Overall Motion Determination

• US 20110264401A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Niemimäki, Mika
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/22 Stride length
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

An apparatus, a method, and a computer program are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a processor. The processor is configured to obtain instantaneous acceleration values representing lower limb motion of a user, to form an effective acceleration value from the instantaneous acceleration values over a plurality of steps of the user, and to determine a motion parameter representing overall motion of the user by means of the effective acceleration value.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to obtain instantaneous acceleration values representing lower limb motion of a user, the processor being configured to form an effective acceleration value from the instantaneous acceleration values over a plurality of steps of the user, the processor being configured to determine a motion parameter representing overall motion of the user by means of the effective acceleration value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values comprise at least two acceleration vector components, the processor being further configured to form a scalar representation of the at least two acceleration vector components, the processor being configured to form the effective acceleration value from the scalar representation over the plurality of the steps of the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values represent tangential lower limb motion of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values comprise instantaneous foot-flight acceleration values, the processor being further configured to form the effective acceleration value from the instantaneous foot-flight acceleration values over the plurality of the steps of the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the motion parameter representing the overall motion of the user by means of the effective acceleration value in such a manner that a first functional dependence of the motion parameter is applied to the effective acceleration value if walking motion is identified, a second functional dependence of the motion parameter being applied to the effective acceleration value if running motion is identified.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile apparatus, a sports computer, a running computer, a multi-sports computer, an activity monitor, a pedometer, a foot-pod, a shoe-mounted stride sensor, a measurement unit attachable to a lower limb of the user, and/or a subscriber terminal of a radio system.

7. A method comprising:

obtaining instantaneous acceleration values representing lower limb motion of a user;

forming an effective acceleration value from the instantaneous acceleration values over a plurality of steps of the user; and

determining a motion parameter representing overall motion of the user by means of the effective acceleration value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values comprise at least two acceleration vector components, the method further comprising:

forming a scalar representation of the at least two acceleration vector components; and

forming the effective acceleration value from the scalar representation over the plurality of the steps of the user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values represent tangential lower limb motion of the user.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values comprise instantaneous foot-flight acceleration values, the method further comprising forming the effective acceleration value from the instantaneous foot-flight acceleration values over the plurality of the steps of the user.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the motion parameter representing the overall motion of the user is determined by means of the effective acceleration value in such a manner that a first functional dependence of the motion parameter is applied to the effective acceleration value if walking motion is identified, a second functional dependence of the motion parameter being applied to the effective acceleration value if running motion is identified.

12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining instantaneous acceleration values representing lower limb motion of a user;

means for forming an effective acceleration value from the instantaneous acceleration values over a plurality of steps of the user; and

means for determining a motion parameter representing overall motion of the user by means of the effective acceleration value.

14. A computer-readable medium, comprising instructions which, when executed by a mobile apparatus, cause the mobile apparatus to:

obtain instantaneous acceleration values representing lower limb motion of a user;

form an effective acceleration value from the instantaneous acceleration values over a plurality of steps of the user; and

determine a motion parameter representing overall motion of the user by means of the effective acceleration value.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values comprise at least two acceleration vector components, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by the mobile apparatus, cause the mobile apparatus to:

form a scalar representation of the at least two acceleration vector components; and

form the effective acceleration value from the scalar representation over the plurality of the steps of the user.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values represent tangential lower limb motion of the user.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instantaneous acceleration values comprise instantaneous foot-flight acceleration values, the instructions which when executed by the mobile apparatus, cause the mobile apparatus to form the effective acceleration value from the instantaneous foot-flight acceleration values over the plurality of the steps of the user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the motion parameter representing the overall motion of the user is determined by means of the effective acceleration value in such a manner that a first functional dependence of the motion parameter is applied to the effective acceleration value if walking motion is identified, a second functional dependence of the motion parameter being applied to the effective acceleration value if running motion is identified.