KR102460866B1 - Gait guidance device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a walking guidance device. The walking guidance device comprises: a sensor unit that detects a ground contact time point of a cane using an IMU sensor; a laser unit that projects a laser onto the ground in a user's walking direction in consideration of the ground contact time point; a determination unit that calculates walking information of the user based on the ground contact time point and determines a next walking time point according to the walking information; an audio signal unit that provides an audio signal according to the next walking time point; a tactile signal unit that provides a tactile signal according to the next walking time point; and a central control unit that controls an operation of the laser unit, the audio signal unit, and the tactile signal unit and an operation time thereof. The walking guidance device can provide a stable walking guidance visual stimulation by fixing a projection point even when a cane is tilted or shaken.

Description

GAIT GUIDANCE DEVICE AND METHOD

The present application relates to a walking guidance device and method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices and methods for providing external stimuli for inducing and assisting walking in Parkinson's disease patients.

Parkinson's disease (Parkinson's disease) is a chronic progressive degenerative disease of the nervous system caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons. If Parkinson's disease patients do not receive appropriate treatment, movement disorders gradually progress, making it difficult to walk and difficulty in performing daily activities.

In patients with Parkinson's disease, gait stops, especially freezing of gait, which is difficult to take the first step at the start of gait. Parkinson's disease patients face a situation where the speed of walking increases and it is difficult to balance after starting to walk. exposed frequently.

Therefore, in order to overcome the gait disorder of the Parkinson's disease patient and prevent secondary injuries, an auxiliary device for assisting the Parkinson's disease patient's safe walking is required.

According to the prior art, there is a walking aid such as a cane that projects a laser or a footprint mark that a user can step on or cross to advance the next step on the ground in the walking direction of the Parkinson's disease patient, but this is When the walking aid is shaken or tilted, there is a disadvantage in that the laser or footstep indicator light shakes or moves together.

In addition, the function of providing auditory and tactile (vibration) stimulation to keep the walking speed of Parkinson's disease patients stable is also required. There is a need for a walking assistance device and method.

The technology that is the background of the present application is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2026074.

An object of the present application is to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and to provide a walking assistance device and method capable of providing a stable walking-guided visual stimulus by fixing (maintaining) the projection point even when the cane is tilted or shaken do it with

The present application is intended to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and includes a function that can provide not only visual stimulation, but also auditory and tactile stimulation, thereby helping the user to stably walk and The purpose is to provide a method.

The present application is intended to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and it is possible to provide a visual stimulus, an auditory stimulus, and a tactile stimulus in connection with a walking aid that can set a combination of stimuli, the intensity or type of each stimulus, etc. according to the user. It is intended to provide an apparatus and method.

However, the technical problems to be achieved by the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the technical problems as described above, and other technical problems may exist.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical problem, the walking guidance device according to an embodiment of the present application includes: a sensor unit for detecting a ground contact point of a stick using an IMU sensor; a laser unit for projecting a laser to the ground in the direction of the user's walking at the time of the grounding; a determination unit for calculating gait information of the user based on the grounding time and determining a next gait time according to the gait information; an auditory signal unit providing an auditory signal according to the next walking time; a tactile signal unit providing a tactile signal according to the next walking time; and a central control unit for controlling whether the laser unit, the auditory signal unit, and the tactile signal unit operate and an operation time.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the laser unit, a light-transmitting unit for projecting a horizontal line laser; and an angle adjusting unit for adjusting the angle of the light transmitting unit.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the sensor unit detects the inclination of the wand, and the angle adjustment unit adjusts the angle of the light projection unit so that the projection point of the laser projected from the light projection unit to the ground is fixed even at the inclination. may be doing

According to an embodiment of the present application, the sensor unit further detects the ground separation time of the stick using the IMU sensor, and the laser unit projects the laser when the grounding point is detected by the sensor unit, and the When the separation point is detected by the sensor unit, the laser may not be projected.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the determination unit determines the grounding section and the non-grounding section based on the time interval between the grounding time and the separation time, and the walking based on the time length of the grounding section and the non-grounding section. The information may be calculated, and a moment to enter the grounding section after the moment of entering the non-grounding section based on the walking information is predicted and the next walking time is determined.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the auditory signal unit and the tactile signal unit. The auditory signal and the tactile signal may be provided respectively at the next walking time, but if the grounding time is first detected before the next walking time, the auditory signal and the tactile signal may not be provided, respectively.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the central control unit may control the size or type of the auditory signal and the tactile signal.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical problem, the walking guidance system according to an embodiment of the present application, the walking guidance device of claim 1; and a user terminal interworking with the walking guidance device to receive and provide a signal for controlling an operation of the walking guidance device from a user.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical problem, the gait guidance method according to an embodiment of the present application comprises the steps of: detecting a ground contact point of a stick using an IMU sensor; projecting a laser onto the ground in the user's walking direction in accordance with the grounding time point; calculating gait information of the user based on the grounding time and determining a next gait time according to the gait information; providing an auditory signal according to the next walking time; providing a tactile signal according to the next walking time; and controlling whether to operate and an operation time of projecting the laser, providing the auditory signal, and providing the tactile signal.

