Standing-up assistance method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10912692-B2
Application number	US-201615083456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2016
Priority date	Nov 9, 2015
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A standing-up assistance method and apparatus may measure a pressure applied to a part of a body of a user, acquire information about a torque corresponding to the measured pressure, and provide an assistance force to the body of the user based on the information about the torque.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A standing-up assistance method performed by a standing-up assistance apparatus comprising:
measuring, via at least one sensor of the standing-up assistance apparatus, a magnitude of a pressure applied to a part of a body of a user by one or more hands of the user;
acquiring, by a processor of the standing-up assistance apparatus, a value of torque corresponding to the magnitude of the pressure; and
outputting, by at least one motor of the standing-up assistance apparatus, the torque based on the value of the torque for assisting a standing-up of the user, wherein the outputting includes outputting, via the at least one motor, the torque based on the value of the torque such that, when the magnitude of the pressure is less than a set threshold, a magnitude of the torque increases when the pressure increases, and when the magnitude of the pressure is greater than or equal to the set threshold, the magnitude of the torque is set to a preset maximum.

2. The standing-up assistance method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring comprises:
measuring the pressure applied to a knee of the user.

3. The standing-up assistance method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a moving state of the user, wherein
the value of the torque is acquired, if the determining determines that the moving state is a sit-to-stand state.

4. The standing-up assistance method of claim 3 , wherein the determining the moving state comprises:
measuring at least one joint angle of the user; and
determining the moving state based on the at least one joint angle.

5. The standing-up assistance method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one joint angle includes one or more of a left hip joint angle and a right hip joint angle of the user.

6. The standing-up assistance method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one joint angle includes one or more of a left knee joint angle and a right knee joint angle of the user.

7. The standing-up assistance method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one joint angle includes one or more of a left ankle joint angle and a right ankle joint angle of the user.

8. The standing-up assistance method of claim 3 , wherein the determining of the moving state comprises:
sensing an upper body movement associated with movement of an upper part of the body of the user; and
determining the moving state based on the upper body movement.

9. The standing-up assistance method of claim 8 , wherein the sensing comprises:
sensing the upper body movement using an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

10. The standing-up assistance method of claim 3 , wherein the determining of the moving state comprises:
measuring at least one joint angle of the user;
sensing an upper body movement associated with movement of an upper part of the body of the user;
estimating rotation information of one or more legs of the user based on the at least one joint angle and the upper body movement; and
determining the moving state based on the rotation information.

11. The standing-up assistance method of claim 10 , wherein the determining the moving state comprises:
determining which of a plurality of moving states corresponds to the rotation information.

12. The standing-up assistance method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of moving states includes at least a standing state, a sitting state, the sit-to-stand state and a stand-to-sit state.

13. The standing-up assistance method of claim 10 wherein the determining the moving state comprises:
determining which of a plurality of moving states corresponds to the at least one joint angle of the user.

14. The standing-up assistance method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a torque pattern associated with the value of the torque; and
generating a sit-to-stand pattern of the user based on the torque pattern.

15. The standing-up assistance method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining a moving state of the user, wherein
the force torque is output if the determining determines that the moving state is a sit-to-stand state, and
the outputting the torque includes,
setting a second value of torque corresponding to the sit-to-stand pattern, when the sit-to-stand pattern is generated; and
outputting a torque based on the second value of the torque.

16. The standing-up assistance method of claim 14 , wherein the generating the sit-to-stand pattern comprises:
adjusting the sit-to-stand pattern based on one or more additional torque patterns associated with the sit-to-stand pattern.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acquiring comprises:
calculating the value of the torque such that the value of the torque is proportional to the magnitude of the pressure based on a preset constant.

18. A standing-up assistance apparatus comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to measure a magnitude of pressure applied to a part of a body of a user by one or more hands of the user;
a processor configured to acquire a value of torque corresponding to the magnitude of the pressure; and
a driver configured to output the torque based on the value of the torque for assisting a standing-up of the user, the driver configured to output the torque based on the value of the torque such that, when the magnitude of the pressure is less than a set threshold, a magnitude of the torque increases when the pressure increases, and when the magnitude of the pressure is greater than or equal to the set threshold, the magnitude of the torque is set to a preset maximum.

19. The standing-up assistance apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to measure a pressure applied to a knee of the user by the one or more hands of the user.

20. The standing-up assistance apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to,
determine a moving state of the user, and
acquire the value of the torque, if the processor determines that the moving state is a sit-to-stand state.

21. The standing-up assistance apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising:
an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to sense an upper body movement associated with movement of an upper part of the body of the user, wherein
the processor is configured to determine the moving state based on the upper body movement.

22. The standing-up assistance apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising:
at least one joint angle sensor configured to measure at least one joint angle of the user; and
an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to sense an upper body movement associated with movement of an upper part of the body of the user, wherein
the processor is configured to,
estimate rotation information of one or more legs of the user based on the at least one joint angle and the upper body movement, and
determine the moving state based on the rotation information.

23. The standing-up assistance apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store a torque pattern associated with the value of the torque, wherein
the processor is configured to generate a sit-to-stand pattern of the user based on the torque pattern.

24. The standing-up assistance apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the processor is configured to,
determine a moving state of the user,
set a second value of torque corresponding to the sit-to-stand pattern, if the moving state is a sit-to-stand state and the sit-to-stand pattern is generated, and
instruct the driver to output a torque to the body of the user bas

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Kyung-Rock

Classifications

• A61H1/0244 Primary

  Hip (A61H1/0255 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61H2201/1628

  Pelvis · CPC title

• A61H2201/5058

  Sensors or detectors · CPC title

• A61H2201/5061

  Force sensors · CPC title

• A61H2201/164

  Feet or leg, e.g. pedal · CPC title