WRISTBAND-TYPE ARM MOVEMENT DETERMINATION DEVICE AND WRISTBAND-TYPE ACTIVITY TRACKER

• US 20150198460A1
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamato, Kumiko, Hashimoto, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 10,413,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• 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 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an activity tracker includes an acceleration sensor capable of detecting accelerations in directions of two or more axes orthogonal to each other, an arm motion determination unit configured to determine on the basis of an output from the acceleration sensor whether there is a predetermined motion within a predetermined time period, when operation of an operation button is detected, and a transmission processing unit configured to cause a lamp to glow and wirelessly transmit a piece of corresponding information corresponding to the predetermined motion and a piece of time information at a time of detecting that there is the predetermined motion, when it is determined by the arm motion determination unit that there is the predetermined motion.

Claims

1. A wristband-type arm movement determination device comprising:

an acceleration sensor capable of detecting accelerations in directions of two or more axes orthogonal to each other;

a detection processing unit configured to detect presence or absence of a predetermined signal which is not an output signal from the acceleration sensor;

a determination unit configured to determine on the basis of an output from the acceleration sensor whether there is a predetermined motion within a predetermined time period, when it is detected by the detection processing unit that there is the predetermined signal; and

a transmission processing unit configured to wirelessly transmit a piece of corresponding information corresponding to the predetermined motion and a piece of time information at a time of detecting that there is the predetermined motion, when it is determined by the determination unit that there is the predetermined motion.

2. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording processing unit configured to record the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information in a storage unit, wherein

the transmission processing unit transmits the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information recorded in the storage unit at predetermined time intervals or at a predetermined time.

3. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission processing unit transmits the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information immediately when the determination unit determines that there is the predetermined motion.

4. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined motion comprises a plurality of predetermined motions,

the determination unit determines on the basis of an output from the acceleration sensor which one of the plurality of predetermined motions is present, and

the transmission processing unit transmits the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information immediately if a motion determined by the determination unit is a first motion, and transmits the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information at predetermined time intervals or at a predetermined time if a motion determined by the determination unit is a motion other than the first motion.

5. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the detection processing unit detects a signal from a switch as the predetermined signal.

6. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the detection processing unit detects an output signal from a sensor configured to detect a physical quantity as the predetermined signal.

7. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the determination unit determines whether there is the predetermined motion by comparing a waveform pattern of the acceleration sensor, which is registered in advance and indicates the predetermined motion, with a waveform pattern of an output from the acceleration sensor to see whether the waveform patterns coincide with each other.

8. The wristband-type aim movement determination device according to claim 1, comprising:

an output unit configured to produce a predetermined output if it is determined by the determination unit that there is the predetermined motion.

9. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 6, wherein

the sensor is a temperature sensor or a carbon dioxide sensor.

10. The wristband-type arm movement determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the wristband-type arm movement determination device is incorporated in a wristwatch.

11. A wristband-type activity tracker comprising:

an acceleration sensor capable of detecting accelerations in directions of two or more axes orthogonal to each other;

a first determination unit configured to determine, from an acceleration signal for the directions of the two or more axes which is detected on the basis of an output from the acceleration sensor and a gravitational acceleration signal, whether an action of a user wearing the wristband-type activity tracker is walking or other than walking;

an operation unit configured to output a predetermined signal when the operation unit is operated;

a detection processing unit configured to detect presence or absence of the predetermined signal;

a second determination unit configured to determine on the basis of an output from the acceleration sensor whether there is a predetermined motion within a predetermined time period, when it is detected by the detection processing unit that there is the predetermined signal;

an output unit configured to produce a predetermined output when it is determined by the second determination unit that there is the predetermined motion;

a transmission processing unit configured to wirelessly transmit a piece of corresponding information corresponding to the predetermined motion and a piece of time information at the time of detecting that there is the predetermined motion, when it is determined by the second determination unit that there is the predetermined motion; and

a recording processing unit configured to record a piece of information on the action of the user which is determined by the first determination unit and a piece of time information at the time of determining the action of the user in a storage unit and record the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information in the storage unit.

12. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 11, wherein

the second determination unit determines whether there is the predetermined motion by comparing a waveform pattern of the acceleration sensor, which is registered in advance and indicates the predetermined motion, with a waveform pattern of an output from the acceleration sensor to see whether the waveform patterns coincide with each other.

13. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 12, wherein

if the first determination unit determines that the action of the user is an action other than walking, the first determination unit estimates a type of the action other than walking on the basis of an acceleration energy intensity detected from the acceleration signal.

14. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 11, wherein

the predetermined motion comprises a plurality of predetermined motions,

the second determination unit determines on the basis of an output from the acceleration sensor which one of the plurality of predetermined motions is present, and

the transmission processing unit transmits the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information immediately if a motion determined by the second determination unit is a first motion and transmits the piece of corresponding information and the piece of time information at predetermined time intervals or at a predetermined time if a motion determined by the second determination unit is a motion other than the first motion.

15. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 11, wherein

the detection processing unit detects a signal from a switch as the predetermined signal.

16. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 11, wherein

the detection processing unit detects an output signal from a sensor configured to detect a physical quantity as the predetermined signal.

17. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 14, wherein

the second determination unit determines whether there is the predetermined motion by comparing a waveform pattern of the acceleration sensor, which is registered in advance and indicates the predetermined motion, with a waveform pattern of an output from the acceleration sensor to see whether the waveform patterns coincide with each other.

18. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 11, further comprising:

an output unit configured to produce a predetermined output if it is determined by the second determination unit that there is the predetermined motion.

19. The wristband-type activity tracker according to claim 16, wherein

the sensor is a temperature sensor or a carbon dioxide sensor.