Method and wrist device

• US 20070275826A1
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Niva, Arto, Niemimaki, Mika
• Application Number:
  US11/804,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20070275826A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

The invention relates to a wrist device and to a method of determining movement information. The method comprises measuring acceleration from a movement of a wrist device worn by a user during the user'"'"'s stepping; and determining movement pulses associated with a lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping by using said acceleration.

Claims

1. A wrist device comprising:

a movement pulse determination unit for measuring acceleration from a movement of the wrist device during a user'"'"'s stepping, the movement pulse determination unit being configured to determine movement pulses associated with a lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping by using said acceleration.

2. A wrist device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement pulse determination unit is configured to measure acceleration in the direction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping and to determine movement pulses associated with the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping by using said acceleration in the direction of the lateral movement.

3. A wrist device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the movement pulse determination unit comprises a one-dimensional acceleration sensor configured to measure acceleration in the lateral movement generated by stepping.

4. A wrist device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one-dimensional acceleration sensor is configured to measure acceleration in the measuring direction, the measuring direction being restricted with respect to a normal vector of the user'"'"'s back of hand at an angle of 45 degrees, and inside a cone generated around a vector perpendicular to the fingers, the spread angle of the cone being previously known.

5. A wrist device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one-dimensional acceleration sensor is configured to measure acceleration in the measuring direction, the main component of the acceleration being, during the use of the wrist device, at a plane determined by a normal vector of the user'"'"'s back of hand and a vector perpendicular with respect to the normal vector of the user'"'"'s fingers and back of hand.

6. A wrist device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement pulse determination unit is configured to measure a plurality of directional acceleration components and to determine acceleration in the direction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping by combining a plurality of directional acceleration components.

7. A wrist device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the movement pulse determination unit comprises:

a multidimensional acceleration measurement unit configured to measure a plurality of directional acceleration components;

a movement analyzer for determining a linear combination of the directional acceleration components, the linear combination of the directional acceleration components being in the direction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping; and

the movement pulse determination unit is configured to determine movement components associated with the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping by using said linear combination of the directional components.

8. A method of determining movement information comprising:

measuring acceleration from a movement of a wrist device worn by a user during the user'"'"'s stepping; and

determining movement pulses associated with a lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping by using said acceleration.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein acceleration is measured in the direction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping;

and movement pulses associated with the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping are determined by using said acceleration in the direction of the lateral movement.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein acceleration in the direction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping is measured with a one-dimensional acceleration sensor.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein acceleration in the direction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping is measured with a one-dimensional acceleration sensor, the measuring direction of which is restricted with respect to a normal vector of the user'"'"'s back of hand at an angle of 45 degrees, and inside a cone generated around a vector perpendicular to the fingers, the spread angle of the cone being previously known.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein acceleration in the direaction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping is measured with a one-dimensional acceleration sensor, the main component of whose acceleration is, during the use of the wrist device, at a plane determined by a normal vector of the user'"'"'s back of hand and a vector perpendicular with respect to the normal vector of the user'"'"'s fingers and back of hand.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a plurality of directional acceleration components is measured;

and acceleration is determined the direaction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping by combining a plurality of directional acceleration components.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a plurality of directional acceleration components is measured;

and a linear combination of the directional acceleration components is determined in the direction of the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping; and

movement pulses associated with the lateral movement generated by the user'"'"'s stepping are determined by using said linear combination of directional components.

15. A computer program comprising encoded instructions for executing a computer process of claim 8.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer program of claim 15.

17. A memory means comprising a computer program of claim 15.

18. A signal comprising a computer program of claim 15.