Device and method for beneficially engaging conscious brain influence during complex athletic movements

Abstract

A device and method are provided for training a user to improve their ability to perform complex athletic movements, such as are involved in a golf swing. A plurality of sensing modules are each effective to detect movement of associated body parts of the user and to generate an output signal representative of the detected movement. A controller is linked to each of the sensing modules so as to receive the output signals from the plurality of sensing modules and is further configured to detect movement combinations of the plurality of output signals, compare the detected movement combinations with a predetermined one or more expected movement combinations associated with a complex athletic movement, and generate an output signal such as an audible signal or vibration to the user in substantially real time based on the comparison and a predetermined output mode.

1 . A system for substantially real-time cognitive training of a user with respect to the performance of complex athletic movements, the system comprising:
 a plurality of sensing modules, each sensing module comprising one or more movement sensors and effective to detect movement of an associated body part of the user; and   a controller device communicatively linked to each of the sensing modules and effective to
 detect a plurality of movement combinations based on each of said detected movements with respect to each other; 
 sequentially compare the detected movement combinations with a corresponding predetermined sequence of expected movement combinations associated with a complex athletic movement combination; 
 generate a first output logic state for each detected movement combination in the sequence that satisfies an associated expected movement combination; 
 generate a second output logic state for each detected movement combination in the sequence that fails to satisfy an associated expected movement combination; and 
 in concert only with the generated first output logic states, to further generate one or more sensory output signals to the user in substantially real time, said sensory output signals comprising audio or vibration output signals provided to the user and corresponding to the respective expected movement combinations. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a timer, the controller effective to generate first or second output logic states for a detected movement combination based on the expected movement combination and an expected time period for performing the expected movement combination. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , the controller effective to detect movement combinations associated with the plurality of sensing modules beginning from a starting position established by the controller after a predetermined period of time lapsing with less than a threshold level of movement. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , the controller effective to identify the predetermined movement combination of the plurality of sensing modules after an external start signal is received by the controller. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , the sensing modules comprising a linear accelerometer and a wireless transmitting device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , the sensing modules comprising a gyro-meter and a wireless transmitting device. 
     
     
         9 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A system for training a user to improve their ability to perform a golf swing, the system comprising:
 a first sensing module comprising a first movement sensor and configured for positioning in association with a first body part of the user, and effective to detect movement of said first body part and to generate a signal representative of the detected movement;   a second sensing module comprising a second movement sensor configured for positioning in association with a second body part of the user, and effective to detect movement of said second body part and to generate a signal representative of the detected movement; and   a controller device communicatively linked to the first and second sensing modules and effective to
 receive input signals from the first and second sensing modules, 
 detect a plurality of movement combinations of the plurality of input signals, 
 sequentially compare the detected movement combinations with a corresponding predetermined sequence of expected movement combinations associated with the golf swing, 
 generate a first output logic state for each detected movement combination in the sequence that satisfies an associated expected movement combination, 
 generate a second output logic state for each detected movement combination in the sequence that fails to satisfy an associated expected movement combination, and 
 in concert only with said generated first output logic states, to further generate a sensory output signal to the user in substantially real time, said sensory output signal comprising an audio or a vibration output signal provided to the user and corresponding to the respective expected movement combination. 
   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a timer, the controller effective to generate first or second output logic states for a detected movement combination based on the expected movement combination and an expected time period for performing the expected movement combination. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , the first and second sensing modules each comprising one or more of an accelerometer, a gyro-sensor and a wireless transmitter functionally linked to the controller. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein for a right-handed user the first sensing module is configured for positioning on or around the waist of the user and the second sensing module is configured for positioning on the right shoulder of the user, the predetermined one or more expected movement combinations associated with the golf swing further comprising
 a first movement combination of a left-to-right movement of both the first and second sensing modules,   a second movement combination of a clockwise rotation of both of the first and second sensing modules,   a third movement combination of a counter-clockwise rotation of the first sensing module in association with a continued clockwise rotation of the second sensing module, and   a fourth movement combination of a counter-clockwise rotation of both the first and second sensing modules.   
     
     
         21 . A device for substantially real-time cognitive training of a user with respect to the performance of complex athletic movements, said device comprising a processor and one or more non-transitory processor-readable memory media having program instructions residing thereon, said program instructions executable by the processor to direct the performance of:
 receiving a plurality of input signals via a communications network from a respective plurality of movement sensors, the input signals representative of actual movements within a complex athletic movement by a respective body part of a user;   identifying a predetermined sequence of expected movement combinations associated with said complex athletic movement;   detecting actual movement combinations associated with respective groups of input signals;   sequentially comparing each actual movement combination with a corresponding expected movement combination,   generating a first output logic state for each actual movement combination in the sequence that matches a corresponding expected movement combination;   generating a second output logic state for each actual movement combination in the sequence that fails to match a corresponding expected movement combination; and   in concert only with said generated first output logic states, further generating a sensory output signal comprising an audio or a vibration output signal to the user in concert with said complex athletic movement.   
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 21 , the program instructions further executable to direct the performance of generating said first or second output logic states for a detected movement combination based on the expected movement combination and an expected time period for performing the expected movement combination. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , the program instructions further executable to direct the performance of detecting movement combinations represented by the one or more input signals beginning from a starting position established after a predetermined period of time lapsing with less than a threshold level of movement. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 24 , the program instructions further executable to direct the performance of detecting movement combinations represented by the one or more input signals beginning from a starting position established when an external start signal is received. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 21 , the program instructions further executable to enable user selection of one or more of the expected movement combinations for sensory output,
 wherein sensory output signals are generated to the user in substantially real time only in concert with generated first output logic states corresponding to the selected expected movement combinations.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 1 , the controller device further effective to enable user selection of one or more of the expected movement combinations for sensory output,
 wherein the controller is effective in concert only with generated first output logic states corresponding to the selected expected movement combinations to further generate the sensory output signals to the user in substantially real time.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 15 , the controller device further effective to enable user selection of one or more of the expected movement combinations for sensory output,
 wherein the controller is effective in concert only with generated first output logic states corresponding to the selected expected movement combinations to further generate the sensory output signals to the user in substantially real time.