DE102018213035A1 - Devices for analyzing an athlete's air resistance - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for analyzing an air resistance of an athlete during the movement, comprising a signal processing unit which is adapted to receive a first pressure sensor signal from a first pressure sensor which is on a front part and / or a back part of an athlete or a sports device used by the athlete is arranged and for processing the first pressure sensor signal in order to analyze the air resistance.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to devices for analyzing an athlete's air resistance.

Technical background

The miniaturization of sensors and signal processing technology has led to the development of portable and / or portable devices for measuring various physical quantities relating to the performance of an athlete. In particular, such devices are widely used to record and evaluate the performance of an athlete during sports activities such as running, cycling, playing soccer, and the like. For example, portable devices that measure an athlete's heartbeat, ambient temperature, an athlete's location, and / or an athlete's height are well known in the art.

A key physical variable that affects the performance of a moving athlete is air resistance. For example, sophisticated cycling designs and / or team formations are used in professional cycling to minimize the air resistance of an individual athlete during a competition.

Basically, the air resistance of an athlete is composed of two main components: the skin friction resistance and the form resistance, which is also called pressure resistance. Pressure resistance is directly related to the size and shape of an athlete. This means that athletes who have a larger cross-section will have a higher resistance. In addition, the pressure resistance increases essentially quadratically with the speed of an athlete and therefore becomes more important for fast-moving athletes. In this regard, and for the rest of the invention, the term "substantially" is intended to mean "within typical modeling, design, measurement, construction and / or manufacturing tolerances". In this regard, it is known in the art to use special resistance measurement techniques, such as wind tunnel measurements, to measure and minimize aerodynamic drag of an athlete by minimizing the aerodynamic cross-section and / or by optimizing (ie streamlining) the shape of a sports device, such as a bicycle and / or a helmet of an athlete, and the posture of the athlete during the movement.

However, examining an athlete's air resistance during current sports activity, which generally takes place outside of a controlled laboratory environment, is still difficult today.

In particular, the relationship between the air resistance of an individual athlete and a particular formation of athletes, which includes the individual athlete, is very difficult to investigate using the methods and devices known in the art. Such formation or drafting effects, which are also referred to as slipstream effects, are particularly important during cross-country skiing, speed skating or cycling competitions, in which many athletes or teams of athletes are involved who compete with one another at the same time.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a simple, robust and inexpensive device which allows the effects of air resistance on the performance of an athlete to be investigated during a current sporting activity which is carried out under real world conditions.

Summary of the invention

The above problem is at least partially solved by the subject matter of the independent claims of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

In one embodiment, the present object provides a device for analyzing an aerodynamic drag of an athlete during movement, comprising a signal processing unit which is adapted to receive a first pressure sensor signal from a first pressure sensor which is on a front part or on a back part of the athlete or a sports device used by the athlete and to process the first pressure sensor signal to analyze the air resistance.

For example, an athlete wearing such a device and approaching a formation of other athletes moving in front of him can use a pressure sensor located on the front part of his body to determine the optimal distance between the athlete and the formation, which is in front of him, so that the slipstream effect is maximized. For example, the signal processing unit of the device can transmit a pressure sensor signal, which is received at a certain distance from the formation, with a new pressure sensor signal compare which is received at a closer or further distance to determine whether it would be advantageous to approach or move away from the formation.

In some embodiments, the device may be implemented by a small general-purpose computer or a single board computer such as a Raspberry PI that runs on software developed in Python.

In some embodiments, the processing of the pressure sensor signal by the signal processing unit may include the signal processing unit communicating with other processing units that are not part of the device. For example, the signal processing unit can be adapted to communicate with a wide area network, such as the Internet, via a packet-based wireless communication technology, such as LTE. For example, the signal processing unit can be adapted for machine type communication (MTC). Therefore, in some cases, processing the pressure sensor signal may include the signal processing unit transmitting the pressure sensor signals directly or after preprocessing to a remote processing unit that performs at least some of the processing required to analyze the athlete's air resistance. In addition, in some devices, the signal processing unit can shift processing to remote processing units, such as those located in the cloud. In these cases, the signal processing unit of the device would mainly be concerned with receiving information from the pressure sensors and thus using suitable communication technologies to transmit and receive information from the corresponding remote processing units.

