Inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into sports equipment

Abstract

A motion sensing device with both inertial sensors and optical elements that integrates into a piece of sports equipment. Equipment with the device installed may look and feel like the original equipment. For example, for a baseball bat, a sensor package with a housing containing inertial sensors, cameras, and lights may be integrated into a knob that can be swapped with a standard bat knob; an additional sensor package may be integrated into a replacement bat cap. Sensor data and images from cameras in the device may be transmitted to a processor that calculates the equipment trajectory. External cameras may also capture images of lights in the device, which may flash or change in a pattern that is synchronized with the sensor data, and these images may also be used in trajectory calculations. Equipment with the motion sensing device may be used for virtual reality or for real sport activities.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment, comprising:
 one or more housings, wherein
 each housing of said one or more housings is coupled to or integrated into a piece of sports equipment; 
   control electronics contained within at least one of said one or more housings, said control electronics comprising
 a microprocessor; 
 a wireless communications interface coupled to said microprocessor; and 
 a memory coupled to said microprocessor; 
   motion sensing electronics contained within at least one of said one or more housings, said motion sensing electronics comprising
 a three-axis accelerometer coupled to said microprocessor by a wired or wireless communication link; and 
 a three-axis gyroscope coupled to said microprocessor by a wired or wireless communication link; and, 
   a plurality of optical elements contained within at least one of said one or more housings,
 wherein 
 each optical element of said plurality of optical elements comprises a light or a camera; 
 each optical element is located proximal to a region of its corresponding housing that is open or is transparent to a wavelength associated with said each optical element; and, 
 each optical element is coupled to said microprocessor by a wired or wireless communication link; 
   wherein said microprocessor is configured to
 capture sensor data from said three-axis accelerometer and said three-axis gyroscope during a motion of said piece of sports equipment; 
 when said plurality of optical elements comprises one or more cameras, obtain images from said one or more cameras during said motion of said piece of sports equipment and add said images to said sensor data; 
 when said plurality of optical elements comprises one or more lights, command said one or more lights to emit light patterns during said motion of said piece of sports equipment and synchronize said light patterns with said sensor data; and, 
 transmit said sensor data over said wireless communications interface to a processor configured to analyze said sensor data to calculate a trajectory of said piece of sports equipment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 1 , wherein
 each housing is located at or proximal to a corresponding end of a longitudinal axis of said piece of sports equipment.   
     
     
         3 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 2 , wherein
 coupling or integrating said one or more housings into said piece of sports equipment does not change a length of said longitudinal axis by more than 10%, and does not change a maximum diameter of said piece of sports equipment around said longitudinal axis by more than 10%.   
     
     
         4 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 3 , wherein
 said piece of sports equipment is a bat; and   a first housing of said one or more housings is coupled to or integrated into a knob of said bat.   
     
     
         5 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 4 , wherein
 said piece of sports equipment is a bat; and   a second housing of said one or more housings is coupled to or integrated into a cap of said bat at an opposite end of said longitudinal axis from said knob of said bat.   
     
     
         6 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 3 , wherein
 said piece of sports equipment is a golf club; and   a first housing of said one or more housings is coupled to or integrated into a grip of said golf club.   
     
     
         7 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 1 , wherein
 said plurality of optical elements comprises one or more lights; and,   said processor is further configured to
 obtain one or more scene images from one or more external cameras that view said piece of sports equipment during at least a portion of said motion of said piece of sports equipment; 
 analyze said one or more scene images to determine locations of said one or more lights in said one or more scene images; and, 
 synchronize said locations of said one or more lights with said sensor data; and, 
 analyze said locations of said one or more lights and said sensor data to calculate said trajectory of said piece of sports equipment. 
   
     
     
         8 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 7 , wherein
 said processor and said one or more external cameras are integrated into a virtual reality headset; and,   said virtual reality headset is configured to display a representation of said piece of sports on a display of said virtual reality headset and to update said representation over time according to said trajectory of said piece of sports equipment.   
     
     
         9 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 1 , wherein
 said plurality of optical elements comprises three or more lights located within at least one of said one or more housings.   
     
     
         10 . The inertial and optical motion sensing device integrated into a piece of sports equipment of  claim 1 , wherein
 said plurality of optical elements comprises three or more cameras located within at least one of said one or more housings.