Method for measuring movement of cervical vertebra, device thereof and wearable apparatus

• US 10,456,076 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Liu, Xueqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandes, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US14/616,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 600594, 600595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4566 Evaluating the spine A61B5/4561 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0244 with signalling or indicating means, e.g. of incorrect posture, for deep-breathing exercises
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/025 for the head or the neck

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for measuring a movement of the cervical vertebra, a device thereof and a wearable apparatus. The method for measuring a movement of the cervical vertebra comprises: obtaining a movement angle of the cervical vertebra with a sensor; and calculating a movement amount of the cervical vertebra based on the movement angle of the cervical vertebra. Therefore, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, exact data values of the movement angles of the cervical vertebra can be acquired with the sensor, and the movement amount of the cervical vertebra can be calculated on the basis of this, thereby a quantitative value of the movement of the cervical vertebra can be acquired exactly in form of a numerical value, which is convenient for future processings.

Claims

1. A device for measuring a movement of a cervical vertebra, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a corresponding plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra for a plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra during a predetermined measurement period, wherein each of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra comprises a first motion process and a second motion process which have inverse directions and whose starting instantaneous velocities and stopping instantaneous velocities are both zero;

a microcontroller unit comprising;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra sensed by the sensor, wherein each of the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra is an angle whose absolute value is greater between a first angle which is a maximum angle made by the cervical vertebra during the first motion process and a second angle which is a maximum angle made by the cervical vertebra during the second motion process during a corresponding one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra, and

a processing unit configured to calculate a movement total amount of the cervical vertebra during the predetermined measurement period based on the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra,

wherein, the processing unit acquires a plurality of movement arc lengths, each being corresponding to one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra and determined based on a corresponding one of the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra corresponding to the one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra, and accumulates a sum of the plurality of movement arc lengths for the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra acquired during the predetermined measurement period as the movement total amount of the cervical vertebra; and

a notifying unit configured to provide an alarm to a user by sounds or vibrations for prompting that the user needs to move the cervical vertebra when the movement total amount of the cervical vertebra during the predetermined measurement period is less than a predetermined threshold value of the movement amount,

wherein, if a movement angle among the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra is greater than or equal to a valid movement threshold value, the processing unit records the corresponding one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra as a valid movement of the cervical vertebra, and counts the valid movements of the cervical vertebra during the measurement period as a valid movement number of the cervical vertebra.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for each movement of the cervical vertebra, the obtaining unit calculates an average velocity of the cervical vertebra corresponding to said each movement, and acquires a corresponding one of the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra by multiplying the average velocity with a movement duration of the cervical vertebra.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, the obtaining unit is further configured to calculate a first average velocity corresponding to the first motion process and a second average velocity corresponding to the second motion process, acquire the first angle by multiplying the first average velocity with a movement duration of the first motion process, acquire the second angle by multiplying the second average velocity with a movement duration of the second motion process, and, determine one of the first angle and the second angle as the corresponding one of the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra for said each movement based on which of the first angle and the second angle has a greater absolute value.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the sensor is a three-axis angular velocity sensor,

the movement angle among the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra comprises at least one of an up-and-down moving angle, a left-and-right horizontal turning angle and a left-and-right flipping angle,

the movement amount of the cervical vertebra comprises at least one of an up-and-down moving amount, a left-and-right horizontal turning amount and a left-and-right flipping amount, and

the valid movement number of the cervical vertebra comprises at least one of an up-and-down valid movement number, a left-and-right horizontal turning valid movement number, and a left-and-right flipping valid movement number.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises at least one of the following:

an authenticating unit configured to perform an authentication to be connected to a host;

a temperature measurement unit configured to measure a temperature of an object to be tested by utilizing a total radiation thermometry; and

a pedometer unit configured to count steps of the object to be tested.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is included in a wearable apparatus worn on a head.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during a first measurement for the first motion process, the obtaining unit is configured to obtain a plurality of instantaneous first average velocities corresponding to a plurality of time points, obtain an instantaneous first angle of a current time point by multiplying the instantaneous first average velocity of the current time point with a duration from beginning of the first measurement to the current time point, storing an angle whose absolute value is the greatest among a plurality of instantaneous first angles up to the current time point as an instantaneous maximum first angle, update the stored instantaneous maximum first angle with the instantaneous first angle of the current time point only when an absolute value of the instantaneous first angle of the current time point is greater than a previously stored instantaneous maximum first angle, and determine the stored instantaneous maximum first angle as the first angle of the first motion process at end of the first measurement, and

during a second measurement for the second motion process, the obtaining unit is configured to obtain a plurality of instantaneous second average velocities corresponding to a plurality of time points, obtain an instantaneous second angle of a current time point by multiplying the instantaneous second average velocity of the current time point with a duration from beginning of the second measurement to the current time point, storing an angle whose absolute value is the greatest among a plurality of instantaneous second angles up to the current time point as an instantaneous maximum second angle, update the stored instantaneous maximum second angle with the instantaneous second angle of the current time point only when an absolute value of the instantaneous second angle of the current time point is greater than a previously stored instantaneous maximum second angle, and determine the stored instantaneous maximum second angle as the second angle of the second motion process at end of the second measurement.

7. A wearable apparatus worn on a head, comprising a device for measuring a movement of a cervical vertebra, wherein the device comprises:

a sensor configured to sensing a corresponding plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra for a plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra during a predetermined measurement period, wherein each of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra comprises a first motion process and a second motion process which have inverse directions and whose starting instantaneous velocities and stopping instantaneous velocities are both zero;

a microcontroller unit comprising;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra sensed by the sensor, wherein each of the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra is an angle whose absolute value is greater between a first angle which is a maximum angle made by the cervical vertebra during the first motion process and a second angle which is a maximum angle made by the cervical vertebra during the second motion process during a corresponding one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra, and

a processing unit configured to calculate a movement total amount of the cervical vertebra during the predetermined measurement period based on the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra,

wherein, the processing unit acquires a plurality of movement arc lengths, each being corresponding to one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra and determined based on a corresponding one of the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra corresponding to the one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra, and accumulates a sum of the plurality of movement arc lengths for the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra acquired during the predetermined measurement period as the movement total amount of the cervical vertebra; and

a notifying unit configured to provide an alarm to a user by sounds or vibrations for prompting that the user needs to move the cervical vertebra when the movement total amount of the cervical vertebra during the predetermined measurement period is less than a predetermined threshold value of the movement amount,

wherein, if a movement angle among the plurality of movement angles of the cervical vertebra is greater than or equal to a valid movement threshold value, the processing unit records the corresponding one of the plurality of movements of the cervical vertebra as a valid movement of the cervical vertebra, and counts the valid movements of the cervical vertebra during the measurement period as a valid movement number of the cervical vertebra.