Training supporting apparatus and system for supporting training of walking and/or running

• US 9,576,500 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Kazuko, Aoki, Nobuhiro, Houjou, Yoshiharu, Yamamoto, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US14/494,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A training supporting system has a training supporting apparatus and an exercise form analyzing apparatus, the both apparatuses being connected to each other through a communication network. The training supporting apparatus is worn on the arm of a user and measures acceleration rates of motion of the user'"'"'s body where the apparatus is fitted on, at least in the three directions along X-, Y- and Z-axes, while the user is walking or running. Receiving the measured acceleration rates from the training supporting apparatus through the communication network, the exercise form analyzing apparatus analyzes an exercise form including balance between arm swing and foot landing, and sends back the analysis result of the exercise form to the training supporting apparatus through the communication network.

Claims

1. A training supporting apparatus used to analyze an exercise form while a user is walking or running, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor which is worn by a part of an arm of the user and measures acceleration components of the part of the arm of the user at least in three directions along X-, Y- and Z-axes, while the user is walking or running; and

a processor which outputs an analysis result including a balance between arm swing and foot landing of the user analyzed based on information of the acceleration components measured by the sensor,

wherein the processor detects a change in a balance between the acceleration component in the direction of the X-axis and the acceleration component in the direction of the Y-axis at a time of the foot landing, thereby analyzing a timing balance between the arm swing and the foot landing of the user.

2. An exercise form analyzing apparatus which is connected to a training supporting apparatus through a communication network, wherein the training supporting apparatus is worn by a part of an arm of a user and measures acceleration components of the part of the arm of the user at least in three directions along X-, Y- and Z-axes, while the user is walking or running, the exercise form analyzing apparatus comprising:

a processor which analyzes an exercise form of the user including a balance between arm swing and foot landing, based on the acceleration components received from the training supporting apparatus through the communication network, and sends an analysis result of the exercise form of the user to the training supporting apparatus through the communication network,

wherein the processor detects a change in a balance between the acceleration component in the direction of the X-axis and the acceleration component in the direction of the Y-axis at a time of the foot landing, thereby analyzing a timing balance between the arm swing and the foot landing of the user.

3. The exercise form analyzing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor samples at prescribed intervals the acceleration components received from the training supporting apparatus through the communication network to obtain plural pieces of sampled data for analyzing the balance, and excludes data from the plural pieces of sampled data for analyzing the timing balance, wherein the data has the acceleration component in the direction of the X-axis which is approximately zero, the acceleration component in the direction of the Y-axis which has increased greater than previously sampled acceleration component and the acceleration components in the directions of the Y-, and Z-axes which have increased in predetermined directions at a shock of foot landing.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, the program being used in a training supporting apparatus worn on a part of an arm of a user and, when installed on a computer, causing the computer to perform procedures including:

a procedure of measuring acceleration components of the part of the arm of the user at least in three directions along X-, Y- and Z-axes, while the user is walking or running; and

a procedure of outputting an analysis result which includes a balance between arm swing and foot landing of the user analyzed based on information of the measured acceleration components,

wherein in the procedure of outputting an analysis result, a change is detected in a balance between the acceleration component in the direction of the X-axis and the acceleration component in the direction of the Y-axis at a time of the foot landing, whereby a timing balance between the arm swing and the foot landing of the user is analyzed.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, the program being used in an exercise form analyzing apparatus connected to a training supporting apparatus through a communication network, wherein the training supporting apparatus is worn on a part of an arm of a user and is provided with a computer and a sensor for measuring acceleration components of the part of the arm of the user at least in three directions along X-, Y- and Z-axes, while the user is walking or running, the program, when installed on a computer, causing the computer to perform procedures including:

a procedure of obtaining the acceleration components from the training supporting apparatus through the communication network;

a procedure of analyzing an exercise form of the user including a balance between arm swing and foot landing, based on the obtained acceleration components; and

a procedure of sending an analysis result of the exercise form of the user to the training supporting apparatus through the communication network,

wherein in the procedure of analyzing an exercise form, a change is detected in a balance between the acceleration component in the direction of the X-axis and the acceleration component in the direction of the Y-axis at a time of the foot landing, whereby a timing balance between the arm swing and the foot landing of the user is analyzed.

6. A training supporting apparatus comprising:

a sensor which is worn on a part of an arm of a user and measures acceleration components of the part of the arm of the user at least in three directions along X-, Y- and Z-axes, while the user is walking or running; and

a processor which (a) divides the acceleration components output from the sensor into acceleration components at least for one step with the acceleration component at foot landing as a base point, (b) compares waveforms of the divided acceleration components with previously registered waveforms of acceleration components, (c) extracts acceleration components of arm swing at the time of foot landing from the acceleration components successively output from the sensor, when it is determined the waveforms do not coincide with each other, thereby analyzing a timing balance between arm swing and foot landing while the user is walking or running, and (d) outputs the analyzed timing balance between the arm swing and foot landing of the user.

7. The training supporting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor divides the acceleration components output from the sensor into acceleration components at least for one step with the acceleration components at foot landing as the base points.

8. The training supporting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor compares waveforms of the divided acceleration components with previously registered waveforms of acceleration components, and extracts acceleration components of arm swing at the time of foot landing from the acceleration components successively output from the sensor, when it is determined the both waveforms do not coincide with each other, thereby analyzing a timing balance between arm swing and foot landing while the user is walking or running, and outputs the analyzed timing balance between the arm swing and foot landing of the user.

9. The training supporting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor detects a change in a balance between the acceleration component in the direction of the X-axis and the acceleration component in the direction of the Y-axis at a time of the foot landing, thereby analyzing a timing balance between the arm swing and the foot landing of the user.

10. The training supporting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor samples at prescribed intervals the acceleration components output from the sensor to obtain plural pieces of sampled data for analyzing the balance, and excludes data from the plural pieces of sampled data for analyzing the timing balance, wherein the data has the acceleration component in the direction of the X-axis which is approximately zero, the acceleration component in the direction of the Y-axis which has increased greater than previously sampled acceleration component and the acceleration components in the directions of the Y-, and Z-axes which have increased in predetermined directions at a shock of foot landing.

11. The training supporting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a display;

wherein the processor displays a guidance screen on the display in accordance with the analyzed timing balance between the arm swing and foot landing while the user is walking or running.

12. The training supporting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a display;

wherein the processor highlights on the display an icon simulating a person walking or running, which icon represents the analyzed timing balance between the arm swing and foot landing while the user is walking or running.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, the program being used in a training supporting apparatus, wherein the training supporting apparatus is worn on a part of the arm of a user and measures acceleration components of the part of the arm of the user at least in three directions along X-, Y- and Z-axes, while the user is walking or running, the program, when installed on a computer, causing the computer to perform procedures including:

dividing the acceleration components of the part of the arm of the user into acceleration components at least for one step with the acceleration component at foot landing as a base point;

comparing waveforms of the divided acceleration components with previously registered waveforms of acceleration components; and

extracting acceleration components of arm swing at the time of foot landing from the successively output acceleration components, when it is determined the waveforms do not coincide with each other, thereby analyzing a timing balance between arm swing and foot landing while the user is walking or running, and outputting the analyzed timing balance between the arm swing and foot landing of the user.