JPS6314395B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a pedometer.

Among the purely mechanical devices that count and display the number of steps taken when walking or running, there is a pedometer, which is well known in the past. Fig. 1 shows an example of its configuration. 1 is a pendulum, 2 is a weight, 3 is a spring, 4 is a base plate, 5 is a pendulum fulcrum shaft, 6 is a gear, 7 is a feed piece, and 8 is a reverse prevention piece. , 9 is a spring fixing pin, 10 is a stopper, 11 is a case fixing part, 1
2 is a step count display board, and 13 is an indicator hand. Note that the arrow direction in the figure is vertically upward, and it is attached to a part of the body such as the waist. When the pendulum 1 swings up and down while walking or running, the gear 6 is sent one tooth at a time by the feeder 7 attached to the pendulum 1, and a mechanism connected to the gear 6 (not shown) ) to drive the indicator hand 13 and display the number of steps.

Next, Figure 2 shows a step sensor for a pedometer that does not use the gear mechanism mentioned above but counts electrically. are given the same reference numerals. The pendulum 1, weight 2, spring 3, pendulum fulcrum shaft 5, and spring fixing pin 9 are almost the same as those in FIG.
In addition, a permanent magnet 14 and a reed switch 15 are newly provided.

To explain the operation below, the pendulum 1 swings due to the vertical movement of the body associated with walking or running, and the pendulum 1
The permanent magnet 14 attached to the tip of the reed switch 15 swings up and down on the sides of the reed switch 15, and as the permanent magnet 14 approaches and moves away from the reed switch 15, the pendulum 1 is attached to both ends of the reed switch 15 up and down. Opening/closing signals corresponding to the movement can be obtained. The signal obtained from this reed switch is counted by a counter, and the value is displayed on a display or the like.

By the way, Figure 3A shows the vertical acceleration G versus time t during walking, and the vertical movement of the human body during walking or running does not result in a single sway, although it depends on the walking speed and individual differences. , 1 step (S ₁ in Fig. 3,
S ₂ indicates the time required for one step), which causes about 2 to 3 tremors including aftershocks.
In particular, in the step count sensor shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of detection signals a from the reed switch 15 are generated for each step, as shown in FIG.

In addition, a signal extension circuit is provided between the step sensor and the counter to extend the detection signal of the reed switch 15 for a certain period of time (for example, 130 [msec]) from the fall of the signal, so that one detection signal is obtained for each step. According to this, for example,
When walking at a speed of about 150 steps/minute, the detection signal a' (hereinafter referred to as
When counting detection signals using a microcomputer or the like, these signals cannot be identified as signals based on two steps and are incorrectly counted as one, resulting in a higher number of steps than the actual number of steps. There was an inconvenience that the number was counted too low.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a step count determination unit consisting of a monostable multivibrator, an AND gate, etc. between a step count detection unit consisting of a step count sensor, etc., and a counter. To provide a pedometer in which the detection signal of a step count sensor part is discriminated by the step count discriminating part and one output signal is always obtained for each step, and there is no possibility of erroneous counting.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the present invention, and in the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a permanent magnet that moves as the body moves up and down when walking or running, like the step sensor shown in FIG. 2, and this permanent magnet. This is a step count detection unit consisting of a reed switch that is turned on and off depending on the approach and separation of the step count. The output terminal of this step count detecting section 20 is connected to the input terminal A of a step count discriminating section 30 configured as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 8, the step count determination unit 30 is connected to the input terminal A.
and two monostable multivibrators 32 and 33 connected between the input terminal A and the other two input terminals of the AND gate 31, respectively. . One of the monostable multivibrator 32 operates so that the output signal voltage is at the L level for, for example, 131 [msec] from the fall of the input signal, and the other monostable multivibrator 33 operates at the rise of the input signal. It operates so that the output signal voltage is at the H level for, for example, 1 [msec].

As shown in FIG. 5, the output terminal D of the step count determining section 30 is connected to an internal counter 40 such as a microcomputer, and is configured to count the output signal of the step count determining section 30 as the number of steps.