In some embodiments of the invention, the signal processing unit of the device may be further adapted to receive a second pressure sensor signal from a second pressure sensor which is received at the opposite part of the athlete or the sports device used by the athlete and the second pressure sensor signal further processed to analyze the air resistance.

By analyzing the pressure sensor signals provided by the front and back of an athlete, the device is allowed to derive further information regarding the pressure resistance experienced by the athlete. For many sporting activities such as speed skating, running or cycling, pressure resistance is a key component of the athlete's overall air resistance and thus essentially influences the athlete's overall performance. Thus, the information obtained by analyzing the pressure sensor signals can be used to minimize drag and thereby improve athlete performance.

Further, analyzing the air resistance may include analyzing a pressure difference between the front part and the rear part of the athlete or the sports device used by the athlete.

The pressure difference between the position of the front side pressure sensor and the rear side pressure sensor is directly connected to the pressure resistance experienced by the athlete. Therefore, for example, by analyzing the pressure difference between the back part and the front part of the athlete, the device can be used to analyze the effect of posture and / or team formation on the pressure resistance experienced by an athlete during movement.

The signal processing unit can iteratively analyze the aerodynamic drag of the athlete, for example at a predefined or adjustable sampling rate.

In this way, a time series of analysis values can be obtained which can be used to analyze the dynamic behavior of the aerodynamic drag of the athlete during a sports activity. For example, such time sequences can be used to detect a deterioration in posture and / or team formation during sports activity. In addition, the pressure resistance can change dynamically, for example due to changed weather conditions and / or due to other athletes moving in the vicinity of the athlete.

Such measurements simplify the correlation of the obtained analysis of the aerodynamic drag with other physical quantities associated with the athlete and / or allows the time sequences to be numerically integrated and / or differentiated in order to extract further dynamic information about the aerodynamic drag of the athlete.

In addition to this, the device can further comprise at least one temperature sensor which is associated with the first and / or the second pressure sensor, wherein the temperature sensor can be adapted to provide calibration information for the first and / or the second pressure sensor.

The measuring accuracy of the pressure sensors can be improved in this way. For example, the transfer function, ie the functional relationship between air pressure and output voltage of a pressure sensor, can depend on the temperature of the pressure sensor. By using the calibration information provided by the temperature sensor, the signal processing unit of the device can be enabled to compensate for temperature differences between the front and rear sensors and / or varying ambient temperatures, which the output signals of the pressure sensors and thereby the analysis of the air resistance of the Affect athletes.

In some embodiments, the device provided by the present invention may further comprise special means for digitizing the received pressure sensor signals and a storage unit, wherein the digitized signals may be stored by the signal processing unit for subsequent analysis.

In addition, the signal processing unit of the device can be further adapted to receive at least one type of context information associated with the first and / or the second pressure sensor signal and to correlate the context information with the first and / or the second pressure sensor signal.

1. a. Ortinformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind;
2. b. Geschwindigkeitsinformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind;
3. c. Herzschlaginformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind;
4. d. Bildinformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind;
5. e. Wetterinformationen, welche mit dem Ort des Sportlers assoziiert sind;
6. f. Feuchtigkeitsinformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind;
7. g. Zeit- und/oder Datumsinformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind;
8. h. Temperaturinformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind; und
9. i. Höheninformationen, welche mit dem Sportler assoziiert sind.

For example, the at least one type of context information can be at least one of:

1. a. Location information associated with the athlete;
2. b. Speed information associated with the athlete;
3. c. Heartbeat information associated with the athlete;
4. d. Image information associated with the athlete;
5. e. Weather information associated with the location of the athlete;
6. f. Moisture information associated with the athlete;
7. G. Time and / or date information associated with the athlete;
8. H. Temperature information associated with the athlete; and
9. i. Height information associated with the athlete.

In this way, the device can be enabled to perform a multi-parameter analysis of the athlete's air resistance. For example, the device can correlate the difference between a front and a rear sensor with images of a formation of athletes moving in front of the athlete, which images can be captured by a digital camera that is also worn by the athlete. Other examples include analyzing correlations between speed, heartbeat, and pressure differential across an athlete's body to optimize athlete's performance, for example, during cycling or running.

