Pedometer for use with pregnant woman

• US 7,072,791 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Original Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Inventors: Inoue, Noriko, Sano, Kazumi, Nakayama, Yuriko, Harima, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGHIEM, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US10/874,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20050020888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 702/86, 702/97, 702/158, 702/160, 702/161
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence

Abstract

A pedometer is provided for use by a pregnant woman. Embodiments include a pedometer having a number-of-activity step acquisition unit that acquires the number of activity steps taken by the pregnant woman, an activity energy consumption calculation unit that calculates activity energy consumption caused by the number of activity steps, and a proper energy consumption storage unit that stores proper energy consumption for the pregnant woman. A comparison and assessment unit compares the activity energy consumption with the corresponding proper energy consumption and assesses the activity energy consumption of the pregnant woman. A comparison and assessment result output unit outputs the result of the comparison and assessment.

Claims

1. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman, comprising:

a number-of-activity step acquisition unit;

an activity energy consumption calculation unit;

a proper energy consumption storage unit;

a comparison and assessment unit; and

a comparison and assessment result output unit, wherein

said number-of-activity step acquisition unit acquires the number of activity steps taken by the pregnant woman,

said activity energy consumption calculation unit calculates activity energy consumption based on said number of activity steps acquired,

said proper energy consumption storage unit stores a proper energy consumption for the pregnant woman,

said comparison and assessment unit compares the activity energy consumption calculated by said activity energy consumption calculation unit with the corresponding proper energy consumption stored in said proper energy consumption storage unit for assessing the activity energy consumption, and

said comparison and assessment result output unit outputs the result of comparison and assessment for the activity energy consumption made by said comparison and assessment unit;

further comprising a fat deposition related factor acquisition unit for acquiring a factor related to fat deposition of the pregnant woman, and a term-after-pregnancy acquisition unit for acquiring a term that has elapsed after pregnancy,

in which said proper energy consumption storage unit stores the proper energy consumption in the form of a proper energy consumption selection table in which the factor related to fat deposition and the term elapsed after pregnancy are listed in corresponding relation.

2. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 1 in which the factor related to fat deposition is any one of “

BMI”

before pregnancy, body weight before pregnancy, and body fat rate before pregnancy.

3. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 2 in which said fat deposition related factor acquisition unit includes an input key and/or an external data read-in terminal, said input key is operated by a user for entering the factor related to fat deposition.

4. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 3 in which said term-after-pregnancy acquisition unit includes:

an input key;

a clock unit; and

a term-after-pregnancy calculation unit, wherein

said input key is operated by the user for entering a date or expected date of delivery as well as the current date and time,

said clock unit updates the current date and time depending on the entered current date and time, and

said term-after-pregnancy calculation unit calculates the term that has elapsed after pregnancy, based on the entered date or expected date of delivery, the current date from the clock unit, and the pregnant period.

5. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 4 in which said number-of-activity step acquisition unit includes a detection unit, said detection unit produces a signal for indicating the number of activity steps in response to user'"'"'s steps.

6. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 5 in which said activity energy consumption calculation unit includes:

an input key;

a clock unit;

a calculation formula storage unit; and

an arithmetic unit, wherein

said input key is operated by the user for entering height or step width and body weight after pregnancy,

said clock unit measures the time that has elapsed after the user started to walk,

said calculation formula storage unit stores the calculation formula for calculating the activity energy consumption, and

said arithmetic unit calculates the activity energy consumption, using the calculation formula for calculating the activity energy consumption stored in said calculation formula storage unit, depending on the entered height or step width and body weight after pregnancy, the number of activity steps acquired by the number-of-activity step acquisition unit, and the elapsed time that is measured by the clock unit.

7. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 6 in which said comparison and assessment unit includes:

a calculation formula and advice table storage unit;

an arithmetic unit; and

a selection unit, wherein

said calculation formula and advice table storage unit stores a calculation formula for calculating deficiency of energy consumption, a calculation formula for calculating deficiency of the number of activity steps, a calculation formula for calculating proper number of steps or a calculation formula for calculating rate of achievement, as well as an advice table,

said arithmetic unit acts to calculate the deficiency of energy consumption using the calculation formula for calculating deficiency of energy consumption stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the proper energy consumption selected from the proper energy consumption storage unit, and the activity energy consumption calculated by the arithmetic unit for activity energy consumption, to calculate the deficiency of the number of activity steps using the calculation formula for calculating deficiency of the number of activity steps stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the calculated deficiency of energy consumption, to calculate proper number of steps using the calculation formula for calculating proper number of steps stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the proper energy consumption selected from the proper energy consumption storage unit, or to calculate the rate of achievement using the calculation formula for calculating rate of achievement stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the number of activity steps acquired by the number-of-activity step acquisition unit and the calculated proper number of steps, and

said selection unit selects any one of advices in the advice table stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the calculated rate of achievement.

8. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 7 in which said comparison and assessment result output unit includes a display unit, said display unit displays the result of comparison from the comparison and assessment unit.

9. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 1 in which said fat deposition related factor acquisition unit includes an input key and/or an external data read-in terminal, said input key is operated by a user for entering the factor related to fat deposition.

10. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 1 in which said term-after-pregnancy acquisition unit includes:

an input key;

a clock unit; and

a term-after-pregnancy calculation unit, wherein

said input key is operated by the user for entering a date or expected date of delivery as well as the current date and time,

said clock unit updates the current date and time depending on the entered current date and time, and

said term-after-pregnancy calculation unit calculates the term that has elapsed after pregnancy, based on the entered date or expected date of delivery, the current date from the clock unit, and the pregnant period.

11. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman, comprising:

a number-of-activity step acquisition unit;

an activity energy consumption calculation unit;

a proper energy consumption storage unit;

a comparison and assessment unit; and

a comparison and assessment result output unit, wherein

said number-of-activity step acquisition unit acquires the number of activity steps taken by the pregnant woman,

said activity energy consumption calculation unit calculates activity energy consumption based on said number of activity steps acquired,

said proper energy consumption storage unit stores a proper energy consumption for the pregnant woman,

said comparison and assessment unit compares the activity energy consumption calculated by said activity energy consumption calculation unit with the corresponding proper energy consumption stored in said proper energy consumption storage unit for assessing the activity energy consumption, and

said comparison and assessment result output unit outputs the result of comparison and assessment for the activity energy consumption made by said comparison and assessment unit;

further comprising a fat deposition related factor acquisition unit for acquiring a factor related to fat deposition of the pregnant woman, and a term-after-pregnancy acquisition unit for acquiring a term that has elapsed after pregnancy,

in which said proper energy consumption storage unit stores the proper energy consumption in the form of a proper energy consumption selection table in which the factor related to fat deposition, an intensity in activity in life after pregnancy, and the term elapsed after pregnancy are listed in corresponding relation.

12. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 11 in which the factor related to fat deposition is any one of “

BMI”

before pregnancy, body weight before pregnancy, and body fat rate before pregnancy.

13. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 12 in which said fat deposition related factor acquisition unit includes an input key and/or an external data read-in terminal, said input key is operated by a user for entering the factor related to fat deposition.

14. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 13 in which said term-after-pregnancy acquisition unit includes:

an input key;

a clock unit; and

a term-after-pregnancy calculation unit, wherein

said input key is operated by the user for entering a date or expected date of delivery as well as the current date and time,

said clock unit updates the current date and time depending on the entered current date and time, and

said term-after-pregnancy calculation unit calculates the term that has elapsed after pregnancy, based on the entered date or expected date of delivery, the current date from the clock unit, and the pregnant period.

15. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 14 in which said number-of-activity step acquisition unit includes a detection unit, said detection unit produces a signal for indicating the number of activity steps in response to user'"'"'s steps.

16. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 15 in which said activity energy consumption calculation unit includes:

an input key;

a clock unit;

a calculation formula storage unit; and

an arithmetic unit, wherein

said input key is operated by the user for entering height or step width and body weight after pregnancy,

said clock unit measures the time that has elapsed after the user started to walk,

said calculation formula storage unit stores the calculation formula for calculating the activity energy consumption, and

said arithmetic unit calculates the activity energy consumption, using the calculation formula for calculating the activity energy consumption stored in said calculation formula storage unit, depending on the entered height or step width and body weight after pregnancy, the number of activity steps acquired by the number-of-activity step acquisition unit, and the elapsed time that is measured by the clock unit.

17. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according claim 16 in which said comparison and assessment unit includes:

a calculation formula and advice table storage unit;

an arithmetic unit; and

a selection unit, wherein

said calculation formula and advice table storage unit stores a calculation formula for calculating deficiency of energy consumption, a calculation formula for calculating deficiency of the number of activity steps, a calculation formula for calculating proper number of steps or a calculation formula for calculating rate of achievement, as well as an advice table,

said arithmetic unit acts to calculate the deficiency of energy consumption using the calculation formula for calculating deficiency of energy consumption stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the proper energy consumption selected from the proper energy consumption storage unit, and the activity energy consumption calculated by the arithmetic unit for activity energy consumption, to calculate the deficiency of the number of activity steps using the calculation formula for calculating deficiency of the number of activity steps stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the calculated deficiency of energy consumption, to calculate proper number of steps using the calculation formula for calculating proper number of steps stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the proper energy consumption selected from the proper energy consumption storage unit, or to calculate the rate of achievement using the calculation formula for calculating rate of achievement stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the number of activity steps acquired by the number-of-activity step acquisition unit and the calculated proper number of steps, and

said selection unit selects any one of advices in the advice table stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the calculated rate of achievement.

18. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman according to claim 17 in which said comparison and assessment result output unit includes a display unit, said display unit displays the result of comparison from the comparison and assessment unit.

19. A pedometer for use with a pregnant woman, comprising:

a number-of-activity step acquisition unit;

an activity energy consumption calculation unit;

a proper energy consumption storage unit;

a comparison and assessment unit; and

a comparison and assessment result output unit, wherein

said number-of-activity step acquisition unit acquires the number of activity steps taken by the pregnant woman,

said activity energy consumption calculation unit calculates activity energy consumption based on said number of activity steps acquired,

said proper energy consumption storage unit stores a proper energy consumption for the pregnant woman,

said comparison and assessment unit compares the activity energy consumption calculated by said activity energy consumption calculation unit with the corresponding proper energy consumption stored in said proper energy consumption storage unit for assessing the activity energy consumption,

said comparison and assessment result output unit outputs the result of comparison and assessment for the activity energy consumption made by said comparison and assessment unit; and

said comparison and assessment unit includes a calculation formula and advice table storage unit;

an arithmetic unit; and

a selection unit, wherein

said calculation formula and advice table storage unit stores a calculation formula for calculating deficiency of energy consumption, a calculation formula for calculating deficiency of the number of activity steps, a calculation formula for calculating proper number of steps or a calculation formula for calculating rate of achievement, as well as an advice table,

said arithmetic unit acts to calculate the deficiency of energy consumption using the calculation formula for calculating deficiency of energy consumption stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the proper energy consumption selected from the proper energy consumption storage unit, and the activity energy consumption calculated by the arithmetic unit for activity energy consumption, to calculate the deficiency of the number of activity steps using the calculation formula for calculating deficiency of the number of activity steps stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the calculated deficiency of energy consumption, to calculate proper number of steps using the calculation formula for calculating proper number of steps stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the proper energy consumption selected from the proper energy consumption storage unit, or to calculate the rate of achievement using the calculation formula for calculating rate of achievement stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the number of activity steps acquired by the number-of-activity step acquisition unit and the calculated proper number of steps, and

said selection unit selects any one of advices in the advice table stored in the calculation formula and advice table storage unit, depending on the calculated rate of achievement.