BODY MOTION DETECTION DEVICE CAPABLE OF PROPERLY MANAGING INFORMATION ON NUMBER OF STEPS IN WALKING EXERCISE

• US 20090054209A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Touoe, Yasuyuki, Hashino, Kenji, Takeishi, Naoki, Eda, Kenji, Sato, Taiga
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/08 with measuring or weighing appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 11/224 associated with timing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/18 Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

A Nordic walking pole has a transmission device attached thereto and a switch thereof is pushed to transmit a signal indicating the start or end of Nordic walking. A pedometer receives the signal from the transmission device to thereby detect that the start or end of Nordic walking is instructed (S107). Assuming that the Nordic mode is specified when the current walking mode is a normal walking mode, the parameter for Nordic walking is set as a parameter for the arithmetic operation (S111). Assuming that the normal walking mode is specified when the current walking mode is a Nordic mode, the parameter for the normal walking mode is set as a parameter for the arithmetic operation (S113).

Claims

1. A body motion detection device comprising:

a count unit counting a number of steps in a walking mode by detecting body motion;

a calculation unit calculating an amount of exercise based on said counted number of steps;

said walking mode including a first walking mode and a second walking mode,

a receiving unit receiving from another device a signal indicating start or end of said second walking mode;

said signal containing information identifying said another device, and

a setting unit setting, as a parameter used in said calculation unit, a parameter for said first walking mode or a parameter for said second walking mode based on said signal.

2. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a first storage unit storing the parameter for said first walking mode and the parameter for said second walking mode, wherein

said setting unit reads the parameter for said first walking mode or the parameter for said second walking mode from said first storage unit for setting as a parameter used in said calculation unit.

3. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, further comprising

a second storage unit storing the parameter for said first walking mode, and

a third storage unit storing a coefficient for calculating the parameter for said second walking mode based on the parameter for said first walking mode, wherein

said setting unit reads said coefficient from said third storage unit and calculates the parameter for said second walking mode from the parameter for said first walking mode based on said signal for setting as a parameter used in said calculation unit.

4. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, further comprising

a display unit displaying said calculated amount of exercise, and

a display control unit controlling to display a mark on said display unit identifying whether said walking mode is said first walking mode or said second walking mode.

5. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit sets an equation for said first walking mode or an equation for said second walking mode as an equation used in said calculation unit.

6. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a storing unit storing said calculated amount of exercise in a storage area, wherein

said storing unit stores the amount of exercise calculated using the parameter for said first walking mode in a first area of said storage area and stores the amount of exercise calculated using the parameter for said second walking mode in a second area of said storage area.

7. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, wherein

said signal contains information identifying said another device, and

said setting unit sets a parameter corresponding to said another device as a parameter for said second walking mode based on said information contained in said signal.

8. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, wherein

said first walking mode is a normal walking mode and said second walking mode is a Nordic walking mode,

said another device is a transmission device attached to a Nordic walking pole, and

said parameter includes a stride length in each walking mode.

9. The body motion detection device according to claim 1, wherein said amount of exercise includes at least one of a walking distance, number of steps counted after a certain period of time or more has elapsed since start of walking, a walking distance calculated based on the number of steps counted after a certain period of time or more has elapsed since start of walking, calorie consumption, an amount of fat burned, a walking speed, a walking pitch, an exercise intensity, number of steps at a certain exercise intensity or above, and a walking distance calculated based on the number of steps at a certain exercise intensity or above.

10. An information transmission device attached to a tool to be used for walking exercise, comprising:

an instruction unit for giving an instruction to start or end said walking exercise; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting a signal responding to said instruction.

11. The information transmission device according to claim 10, wherein the signal responding to said instruction includes a signal identifying said information transmission device.

12. The information transmission device according to claim 10, wherein the tool to be used for said walking exercise is a Nordic walking pole.

13. A Nordic walking pole comprising:

an instruction unit for giving an instruction to start or end Nordic walking; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting a signal responding to said instruction.

14. The Nordic walking pole according to claim 13, wherein the signal responding to said instruction includes a signal identifying said Nordic walking pole.

15. A walking-exercise-amount calculation system comprising:

a body motion detection device including

a count unit counting a number of steps in a walking mode by detecting body motion, and

a calculation unit calculating an amount of exercise based on said counted number of steps; and

an information transmission device attached to a tool to be used for walking exercise,

said information transmission device including

an instruction unit for giving an instruction to start or end said walking exercise, and

a transmitting unit for transmitting a signal responding to said instruction,

said walking mode including a first walking mode corresponding to a normal walking mode and a second walking mode corresponding to a walking mode in said walking exercise,

said body motion detection device further including

a receiving unit receiving from said information transmission device a signal indicating start or end of said second walking mode, and

a setting unit setting, as a parameter used in said calculation unit, a parameter for said first walking mode or a parameter for said second walking mode based on said signal.

16. The walking-exercise-amount calculation system according to claim 15, wherein

the tool to be used for said walking exercise is a Nordic walking pole,

said second walking mode is a Nordic walking mode, and

said parameter includes a stride length in each walking mode.