In other embodiments, a device according to the invention may further comprise an output unit which is adapted to provide feedback for the athlete, the feedback being based, at least indirectly, in part on the first and / or the second pressure sensor signal. In this way, an athlete using the device can be allowed to adjust his behavior and / or movements while performing a corresponding sport activity in response to the pressure sensor signals and / or analyzes obtained from the device by the processed pressure sensor signals were. For example, an athlete can adjust the distance to other athletes running in front of them or a cyclist can continuously adjust their posture in response to the feedback from the output unit. For example, the output unit can provide audio and / or visual feedback for the athlete, for example via a display means of the device.

In some embodiments of the invention, the device is portable, for example around an athlete's wrist, waist, or torso.

For example, the device can be worn as a watch, a belt, or in a hip bag. In this way it can be ensured that the device disturbs the athlete as little as possible during the sports activity.

In some embodiments of the invention, the first pressure sensor signal and / or the second pressure sensor signal is received wirelessly.

For example, the device may include short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth ^® to receive the pressure sensor signals from the pressure sensors. In this way, annoying cable connections between the sensors and the signal processing unit of the device can be avoided. In addition, using standardized wireless communication technology may allow the device with various types of Pressure sensors to be used, which are also able to use the appropriate communication technology.

1. a. einem Herzschlagsensor;
2. b. einem GPS-Empfänger;
3. c. einem Temperatursensor;
4. d. einem Drucksensor;
5. e. einem Feuchtigkeitssensor;
6. f. einer Uhr;
7. g. einem Höhensensor;
8. h. einer Bildverarbeitungseinheit;
9. i. einer Drahtloskommunikationsschnittstellenvorrichtung.

In some embodiments of the invention, the device may further comprise at least one of:

1. a. a heartbeat sensor;
2. b. a GPS receiver;
3. c. a temperature sensor;
4. d. a pressure sensor;
5. e. a humidity sensor;
6. f. a clock;
7. G. a height sensor;
8. H. an image processing unit;
9. i. a wireless communication interface device.

For example, as previously discussed, it may be desirable to correlate the drag analyzes with other measured parameters related to athletic performance. In this case, integration of the required measuring equipment together with the signal processing unit in a single device further improves the user friendliness and the utility of the device.

Further, the device provided by the present invention may include a waterproof and / or shockproof housing adapted to be removably disposed on the body of the athlete or the sports device used by the athlete to accommodate the To increase the resistance of the device.

Furthermore, the present invention can also be implemented by a computer. In particular, the present invention provides a computer program which includes instructions adapted to be executed by data processing means to implement the device of one of the embodiments discussed above.

As portable general-purpose data processing devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches, become more sophisticated and in particular include complex digital and / or analog signal processing possibilities, the device provided by the present invention can also be carried out by executing instructions of the above computer program on a data processing means such as a multi-purpose portable computing device. For example, the pressure sensor signals can be received via digital data transmission technology and the subsequent analysis can be performed by a general purpose digital signal processor such as the CPU or SOC of a smartphone.

Additionally or alternatively, the pressure sensors that provide the pressure sensor signals and / or the calculation device that executes the computer program can be set up to communicate with a wide area network such as the Internet. For example, the pressure sensors can use wireless machine type communication (MTC) communication technologies to transmit the pressure sensor signals over a wireless network, such as LTE, to remote processing units that are connected to the Internet. In this case, at least parts of the processing of the pressure sensor signals can be carried out in the cloud and / or by the special processing units, which are not part of the data processing device but communicate with the data processing device via the Internet and / or a packet-based wireless communication network.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a portable device comprising at least one pressure sensor adapted to measure air pressure on the front and / or the back of an athlete wearing the portable device, the portable device is adapted to provide pressure sensor signals that can be used by a device of any of the embodiments discussed above. In some examples, the wearable device may further include a garment or wearable accessory. Furthermore, the portable device can also comprise additional and / or auxiliary sensors, such as temperature sensors.

For example, the pressure sensors can be integrated into the front and the back of a piece of sports clothing, such as a sports shirt. In this way it is not necessary to carry additional means to carry the pressure sensors on an athlete's body.

Furthermore, the portable device can comprise at least one transmission unit which is adapted to provide the pressure sensor signals wirelessly.

