Mobile terminal and step length-calculating method

• US 20090298479A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kasama, Koichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A mobile terminal which makes it possible to automatically calculate a step length of a user with accuracy. A step count-acquiring section acquires a step count of the user of a mobile terminal. A position calculating section calculates a position of the mobile terminal. A center position-calculating section calculates a center position of a plurality of positions calculated by the position calculating section. A covered distance-calculating section calculates a distance covered by the mobile terminal based on a plurality of the center positions calculated by the center position-calculating section. A step length-calculating section calculates the step length based on the step count acquired by the step count-acquiring section and the covered distance calculated by the covered distance-calculating section.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for calculating a step length of a user, comprising:

a step count-acquiring section to acquire a step count of the user;

a position calculating section to calculate a position of the mobile terminal;

a center position-calculating section to calculate a center position of a plurality of positions calculated by said position calculating section;

a covered distance-calculating section to calculate a distance covered by the mobile terminal based on a plurality of center positions calculated by said center position-calculating section; and

a step length-calculating section to calculate the step length based on the step count acquired by said step count-acquiring section and the covered distance calculated by said covered distance-calculating section.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a distance correction table for correcting the covered distance according to the position of the mobile terminal.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a step length correction table for correcting the step length according to the step count.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a average step length-calculating section to sequentially add up step lengths calculated by said step length-calculating section, and divide a sum of the added step lengths by a number of the added step lengths.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said position calculating section calculates the position of the mobile terminal based on a GPS signal.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said covered distance-calculating section calculates the covered distance covered by the mobile terminal by calculating distances between adjacent pairs of a plurality of center positions, and adding up the distances.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said center position-calculating section calculates the center position at intervals of time which are long enough to grasp a change in a direction of travel of the mobile terminal.

8. A method of calculating a step length of a user by a mobile terminal, comprising:

acquiring a step count of the user;

calculating a position of the mobile terminal;

calculating a center position of a plurality of positions calculated;

calculating a distance covered by the mobile terminal based on a plurality of center positions calculated; and

calculating the step length based on the step count acquired and the covered distance calculated.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for calculating a step length of a user,

wherein the program causes a computer to function as:

a step count-acquiring section to acquire a step count of the user;

a position calculating section to calculate a position of the mobile terminal;

a center position-calculating section to calculate a center position of a plurality of positions calculated by said position calculating section;

a covered distance-calculating section to calculate a distance covered by the mobile terminal based on a plurality of center positions calculated by said center position-calculating section; and

a step length-calculating section to calculate the step length based on the step count acquired by said step count-acquiring section and the covered distance calculated by said covered distance-calculating section.