Gait detection system, gait detection apparatus, device, and gait detection method

• US 7,172,563 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takiguchi, Kiyoaki, Aida, Kazuhiko, Nakamura, Takaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US11/127,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20050192516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 600/587, 600/592, 600/595, 235/105, 702/160
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices

Abstract

A walking gait detection apparatus includes a microphone for picking up low-frequency-band sounds that are transmitted through the body of a pedestrian while walking and an analyzer for performing analysis. Accordingly, the gait of the pedestrian is detected. It is also possible to distinguish the gait pattern on the basis of the stance-phase time of a foot sole and the signal intensity, for example. The gait detection apparatus can accurately estimate the stride length on the basis of a detected gait cycle, the height of the pedestrian, and signals detected during walking. On the basis of low-frequency sounds picked up by the microphone while the pedestrian is walking, the pedestrian can be identified.

Claims

1. A gait detection apparatus comprising:

detection means including a microphone for picking up variations generated by a pedestrian while walking and converting the vibrations into electrical signals and an analyzer for analyzing variations corresponding to a frequency less than or equal to a predetermined frequency of the electrical signals converted by the microphone for obtaining a gait cycle of the pedestrian while walking; and

step-length estimating means for estimating a step length of the pedestrian from the gait cycle obtained by the detection means and a height of the pedestrian that is externally input thereto.