KR102309776B1 - Massage device capable of shoulder recognition and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a massage device capable of shoulder recognition and a method for controlling the same. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for measuring a user's shoulder position in a massage device, the method comprising: moving a massage module from an upper side to a lower side; obtaining a change in a current value applied to the massage module; and determining a position of the user's shoulder based on the change in the obtained current value. A method for measuring a user's shoulder position in a massage device is disclosed, including.

Description

Massage device capable of shoulder recognition and its control method

The present disclosure relates to a massage device, and more particularly, to a massage device capable of measuring a shoulder position.

Massage is to control the modulation of the subject's body by applying various types of mechanical stimuli to the subject's body parts, such as kneading, pressing, pulling, tapping, or moving the subject's body part, and It is a medical adjuvant therapy that helps circulation and relieves the fatigue of the subject.

The increase in massage demand has caused an increase in demand for a massage device or a massage device that provides an artificial massage function due to economic circumstances and time reasons. That is, as the demand for relieving fatigue or stress while relaxing the muscles through massage increases, various massage devices in a time- and cost-effective manner are being released. Any type of apparatus, device or apparatus for performing massage through a mechanical device without a separate masseuse is referred to as a massage device.

Furthermore, users' demand for a massage device capable of improving health as well as relieving fatigue or stress by performing a massage is increasing.

Therefore, research to provide a massage device capable of improving the user's health is continuing.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0941919 provides a massage device for providing a massage that can improve a user's health.

The present disclosure is derived in response to the background art described above, and aims to provide a massage device for measuring a user's shoulder position and a control method thereof.

A first aspect of the present disclosure for solving the above problem, there is provided a method for measuring a user's shoulder position in a massage device, the method comprising: moving a massage module from an upper side to a lower side; obtaining a change in a current value applied to the massage module; and determining a position of the user's shoulder based on the change in the obtained current value. It is possible to provide a method for measuring the position of the user's shoulder in the massage device, including.

In addition, the method of measuring the position of the user's shoulder includes the steps of moving the massage ball frame provided in the massage module forward along the Z-axis; Further comprising, the massage device may move the massage module from the upper side to the lower side in a state in which the massage ball frame is moved forward along the Z-axis.

In addition, the step of determining the user's shoulder position, separating the amount of current to be measured in a predetermined unit of time; calculating an average value of the amount of applied current in the separated time units; determining the shoulder position of the user by monitoring the calculated average values; may include.

In addition, the massage device retains in advance the upper and lower thresholds of the current applied to the massage module, and the step of determining the position of the user's shoulder includes the tendency of the average value between the upper and lower thresholds. In this variable inflection region, the position of the massage module may be recognized as the shoulder position.

In addition, the massage apparatus may pre-classify the shoulder candidate positions into a plurality of regions, and if the inflection region is included in one of the plurality of pre-divided regions, the massage device may determine the corresponding region as the user's shoulder position.

Also, when the inflection region spans two of the plurality of pre-divided regions, a region including a larger portion of the inflection region may be determined as the user's shoulder position.

Also, when the inflection region spans two of the plurality of pre-divided regions, a region including the maximum current value may be determined as the user's shoulder position.

In addition, the massage device retains in advance the upper and lower thresholds of the current applied to the massage module, and the step of determining the position of the user's shoulder is the highest of the average value between the upper and lower thresholds. The position of the massage module may be recognized as the shoulder position in the region including the value.

In addition, the massage device may recognize the position of the massage module corresponding to the current value by retaining the movement speed information of the massage module moving from the upper side to the lower side, and calculating the position of the massage module according to time.

In addition, the massage device may recognize the position of the massage module corresponding to the current value by sensing the valley or the peak of the rack gear passed by the massage module moving from the upper side to the lower side.

A first aspect of the present disclosure for solving the above problems is a massage module that provides a massage function to at least a part of a user's body; and a control unit for controlling the massage device. Including, the massage module includes: a massage ball frame including a plurality of arms extending in different directions; at least one massage ball provided in the massage ball frame; Including, the control unit may provide a massage device that recognizes the user's shoulder position by monitoring the amount of current applied to the massage module while the massage ball touches the shoulder.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by determining the user's shoulder position based on the load current value supplied to the massage module, the user's shoulder position can be efficiently recognized.

