Patent Publication Number: US-2021178241-A1

Title: Smart Bag

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to fitness equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a smart bag system for martial arts practice, boxing, punching, kicking, and other physical sports and workouts. The smart bag system provides a user with various exercise challenge levels by illuminating devices on the bag at pre-determined time intervals and durations for the user to throw punches and/or kicks at. Further, the smart bag system includes a control system and a plurality of sensors to turn off the illuminating devices upon impact and provide various exercise measurement data to the user through wireless communication. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Boxing, including punching, kicking, martial arts, etc., provides the magic of body workout. Bursts of anaerobic activity full of sustained intensity alternate with short rest periods, thus giving it a contemporary jargon as “high-intensity interval training”. It is a more efficient workout to burn body fat than traditional “steady-state” exercises such as jogging. The most common equipment used by amateur and professional boxers alike is a punching bag, which can be a hanging bag, free standing bag, heavy bag, kicking bag, etc. Any bag for boxing use requires durability and resiliency to provide a safe and consistent adversary to physical impacts at various intensities. 
     Overall, boxing is about punching, but not only punching hard. Boxing, especially sparring matches, also requires fast punching, combination punching, accurate punching, and timed punching. A conventional free stand punching bag or even a swinging bag may not be able to challenge many aspects of boxing, which may include boredom, focus, accuracy, intensity, speed, training/workout record, biometric data, etc. This may cause a user who exercises boxing using bags to get into negative habits beyond feeling bored most of the time. The most problematic habit may be the so-called “lazy eyes” in boxers. During countless, repetitive punching and/or kicking throws, the user may get a little too comfortable with the boxing bag resulting in losing focus and taking eyes off the bag. The negative consequence may further demotivate the user in addition to the boring feeling that the exercise brings, and even causes the user to get punched by easy and straight punches if the user were to spar someone in a ring. A free-standing bag, a double-end bag or a trainer with focus mitts may help to engage the user without losing focus. But these are not efficient solutions to use who exercise alone most of the time. 
     Another drawback of using conventional bags is the development of bad balance. The user may like to focus too much on impact power by tangling up feet and/or pushing all the user&#39;s bodyweight into each punch. This can easily cause the user to lose balance, miss the target, fall, and/or incur injury. Additionally, using conventional bags cannot help the user to emphasize on speed since there is no mechanism to motivate or force the user to throw every punch with speed. Further, most amateur and professional boxers would prefer to keep track of workout/training records that include intensity, speed, total punches, on-target accuracy, biometric data such as calories consumed, heartbeat rates, etc. Most conventional bags, however, do not have the capabilities for such provisions. 
     Some most recent boxing bags may have made some improvements over the conventional systems. One of the most popular improvements is the provision of wireless communication using a personal computing (PC) device between the user and the boxing system. Some boxing system may incorporate one or more sensors to record and make available to the user exercise and biometric data. This kind of bag system, however, does not engage the user during boxing exercises so that the user may focus on not only punching power, but also speed, accuracy of the target. 
     Thus, it is the objective of the present invention to provide a solution to the abovementioned problems, drawbacks and issues associated with the conventional boxing bag systems and related recent improvements. The present invention, a smart bag, offers a smart bag system that incorporates tactical, visual, and audible interactive operating features. The smart bag provides real-time guidance to the user through any random and/or predefined workout session to indulge the use in a challenging and joyful experience. The workout guidance is conveniently presented to the user through illuminating and extinguishing a series of light units integrated with sensors per predetermined challenge levels. The light units are distributed on the exterior body of the boxing bag, wherein the duration and sequence of illumination of individual light units are controlled by a control system of the smart bag. Through the selection of a specific challenge level, the user can achieve a focused boxing training through the interactive bag system at the desired intensity level that emphasizes on power, speed, accuracy, and reaction. Further, the sensors integrated in the light units can record boxing and user biometric data. The data can be displayed on the control system and sent to the user through a communication system using a corresponding PC device of the user. The smart bag may be embodied in various sizes, shapes, installation methods such as wall and ceiling hanging units to full height floor-standing models. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A smart bag system offers tactical, visual, and audible interactive operating features for boxing, punching, kicking, martial arts workouts, or any workout using a bag system. The smart bag system has numerous benefits: enhance aerobic fitness, core stability, coordination, power, stamina, and endurance. The smart bag improves upper-body strength and strengthen bones and ligaments and enhances full body boxing, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), kickboxing techniques. Through the integrated punching bag with an interactive control system, the smart bag system provides real-time guidance to a user with random or predefined workout sessions, which indulge the use in a challenging and joyful experience to overcome the often dullness and loss of focus/balance associated with most conventional punching bag systems. 
