KR101552724B1 - Device and method for measuring movement distance in wireless terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring the distance of movement of a portable terminal, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for measuring the distance of movement of a portable terminal capable of measuring the number of steps and a moving distance through the portable terminal, Apparatus and method.

In order to achieve this, a movement distance measuring apparatus of a portable terminal includes a first sensor unit for measuring a step frequency; A memory for storing a walking frequency measured through the first sensor unit, a moving distance received from an external accessory, and a personal moving distance algorithm generated using the walking frequency and the moving distance; Wherein the personal movement distance algorithm is generated using the step frequency measured by the first sensor unit and the movement distance measured and received from the external accessory, and when it is not connected to the external accessory, And a control unit for controlling the display unit to display a moving distance measured from the personal moving distance algorithm using the number of steps corresponding to the walking speed and the walking frequency.

Mobile terminal, external accessory, step frequency, travel distance, stride

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a device and a method for measuring a distance of a mobile terminal,

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring the distance of movement of a portable terminal, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for measuring the distance of movement of a portable terminal capable of measuring the number of steps and a moving distance through the portable terminal, Apparatus and method.

Conventional momentum measurement techniques can be classified into a pedometer or pedometer, which measures the number of steps, and a moving distance measurement technique by walking or running.

In the case of a pedometer, it is attached to the body of the user and measures the number of steps that the user walks or walks while wearing. In some cases, the travel distance or the consumed calorie is calculated and provided based on the measured number of steps. However, the pedometer can not distinguish the walking / running and has a disadvantage that the accuracy is not high because the travel distance is calculated from the step length inputted by the user.

In recent years, a number of methods have been studied to measure the movement distance and the calorie consumption more accurately in order to compensate for the shortcomings of the pedometer. In the case of the patent application "US 2007/0208531 ", as shown in Fig. 1, the walking / running is distinguished from the signal of the accelerometer mounted on the shoe using the time (Tc) And a stride length algorithm.

In addition, in case of patent application "US2008 / 0120062", the number of steps is measured using a signal of an acceleration sensor system mounted on a shoe or a waist, and a moving distance from an acceleration variance of a walking frequency and an acceleration We propose a method to obtain.

Fig. 2 shows the relationship between the stride, the step frequency, and the stride and acceleration dispersion. 2, f is the step number per unit time, i.e., step frequency, and v represents acceleration variance. The values of the constants α, β and γ are determined from the experimental regression equation.

 <Formula 1>

Step Length = α^.f +β^.v + γ

Step Length = α ^. f + β ^. v + gamma

where α, β, and γ are the parameters pre-learned during a pre-calibration stage. Then, walking distance is obtained by

when n is the number of occurred step.

<Formula 2>

where t _{i is the} detection time of the i _th step; a _t , _k and n stand for the accelerometer signal at time t, the average of the accelerometer signals during one step and the number of sensor outputs during one step, respectively.

Among the conventional momentum measurement techniques, a pedometer that measures only the number of steps is usually mounted on the waist. In recent years, however, by adopting an artifact elimination algorithm that uses an accelerometer of two or more axes and is generated by a motion other than walking, The degree of freedom of mounting position such as a pocket, a bag, and a necklace is greatly increased.

However, since the pedometer simply provides the user with only the number of steps, it is impossible to provide the user with various information because the speed, the moving distance, the distinction between walking and running can not be provided, Lt; / RTI &gt;

In the case of a product or a patent for improving the disadvantage of the above-described pedometer, as described above, by adopting a new algorithm using an accelerometer, it is possible to provide the user with the distinction and travel distance of the walk in addition to the number of steps, There is an advantage that the consumption amount can be estimated.

However, the momentum measurement techniques shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have the feature that they must be fixedly attached to a specific position of the body. For example, the algorithm used in Fig. 1 is a signal that can be obtained from shoes, and therefore is an algorithm that can not be used when mounted on other parts of the body.

In the case of FIG. 2, it is an algorithm that can be used by mounting on shoes or a waist. However, in this case, a separate algorithm is required depending on the mounting position because the magnitude of acceleration generated by walking and walking on the shoes and waist is different.

That is, the step frequency in Equation 1 can be obtained theoretically in other parts of the body, but in the case of acceleration dispersion, the step frequency is different depending on the position of the body with respect to the same walking.

