Motion sensor in sporting equipment

Abstract

Sports equipment includes an embedded optical sensor. The embedded optical sensor includes an image array and a navigation engine. The navigation engine receives image information originating from the image array and performs a correlation on the image information to calculate overlap of images and to determine shift between images in order to detect motion.

1 . Sports equipment, comprising: 
 an optical sensor embedded within the sports equipment, the optical sensor including: 
 an image array, and  
 a navigation engine that receives image information originating from the image array and performs a correlation on the image information to calculate overlap of images and to determine shift between images in order to detect motion.  
   
     
     
         2 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the sports equipment includes: 
 at least one additional optical sensor embedded within the sports equipment.    
     
     
         3 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the sports equipment is a substantially round ball that includes: 
 two additional optical sensors embedded within the sports equipment and each optical sensor embedded with the sport equipments facing in a direction orthogonal to other optical sensors embedded in the sports equipment.    
     
     
         4 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the sports equipment is one of the following: 
 a golf ball;    a baseball;    a football;    a flying disk;    a billiard ball.    
     
     
         5 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the sports equipment is one of the following: 
 a golf club;    a baseball bat;    a bicycle wheel;    a wheel of an inline skate;    a wheel of a skateboard;    a pool cue.    
     
     
         6 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the optical sensor additionally comprises: 
 an analog-to-digital converter that receives analog signals from the image array and converts the signals to digital data; and,    an automatic gain control that evaluates digital data received from the analog-to-digital converter and controls shutter speed and gain adjust within the image array.    
     
     
         7 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the optical sensor additionally comprises: 
 a controller that receives motion detection information from the navigation engine and forwards representatives of the motion detection information from the navigation engine to a host system.    
     
     
         8 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the sports equipment additionally comprises: 
 at least one additional optical sensor embedded within the sports equipment; and,    a controller that receives motion detection information from the optical sensor and the at least one additional optical sensor and forwards representatives of the motion detection information to a host system.    
     
     
         9 . Sports equipment as in  claim 1  wherein the sports equipment attaches directly to a performer to monitor movement of the performer.  
     
     
         10 . A method for obtaining motion information from sports equipment, the method comprising: 
 embedding an optical sensor embedded within the sports equipment, the optical sensor including an image array, and a navigation engine that receives image information originating from the image array and performs a correlation on the image information to calculate overlap of images and to determine shift between images in order to detect motion; and,    gathering and evaluating information from the embedded optical sensor.    
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 10  additionally comprising the following: 
 embedding at least one additional optical sensor embedded within the sports equipment; and,    gathering and evaluating information from the at least one additional embedded optical sensor.    
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 10  additionally comprising the following: 
 embedding two additional optical sensor embedded within the sports equipment so that each optical sensor embedded in the sports equipment faces in a direction orthogonal to other optical sensors embedded in the sports equipment.    
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 10  wherein the correlation on the image information is performed using convolution.  
     
     
         14 . Sports equipment, comprising: 
 means for optically sensing motion embedded within the sports equipment, the means for optically sensing motion including: 
 means for producing image information, and  
 means for receiving the image information and performing a correlation on the image information to calculate overlap of images and to determine shift between images in order to detect motion.  
   
     
     
         15 . Sports equipment as in  claim 14  wherein the sports equipment includes: 
 at least one additional means for optically sensing motion embedded within the sports equipment.    
     
     
         16 . Sports equipment as in  claim 14  wherein the sports equipment is a substantially round ball that includes: 
 two additional means for optically sensing motion embedded within the sports equipment and each means for optically sensing motion embedded in the sports equipment facing in a direction orthogonal to other means for optically sensing motion embedded in the sports equipment.    
     
     
         17 . Sports equipment as in  claim 14  wherein the sports equipment is one of the following: 
 a golf ball;    a baseball;    a football;    a flying disk.    
     
     
         18 . Sports equipment as in  claim 14  wherein the sports equipment is one of the following: 
 a golf club;    a baseball bat.    
     
     
         19 . Sports equipment as in  claim 14  wherein the sports equipment attaches directly to a performer to monitor movement of the performer.  
     
     
         20 . Sports equipment as in  claim 14  wherein the sports equipment additionally comprises: 
 at least one additional means for optically sensing motion embedded within the sports equipment; and,    means for receiving motion detection information from the means for optically sensing motion and the at least one additional means for optically sensing motion and forwarding representatives of the motion detection information to a host system.