In this way, no cumbersome wiring is necessary to connect the pressure sensors of the portable device to the corresponding device that is used to analyze the pressure sensor signals. Can continue if , the portable device in combination with a variety of different signal analyzers, as used, for example, smart phones or smart watches the transfer unit according to a standardized data transmission technology, such as Bluetooth ^®, operates.

In some embodiments, the portable device may further include an energy harvester adapted to generate electrical energy by the athlete, for example the energy harvester may include a thermoelectric and / or a Peltier device.

In this way, no additional energy supply is necessary to provide energy for operating the portable device and in particular for operating the various pressure sensors, temperature sensors and other components, such as, for example, optional digital-to-analog converters and / or the transmission units of the portable device ,

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a bicycle accessory comprising at least one pressure sensor that is adapted to measure air pressure at the front and / or at the rear of an athlete riding the bicycle, the accessory being adapted to To provide pressure sensor signals which can be used by a device of one of the embodiments explained above.

In this way, the pressure sensors do not interfere with the movement of the body of the athlete riding the bicycle and at the same time they can also detect some of the effects of the shape of the wheel on the aerodynamic drag of the athlete.

Furthermore, the bicycle accessory provided by the present invention comprises at least one transmission unit which is adapted to provide the pressure sensor signals wirelessly.

In addition, the bicycle accessory provided by the present invention may include a speed sensor that provides speed information that is to be correlated with the pressure sensor signals.

Due to the direct correlation between the speed of the athlete and the pressure resistance experienced by the athlete, measuring and analyzing information from both parameters can be used to further optimize the performance of the athlete, for example by finding an optimized posture for different ones speeds.

list of figures

• 1 eine schematische Aufsicht eines sich bewegenden Sportlers, welcher einen Luftwiderstand, teilweise aufgrund von Druckwiderstand, erfährt;
• 2 eine schematische Aufsicht eines sich bewegenden Sportlers, welcher einen Luftwiderstand, teilweise aufgrund von Druckwiderstand, erfährt und eine Vorrichtung verwendet, zum Analysieren seines Luftwiderstands gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung;
• 3 einen Top-Level-Schaltplan einer Vorrichtung, zum Analysieren des Luftwiderstands eines Sportlers gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung;
• 4 eine tragbare elektronische Vorrichtung, welche in drahtloser Kommunikation mit zwei drahtlosen Drucksensoren ist, wobei die Vorrichtung angepasst ist, zum Analysieren des Luftwiderstands eines Sportlers gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung;
• 5 ein Sportshirt, umfassend einen Vorderseitendrucksensor und einen Rückseitendrucksensor gemäß einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung.

Aspects of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. The figures show:

• 1 a schematic plan view of a moving athlete who experiences air resistance, partly due to pressure resistance;
• 2 a schematic plan view of a moving athlete who experiences air resistance, partly due to pressure resistance, and uses a device to analyze his air resistance according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• 3 a top-level circuit diagram of a device for analyzing the air resistance of an athlete according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• 4 a portable electronic device in wireless communication with two wireless pressure sensors, the device being adapted to analyze an athlete's air resistance according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• 5 a sports shirt comprising a front pressure sensor and a rear pressure sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of some exemplary embodiments

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. While certain combinations of features are described with reference to such exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. In other words, not all features are required to implement the invention, and the embodiments can be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment.

1 shows a schematic top view of an athlete 100 , such as a runner or cyclist who moves forward and experiences drag, in part due to pressure resistance. Especially during the Forward movement forces the air around the athlete's body 100 flowing around, resulting in an area with higher air pressure 110 at the front of the athlete 100 and an area with lower air pressure 120 at the back of the athlete 100 leads. The resulting pressure difference between the front area 110 and the back area 120 leads to a net force pointing in the opposite direction to the athlete's direction of movement 100 , In general, the strength of this resistive force is essentially linearly dependent on the value of the pressure difference between the front area 110 and the back area 120 as well as from the cross-sectional area, which is determined by the athlete 100 is displayed perpendicular to the direction of movement. Furthermore, the pressure difference depends on the front area 110 and the back area 120 essentially square of the speed of the moving athlete 100 from. Due to skin friction, the force of the total air resistance is greater than the force generated by the pressure resistance.