Effects obtainable in the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below. .

Various aspects are now described with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numbers are used to refer to like elements collectively. In the following examples, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. It will be evident, however, that such aspect(s) may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing one or more aspects.
1 is a view for explaining a massage device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a view for explaining a main frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a front view illustrating a massage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the front.
Figure 4 shows a front side of the massage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 5 shows a rear side of the massage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 6 shows a cross-section of a part of the massage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
7 and 8 are views for explaining the connection relationship between the massage ball frame and the frame housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining a method of recognizing a user's shoulder position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
11 is a diagram for describing a method of determining a shoulder position based on a pre-classified area, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
12 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a device including a massage module capable of measuring a shoulder position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure described above will become more apparent through the following examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following specific structural or functional descriptions are only exemplified for the purpose of describing embodiments according to the concept of the present disclosure, and the embodiments according to the concept of the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and described in the present specification or application. It should not be construed as being limited to the examples.

Since the embodiment according to the concept of the present disclosure may have various changes and may have various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the present specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiments according to the concept of the present disclosure to a specific form of disclosure, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Terms such as first and/or second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, for example, without departing from the scope of rights according to the concept of the present disclosure, a first component may be named as a second component, and similar For example, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but it is understood that other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that no other element is present in the middle. Other expressions for describing the relationship between elements, such as "between" and "in between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted similarly.

The terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that the described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof exists, and includes one or more other features or numbers, It should be understood that the possibility of the presence or addition of steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof is not precluded in advance.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Terms such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present specification. does not

In this specification, the actuator means a configuration that can provide a driving force. For example, the actuator may include, but is not limited to, a motor, a linear motor, an electronic motor, a DC motor, an AC motor, a linear actuator, an electric actuator, and the like.

In the present specification, the binaural bit may refer to a specific type of audio information that can control brain waves.

In this specification, according to an embodiment, the massage device may refer to a massage device including a body massage unit and a leg massage unit. In addition, according to another embodiment, the body massage unit 100 and the leg massage unit 300 may exist as separate separate devices (eg, a body massage device and a leg massage device), and the massage device is a body massage device. may refer to a device or a leg massage device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view for explaining a massage device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The massage device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure forms an area for accommodating at least a portion of the user's body, and the body massage unit 100 for massaging the user's body, and the user's legs It may include a leg massage unit 300 that does.

The body massage unit 100 may provide a massage to at least a part of the user's body. The body massage unit 100 includes a massage module 1700 that provides a massage function to at least a part of the user's body, an audio output module 1600 that provides an audio output of any type to the user, and the body massage unit 100 . It may include a main frame 1100 constituting the framework of , and a user input unit 1800 for receiving an input of any type from a user.

The components included in the above-described body massage unit 100 are merely exemplary embodiments, and the body massage unit 100 may include various components in addition to the above-described components.

In addition, the shape and structure of the massage device 1000 shown in FIG. 1 are merely exemplary, and unless departing from the scope of rights defined by the claims of the present disclosure, various types of massage devices 1000 are also disclosed in the present disclosure. It may be included within the scope of the content.

The body massage unit 100 may form a space of any shape for accommodating the user. The body massage unit 100 may have a space having a shape corresponding to the shape of the user's body. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the body massage unit 100 may be implemented as a sitting type that can accommodate the user's whole body or a part of the body.

The portion in contact with the ground in the body massage unit 100 may include any material for increasing frictional force or an arbitrary member (eg, anti-slip pad, etc.) for increasing frictional force, and the massage device 1000 . It may include wheels for enhancing the mobility of the.

At least a portion of the body massage unit 100 may slide. For example, when the body massage unit 100 starts a massage, at least a portion of the body massage unit 100 may slide forward. In addition, the body massage unit 100 may be inclined to the rear. As a result, the body massage unit 100 may provide an air massage in a backward tilted state.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 1000 may include at least one air cell (not shown). The air cell may be located in the user's shoulder part, pelvic part, arm massage part, leg massage part 300, etc., but is not limited thereto, and may be disposed in various parts of the massage device 1000 .

