APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR MONITORING PHYSICAL EXERCISE

• US 20100010774A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Well Being Digital Limited
• Original Assignee: Perception Digital Limited (Atom Xquare Corp. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chan, Kai Kin, Ma, Chor-Tin
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

A person'"'"'s exercise monitored by using an accelerometer to detect and count the steps of the person. Furthermore, acceleration profiling distinguishes walking from running and total distance covered in the exercise is estimated using different stride lengths for walking and running. The person'"'"'s pace may be maintained using a music playback unit capable of adjusting the rate of the playback so as to influence the person by the music tempo.

Claims

1. A method of estimating distance covered by a person in a walk comprising:

monitoring the acceleration profile of the person moving on foot over a period of time;

providing the person'"'"'s stride length in a walk;

distinguishing walking steps from running steps in the acceleration profile;

counting the number of walking steps in the profile; and

multiplying the number of walking steps with the person'"'"'s stride length to obtain the distanced covered by walking in the period of time.

4. A method of estimating the distance covered by a person on foot over a period of time comprising the steps of:

estimating the distance covered by walking according to the method of claim 1 in the period of time;

estimating the distance covered by running according to the method claim 2 in the same period of time; and

totaling the estimated distances covered by both walking and running in the period of time.

6. A method of estimating the distanced covered by a person on foot in a period of time comprising

counting the number of steps made by the person in the period of time;

measuring the duration of the period of time;

dividing the number of steps by the duration to obtain the step rate (SR);

obtaining the SP using the SR, according to the relationship of SP to SR as claimed in claim 4;

calculating the distance by multiplying the SP with the number of steps.

7. A method of estimating the distanced covered by a person on foot in a period of time according to claim 6, wherein

the distance is obtained by summing the distances calculated in sub-periods of the period of time.

2. A method of estimating distance covered by a person in a run comprising the steps of:

monitoring the acceleration profile of the person moving on foot over a period of time;

providing the person'"'"'s stride length in a run;

distinguishing running steps in the acceleration profile;

counting the number of running steps in the profile; and

multiplying the number of running steps with the person'"'"'s stride length to obtain the distanced covered by running in the period of time.

3. A method estimating distance covered by a person in a run as claimed in claim 2 wherein

the running steps are distinguished from walking steps in the acceleration profile.

5. A method of estimating the stride of a person to his speed when moving on foot comprising:

estimating the stride distance covered by the person on foot over a period of time comprising the steps of;

a. recording the time and the number of steps taken to cover a known distance;

b. calculating the step pace (SP) by dividing the distance by the number of steps;

c. calculating the step rate (SR) by dividing the number of steps by the time taken;

d. repeating steps a) to c) for different distances and at different speeds;

correlating the relationship of SP to SR.

8. A method of determining whether the acceleration profile of a person indicates that the person has made a step, comprising:

monitoring the acceleration profile of a person moving on foot over a period of time M₁ to M₃; and

defining the period by sub-periods wherein

a first sub-period is defined from a time M₁ to a time Mia,

wherein M₁ is the time when the composite acceleration magnitude begins to increase from a value of x and M_1a is the time when the acceleration value decreases back to the value of x;

a second sub-period is defined from the time M₁ to a time M₂,

wherein M₂ is the time when the acceleration value decreases further to a value of y, and value x is greater than value y;

a third sub-period defined from the time M₂ to a time M₃,

wherein M₂ is also the time when the acceleration value decreases from value of y; and

wherein M₃ is the time when the acceleration increases back to the value of y; and

determining that the acceleration profile represents a step if

the period M₁ to M₃ has a duration of 120 to 1300 ms;

the first sub-period M₁ to M_1a has a duration of 24 to 600 ms,

the second sub-period M₁ to M₂ has a duration of 80 to 700 ms; and

the third sub-period M₂ to a time M₃ has a duration of 24 to 600 ms.

9. A method of determining whether a person has made a step, comprising:

determining the direction of the composite vector Am of the acceleration vectors in 3 dimensional space;

wherein

the direction of Am indicates that the person has made a step if the direction of the composite vector generally in line with the direction of gravity.

10. A method of determining whether a person has made a step as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

determining the direction of the acceleration vector A_g of gravity in 3 axes of 3 dimensional space;

normalizing the composite vector Am;

obtaining the difference between the acceleration vector Ag and the normalized composite vector Am;

wherein

the difference between Ag and normalized composite Am being below a threshold indicates that the composite vector is generally in line with the direction of gravity.

11. A method of determining whether a person has made a step as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the threshold value is 0.45 g

12. A method of distinguishing running from walking, comprising:

detecting fluctuating accelerations experienced by a person moving on foot, the fluctuating accelerations corresponding to the steps of the person;

determining whether the fluctuating accelerations comprise a free-fall moment where free-fall is used to indicate a step made in running.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein

the freefall moment is indicated by an acceleration of <

0.5 g if the accelerometer is adjusted to output a value of 0 g in a freefall.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein

the freefall moment is indicated by an composite acceleration magnitude approaching to 0 g if the accelerometer is adjusted to output a value of 0 g in a freefall.

15. A method of distinguishing running from walking comprising:

detecting fluctuating accelerations experienced by a person moving on foot, the fluctuating accelerations corresponding to the steps of the person;

measuring the peaks of the fluctuating acceleration;

wherein a peak of >

=0.1 g and <

=⅔

g indicates a step taken in a walk and

wherein a peak of >

⅔

g indicates a step taken in a run.

16. An apparatus for maintaining the pace of a person moving on foot comprising:

a storage unit containing an indication of the desired pace;

a pace detection unit for detecting the pace of the person;

a music playback unit for playing music to the person;

a control unit;

wherein

if the pace detection unit detects that the pace of the person is not the same as the indication of the desired pace, the pace detection unit indicates to the control unit, such that the control unit causes the music playback unit to play music of another tempo until the pace of the person is that of the desired pace.

17. An apparatus for maintaining the pace of a person moving on foot as claimed in claim 16, wherein

the music playback unit plays music of another tempo by adjusting the speed in which the music is played.

18. An apparatus for maintaining the pace of a person moving on foot as claimed in claim 16, wherein

the music playback unit plays music of another tempo by selecting another piece of music with a different tempo.

19. A method of maintaining the pace of a person moving on foot, comprising providing an indication of a desired pace;

playing a piece of music having a tempo to the person;

monitoring the pace of the person;

adjusting the speed in which the music is played until the pace of the person is influenced to correspond to the desired pace.

20. A method of maintaining the pace of a person moving on foot, comprising

providing an indication of a desired pace;

playing a piece of music having a tempo to the person;

monitoring the pace of the person;

changing the music to another piece of music having a different tempo, such that pace of the person is influenced to correspond to the desired pace.