  Therefore, it is impossible to apply the conventional momentum measurement technology to a portable terminal, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, and a PDA. That is, a separate device is required to measure the momentum, and it is disadvantageous to inconvenience the user because it is required to be fixed at a specific position.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for measuring a walking distance of a portable terminal, which can measure the number of steps and the moving distance through a portable terminal regardless of the portable position of the portable terminal without a separate apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus for measuring the distance of movement of a portable terminal includes: a first sensor unit for measuring a step frequency; A memory for storing a walking frequency measured through the first sensor unit, a moving distance received from an external accessory, and a personal moving distance algorithm generated using the walking frequency and the moving distance; Wherein the controller generates the personal movement distance algorithm by using the step frequency measured by the first sensor unit and the movement distance measured and received from the external accessory when connected to the external accessory, And a control unit for controlling the display unit to display the moving distance measured from the personal moving distance algorithm using the number of steps corresponding to the step frequency measured by the sensor unit and the walking frequency.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of measuring distance traveled by a portable terminal, the method comprising: determining whether an external accessory is connected to the portable terminal; Generating a personal moving distance estimation algorithm by using a walking frequency measured by the portable terminal and a moving distance measured and received from the external accessory when the external accessory is connected to the portable terminal; If the external accessory is not connected to the portable terminal, displaying the movement distance measured from the personal movement distance algorithm using the number of steps corresponding to the step frequency measured by the portable terminal and the walking frequency .

As described above, according to the present invention, personalized movement distance measurement relational expression is generated by using a body attachment-type accessory module linked to a portable terminal, and accuracy is improved through data accumulation. Thus, ultimately, It has the effect of providing accurate movement distance and momentum information only by frequency measurement. In addition, there is an advantage that it is possible to measure the walking distance by solving the inconvenience of fixing and attaching the sensor module for measuring the moving distance to a specific position of the body and carrying a personal device such as a portable terminal used in daily life.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the same configurations of the drawings denote the same reference numerals as possible whenever possible.

3 is a diagram illustrating a portable terminal 100 and an external accessory 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 Referring to FIG. 3, when the portable terminal 100 is wirelessly connected to the external accessory 200, the portable terminal 100 transmits a personal movement distance algorithm through a measured step frequency and a movement distance measured by the external accessory 200 If the external accessory 200 is not connected, the number of steps and the moving distance are measured through the walking frequency and the personal moving distance algorithm.

In detail, the RF unit 123 performs a wireless communication function of the portable terminal. The RF unit 123 includes an RF transmitter for up-converting and amplifying a frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for low-noise amplifying a received signal and down-converting the frequency of the received signal. The MODEM 120 includes a transmitter for encoding and modulating the transmitted signal and a receiver for demodulating and decoding the received signal. The audio processing unit 125 may constitute a codec. The codec includes a data codec for processing packet data and an audio codec for processing an audio signal such as voice. The audio processing unit 125 converts the digital audio signal received from the modem 120 into an analog signal through the audio codec and reproduces the analog audio signal transmitted from the microphone through a digital audio signal And transmits the converted data to the modem 120. The codec may be provided separately or may be included in the controller 110.

The memory 130 may be composed of a program memory and data memories. The program memory includes programs for controlling the general operation of the portable terminal and programs for controlling the number of steps and the moving distance through the number of steps and the personal moving distance algorithm measured by the portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention Can be stored. The data memory temporarily stores data generated during the execution of the programs.

In addition, the memory 130 stores the walking frequency measured through the first sensor unit 150, the moving distance received from the external accessory 200, the walking frequency and the moving distance according to the embodiment of the present invention And stores the generated personal moving distance estimation algorithm.

The personal moving distance algorithm measures a stride length including any one of the following equations (4) - (6), and measures a moving distance through a sum of the measured strides.

Equation 4: d = A * f + B

Equation 5: d = A * In (f) + B

&Quot; (6) &quot; d = f ^m + B

d: stride

f: step frequency

m: an index measured through experiments to generate a personal movement distance estimation algorithm

A, B: constants measured through experiments to generate the personal travel distance estimation algorithm

The first sensor unit 150 measures a walking frequency of a person having the portable terminal, and may be a three-axis acceleration sensor.

The controller 110 controls the overall operation of the portable terminal. Also, the controller 110 may include the modem 120 and a codec.