According to an embodiment of the present application, projecting the laser may include: projecting a horizontal line laser; and adjusting the angle of the light-transmitting part for projecting the laser.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the step of detecting the ground contact point of the stick further includes the step of detecting the inclination of the stick, and the angle adjustment unit is projected from the light projector to the ground even at the inclination. The angle of the light transmitting part may be adjusted so that the projection point of the laser is fixed.

According to an embodiment of the present application, further comprising the step of detecting the ground separation time of the stick using the IMU sensor, the step of projecting the laser, when the ground point is detected, projecting the laser, the separation When a viewpoint is detected, the laser may not be projected.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the determining of the next walking time includes determining a grounded section and a non-grounded section based on a time interval between the grounding time and the separation time, and the time of the battery section and the non-grounded section The gait information may be calculated based on the length, and a moment to enter the grounding section after the moment of entering the non-grounded section based on the gait information may be determined as the next walking time.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the step of providing the auditory signal and the step of providing the tactile signal include providing the auditory signal and the tactile signal at the next walking time point, respectively, before the next walking time point, When the grounding point is detected first, the auditory signal and the tactile signal may not be provided, respectively.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the controlling of whether the operation is performed and the operation time may include controlling the size or type of the auditory signal and the tactile signal.

The above-described problem solving means are merely exemplary, and should not be construed as limiting the present application. In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, additional embodiments may exist in the drawings and detailed description.

According to the problem solving means of the present application described above, it is possible to provide a stable walking-inducing visual stimulus by fixing the projection point even when the cane is tilted or shaken.

According to the above-described problem solving means of the present application, by providing not only visual stimulation, but also auditory and tactile stimulation, it is possible to help the user to stably keep walking.

According to the above-described problem solving means of the present application, a visual stimulus, an auditory stimulus, and a tactile stimulus can be provided in connection, and a combination of stimulus, intensity or type of each stimulus can be set according to a user.

However, the effects obtainable herein are not limited to the above-described effects, and other effects may exist.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a walking assistance system including a walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a block diagram of a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.
3 is an exemplary view for explaining a projection point fixing function of the walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present application.
4 is an exemplary view for explaining the next gait time of the walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and provision of auditory and tactile stimulations accordingly.
5 is an operation flowchart of a walking assistance method according to an embodiment of the present application.
6 is an operation flowchart for a method for providing laser stimulation according to an embodiment of the present application.
7 is an operation flowchart of a method for providing an auditory stimulus and a tactile stimulus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application pertains can easily implement them. However, the present application may be implemented in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present application in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout this specification, when a part is said to be “connected” to another part, it is not only “directly connected” but also “electrically connected” or “indirectly connected” with another element interposed therebetween. "Including cases where

Throughout this specification, when it is said that a member is positioned "on", "on", "on", "under", "under", or "under" another member, this means that a member is located on the other member. It includes not only the case where they are in contact, but also the case where another member exists between two members.

Throughout this specification, when a part "includes" a component, it means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

The present application relates to a walking guidance device and method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices and methods for providing external stimuli for inducing and assisting walking in Parkinson's disease patients.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a walking assistance system including a walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a walking assistance system 1 according to an embodiment of the present application includes a walking stick 10 including a walking assistance device 100 , a network 20 , a user terminal 30 , and a device for providing auditory stimulation ( 200 ) and a tactile stimulus providing device 300 .

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may communicate with the user terminal 30 , the auditory stimulation providing apparatus 200 , and the tactile stimulation providing apparatus through the network 20 .

Specifically, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may receive preset data from the user terminal 30 through the network 20 . In this case, the preset data includes data on whether the laser unit 120 to be operated or not, the color of the laser (red and green, etc.), the brightness of the laser, the set angle of the laser, the set distance between at least two lasers, the hearing to be described later. Data on whether or not the signal unit 140 operates, the type of the auditory signal, the set operation time of the auditory signal, the size of the auditory signal, data on whether the tactile signal unit 150 is operated, which will be described later, the type of the tactile signal, the tactile sense It may include, but is not limited to, the set operation time of the signal and the magnitude of the tactile signal.

For example, the walking assistance apparatus 100 receives, from the user terminal 30 , data on the operation activation of the laser unit 120 and the tactile signal unit 150 , data on the operation deactivation of the auditory signal unit 140 , It may be to receive an input for selecting a red laser and vibration of a length of 1 second (sec), and may be to maintain an initial value for preset data not received from the user terminal 30 .

Also, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may transmit device state data such as a remaining battery amount and gait data to the user terminal 30 through the network 20 . In this case, the gait data may refer to data representing the evaluation of the user's gait, and the time, distance, and speed the user walked using the walking assistance device 100 , the degree of shaking of the gait, and positive response stimuli. It may include a type and the like. In other words, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may provide the user terminal 30 with gait data indicating the evaluation of gait.

