Method and device for correcting acceleration sensor axis information

• US 20060112754A1
• Filed: 04/09/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shinji, Inoue, Shigeyuki, Yamamoto, Hiroshi, Shiraishi, Takako
• Application Number:
  US10/542,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112754A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.380
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/08 Elderly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0244 with signalling or indicating means, e.g. of incorrect posture, for deep-breathing exercises
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

The present device, which corrects parameters indicating the respective acceleration directions indicated by an acceleration sensor contained in a specific device, is comprised of: an acceleration sensing unit (11) that detects acceleration; an evaluation unit (12) that judges an action/posture, using patterns in changes in acceleration obtained from the acceleration sensor, when a person wearing the specific device acts; a parameter storage unit (15) that stores parameters to be used when the evaluation unit (12) makes a judgment; a correction trigger unit (31) that transmits, to the acceleration sensing unit (11) and an attachment position judgment unit (32), a signal indicating that parameter correction is to start, upon detection that the wearer or the like has pressed a correction trigger button; and a parameter correction unit (14) that reads out parameters stored in the parameter storage unit (15) based on a selection by the attachment position selection unit (13), and corrects the parameters in accordance with the attachment position so as to output the corrected parameters to the evaluation unit (12).

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor axis information correction device that corrects a parameter indicating a direction of each acceleration indicated by an acceleration sensor that is included in a specific device attached to a moving object, the acceleration sensor axis information correction device comprising:

a correction-related information obtainment unit operable to obtain correction-related information that relates to a correction of the parameter; and

a correction unit operable to correct the parameter based on the obtained correction-related information.

2. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 1, further comprising

a switch acceptance unit operable to accept, from a user, a pressing of one of a plurality of switches indicating attachment positions of the specific device,

wherein said correction-related information obtainment unit obtains, as the correction-related information, the accepted pressing of the button.

3. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a collection unit operable to collect acceleration data of a predetermined action of the moving object; and

a direction judgment unit operable to judge the direction of each acceleration based on the collected acceleration data,

wherein said correction-related information obtainment unit obtains, as the correction-related information, the judged direction of each acceleration.

4. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 3, further comprising

a correction induction unit operable to determine timing at which the collection of the acceleration data should be started, based on a predetermined trigger,

wherein said collection unit collects the acceleration data after the timing determined by said correction induction unit.

5. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 4,

wherein said correction induction unit accepts a speech, and uses the accepted speech as the trigger.

6. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 4,

wherein said correction induction unit detects that the specific device has been attached onto the moving object, and uses the detection as the trigger.

7. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 3, further comprising

an audio guidance unit operable to provide an audio guidance indicating details of the predetermined action.

8. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 3,

wherein said direction judgment unit includes:

a storage unit operable to store, in association with each other, the direction of each acceleration and information indicating characteristics of changes in the each acceleration, concerning walking of a person; and

a comparison and judgment unit operable to (i) read out, from said storage unit, the information indicating the characteristics of changes in the each acceleration, and (ii) judge the direction of each acceleration by comparing characteristics of changes in acceleration indicated by the collected acceleration data with the characteristics indicated by the read-out information.

9. The acceleration sensor axis information correction device according to claim 8,

wherein said comparison and judgment unit judges that a direction related to acceleration showing a largest amplitude is an up and down direction, that a direction related to acceleration showing a second largest amplitude is a back and forth direction, and that a direction related to a smallest amplitude is a left and right direction.

10. An action/posture detection device that has a function of correcting a parameter indicating a direction of each acceleration indicated by a self-contained acceleration sensor and that detects an action or a posture of a moving object, the device comprising:

a correction-related information obtainment unit operable to obtain correction-related information that relates to a correction of the parameter;

a correction unit operable to correct the parameter based on the obtained correction-related information;

a collection unit operable to collect acceleration data of an action of the moving object, using the acceleration sensor related to the corrected parameter; and

a judgment unit operable to judge the action or posture of the moving object based on the collected acceleration data.

11. An acceleration sensor axis information correction method for correcting a parameter indicating a direction of each acceleration indicated by an acceleration sensor that is included in a specific device attached to a moving object, the method comprising:

obtaining correction-related information that relates to a correction of the parameter; and

correcting the parameter based on the obtained correction-related information.

12. An action/posture detection method for correcting a parameter indicating a direction of each acceleration indicated by a self-contained acceleration sensor and detecting an action or a posture of a moving object, the method comprising:

obtaining correction-related information that relates to a correction of the parameter;

correcting the parameter based on the obtained correction-related information;

collecting acceleration data of an action of the moving object, using the acceleration sensor related to the corrected parameter; and

judging the action or posture of the moving object based on the collected acceleration data.

13. A program for an acceleration sensor axis information correction device that corrects a parameter indicating a direction of each acceleration indicated by an acceleration sensor that is included in a specific device attached to a moving object, the program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining correction-related information that relates to a correction of the parameter; and

correcting the parameter based on the obtained correction-related information.

14. A program for an action/posture detection device that has a function of correcting a parameter indicating a direction of each acceleration indicated by a self-contained acceleration sensor and that detects an action or a posture, the program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining correction-related information that relates to a correction of the parameter;

correcting the parameter based on the obtained correction-related information;

collecting acceleration data of an action of a moving object, using the acceleration sensor related to the corrected parameter; and

judging the action or posture of the moving object based on the collected acceleration data.