Mobile terminal and step length-calculating method

• US 8,725,453 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kasama, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US12/320,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,938 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 702/158
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A mobile terminal which makes it possible to automatically calculate a step length of a user with accuracy. A step count-acquiring section acquires a step count of the user of a mobile terminal. A position calculating section calculates a position of the mobile terminal. A center position-calculating section calculates a center position of a plurality of positions calculated by the position calculating section. A covered distance-calculating section calculates a distance covered by the mobile terminal based on a plurality of the center positions calculated by the center position-calculating section. A step length-calculating section calculates the step length based on the step count acquired by the step count-acquiring section and the covered distance calculated by the covered distance-calculating section.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for calculating a step length of a user, comprising:

a pedometer to acquire a step count of the user;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to calculate a position of the mobile terminal; and

a processor configured to perform a procedure including;

calculating a center position of a plurality of positions calculated by the GPS receiver;

calculating a distance covered by the mobile terminal by calculating distances between adjacent pairs of a plurality of center positions calculated and adding up the distances;

calculating the step length based on the step count acquired by the pedometer and the covered distance calculated; and

correcting the calculated step length according to the step count by using a step length coefficient obtained from a step length correction table that defines a plurality of combinations of step count and step length coefficient such that the step length coefficient increases as the step count increases.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the procedure further includes correcting the covered distance according to the position of the mobile terminal by using a distance correction table.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the procedure further includes sequentially adding up step lengths that are calculated, and dividing a sum of the added step lengths by a number of step lengths that have been added up.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the center position is calculated at intervals of time which are long enough to grasp a change in a direction of travel of the mobile terminal.

5. A method of calculating a step length of a user by a mobile terminal, comprising:

acquiring a step count of the user;

calculating a position of the mobile terminal;

calculating a center position of a plurality of positions calculated;

calculating a distance covered by the mobile terminal by calculating distances between adjacent pairs of a plurality of center positions calculated and adding up the distances;

calculating the step length based on the step count acquired and the covered distance calculated; and

correcting the calculated step length according to the step count by using a step length coefficient obtained from a step length correction table that defines a plurality of combinations of step count and step length coefficient such that the step length coefficient increases as the step count increases.

6. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing a program for calculating a step length of a user by a mobile terminal, wherein the program causes a computer to perform a procedure comprising:

acquiring a step count of the user;

calculating a position of the mobile terminal;

calculating a center position of a plurality of positions calculated;

calculating a distance covered by the mobile terminal by calculating distances between adjacent pairs of a plurality of center positions calculated and adding up the distances;

calculating the step length based on the step count acquired and the covered distance calculated; and

correcting the calculated step length according to the step count by using a step length coefficient obtained from a step length correction table that defines a plurality of combinations of step count and step length coefficient such that the step length coefficient increases as the step count increases.