Specifically, the degree of shaking of walking may refer to the degree of shaking (degree of shaking) of the user's body or gait determined based on shaking of the wand 10 according to the time, distance, and speed the user walked. In other words, the degree of shaking of the wand 10 according to the time, distance, and speed of the user's walking may be interpreted as the degree of shaking of the user's body, that is, the degree of shaking of the walking. For example, the walking assistance device 100 provides the degree of shaking when the user walks a distance of 200 m in 10 minutes and the degree of shaking when the user walks a distance of 200 m in 8 minutes, and provides the user with a certain speed. Therefore, when walking a certain distance, it is possible to determine whether the shaking of the gait is more or less.

In addition, the type of positive response stimulus may mean a type that has a positive effect on the user's gait among detailed types according to the laser stimulus, auditory stimulus, tactile stimulus, and preset data of each stimulus provided to the user. . For example, in the walking assistance device 100 , when the user receives a green laser, an auditory stimulus of size 5, and a vibration stimulus of size 8, and walks for 10 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less, the user's gait (of shaking) If it is determined that the most significant improvement is achieved, the preset data at this time may be provided to the user terminal 30 as a type of positive response stimulus.

The walking assistance device 100 may provide the user's gait data through the user terminal 30, thereby helping the user to identify his/her own gait state and to determine the best preset data for gait improvement.

However, communication between the gait guidance device 100 and the user terminal 30 is not limited to the aforementioned preset data and gait data, and various specific examples may exist.

The user terminal 30 may be a device that interworks with the gait guidance apparatus 100 to receive and provide a signal for controlling the operation of the gait guidance apparatus from a user, for example, a smartphone or a smart pad. Pad), tablet PC, wearable devices, etc. PCS (Personal Communication System), GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), PHS (Personal Handyphone System), PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), IMT (International Mobile) All kinds of wireless communication devices such as Telecommunication)-2000, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)-2000, W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet) terminals and fixed devices such as desktop computers and smart TVs It may be a terminal for

Also, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may transmit an auditory signal for providing the auditory stimulus to the auditory stimulus providing apparatus 200 through the network 20 . In other words, the auditory stimulus providing apparatus 200 may receive an auditory signal from the walking assistance apparatus 100 and provide an auditory stimulus according to the received auditory signal to the user.

The auditory stimulation providing device 200 may include, for example, a wireless earphone, a wired earphone, a hearing aid, a speaker attached to the walking stick 10 or the walking guidance device 100, a wireless speaker, etc., and the user terminal 30 may be provided through, but is not limited thereto, and various acoustic devices capable of providing auditory stimulation to the user may be included.

Also, the walking assistance device 100 may transmit a tactile signal for providing the tactile stimulus to the tactile stimulus providing device 300 through a network. In other words, the tactile stimulus providing apparatus 300 may receive a tactile signal from the walking assistance apparatus 100 and provide a tactile stimulus according to the received tactile signal to the user.

The tactile stimulation providing device 300 may include, for example, a wearable device that can be worn on a user's wrist and ankle, a separate wrist band, an ankle band, a neck band, etc., and includes the handle 11 of the cane 10 and the user It may be provided through the terminal 30, but is not limited thereto, and various devices capable of providing auditory stimulation to the user may be included.

An example of the above-described network 20 is a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, a 5G network, a World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) network, a wired/wireless Internet, and a Local Area (LAN) network. Network), Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), PAN (Personal Area Network), Bluetooth (Bluetooth) network, Wifi network, NFC (Near Field Communication) network, satellite broadcasting network, analog broadcasting network , a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) network, etc. may be included, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the cane 10 may include a handle 11 and a stick 12 , and the walking assistance device 100 is provided in a form detachable from the stick 12 of the cane 10 , or , may be provided in the form of being fixedly attached to the stick 12 , or may be provided in the handle 11 and the stick 12 .

Hereinafter, a detailed description of the walking guidance device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application will be disclosed.

2 is a block diagram of a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the walking assistance apparatus 100 may include a sensor unit 110 . The sensor unit 110 includes an IMU sensor, and may detect the grounding point of the wand 10 using the IMU sensor. Specifically, the sensor unit 110 may determine whether the wand 10 is in contact with the ground based on the vertical acceleration signal of the IMU sensor, and may detect the point of contact with the ground as the ground grounding time. In addition, the sensor unit 110 may detect not only the time when the wand 10 contacts the ground, but also the time when the wand 10 leaves the ground by using the vertical acceleration signal of the IMU sensor. In other words, the sensor unit 110 may detect a ground grounding point of the moment when the wand 10 is in contact with the ground and a ground separation time of the moment when the wand 10 is separated from the ground.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the sensor unit 110 may detect the inclination of the wand 10 . More specifically, the sensor unit 110 may measure and obtain in real time the degree of inclination or rotation of the wand 10 based on the tilt signal and the acceleration signal. In this case, the signal of the IMU sensor may be filtered by a method of analyzing a frequency using FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). Specifically, the sampling frequency of the IMU sensor may be set to 200 Hz, and the signal of the IMU sensor may be filtered through low-pass filtering based on 20 Hz for linear acceleration, using that the angular component is mainly 20 Hz or less. have.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the walking assistance apparatus 100 may include a laser unit 120 . The laser unit 120 may project the laser on the ground in the user's walking direction in consideration of the grounding point detected by the sensor unit 110 . Also, the laser unit 120 may project a laser to a grounding section determined by a determination unit to be described later, and not project a laser to an ungrounded section. In other words, the laser unit 120 projects the laser when the user puts the wand 10 on the ground, and turns off the projected laser power when the wand 10 is lifted from the ground, so that the laser may not be projected. . In addition, the laser unit 120 may include a light-transmitting unit 121 for projecting a horizontal line laser and an angle adjusting unit 122 for adjusting an angle of the light-transmitting unit 121 .

