METHOD FOR MANAGING HEALTH CONDITION, HEALTH CONDITION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AND HEALTH CONDITION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20160135716A1
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Kiyoko, Tatsumi, Koji, TAKENAKA, Shigeo, KAWAI, Atsuko, Senta, Yosuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,105,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip

Abstract

A method for causing a computer to execute a process for managing health condition, the process includes: detecting a grounding timing of a leg of a quadruped and a timing of weight-shift to a rear side of the quadruped; and determining whether or not the leg of the quadruped has a disease or injury, based on the detected grounding timing of the leg of the quadruped and the detected timing of a weight-shift to the rear side of the quadruped.

Claims

1. A method for causing a computer to execute a process for managing health condition, the process comprising:

detecting a grounding timing of a leg of a quadruped and a timing of weight-shift to a rear side of the quadruped; and

determining whether or not the leg of the quadruped has a disease or injury, based on the detected grounding timing of the leg of the quadruped and the detected timing of a weight-shift to the rear side of the quadruped.

2. The method for causing a computer to execute a process for managing health condition according to claim 1, wherein

the process includes detecting a peak acceleration in a vertically upward direction in a vertical direction component of an acceleration data, as the timing of the weight-shift to the rear side of the quadruped based on the acceleration data measured by an acceleration sensor mounted on the neck, head, or chest of the quadruped.

3. The method for causing a computer to execute a process for managing health condition according to claim 1, wherein

the process includes detecting a peak acceleration in a vertically downward direction in a vertical direction component of an acceleration data as the timing of the grounding timing of the leg of the quadruped based on the acceleration data measured by an acceleration sensor mounted on the abdomen or chest of the quadruped.

4. The method for causing a computer to execute a process for managing health condition according to claim 3, wherein

the quadruped is a horse, and

further comprising:

the process includes determining which leg of the right and left front legs of the quadruped is the leg being grounded, when the acceleration sensor mounted on the abdomen or the chest is one, based on information relating to a positional relationship in a front-back direction of a horse body between a right side leg and a left side leg of the horse, and an acceleration change in the vertical direction between peaks of acceleration in the vertically downward direction of the quadruped.

5. The method for causing a computer to execute a process for managing health condition according to claim 1, wherein

specifying a leg in which the grounding timing is detected immediately before the timing of the weight-shift to the rear side as a leg having a disease or injury.

6. A health condition management apparatus comprising:

a sensor mounted on a quadruped; and

a leg condition determination unit that determines whether or not a leg of the quadruped has a disease or injury based on a grounding timing of the leg of the quadruped and a timing of weight-shift to a rear side of the quadruped a detected by the sensor.

7. The health condition management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the leg condition determination unit determines whether or not the leg of the quadruped has a disease or injury by using a timing of a peak that exceeds a preset threshold among peaks of acceleration in a vertically upward direction in a vertical direction component of acceleration data measured by an acceleration sensor mounted on the neck, head, or chest of the quadruped, as the timing of the weight-shift to the rear side of the quadruped.

8. The health condition management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the leg condition determination unit determines whether or not the leg of the quadruped has a disease or injury by using a peak of acceleration in a vertically downward direction in the vertical direction component of acceleration data measured by an acceleration sensor mounted on the abdomen or chest of the quadruped, as the grounding timing of the leg of the quadruped.

9. The health condition management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the leg condition determination unit includes a leg specifying unit that specifies the leg of the quadruped in which the grounding timing is detected immediately before the timing of the weight-shift to the rear side of the quadruped, as a leg having a disease or injury.

10. A health condition management system comprising:

a health condition management apparatus that manages a health condition of a leg of a quadruped; and

a sensor that detects a grounding of the leg of the quadruped and weight-shift to a rear side of the quadruped,

wherein the health condition management apparatus includes a leg condition determination unit that determines whether or not the leg of the quadruped has a disease or injury, based on a grounding timing of the leg of the quadruped and a timing of the weight-shift to the rear side of the quadruped detected by the sensor.

11. The health condition management system according to claim 10, wherein

the leg condition determination unit includes a leg specifying unit that specifies the leg having a disease or injury when determining whether or not the leg of the quadruped has a disease or injury.

12. The health condition management system according to claim 11, wherein

the leg specifying unit that specifies the leg of the quadruped of which the grounding timing is detected immediately before the timing of the weight-shift to the rear side of the quadruped, as a leg having a disease or injury.