When the portable terminal 100 is connected to the external accessory 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 110 controls the frequency of the stepping motor 150 and the external accessory 200 And generates a personal movement distance algorithm through the received movement distance and stores the generated personal movement distance algorithm in the memory 130.

When the portable terminal 100 is connected to the external accessory 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 110 controls the frequency of the stepping motor 150 and the external accessory 200 ) On the display unit 160. The display unit 160 displays the moving distance on the display unit 160. [

In addition, the controller 110 controls the portable terminal 100 to receive a distance measured and received from an external accessory selected according to a priority order when the portable terminal 100 is connected to a plurality of external accessories.

Also, the controller 110 may control the step frequency measured by the first sensor unit 150 and the number of steps of the personal movement distance algorithm through the personal movement distance algorithm when the external accessory 200 is not connected, according to the embodiment of the present invention. So that the moving distance is extracted and displayed.

The display unit 160 displays the user data output from the control unit 110. Here, the display unit 160 may be an LCD. In this case, the display unit 160 may include an LCD controller, a memory capable of storing image data, and an LCD display device. Here, when the LCD is implemented by a touch screen method, the LCD may operate as an input unit. When the portable terminal 100 is connected to the external accessory 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the display unit 160 may display the walking frequency measured by the first sensor unit 150 and the external accessory 200, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; measured &lt; / RTI &gt;

When the portable terminal 100 is not connected to the external accessory 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the display unit 160 may display the stepping frequency measured by the first sensor unit 150 and the memory 130 ), &Lt; / RTI &gt;

 The key input unit 127 includes keys for inputting numbers and character information, and function keys for setting various functions.

The GPS module unit (not shown) transmits current location information on which the portable terminal is located to the external accessory 200 wirelessly connected to the external accessory 200. When the external accessory 200 receives the current location information of the portable terminal To measure the moving distance.

The external accessory 200 includes a second sensor unit 210 for measuring a travel distance, and measures a travel distance through the second sensor unit 210, (100). The external accessory 220 is attached to a human body, and may be included in a shoe, an earphone, or the like, or may be a separate device that can be attached to a waist or the like.

The operation of measuring the exercise distance in the portable terminal 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 through FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for performing a call in a watch phone having a touch screen panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a step extraction method using a zero crossing method, FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining generation of a personal moving distance algorithm of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the exercise distance measurement is selected in the portable terminal 100, the controller 110 proceeds to step 401 for switching the portable terminal to the exercise distance measurement mode.

In step 401, the controller 110 determines whether the external accessory 200 is connected to the portable terminal 100 wirelessly or by wire. If the external accessory 200 is connected to the portable terminal 100, the controller 110 senses the accessory in step 402 and informs the portable terminal 100 via the first sensor unit 150 And then proceeds to step 403 of measuring the user's walking frequency.

As described above, the user of the portable terminal can receive the frequency through the first sensor unit 150 regardless of the portable position of the portable terminal in step 403. [

The control unit 110 controls the number of steps and the number of steps per unit time in the case of being placed in a bag, in a bag, in a hand, walking or running regardless of a portable position through the first sensor unit 150 frequency, which is generally possible using the zero crossing technique used for gait extraction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the zero crossing technique is a technique for measuring the number of steps by extracting a zero intersection point of a first-differentiated signal after averaging a signal of an acceleration sensor for a predetermined time. In the above method, the interval between the number of steps and the step, that is, the step frequency can be measured by extracting the step.

When the movement distance data is received from the external accessory 200 connected to the portable terminal 110, the controller 110 detects the movement distance data in step 404 and controls the external accessory 200 to receive movement distance data from the external accessory 200 do.

If it is determined that the portable terminal 100 is connected to a plurality of external accessories 200, the controller 110 detects the connection and sets a predetermined order of accuracy (for example, shoes, , Earphone, and the like) of the mobile phone 200. The mobile phone 200 receives the movement distance data from the external accessory 200,

The external accessory 200 connected to the portable terminal 100 is attached to a part of a user's body of the portable terminal and measures movement distance data of the user through the second sensor unit 210, To the mobile terminal (110).

The controller 110 controls the display unit 160 as the current number of steps and the movement distance through the step frequency measured through the first sensor unit 150 of the portable terminal and the movement distance data received from the external accessory 200, And controls to store the walking frequency and the moving distance in the memory 130. In step 405,

In step 405, the controller 110 repeatedly repeats the walking frequency and the moving distance data measured by the portable terminal 100 and received by the external accessory 220 in the memory 130 ).

