# US 10,369,411 B2 · Sport ball athletic activity monitoring methods and systems

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- Number: US 10,369,411 B2
- Document ID: US10369411B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/994,451
- Filed: 2016-01-13
- Published: 2016-05-05
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-13
- Assignees: adidas AG
- Applicants: adidas AG
- Inventors: Aurel Coza; Christian Dibenedetto; Jeffrey Allen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369411B2

## CPC

- A63B 24/0062: {Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance}
- A63B 43/004: {electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration}
- G09B 19/0038: {Sports}
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)
- G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B)

## Abstract

A method for monitoring a ball used for an athletic activity includes detecting movement of the ball using a sensor module coupled to the ball, determining a characteristic of the movement of the ball, comparing the characteristic to a known profile, and determining a second characteristic using the comparison.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for determining a speed of a ball used for an athletic activity, the method comprising:
sensing acceleration data, using a sensor module coupled to the ball;
determining a drag force applied to the ball, based on the acceleration data;
comparing the drag force with a drag profile that expresses drag as a function of ball speed, wherein the drag profile is based on experimental data; and
determining the speed of the ball based on the comparison.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor module includes an acceleration sensor, and
wherein the acceleration data is sensed by the acceleration sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration data comprises a representation of a magnitude of acceleration sensed by the sensor module.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
determining that the ball is in free flight at the time of sensing the acceleration data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
providing an output based on the speed of the ball.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the output is a display of the speed of the ball in conjunction with a characteristic of an individual.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the output is a display of the speed of the ball in conjunction with an activity metric.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein providing the output comprises transmitting data representative of the speed to a display device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the display device is a portable phone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the speed of the object is recorded in a memory module.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
comparing the speed of the object to a previously recorded speed of the object; and
providing feedback to an individual engaged in the athletic activity based on the comparison.