Swing compensation in step detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10564178-B2
Application number	US-201314044775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2013
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

Step detection accuracy in mobile devices is increased by determining whether swinging is taking place. According to the invention, swinging can be detected using threshold detection, Eigen analysis, hybrid frequency analysis, and/or gyroscope-based analysis, for example. The determination that swinging is (or may be) occurring can impact how the mobile device reports detected steps for step detection. A count of missteps and/or a level of certainty, based on swing detection, can be provided with a step count.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of swing compensation in step detection, the method comprising:
obtaining acceleration data indicative of movement of a mobile device;
determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in a hand of a user of the mobile device, wherein the determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in a hand of a user of the mobile device comprises determining, with a processing unit, that twice a frequency determined from the acceleration data falls within a predetermined range of known step rates; and
outputting step data based on:
the acceleration data, and
the determination whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user;

wherein outputting the step data comprises:
providing the step data to an application executed by the mobile device, or
causing the mobile device to send the step data to a separate device, or
any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user further comprises determining whether the acceleration data exceeds a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is between 10 and 12 m/s 2 .

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user further comprises calculating eigenvalues of the acceleration data.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining whether at least one eigenvalue exceeds a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining whether a ratio of the eigenvalues exceeds a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user further comprises conducting a frequency analysis of the acceleration data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the frequency analysis comprises autocorrelation.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the frequency analysis comprises combining the acceleration data with a nominal step rate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further including determining a probability related to the determination of whether the user made a step.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user further comprises:
estimating a direction of gravity;
determining an angle of the mobile device in relation to the direction of gravity; and
determining whether the angle exceeds a threshold value.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand is based, at least in part, on data from a gyroscope.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting step data comprises outputting a number of detected steps.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the number of detected steps is altered from an original number, based on the determination whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein outputting step data further comprises outputting a number of undetected steps.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein outputting step data further comprises outputting a probability associated with the number of detected steps.

17. An apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
a processing unit coupled to the memory and configured to perform functions including:
obtaining acceleration data indicative of movement of a mobile device;
determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in a hand of a user of the mobile device, wherein the determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in a hand of a user of the mobile device comprises determining that twice a frequency determined from the acceleration data falls within a predetermined range of known step rates; and
outputting step data based on:
the acceleration data, and
the determination whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user;

wherein outputting the step data comprises:
providing the step data to an application executed by the mobile device, or
causing the mobile device to send the step data to a separate device, or
any combination thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising an accelerometer communicatively coupled with the processing unit and configured to provide the acceleration data.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine a probability related to the determination of whether the user made a step.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user by:
estimating a direction of gravity;
determining an angle of the mobile device in relation to the direction of gravity; and
determining whether the angle exceeds a threshold value.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand is based, at least in part, on data from a gyroscope.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit is configured to output step data by outputting a number of detected steps.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the processing unit is configured to alter the number of detected steps from an original number, based on the determination whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to output a number of undetected steps.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to output a probability associated with the number of detected steps.

26. A device comprising:
means for obtaining acceleration data indicative of movement of a mobile device;
means for determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in a hand of a user of the mobile device, wherein the means for determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in a hand of a user of the mobile device comprises means for determining that twice a frequency determined from the acceleration data falls within a predetermined range of known step rates; and
means for outputting step data based on:
the acceleration data, and
the determination whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user;

wherein the means for outputting the step data comprises:
means for providing the step data to an application executed by the mobile device, or
means for causing the mobile device to send the step data to a separate device, or
any combination thereof.

27. The device of claim 26 , wherein the means for determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user further comprise means for calculating eigenvalues of the acceleration data.

28. The device of claim 27 , further comprising means for determining whether at least one eigenvalue exceeds a threshold value.

29. The device of claim 27 , further comprising means for determining whether a ratio of the eigenvalues exceeds a threshold value.

30. The device of claim 26 , wherein the means for determining whether the mobile device may be swinging in the hand of the user comprise means for conducting a frequency analysis of the acceleration data.

31. The device of claim 30 , wherein the frequency analysis comprises autocorrelation.

32. The device o

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Poduri Sameera
• Ahuja Disha
• Kulik Victor
• Pakzad Payam
• Palanki Ravi

Classifications

• G01C22/006 Primary

  Pedometers · CPC title

• G01P21/00 Primary

  Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups · CPC title