Systems and methods for monitoring athletic performance

1. An apparatus for monitoring one or more athletic performance characteristics of a user, the apparatus comprising:

a sensing unit adapted to be attachable to a shoe of a user, the sensing unit comprising:

(i) a first sensor adapted to monitor a movement of a foot of the user while the user is in motion, the first sensor comprising a gyroscopic sensor for measuring angular velocity data for the foot of the user;

(ii) processing means for (a) processing the angular velocity data from the first sensor to determine a processed value indicative of a first athletic performance characteristic comprising a foot strike location of a foot of the user upon striking a ground surface, and (b) comparing the processed value to a range of predetermined comparison values to determine the athletic performance characteristic relating to the processed value, the range of comparison values comprising a first range of values indicative of a heel strike, a second range of values indicative of a midfoot strike, and a third range of values indicative of a forefoot strike;

(iii) a periodic trigger adapted to distinguish one stride from another for determining a point in time in each gait cycle before a foot strike event takes place to trigger the processing means to process angular velocity data from the first sensor to identify a maximum value and a minimum value during a window of time, wherein the point in time is triggered when, during a foot swing portion of each gait cycle, a sum of negative angular velocities, measured by the first sensor, reaches a preset level; and

(iv) transmitting means for transmitting a data package representative of the performance characteristic to a remote receiver, the data package comprising an indication of whether a heel strike, a midfoot strike, or a forefoot strike has occurred.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising receiving means for: (i) receiving the data package transmitted from the sensing unit, and (ii) communicating information representative of the performance characteristic to the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the receiving means comprises at least one of a visual signal, an auditory signal, and a tactile signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the information is communicated to the user in substantially real-time.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the receiving means comprises at least one remote user feedback device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the remote user feedback device is selected from the group consisting of: a watch, a detachable strap, a mobile phone, an earpiece, a hand-held feedback device, a laptop computer, a head-mounted feedback device, and a desktop personal computer.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the receiving means comprises means for controlling at least one function of a remote user feedback device.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the sensing unit and the receiving means comprises means for storing data related to the first athletic performance characteristic.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing means comprises a microprocessor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit comprises a housing unit adapted to house the first sensor, the processing means, and the transmitting means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the housing unit is adapted to be releasably attachable to the shoe of the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the housing unit is adapted to be releasably attachable to at least one of a fastening portion and a heel portion of the shoe.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising means for determining at least one second athletic performance characteristic of the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the determination of the at least one second athletic performance characteristic is based upon an output from the first sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the determination of the at least one second athletic performance characteristic is based upon an output from at least one second sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one second sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, a force sensor, a temperature sensor, a chemical sensor, a global positioning system, a piezoelectric sensor, a rotary position sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, a heart-rate sensor, and a goniometer.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one second athletic performance characteristic comprises at least one of a cadence, a posture, a lean, a speed, a distance travelled, or a heart rate of the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing means performs a comparison of a localized maximum angular velocity measurement and a localized minimum angular velocity measurement during a foot strike event to determine the processed value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processing means divides the localized minimum angular velocity measurement during a foot strike event by the localized maximum angular velocity measurement during a foot strike event to determine the processed value.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing means integrates measured angular velocity data during a foot strike event to determine the processed value.

21. A method for monitoring one or more athletic performance characteristics of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a sensing unit adapted to be attachable to a shoe of a user, the sensing unit comprising:

(i) a first sensor adapted to monitor a movement of a foot of the user while the user is in motion, the first sensor comprising a gyroscopic sensor for measuring angular velocity data for the foot of the user,

(ii) processing means for (a) processing the angular velocity data from the first sensor to determine a processed value indicative of a first athletic performance characteristic comprising a foot strike location of a foot of the user upon striking a ground surface, and (b) comparing the processed value to a range of predetermined comparison values to determine the athletic performance characteristic relating to the processed value, the range of comparison values comprising a first range of values indicative of a heel strike, a second range of values indicative of a midfoot strike, and a third range of values indicative of a forefoot strike,

(iii) a periodic trigger adapted to distinguish one stride from another for determining a point in time in each gait cycle before a foot strike event takes place to trigger the processing means to process angular velocity data from the first sensor to identify a maximum value and a minimum value during a window of time, wherein the point in time is triggered when, during a foot swing portion of each gait cycle, a sum of negative angular velocities, measured by the first sensor, reaches a preset level, and

(iv) transmitting means for transmitting a data package representative of the performance characteristic to a remote receiver, the data package comprising an indication of whether a heel strike, a midfoot strike, or a forefoot strike has occurred; and

providing receiving means for receiving the data package transmitted from the sensing unit and communicating information representative of the performance characteristic to the user.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the information is communicated to the user in substantially real-time.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the periodic trigger comprises a second sensor.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the periodic trigger triggers at a pre-set angular velocity measurement from the first sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the window of time comprises a starting point associated with initiation of the foot strike event.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the starting point comprises a pre-set angular velocity measurement.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the starting point comprises a moment before the initiation of the foot strike event.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the starting point comprises a moment of initial impact of the foot strike event.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the starting point comprises a moment of a first local maximum angular velocity measurement after an initial impact of the foot strike event.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the starting point comprises a moment of an angular velocity measurement of about zero prior to an initial impact of the foot strike event.

31. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the window of time comprises a temporal length from the starting point to an ending point.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the ending point comprises a moment of a transition from a negative angular velocity measurement to a positive angular velocity measurement after a local minimum angular velocity measurement.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the ending point comprises a moment of a first local minimum angular velocity measurement after the foot strike event.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the temporal length comprises between about 10 msec and about 50 msec.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the temporal length comprises a period between a moment of a first local maximum angular velocity measurement after an initial impact of the foot strike event and a moment of a first local minimum angular velocity measurement.

36. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the gyroscopic sensor is activated only when the user is running.