# US 10,117,801 B2 · Walking assistance robot and method of controlling the walking assistance robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,117,801 B2 - Document ID: US10117801B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/498,133 - Filed: 2014-09-26 - Published: 2015-05-07 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-07 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Bok Man Lim; Kee Hong Seo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117801B2 ## CPC - A61H 3/00: 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}) - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61H 1/024: {Knee (A61H1/0255 takes precedence)} - A61H 1/0244: {Hip (A61H1/0255 takes precedence)} - A61H 1/0266: {Foot} - A61H 2201/0176: By stopping operation - A61H 2201/0184: by raising an alarm - A61H 2201/1215: Rotary drive - A61H 2201/1246: by piston-cylinder systems - A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces - A61H 2201/1676: Pivoting - A61H 2201/5002: Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient - A61H 2201/5007: computer controlled - A61H 2201/5058: Sensors or detectors - A61H 2201/5061: Force sensors - A61H 2201/5069: Angle sensors - A61H 2201/5079: Velocity sensors - A61H 2201/5084: Acceleration sensors - A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract Disclosed are a walking assistance robot and a method of controlling the walking assistance robot. The control method includes collecting motion information by sensing or measuring a motion of at least one joint, determining a motion state of the at least one joint based on the sensed or measured motion of the at least one joint, and controlling the walking assistance robot based on the determined motion state of the at least one joint. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling movement of a walking assistance robot, the method comprising: collecting motion information by sensing or measuring a motion of at least one joint of the walking assistance robot; calculating power or work of the at least one joint based on the sensed or measured motion of the at least one joint; determining a motion state of the at least one joint based on a sign of the power or the work, the motion state of the at least one joint including a positive work state and a negative work state; calculating torque to apply to the walking assistance robot based on the motion state such that the torque selectively includes different combinations of an active component and a damping component based on the motion state; and controlling the movement of the walking assistance robot based on the torque of the at least one joint by, accelerating the motion of the at least one joint when the motion of the at least one joint is in the positive work state, and decelerating the motion of the at least one joint when the motion of the at least one joint is in the negative work state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a motion state includes determining if the motion state of the at least one joint is changed based on the motion of the at least one joint. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining if the at least one joint is in the positive work state or the negative work state further includes, determining that the at least one joint is in the positive work state if the power or the work is a positive number, and determining that the at least one joint is in the negative work state if the power or the work is a negative number. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein collecting motion information includes collecting motion information related to the motion of the at least one joint associated with at least one point in time, the motion information including at least one of an angle of the at least one joint, an angular velocity of the at least one joint, an angular acceleration of the at least one joint, a walking speed of the walking assistance robot, and ground reaction force (GRF) exerted by a ground on the walking assistance robot. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein determining a motion state includes: calculating the power or the work based on the torque of the at least one joint. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein accelerating the motion includes applying the active component of the torque to the at least one joint, the active component of the torque determined using a torque variation pattern calculated based on previous motion of the at least one joint. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, further comprising: determining the torque variation pattern based on a time a walking stage changed from a previous walking state to a current walking state, information regarding a torque variation position, and information regarding maximum joint torque in the current walking state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein a weighting value based on similarity of a walking period between a wearer and the walking assistance robot is added to the active component of the torque applied to the at least one joint upon acceleration of the motion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein decelerating the motion includes applying the damping component of the torque or the damping component of the torque reflecting a weighting value to the at least one joint, the damping component of the torque based on an angular velocity of the at least one joint, and the weighting value based on similarity of a walking period between a wearer and the walking assistance robot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of accelerating the motion and decelerating the motion includes additionally applying a dynamic compensation torque to the at least one joint. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one joint includes one or more of a hip joint, a knee joint, and an ankle joint.