Next, this operation will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 9. First, for the vertical acceleration G of the waveform shown in FIG.
The output signal A is as shown in FIG. However, for example, from the fall of the first pulse signal P ₁ , P ₁ ' within the time S ₁ , S ₂ required for one step
If the next pulse signal P ₂ , P ₂ ′ rises within [msec], this pulse signal P ₂ , P ₂ ′ is determined to be based on the aftershock accompanying one step walking motion. , After determining the number of steps, the pulse signal P ₁ , as shown in Figure C, is generated.
Only the output signal D′ due to P ₁ ′ is output. In addition, the output signal A of the step count detection unit 20 for the vertical acceleration G having the waveform as shown in FIG. The signal D' only corresponds to the pulse signals P ₁ and P ₁ '. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the second pulse signal P ₂ within one step,
Regardless of the presence or absence of P ₂ ', one pulse signal for each step may be outputted as the output signal D from the step count discriminating section 30 as shown in FIG.

That is, the step count determination unit 30 shown in FIG. 8 inputs an input signal to the input terminal A as shown in FIG. In other words, the period from the fall of the first pulse signal P 1 of the output signal A of the step count detection unit ₂₀ to the fall of the second pulse signal P ₂ due to aftershock is If it is within 131 [msec], monostable multivibrator 32, 33
The output waveforms at point B and point C after passing through are as shown in the figure,
A single pulse signal appears at output terminal D as a logical product of these three outputs A, B, and C.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the time from the falling edge of the pulse signal P ₁ to the rising edge of the pulse signal P ₂ is shorter than 131 [msec], for example 130 [msec], and the falling edge of the pulse signal P ₂ is after 131 [msec] from the fall of pulse signal _P1 , the output waveform at point C changes to H level at the same time as the rise of pulse signal _P2 , but then
Regarding pulse signal _P2 , which causes erroneous counting because it inverts to L level again after [msec] has elapsed.
There is no case where outputs A, B, and C are all at H level, and only a single pulse signal corresponding to one step is output from output terminal D.

Also, as shown in Figure 9 (c), the time from the fall of the pulse signal _P1 to the rise of the second pulse signal is 131 [msec].
If the pulse signal exceeds , it is determined that the pulse signal is not attached to the first pulse signal P ₁ but is a regular pulse signal P ₁ due to the next step.
When this pulse signal _P1 is at H level, both outputs B and C are at H level, and output terminal D outputs two pulse signals corresponding to two steps.

As described above, according to the present invention, there are two monostable multivibrators that output two pulse signals having different waveforms by inputting the output signal of the step count detection section, and the output signals of both monostable multivibrators and the step count detection section. The output signal of the step count discriminator is provided with an AND gate that receives the output signal of the step count discriminator, and the output signal of the step count discriminator is counted as the number of steps. Even if an extra pulse signal appears in the output signal, the step count discriminator can determine whether this pulse signal is correct or not and remove it. Regardless of the walking speed, one output signal is always obtained for each step and the step count is calculated. This has the effect of allowing accurate counting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 A and B are explanatory diagrams of a pedometer, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional step sensor, Figure 3 A is a waveform diagram showing the relationship between time and vertical acceleration, and Figure B is a lead Figure 4A is a waveform diagram showing the relationship between time and vertical acceleration, Figure 4B is a time chart of the reed switch detection signal, Figure 4C is a time chart of the expansion signal,
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 A and D are waveform diagrams showing the relationship between time and vertical acceleration, and FIG. Figure 7 (C) and (F) are time charts of the output signal after determining the number of steps, Figure 7 (A) is a waveform diagram showing the relationship between time and vertical acceleration, and Figure 7 (B) is a time chart of the output signal of the step count detection section. , FIG. 8C is a time chart of the output signal of the step count discrimination section, and FIG.
9A, B, and C are time charts at corresponding points in FIG. 8, respectively. 20...Step count detection unit, 30...Step count determination unit, 4
0...Counter, 31...And gate, 32,
33... Monostable multivibrator.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A step count detection unit that detects vertical movement of the human body during walking and outputs a detection signal, a step count determination unit connected to the output side of the step count detection unit, and counts the output signal of the step count determination unit as the number of steps. The step count determining unit has two monostable multivibrators that receive the output signal of the step count detection unit and output different pulse signals, and the output signal of both monostable multivibrators and the step count A pedometer, characterized in that the output signal of an AND gate which receives the output signal of the detection section as input is added to the counter.