Assisting torque setting method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865709-B2
Application number	US-201916679895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2019
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Provided is an assisting torque setting apparatus and method, wherein the apparatus is configured to calculate an evaluation value of at least one index based on gait data of a user, set a stable assisting torque based on the evaluation value, set a basic assisting torque corresponding to a gait motion of the user based on the gait data, and set a final assisting torque based on the stable assisting torque and the basic assisting torque.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assisting torque setting method comprising:
receiving gait data of a user;
setting a stable assisting torque using an evaluation value of at least one index calculated based on the gait data by classifying the gait data based on a stride and calculating the evaluation value of the at least one index based on the classified gait data,
setting a basic assisting torque corresponding to a gait motion of the user calculated based on the gait data, and
setting a final assisting torque based on the stable assisting torque and the basic assisting torque.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting a stable assisting torque comprises:
calculating a weight of the at least one index based on a difference between the evaluation value and a threshold corresponding to the at least one index; and
calculating the stable assisting torque by applying the weight to an initial stable assisting torque corresponding to the at least one index.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one index comprises at least one of a gait symmetry indicating a degree of symmetry between both legs of the user, a stride length of the user, a stride width of the user, a foot clearance indicating a space between a ground and a foot of the user, a landing speed indicating a speed of the foot descending to the ground, and a walk ratio.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the calculating the evaluation value of the at least one index comprises:
comparing the evaluation value to the threshold corresponding to the at least one index, and
determining whether a gait of the user is stable based on the at least one index.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the calculating the weight of the at least one index comprises:
setting “0” as a weight of the at least one index in which the gait of the user is stable.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the calculating the weight of the at least one index comprises:
calculating the weight by normalizing the difference between the evaluation value and the threshold.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the calculating the stable assisting torque comprises:
setting the initial stable assisting torque based on the gait data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein setting the initial stable assisting torque based on the gait data comprises:
setting the initial stable assisting torque for a gait symmetry based on a difference between a trajectory of a left hip joint angle and a trajectory of a right hip joint angle in the gait data.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein setting the initial stable assisting torque based on the gait data comprises:
extracting an intersecting point in time at which a left leg and a right leg of the user intersect, based on a trajectory of the left hip joint angle and a trajectory of the right hip-joint angle in the gait data, and
setting a peak torque of a period of time from the intersecting point in time as the initial stable assisting torque of a stride length of the user.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein setting the initial stable assisting torque based on the gait data comprises:
extracting a point in time at which a swinging leg of the user approaches a ground based on the trajectory of the left hip joint angle and the trajectory of the right hip joint angle in the gait data, and
setting a peak torque of a predetermined period of time from the extracted point in time as the initial stable assisting torque of a foot clearance indicating a space between a ground and a foot of the user.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the evaluation value of the at least one index comprises:
estimating a similarity between a trajectory of a left hip joint angle and a trajectory of a right hip joint angle of the user in the gait data, and
determining the similarity as an evaluation value of a gait symmetry.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the estimating the similarity comprises:
estimating the similarity between the trajectory of the left hip joint angle and the trajectory of the right hip joint angle of the user based on a dynamic time warping (DTW).

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the evaluation value of the at least one index comprises:
estimating, with respect to a plurality of strides, an average stride length by calculating an average of a left hip joint angle range and a right hip joint angle range in the gait data, and
determining the average stride length as an evaluation value of a stride length of the user.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the evaluation value of the at least one index comprises:
extracting, with respect to a plurality of strides, a maximum flexion angle of a left hip joint and a maximum flexion angle of a right hip joint from the gait data, and
determining the maximum flexion angle of the left hip joint and the maximum flexion angle of the right hip joint as an evaluation value of a foot clearance indicating a space between a ground and a foot of the user.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recognizing the gait motion of the user based on the gait data, and
wherein the setting the basic assisting torque includes setting the basic assisting torque as “0” in response to recognizing that the user does not perform the gait motion.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting the basic assisting torque comprises:
estimating a periodicity of the gait motion of the user by applying the gait data to an adaptive oscillator (AO), and
setting an assisting torque corresponding to the estimated periodicity as the basic assisting torque.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting the basic assisting torque comprises:
modeling the gait motion of the user to be in a plurality of states,
recognizing a gait state corresponding to the gait motion of the user among the plurality of states by applying the gait data to a finite state machine (FSM), and
setting an assisting torque obtained based on the recognized gait state as the basic assisting torque.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting a final assisting torque comprises
setting a value having a greater absolute value between the stable assisting torque and the basic assisting torque, as the final assisting torque.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

20. A walking assistance method comprising:
receiving gait data of a user; and
classifying the gait data based on a stride,
calculating an evaluation value of at least one index based on the classified gait data,
setting a stable assisting torque based on the evaluation value,
setting a basic assisting torque corresponding to a gait motion of the user based on the gait data, and
setting a final assisting torque based on the stable assisting torque and the basic assisting torque, and
controlling driving of a walking assistance apparatus based on the final assisting torque.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shim Youngbo
• Ahn Sunghwan
• Hyung Seungyong
• Park Youngjin
• Seo Keehong
• Lim Bokman

Classifications

• B25J9/0006 Primary

  Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure · CPC title

• A61F2/70

  electrical · CPC title

• A61H3/00 Primary

  Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about (apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04 {; applying electrical currents by contact electrodes for stimulating motor muscles, e.g. walking assistance A61N1/36003}) · CPC title

• B25J9/1671

  characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems · CPC title

• A61F2002/701

  operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors · CPC title