KR102107583B1 - Walking aid device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a walking aid. According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is connected to a shoe, detects walking information through a sensing unit, and determines whether or not the control unit operates to provide a walking aid mechanism in which the driving unit is operated according to the operation status. In addition, the walking aid mechanism, which is an embodiment of the present invention, may be set to be optimized for the user based on the stored information including the storage unit. To this end, information stored visually is transmitted to the user through the display unit, and the user can manually change the setting through the input unit.

Description

Walking aids {WALKING AID DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a walking aid.

A walking aid is a mechanism that helps an elderly person or a patient who is uncomfortable to walk easily, and for effective use, the user's walking intention is accurately identified and convenience of use is an important factor. In general, walking aids have been designed to cover the entire leg. In this case, the shape of the legs or feet varies from person to person, which may cause inconvenience to the user.

There are people with discomfort in one arm or one leg due to an illness or nerve injury, such as an accident related to the cerebrovascular system or spinal cord injury. In the case of elderly people, if they fall or injure their bones, recovery is slower than that of a healthy young person, and the degree of discomfort in life increases, so a simple, safe and comfortable walking aid is needed.

Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1676247 (2016.10.31)

Embodiments of the present invention is to provide a walking aid that allows the elderly to easily walk without falling without resorting to a walking stick.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention is to provide a walking aid that can prevent a fall with a brake function to prevent slipping.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a shoe includes a sensing unit for measuring walking information, a driving unit for determining whether or not to operate according to the measured value of the sensing unit, and a control unit for determining whether the driving unit is operating. When the shoe falls off the ground, the sensing unit It is possible to provide a walking aid mechanism for sensing this and assisting the user's walking by operating the driving unit according to the determination of the control unit.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may provide a walking aid shoe that operates the driving unit when the measured pressure value is smaller by comparing the pressure value measured by the sensing unit with a preset pressure value.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the distance value measured by the sensing unit is smaller than the preset distance value, the control unit determines whether the driving unit operates by comparing the measured pressure value with the preset pressure value again. Auxiliary shoes can be provided.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit may provide a plurality of individuals and a walking aid.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of sensing units may be provided.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, further comprising a storage unit for storing the walking information measured from the sensing unit, the control unit operates the driving unit based on the walking information stored in the storage unit and the information measured by the sensing unit The walking aid can be provided.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the walking information may provide a walking aid mechanism including stride length, time required to walk one step, and pressure applied when walking.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a walking aid mechanism further comprising a braking unit that limits rotation of the driving unit when the driving unit is not operated.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit further includes a power supply unit for supplying power, and the power supply unit may provide a walking aid mechanism for supplying power using at least one of a battery, a photovoltaic cell, and a piezoelectric element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, without relying on a walking stick, an elderly person can easily walk without falling.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a fall with a brake function that prevents slipping.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a view showing the operating state of the walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a view showing the operation algorithm of the walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to aid in a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices and / or systems described herein. However, this is only an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to a user's or operator's intention or practice. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification. The terminology used in the detailed description is only for describing embodiments of the present invention and should not be limiting. Unless expressly used otherwise, a singular form includes a plural form. In this description, expressions such as “including” or “equipment” are intended to indicate certain characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and one or more other than described. It should not be interpreted to exclude the presence or possibility of other characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, or parts or combinations thereof.

Further, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components. For example, the first component may be referred to as a second component without departing from the scope of the present invention, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

In addition, directional terms such as "one side", "the other side", "top", "bottom", and the like are used in connection with the orientation of the disclosed drawings. Since the components of the embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in various orientations, the directional terms are used for illustrative purposes and are not limiting.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention. The walking aid 10 corresponding to an embodiment of the present invention may include a shoe 1 sensing unit 100, a driving unit 300, a control unit 200, and a storage unit 400.

The walking aid 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a walking aid that can be used connected to the shoe 1 and is not limited by the type and size of the shoe.

The sensing unit 100 may measure walking information. In this specification, walking information is not limited to specific information and does not refer to only a single type of information. For example, the walking information may be a concept including a distance between each step, a time when walking or walking on or away from the ground (A), a foot pressure that may vary depending on a user's weight and walking habits. Therefore, a plurality of detection units may exist to measure different information.

The driving unit 300 may include a motor (not shown) and a wheel 310. The driving unit 300 may directly assist the user's walking. The wheel 310 may be operated through a motor. However, all the wheels 310 may not receive the rotational force directly from the motor. For example, in the wheel 310, a driving wheel receiving direct rotational force by a motor and a driven wheel capable of rotating together while the driving wheel rotates may be appropriately disposed. Accordingly, a plurality of wheels 310 and motors may be present depending on the embodiment. Of course, the size of the wheel 310 may vary depending on the shoes to be connected.