The light projecting unit 121 projects a laser toward the ground in front of the user in order to induce the user to overcome the frozen gait (FoG) by stepping on or crossing over, and to perform walking, which is perpendicular to the user's walking direction. It may include a light projecting module for projecting a laser onto the user's front surface. Hereinafter, the laser is disclosed as being projected in two horizontal lines according to an embodiment of the present application, but is not limited thereto, and the laser may be projected in one or a plurality of horizontal lines. Two or more lasers are horizontally and linearly spaced apart at an interval suitable for the user's step length, and the interval can be preset and adjusted by the user as preset data.

Also, as described above, the light projecting unit 121 may project a laser when the ground grounding point is detected by the sensor unit 110 . In other words, when the user puts the wand 10 on the ground, the light-emitting unit 121 emits a laser, and when the wand 10 is lifted from the ground, the light-emitting module is turned off, and the laser is not emitted.

The angle adjusting unit 122 adjusts the angle of the light transmitting unit 121 so that the projection point P of the laser projected from the light transmitting unit 121 to the ground is fixed (maintained) despite the inclination detected by the sensor unit 110. it could be Specifically, the angle adjusting unit 122 includes a motor, and by driving the motor, the angle (front and rear angle, vertical angle, left and right angle, etc.) of the light projection unit 121 is adjusted to control the laser projection direction and projection angle. , projection distance, etc. may be adjusted, and two or more light transmitting modules may be adjusted respectively. When the sensor unit 110 detects the ground grounding point, the angle adjusting unit 122 adjusts the angle of the light projecting unit 121 so that the laser projection point P is fixed to the ground grounding point P. can In other words, the angle adjusting unit 122 adjusts the angle of the light transmitting unit 121 according to a preset angle when the wand 10 is away from the ground, and when the wand 10 comes into contact with the ground, it is projected on the ground. It may be to adjust the angle of the light-transmitting part 121 against the shaking of the wand 10 so that the projection point P of the laser is fixed. A projection point fixing function related to the projection point P will be described later in detail through an example with reference to FIG. 3 .

According to an embodiment of the present application, when the angle adjusting unit 122 determines that the user is changing the direction while walking, the determining unit 130 based on the degree of inclination and rotation obtained from the sensor unit 110, The angle of the light projection unit 121 may be adjusted so that the laser is projected in the user's walking direction according to the direction determined by the determination unit 130 and the degree of conversion, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the walking assistance apparatus 100 may include a determination unit 130 . The determination unit 130 may calculate the user's walking information based on the ground contact time detected by the sensor unit 110 and determine the next walking time according to the walking speed. Specifically, the determination unit 130 is based on the time interval between the ground grounding points detected by the sensor unit 110 and the time interval between the ground separation points, the grounding section and the wand ( 10) determines an ungrounded section that is a section that is away from the ground, calculates gait information based on the time length of the grounded section and ungrounded section in the entire stride section, and calculates gait information based on the walking information in the ungrounded section It may be to determine the moment of entering the grounding section after the moment of entering the junction as the next walking time. In other words, the determination unit 130 may determine a point in time when the user next puts the cane 10 on the ground through the previous gait. At this time, the gait information includes the speed and acceleration during walking, and may be interpreted as a meaning corresponding to the stride speed, and the next gait time may be interpreted as the time when the next foot is grounded in the user's gait. have.

Also, the determination unit 130 may determine whether the user is walking based on the walking information. That is, the determination unit 130 may determine whether the user stops walking based on the walking information. Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present application, the determination unit 130 determines that the user has stopped walking when the calculated gait information, that is, when the gait speed slows down by more than a preset ratio compared to the average of the previous gait minutes, can In other words, the determination unit 130 compares the gait information calculated for n strides (n steps), which is the previous step of the user for a preset number of times (n), with the average of the gait information calculated just before, the average If it appears that the user's gait is slower than the contrast preset ratio, it may be determined that the user has stopped walking.

