Abstract:
A method and system are disclosed for locating or otherwise generating positional information for an object, such as but not limited generating positional coordinates for an object attached to an athlete engaging in an athletic event. The positional coordinates may be processed with other telemetry and biometrical information to provide real-time performance metrics while the athlete engages in the athletic event.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/657,217 filed Jan. 15, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,330,611, which, in turn, claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/205,146 filed Jan. 15, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety, and U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/287,361 filed Dec. 17, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to systems and methods of positionally locating moving objects and real-time generation of telemetry and performance metrics for the moving objects. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Global positioning system (GPS) can be used to positionally locate a moving object. GPS relies on a GPS enabled device attached to the object to calculate positional coordinates based on information transmitted from orbiting satellites. The reliance on orbiting satellites can be problematic while the moving object is within a covered area since the GPS enabled device may not receive the signals necessary to perform its coordinate calculations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. However, other features of the present invention will become more apparent and the present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompany drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a locating system in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates spatial reduction in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates performance telemetry in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a graphical user interface in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 5-6  illustrate head and limb devices in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a locating system  10  in accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention. The system  10  may include on one or more cameras  12  to facilitate locating one or more devices  14  as the devices  14  travel within an area covered by the cameras  12 . The description set forth below is predominately described with respect to the cameras  12  being positioned around a swimming pool in order to facilitate locating the devices  14  while the devices  14  are being worn by swimmers swimming within the swimming pool. In this example, the devices  14  are referred to as head devices  14  and a master station  16  may be configured to facilitate control of the head devices while the cameras  12  capture related images in order to determine a position of the swimmers with the swimming pool. The position of each swimmer can be calculated from a spatial reduction of the signals captured within the images to particular positions within the pool. 
       FIG. 2  schematically illustrates one example of the spatial reduction technique contemplated by the present invention where one of the cameras  12  may be positioned relative to a swimming pool  18  to capture image frames  20 ,  22  of events taking place within its viewing angle  24 . While the present invention fully contemplates the image frames  20 ,  22  including visual and/or non-visual representations of any captured signals, the images frames shown in  FIG. 2  represent images frames  20 ,  22  captured with an infrared (IR) camera  12  configured to capture IR or other non-visible representations of signals emitted from one or more beacons  28 ,  30  included on head devices  14  of on a first and second swimmer ( 1 ,  2 ) that happen to be swimming in the area covered by the camera&#39;s viewing angle  24  at a first time (T 1 ) and second time (T 2 ). The camera  12  may include a filter or other configuration particularly suited to capturing the signals emitted from the beacons  28 ,  30 . 
     The first image frame  20  captured at time T 1  and the second image frame  22  captured are time T 2  are shown to be of the type where the camera  12  was configured to filter signals other than those that correspond with the beacons  20 ,  22 . The captured signals are shown with circular representations for exemplary purposes only. Depending on the resolution of the camera  12 , the wavelength and strength of the signal may exhibit some other pattern or representation within one or more of pixels (not shown) of the image frames  20 ,  22 . A pixel-by-pixel analysis of the image frames  20 ,  22  may be performed with an image processing element  32  (see  FIG. 1 ) of the master station  16  to identify the pixels that represents receipt of the strongest signal. Depending on the positioning of the camera  12  at the time the image frames  20 ,  22  were captured, each of the pixels can be associated with a particular area within the viewing angle  24 , i.e., to a particular location/position within the pool  18 . The pixel having the strongest signal can act as a center for coordinate generation purposes. 
     The arrangement shown in  FIG. 2  includes the camera  12  being set a fixed position above the swimming pool  18  in order to simplify the spatial reduction of the images captured within the image frames  20 ,  22  to particular areas in the pool  18 . Since the position of the camera  12  is know and fixed, a limited number of calculations are needed to associate each pixel of the image frames  20 ,  22  with a known portion of the swimming pool  18 . This example, however, is not intended to limit the scope and contemplation of the present invention. The present invention fully contemplates the camera  12  moving such that additional processing may be required to fix the position of the camera  12  at the time of image capture before the areas associated with each image pixel could be identified with a particular area of the swimming pool  18 . 
     Each of the pixels chosen to be representing the center of the emitted signals may be associated with an X-axis and Y-axis coordinate value according to an identity of the swimmer (shown as swimmer # 1  and swimmer # 2 ) and a timestamp representative of a time at which each image frame was taken (shown as timestamp # 1  and timestamp # 2 ). Using this methodology, a coordinate value (X ST , Y ST ) can be assigned to a location of each swimmer within the captured image frames  20 ,  22  where X identifies a position along the X-axis, Y identifies a position along the Y-axis, S identifies the swimmer, and T identifies the timestamp. This image-based coordinate may be defined relative a positioning of the camera  12  capturing the associated image and may be sufficient to determine a location from a single image, as opposed to having to take multiple pictures before fixing the location. In some cases, multiple cameras  12  may be used to capture images of different and/or overlapping portions of the pool. The resulting image-based coordinates may be defined locally to that associated camera  12  and thereafter the spatial relationship of one or more the cameras  12  may be used to reduce the image-based coordinates into some other coordinated system and/or to check the relative accuracy/precision of the other coordinates. 