The driving unit 300 may be stopped by a braking unit (not shown) when the user stands on the ground. It can be arranged to prepare for falls, such as slipping.

The driving unit 300 may be connected to an elastic member (not shown) to the driving unit 300 so that the driving unit 300 does not cause inconvenience to the user when the user stands on the ground. When standing on the ground, pressure due to weight acts, but the elastic member may be arranged so that the driving unit 300 can rise from a neutral position. Of course, when it is time to walk, the user's foot is even slightly away from the ground, so the driving unit 300 can be disposed again in a neutral position, and the operation of the driving unit 300 is performed as the driving unit 300 is disposed in a neutral position. It can go smoothly.

The control unit 200 may determine whether to operate the driving unit 300 based on the information measured by the sensing unit 100. The method of determining whether the driving unit 300 is operated will be described later.

The storage unit 400 may store information measured by the sensing unit 100. The control unit 200 may operate the driving unit 300 based on information stored to be optimized for each user. For example, by measuring the change in foot pressure, it is possible to determine the optimal starting point of the driving unit 300. If the user is a patient, it is often difficult to walk normally, so even if the foot slightly falls from the ground due to a difference in pressure transmitted to the bottom of the shoe, the driver 300 may be operated. The optimal operating point may refer to a point at which discomfort is felt as little as possible when using the walking aid 10. In addition, it is possible to measure the time to step on the foot and wait for the operation by time period. This is merely an example of the present invention and is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the driving unit 300 may be operated by comprehensively considering the measured information.

2 is a schematic diagram of a walking aid mechanism that is an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a view schematically showing the plane of the walking aid 10, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

The sensing unit 100 may include a pressure sensor 110 and the pressure sensor 110 may be connected to the sole of a shoe. The pressure sensor 110 may be disposed on the front and rear feet, respectively. This is because walking habits may differ depending on the person. For example, when the foot is lifted from the ground (A), there may be a part in which pressure is concentrated on the plantar surface due to the force in the thigh, but the heel is lifted first and the football is loaded with weight and then the foot is lifted from the ground (A). There may be people who lift it. Also, when stepping on the foot, the heel may first touch the ground (A) and the plantar surface may touch almost simultaneously.

The walking aid 10 may be used to store the walking habits in the storage unit 400 and optimize the walking habits of the user.

Further, the sensing unit 100 may include a distance sensor (not shown) capable of measuring the distance. There is no limit to the way the distance sensor measures distance. It may not be possible to measure the distance until it is operated electrically. For example, when the wheel 310 rotates, the distance may be calculated using the circumference and the number of revolutions of the wheel 310, or an infrared sensor may be used to measure the distance.

In FIG. 2, wheels 310 are shown as being disposed on the football and the heel side, respectively, a total of four, but are not limited thereto. One or more wheels 310 may be disposed. However, preferably, it may be advantageous to arrange a plurality of pieces so that the user can use them as smoothly as possible. At this time, the wheel may be formed symmetrically on the inside and the outside of the shoe, but is not limited thereto, and the size or position may be differently arranged according to the shape of the user's foot and the type of the shoe.

The control unit 200 is shown to be connected to the heel side, but is not limited thereto. The control unit 200 may be a CPU, and may be formed integrally or separately from the storage unit 400.

3 is a view showing an operating state of the walking aid mechanism, which is an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 (a) is a view showing when the foot is stepped, and Fig. 3 (b) is a view showing when the foot is lifted. Since the walking aid 10 may include a sensing unit 100, particularly a pressure sensor 110, it is possible to distinguish when the foot steps on the ground A and when the foot falls off the ground A.

When the foot is lifted from the ground (A), the control unit 200 may determine whether to walk through the information obtained from the detection unit 100 so that the wheel 310 is rotated. As the wheel 310 rotates, a user with an uncomfortable leg can walk at a desired stride without exerting great power. If the user is a patient, the behavior is often uncomfortable, so it may be desirable to determine whether the foot is walking through pressure rather than measuring the distance the foot is away from the ground. When determining whether to walk with pressure, the wheel 310 may rotate to assist walking even if the user slightly lifts the foot.

Conversely, when the foot tries to step on the ground (A), the driving unit 300, in particular, the wheel 310 may be restricted in rotation by the braking unit. This is because if the rotational force provided by the motor remains due to inertia, it may slip if the user steps on the foot, which may cause danger to the user.

The walking aid 10 may be operated so that the user feels as little discomfort as possible because the user connects to the shoe. The walking information may be stored in the storage unit 400, and the walking information may include pressure, time, and stride length. Based on this, the operating state of the walking assist mechanism 10 may be controlled by the control unit 200.

