Process for estimating the motion phase of an object

• US 7,249,001 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: David, Dominique, Heliot, Rodolphe, Pissard-Gibollet, Roger, Espiau, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano; Edward R
• Application Number:
  US11/416,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 324/602, 324/605, 324/606, 702/150, 702/151, 702/152, 702/153, 702/154, 702/179, 702/181, 702/189
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• 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 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms

Abstract

The process comprises acquisition of experimental data from measurements of physical quantities by means of at least one sensor associated to the object. The process comprises a first reliable estimation of a first range of values with a first method. The process comprises at least one additional estimation of an additional range of values with a different method. The methods each present a predetermined reliability. The ranges of values are successively observed in order of decreasing reliability of the corresponding methods. Each additional range of values is compared with the range of values corresponding to the previous method according to said order. The additional range is chosen as result when the additional range is comprised in the range corresponding to one of the previous methods.

Claims

1. Process for estimating the motion phase of an object, comprising:

acquiring experimental data from measurements of physical quantities by means of at least one sensor associated to the object;

using the measurement data from the at least one sensor to produce a first reliable estimation of a motion phase with a first range of values by a first method, presenting a first predetermined reliability;

using the measurement data from the at least one sensor to produce at least one additional estimation of a motion phase with an additional range of values with a different method for the at least one additional estimation of a motion phase, the different method presenting a different predetermined reliability;

arranging the ranges of values representing estimations of a motion phase in order of decreasing reliability of the corresponding methods;

comparing each additional range of values with the range of values corresponding to the previous method according to said order;

choosing the additional range of values as a result range of values when the additional range of values lies within the range of values corresponding to one of the previous methods;

applying the result range of values to precisely estimate the motion phase of the object; and

reporting the results of the application,

wherein the reported precisely estimated motion phase of the object facilitates characterizing the motion of the object.

2. Process for estimating according to claim 1, the first method and the different method successively comprising a qualitative analysis method a wavelets method, an intercorrelation method and a cyclogram analysis method.

3. Process for estimating according to claim 1, wherein, when the additional range does not lie within the range corresponding to the previous method, the additional range is replaced by a range obtained by linear progression from the previous ranges.

4. Process for estimating according to claim 1, wherein, when the additional range does not lie within the range corresponding to the previous method, the process is interrupted.