     A location computer  34  may be configured to host the image process unit  32  and to output the image-based coordinate values as raw representations of the swimmer&#39;s location within the images  20 ,  22  and/or the image processing unit  32  may be configured to convert or otherwise process the image coordinates into world coordinates, global position system (GPS) coordinates, and/or some other coordinate orientation that has an absolute coordinate other than the camera or pool  18 . The coordinate information may then be communicated to a host computer  36  for further processing. The host computer  36  may include a server  38  to host a planning application  40  and a training application  42  along with middleware  44  and temporary data storage  46  to facilitate interaction with other elements of the system  10  and to otherwise supporting data and processing demands necessary to supporting the operations contemplated herein. 
     The train application  42  may be a tool that tracks and otherwise processes telemetry information for the swimmers based at least in part on the coordinate information output from the location computer  34 .  FIG. 2  illustrates a performance telemetry image frame  48  to illustrate how some of the metrics contemplated by the present invention may be calculated based on the coordinate values, such at but not limited to distance traveled and speed. The performance telemetry image frame  48  can be used as a superimposition of two or more of the image frames  20 ,  22  where movement of the swimmers between images frames can be graphically illustrated with a first reference vector  50  and a second reference vector  52 . The length of the vectors  50 ,  52  can be used to represent distance traveled which can then be used to calculate speed according to a time elapsed between the first and second timestamps. 
     The exemplary illustration of distance and speed is not intended to limit the scope and contemplation of the present invention as the present invention fully contemplates including the coordinated representations in any type of a calculations, particularly calculations that are specified to the actions and movements of element being tracked with the device  14 .  FIG. 3  illustrates a display  60  of exemplary performance metrics that may be generated based at least in part on the coordinate values. In some cases, the performance telemetry may be based in part on additional information collected from the swimmers, such as based on information collected from limb devices  62  attached to arms and legs of the swimmers (see  FIG. 1 ). The limb devices  62  may be include accelerometers or other devices configured to monitor and report movements of the swimmer to the master station  16 , such as through wireless communications. The data transmitted form the limb devices  62  may be sent in real-time and coordinated with the real-time calculation of the coordinate values to provide a real-time analysis of the swimmers actions, i.e., stroke rate, stroke style, speed, splits, etc. 
     The real-time telemetry may be output on a user interface of a hand-held user device  66  (see  FIG. 1 ) connected to the master station  16  by way of a wireless node  68 , such as but not limited to a tablet computer used by a coach to monitor swimmer performance.  FIG. 4  illustrates one exemplary configuration of a graphical user interface  70  where the telemetry information of a particular swimmer is display with numerical values of current performance, and optionally, with color coded references to whether the swimmer is performing at, below, or above past averages/metrics. The performance telemetry may be displayed relative to a video window  72  showing a real-time video of the selected swimmer moving through the swimming pool. The video may be captured with one or more video cameras  74  (see  FIG. 1 ) positioned around the swimming pool. The feeds from the video cameras  74  may be spliced together to provide a continuous video as the feed switches with movement of the swimmer between the cameras  74  placed at different locations along the pool and/or one or more of the cameras  74  may be configured to automatically move with the swimmer according to positional information determined from the coordinate values. 
     A central server  78  and one or more personal computers  80  may be included in the system  10  (see  FIG. 1 ) to facilitate storing the performance telemetry for any number of swimmers and to allow the swimmers to retrieve the telemetry data and recorded video at later time for review. The central server  78  may include a billing application  82  and registration application  84  to facilitate managing online content and subscription based services to the performance telemetry. Online social networks may be established to facilitate remote training and competitions between swimmers swimming at different swimming pools across the country. One of the advantageous contemplated by the present invention relates to its ability to provide real-time feedback during practice and retrieval feedback at a later time, such as to support film study and review by the swimmer themselves. The system  10  supports a full spectrum of performance telemetry and is particularly suited to performance telemetry of the type that is based at least in part on obtaining a positional location of the tracked entity. 
