Body movement detection device

• US 9,766,090 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Akihisa, Ogawa, Hiroshi, Yakura, Nobuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngo, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/351,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 702160
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

Information representing an activity intensity computed from a measured step count is transmitted from a first pedometer to a second pedometer as step count-related information. In the second pedometer, walking compatibility is determined based on the difference between the activity intensity in the first pedometer and the activity intensity in the second pedometer, and the determination result is displayed on both pedometers.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first body movement detection device to be carried by a first user; and

a second body movement detection device to be carried by a second user, the first body movement detection device and the second body movement detection device being configured to communicate with each other over a network, the first body movement detection device comprising;

a first acceleration sensor configured to generate first acceleration data of the first user;

a first communication unit configured to transmit and receive a signal to and from the second body movement detection device;

a first button configured to receive an operation by the first user for generating a start time and an end time; and

a first processor configured to;

upon receipt, via the first button, of the operation by the first user for generating the start time and the end time;

control the first communication unit to transmit, over the network, the start time and the end time to the second body movement detection device, so that the start time and the end time initiated initiated by the first body movement detection device are commonly used between the first body movement detection device and the second body movement detection device;

compute a first activity intensity related to a body movement of the first user based on the generated first acceleration data obtained in a common period determined by the start time and the end time;

control the first communication unit to transmit, over the network, the first activity intensity to the second body movement detection device;

receive, via the first communication unit, a second activity intensity in the common period transmitted over the network from the second body movement detection device, wherein the second body movement device computes the second activity intensity during the common period based on the start time and the end time received from the first body movement detection device;

determine a compatibility of the first user and the second user based on a comparison of the first activity intensity and the second activity intensity both of which are obtained in the common period; and

output, to a display, information related to the determined compatibility of the first user and the second user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to compute the compatibility based on a difference between the second activity intensity and the first activity intensity.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to compute the compatibility, when at least one of the second activity intensity and the first activity intensity differs from a predetermined activity intensity taken at a time when exercise is not being undertaken.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

calculate a value representing a correlation between a first duration of body movement in the first body movement detection device and a second duration of body movement in the second body movement detection device, when a duration of the first duration and/or second duration is computed to be at or above a prescribed activity intensity level, and

control the display to display a computation result of the calculation for computing the value representing the correlation of the first and second durations of body movement performed.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to compute the compatibility based on a percentage of time in which the first and second exercise intensities are both above a threshold value divided by a measured time.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

calculate a first stability of pitch of body movement repeatedly detected from the acceleration data, and

control the display to display the calculated first stability of pitch of body movement in the first body movement detection device, and a second stability of pitch of body movement computed in the second body movement detection device and received from the second body movement detection device by the first communication unit.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an altitude measurement unit for measuring a first altitude, wherein the first processor is further configured to control the display to display a correspondence between a first step count or walking distance in the first body movement detection device and the first altitude measured by the altitude measurement unit, followed by a correspondence between a second step count or walking distance and a second altitude that are computed in the second body movement detection device and received from the second body movement detection device by the first communication unit.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first processor is further configured to control the display to display a time required to walk to a preset point, based on the first acceleration data, and the second acceleration data.