     The workout guidance of the smart bag system is presented through the use of the interaction with the control system, illumination and extinguishing of a series of light units, each of which is integrated with sensors. The light units are distributed on the exterior body of a boxing bag, wherein the duration and sequence of illumination of individual light units are controlled by the control system. Through interacting with the control system to select specific challenge levels and/or intensity levels, the user can achieve focused boxing training at the desired intensity level that emphasizes on power, speed, accuracy, and reaction. Further, the control system can record boxing and biometric data using the sensors. The data can be displayed and/or sent to the user through a corresponding PC device of the user. The smart bag may be embodied in various sizes, shapes, installation methods such as wall and ceiling hanging units to full height floor-standing models. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hanging bag embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a free-standing bag embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a heavy column embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a control system of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an electrical diagram of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION 
     All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , the present invention, called “smart bag” hereafter, is a training and exercise equipment for boxing, punching, kicking, martial arts, etc. The smart bag offers a bag system that incorporates tactical, visual, and audible interactive operating features. The smart bag system has numerous benefits: enhance aerobic fitness, core stability, coordination, power, stamina, and endurance. The smart bag improves upper-body strength and strengthen bones and ligaments and enhances full body boxing, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), kickboxing techniques. The smart bag provides a real-time guidance to a user through any random and/or predefined workout session to indulge the use in a challenging and joyful training/exercise experience. The workout guidance of the smart bag is conveniently presented to the user through a series of light units integrated with sensors. The smart bag provides control of the light units by illuminating and extinguishing individual units per predetermined challenge levels. The light units are distributed on the exterior body of the smart bag, wherein the duration and sequence of illumination of individual light units are controlled by the control system of the smart bag. Through the selection of a specific challenge level, the user can achieve a focused boxing training/exercise through the interactive bag system at the desired intensity level that emphasizes on power, speed, accuracy, and reaction. Further, the sensors integrated in the light units can record boxing and user biometric data. The data can be displayed on the control system and sent to the user through a communication system using a corresponding PC device of the user. The smart bag may be embodied in various sizes, shapes, installation methods such as wall and ceiling hanging units to full height floor-standing models. As can be seen in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , the smart bag of the present invention comprises a body  10 , an illumination system  20 , and a control system  30 . The body  10  comprises a first end  11  and second end  12 . The illumination system  20  is exteriorly attached to and distributed across the body  10 . Additionally, the illumination system  20  comprises a plurality of illumination devices  21  and a plurality of sensors  22 . Each of the plurality of illumination devices  21  is exteriorly attached to and distributed on the body  10 . Each of the plurality of sensors  22  is positioned within each of the plurality of illumination devices  21  and each of the plurality of sensors  22  is electrically connected to each of the plurality of illumination devices  21 . Further, the control system  30  is exteriorly attached to the body  10 , adjacent the first end  11 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , each of the plurality of sensors  22  is attached to each of the plurality of illumination devices  21  of the illumination system  20 . Each of the plurality of sensors  22  may comprise a sensor including, but not limited to, a touch sensor, an impact sensor, an accelerometer, etc., to measure the impact, force, etc., of each punch that the user throws to the body  10  of the smart bag. Additionally, each of the plurality of illumination devices  21  extinguishes once the corresponding sensor of the plurality of sensors  22  is impacted by an external force of the user. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , the control system  30  of the present invention comprises a power supply  31 , a processor  32 , a transmitter  33 , a plurality of control buttons  34 , a display  35 , a plurality of challenge levels  36 , a plurality of intensity levels  37 , a switch  38 , a sound control  39 , a speaker  40 , an extraneous biometric device  41 , and a personal computing (PC) device  50 . The power supply  31  is positioned within the control system  30  and electrically connected to both the illumination system  21 . The power supply  31  may include, but is not limited to a battery, and/or an external power source that provides electrical power to the smart bag of the present invention. The processor  32  may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor, a controller, a computer chip, or any suitable control device. Additionally, the processor  32  is positioned within the control system  30  and electrically connected to the plurality of illumination devices  21  of the illumination system  20 . The processor  32  is powered by the power supply  31  and electrically connected to the plurality of sensors  22 . Further, the processor  32  is configured to turn on or off the plurality of illumination devices  21  at a predetermined duration and sequence. For example, the processor  32  may be configured to turn on an individual unit of the plurality of illumination devices  21  when the user starts a boxing workout session and turns on the smart bag of the present invention. Through a specific program, of which the challenge level is selected by the user, the processor extinguishes the individual unit of the plurality of illumination devices  21  once the corresponding sensor of the plurality of sensors  22  is impacted by the user. The processor  32  subsequently turns on the next individual unit of the plurality of illumination devices  21  per the program at a predetermined duration and sequence, thus allowing the user to continue the boxing exercise. By varying the duration and sequence of such controls, the present invention can offer the user various challenging and intensity levels for boxing workout/training sessions. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , the display  35  is exteriorly positioned on the control system  30  and provides interactive functions to the user. The display  35  may include, but is not limited to, a touchscreen display, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an LED (Light Emitting Device), a connected TV (television) set, a computer monitor, a security monitor, a tablet, or any suitable display device. The display  35  is electrically connected to the power supply  31  through common electrical wires, cables, etc. Additionally, the display  35  comprises the plurality of buttons  34 , the plurality of challenge levels  36 , a plurality of intensity levels  37 , a switch  38 , and a sound control  39 , as can be seen in  FIG. 4 . Each of the plurality of challenge levels  36  comprises a predetermined combination of duration and sequence of energizing the plurality of illumination devices  21  of the illumination system  20  through the processor  32 . The plurality of challenge levels  36  allows the user to select a specific challenge level for desired boxing, punching, kicking, martial arts exercises. Similarly, each of the plurality of intensity levels  37  comprises a predetermined combination of duration and sequence of energizing the plurality of illumination devices of the illumination system through the processor, which allows the user to select a specific intensity level for the desired boxing workout. During and after each boxing exercise, the processor  32  of the control system can output the actual measured data using the plurality of sensors  22  of the illumination system  20  to the display  35 . The sensor data include specific user biometrics measurements including, but not limited to, heartbeat rates, calories consumed, etc. Additionally, the sensor data may include, but are not limited to, specific challenge level, intensity level, intensity data, etc. Further, the processor may provide real time data plots, trends, charts of the sensor data to be shown on the display  35 . Further, the plurality of control buttons  35  is exteriorly positioned on the display  35  and electrically connected to the processor  32 , as can be seen in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . The plurality of control buttons  34  may comprise other controls and functions including, but not limited to, an on/off control for the system start and stop, an on/off control for recording the exercise time, a select button for the user to enter or select a specific user profile/account, etc. As can be seen in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of control buttons  34  of the control system  30  may be exteriorly mounted to the body  10  adjacent the display, and the plurality of control buttons  34  is electrically connected to the processor  32 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the control system  30  may include the extraneous PC device  50  and the transmitter  33  which is exteriorly mounted to the control system  30  adjacent the display  35 . The transmitter  33  is electrically connected to the processor  32  and the power supply  31 . The PC device  50  is connected to the processor  32  through the transmitter  33  and a wireless communication network, including, but not limited to, Internet, Bluetooth, etc. Further, the control system  30  comprises a speaker  40  and the sound control  39 . The speaker  40  is attached to the control system  30  adjacent the display  35 , while the sound control  39  is exteriorly mounted on the display  35 . Both the speaker  40  and the sound control  39  are electrically connected to the processor  32  as can be seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.