For example, the average stride speed calculated and stored for the user's previous steps is 50 stride/min, the reference value for judging that the user has stopped walking is 80% of the average stride speed, and the When the number of steps used for calculation is 3 (n=3), if the stride minute rate calculated by the determination unit 130 for the most recent three strides (3 steps) is 10 stride/min, the stride minute rate is the average stride minute speed Since it is slower than 80% compared to the number, the determination unit 130 may determine that the user has stopped walking at this time.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present application, the determination unit 130 is the time between the ground grounding time point (s _m-1 ) immediately before this ground grounding time point (s _m ) and the previous ground grounding time point (s _m-2 ) If it is more than 50% slower than the interval, it can be determined that the user has stopped walking. For example, the time interval between the last ground contact point (s _m-1 ) and the previous ground ground point point (s _{m -2} ) is 0.5 seconds (sec). If the time interval between the time points (s _m-1 ) is 0.1 seconds (sec), the determination unit 130 may determine that the user has stopped walking, but is not limited thereto. The reference may be set according to various embodiments, such as a method of estimating a walking distance using an acceleration measurement value of the IMU and using a speed calculated using the estimated walking distance.

In addition, the determination unit 130 may distinguish the shaking of the wand 10 and the direction change during walking based on the degree of inclination and the degree of rotation measured by the sensor unit 110 . Specifically, the determination unit 130 compares the degree of change in the sensor value measured by the sensor unit 110 and the length of time during which the change occurs with the reference value based on a preset reference value for the sensor value due to direction change while walking. , it is possible to determine whether the movement of the cane 10 is caused by shaking during walking or by a change of direction by the user.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the walking assistance apparatus 100 may include an auditory signal unit 140 . The auditory signal unit 140 may provide an auditory signal according to the next walking time. In other words, the auditory signal unit 140 may notify the user of the next step by providing an auditory signal according to the user's average walking speed. In this case, the auditory signal may be a simple notification sound or a voice announcement, but is not limited thereto. As described above, the type of the auditory signal, the set operation time of the auditory signal, the speed of the auditory signal, the size of the auditory signal, etc. may be preset data through the user terminal 30 as described above. The type of the auditory signal may include a notification or announcement, a pitch, and the like, and the set operation time of the auditory signal means the length of time for providing the auditory signal, such as 0.5 seconds (sec), 1 second (sec), etc. It may be set in the form of, and the speed of the auditory signal may be set in the form of beats per minute (bpm). In addition, the auditory signal may be provided through the above-described auditory stimulus providing apparatus 200 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , the walking assistance apparatus 100 may include a tactile signal unit 150 . The tactile signal unit 150 may provide a tactile signal according to the next walking time. In other words, the tactile signal unit 150 may notify the user of when to take a next step by providing a tactile signal according to the user's average walking speed. In this case, the tactile signal may be a vibration signal, but is not limited thereto. As described above, the type of the tactile signal, the set operation time of the tactile signal, the speed of the tactile signal, the size of the tactile signal, etc. may be preset data through the user terminal 30 . The type of the tactile signal may include a vibration pattern, and the set operation time of the tactile signal means the length of time for providing the auditory signal, and is set in the form of 0.5 second (sec), 1 second (sec). and the speed of the tactile signal may be set in the form of beats per minute (bpm). Also, the tactile signal may be provided through the above-described tactile stimulus providing apparatus 300 .

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the walking assistance device 100 may help the user to maintain a constant walking speed and continue walking by providing not only visual stimulation but also auditory and tactile stimulation. The process of acquiring a specific next walking time point and the process of auditory stimulation and tactile stimulation will be described later in detail through an example with reference to FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , the walking assistance apparatus 100 may include a central controller 160 . The central control unit 160 may control whether the laser unit 120 , the auditory signal unit 140 , and the tactile signal unit 150 operate, and the operation time thereof. Specifically, the central control unit 160 operates the light projecting unit 121 , the angle adjusting unit 122 , the auditory signal unit 140 , and the tactile signal unit 150 according to the preset data received from the user terminal 30 . It is possible to control whether or not the operation time, operation settings, etc. For example, the central control unit 160 switches the operation of the laser unit 120 , the auditory signal unit 140 , and the tactile signal unit 150 to activation according to preset data received from the user terminal 30 , or , can be switched to deactivation, limiting the operation time, or controlling the brightness, interval, size or type of the audible and tactile signals of the laser, and the like.

In other words, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may provide a visual stimulus, an auditory stimulus, and a tactile stimulus in association with each other, and may set a combination of stimulus, intensity or type of each stimulus, etc. according to the user. In addition, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may modify preset data through communication with the user terminal 30 , and thus may control laser stimulation, auditory stimulation, and tactile stimulation in real time.