The massage device 1000 may include an air supply unit, and the air supply unit may inflate the air cell by supplying air to the air cell. The air supply unit may be located inside the body massage unit 100 and may be located in the leg massage unit 300 . In addition, the air supply unit may be located outside the massage device (1000).

The leg massage unit 300 may provide a leg massage to the user. For example, the leg massage unit 300 may include a calf massage unit for massaging the user's calf and/or a foot massage unit for massaging the user's feet.

The leg massage unit 300 may be adjustable in length according to the user's body characteristics. For example, when a tall user uses the massage device 1000 , the length of the leg massage unit 300 needs to be increased because the length of the calf is long. In addition, when a short user uses the massage device 1000 , the length of the calf is short and the leg massage unit 300 needs to be shortened. Accordingly, the leg massage unit 300 may provide a leg massage customized to the user's height.

The massage module 1700 may be provided inside the body massage unit 100 to provide any type of mechanical stimulation to the user accommodated in the body massage unit 100 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the massage module 1700 may move along the main frame 1100 provided in the body massage unit 100 .

For example, the main frame 1100 of the body massaging unit 100 may be provided with a rack gear, and the massage module 1700 moves along the rack gear and provides mechanical dynamics to various parts of the user's body. may provide stimulation. The massage module 1700 may include a ball massage unit or a roller massage unit, but is not limited thereto.

The main frame 1100 constitutes a skeleton of the internal configuration of the body massage unit 100 and may be implemented with a metal material or a plastic material. For example, the main frame 1100 may be implemented with iron, alloy, steel, etc., but is not limited thereto and may be implemented with various hard materials.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 1000 may include an audio output module 1600 . The audio output module 1600 may be provided in various locations. For example, the audio output module 1600 may include an upper audio output unit disposed on the upper end of the seat unit in contact with the user, a front audio output unit attached to the front end of the left and right arm massage unit of the seat unit, and/or attached to the rear end of the arm massage unit. It may include a plurality of output units, such as a rear audio output unit, but is not limited thereto. In this case, the audio output module 1600 may provide a stereophonic sound such as 5.1 channel, but is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user may control the massage apparatus 1000 by using the massage apparatus control device 2000 . The massage device control device 2000 may be connected to the massage device 1000 through wired communication and/or wireless communication.

The massage device control device 2000 may include a remote controller, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc., but is not limited thereto, and the massage device 1000 and the wired or wireless communication through It may include various connectable electronic devices.

2 is a view for explaining a main frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main frame 1100 may include an upper frame 1150 in which the massage module 1700 is provided and a base frame 1110 supporting the upper frame 1150 .

At least a portion of the upper frame 1150 may be provided with a rack gear 1151 . The rack gear 1151 is a member for guiding the vertical movement of the body massage module 1700 and may include a plurality of valleys and a plurality of peaks.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the rack gear 1151 may be provided in a form facing both sides of the upper frame 1150 , and the body massage module 1700 may move along the rack gear 1151 . .

For example, the body massage module 1700 may include a gear meshing with the rack gear 1151, and by rotating the gear by an actuator provided in the body massage module 1700, the body massage module 1700 is It can move upwards or downwards.

The rack gear 1151 may be implemented with a metal material or a plastic material. For example, the rack gear 1151 may be implemented with iron, steel, alloy, reinforced plastic, melamine resin, phenol resin, etc., but is not limited thereto.

The upper frame 1150 may be implemented in various shapes. For example, the upper frame 1150 may be divided into an S frame, an L frame, an S&L frame, and a double S&L frame according to a shape, but is not limited thereto.

The S frame means a frame in which at least a portion of the upper frame 1150 has a curved shape like “S”. The L frame means a frame in which at least a portion of the upper frame 1150 has a curved shape like “L”, and the S&L frame includes both a curved shape like “S” and a curved shape like “L”. The double S&L frame means a frame that includes a curved shape like “L” and a curved shape like “S” of two parts.

