Electronic pedometer

• US 20050238132A1
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Tomoharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,297,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 377/24.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

To enhance precision in measurement of the number of steps even when a walk cycle changes. An acceleration detecting portion outputs a walk signal corresponding to a walk of a user detected by a walk sensor. A step number counting portion of a counting portion counts each signal which is judged to be beyond a first reference cycle range by a walk cycle comparing portion among signals from the acceleration detecting portion as the number of steps for one step, and when an extra-regulation step number processing portion judges that a predetermined number of signals each within a second reference cycle range among the signals each beyond the first reference cycle range is continuously outputted, counts the predetermined number of signals as the predetermined number of steps.

Claims

1. An electronic pedometer comprising:

walk detecting means, having a walk sensor, for outputting a walk signal corresponding to a walk of a user detected by the walk sensor; and

counting means for counting the number of steps based on the walk signal from the walk detecting means,

wherein the walk sensor being used at least by being mounted on a body of the user,

wherein the counting means counts each signal within a first reference cycle range of signals from the walk detecting means as the number of steps for one step, and when a predetermined number of signals each within a second reference cycle range of the signals each beyond the first reference cycle range are continuously outputted from the walk detecting means, counts the predetermined number of signals as a predetermined number of steps.

2. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1, wherein the counting means includes first cycle judging means for judging whether or not each signal from the walk detecting means is a signal within the first reference cycle range;

second cycle judging means for judging whether or not each signal judged to be beyond the first reference cycle by the first cycle judging means among the signals from the walk detecting means is a signal within the second reference cycle range; and

step number counting means for counting each signal judged to be a signal within the first reference cycle range by the first reference cycle judging means among the signals from the walk detecting means as the number of steps for one step, and for, when the second reference cycle judging means judges that a predetermined number of signals each within the second reference cycle range are continuously outputted from the walk detecting means, counting the predetermined number of signals thus continuously outputted as the predetermined number of steps.

3. An electronic pedometer according to claim 2, wherein the second cycle judging means has first cycle storing means for successively storing data on cycles of the predetermined number of signals each judged to be a signal within the second reference cycle range, and when the signal judged to be beyond the first reference cycle range by the first cycle judging means is a signal within a predetermined cycle range with a cycle of a newest signal data on which is stored in the first cycle storing means as a reference, judges that the signal thus judged is a signal within the second reference cycle range and stores the signal thus judged in the first cycle storing means,

when the first cycle storing means stores therein data on the cycles of the predetermined number of signals, the predetermined number of signals are outputted as the predetermined number of steps, and

the counting means counts the predetermined number of steps.

4. An electronic pedometer according to claim 3, wherein the counting means comprises reference cycle calculating means for movement-averaging cycles of a predetermined number of newest signals each judged to be within the first reference cycle range by the first cycle judging means among signals from the walk detecting means;

and the first cycle judging means judges whether or not a signal from the walk detecting means is a signal within the first reference cycle range using as the first reference cycle range a predetermined range having as a reference the moving average calculated by the reference cycle calculating means.

5. An electronic pedometer according to claim 4, wherein the reference cycle calculating means has second cycle storing means for successively storing therein data on cycles of a predetermined number of newest signals each judged to be within the first reference cycle range by the first cycle judging means, and obtains a moving average of the cycles of the predetermined number of signals the data on which is stored in the second cycle storing means.

6. An electronic pedometer according to claim 5, wherein when the reference cycle calculating means receives data on the cycles of the predetermined number of signals from the first cycle storing means, the reference cycle calculating means stores the data on the cycles of the predetermined number of signals in the second cycle storing means, and obtains a moving average using the cycles of the signals the data on which is stored in the second cycle storing means.

7. An electronic pedometer according to claim 1, wherein the walk sensor is used by being mounted on an arm of a user.

8. An electronic pedometer according to claim 7, further comprising a timing function.