Systems and methods for tracking physical work activity

Inventors

Culbertson, II, William Preston • Hansen, Gregory David • Lopez, Mark Anthony • Maney, Will Kerns • Hayes, Keegan Patrick • Bernstein, Steven Michael

Assignees

United Services Automobile Association USAA

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for tracking physical work activity by, for example, embedding sensors in items of work clothing. The physical activity data that is tracked by the sensors may be correlated with and compared to known physical activity data to determine the type of work function that corresponds to the physical activity data. Based on this, actual performance of the work function may be compared to the idealized version of the work function to, for example, grade the performance of the work function, identify specific deficiencies in the performance of the work function, recommend modifications to performance of the work function, and so forth.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to detecting baseline positions and baseline orientations of one or more work clothing items integrated with one or more sensors, and detecting physical activity data relating to one or more work functions performed by one or more workers. The physical activity data comprises relative positions of the work clothing items compared to the baseline positions, relative orientations compared to the baseline orientations, and/or relative movement of the work clothing items.

A three-dimensional recreation of the one or more work functions performed by the one or more workers is determined based on the detected physical activity data. The three-dimensional recreation is compared with idealized three-dimensional position and orientation data of an idealized worker performing known patterns of movement analogous to the work functions over a period of time that correlates to a time required to perform the known patterns of movement, and the comparison takes into account time offsets, time delays, or a combination thereof when grading a work performance.

The three-dimensional recreation is analyzed to determine one or more parameters relating to the one or more work functions, where the one or more parameters comprise whether the one or more workers are performing the one or more work functions properly. The parameters are caused to be displayed via a display of one or more computing devices, and the parameters may support determining recommended modifications and recommendations relating to supplemental work clothing.

Claims Coverage

Independent claims are directed to a method for work performance grading based on sensor-integrated work clothing and 3D recreation versus idealized movement patterns, and a corresponding work activity analysis system that provides recommendations and displays analysis parameters. The inventive features in these independent claims include baseline sensing from work clothing, 3D recreation and comparison to idealized 3D position and orientation data over a time-correlated period with time offsets or time delays, and analysis yielding performance-related parameters and displayed outputs.

Across the independent claims, coverage centers on reconstructing work functions from sensor-integrated work clothing using baseline positions and orientations and relative movement data, generating a three-dimensional recreation, and grading or comparing it against idealized three-dimensional position and orientation data over a time-correlated period that includes time offsets or time delays. The outputs include analyzed parameters about whether work functions are performed properly, with a system embodiment that further provides recommended modifications and supplemental work clothing recommendations and displays the parameters.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications