JPS58143214A - Pedometer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To display the correct walking speed and walking distance for natural walking, by generating a signal synchronized with walking motion and constituting so as to calculate the display the walking speed or walking distance basing on the signal. CONSTITUTION:A motion switch 1 is turned on and off in accordance with the up and down motion of a human body by walking, and its output is counted by a counter 4 for the step number through a pulse circuit 2 and a frequency divider 3. While, a signal from the frequency divider 3 is inputted to a distance measuring circuit 6 and a period is measured. A step width value to the period is selected by a multiplier selection circuit 7 and is made most suitable for the individual difference by a function set circuit 8, and a walked distance is obtained at a circuit 9 for the sum of products by the sum of products of the step number and the step width value and is displayed a display 14 through a changeover circuit 10 and a decoder 11. A distance output of the circuit 9 is divided with time output of an integrating time circuit 15 by a speed arithmetic circuit 16 and the walking speed is displayed 14.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a device for displaying.

Knowing the distance you have walked can help you find your current location when you are hiking, walking in the mountains, or playing games like orienteering, and can also provide health management data for people who take walks on a daily basis. Become. Knowing walking speed is also necessary for games such as ``Walking Rally,'' and it can also be used in various applications such as measuring the flow speed of rivers that are not very fast flowing (by floating an object in the water and walking with it). This is desirable because it can be done. However, until now there has been no easy-to-operate and accurate equipment that can easily meet such needs. For example, some devices called "10,000 pedometers" not only count the number of steps, but also allow users to track their own steps.
], the constant to be multiplied by the number of steps changes, and there was a device that automatically calculated it internally and displayed it as the walking distance, but it is impossible to walk while strictly maintaining a constant walking distance. It was extremely difficult to use because it was a natural and extremely difficult task.

In the present invention, in a human's natural walking, the walking distance is
] Based on the discovery that there is a certain correlation between walking rhythm and walking rhythm, the project attempts to calculate and display walking speed or distance from these data. Means for outputting synchronized signals, and generation intervals of said signals.

A gait-measuring device characterized by having means for calculating walking speed or walking distance as a function of walking distance, and means for displaying the results of the calculation, so that the user does not consciously strive to walk at a constant distance. However, as long as you walk naturally, it will display accurate measurements and distances.

This will be explained and explained below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a graph of the records of a person who walked a distance of 50 nl at various cadences, only being conscious of keeping the rhythm of his gait constant. The horizontal axis is the time required (seconds), and the vertical axis is the number of steps (double steps). A black circle indicates a person walking normally, an X indicates a person trying to take long strides, and a white circle indicates a person running (that is, there is a period when both feet are in the air). Kuromaru group is real lfM
It can be seen that the curve often rides on a simple curve like (101), and the x mark and white circle mark ride on the curve of the broken line (102).

The results of this experiment show that, for at least some individuals, there is an extremely high correlation between walking rhythm and walking speed as long as the walking or running is natural, and a certain functional relationship can be expected.

FIG. 2 is a graph in which the average cycle and average stride length per 1 double step in a 50 m section are calculated and plotted from each of the above data. The meanings of the black circle, This is a solid line (201).
As shown in Figure 2, if we know the cycle period of walking and running motion, we can calculate the stride length with a high degree of accuracy by assuming an appropriate functional form, and by multiplying this by the number of steps, we can easily obtain the walking distance. Furthermore, dividing it by time gives the walking speed, so we can see the validity of the inference stated in the explanation of FIG.

Furthermore, looking at the broken line (202), in the case of running motion, the cycle period is almost constant as long as it is slow, but as it becomes fast, the step d]
There is a constant tendency for the cycle to become faster.

Therefore, there are regions in which it is difficult to determine walking speed and walking distance only by measuring the period, but if the condition is close to full-power running, it is still easy to determine the speed and distance by assuming that the walking distance is constant.

Next, a step measuring device using the above-mentioned principle will be explained based on the system block diagram shown in FIG.

11''i movement switch, for example, as in a pedometer, a weighted cantilever supported by a spring inside the device has a contact point, and the contact point is made every time the body moves up and down as it walks. This may be an input device that uses an acceleration sensor, or may directly detect the movement of the foot or hand. (Using a cable with one end fixed to the moving part of the foot or hand or using light reflection, etc.) (Also, it is possible to have a manual switch and input it manually every step or several steps.) The output of this switch is pulsed by the pulsing circuit 2.

This signal for each step may be used as it is, but it may be passed through the frequency divider 3 as necessary to make the signal for every few cycles in order to average the weekly period and improve accuracy. The frequency of each step signal is counted by a step counter 4. 5 is a reset circuit including a manual switch for resetting the counter at the start of measurement.

On the other hand, the period of the signal generated every step is measured by the interval measuring circuit 6. (The reference clock pulse for measurement may be obtained from the electronic clock system 12 incorporated in this device.) A step value (or a value proportional to it) corresponding to the measured period value is selected by the multiplier selection circuit 7. . Although the multiplier to be used naturally differs from user to user, optimization for the user is performed by the function setting circuit 8. That is, the step rjJ values are selected by correlating the curve (201) in Fig. 2 with the periodic values, but the curve (201) is approximated by an elementary function or a broken line, and the parameters that determine their shape (for example, the exponent) The coefficients of the polynomial, the value of the breaking point in the case of broken line approximation, etc.) can also be slightly corrected, and can be changed using a manual switch attached to the circuit 8.

That is, the parameter is corrected by increasing or decreasing the parameter by a predetermined amount each time a switch is operated, or by directly setting a numerical value using a keyboard. Or 1 of the pedometer data as shown in Figure 1.
It may be configured such that if the user actually measures a point or a plurality of points by himself/herself and inputs the measurements, the pedometer calculates and determines the optimal curve.

Furthermore, if the relationship between height, weight, leg length, age, gender, etc. and curve parameters can be statistically determined, preliminary experiments on the user's side can be eliminated.

In this way, the multiplier selection circuit 7 extracts one numerical value based on the function form specified by the function setting circuit 8 and the period value (output signal of the interval measurement circuit 6) that is a variable thereof, and calculates the sum of products to calculate the distance. Output to circuit 9. However, if the period per step is abnormally large (for example, 2 seconds or more), it is assumed that the child has stopped and the child is treated as zero in elementary or middle school.

This circuit multiplies and adds the number of steps (or its frequency-divided number) by the step rj+ value output from the multiplier selection circuit 7 (the output signal of the multiplier selection circuit 7 is used for interval measurement). If it is the elementary or middle school that corresponds to the output interval of circuit B, it is sufficient to simply add up the numerical value of that elementary or middle school each time), and the total walking distance after being reset is calculated and output. The distance output from the switching circuit 10 (clock system 12
．． 7-ym, timer, and other functional systems 13, or a circuit for switching and displaying the display output signal of the speed calculation circuit 16 (to be described later), the decoder 11 decodes it for numerical display, and displays it on the display device. 14.

Further, the distance output of the product-sum circuit 9 is divided by the speed calculation circuit 16 using the integrated time value output from the time integration circuit 15 as a divisor, and a speed value is outputted, and the speed value is outputted to the display device 14 via the switching circuit 10 and the decoder 11. The display will be switched. Alternatively, the instantaneous walking speed can be immediately calculated and displayed from the beginning of each step.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a correction device, which acts on the multiplier selection circuit 7, speed calculation circuit 16, product-sum circuit 9, function setting circuit 8, etc. by operating an attached pushbutton switch, and adjusts the elementary, middle, or junior high per step. It has the effect of increasing or decreasing the walking speed by, for example, 10%, and is used when the road slopes up or down, or when the road surface suddenly deteriorates. When this correction returns to a state where it is no longer necessary, do not forget to cancel the correction.
A warning sound is generated intermittently with a buzzer etc. every few minutes,
Alternatively, a visual warning signal may be constantly displayed while flashing on the display device 14.

As is clear from the above description of the embodiments, in the system of the present invention, the walking distance and walking speed are calculated by considering elementary and middle school as a function of walking rhythm (walking cycle), so no special auxiliary equipment is required. Even if you don't have it, as long as you try to walk in a natural way even if there is some unevenness in your walking style (walking speed), the distance from the origin, your average speed, or your current walking style will change. Since instantaneous speed and other information can be displayed in real time, it can be incorporated as one of the functions of small electronic devices such as electronic watches, pocket clocks, and pocket calculators, or it can be used as a small device dedicated to pedometer that can be worn alone on the waist. Suitable for practical or game use effects are dogs. In addition, by using the count value of the number of steps as a display output, the function of the conventional pedometer 1 can also be used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a graph plotting data on the time required and the number of steps when walking a certain distance at a natural pace, Fig. 2 is a graph showing the functional relationship between the walking cycle and elementary and middle grades obtained by converting the data, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1... Exercise switch, 4... Step counter, 6... Walking interval (period) measurement circuit, 7...
...... Multiplier (step [IJ) selection circuit, 8...
...Function setting circuit, 9... Product sum (distance calculation) circuit, 16...
...Speed calculation circuit, 14...Display device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pedometer comprising means for outputting a signal synchronized with walking motion, means for calculating walking speed or walking distance as a function of the generation interval of the signal, and means for displaying the calculation result.