Method and apparatus for estimating a motion parameter
A system for estimating motion parameters corresponding to a user. The system may generally include a receiver operable to receive a signal from an external source, an inertial sensor operable to be coupled with the user and arbitrarily oriented relative to the direction of user motion for generation of a signal corresponding to user motion, and a processing system in communication with the receiver and inertial sensor. The processing system can be operable to utilize the receiver signal to estimate a first parameter corresponding to a first motion parameter type, utilize the inertial sensor signal to estimate a second parameter corresponding to a second motion parameter type, generate a user-specific motion model to correlate the first parameter type and second parameter type using at least the first and second estimated parameters, utilize the inertial sensor signal to estimate a third parameter corresponding to the second parameter type, and utilize the motion model and the third parameter to estimate a fourth parameter corresponding to the first parameter type independent of the receiver signal.
1. A system for estimating motion parameters corresponding to a user, the system comprising:
a Global Position System (GPS) receiver operable to receive GPS signals;
an inertial sensor operable for coupling with the user and including one or more linear accelerometers arbitrarily oriented relative to the direction of user motion for generation of a signal corresponding to user motion; and
a processing system in communication with the GPS receiver and inertial sensor, the processing system operable to—
at least once, utilize the GPS receiver signals to estimate a first user speed parameter,
utilize the inertial sensor signal to estimate a first user cadence parameter,
at least once, generate a user-specific speed-to-cadence motion model to correlate user speed to user cadence using at least the estimated user speed and user cadence parameters,
utilize the inertial sensor signal to estimate a second user cadence parameter, and
at least once, utilize the motion model and the second user cadence parameter to estimate a second user speed parameter independent of the GPS receiver signals,
wherein the second user speed parameter is estimated by the processing system by referencing the motion model without utilizing the GPS receiver signals such that the second user speed parameter may be estimated by the processing system when GPS signals cannot be received by the GPS receiver.
2. The system of claim 1 , further including a housing for housing the GPS receiver and the processing system.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a cellular transceiver disposed within the housing to enable the processing system and transceiver to function as a cellular communications device.
4. The system of claim 1 , further including a first housing for housing the inertial sensor and the processing system and a second housing for housing the GPS receiver, the first housing and the second housing being separate and the GPS receiver being operable for wireless communication with the processing system.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inertial sensor is operable for attachment to the user on any portion of the user's body.
6. The system of claim 1 , further including a user interface in communication with the processing system and operable to present a visual indication of the second user speed parameter.
7. The system of claim 1 , further including a communications element operable to communicate with an exercise machine to provide the second user speed parameter to the exercise machine for display and/or machine configuration.