PHYSICAL CONFIGURATION DETECTOR, PHYSICAL CONFIGURATION DETECTING PROGRAM, AND PHYSICAL CONFIGURATION DETECTING METHOD

• US 20110060248A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishida, Tomotoshi, Sakamoto, Yushi
• Application Number:
  US12/866,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060248A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

Disclosed is a physical configuration detector, a physical configuration detecting program, and a physical configuration detecting method, which can detect the physical configuration of an object, regardless of whether the object is in motion or not, and which can also decrease the amount of work necessary to prepare for dictionaries and the like. A physical configuration detector comprises: a sensor data acquisition unit (121) that acquires sensor data from directional sensors (10) attached to various points on the body a worker; a physical configuration calculator (122) that uses sensor data (113) to calculate the physical configuration which indicate the direction s the various points face; a positional data generator (123) that generates position data for the various points within a space, by using pre-stored shape data (111) and the physical configuration data (114) of the various points; a two-dimensional image generator (124) that generates two-dimensional image data indicating the various points by using position data (115) and shape data (111) for the various points; and a display controller (128) that displays the two-dimensional image data for the various points on a display (103).

Claims

1. A posture grasping apparatus for grasping a posture of a target part on a basis of output from a directional sensor that detects a direction in space and is attached to the target part among a plurality of target parts of a target object, comprising:

a shape data storage means that stores shape data of the target part to which the directional sensor is attached;

a sensor output acquisition means that acquires an output value from the directional sensor;

a posture data calculation means that uses the output value from the directional sensor to calculate posture data indicating a direction of the target part to which the directional sensor is attached with reference to reference axes directed in predetermined directions;

a positional data generation means that generates positional data on a position of the target part in space by using the target part'"'"'s shape data stored in the shape data storage means and the target part'"'"'s posture data calculated by the posture data calculation means, and by obtaining in space positional data of at least two representative points of the target part indicated in the shape data with reference to a connecting point with another target part connected with the target part in question;

a two-dimensional image generation means that generates two-dimensional image data indicating the target part by using the positional data, which are generated by the positional data generation means, on the position of the target part in space and the target part'"'"'s shape data stored in the shape data storage means; and

an output means that outputs a two-dimensional image of the target part on a basis of the target parts'"'"' two-dimensional image data generated by the two-dimensional image generation means.

2. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the positional data generation means makes connecting points of two target parts connected with each other among the plurality of target parts have same value of positional data.

3. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the directional sensors are attached to all of the plurality of the target parts of the target object;

the shape data storage means stores shape data of all of the plurality of the target parts of the target object; and

the output means outputs two-dimensional images of all of the plurality of target parts of the target object.

4. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

among the plurality of target parts of the target object, directional sensors are attached to detection target parts i.e. target parts other than trailing target parts which show a movement of trailing a movement of another target part;

the posture grasping apparatus comprises a trailing relation storage means that stores trailing relations between postures of the trailing target parts and postures of the detection target parts that are trailed by the trailing target parts;

the shape data storage means stores all shape data of the plurality of target parts of the target object;

the posture data calculation means calculates posture data of the detection target parts, and thereafter calculates posture data of the trailing target parts by using the posture data of the detection target parts and the trailing relations between the detection target parts and the trailing target parts; and

the output means outputs all two-dimensional images of the plurality of target parts of the target object.

5. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

a connecting point of one target part to which the directional sensor is attached with another target part connected with the one target part among the plurality of target parts of the target object is taken as a reference position in space, and positional data of the one target point in space are obtained, and thereafter positional data of another target part connected to the target part whose positional data have been obtained are obtained sequentially.

6. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor output acquisition means acquires output values from the directional sensor on a time series basis; and

the output means outputs two-dimensional images of the target part in time series order.

7. A posture grasping apparatus claim 1, wherein:

the posture grasping apparatus comprises;

an evaluation rule storage means that stores a motion evaluation rule i.e. a relation between a magnitude of displacement of the target part from a reference posture and a motion level of the target part, for each displacement mode of the target part; and

a motion level calculation means that uses the motion evaluation rule concerning the target part to obtain a motion level of the target part from the magnitude of displacement of the target part with respect to a displacement mode to which the motion evaluation rule is applied; and

the output means outputs the target part'"'"'s motion level obtained by the motion level calculation means.

8. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the posture grasping apparatus comprises;

an evaluation rule storage means that stores a motion evaluation rule i.e. a relation between a magnitude of displacement of the target part from a reference posture and a motion level of the target part, for each displacement mode of the target part; and

a motion level calculation means that uses the motion evaluation rule concerning the target part to obtain a motion level of the target part from the magnitude of displacement of the target part with respect to a displacement mode to which the motion evaluation rule is applied; and

the output means outputs on a time series basis the target part'"'"'s motion level obtained by the motion level calculation means.

9. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the posture grasping apparatus comprises a posture display time receiving means that receives designation of any time among times of the target part'"'"'s motion levels outputted by the output means on the time series basis; and

when the posture display time receiving means receives the designation of time, the output means outputs on a time series basis two-dimensional images of the target part after the designated time.

10. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the output means outputs an acquisition start time and an acquisition finish time of acquisition of output values from the directional sensor.

11. A posture grasping apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor output acquisition means acquires an output value from a location sensor attached to the target object;

the posture grasping apparatus comprises a second positional data generation means that generates second positional data of the target part by moving the positional data of the target part generated by the positional data generation means, depending on the output value from the location sensor; and

the two-dimensional image generation means generates two-dimensional image data indicating the target part, by using the second positional data of the target part generated by the second positional data generation means, instead of the positional data of the target part generated by the positional data generation means.

12. A posture grasping system comprising:

a posture grasping apparatus of claim 1; and

the directional sensor.

13. A posture grasping system of claim 12, wherein:

the directional sensor comprises;

an acceleration sensor;

a magnetic sensor; and

a radio communication unit for wirelessly transmitting outputs from the acceleration sensor and the magnetic sensor.

14. A posture grasping program for grasping a posture of a target part among a plurality of target parts of a target object, on a basis of an output from a directional sensor for detecting a direction in space, the directional sensor being attached to the target part in question, wherein:

the posture grasping program makes a computer execute;

a sensor output acquisition step, in which a communication means of the computer acquires an output value from the directional sensor;

a posture data calculation step, in which posture data indicating a direction of the target part, to which the directional sensor is attached, with reference to reference axes that are directed in previously-determined directions are calculated by using the output value from the directional sensor;

a positional data generation step, in which positional data of the target part in space are generated by using shape data of the target part previously stored in a storage unit of the computer and the posture data of the target part calculated in the posture data calculation step, and by obtaining positional data in space of at least two representative points in the target part indicated in the shape data, with reference to a connecting point with another target part connected with the target part in question;

a two-dimensional image generation step, in which two-dimensional image data indicating the target part are generated by using the positional data in space of the target part, which are generated in the positional data generation step, and the shape data of the target part stored in the storage unit; and

an output step, in which a two-dimensional image of the target part is outputted on a basis of the two-dimensional image data of the target part generated in the two-dimensional image generation step.

15. A posture grasping method for grasping a posture of at least one target part among a plurality of target parts of a target object, wherein:

a directional sensor for detecting a direction in space is attached to the at least one target part; and

a computer execute;

a sensor output acquisition step, in which a communication means of the computer acquires an output value from the directional sensor;

a posture data calculation step, in which posture data indicating a direction of the target part, to which the directional sensor is attached, with reference to reference axes that are directed in previously-determined directions are calculated by using the output value from the directional sensor;

a positional data generation step, in which positional data of the target part in space are generated by using shape data of the target part previously stored in a storage unit of the computer and the posture data of the target part calculated in the posture data calculation step, and by obtaining positional data in space of at least two representative points in the target part indicated in the shape data, with reference to a connecting point with another target part connected with the target part in question;

a two-dimensional image generation step, in which two-dimensional image data indicating the target part are generated by using the positional data in space of the target part, which are generated in the positional data generation step, and the shape data of the target part stored in the storage unit; and

an output step, in which a two-dimensional image of the target part is outputted on a basis of the two-dimensional image data of the target part generated in the two-dimensional image generation step.