System and methods for providing performance feedback

Abstract

Systems and methods provide feedback to at least one participant in a field of play. A performance analysis device determines performance information of each participant in the field of play, where the performance information is based upon at least one of determined location, speed, path, acceleration and biometrics of said each participant. At least one output device provides real-time feedback to the at least one participant based upon the performance information. The real-time feedback comprises performance information of the at least one participant and/or performance information of one or more other participants in the field of play.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing real-time audio feedback to an athlete, comprising:
 one or more audio speakers configured to be co-located with the athlete and play the real-time audio feedback to the athlete; and   a performance analysis device configured to:
 continuously determine a location of the athlete from a location device worn by the athlete, 
 determine an audio signal, based on the continuously-determined location of the athlete, that indicates how well, or not, the athlete conforms to one or both of a path and a speed, and 
 direct the one or more audio speakers to play the audio signal as the real-time audio feedback. 
   
     
     
         2 . The audio feedback system of  claim 1 , the one or more audio speakers including left and right speakers for left and right ears, respectively, of the athlete. 
     
     
         3 . The audio feedback system of  claim 2 , the left and right speakers being mounted to a helmet worn by the athlete. 
     
     
         4 . The audio feedback system of  claim 2 , the audio signal indicating the real-time audio feedback to the athlete via a beeping frequency of a beeping sound, a tone, a volume of one or both of the left and right speakers, and a verbal message. 
     
     
         5 . The audio feedback system of  claim 2 , the audio signal being configured to indicate how well the athlete conforms to the speed via a beeping frequency of a beeping sound. 
     
     
         6 . The audio feedback system of  claim 2 , the audio signal being configured to indicate how well the athlete conforms to the path via a volume of one or both of the left and right speakers. 
     
     
         7 . A method for providing real-time audio feedback to an athlete, comprising: continuously determining a location of the athlete from a location device worn by the athlete;
 determining an audio signal, based on the continuously-determined location of the athlete, that indicates how well, or not, the athlete conforms to one or both of a path and a speed; and   directing one or more audio speakers, co-located with the athlete, to play the audio signal as the real-time audio feedback.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , the one or more speakers including left and right speakers for left and right ears, respectively, of the athlete. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , the left and right speakers being mounted to a helmet worn by the athlete. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said determining the audio signal includes determining the audio signal such that the audio signal, when played on the left and right speakers, indicates the real-time audio feedback to the athlete via a beeping frequency of a beeping sound, a tone, a volume of one or both of the left and right speakers, and a verbal message. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said determining the audio signal includes determining the audio signal such that the audio signal, when played on the left and right speakers, indicates to the athlete how well the athlete conforms to the speed via a beeping frequency of a beeping sound. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said determining the audio signal includes determining the audio signal such that the audio signal, when played on the left and right speakers, indicates to the athlete how well the athlete conforms to the path via a volume of one or both of the left and right speakers. 
     
     
         13 . A system for providing real-time audio feedback to an athlete in a field of play, comprising:
 one or more audio speakers configured to be co-located with the athlete and play the real-time audio feedback to the athlete; and   a performance analysis device configured to:
 continuously determine a location of the athlete from a location device worn by the athlete, 
 continuously determine, from a location device worn by each of one or more other athletes in the field of play, a location of said each of the one or more other athletes, 
 determine an audio signal based on the continuously-determined location of the athlete and the continuously-determined location of said each of the one or more other athletes, and 
 direct the one or more audio speakers to play the audio signal as the real-time audio feedback. 
   
     
     
         14 . The audio feedback system of  claim 13 , the one or more audio speakers including left and right speakers for left and right ears, respectively, of the athlete. 
     
     
         15 . The audio feedback system of  claim 14 , the left and right speakers being mounted to a helmet worn by the athlete. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , the performance analysis device being further configured to:
 determine a direction from which situational pressure is coming toward the athlete, the situational pressure being based on proximity of the athlete to each of the one or more other athletes; and   indicate the direction to the athlete via the real-time audio feedback by controlling a volume of one or both of the left and right speakers.   
     
     
         17 . The audio feedback system of  claim 16 , the performance analysis device being further configured to determine the proximity of the athlete to said each of the one or more other athletes based on the continuously-determined location of the athlete and the continuously-determined location of said each of the one or more other athletes. 
     
     
         18 . The audio feedback system of  claim 17 , wherein the athlete is a quarterback in an American football game, and the one or more other athletes are defenders of the quarterback.