APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SMART WEAR

• US 20140303529A1
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: PARK, Hyung-Il, CHOI, Byoung-Gun, KANG, Sung-Weon, HYOUNG, Chang-Hee, LIM, In-Gi, KANG, Tae-Wook, HWANG, Jung-Hwan, KIM, Kyung-Soo, KIM, Jung-Bum, KIM, Sung-Eun, PARK, Kyung-Hwan, KANG, Tae-Young
• Granted Patent: US 9,987,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0218 Drawing-out devices suspension devices for supporting the patient in upright walking or standing position A61H3/008; orthopedic devices for non-surgical treatment A61F5/01; stretching fractured limbs A61F5/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1207 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5069 Angle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5071 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5079 Velocity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/00 Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04; orthopaedic devices for correcting deformities of, or supporting, limbs A61F5/0102; exercising apparatus for the feet or toes A63B23/10; stairways or ramps E04F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/00 Aspects of pattern recognition specially adapted for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for controlling smart wear. The apparatus for controlling smart wear includes a motion capture unit, an error information unit, a motion estimation unit, and an actuation unit. The motion capture unit captures a motion of a user using sensors included in the smart wear. Then error information unit generates user error information using reference motion information and the results of the motion capture. The motion estimation unit estimates a subsequent motion of the user using the user error information. The actuation unit controls the smart wear of the user in real time using the estimated subsequent motion and the user error information.

Claims

1. A method of controlling smart wear, comprising:

capturing, by an apparatus for controlling the smart wear, a motion of a user using sensors included in the smart wear;

generating user error information using reference motion information and results of the motion capture;

estimating a subsequent motion of the user using the user error information; and

controlling the smart wear of the user in real time using the estimated subsequent motion and the user error information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before generating the user error information:

selecting standard motion information corresponding to a final target model of rehabilitation training or posture correction;

converting the standard motion information in accordance with the smart wear; and

generating the reference motion information by applying user information to the converted standard motion information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user information comprises physical information, such as a gender, age and height of the user, and competence level information corresponding to the standard motion information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the smart wear of the user in real time comprises:

generating a motion control signal capable of controlling an error in the motion of the user using the estimated subsequent motion and the user error information; and

controlling the smart wear by feeding back the error in the motion of the user in real time using the motion control signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein controlling the smart wear of the user in real time comprises controlling at least one actuator attached to the smart wear using the motion control signal.

6. An apparatus for controlling smart wear, comprising:

a motion capture unit configured to capture a motion of a user using sensors included in the smart wear;

an error information unit configured to generate user error information using reference motion information and results of the motion capture;

a motion estimation unit configured to estimate a subsequent motion of the user using the user error information; and

an actuation unit configured to control the smart wear of the user in real time using the estimated subsequent motion and the user error information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a standard information unit configured to select standard motion information corresponding to a final target model of rehabilitation training or posture correction;

an information conversion unit configured to convert the standard motion information in accordance with the smart wear; and

an optimized information generation unit configured to generate the reference motion information by applying user information to the converted standard motion information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information conversion unit comprises:

a setup condition unit configured to define setup conditions including locations and a number of sensors and actuators within the smart wear;

a selection unit configured to select additional information to be added to the standard motion information; and

an output unit configured to add the selected additional information to the standard motion information and then output the standard motion information with the additional information added, or to output the standard motion information without the additional information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of joint angles, sensor coordinate values, angular speed values, and a sampling cycle corresponding to the final target model.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensors correspond to at least one of optical sensors, acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, terrestrial magnetism sensors, and pressure sensors.