3 is an exemplary view for explaining a projection point fixing function of the walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the walking assistance apparatus 100 may adjust the angle of the light projection unit 121 using the angle adjustment unit 122 to fix the projection point P. At this time, the light transmitting unit 121 and the angle adjusting unit 122 shown in FIG. 3 are exemplified for convenience of explanation, and the light transmitting unit 121 and the angle adjusting unit 122 are the steps of the walking assistance device 100 . It may be installed on the inside, the top of the outside, or the bottom of the outside, and the positions and installation forms of the light-transmitting part 121 and the angle adjusting part 122 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 3 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , as the inclination of the stick 12 of the wand 10 changes, the angle of the light-transmitting part 121 is adjusted and it can be seen that the laser projection point P is fixed. Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. 3 , the angle (θ ₁ , θ ₂ , θ) formed by the inclination of the stick 12 and the vertical line from the light transmitting part 121 to the projection point P ₃ ), that is, the angle between the stick 12 and the projection axis (θ ₁ , θ ₂ , θ ₃ ) to confirm that the angle of the light transmitting unit 121 is adjusted so that the angle appears differently depending on the inclination of the stick 12 . can

Accordingly, the walking assistance device 100 can provide a stable walking-inducing visual stimulus by fixing the projection point P even when the cane 10 is tilted or shaken.

In addition, the angle adjusting unit 122 may adjust the angle of the light transmitting unit 121 in a rotational direction with respect to the projection axis in addition to the direction shown in FIG. 3 . In other words, the angle adjusting unit 122 may adjust the angle of the light transmitting unit 121 in three dimensions as well as the example of FIG. 3 expressed in two dimensions. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3 , the angle adjusting unit 122 is not only when the part in contact with the ground of the stick 12 is shaken in a fixed state, but also when the stick 12 is slid or dragged on the ground. It may be implemented so as to be able to adjust the angle of the light projection unit 121 to fix the projection point P, and when the stick 12 is completely removed from the ground, the projection according to the determination of the determination unit 130 for entering the non-contact section The miner 121 may be adjusted to a preset angle again.

4 is an exemplary view for explaining the next gait time of the walking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and provision of auditory and tactile stimulations accordingly.

As described above, the determination unit 130 may determine when the user puts the cane 10 on the ground next through the previous gait.

4 shows when the determination unit 130 determines the next gait time according to the gait information (stride speed, etc.) calculated based on the user's previous three strides (n = 3), the auditory stimulus A1 according to the next gait time. , A2) and tactile stimuli (T1, T2) are provided.

Specifically, as illustrated with reference to FIG. 4 , when the current ground contact point (s _m ) at which the user currently grips the cane 10 is d, the previous ground contact point (s _m-1 ) is c, and the determination unit 130 ), the next walking time point (s _m+1 ) may be e. At this time, the determination unit 130 is the ground contact point (s _m ) of the previous three strides (a, b, c) before d, the ground contact point (s _m-3 ) and the ground time point (s) of b. the time interval (g _ab ) between the grounding points of b (s m _{- 2} ) and the grounding points of c (s _m-1 ) (g _bc ) and the grounding points of c (s _m-1 ) ) and the average ((g _ab + g _bc + g _cd )/3) of the time interval (g _cd ) of the grounding time point (s _n ) of d, calculate the user's current stride velocity, and calculate the The next walking time point (s _{m+1 )} is predicted and judged using the and a tactile stimulus T1.

As above, if the current ground contact point (s _m ) at which the user is currently holding the cane 10 is e, the previous ground contact point (s _m-1 ) is d, and the next walking time point (s) determined by the determination unit 130 _m+1 ) becomes f, and at this time, the determination unit 130 determines the grounding time point (s _m ) of the previous three strides (b, c, d) before e, which is the ground contact point (s _m- ) of b. ₃ ) and the time interval (g _bc ) between the grounding point of c (s _m-2 ), the time interval between the grounding point of c (s _m-2 ) and the grounding point of d (s _m-1 ) (g _cd ), and Calculate the user's current stride speed as the average ((g _bc + g _cd + g _de )/3) of the time interval (g _de ) between the touch point of d (s _m-1 ) and the touch point of e (s _n ). Calculated and using the calculated stride speed, the next walking time (s _m+1 ) is predicted and determined, and the auditory signal unit 140 and the tactile signal unit 150 are the next walking time points (s _m+1 ) An auditory stimulus (A2) and a tactile stimulus (T2) may be provided according to f.

Accordingly, the determination unit 130 may determine the next walking time in a manner that adapts to the user's stride rate by considering the stride rate for the last n strides (n steps) of the user. Specifically, the determination unit 130 may determine that the next gait time is also a relatively fast time when the user's average gait minute rate is fast, and when the average gait minute speed is slow, the next gait time point may also be determined as a relatively slow time point.

However, the process of providing the next gait time point to which the auditory stimulus (A1, A2) and the tactile stimulus (T1, T2) are provided is not limited to that shown in FIG. (n) can be set differently, and various methods suitable for obtaining the stride speed other than the method of averaging the time interval at each grounding point can be applied.

In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the auditory signal unit 140 and the tactile signal unit 150 provide an auditory signal and a tactile signal at the next walking time, respectively, but before the next walking time, the grounding time is detected first. In this case, the auditory signal and the tactile signal may not be provided, respectively. Specifically, when the ground contact time point (s _m ) is e, the user _first receives the cane 10 ) on the ground, there is a possibility that subsequent stimulation may rather confuse the improvement of the user's walking speed. 130) may again calculate the walking speed and determine the next walking time. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

As described above, the walking assistance device 100 provides the user with a stable gait by taking into account the user's average gait speed through the auditory signal unit 140 and the tactile signal unit 150 and then guiding the gait time. can help you

Hereinafter, based on the details described above, the operation flow of the present application will be briefly reviewed.