2 shows a schematic top view of an athlete 100 such as a runner or a cyclist moving forward and a device 200 used to analyze air resistance according to an embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment which in 2 the device comprises 200 at least one signal processing unit, which is adapted to receive pressure sensor signals from a first pressure sensor 210 to receive, which on a front part of the athlete 100 is arranged and optionally by a second pressure sensor 220 which is on a back part of the athlete 100 is arranged.

In the embodiment of the 2 the pressure sensor signals from the pressure sensors 210 . 220 to the device 200 via cable 230 transfer. For example, the pressure sensor signals can be analog voltages generated by the pressure sensors 210 . 220 be issued. In other embodiments, the pressure sensor signals may also be transmitted wirelessly and / or may include a different signal format, such as an analog current or a digital signal format, such as a digital packet data signal. For example, the pressure sensor signals from the pressure sensors 210 . 220 to the signal processing unit of the device 200 via a short-range wireless communication technology, such as Bluetooth®.

In addition, in other embodiments, the device 200 with one of the pressure sensors 210 . 220 be integrated in a single device and / or the device 200 can be adapted to receive more than two pressure sensor signals. For example, the device 200 Receive pressure sensor signals from a first plurality of sensors located on a front portion of the athlete 100 are arranged and a second plurality of pressure sensors, which on a rear part of the athlete 100 are arranged. Such a multi-sensor arrangement on the front and / or the back of the athlete 100 can the accuracy of the device 200 increase if the athlete's air resistance 100 is analyzed.

In addition, there are other embodiments of the present invention, wherein the signal processing unit of the device 200 can be adapted to receive pressure sensor signals only from a pressure sensor which is arranged on either the front or the rear part of the athlete. Although it is generally not possible in such embodiments, the pressure difference between the front area 110 and the back area 120 of the moving athlete 100 To analyze, it is still possible to analyze the pressure sensor signals of a single pressure sensor at different times to derive information associated with the aerodynamic drag of a moving athlete. For example, during a competition with multiple athletes, the athlete can 100 Use the single pressure sensor to record a baseline in a situation where the athlete's air resistance 100 is essentially not influenced by the other athletes. If the athlete 100 at a later time approaching a formation from other athletes in front of him, he can use a comparison of the pressure sensor signals received during the approach to the previously recorded base value in order to analyze the influence of the slipstream of the formation of the other athletes in front of him.

In some embodiments, the pressure sensors 210 and 220 be coupled to a temperature sensor (not shown). For example, such temperature sensors can be used to measure the accuracy of the pressure sensor by providing temperature sensor signals to the device 200 that can be used to increase the pressure sensor signals from the pressure sensors 210 and 220 are provided to calibrate.

3 shows a top level circuit diagram of a device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As in 3 displayed, the device 200 two analog signal inputs A IN-P1 and A IN-P2 that may be configured to receive analog pressure sensor signals generated by the pressure sensors 210 and 220 , in the 2 are provided. In addition to this, the device 200 a variety of additional analog and / or digital input connections A / D AUX-IN include. Furthermore, a large number of additional sensors can be provided which are connected to the device 200 can be integrated, such as altitude, heartbeat, acceleration, proximity, orientation, humidity, temperature, pressure sensors etc.

To through the CPU and / or a digital signal processor DSP the device 200 To be processed, the analog pressure sensor signals must be sent from a digital to analog converter DAC be digitized, which with the DSP , either integrated and / or coupled, can be implemented as a separate circuit component that can be implemented with the DSP and / or the CPU connected is.

The device 200 may further include at least one type of digital memory, such as a RAM and / or a flash memory device. The device's memory 200 can be used to digitize the pressure sensor signals and / or the firmware of the device 200 and / or program instructions which are used to analyze the pressure sensor signals by the device 200 are necessary to save. The CPU and / or the DSP can be further adapted to process the digital pressure sensor signals, for example to analyze the pressure sensor signals. For example, the DSP be configured to calculate the difference between the digitized pressure sensor signal which is at the analog input port A IN-P1 which was received by the front side pressure sensor 210 can be provided and the digitized pressure sensor signal, which at the analog input connection A IN-P2 which was received by the back pressure sensor 220 can be provided.