The base frame 1110 refers to a portion of the main frame 1100 that supports the upper frame 1150 and is in contact with the ground. The base frame 1110 may include a base upper frame 1111 and a base lower frame 1112 .

The base upper frame 1111 may support the upper frame 1150 , and the base lower frame 1112 may be in contact with the ground. In addition, the base upper frame 1111 may be positioned in contact with the base lower frame 1112 .

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the base upper frame 1111 may move along the base lower frame 1112 . For example, the base upper frame 1111 may slide forward or backward along the base lower frame 1112 . In this case, the upper frame 1150 may be connected to the base upper frame 1111 and move according to the movement of the base upper frame 1111 .

For example, when the base upper frame 1111 moves forward, the upper frame 1150 may also move forward together, and when the base upper frame 1111 moves rearward, the upper frame 1150 also moves rearward together. can move Due to this, sliding movement of the body massage unit 100 may be allowed.

Specifically, in order to allow movement of the base upper frame 1111 , a moving wheel may be provided under the base upper frame 1111 . In addition, a guide member capable of guiding the moving wheel may be provided on the upper portion of the base lower frame 1112 . The moving wheel provided in the base upper frame 1111 moves along the guide member provided in the base lower frame 1112 , so that the forward movement or the rearward movement of the base upper frame 1111 may be allowed.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 1000 may not provide a sliding function, and in this case, the base frame 1110 may not be separated into upper and lower frames.

3 is a front view illustrating a massage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the front, FIG. 4 is a front side view of the massage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 is the present disclosure Shows the rear side of the massage module according to an embodiment of, Figure 6 shows a cross-section of a part of the massage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 to 6 , the massage module 1700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a Z-axis movement module, a massage ball frame 700 and a frame housing 800, but is not limited thereto. does not

Referring to FIG. 4 , the massage module 1700 may include at least one massage ball frame 700 . For example, the massage module 1700 may include two massage ball frames 700 . The massage ball frame 700 includes a plurality of arms extending in different directions, and massage balls 710 and 720 may be mounted on each of the plurality of arms. For example, the massage ball frame 700 may be provided in a shape similar to the letter "V".

In this case, the massage ball frame 700 may be connected to the frame housing 800 at the V-shaped bent portion. In one embodiment, the massage ball frame 700 may be coupled to the frame housing 800 through a shaft (not shown) passing through a portion of the bent portion. By being connected to the frame housing 800 in this way, the massage ball frame 700 may be connected to the Z-axis movement module.

The Z-axis movement module may include a shaft 900, at least one pinion gear 920 fitted to the shaft 900, and a rack gear 930 meshed with the pinion gear 920, and the frame housing 800 includes It may be connected to the rack gear 920 .

When the shaft 900 is rotated by the actuator 940 , the pinion gear 920 rotates, and the rack gear 930 meshed with the pinion gear 920 may move along the Z-axis. At this time, according to the direction in which the pinion gear 920 rotates, the rack gear 930 may move forward or backward along the Z-axis. For example, referring to FIG. 6, when the pinion gear 920 rotates clockwise, the rack gear 930 may move forward on the Z-axis, and conversely, when the pinion gear 920 rotates counterclockwise, The rack gear 930 may move backward on the Z-axis. As the rack gear 930 moves along the Z-axis, the frame housing 800 connected to the rack gear 930 moves, and in conjunction therewith, the massage ball frame 700 may move along the Z-axis.

7 and 8 are views for explaining the connection relationship between the massage ball frame and the frame housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

7 and 8 , the frame housing 800 may be implemented in a U-shape, and the massage ball frame 700 may be fitted and coupled to the recessed portion of the frame housing 800 . For example, the massage ball frame 700 may be coupled to the U-shaped protrusion in the frame housing 800 by a shaft passing through a portion of the V-shaped bent portion.