When the walking frequency and the moving distance are accumulated in the memory 130, the controller 110 proceeds to step 406 to generate a personal moving distance algorithm using the accumulated walking frequency and the moving distance.

In step 405, it is determined whether or not the measurement of the stepping frequency in the first sensor unit 150 of the portable terminal and the state in which the movement distance data is received in the external accessory 200, as in step 405, That is, the walking information, and the moving distance information are accumulated, the personalized relation between the walking frequency and the moving speed can be extracted through the regression analysis of the data. The relational expression obtained at this time is not a general algorithm but a personalized algorithm limited to the user of the mobile terminal, reflecting the gait characteristics of a specific individual.

Completion of the personal moving distance algorithm can be determined by whether the correlation coefficient of the stride-to-stride frequency has a specific value or more, or whether the number of data used in the relational expression and the step frequency range are equal to or greater than a specified value .

In general, the stride of a person is not constant but varies depending on various situations, which can be expressed as a function of the step frequency. Also, since the moving speed is the product of stride and step frequency, there is a personalized relation between stride and step frequency, stride and travel speed, and travel speed and step frequency.

For example, it has been reported that the moving speed and the walking frequency at a general moving speed have the following Equation (3).

 <Formula 3>

f = Cv ^b

In Equation (3), C is a constant, b is a value of 0.58, and v (moving speed) = f (step frequency) * d (stride).

  If the user carrying the portable terminal having the step number extraction function wears a separate external accessory such as a shoe capable of measuring the travel distance and measures the travel distance of the external accessory, The step length of the user can be estimated from the measured step frequency.

For example, when a user puts a mobile terminal having a gauging frequency measuring function into his pocket and walks a shoe which is an external accessory equipped with a sensor unit capable of measuring the moving distance, The user's stride can be estimated from the travel distance measured in the shoe.

At this time, the time interval for the comparison of the moving distance and the gait frequency may be determined constantly, but it is also possible to extract the data by selectively extracting a specific interval in which the gait frequency is constant for more accurate regression analysis.

6 (a) illustrates the stride frequency measured in the portable terminal and the stride estimated through the movement distance data measured and received in the shoe. In FIG. 6 (a), a1 represents the step frequency and explains that the measured step frequency is extracted in a certain period, a2 describes the travel distance for the step frequency extraction period, Describes the stride calculation for the frequency.

In FIG. 6 (b), the relationship between the personalized stride-to-step frequency according to FIG. 6 (a) is described.

As shown in FIG. 6, since the stride rate varies depending on the step frequency, moving distance measurement data for various step frequencies are required to obtain a personalized step frequency-stride relation of the user of the mobile terminal, that is, a personal movement distance algorithm, The more accurate the personalized algorithm can be obtained.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, through the measurement of the moving distance by the external accessory such as a shoe and the measurement of the walking frequency by the portable terminal, a personal moving distance algorithm that can be formed by Equation (4) can do.

Since the personal movement distance algorithm corresponding to each user using the portable terminal is stored in the portable terminal, any one of the following expressions may be applied to the memory (1) according to Equation (4) - 130 as a personal travel distance algorithm. For example, assuming that the relationship between the walking frequency and the stride in the walking state is different from that in the running state, it is possible to improve the accuracy by applying different stride-to-stride frequency relations for each region.

Equation 4: d = A * f + B

Equation 5: d = A * In (f) + B

&Quot; (6) &quot; d = f ^m + B

d: stride

f: step frequency

m: an index measured through experiments to generate a personal movement distance estimation algorithm

A, B: constants measured through experiments to generate the personal travel distance estimation algorithm

The personal moving distance algorithm may measure the stride length through one of the equations (4) - (6) and measure the moving distance through the sum of the measured strides.

If the external accessory 200 is not connected to the portable terminal 100 in step 401, which is a mode of measuring the distance of the portable terminal, the controller 110 senses the external accessory 200 in step 402, And then proceeds to step 407 to measure the stepping frequency through the sensor unit 150.

The controller 110 determines whether the personal movement distance algorithm is stored in the memory 130 while measuring the walking frequency through the first sensor unit 150 of the portable terminal.