The walking aid 10 may further include an input unit (not shown) that can freely change a preset value and a display unit (not shown) that can visually inform the user of the preset value. As described above, since each person has different walking habits, the length of time that one foot stays on the ground (A) may be different, and the measured pressure value may be different. The operation time and the rotational speed of the wheel 310 are based on the walking information previously stored in the storage unit 400 by the control unit 200 and the walking information measured by the detection unit 100 so that the user can walk comfortably and safely. Is set, and such walking information may be displayed on the display unit.

As a method for the walking aid 10 to operate, detecting walking from the sensing unit 100 and collecting walking information, storing walking information in the storage unit 400, and controlling the walking information in the control unit 200 The step of training the deep learning model may be further included, and the step of assisting the user's walking may assist the user's walking by moving the driving unit 300 using the deep learning model that has learned the walking information.

Walking aid 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be operated by a power source (not shown). The shape of the power supply unit is not limited. The power supply unit may be a portion that generates power through foot pressure using a piezoelectric element or a portion that absorbs sunlight and produces power without charging or replacing a battery. Of course, rather than the above-described method, the power supply unit may be a part simply operated through a battery.

4 is a view showing an operation algorithm of the walking aid mechanism, which is an embodiment of the present invention. The algorithm shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention, and may not necessarily proceed in the same order as in FIG. 4. For the convenience of the user, steps suitable for a person skilled in the art may be arranged between each step.

The control unit 200 may determine whether or not to walk through the detection unit 100. Walking can be determined by comprehensively considering walking information including time, pressure, and stride length. For example, it is possible to recognize that the case is standing without walking through the rate of change with respect to the time of pressure, or it is possible to determine when the foot is lifted from the ground (A) and when the foot is lifted. However, this is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

The walking aid 10 may drive the wheel 310 when it is determined that the user starts walking. As the wheel 310 is driven, the user can move a step without exerting great force.

The walking aid 10 may determine whether the foot falls from the ground A and, if the foot falls, may drive the wheel 310. If the user with uncomfortable movement causes the foot to drop slightly off the ground or lifts the foot only enough to remove the pressure exerted by the weight on the walking aid 10, which is an embodiment of the present invention, the wheel 310 is driven. You can. That is, the wheel 310 compares the preset pressure value with the measured pressure value, and when the measured pressure value is smaller, driving may be started.

When the wheel 310 is driven, the sensing unit 100 may measure the distance that the walking aid 10 moves the foot by multiplying the circumference of the wheel by the number of revolutions. If the measured distance value is smaller than the preset distance value, the pressure value is measured again, and when the measured pressure value is smaller than the preset pressure value, the wheel 310 may be driven and the distance measured again. When the measured distance value becomes larger than a preset distance, the wheel 310 may be braked. Braking may not only simply stop the motor, but the wheel 310 may be braked to limit rotation of the wheel 310. As the wheel 310 is braked, the user can safely use it without being aware of the time when the rotation of the wheel 310 stops.

Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that various modifications are possible within the limits without departing from the scope of the present invention. . Therefore, the scope of rights of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and should be determined not only by the claims to be described later, but also by the claims and equivalents.

A: Ground
1: shoes
10: walking aid
100: detection unit
110: pressure sensor
200: control unit
300: driving unit
310: wheel
400: storage

Claims (9)

In the walking aid connected to the shoe,
A sensing unit located at the sole of the shoe to measure walking information;
Whether the operation is determined according to the measured value of the sensing unit, and a driving unit including a motor and a wheel; And
Includes; a control unit for determining whether the driving unit operation;
When the shoe falls off the ground, the sensing unit detects this and the driving unit operates according to the determination of the control unit to assist the user's walking,
The control unit operates the driving unit when the predetermined pressure value is lower than the measured pressure value when the measured distance value, which is the product of the circumference of the wheel and the rotational speed, is smaller than the preset distance value by the detection unit, and the When the predetermined pressure value is higher than the measured pressure value, the walking assist mechanism compensates the walking distance by limiting the rotation of the wheel of the driving unit.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit compares the pressure value of the sole of the shoe measured by the sensing unit with the preset pressure value, and operates the driving unit when the measured pressure value is smaller.
delete The method according to claim 1,
The driving unit is a plurality of individuals, walking aids.
The method according to claim 1,
The detection unit is a plurality of individuals, walking aids.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising; a storage unit for storing the walking information measured from the detection unit,
The control unit operates the driving unit based on the walking information pre-stored in the storage unit and the information measured by the sensing unit.

The method according to claim 6,
The walking information includes a step, a time required to walk a step, and a pressure applied when walking, a walking aid.
The method according to claim 1,
Walking aid mechanism further comprises; a brake unit for limiting rotation of the driving unit when the driving unit is not operated.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a power supply for supplying power;
The power supply unit, a walking aid mechanism for supplying power using at least one of a battery, solar and piezoelectric elements.

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