SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AND TRACKING PIVOTAL MOTION OF INDIVIDUAL OR PIVOTING OBJECT BASED ON MEASUREMENTS OF EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD

Patent Pending A motion sensor is configured to detect and track a pivotal motion of at least one part of an individual, such as a limb, or a pivoting object, such as an athletic equipment. The motion sensor comprises a magnetic field sensor configured to repeatedly generate Earth’s magnetic field data relative to a magnetic pole of the Earth and representing the pivotal motion of the individual or the pivoting object. The motion sensor also includes a data processor configured to process the Earth’s magnetic field data to produce pivotal motion data characterizing the pivotal motion of the individual or the pivoting object. The motion sensor also includes a transmitter, such as a wireless transmitter, configured to repeatedly transmit the pivotal motion data to a host device such as a smart phone. The motion sensor may accurately track the pivotal motion without the use of an accelerometer or gyroscope.