the specific player's physiological parameter data includes an average recent number of impacts the specific player has experienced. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein an individual monitoring unit is associated with a player by programming into the monitoring unit at least one threshold that is based on that player's playing level and position. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-functional system of  claim 15 , wherein the least one threshold programmed into the monitoring unit is automatically updated by the system after either: (i) a predefined amount of time or (ii) the player has received a number of impacts that exceed a predefined amount of impacts. 
     
     
         17 . The multi-functional system of  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring unit includes:
 (i) a plurality of sensors arranged in the piece of protective sports equipment worn against a player's body part, the sensors configured to detect pressure exerted on the body part resulting from an impact received by the body part,   (ii) the control unit configured to generate impact data from impact magnitude values derived from the pressure detected by the sensors, and   (iii) a telemetry element.   
     
     
         18 . The multi-functional system of  claim 17 , wherein the control unit is further configured to generate alert data if the weighted impact magnitude value exceeds a single impact alert threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The multi-functional system of  claim 18 , wherein the alert data is transmitted from the monitoring unit to a transmitter within a remote handheld signaling device that is configured to display the alert data. 
     
     
         20 . A method of gathering, analyzing and recording physiological parameter data for a plurality of players engaged in play of a contact sport, and selectively providing training opportunities to at least one specific player from amongst the plurality of players based on further analysis of the recorded physiological parameter data, the method comprising:
 providing (i) a monitoring unit positioned within a piece of protective sports equipment worn by each of the players, the monitoring unit having at least one sensor and a control unit, (ii) a database; (iii) a remote terminal having a graphical user interface (GUI);   using the at least one sensor to gather a physiological parameter data experienced by each of the players while engaged in playing the contact sport;   analyzing and recording the physiological parameter data experienced by the players with the control unit;   storing the analyzed and recorded physiological parameter data of the players on the database;   receiving and displaying the analyzed and recorded physiological parameter data of the players on the GUI; and,   selectively displaying a training opportunity indicator on the GUI to an authorized user when said analyzed and recorded physiological parameter data for a specific player exceeds a predetermined threshold of a previously recorded collection of physiological parameter data that is stored on the database.