Method and system for calibrating a pedometer

• US 10,429,454 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Theytaz, Olivier, Bonanno, Daniel, Chardon, Jean-Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Telly D
• Application Number:
  US15/017,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20170227571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/02 Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux G01R33/20 takes precedence

Abstract

A head-mounted electronic device includes an inertial motion unit, a location data unit, and an output element. The head-mounted electronic device also includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor.

Claims

1. A head-mounted electronic device comprising:

a pair of glasses;

an inertial motion unit including an accelerometer mounted on the pair of glasses;

a location data unit mounted in the head-mounted electronic device;

an output element mounted in the head-mounted electronic device for providing distance information to a user, wherein the output element is mounted on the pair of glasses and is operable to provide a visual output to a user;

a processor mounted in the head-mounted electronic device and communicatively coupled to the inertial motion unit and the location data unit;

a non-transitory, computer readable media mounted in the head-mounted electronic device comprising instructions to cause the processor to perform the steps of providing a distance output to the output element based on data from the inertial motion unit and the location data unit, wherein the distance output is based on the vertical movement of the accelerometer using a stride length and a cadence determined from the vertical movement; and

a memory mounted in the head-mounted electronic device and coupled to the processor;

wherein the location data unit comprises a GPS unit, and wherein the non-transitory, computer readable media mounted in the head-mounted electronic device further comprises instructions to cause the processor to provide the distance output based on data from the GPS unit, and based on data from the inertial motion unit when the GPS unit GPS signal is lost.

2. The head-mounted electronic device of claim 1 wherein the inertial motion unit comprises:

an accelerometer for producing acceleration signals; and

an atmospheric pressure sensor for producing signals indicative of altitude;

wherein the non-transitory, computer readable media mounted in the head-mounted electronic device further comprises instructions to cause the processor to perform the steps of determining the distance based on the acceleration signals modified based on the signals indicative of altitude.

3. The head-mounted electronic device of claim 2 wherein the inertial motion unit further comprises:

a gyroscope;

a magnetometer; and

wherein the non-transitory, computer readable medium is communicatively coupled to the gyroscope and the magnetometer, and further comprises instructions configured to determine route data from the signals indicative of acceleration from the accelerometer and at least one of signals indicative of compass direction from the magnetometer and signals indicative of direction changes from the gyroscope.

4. The head-mounted electronic device of claim 1 wherein the non-transitory, computer readable media mounted in the head-mounted electronic device further comprises instructions to cause the processor to

provide the distance output based on data from the GPS unit when current GPS unit data is available,

determine when location data is not available from the GPS unit,

provide distance data based on data from the inertial motion unit when location data is not available from the GPS unit,

determine when location data is again available from the GPS unit, and

updating the distance data based on the location data from the GPS unit.

5. The head-mounted electronic device of claim 4 wherein speed data is calculated from the distance data.

6. The head-mounted electronic device of claim 1 wherein power to the location unit is reduced when a distance output based on data from the inertial unit is available.

9. The head-mounted electronic device of claim 1 wherein the output element comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

7. An inertial motion system for a head-mounted electronic device, the inertial motion system comprising:

a head-mounted electronic device comprising;

an accelerometer for producing signals indicative of acceleration;

an atmospheric pressure sensor for producing signals indicative of altitude;

a gyroscope for producing signals indicative of direction changes; and

a magnetometer for producing signals indicative of a compass direction;

a GPS location unit; and

a non-transitory, computer readable medium, communicatively coupled to the accelerometer, the atmospheric pressure sensor, the gyroscope and the magnetometer, and comprising instructions configured to determine route data from the signals indicative of acceleration from the accelerometer and at least one of the signals indicative of compass direction from the magnetometer and the signals indicative of direction changes from the gyroscope, and distance data based on the vertical movement of the accelerometer using a stride length and a cadence determined from the vertical movement.

8. The inertial motion system of claim 7 further comprising an output element operable to provide a visual output to a user of the route data, and also elevation data based on the signals indicative of altitude.

10. The inertial motion system of claim 7 further comprising an output element operable to provide an audio output to a user.

11. A system for a glasses-mounted electronic device comprising:

an inertial motion unit including;

an accelerometer;

an atmospheric pressure sensor;

a gyroscope; and

a magnetometer;

an output element;

a non-transitory, computer readable medium, communicatively coupled to the inertial motion unit and a source of location data, and comprising instructions configured to

determine route data from the signals indicative of acceleration from the accelerometer and at least one of the signals indicative of compass direction from the magnetometer and the signals indicative of direction changes from the gyroscope,

to provide a distance output to the output element based on data from the inertial motion unit and a location data unit, wherein the distance output is based on the vertical movement of the accelerometer using a stride length and a cadence determined from the vertical movement,

wherein the distance output is based on the acceleration signals modified based on signals indicative of altitude, and

wherein the distance output is based on data from the location unit, and based on data from the inertial motion unit in the absence of data from the location unit; and

wherein the output element is glasses-mounted and is operable to provide a visual output to a user.

12. The glasses-mounted electronic device of claim 11 wherein the output element comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

13. The glasses-mounted electronic device of claim 11 wherein the output element comprises a display screen.

14. The glasses-mounted electronic device of claim 11 wherein the output element is operable to provide an audio output to the user.

15. The glasses-mounted electronic device of claim 11 wherein the accelerometer comprises a three-axis accelerometer and wherein the non-transitory, computer readable media mounted in the glasses-mounted electronic device further comprises instructions to cause a processor to use one axis of the accelerometer to indicate vertical movement corresponding to foot contact to measure the distance while the other axes are used to discriminate natural events not indicative of distance by eliminating vertical movement in the one axis where there is also movement in the other axes indicating such natural events not indicative of distance.

16. The glasses-mounted electronic device of claim 11 wherein the instructions are further configured to

provide the distance output based on data from the location unit when current location unit data is available,

determine when location data is not available from the location unit,

provide distance data based on data from the inertial motion unit in when location data is not available the location unit,

determine when location data is again available from the location unit, and

updating the distance data based on the location data from the location unit.

17. The glasses-mounted electronic device of claim 11 wherein speed data is calculated from the distance data.

18. The glasses-mounted electronic device of claim 11 wherein the instructions are further configured to reduce power to the location unit when a distance output based on data from the inertial unit is available.