The device can also 200 digital timing equipment, such as a clock oscillator and / or digital frequency divider (both not shown), which can be used to, for example DAC to control and thereby a time sequence of digital pressure sensor signals for further processing by the DSP and / or the CPU to provide. For example, the DAC are controlled to record a pressure sensor signal time sequence at a sampling rate resolution of 1 kHz every millisecond. The recorded time sequence can then continue through the DSP and / or the CPU processed during a subsequent or synchronous analysis. Sampling rates other than 1 kHz are of course also possible. For example, the DSP be configured to derive a time derivative and / or an integral of the difference in pressure sensor signal time sequences to provide additional information for the analysis of the air resistance of the moving athlete 100 who in the 1 and 2 is shown to generate.

The can continue DSP and / or the CPU the device 200 be set up to the time sequences of the pressure sensor signals, which by the DAC are provided, with various types of context information, which are used in the device 200 are available to correlate. For example, the device 200 other types of sensor signals via additional input connections A / D AUX-IN and / or via one or many additional sensors, AUX Sensors that are in the device 200 are integrated, received. For example, the DSP and / or the CPU receive digital image information, which is provided by a digital camera, which is also provided by the athlete 100 is worn while performing the appropriate sports activity. Other examples may include heartbeat sensor signals and / or temperature sensor signals associated with the athlete 100 are associated and in particular with the pressure sensors 210 and 220 are associated, which is the pressure sensor signal which is used to analyze the aerodynamic drag of the athlete through the device 200 is used, provides.

For example, the digital image information can be used to measure the pressure sensor signals and in particular the pressure difference between the front sensor 210 and the back sensor 220 with digital image information of a formation from other athletes, which is in front of the athlete 100 move to associate. For example, a team of athletes can use the device this way 200 use the best formation to optimize the aerodynamic drag of the athlete 100 analyze which runs behind a formation from other team members.

In addition, the DSP and / or the CPU the pressure sensor signals correlate with location information provided by the device 200 received via a GPS receiver. Furthermore, the timing equipment (not shown) of the device 200 used to create a multi-parameter time sequence, comprising the pressure sensor signals along with various types of contextual information associated with the athlete 100 are associated to generate and / or record. Such multi-parameter time sequences of pressure sensor signals and context information can be used to analyze the athlete's performance in more detail. For example, the pressure sensor signals can be directly correlated with contextual information regarding the athlete's heartbeat, the athlete's speed, and / or the incline of a distance on which the athlete travels.

For example, a cyclist climbing a steep hill may experience a decrease in the pressure difference between the front area 110 and the back area 120 experienced, due to a slower uphill speed, however, the athlete's heartbeat can 100 nevertheless be increased due to the work that the athlete's muscles have to provide when driving up the hill. On the other hand, when he moves downhill, is the athlete's overall performance 100 influenced more by the pressure resistance and the optimization of the air resistance gains importance.

As can be seen from the above examples, correlating the pressure sensor signals with different types of context information allows the athlete's performance to be analyzed 100 further improve based on the pressure sensor signals from the pressure sensors 210 and 220 via the analog input connections A IN-P1 and A IN-P2 the device 200 were received.

The device 200 can also have at least one digital and / or one analog output connection D-OUT include that can be used to provide feedback information to the athlete 100 to deploy while using the device 200 used and / or for subsequent analysis after the athlete 100 the corresponding sport activity for which the device 200 used to analyze the aerodynamic drag of the athlete 100 , For example, the device 200 Output signals via a digital output connection D-OUT provide an audio and / or visual display device that the athlete 100 is accessible while using the device 200 used. In this way the athlete can 100 enable its movements to the pressure sensor signals generated by the device 200 were analyzed to adjust. For example, the athlete 100 adjust his posture to his air resistance in response to the audio and / or visual feedback provided by the device 200 was provided to minimize.

A digital output connector can also be used D-OUT used to store the device 200 read out after the athlete 100 the corresponding sport activity has ended by a time sequence of the pressure sensor signals and / or associated context information which is in the memory of the device 200 were saved through the output port D-OUT , analyze. Such time sequences read out can be used for a subsequent analysis of the air resistance and / or the overall sports performance of the athlete 100 be used.