5 is an operation flowchart for a method for inducing a walk according to an embodiment of the present application.

The gait guidance method shown in FIG. 5 may be performed by the gait guidance apparatus 100 described above. Accordingly, even if omitted below, the description of the walking guidance apparatus 100 may be equally applied to the description of the walking guidance method.

Referring to FIG. 5 , in step S11 , the sensor unit 110 may detect a grounding point of the wand 10 using an IMU sensor. In addition, in step S11, the sensor unit 110 may further detect the ground separation time of the stick using the IMU sensor. In addition, the sensor unit 110 in step S11, can detect the inclination of the wand (10).

Next, in step S12, the central control unit 160 controls whether the operation and the operation time of the step of projecting the laser (S13), the step of providing an auditory signal (S15), and the step of providing a tactile signal (S16) are performed. can Specifically, in step S12, the central control unit 160 may control the size or type of the auditory signal and the tactile signal.

Next, in step S13 , the laser unit 120 may project the laser on the ground in the user's walking direction in consideration of the grounding point. Also, in step S13 , the light projection unit 121 may emit a horizontal line laser, and the angle adjustment unit 122 may adjust the angle of the light projection unit 121 through which the laser is projected. Specifically, the angle adjusting unit 122 may adjust the angle of the light transmitting unit so that the projection point P of the laser projected from the light transmitting unit 121 to the ground is fixed even when it is tilted. In addition, in step S13 , the laser unit 120 may project a laser when a grounding point is detected by the sensor unit, and not project a laser when a separation time is detected by the sensor unit.

Next, in step S14, the determination unit 130 may calculate the user's gait information based on the grounding time point and determine the next walking time point according to the gait information. Specifically, in step S14 , the determination unit 130 may determine the grounding section and the non-grounding section based on the time interval between the grounding time point and the non-grounding section. In addition, it is possible to calculate the walking information based on the time length of the grounding section and the non-grounding section, and calculate and predict the grounding time after the moment of entering the non-grounding section based on the walking information to determine the next walking time.

Next, in step S15 , the auditory signal unit 140 may provide an auditory signal according to the next walking time. Specifically, in step S15 , the auditory signal unit 140 may provide an auditory signal at the next walking time, but may not provide the auditory signal if the grounding time is first detected before the next walking time.

Next, in step S16 , the tactile signal unit 150 may provide a tactile signal according to the next walking time. Specifically, in step S16, the tactile signal unit 150 may provide a tactile signal at the next walking time, but may not provide the tactile signal if the grounding time is first detected before the next walking time.

In the above description, steps S11 to S16 may be further divided into additional steps or combined into fewer steps, according to an embodiment of the present application. In addition, some steps may be omitted if necessary, and the order between the steps may be changed.

6 is an operation flowchart for a method for providing laser stimulation according to an embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 6 , in step S21 , the determination unit 130 may determine whether or not the wand 10 is grounded to the ground based on the ground grounding time and the ground separation time detected by the sensor unit 110 . .

If the wand 10 is grounded to the ground, after step S21, in step S22, the light projection unit 121 lights the laser (or maintains the lighted state), and in step S23, the angle adjustment unit 122 turns on the laser. The projection point can be fixed.

If the wand 10 is not grounded to the ground, after step S21, in step S24, the light projection unit 121 turns off the laser (or maintains a light-off state), and in step S25, the angle adjustment unit 122 is projected The angle of the miner 121 may be returned to a preset angle.

Next, in step S26, the determination unit 130 may determine whether the user stops walking or is walking by using the walking information (walking speed, etc.). In this case, if it is determined that the user is walking, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may return to step S21 and repeat the above-described steps.

In the above description, steps S21 to S26 may be further divided into additional steps or combined into fewer steps, according to an embodiment of the present application. In addition, some steps may be omitted if necessary, and the order between the steps may be changed.

7 is an operation flowchart of a method for providing an auditory stimulus and a tactile stimulus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 7 , in step S31 , the determination unit 130 may continuously calculate and obtain the user's average walking speed.

Next, in S32 , the determination unit 130 may determine the next walking time based on the calculated stride speed.

When the next walking time is reached, the auditory signal unit 140 may provide an auditory stimulus in step S33 , and the tactile signal unit 150 may provide a tactile stimulus in operation S34 .

If it is not the next walking time, in step S35, the determination unit 130 determines whether the cane 10 is grounded, that is, whether the cane 10 is grounded to the ground before the next walking time, and the cane is grounded. If there is, the stride speed during walking is recalculated, and if not grounded, it may return to step S32 to check or determine again whether the next walking time point has been reached.

Next, in step S36, the determination unit 130 may determine whether the user stops walking or is walking by using the walking speed per minute (walking information). In this case, if it is determined that the user is walking, the walking assistance apparatus 100 may return to step S31 and repeat the above-described steps.