When viewing the inside of the frame housing 800 with reference to FIG. 8 , the massage ball frame 700 may be non-rotatably coupled to the frame housing 800 . For example, the massage ball frame 700 is coupled to the protruding part of the frame housing 800 by a shaft passing through a part of the V-shaped bent part, and is supported by the recessed part to be fixed so as not to fluctuate up and down. can

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, when viewing the inside of the frame housing 800 , the massage ball frame 700 may be rotatably coupled to the frame housing 800 . For example, the massage ball frame 700 may be coupled to the protruding portion of the frame housing 800 by a shaft penetrating a portion of the V-shaped bent portion. In addition, a separation space may be provided between at least a portion of the recessed portion of the frame housing 800 and the massage ball frame 700 . As a result, the massage ball frame 700 may rotate at a predetermined angle with the shaft as an axis (not shown).

9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining a method of recognizing a user's shoulder position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

9, the massage device 1000 may obtain a change in the current value by monitoring the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700 while moving the massage module 1700 from the upper side to the lower side, The position of the user's shoulder may be determined based on the change in the obtained current value. In this case, the massage device 1000 may move the massage module 1700 from the upper side to the lower side while the massage ball frame 700 is moved forward along the Z-axis.

As the massage module 1700 moves from the upper side to the lower side, the massage ball 710 may touch the user's shoulder. While the massage ball 710 touches the user's shoulder, the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700 may be changed, and the massage device 1000 may recognize the user's shoulder position by monitoring the amount of current. .

For example, the massage device 1000 may separate the amount of current to be measured in a predetermined time unit, calculate an average value of the amount of current applied within the separated time unit, and monitor the calculated average values. It is possible to determine the position of the user's shoulder.

Specifically, the massage apparatus 1000 may retain in advance an upper limit threshold value and a lower limit threshold value of the current applied to the massage module 1700 . In this case, when the tendency of the average value is changed between the upper limit threshold value and the lower limit threshold value, the massage apparatus 1000 may recognize the changed inflection region as the shoulder position. In another embodiment, a region including the maximum value of the average value calculated between the upper limit threshold value and the lower limit threshold value may be recognized as the shoulder position.

In another embodiment, the massage apparatus 1000 pre-classifies the shoulder candidate positions into a plurality of regions (eg, five regions from the upper side to the lower side), and includes an inflection region in the plurality of candidate regions divided in advance. The area to be used may be determined as the position of the user's shoulder. Also, when the inflection region spans two of the plurality of pre-divided regions, a region including a larger portion of the inflection region may be determined as the user's shoulder position. In addition, when the inflection region spans two of the plurality of pre-divided regions, the region including the maximum value of the average value may be determined as the user's shoulder position.

The massage device 1000 holds the movement speed information of the massage module 1700 moving from the upper side to the lower side, and calculates the position of the massage module according to time, thereby providing a massage corresponding to the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700 . The position of the module can be recognized.

In another embodiment, the massage device 1000 may control the massage module 1700 to move up and down along the rack gear 1151 . In this case, the massage device 1000 senses the number of valleys or ridges of the rack gear 1151 through which the massage module 1700 passes, so that the position of the massage module corresponding to the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700 . can recognize.

10 shows an embodiment of the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700 . ThH denotes a predetermined upper limit threshold value, and ThL denotes a predetermined lower limit threshold value.

The X-axis may represent time (t). In addition, the X-axis may indicate the number of valleys or ridges from the upper side in the rack gear 1151 .

The massage device 1000 may determine the user's shoulder position based on the time in the inflection region (a) of the tendency of the current value and/or the number of valleys or ridges of the rack gear 1151 in the inflection region (a). have.

11 is a diagram for describing a method of determining a shoulder position based on a pre-classified area, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 1000 pre-classifies the shoulder candidate positions into a plurality of regions (eg, it can be classified into five regions from upper to lower), and the inflection region (a). ) may be determined as the user's shoulder position.

For example, referring to FIG. 11A , if the inflection region (a) is included in one of a plurality of previously divided regions (eg, the third region), the corresponding region (eg, the third region) area) can be determined as the user's shoulder position.

