Pedometer

• US 6,243,659 B1
• Filed: 12/11/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alberto Gregori, Carlo Maria Dominici
• Original Assignee: Alberto Gregori, Carlo Maria Dominici
• Inventors: Dominici, Carlo Maria, Gregori, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US09/202,334
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 702/141, 702/142, 702/149, 702/160, 702/96-97, 377/19, 377/24.2, 235/105, 340/323.R
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring the distance covered by walking or running on foot, the apparatus comprising two complementary electronic devices, each fixed on one shoe. One of the devices, the slave unit, generates signals; the other device, the master unit, receives, stores and processes the signals to calculate speed and distance. Means for displaying the processed data are further provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring the distance covered by walking or running on foot adapted to be put within shoes or a portable case, comprising two separate, complementary electronic devices supplied by cells, wherein one of said devices is a slave unit fixed on one shoe and is capable of generating signals through suitable emitting means, while the other of said devices is a master unit fixed on another shoe, and is capable of receiving said signals through suitable receiving means, and of storing and processing said signals so as to convert said signals into a binary code, in so doing being capable of calculating a runner'"'"'s or pedestrian'"'"'s completed distance and average and maximum speeds, and automatically displaying the distance and speeds, said signals being modulated and directional so that the extent to which they are received by the master unit is proportional to the distance between the emitting and receiving means, wherein means for displaying the processed data are further provided.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emitting slave unit which is fixed on one shoe and the receiving master unit which is fixed on the other shoe, are provided with automatic self-switching means comprising logic units (CPU) activated by pressure sensors (SP), such that when a change of state of said sensors occurs, the apparatus is enabled for a predetermined length of time, after which the units automatically switch off, to avoid any control by the user and at the same time to minimize consumption of the power supply cells.

3. The apparatus for measuring the distance covered by walking or running according to claim 1, wherein there are provided means for the conversion of the signal into a digital signal once received by the master unit and for its comparison with a reference voltage, a binary digit between 0 and 255 being obtained and stored in a register, said register adding it up to the values previously stored until when it has been filled, and other registers being provided to load the following binary digits, the data relative to the overall distance covered, to the average and maximum speed being automatically displayed immediately after the receiving master unit returns to stand by exactly when the runner or pedestrian stops running or walking, respectively.

4. The apparatus for measuring the distance covered by walking or running according to claim 1, wherein the registers are in increasing order and represent units, tens, hundreds and thousands.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said directional signals are modulated infrared rays.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said emitting means are infrared transmitting leds and said receiving means are receiving photodiodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emitting slave unit comprises:

a pulse generator feeding pulse signals to I.R. emitting leds;

a buffer current amplifier for controlling the I.R. emitting leds;

an array of I.R. emitting leds preferably arranged in a semicircle surrounding the inner side of the left ankle within a case;

a pressure sensor (SP) capable to switch on/off the emission of I.R. rays;

a logic unit (CPU) for controlling the operation of the apparatus; and

the receiving master unit comprises;

a logic unit (CPU) comprising a microcomputer capable of mathematic calculations and adapted to control a display;

a liquid crystal display for displaying data relative to at least the parameters of distance covered, average speed, and maximum speed;

a pressure sensor (SP) for detecting the effective movement of the right foot, capable to synchronize the detection of the signal and to automatically switch on/off the apparatus;

an array of sensors comprising I.R. receivers arranged in a semicircle surrounding the inner side of the right ankle within a case for shielding them from sun'"'"'s rays;

a filter selecting the infrared signal modulated at the output of I.R. sensors;

a signal amplifier, the gain of which is such that the maximum value of the amplified signal is always lower than or equal to the maximum value allowable by CPU so as not to saturate the analogue-to-digital converter and to avoid detection errors;

a sensor of the outer light for the automatic compensation of the signal in different hours of the day or in case of sudden crossing of dark places.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said logic unit (CPU) of the receiving master unit provides:

a wide enough operating temperature range;

a very low supply voltage of 2-3 V;

a very low stand-by power consumption in the order of fractions of microampere;

an interface controlling a liquid crystal display and provided with square wave generator;

an analogue-to-digital converter for measuring the amplitude of the signal;

a resolution of at least 8 bits;

a reference voltage generator stable with temperature;

a ceramic resonator oscillator more rugged than crystal oscillator having a frequency as near as possible the maximum allowable frequency of microcomputer and resonator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said amplifier has a good thermal stability and a very low power consumption (CMOS).

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic unit of the master unit is able to discriminate whether the user is walking or running from data detected by the pressure sensor, and in case the user is running, the detection of the signals received by the photodiodes is started in advance with respect to both the time in which the foot is laid down and the time in which the foot is raised.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the amount of such a time in advance is calculated by the logic unit (CPU) of the receiving master unit by comparing the detected data with those stored in its control program.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving master unit further provides a weight sensor such as a load cell able to evaluate the weight of the user, the logic unit thereof having also a program for calculating the calorie consumption according to the weight, the distance covered, and the speed.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the calculation of the calorie consumption is carried out by comparing the detected data with those stored in the calculation program. /

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said calculation program includes a data interpolation algorithm able to reduce the amount of stored data and then the request of memory in the logic unit.