In the above description, steps S31 to S36 may be further divided into additional steps or combined into fewer steps, according to an embodiment of the present application. In addition, some steps may be omitted if necessary, and the order between the steps may be changed.

The walking guidance method according to an embodiment of the present application may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic such as floppy disks. - includes magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

In addition, the above-described walking guidance method may be implemented in the form of a computer program or application executed by a computer stored in a recording medium.

The foregoing description of the present application is for illustration, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application pertains will understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present application. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and likewise components described as distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present application is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present application.

1: walking guidance system
10: cane
11: handle
12: stick
20: network
30: user terminal
100: walking guidance device
110: sensor unit
120: laser unit
121: light-transmitting part
122: angle adjustment unit
130: judgment unit
140: auditory signal unit
150: tactile signal unit
160: central control unit
200: auditory stimulus providing device
300: tactile stimulus providing device
P: throw point

Claims (15)

A walking induction device that provides an external stimulus for inducing and assisting a user to walk, comprising:
A sensor unit for detecting the grounding point of the stick and the ground separation point of the stick using the IMU sensor;
a laser unit for projecting a laser on the ground in the user's walking direction in consideration of the grounding point;
a determination unit for calculating gait information of the user based on the grounding time and determining a next gait time according to the gait information;
an auditory signal unit providing an auditory signal according to the next walking time;
a tactile signal unit providing a tactile signal according to the next walking time; and
a central control unit for controlling whether the laser unit, the auditory signal unit, and the tactile signal unit operate and an operation time;
including,
The determination unit, based on the time interval between the grounding time and the separation time, calculates the gait information including the average speed per minute according to the user's previous gait, and based on the gait information, after the separation Predicting the next grounding time of the cane and determining the next walking time,
The auditory signal unit and the tactile signal unit guide the user's next step according to the next walking time point,
The auditory signal unit omits the provision of the auditory signal when another grounding time is detected before the next walking time, and the tactile signal unit, if the other grounding time is detected before the next walking time, of the tactile signal omission of provision,
walking guidance device. According to claim 1,
The laser unit,
a light-transmitting unit for projecting a horizontal line laser; and
an angle adjusting unit for adjusting the angle of the light transmitting unit;
which further comprises
walking guidance device. 3. The method of claim 2,
The sensor unit,
Detecting the inclination of the cane,
The angle adjustment unit,
The angle of the light transmitting unit is adjusted so that the projection point of the laser projected from the light transmitting unit to the ground is fixed even at the inclination,
walking guidance device. According to claim 1,
The laser unit,
When the grounding point is detected by the sensor unit, the laser is projected,
When the separation time is detected by the sensor unit, the laser is not projected,
walking guidance device. delete delete According to claim 1,
The central control unit,
Controlling the size or type of the auditory signal and the tactile signal,
walking guidance device. A walking guidance system comprising:
The walking guidance device of claim 1;
A user terminal interlocking with the walking guidance device to receive and provide a signal for controlling an operation of the walking guidance device from a user;
A gait guidance system comprising a. In the gait induction method for providing an external stimulus for inducing and assisting a user's gait,
Detecting the grounding point of the wand and the grounding separation point of the wand using the IMU sensor;
Projecting a laser on the ground in the user's walking direction in consideration of the grounding point;
calculating gait information of the user based on the grounding time and determining a next gait time according to the gait information;
providing an auditory signal according to the next walking time;
providing a tactile signal according to the next walking time; and
Projecting the laser, providing the auditory signal and controlling the operation time and operation time of the step of providing the tactile signal;
including,
The step of determining the next walking time includes calculating the walking information including the average speed per minute according to the user's previous walking based on the time interval between the grounding time and the separation time, and based on the walking information, It is to determine the next walking time by predicting the next grounding time of the cane after the separation time,
The step of providing the auditory signal and the step of providing the tactile signal may include guiding a time when the user takes a next step according to the time of the next walking,
The providing of the auditory signal may include omitting the provision of the auditory signal if another grounding point is detected before the next walking time, and the providing of the tactile signal may include: When a time point is detected, the provision of the tactile signal is omitted,
How to induce walking. 10. The method of claim 9,
The step of projecting the laser,
Projecting a horizontal line laser; and
adjusting the angle of the light-transmitting part for projecting the laser;
which further comprises
How to induce walking. 11. The method of claim 10,
The step of detecting the ground grounding point of the stick,
Detecting the inclination of the cane,
The step of adjusting the angle of the light-transmitting part,
The angle of the light transmitting unit is adjusted so that the projection point of the laser projected from the light transmitting unit to the ground is fixed even at the inclination,
How to induce walking. 10. The method of claim 9,
The step of projecting the laser,
When the grounding point is detected, the laser is projected,
When the separation point is detected, the laser is not projected,
How to induce walking. delete delete 10. The method of claim 9,
The step of controlling whether the operation and the operation time is,
Controlling the size or type of the auditory signal and the tactile signal,
How to induce walking.

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