4 shows an embodiment of a device for analyzing the air resistance of an athlete 100 according to the present invention. In the embodiment of the 4 is the device by a portable device such as a smart watch 400 , implanted. Of course, any other type of portable device with sufficient signal processing capabilities can also be used. For example, the device for analyzing an athlete's air resistance 100 can also be implemented by a smartphone or something similar. In contrast to the device 200 , what a 3 is shown, the smartwatch receives the 4 the pressure sensor signals are not cable analogue input connections, but wireless via a wireless communication module WCM. For example, the WCM may be a module that is adapted to communicate over a short distance or personal network wireless communications technology, such as Bluetooth ^®. Similar to the device 200 the 3 can the smartwatch 400 Circuit components such as a CPU and a general purpose digital signal processor DSP. In addition, the smartwatch 400 Audio and / or visual display means and / or user input means include to interact with the athlete who the smartwatch 400 used to analyze its air resistance. The smartwatch 400 may further include the additional circuit elements and / or components that are referenced above 3 have been explained, such as a GPS receiver, integrated sensors, etc. Furthermore, the smartwatch 400 also be set up to communicate with a long-range communication network, such as LTE or WiFi. In this way, the smartwatch 400 be connected to a packet-based wide area network, such as the Internet.

In the embodiment of the 4 are the pressure sensors P1 and P2 not via cable with the smartwatch 400 connected, but provide the pressure sensor signals wirelessly via a short-range communication technology, such as Bluetooth ^® or something similar. For this purpose the pressure sensors P1 and P2 also comprise a wireless communication module and an application-specific integrated circuit ASCI or similar means, which are set up to operate the corresponding pressure sensor P1 or P2 execute and / or control. For example, the ASCI of P1 and P2 can be set up to the analog output voltage of the current pressure measuring component of the pressure sensor P1 and P2 to digitize and the digitized sensor signal to the corresponding WCM, for transmission to the smartwatch 400 to forward. The pressure sensors P1 and P2 can continue one Power supply, such as a battery (not shown) and / or a capacitor and / or an energy harvesting device, which comprises, for example, a thermoelectric and / or a Peltier element.

In some embodiments, the smartwatch 400 also be a standard smartwatch, which includes standard hardware. In this case, the device can be used to analyze the air resistance of the athlete 100 , by installing and running a special software application on the smartwatch 400 be implemented, which includes instructions for analyzing the air resistance of an athlete, based on pressure sensor signals.

5 shows a front and a back view of a sports shirt 500 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The sports shirt 500 can have an integrated front side pressure sensor 510 and an integrated back pressure sensor 520 include. However, the shirt can 500 also include any other number of pressure sensors and / or associated sensors, such as temperature sensors. In the illustrated embodiment of the 5 are the pressure sensors 510 and 520 essentially in the middle of the upper torso area of the shirt 500 arranged and can via connecting cable 530 with a sensor control unit 540 which are at the bottom of the shirt 500 is arranged.

In other embodiments, the pressure sensors 510 and 520 essentially in the lower torso area of the shirt 500 be arranged. In particular, the sensors 510 and 520 in the belly area of the lower torso of a wearer of the shirt 500 be arranged. In particular, such an arrangement can improve the measuring accuracy of the pressure sensors 510 and 520 improve and can be improved by arranging the pressure sensors 510 and 520 near the center position of the front and / or back body surface of the shirt wearer 500 ,

The sensor control unit 540 can be adapted to the pressure sensors 510 and 520 to supply with electrical energy and the analog pressure sensor signals via the cables 530 to recieve. In other embodiments, the pressure sensors 510 . 520 be passive sensors and do not require any special energy supply.

The sensor control unit 540 can continue one DAC , a DSP and / or a CPU and a wireless communication module to wirelessly transmit the pressure sensor signals to an associated analysis device, such as the device 200 the 2 and 3 or the portable device 400 the 4 , transferred to. In particular, the wireless communication module of the sensor control unit 540 be arranged to digitized sensor signals and / or processed or preprocessed pressure sensor signals via a short-distance wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth ^®, to an analysis apparatus such as the apparatus 200 or the portable device 400 , transferred to.

Alternatively or in addition, the sensor control unit can 540 also include a long-range wireless communication module that is adapted to wirelessly transmit the digitized pressure sensor signals to a receiving device via long-range communication technology, such as LTE. For example, the sensor control unit for machine type communication ( MTC ) be adjusted. That way the shirt 500 be connected to a packet-based wide area network, such as the Internet. The sensor control unit 540 may further include additional circuit elements and functionality as previously described for the device 200 the 2 and 3 have been described.

