Method for calibrating exercise apparatus

• US 9,149,213 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Niemimki, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASTOVSKI, CATHERINE T
• Application Number:
  US13/418,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 702/149, 702/158, 702/160
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• 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 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

A procedure for calibrating walking and/or running measurements in an exercise-related apparatus are provided. As a result of a user running and walking a given distance which may be the same or different for running and walking, respective running and walking motion metrics are obtained during a calibration phase. A relation between the obtained running and walking motion metrics are then used to compute a calibration value applied to calibrate one of running and walking measurements during an exercise.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor, the processor performing operations comprising;

computing, during a calibration phase, at least one walking motion metric obtained from a measured local motion of a user under a condition where the user has walked a first real distance, wherein the at least one walking motion metric comprises an estimated walking distance value computed by employing a walking motion algorithm during the condition, wherein the estimated walking distance value represents an estimate of the first real distance acquired by employing the walking motion algorithm;

computing, during the calibration phase, at least one running motion metric obtained from a measured local motion of the user under a condition where the user has run a second real distance which may be the same as or different from the first real distance, wherein the at least one running motion metric comprises an estimated running distance value computed by employing a running motion algorithm during the condition, wherein the estimated running distance value represents an estimate of the second real distance acquired by employing the running motion algorithm;

computing a calibration value for one of running measurements and walking measurements on the basis of both the estimated running distance value and the estimated walking distance value by using a relationship between the estimated walking distance value and the estimated running distance value; and

calibrating, using the calibration value, at least one of running and walking measurements during an exercise phase, thereby decreasing inaccurary of the apparatus in its determination of at least one of the running and walking measurements during the exercise phase without requiring entry of a predetermined distance and use of and existing calibration model during the calibration phase.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining which one of the walking motion metric and the running motion metric provides less accurate measurement results; and

calibrating the less accurate motion metric with said calibration value during the exercise phase.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the further comprise determining by default that the running motion metric is less accurate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the second real distance is different from the first real distance, the apparatus is provided with information on relation between the first real distance and the second real distance, and wherein the operations further comprise scaling at least one of the running motion metric and the walking motion metric according to said relation in order to make the running motion metric and the walking motion metric represent the same real distance.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one walking motion metric comprises time measured for the user to walk the first real distance and at least one of measured walking distance and measured walking speed measured from local motion of the user when walking the first real distance, and wherein said at least one running motion metric comprises time measured for the user to run the second real distance and at least one of measured running distance and measured running speed measured from local motion of the user when running the second real distance.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

computing a running speed calibration value by dividing a difference between the measured walking distance and the measured running distance, by the time measured for the user to walk the first real distance; and

calibrating, during the exercise phase, measured running speed with the running speed calibration value.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise adding the running speed calibration value to the measured running speed during the exercise phase.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

dividing the running speed calibration value by a measured running speed measured as the at least one running motion metric; and

multiplying the measured running speed during the exercise phase by thus obtained divided speed calibration value.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

computing a running distance calibration value by dividing a difference between the measured walking distance and the measured running distance by the measured running distance; and

calibrating, during the exercise phase, measured running distance with the running distance calibration value.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a user interface, and wherein the operations further comprise, during the calibration phase:

informing the user through the user interface about the start of the calibration phase;

detecting the start of a walking stage and initiate measurement of the at least one walking motion metric;

detecting the end of the walking stage and terminate measurement of the at least one walking motion metric;

detecting the start of a running stage and initiate measurement of the at least one running motion metric;

detecting the end of the running stage and terminate measurement of the at least one running motion metric; and

informing the user through the user interface about the end of the calibration phase.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise instructing, during the calibration phase, the user to at least one of start and end the walking stage and the running stage.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations futher comprise instructing, during the calibration phase, the user to stand still at the beginning and end of the walking stage and the running stage to facilitate detection of the walking stage and the running stage.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise displaying the calibrated measurement results to the user of during and after the exercise through a user interface.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform a method comprising:

computing during a calibration phase, at least one walking motion metric obtained from a measured local motion of a user under a condition where the user has walked a first real distance, wherein the at least one walking motion metric comprises an estimated walking distance value computed by employing a walking motion algorithm during the condition, wherein the estimated walking distance value represents an estimate of the first real distance acquired by employing the walking motion algorithm;

computing during the calibration phase, at least one running motion metric obtained from a measured local motion of the user under a condition where the user has run a second real distance which may be the same as or different from the first real distance, wherein the at least one running motion metric comprises an estimated running distance value computed by employing a running motion algorithm during the condition, wherein the estimated running distance value represents an estimate of the second real distance acquired by employing the running motion algorithm;

computing a calibration value for one running measurements and walking measurements on the basis of both the estimated running distance value the estimated walking distance value by using a relationship between the estimated walking distance value and the estimated running distance value; and

calibrating, using the calibration value, at least one of running and walking measurements during an exercise phase,thereby decreasing inaccuracy of the processing device in its determination of at least one of the running and walking measurments during the exercise phase without requiring entry of a predetermined distance and use of an existing calibration model during the calibration phase.

15. An apparatus comprising:

diagnostics circuitry, the diagnostics circuitry computing, during a calibration phase, at least one walking motion metric obtained from a measured local motion of a user under a condition where the user has walked a first real distance, wherein the at least one walking motion metric comprises an estimated walking distance value computed by employing a walking motion algorithm during the condition, wherein the estimated walking distance value represents an estimate of the first real distance acquired by employing the walking motion algorithm, the diagnostics circuitry computing during the calibration phase, at least one running motion metric obtained from a measured local motion of the user under a condition where the user has run a second real distance which may be the same as or different from the first real distance, wherein the at least one running motion metric comprises an estimated running distance value computed by employing a running motion algorithm during the condition, wherein the estimated running distance value represents an estimate of the second real distance acquired by employing the running motion algorithm; and

calibration parameter determiner circuitry, the calibration parameter determiner circuitry determining a calibration value for one fo running measurement and walking measurements on the basis of both the estimated running distance value and estimted walkinq distance value by using a relationship between the estimated walking distance value and the estimated running distance value, the calibration parameter determiner circuitry calibrating, using the calibration value, at least one of running and walking measurements during an exercise phase, thereby decreasing inaccuracy of the processing device in its determination of at least one of the running and walking measurements during the exercise phase without requiring entry of a predetermined distance and use of an existing calibration model during the calibration phase.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the diagnostics circuitry causes the apparatus to determine which one of the walking motion metric and the running motion metric provides less accurate measurement results and the calibration parameter determiner circuitry calibrates the less accurate motion metric with said calibration value during the exercise phase.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the calibration parameter determiner circuitry causes the apparatus to determine by default that the running motion metric is less accurate.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein when the second real distance is different from the first real distance, the apparatus is provided with information on relation between the first real distance and the second real distance, and wherein the diagnostics circuitry causes the apparatus to scale at least one of the running motion metric and the walking motion metric according to said relation in order to make the running motion metric and the walking motion metric to represent the same real distance.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least one walking motion metric comprises time measured for the user to walk the first real distance and at least one of measured walking distance and measured walking speed measured from local motion of the user when walking the first real distance, and wherein said at least one running motion metric comprises time measured for the user to run the second real distance and at least one of measured running distance and measured running speed measured from local motion of the user when running the second real distance.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the calibration parameter determiner circuitry causes the apparatus to compute a running speed calibration value by dividing a difference between the measured walking distance and the measured running distance by the time measured for the user to walk the first real distance and to calibrate, during the exercise phase, measured running speed with the running speed calibration value.