For another example, referring to FIG. 11(b), when the inflection region (a) spans two of a plurality of previously divided regions (eg, the third region and the fourth region), the inflection region ( A region (eg, a fourth region) in which a part of a) is more included may be determined as the user's shoulder position.

Also, as another example, when the inflection region (a) spans two of the plurality of previously divided regions, the region including the maximum current value may be determined as the user's shoulder position.

12 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a device including a massage module capable of measuring a shoulder position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 1000 includes a control unit 1200 , a sensor unit 1300 , a network connection unit 1400 , a storage unit 1500 , and an audio output module 1600 . and at least one of the user input unit 1800 .

The controller 1200 may control the operation of the massage apparatus 1000 . The control unit 1200 may be implemented as one processor or a plurality of processors. When the controller 1200 is implemented with a plurality of processors, at least some of the plurality of processors may be located at physically separated distances. Also, the control unit 1200 is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various ways.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 1200 may control the operation of the massage apparatus 1000 . For example, the massage device 1000 may include a plurality of actuators, and the massage device 1000 controls the operation of the plurality of actuators,

An operation of the massage device 1000 may be controlled. For example, the massage device 1000 includes at least one of a massage module 1700 movement actuator, at least one actuator included in the massage module, a back angle actuator, a leg angle actuator, a foot massage actuator, a leg length adjustment actuator, and a sliding actuator. may include, and the controller 1200 may control the operation of the massage apparatus 1000 by controlling them.

The massage module movement actuator is an actuator that enables vertical movement of the massage module 1700, and the massage module 1700 may move along the leg gear by the operation of the massage module 1700 movement actuator.

The back angle actuator is an actuator that adjusts the angle of the part where the user's back contacts in the massage device 1000 , and the isometric angle of the massage device 1000 may be adjusted by the operation of the isometric actuator.

The leg angle actuator is an actuator for adjusting the angle of the leg massage unit 300 of the massage device 1000, and the angle between the leg massage unit 300 and the body massage unit 100 can be adjusted by the operation of the leg angle actuator. have.

The foot massage actuator represents an actuator that operates the foot massage module included in the leg massage unit 300 . By utilizing the foot massage actuator, the massage device 1000 may provide a foot massage to the user.

The massage module 1700 may include at least one actuator, and the controller 1200 may provide various massage operations by operating the at least one actuator. For example, by operating at least one actuator included in the massage module 1700 , the controller 1200 may provide a tapping massage, a kneading massage, etc., but is not limited thereto, and may provide various massage operations.

The leg length adjustment actuator refers to an actuator that adjusts the length of the leg massage unit 300 . For example, the control unit 1200 may adjust the length of the leg massage unit 300 to suit the user by using the leg length adjusting actuator, and as a result, the user may be provided with a massage suitable for the body type.

The sliding actuator enables the sliding operation of the massage device 1000 . For example, the horizontal base upper frame 1114a may move forward or backward by the operation of the sliding actuator, and as a result, the upper frame connected to the horizontal base upper frame 1114a may also move forward or backward.

The sensor unit 1300 may acquire various information using at least one sensor. The sensor unit 1300 may be provided as a sensor using measuring means such as pressure, potential, and optics. For example, the sensor may include a pressure sensor, an infrared sensor, an LED sensor, a touch sensor, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

Also, the sensor unit 1300 may include a biometric information acquisition sensor. The biometric information acquisition sensor may acquire fingerprint information, face information, voice information, iris information, weight information, electrocardiogram, body composition information, etc., but is not limited thereto, and may include various biometric information.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage apparatus 1000 may sense a contact area and/or a contact position with the user through sensors. Also, the massage apparatus 1000 may provide a customized massage based on information obtained through sensors.

The user input unit 1800 may receive a command related to operation control of the massage device 1000 from the user, and the user input unit 1800 may be implemented in various forms. For example, the user input unit 1800 may be provided in the body massage unit 100 and may be provided in the leg massage unit 300 , but is not limited thereto.

