Pedometer capable of keeping user interested in exercise

• US 6,349,126 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Kihira, Masazumi, Maehashi, Koji, Kitamura, Munehiro, Ogawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wambach, Margaret R.
• Application Number:
  US09/832,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20010031031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 372/24.2
• US Class Current: 377/24.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

A pedometer determines that the user does not wear the pedometer when the current number of steps is not more than a prescribed set value, not to employ the data of the current number of steps on the day the user does not wear the pedometer for calculating an average number of steps. If the current number of steps is in excess of the set value, the pedometer determines that the user wears the pedometer for adding the current number of steps to the total number of steps, adding 1 to the number of days and dividing the total number of steps by the number of days for calculating an average number of steps per day. Consequently, a pedometer having a function of displaying the average number of steps per day, which can not only maintain correctness of the average number of steps but also keep the user interested in exercise even if the user forgets wearing the pedometer, can be provided.

Claims

1. A pedometer having a walking detection sensor for detecting walking, including:

a counter counting outputs from said walking detection sensor;

a clock measuring time;

a memory storing the total of each of the number of steps theretofore counted by said counter and the number of days spent for counting said steps on the basis of the time measured by said clock;

a wear determination part determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer;

a display part displaying information related to said walking; and

a control part calculating an average number of steps per day from the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory, displaying said average number of steps on said display part and controlling said display part and said memory to add the current number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that the user wears said pedometer and not to add the current number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that the user does not wear said pedometer.

2. The pedometer according to claim 1, wherein said wear determination part determines whether or not the user wears said pedometer with the current total number of steps.

3. The pedometer according to claim 2, wherein said wear determination part compares the current total number of steps with a predetermined set value and determines that the user does not wear said pedometer when the total number of steps is not more than said set value.

4. The pedometer according to claim 3, wherein said set value is changeable.

5. The pedometer according to claim 1, wherein said pedometer has a key or a switch, and said wear determination part determines whether or not the user wears said pedometer through operation of said key or said switch.

6. The pedometer according to claim 1, further having a function of manually adding the current number of steps or a preceding average number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that the user does not wear said pedometer.

7. The pedometer according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores the number of steps counted over a plurality of days every day, said display part switchingly displays the number of steps counted over said plurality of days every day, and said control part does not use the function of said wear determination part for determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer as to the storage of the number of steps counted over said plurality of days in said memory.

8. A pedometer having a walking detection sensor for detecting walking, comprising:

a counter counting outputs from said walking detection sensor;

a clock measuring time;

a memory storing the total of each of the number of steps theretofore counted by said counter and the number of days spent for counting said steps on the basis of the time measured by said clock;

a wear determination part determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer; and

a display part displaying information related to said walking,

for calculating an average number of steps per day from the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory, displaying said average number of steps on said display part, adding the current number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that the user wears said pedometer and adding the current average number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that the user does not wear said pedometer.

9. A pedometer having a walking detection sensor for detecting walking, comprising:

a counter counting outputs from said walking detection sensor;

a clock measuring time;

a memory storing the total of each of the number of steps theretofore counted by said counter and the number of days spent for counting said steps on the basis of the time measured by said clock;

a wear determination part determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer; and

a display part displaying information related to said walking, for calculating an average number of steps per day from the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory, displaying said average number of steps on said display part, adding the current number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that the user wears said pedometer and adding the current number of steps or a preceding average number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that the user does not wear said pedometer.