Electronic pedometer

• US 7,263,461 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sugai, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/109,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 702/160, 702/178, 702182-185, 702/188, 738/654, 235/105, 368/10
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/50 for measuring linear speed G01P3/56 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic pedometer has a walk sensor that detects a walking movement of a user and outputs a walk signal corresponding to the walking movement. The walk sensor has a sensitivity axis along which a detection sensitivity of the walking movement by the walk sensor becomes a maximum. A calculation circuit calculates a number of walking steps of the user in accordance with the walk signal. A strap mounts the walk sensor on a part of the user'"'"'s body so that the sensitivity axis of the walk sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from an axis disposed at 90 degrees with respect to a longitudinal direction of the strap.

Claims

1. An electronic pedometer comprising:

a walk sensor to detect a walking movement of a user and to output a walk signal corresponding to the walking movement, the walk sensor having a sensitivity axis along which a detection sensitivity of the walking movement by the walk sensor becomes a maximum;

calculation means for calculating a number of walking steps of the user in accordance with the walk signal; and

a strap for mounting at least the walk sensor on a part of the user'"'"'s body so that the sensitivity axis of the walk sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from an axis disposed at 90 degrees with respect to a longitudinal direction of the strap.

2. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

wherein the part of the user'"'"'s body comprises a wrist of the user'"'"'s body; and

wherein when the sensitivity axis of the walk sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less in the counterclockwise direction from the axis disposed at 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strap, the walk sensor is mounted on a left wrist of the user'"'"'s body.

3. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

wherein the part of the user'"'"'s body comprises a wrist of the user'"'"'s body; and

wherein when the sensitivity axis of the walk sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less in the clockwise direction from the axis disposed at 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strap, the walk sensor is mounted on a right wrist of the user'"'"'s body.

4. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

wherein the walk sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration of swinging arms of the user'"'"'s body during the walking movement.

5. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

wherein the walk sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in vertical movement of the user'"'"'s body during the walking movement.

6. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

wherein the walk sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in vertical movement of the user'"'"'s body when a foot of the user'"'"'s body lands on a walking surface during the walking movement.

7. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

wherein the walk sensor comprises an acceleration sensor that detects both acceleration in vertical movement of the user'"'"'s body during the walking movement and acceleration of swinging arms of the user'"'"'s body during the walking movement.

8. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

further comprising timekeeping means for measuring time.

9. An electronic pedometer according to claim 8;

wherein the time measured by the timekeeping means comprises a walk time period.

10. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1;

further comprising a main body housing the walk sensor, the main body having a display portion for displaying the number of walking steps calculated by the calculating means and a time display portion for displaying a walk time period by the user.

11. An electronic pedometer comprising:

an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in vertical movement of a user'"'"'s body during a walking movement of the user and acceleration of swinging arms of the user'"'"'s body during the walking movement and that outputs a signal corresponding to the detected acceleration; and

calculation means for calculating a number of walking steps of the user during the walking movement in accordance with the signal outputted by the acceleration sensor.

12. An electronic pedometer according to claim 11;

further comprising a strap for mounting the electronic pedometer on a part of the user'"'"'s body.

13. An electronic pedometer according to claim 11;

wherein the part of the user'"'"'s body comprises the user'"'"'s wrist.

14. An electronic pedometer according to claim 11;

wherein the acceleration sensor detects acceleration in vertical movement of the user'"'"'s body when a foot of the user'"'"'s body lands on a walking surface during the walking movement.

15. An electronic pedometer comprising:

an acceleration sensor to detect both acceleration in vertical movement of a user'"'"'s body during a walking movement of the user and acceleration of swinging arms of the user'"'"'s body during the walking movement and to output a signal corresponding to the detected acceleration;

calculation means for calculating a number of walking steps of the user during the walking movement in accordance with the signal outputted by the acceleration sensor; and

a main body housing therein the acceleration sensor and the calculation means, the main body having a display portion for displaying the number of walking steps calculated by the calculating means and a time display portion for displaying a walk time period by the user.

16. An electronic pedometer according to claim 15;

wherein the acceleration sensor has a sensitivity axis along which a detection sensitivity by the acceleration sensor of the acceleration in the vertical movement of a user'"'"'s body and the acceleration of the swinging arms of the user'"'"'s body during the walking movement becomes a maximum; and

further comprising a strap for mounting the electronic pedometer on a part of the user'"'"'s body so that the sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from an axis disposed at 90 degrees with respect to a longitudinal direction of the strap.

17. An electronic pedometer according to claim 16;

wherein the part of the user'"'"'s body comprises a wrist of the user'"'"'s body; and

wherein when the sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less in the counterclockwise direction from the axis disposed at 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strap, the acceleration sensor is mounted on a left wrist of the user'"'"'s body.

18. An electronic pedometer according to claim 16;

wherein the part of the user'"'"'s body comprises a wrist of the user'"'"'s body; and

wherein when the sensitivity axis of the acceleration sensor is located within a range of 30 degrees or less in the clockwise direction from the axis disposed at 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strap, the acceleration sensor is mounted on a right wrist of the user'"'"'s body.

19. An electronic pedometer according to claim 16;

wherein the part of the user'"'"'s body comprises a wrist of the user'"'"'s body.