# US 12,214,257 B2 · Method and system for tracking performance of a player

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- Number: US 12,214,257 B2
- Document ID: US12214257B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/877,030
- Filed: 2022-07-29
- Published: 2022-12-08
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-28
- Assignees: Sstatzz Oy
- Applicants: Sstatzz Oy
- Inventors: Tuukka Nieminen; Jirka Porupudas; Harri Hohteri
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214257B2

## 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}
- G01R 33/0206: {Three-component magnetometers}
- A63B 24/0021: {Tracking a path or terminating locations}
- A63B 43/004: {electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration}
- A63B 69/0071: {for basketball}
- A63B 24/0003: {Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis}
- A63B 69/3658: {Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction}
- A63B 2024/0031: {at the starting point}
- A63B 2024/0034: {during flight}
- A63B 2024/004: {Multiple detectors or sensors each defining a different zone}
- A63B 2024/0053: {for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball}
- A63B 2024/0056: {for statistical or strategic analysis}
- A63B 2209/08: magnetic
- A63B 2220/16: Angular positions
- A63B 2220/18: Inclination, slope or curvature
- A63B 2220/20: Distances or displacements
- A63B 2220/34: Angular speed
- A63B 2220/35: Spin
- A63B 2220/40: Acceleration
- A63B 2220/62: Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
- A63B 2220/803: Motion sensors
- A63B 2220/833: Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
- A63B 2220/89: Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
- A63B 2225/02: Testing, calibrating or measuring of equipment
- A63B 2225/20: with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
- A63B 2225/50: Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
- G01R 33/0017: {Means for compensating offset magnetic fields or the magnetic flux to be measured; Means for generating calibration magnetic fields}
- G06Q 10/0639: Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method for tracking performance of player including determining global direction of magnetic field at first court and computing first court specific data; providing rotation for rotating apparatus about spin axis via player, wherein rotating apparatus comprising XYZ-magnetic field sensor; measuring plurality of magnetic field values as function of time when rotating apparatus is rotating about spin axis; computing magnetic field component of magnetic field in direction of local body co-ordinate of spin axis of rotating apparatus; determining direction of spin axis using computed magnetic field component of magnetic field and determined global direction of magnetic field; determining player specific data comprising angle of spin axis with respect to horizontal ground plane and angle of shot direction with respect to horizontal component of spin axis; and calibrating and storing first court specific data and player specific data to track performance of player at first court.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for tracking performance of a player, the method comprising:
determining a global direction of a magnetic field at a first court and computing a first court specific data comprising a horizontal direction of a local magnetic field with respect to an x-axis of the global direction of the magnetic field and a vertical direction of the local magnetic field with respect to a local horizontal plane;
providing a rotation for a rotating apparatus about a spin axis via a player, wherein the rotating apparatus comprises an XYZ-magnetic field sensor;
determining that the rotating apparatus is in a ballistic trajectory and activating the XYZ magnetic field sensor;
measuring a plurality of magnetic field values as a function of time with the XYZ-magnetic field sensor when the rotating apparatus is rotating about the spin axis;
computing a magnetic field component of the magnetic field in a direction of a local body coordinate of the spin axis of the rotating apparatus from the measured plurality of magnetic field values;
determining a direction of the spin axis using the computed magnetic field component of the magnetic field and the determined global direction of the magnetic field;
determining a player specific data comprising an angle of the spin axis with respect to the horizontal ground plane and an angle of the shot direction with respect to the horizontal component of spin axis for the player;
calibrating and storing the first court specific data and the player specific data to track the performance of the player at the first court;
determining a global direction of a second magnetic field at a second court and computing a second court specific data comprising a horizontal direction of a local magnetic field with respect to an x-axis of the global direction of the second magnetic field and a vertical direction of the local magnetic field with respect to a local horizontal plane; and
calibrating and storing the second court specific data and the stored player specific data to track the performance of the player at the second court.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the spin axis with respect to the horizontal ground plane is zero degrees and the angle of the shot direction with respect to the horizontal component of spin axis is 90 degrees.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
estimating a horizontal displacement of the rotating apparatus using at least one of a flight time, a release speed, an initial height, and a height of the rotating apparatus in respect to ground; and
determining a location of the rotating apparatus relative to a specified target by combining the direction of the spin axis of the rotating apparatus with the horizontal displacement.

### Claim 4

A system for tracking performance of a player, the system comprising:
a rotating apparatus configured to be provided a rotation about the spin axis via a player, wherein the rotating apparatus comprises:
a communication module; and
an XYZ-magnetic field sensor configured to measure a plurality of magnetic field values as a function of time with the XYZ-magnetic field sensor when the rotating apparatus is rotating about the spin axis; and
a processor communicably coupled to the rotating apparatus, wherein the processor configured to:
determine a global direction of a magnetic field at a first court and compute first court specific data comprising a horizontal direction of a local magnetic field with respect to an x-axis of the global direction of the magnetic field and a vertical direction of the local magnetic field with respect to a local horizontal plane;
determine that the rotating apparatus is in a ballistic trajectory and activate the XYZ magnetic field sensor;
compute a magnetic field component of the magnetic field in a direction of a local body coordinate of the spin axis of the rotating apparatus from the measured plurality of magnetic field values;
determine a direction of the spin axis using the computed magnetic field component of the magnetic field and the determined global direction of the magnetic field;
determine a player specific data comprising an angle of the spin axis with respect to the horizontal ground plane and an angle of the shot direction with respect to the horizontal component of spin axis for the player;
calibrate and store the first court specific data and the player specific data to track the performance of the player at the first court;
determine a global direction of a second magnetic field at a second court and compute a second court specific data comprising a horizontal direction of a local magnetic field with respect to an x-axis of the global direction of the second magnetic field and a vertical direction of the local magnetic field with respect to a local horizontal plane; and
calibrate and store the second court specific data and the stored player specific data to track the performance of the player at the second court.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system according to claim 4, wherein the angle of the spin axis with respect to the horizontal ground plane is zero degrees and the angle of the shot direction with respect to the horizontal component of spin axis is 90 degrees.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:
estimate a horizontal displacement of the rotating apparatus using at least one of a flight time, a release speed, an initial height, and a height of the rotating apparatus in respect to ground; and
determine a location of the rotating apparatus relative to a specified target by combining the direction of the spin axis of the rotating apparatus with the horizontal displacement.