Physical movement analyzer and physical movement analyzing method

• US 7,387,611 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Shigeyuki, Yamamoto, Hiroshi, Shiraishi, Takako, Kawasaki, Yoshitaka, Tanaka, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lloyd; Emily M
• Application Number:
  US10/817,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 702/160, 600/595, 600/587, 734/88
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis

Abstract

An acceleration information detecting unit of an acceleration detecting apparatus having an acceleration sensor with at least one axis that measures acceleration in a back and forth direction (or a right and left direction) of a walking person. Acceleration data indicating the acceleration is sent to a wireless communication control unit. The wireless communication control unit sends the acceleration data to a physical movement analyzer using a short-distance wireless communication method. On the other hand, the wireless communication control unit of the physical movement analyzer receives the acceleration data that is sent from the acceleration detecting apparatus using a short-distance wireless communication method and sends it to a walking speed detecting unit. The walking speed detecting unit estimates strides and walking period based on the received acceleration data and calculates the walking speed based on the strides and the walking period.

Claims

1. A physical movement analyzer for analyzing a person'"'"'s walking ability, the physical movement analyzer comprising:

an acceleration detecting unit operable to detect an acceleration in a back and forth direction of a person'"'"'s movement, the acceleration being detected for a period of time; and

an acceleration analyzing unit operable to calculate a walking stride based on the detected acceleration, the acceleration analyzing unit comprising;

a spectrum generating unit operable to generate a frequency spectrum based on a curve representing the detected acceleration;

a maximum spectrum identifying unit operable to identify a maximum spectrum component of the generated frequency spectrum;

a logarithm value calculating unit operable to calculate a common logarithm value based on a peak value of the identified maximum spectrum component; and

a walking stride calculating unit operable to calculate the walking stride by applying the calculated common logarithm value to a previously defined expression.

2. The physical movement analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the acceleration analyzing unit is operable to calculate a walking period based on the detected acceleration, the physical movement analyzer further comprising:

a walking ability value calculating unit operable to calculate a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.

3. The physical movement analyzer according to claim 2, wherein:

the acceleration analyzing unit is operable to detect an acceleration in a right and left direction of the person'"'"'s movement, the acceleration in the right and left direction being detected for the period of time; and

the acceleration analyzing unit comprises;

a zero cross-point identifying unit operable to identify zero cross-points in a curve representing the acceleration detected in the right and left direction; and

a walking period calculating unit operable to calculate the walking period based on at least two identified zero cross-points.

4. The physical movement analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the acceleration analyzing unit is operable to detect an acceleration in a right and left direction of the person'"'"'s movement, the acceleration in the right and left direction being detected for a period of time, and calculate a walking period based on the acceleration detected in the right and left direction, the physical movement analyzer further comprising:

a walking ability value calculating unit operable to calculate a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.

5. The physical movement analyzer according to claim 4, wherein the acceleration analyzing unit comprises:

a zero cross-point identifying unit operable to identify zero cross-points in a curve representing the acceleration detected in the right and left direction; and

a walking period calculating unit operable to calculate the walking period based on at least two identified zero cross-points.

6. A physical movement analyzing system comprising:

an acceleration detecting apparatus comprising;

an acceleration detecting unit operable to detect an acceleration in a back and forth direction of a person'"'"'s movement, the acceleration being detected for a period of time, and

an acceleration sending unit operable to transform the detected acceleration into an electric signal and send the electric signal to the analyzer; and

an analyzer for analyzing a person'"'"'s walking ability, the analyzer comprising;

an acceleration receiving unit operable to receive the electric signal sent from the acceleration detecting apparatus, and operable to transform the received electric signal into the detected acceleration, and

an acceleration analyzing unit, operable to calculate a walking stride based on the detected acceleration, comprising;

a spectrum generating unit operable to generate a frequency spectrum based on a curve representing the detected acceleration;

a maximum spectrum identifying unit operable to identify a maximum spectrum component of the generated frequency spectrum;

a logarithm value calculating unit operable to calculate a common logarithm value based on a peak value of the identified maximum spectrum component; and

a walking stride calculating unit operable to calculate the walking stride by applying the calculated common logarithm value to a previously defined expression.

7. The physical movement analyzing system according to claim 6, wherein:

the acceleration analyzing unit is operable to calculate a walking period based on the detected acceleration; and

the analyzer further comprises a walking ability value calculating unit operable to calculate a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.

8. The physical movement analyzer according to claim 6, wherein:

the acceleration analyzing unit is operable to detect an acceleration in a right and left direction of the person'"'"'s movement, the acceleration in the right and left direction being detected for the period of time;

the acceleration analyzing unit is operable to calculate a walking period based on the detected acceleration in the right and left direction; and

the analyzer further comprises a walking ability value calculating unit operable to calculate a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.

9. A physical movement analyzing method for analyzing a person'"'"'s walking ability, the physical movement analyzing method comprising:

detecting, for a period of time, an acceleration in a back and forth direction of a person'"'"'s movement; and

analyzing the detected acceleration to calculate a walking stride by;

generating a frequency spectrum based on a curve representing the detected acceleration;

identifying a maximum spectrum component of the generated frequency spectrum;

calculating a common logarithm value based on a peak value of the identified maximum spectrum component; and

calculating the walking stride by applying the calculated common logarithm value to a previously defined expression.

10. The physical movement analyzing method according to claim 9, wherein the analyzing of the detected acceleration further includes calculating a walking period based on the detected acceleration, the physical movement analyzing method further comprising:

calculating a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.

11. The physical movement analyzing method according to claim 9, wherein the detecting of the acceleration further includes detecting, for the period of time, an acceleration in a right and left direction of the person'"'"'s movement, and the analyzing of the detected acceleration further includes calculating a walking period based on the acceleration detected in the right and left direction, the physical movement analyzing method further comprising:

calculating a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.

12. A computer program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the computer program for analyzing a person'"'"'s walking ability, and the computer program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

detecting, for a period of time, an acceleration in a back and forth direction of a person'"'"'s movement; and

analyzing the detected acceleration to calculate a walking stride by;

generating a frequency spectrum based on a curve representing the detected acceleration;

identifying a maximum spectrum component of the generated frequency spectrum;

calculating a common logarithm value based on a peak value of the identified maximum spectrum component; and

calculating the walking stride by applying the calculated common logarithm value to a previously defined expression.

13. The computer program according to claim 12, wherein:

the analyzing of the detected acceleration further includes calculating a walking period based on the detected acceleration; and

the physical movement analyzing method further includes calculating a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.

14. The computer program according to claim 12, wherein:

the detecting of the acceleration further includes detecting, for the period of time, an acceleration in a right and left direction of the person'"'"'s movement;

the analyzing of the detected acceleration further includes calculating a walking period based on the acceleration detected in the right and left direction; and

the physical movement analyzing method further includes calculating a walking speed based on the calculated walking stride and the calculated walking period.