If the personal movement distance algorithm is not stored in the memory 130, the controller 110 detects the personal movement distance algorithm in step 408 and displays the current number of steps corresponding to the measured step frequency in step 407 on the display unit 160 The process proceeds to step 409. [

However, if the personal movement distance algorithm is stored in the memory 130, the controller 110 detects the personal movement distance algorithm in step 408, and updates the personal movement distance algorithm stored in the memory 130, The mobile station measures the stride using the frequency, measures the travel distance through the sum of the measured strides, and controls the display unit 160 to display the measured travel distance.

Accordingly, the user can receive the exercise amount information such as the accurate number of steps and the movement distance using only the portable terminal without a separate external accessory by using the personal movement distance algorithm stored in the portable terminal.

While the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments such as a watch phone, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited by the described embodiments but should be determined by the equivalents of the claims and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram showing connection time estimation and velocity measurement using an acceleration signal. Fig.

2 is a diagram showing a relationship between stride, step frequency and acceleration dispersion.

3 illustrates a portable terminal and an external accessory according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of measuring a distance of exercise in a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a diagram showing a step extraction method using a zero crossing technique.

6 is a diagram for explaining generation of a personal moving distance algorithm of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Claims (12)

An apparatus for measuring the distance of movement of a portable terminal, A first sensor unit for measuring a step frequency, A memory for storing a walking frequency measured through the first sensor unit, a moving distance received from an external accessory, and a personal moving distance algorithm generated using the walking frequency and the moving distance; Wherein the controller generates the personal movement distance algorithm by using the step frequency measured by the first sensor unit and the movement distance measured and received from the external accessory when connected to the external accessory, And a control unit for controlling the display unit to display the movement distance measured from the personal movement distance algorithm using the number of steps corresponding to the step frequency measured by the sensor unit and the walking frequency. 2. The method of claim 1, Wherein the method includes any one of the following equations (4) - (6), measuring the stride with respect to each step frequency through the equation, and measuring the moving distance through the sum of the measured strides A device for measuring the distance of movement of a terminal. Equation 4: d = A * f + B Equation 5: d = A * In (f) + B &Quot; (6) &quot; d = f ^m + B d: stride f: step frequency m: an exponent measured through an experiment to generate a personal moving distance algorithm A, B: constants measured through experiments to generate the personal travel distance algorithm The apparatus of claim 1, Wherein when the portable terminal is connected to a plurality of external accessories, the portable terminal receives the measured distance from the selected external accessory according to the priority. The method according to claim 1, And a display unit for displaying the number of steps and the moving distance. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the portable terminal and the external accessory are connected wirelessly. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the external accessory includes a second sensor unit for measuring a moving distance and measures a moving distance attached to a body of a person and transmits the measured moving distance to the portable terminal, Measuring device. The apparatus of claim 1, When the portable terminal is connected to the external accessory, controls to display the number of steps corresponding to the step frequency measured by the portable terminal and the movement distance measured and received from the external accessory. Device. A method of measuring a distance of a mobile terminal, Determining whether an external accessory is connected to the portable terminal; Generating a personal movement distance algorithm using a walking frequency measured by the portable terminal and a movement distance measured and received from the external accessory when the external accessory is connected to the portable terminal; If the external accessory is not connected to the portable terminal, displaying the movement distance measured from the personal movement distance algorithm using the number of steps corresponding to the step frequency measured by the portable terminal and the step frequency Wherein the moving distance of the portable terminal is measured. 9. The method of claim 8, The personal moving distance algorithm includes any one of the following equations (4) - (6), and measures a stride with respect to each step frequency through the equation, And measuring a moving distance of the portable terminal. Equation 4: d = A * f + B Equation 5: d = A * In (f) + B &Quot; (6) &quot; d = f ^m + B d: stride f: step frequency m: an exponent measured through an experiment to generate a personal moving distance algorithm A, B: constants measured through experiments to generate the personal travel distance algorithm 9. The method of claim 8, Wherein when the portable terminal is connected to a plurality of external accessories, the measured distance traveled from the selected external accessory is received according to the priority order. 9. The method of claim 8, Further comprising the step of displaying the number of steps corresponding to the step frequency measured by the portable terminal and the movement distance measured and received from the external accessory when the portable terminal is connected to the external accessory, Method of measuring the distance of movement. 9. The method of claim 8, Wherein the portable terminal and the external accessory are connected wirelessly.

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