The massage apparatus 1000 may obtain various commands from the user through the user input unit 1800 . For example, the massage device 1000 may include selection of a massage module, selection of a massage type, selection of massage intensity, selection of a massage time, selection of a massage part, selection of the position and operation of the body massage unit 100, and massage. Arbitrary commands for selection of on-off of the power of the device 1000 , selection of whether to operate a heating function, selection related to sound source reproduction, etc. may be received, but is not limited thereto.

The massage apparatus 1000 may provide an interface for selecting a massage mode. For example, the medical massage list of various modes related to body improvement may be listed through the massage apparatus control device 2000 .

The medical massage mode may include at least one of a concentration mode, a meditation mode, a recovery mode, a stretching mode, a sleep mode, a vitality mode, a golf mode, a hip-up mode, an examinee mode, a weightlessness mode, and a growth mode.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the user input unit 1800 executes hot key type buttons and/or direction selection, cancellation, and input according to a preset user setting function or a function preset by itself, etc. It may be provided with a selection button or the like for

The user input unit 1800 may be implemented as a keypad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure/electrostatic), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like, but is not limited thereto. Also, the user input unit 1800 may acquire a command through the user's utterance based on the speech recognition technology.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user input unit 1800 may include a display for displaying the operation state of the massage apparatus 1000 or the current state of the user. In this case, the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display (flexible display). ), and at least one of a three-dimensional display (3D display), but is not limited thereto.

The audio output module 1600 may provide audio output in any form to the user. For example, the audio output module 1600 may provide brain stimulation to the user by outputting a sound source and/or binaural beat optimized for a massage pattern provided by the massage device 1000 to the user. The audio output module 1600 may output an acoustic signal received through a network (not shown) or stored in an internal/external storage medium (not shown). For example, the audio output module 1600 may output a sound source according to the control of the user terminal 2000 through a network connection (eg, Bluetooth connection, etc.) with the user terminal 2000 . In addition, the audio output module 1600 may output any type of sound signal generated in connection with the operation of the massage device 1000 .

The massage apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a network connection unit 1400 . The network connection unit 1400 may communicate with a module inside the massage device 1000, an external massage device, and/or the user terminal 2000 through any type of network. The network connection unit 1400 may include a wired/wireless connection module for network connection. As a wireless access technology, for example,

Wireless LAN (WLAN) (Wi-Fi), Wireless broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink PacketAccess (HSDPA), etc. may be used. As the wired connection technology, for example, Digital Subscriber Line (XDSL), Fibers to the Home (FTTH), Power Line Communication (PLC), or the like may be used. In addition, the network connection unit may include a short-range communication module to transmit/receive data to/from any device/terminal located in a short distance. For example, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, etc. may be used as short range communication technologies. not limited

The storage unit 1500 may store various information related to the massage apparatus 1000 . For example, the storage unit 1500 may include massage control information and may include personal authentication information, but is not limited thereto.

The storage unit 1500 may be implemented through a non-volatile storage medium capable of continuously storing arbitrary data. For example, storage 1500 may include, but is not limited to, disks, optical disks, and magneto-optical storage devices, as well as storage devices based on flash memory and/or battery-backed memory. doesn't happen

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 1200 may control the massage module 1700 to obtain the user's shoulder position. For example, the controller 1200 may acquire the user's shoulder position based on the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700 . Specifically, the control unit 1200 monitors the average values of the amounts of current applied to the massage module 1700 for a predetermined period (eg, 0.1s, 0.2s, etc.) to obtain the user's shoulder position. .

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 1200 moves the massage module 1700 from the upper side to the lower side and monitors the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700, thereby recognizing the user's shoulder position. have. For example, the controller 1200 may operate the Z-axis movement module of the massage module 1700 to move the massage ball frame 700 and the massage ball 710 to the forefront on the Z-axis. The controller 1200 may move the massage module 1700 from the upper side to the lower side while the massage ball frame 700 and the massage ball 710 are moved forward. As the massage module 1700 moves from the upper side to the lower side, the massage ball 710 may touch the user's shoulder. While the massage ball 710 touches the user's shoulder, the amount of current applied to the massage module 1700 may be changed, and the controller 1200 may recognize the user's shoulder position by monitoring the amount of current.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in combination with other program modules and/or as a combination of hardware and software. For example, the present invention may be embodied by a computer-readable medium.

