Pedometer

• US 20080275669A1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ihashi, Tomohiro, Tsubata, Keisuke
• Application Number:
  US12/082,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275669A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

To enable to select a walking sensor suitable for detecting walking by short time by a simple constitution in a pedometer using a plurality of walking sensors sensitivity axes of which differ from each other, CPU 108 calculates a step number based on a walking signal from a walking sensor 101a when it is determined that a signal from the first walking detecting circuit 100a including the walking sensor 101a having a priority order at a first order is a walking signal. In a case in which it is determined that the signal is not the walking signal, when a signal from a second walking detecting circuit 100b including a walking sensor 101b a sensitivity axis of which differ from that of the walking sensor 101a, the step number is calculated based on the walking signal of the walking sensor 101b and a priority order of the walking signal 101b is changed to the first order.

Claims

1. A pedometer comprising:

a plurality of walking sensors, wherein sensitivity axes thereof differ from each other and which detect walking to output corresponding walking signals;

selecting means for selecting one of the walking sensors outputting the walking signals as a walking sensor for detecting walking by switching the plurality of walking sensors; and

calculating means for calculating the step number based on the walking signal from the walking sensor selected by the selecting means.

2. A pedometer according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means switches the plurality of walking sensors by a previously determined order and selects the one walking sensor outputting the walking signal as the walking sensor for detecting walking.

3. A pedometer according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means switches the plurality of walking sensors by the predetermined order and selects a first walking sensor determined to output the walking signal as the walking sensor for detecting walking.

4. A pedometer according to claim 2, wherein the selecting means switches the plurality of walking sensors by the predetermined order and selects a first walking sensor determined to output the walking signal as the walking sensor for detecting walking.

5. A pedometer according to claim 1, further including:

storing means for storing an order of selecting the walking sensor for detecting walking from the plurality of walking sensors;

wherein the storing means stores the walking sensor selected for detecting walking by the selecting means as the walking sensor having an order of a first order; and

wherein the selecting means switches to select the walking sensor in accordance with the order stored to the storing means.

6. A pedometer according to claim 2, further including:

storing means for storing an order of selecting the walking sensor for detecting walking from the plurality of walking sensors;

wherein the storing means stores the walking sensor selected for detecting walking by the selecting means as the walking sensor having an order of a first order; and

wherein the selecting means switches to select the walking sensor in accordance with the order stored to the storing means.

7. A pedometer according to claim 3, further including:

storing means for storing an order of selecting the walking sensor for detecting walking from the plurality of walking sensors;

wherein the storing means stores the walking sensor selected for detecting walking by the selecting means as the walking sensor having an order of a first order; and

wherein the selecting means switches to select the walking sensor in accordance with the order stored to the storing means.

8. A pedometer according to claim 4, further including:

storing means for storing an order of selecting the walking sensor for detecting walking from the plurality of walking sensors;

wherein the storing means stores the walking sensor selected for detecting walking by the selecting means as the walking sensor having an order of a first order; and

wherein the selecting means switches to select the walking sensor in accordance with the order stored to the storing means.

9. A pedometer according to claim 1, further including:

a plurality of walking detecting means including the respective walking sensors, a power source and controlling means for controlling to supply a drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means;

wherein the controlling means does not supply the drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means including the walking sensor which is not selected by the selecting means.

10. A pedometer according to claim 9, wherein the selecting means selects the walking detecting means before being switched during a walking determining period of determining whether the walking is stopped.

11. A pedometer according to claim 9, wherein when the walking detecting means are switched, the selecting means switches the walking detecting means to detect a signal from the walking detecting means after finishing set uptime of the newly selected walking determining means;

and

wherein the controlling means stops supplying the drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means which is not selected by the selecting means.

12. A pedometer according to claim 10, wherein when the walking detecting means are switched, the selecting means switches the walking detecting means to detect a signal from the walking detecting means after finishing set up time of the newly selected walking determining means;

and

wherein the controlling means stops supplying the drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means which is not selected by the selecting means.

13. A pedometer according to claim 9, wherein the selecting means selects the plurality of walking detecting means by a predetermined order at each predetermined time in a sleep mode;

and

wherein the controlling means supplies the drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means selected by the selecting means.

14. A pedometer according to claim 10, wherein the selecting means selects the plurality of walking detecting means by a predetermined order at each predetermined time in a sleep mode;

and

wherein the controlling means supplies the drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means selected by the selecting means.

15. A pedometer according to claim 11, wherein the selecting means selects the plurality of walking detecting means by a predetermined order at each predetermined time in a sleep mode;

and

wherein the controlling means supplies the drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means selected by the selecting means.

16. A pedometer according to claim 12, wherein the selecting means selects the plurality of walking detecting means by a predetermined order at each predetermined time in a sleep mode;

and

wherein the controlling means supplies the drive power from the power source to the walking detecting means selected by the selecting means.

17. A pedometer according to claim 10, wherein the selecting means switches the walking detecting means when walking stop time has elapsed without detecting the walking signal after starting to determine walking;

and

wherein when the walking signal is detected by the walking detecting means within predetermined time after an elapse of set up time of the walking selecting means selected by the selecting means, the calculating means corrects an accumulated step number by calculating a step number generated during a time period until detecting the walking signal by the selected walking detecting means from starting to determine the walking.

18. A pedometer according to claim 13, wherein the selecting means switches the walking detecting means when walking stop time has elapsed without detecting the walking signal after starting to determine walking;

and

wherein when the walking signal is detected by the walking detecting means within predetermined time after an elapse of set up time of the walking selecting means selected by the selecting means, the calculating means corrects an accumulated step number by calculating a step number generated during a time period until detecting the walking signal by the selected walking detecting means from starting to determine the walking.

19. A pedometer according to claim 17, wherein the calculating means calculates the step number generated during a time period until detecting the walking signal by the selected walking detecting means from starting to determine the walking based on a period of the walking signal detected by the selected walking detecting means and adds the calculated step number to an accumulated step number to thereby correct the step number.

20. A pedometer according to claim 18, wherein the calculating means calculates the step number generated during a time period until detecting the walking signal by the selected walking detecting means from starting to determine the walking based on a period of the walking signal detected by the selected walking detecting means and adds the calculated step number to an accumulated step number to thereby correct the step number.