Pedometer Patents (Class 702/160)
  • Patent number: 6442505
    Abstract: An electronic trip meter for a bicycle is provided. The electronic trip meter for a bicycle includes a signal generator and a main unit. The signal generator is used for generating a signal each time the bicycle travels over a specific distance, and the main unit is used for receiving the signal, evaluating and displaying the riding data, and generating an alert signal to remind the rider to execute a maintenance operation when the riding distance or the riding time exceeds a preset riding distance or a preset riding time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Echowell Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: James Lee
  • Publication number: 20020099516
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for calculating, presenting, recalling and recording the maximum running speed of a user over a prescribed distance in miles per hour or meters per second. The result is shown in digital and iconic form on a liquid crystal display (LCD). The apparatus incorporates a micro-controller, a LCD, a motion sensor, press switches and, light emitting diodes. The motion sensor is used to generate a signal, in response to external motion, which is input to the micro-controller for use in a calculating the speed in accordance with a prescribed formula. Upon completion of running over a fixed time period or distance, a message is displayed on the LCD to indicated the maximum speed achieved by the user during an interval of the fixed time and over the prescribed distance. The apparatus may be adapted for use on shoes, a user's wrists, or the like, for the purpose of encouraging the user to run as fast as possible, and to ensure safety of the user at night.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: BBC International Ltd.
    Inventor: Rudy Guzman
  • Patent number: 6366869
    Abstract: A recreational and exercise device which includes electronic features added to a rolling circle game including a liquid crystal display of the time, distance traveled, speed of travel, and the user's pulse rate. The device includes a open hard rubber circle captureable with a hook member attached to a distal end of a stick, while a handle is provided on a proximal end of the stick. A magnet is secured within the circle and a magnetic sensor is mounted near the hook member so that as the circle rotates while captured within the hook member the passing of the magnet by the magnetic sensor sends a signal to a processor which then displays the speed and distance on a LCD mounted on a top flat portion of the handle. A pulse detector is also provided in the handle portion for detecting the pulse rate of the user while an internal timer and power supply are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Inventor: Shylov F. Germain
  • Patent number: 6356856
    Abstract: A system for measuring the speed of a person while running or walking along a surface. A single acceleration sensor measures the acceleration in the forward direction and provides an acceleration signal which is amplified and subsequently sampled by analog to digital converter. The digital signal is processed by a microprocessor which executes an algorithm that determines the stride length and the stride duration from the digitized acceleration signal and calculates the speed and the distance traversed. The information thus obtained is transmitted by means of a radio frequency transmitter and received by a radio frequency receiver in a watch or other device which comprises a display which can be viewed by the runner or walker. The speed and distance traversed is displayed on the display, along with other useful information, such as average speed, maximum speed, total distance traversed, calories expended, and heart beat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Erik P. N. Damen, Christoph Schiller
  • Patent number: 6330520
    Abstract: A wrist watch which instantaneously displays the velocity of the service ball in kilometers or miles for its manual or electronic display during competitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Inventors: Adolphe Richard Dziulko, Alice Wanda Dziulko
  • Patent number: 6301964
    Abstract: A device comprised of at least a pair of accelerometers and a tilt sensor mounted in fixed relation to a datum plane defining surface (sole of a shoe) may be used for extracting kinematic variables including linear and rotational acceleration, velocity and position. These variables may be resolved into a selected direction thereby permitting both relative and absolute kinematic quantities to be determined. The acceleration is determined using a small cluster of two mutually perpendicular accelerometers mounted on a shoe. Angular orientation of the foot may be determined by double integration of the foot's angular acceleration (which requires a third accelerometer substantially parallel to one of the two orthogonal accelerometers). The two orthogonal accelerations are then resolved into a net horizontal acceleration or other selected direction which may be integrated to find the foot velocity in the selected direction. The average of the foot velocity corresponds to the subject's gait speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: DyhaStream Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Fyfe, James K. Rooney, Kipling W. Fyfe
  • Patent number: 6243660
    Abstract: A multi-function electronic compass incorporates multiple sensors in addition to magnetometers inputting sensed data to a microprocessor system which calculates a variety of results from the sensed data in addition to direction. Direction indicia and other results are output for a user on a display. Additional sensors include one or more of an inclinometer, an altimeter, an accelerometer, and a barometer. In one aspect the compass has a tilt-up lid with a sighting port and an adjacent mirror, and the microprocessor system displays directional indicia backwards so the reflected indicia in the mirror adjacent to the sighting port are directly readable by the user using the sighting port. In one model a laser beam is included as an aid in sighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Precision Navigation, Inc.