Any medium accessible by a computer can be a computer readable medium, and such computer readable media includes volatile and nonvolatile media, transitory and non-transitory media, removable and non-transitory media. including removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may include computer-readable storage media and computer-readable transmission media.

Computer readable storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile media, temporary and non-transitory media, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. includes media. A computer-readable storage medium may be RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital video disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage device, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage device, or other magnetic storage device. device, or any other medium that can be accessed by a computer and used to store the desired information.

A computer readable transmission medium typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and Includes any information delivery medium. The term modulated data signal means a signal in which one or more of the characteristics of the signal is set or changed so as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable transmission media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above are also intended to be included within the scope of computer-readable transmission media.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein are implemented in electronic hardware, (convenience For this purpose, it will be understood that it may be implemented by various forms of program or design code (referred to herein as "software") or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. A person skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

The various embodiments presented herein may be implemented as methods, apparatus, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and/or engineering techniques. The term “article of manufacture” includes a computer program, carrier, or media accessible from any computer-readable device. For example, computer-readable storage media include magnetic storage devices (eg, hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, etc.), optical disks (eg, CDs, DVDs, etc.), smart cards, and flash drives. memory devices (eg, EEPROMs, cards, sticks, key drives, etc.). The term “machine-readable medium” includes, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, retaining, and/or carrying instruction(s) and/or data.

It is to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the presented processes is an example of exemplary approaches. Based on design priorities, it is to be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged within the scope of the present invention. The appended method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, but are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

The description of the presented embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments presented herein, but is to be construed in the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features presented herein.

Claims (11)

In the massage device,
a main frame constituting the framework of the massage device;
a massage module for providing a massage function to at least a part of the user's body while moving along the main frame; and
a control unit for controlling the massage device;
including,
The massage module includes:
Massage ball frame including a plurality of arms extending in different directions; and
a moving module for moving the massage ball frame in at least one direction among the front and rear of the massage device;
including,
The control unit moves the massage ball frame forward through the moving module, moves the massage module from the upper side to the lower side while the massage ball frame is moved forward, and changes the current value applied to the massage module to obtain and determine the position of the user's shoulder based on the change in the obtained current value,
massage device. delete The method of claim 1,
The control unit is:
Determining the shoulder position of the user by dividing the amount of current to be measured in a predetermined time unit, calculating an average value of the amount of applied current in the divided time unit, and monitoring the calculated average values,
massage device. 4. The method of claim 3,
The control unit retains in advance an upper limit threshold value and a lower limit threshold value of the current applied to the massage module, and recognizes the position of the massage module as a shoulder position in the inflection region where the tendency of the average value changes between the upper limit threshold value and the lower limit threshold value doing,
massage device. 5. The method of claim 4,
The control unit divides the candidate shoulder position into a plurality of regions in advance, and if the inflection region is included in one of the plurality of pre-divided regions, determines the corresponding region as the user's shoulder position,
massage device. 6. The method of claim 5,
When the inflection region spans two of the plurality of pre-divided regions, the control unit determines a region in which a portion of the inflection region is included more as a shoulder position of the user,
massage device. 6. The method of claim 5,
When the inflection region spans two of the plurality of pre-divided regions, the control unit determines the region including the maximum value of the current value as the user's shoulder position,
massage device. 4. The method of claim 3,
The control unit retains in advance the upper and lower threshold values of the current applied to the massage module, and sets the position of the massage module to the shoulder position in the region including the highest value of the average value between the upper and lower thresholds. to recognize,
massage device. 4. The method of claim 3,
The control unit retains the movement speed information of the massage module moving from the upper side to the lower side, and recognizes the position of the massage module corresponding to the current value by calculating the position of the massage module according to time,
massage device. 4. The method of claim 3,
The control unit recognizes the position of the massage module corresponding to the current value by sensing the valley or the ridge of the rack gear passed by the massage module moving from the upper side to the lower side.
massage device. delete

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