Wearable sports monitoring equipment and method for characterizing sports performances or sportspersons

A method for monitoring a sports performance and determining the fitness level of a person, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a heartbeat signal by measuring the person's heartbeat using a wearable heartbeat sensor;
• obtaining a motion signal by measuring movement of the person using a wearable motion sensor;
• and
• in one or more computing units functionally connected to the wearable heartbeat sensor and the wearable motion sensor:
• detecting periodic features in the heartbeat signal and in the motion signal;
• determining a temporal correlation of the periodic features of the heartbeat signal and the motion signal;
• and
• calculating, using at least one processor comprised within said one or more computing units, at least one performance parameter depicting said fitness level based at least partly on said temporal correlation,
• wherein said at least one performance parameter comprises:
• an anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and said motion signal are equal, or
• a derivative from said anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and said motion signal are equal, or
• a deviation from said anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and said motion signal are equal, said deviation determined from a difference between a current heartbeat signal and said anaerobic heart rate threshold level, or
• a derivative of a deviation from said anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and said motion signal are equal, said deviation determined from a difference between a current heartbeat signal and said anaerobic heart rate threshold level, or
• any combination thereof,
• wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the calculated performance parameter depicting said fitness level of the person to be displayed on at least one of:
• a wearable electronic equipment and a mobile phone.

A method for optimizing the intensity of a sports performance of a person, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a heartbeat signal by measuring the person's heartbeat using a wearable heartbeat sensor;
• obtaining a motion signal by measuring movement of the person using a wearable motion sensor;
• and
• in one or more computing units functionally connected to the wearable heartbeat sensor and the wearable motion sensor:
• detecting periodic features in the heartbeat signal and in the motion signal;
• determining a temporal correlation of the periodic features of the heartbeat signal and the motion signal;
• and
• calculating, using at least one processor comprised within said one or more computing units, at least one performance parameter depicting the intensity of the sports performance,
• wherein said at least one performance parameter is calculated based at least partly on said temporal correlation and wherein said at least one performance parameter comprises:
• an anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and the motion signal are equal, or
• a derivative from an anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and the motion signal are equal, or
• a deviation from an anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and the motion signal are equal, said deviation determined from a difference between a current heartbeat signal and said anaerobic heart rate threshold level, or
• a derivative of a deviation from an anaerobic heart rate threshold level of the person determined by detecting or estimating a frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and said motion signal are equal, said deviation determined from a difference between a current heartbeat signal and the anaerobic heart rate threshold level, or
• any combination thereof,
• wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the calculated performance parameter depicting the intensity of the sports performance to be displayed on at least one of:
• a wearable electronic equipment and a mobile phone, and wherein the detecting or estimating of the frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and the motion signal are equal comprises:
• detecting peaks from the heartbeat signal and from the motion signal,
• recording the timestamps of the detected peaks,
• calculating an elapsed time between each motion signal peak and a next heartbeat signal peak, and
• determining, if the calculated elapsed times are essentially equal, or if the calculated elapsed times reflect a systematic trend, in order to detect or estimate said frequency of the heartbeat signal at which said periodic features of the heartbeat signal and the motion signal are equal.