     The positional tracking described above relies on a camera  12  or other sensor to positionally orientate a signal from one or more beacons  28 ,  30  included on a swimmer. This methodology is believed to be particular beneficial to supporting the real-time performance telemetry contemplated by the present invention since it allows the master station  16  or some other entity other than the head device  14  to perform the positional calculations. This can be helpful in reducing the size, complexity, and cost of the head device  14 , although the present invention fully contemplates configuring the head device  14  to calculate their own positional coordinates through wireless communication and processing of the image frames  20 ,  22 . The head device contemplated by one non-limiting aspect of the present invention, however, may include wireless communication capabilities and other capabilities necessary to implementing the objectives of the present invention, such as but not limited to having an transceiver (not shown) to support one-way or two-way information exchange and processing over a wireless system established with the master station. 
     The wireless system may be used by both of the limb and head devices  14 ,  62  to facilitate wireless communications with the master station  16 . The limb device communications may be used to transmit accelerometer, biometric, and other types of data collected by the limb devices  62  to the master station  16 . The wireless communications may be facilitated with the use of MAC address or other unique addresses assigned to each of the head and limb devices  14 ,  62  so that messages sent to and received from the head devices  14 ,  62  can be uniquely identified and controlled. The master station  16  may include a table or other representation to further correlated the MAC address with particular swimmers, such as by requiring each swimmer to log-in prior to practice or to otherwise identify themselves with a particular head device. The master station  16  may further associate the head device with a particular signature or other unique representation to be output from the associated beacon  28 ,  30  so that each beacon  28 ,  30  shown within the image frames can be identified with a particular swimmer. 
     One non-limiting aspect of the present invention contemplates the beacons  28 ,  30  emitting signals with a self-identifying pattern (such as but not limited to emitting signals at particular sequence or flash rate) and/or at a predefine interval of time. The self-identifying pattern may be a slightly more complex signature since it may require the master station  16  to assign and decipher unique patterns for a number of head devices  14 , which can be difficult should there be 50 or 100 swimmers being tracked at the same time. The predefined interval assignment process may be less complex since it may only require the master station  16  to monitor an epoch assigned to each of the head devices  14  for beacon transmissions. Each beacon  28 ,  30 , optionally, may be assigned a unique epoch where it is the only beacon transmitting a signal at a particular period of time. In this scenario, the timestamp associated with each image frame can be cross-referenced with the beacon  28 ,  30  assigned to transmit during that period of time to identify the one or more beacons  28 ,  30  within the image frame  20 ,  22 . In this manner, the present invention is able to generate positional coordinate locations for the swimmer without requiring the head device  14  to calculate its own position. 
     The head and limb devices  14 ,  62  may be battery powered and waterproof/resistance to support wireless operation within the swimming pool and other environments. A docketing station  90  having ports for each set of the limb and head devices  14 ,  62  may be included in the system to facilitate battery charging, and optionally, software loading and updating.  FIG. 5  illustrates the head and limb devices  14 ,  62  being particularly configured to support operation with a swimmer in accordance with on non-limiting aspect of the present invention. The limb device  62  may be configured for receipt within a wrist wrap  92  and an ankle wrap  94 . The head device  14  may be configured with the first beacon  28  and the second beacon  30  that protrude through corresponding openings within a swim cap  96 . The swim cap  96  may include an envelope  98  or other structure to position the first and second beacons  28 ,  30  relative to the openings. 
     While the use of both of the first and second beacons  28 ,  30  is not required, it may be helpful to have one or more of the beacons  28 ,  30  emitting the signal. Optionally, the master station  16  may assign each of the first and second beacon  28 ,  30  their own transmission interval so that only one beacon is transmitting within each image frame  20 ,  22 . The first beacon  28 , for example, can be used when the swimmer is performing a breaststroke or other action where the rearward portion of the head may be pointing away from the camera, such as towards a bottom of the pool or other direction where refraction/reflection may prevent a proper reading of the signal from the rearward beacon  30 . Similarly, the second, rearward beacon  30  may be used when the swimmer is performing a freestyle stroke or other action where the forward portion of the head may be pointing away from the camera, such as towards a bottom of the pool or other direction where refraction/reflection may prevent a proper reading of the signal from the forward beacon  28 . The emitting beacon  28 ,  30  may be selected based on accelerometer data collect from the limb device  62 , such as through direct wireless communications between the limb and head devices  62 ,  14  or by way of master station  16  wireless communications, and/or the head device  14  may include an accelerometer to make its own determination. 
     The head device  14  is further shown to include an ear bud  100 . The ear bud  100  may be used to facilitate audio communications with the simmer. One form of audio communication may include the master station  16  or other device wireless transmitting verbal instructions from the coach to the swimmer, such as through a microphone (not shown) included on the tablet device. Another form of audio communication may include the head device  14  being programmed, either wireless while the swimmer is swimming or before, to issue chimes and other audio references to swimmer to indicate distance traveled, stroke rhythm, etc. and/or to simply play music. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the head device  14  may include a detachable pod  102  that can be connected through a USB port to the charging station  90 . 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for the claims and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. The features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention. 
     While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.