In other embodiments, the sensor control unit 540 Include memory for storing the pressure sensor signals for subsequent reading and analysis. In other embodiments, the shirt 500 no sensor control unit 540 include. In this case, the pressure sensors 510 and 520 either by cable with a separate analyzer, such as the device 200 the 2 or 3 , or wirelessly with an analysis device such as the portable device 400 the 4 , be connectable. For example, the pressure sensors 510 and 520 of the shirt 500 have a similar architecture to the wireless pressure sensors P1 and P2 that previously referred to 4 have been explained.

list of figures

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Claims (20)

Device (200, 400) for analyzing an air resistance of an athlete (100) during movement, comprising a signal processing unit which is adapted to: a. Receiving a first pressure sensor signal from a first pressure sensor (210), which is arranged on a front side part and / or a rear side part of an athlete (100) or a sports device used by the athlete (100), and b. Process the first pressure sensor signal to analyze air resistance. Apparatus (200, 400) according to the preceding claim, wherein the signal processing unit is further adapted to: a. Receiving a second pressure sensor signal from a second pressure sensor (220) disposed on the opposite part of the athlete (100) or the sports device used by the athlete (100) and b. Process the second pressure sensor signal to analyze air resistance. The device (200, 400) according to the preceding claim, wherein analyzing the aerodynamic drag of the athlete (100) comprises analyzing a pressure difference between the front part and the back part of the athlete (100) or the sports device used by the athlete. Device (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal processing unit iteratively analyzes the air resistance of the athlete (100), preferably at a predefined sampling rate. The device (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one temperature sensor associated with the first (210) or the second pressure sensor (220), the temperature sensor preferably being adapted to provide calibration information for the first (210) and / or to provide the second pressure sensor (220). Apparatus (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal processing unit is further adapted to: a. Obtain at least one type of contextual information associated with the athlete and b. Correlating the context information with the first and / or second pressure sensor signal. The device (200, 400) according to the preceding claim, wherein the at least one type of context information comprises at least one of: a. Location information associated with the athlete; b. Speed information associated with the athlete; c. Heartbeat information associated with the athlete; d. Image information associated with the athlete; e. Weather information associated with the athlete; f. Moisture information associated with the athlete; G. Time and / or date information associated with the athlete; H. Temperature information associated with the athlete; and i. Height information associated with the athlete. The device (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an output unit adapted to provide feedback to the athlete (100), the feedback based at least indirectly in part on the first and / or the second pressure sensor signal. The device (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (200, 400) is preferably wearable around a wrist, waist or torso of the athlete (100). The device (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first pressure sensor signal and / or the second pressure sensor signal is received wirelessly. The device (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one of: a. a heartbeat sensor; b. a GPS receiver; c. a temperature sensor; d. a pressure sensor; e. a humidity sensor; f. a clock; G. a height sensor; h an image processing unit; i. a wireless communication interface unit. A computer program comprising instructions adapted to be executed by data processing means to implement the device according to any one of the preceding claims. A portable device (500) comprising at least one pressure sensor (510, 520) that is adapted to sense air pressure at the front (110) and / or at the rear (120) Detecting an athlete (100) wearing the portable device (500), the portable device (500) adapted to provide pressure sensor signals from a device (200, 400) according to any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 11 and / or the computer program Claim 12 are usable. A portable device (500) according to the preceding claim, further comprising at least one transmission unit (540) adapted to wirelessly provide the pressure sensor signals. Portable device (500) according to any of the Claims 13 or 14 comprising a garment or a portable accessory. Portable device (500) according to any one of the preceding Claims 13 to 15 , further comprising an energy harvester, which is adapted to generate electrical energy by the athlete. Portable device (500) according to the preceding claim, wherein the energy harvester comprises a thermoelectric and / or a Peltier device. A bicycle accessory comprising at least one pressure sensor adapted to measure air pressure on the front and / or rear of an athlete (100) riding the bicycle, the accessory being adapted to provide pressure sensor signals from a Device according to any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 11 and / or the computer program Claim 12 is usable. Bicycle accessories according to the preceding claim, further comprising at least one transmission unit which is adapted to provide the pressure sensor signals wirelessly. Bicycle accessories according to any of the foregoing Claims 18 or 19 , further comprising a speed sensor which provides speed information to be correlated with the pressure sensor signals.

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