    Inventors: George Hsu, Chung-a Becky Oh, Christine Annette Sherer
  • Patent number: 6243659
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the distance covered by walking or running on foot, the apparatus comprising two complementary electronic devices, each fixed on one shoe. One of the devices, the slave unit, generates signals; the other device, the master unit, receives, stores and processes the signals to calculate speed and distance. Means for displaying the processed data are further provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Inventors: Carlo Maria Dominici, Alberto Gregori
  • Patent number: 6219625
    Abstract: A shoe including weight and distance traveled monitoring device for determining a weight and distance traveled by a person wearing the shoe. The weight and distance traveled monitoring device includes a device for sensing a pressure and generating a signal indicative of the sensed pressure positioned in a heel of the shoe and a device for measuring a distance traveled by the shoe and generating a signal indicating the measured distance positioned in the heel of the shoe. A microprocessor is connected to receive the signal from the sensing device and the signal from the measuring device for processing the received signals to determine a weight of the person wearing the shoe and a distance traveled by the person wearing the shoe. A device is provided for producing and communicating an audible signal indicating the determined weight and distance traveled to the person wearing the shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Shehnaz Saini Singh
  • Patent number: 6052654
    Abstract: The time period that a foot is in contact with the ground during a stride taken by a user, and the period that the foot is not in contact with the ground between strides taken by the user are determined by processing and analyzing the output signal of an accelerometer. The accelerometer is mounted on the user such that its acceleration sensing axis senses acceleration in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom of the user's foot. The output of the accelerometer is high-pass filtered, amplified, and fed to the input of a micro-controller, which monitors the signal for positive and negative signal spikes that are indicative, respectively, of the moment that the foot of the user leaves the ground and the moment that the foot impacts with the ground. By measuring time intervals between these positive and negative spikes, average "foot contact times" and "foot loft times" of the user may be calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Personal Electronic Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Gaudet, Thomas P. Blackadar, Steven R. Oliver
  • Patent number: 6018705
    Abstract: The time period that a foot is in contact with the ground during a stride taken by a user, and the period that the foot is not in contact with the ground between strides taken by the user are determined by processing and analyzing the output signal of an accelerometer. The accelerometer is mounted on the user such that its acceleration sensing axis senses acceleration in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom of the user's foot. The output of the accelerometer is high-pass filtered, amplified, and fed to the input of a micro-controller, which monitors the signal for positive and negative signal spikes that are indicative, respectively, of the moment that the foot of the user leaves the ground and the moment that the foot impacts with the ground. By measuring time intervals between these positive and negative spikes, average "foot contact times" and "foot loft times" of the user may be calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Personal Electronic Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Gaudet, Thomas P. Blackadar, Steven R. Oliver
  • Patent number: 6013008
    Abstract: The invention presents a step count data control system allowing to walk easily and continuously in order to improve health or maintain health, which includes step counting means for counting the number of steps, input means 11 for entering the step count data, recording means 12 for recording daily step count data entered by the input means 11, operating means 14, 15, 16 for operating according to the step count data, and output means 17, 18 for issuing data, in which the step count data entered by the input means 11 and recorded in the recording means 12 is operated in the operating means 14, 15, 16, and the average in a month, the total, the target value in a month, the walking distance converted from the step count, evaluation, past record and its comparison, advice, comment and other data are issued to the output means 17, 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Inventor: Hironori Fukushima
  • Patent number: 5955667
    Abstract: A device comprised of at least a pair of accelerometers and a tilt sensor mounted in fixed relation to a datum defining plane (sole of a shoe) maybe used for extracting kinematic variables including linear and rotational acceleration, velocity and position. These variables may be resolved into a selected direction thereby permitting both relative and absolute kinematic quantities to be determined. The acceleration is determined using a small cluster of two mutually perpendicular accelerometers mounted on a shoe. Angular orientation of the foot may be determined by double integration of the foot's angular acceleration (which requires a third accelerometer substantially parallel to one of the two orthogonal accelerometers). The two orthogonal accelerations are then resolved into a net horizontal acceleration or other selected direction which may be integrated to find the foot velocity in the selected direction. The average of the foot velocity corresponds to the subject's gait speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventor: Kenneth Richard Fyfe