# US 10,945,908 B2 · Walking assistance method and apparatuses performing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,908 B2 - Document ID: US10945908B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/972,941 - Filed: 2015-12-17 - Published: 2017-01-26 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-23 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Bokman Lim; Kyung-Rock Kim; Youngbo Shim; Jusuk Lee; Jun-Won Jang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945908B2 ## 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}) - A61H 1/0244: {Hip (A61H1/0255 takes precedence)} - A61H 2201/1215: Rotary drive - A61H 2201/1628: Pelvis - A61H 2201/163: holding means therefor - A61H 2201/164: Feet or leg, e.g. pedal - A61H 2201/1642: Holding means therefor - A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces - A61H 2201/1671: rotational - A61H 2201/5007: computer controlled - A61H 2201/5035: Several programs selectable - A61H 2201/5046: Touch screens - A61H 2203/0406: Standing on the feet - 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) ## Abstract A walking assistance method may include receiving at least one abnormal gait type selected from a plurality of abnormal gait types, and differently controlling a walking assistance apparatus based on the at least one abnormal gait type. Therefore, the walking assistance method may effectively assist various types of abnormal gaits. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A walking assistance apparatus comprising: a driver configured to assist a user, the user having a functional disorder causing the user to have at least one abnormal gait type; a memory configured to store torque parameters in association with respective ones of a plurality of abnormal gait types; an receiver configured to receive an information of a selection of the at least one abnormal gait type from among the plurality of abnormal gait types that are selectable by the user via the receiver; and a controller configured to, acquire, from the memory, at least one torque parameter associated with the information of the selection of the at least one abnormal gait type from among the torque parameters, and control the driver based on the at least one torque parameter such that the walking assistance apparatus compensates for the functional disorder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate an assist torque profile based on the at least one torque parameter associated with the at least one abnormal gait type, and the driver is configured to operate based on the assist torque profile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to generate the assist torque profile based on first torque parameters corresponding to a first abnormal gait type of the at least one abnormal gait type and second torque parameters corresponding to a second abnormal gait type of the at least one abnormal gait type. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to combine the first torque parameters and the second torque parameters to generate the assist torque profile. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to add the first torque parameters and the second torque parameters based on a weight to generate the assist torque profile. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to read, from the memory, the at least one torque parameter associated with the at least one abnormal gait type such that the at least one torque parameter read from the memory includes at least a time at which the assist torque profile reaches a peak, a quantity of torque corresponding to the peak and a duration of the peak. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one abnormal gait type comprises: at least one of a crouch gait, a steppage gait, an antalgic gait, an ataxic gait, a festinating gait, a vaulting gait, a lurching gait, an equinus gait, a short leg gait, a hemiplegic gait, a circumduction gait, a tabetic gait, a neurogenic gait, a scissoring gait, and a Parkinsonian gait. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display the at least one abnormal gait type on a display. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 8, wherein the display is included in at least one of the walking assistance apparatus and an external apparatus in communication with the walking assistance apparatus. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 9, wherein the external apparatus is at least one of an electronic apparatus and a remote controller, the remote controller configured to control the walking assistance apparatus, and the electronic apparatus configured to communicate with at least one of the walking assistance apparatus and the remote controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive the torque parameters, and the torque parameters are generated by calculating an objective function based on a gait motion generated using a first torque and a second torque, the first torque being a torque mapped to at least one joint of the user for each of the plurality of abnormal gait types, and the second torque being a torque to be generated by the walking assistance apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A walking assistance system comprising: the walking assistance apparatus of claim 1; and a remote controller configured to control the walking assistance apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A walking assistance system comprising: the walking assistance apparatus of claim 1; and a parameter generation apparatus configured to generate torque parameters by, generating a gait motion based on a first torque and a second torque, the first torque being a torque mapped to at least one joint of the user for each of the plurality of abnormal gait types, and the second torque being a torque to be generated by the walking assistance apparatus, calculating a value of an objective function based on the gait motion, the objective function having inputs thereto including at least one of an energy consumption of the gait motion, a style error of the gait motion and a balance of the gait motion, and generating the torque parameters corresponding to each assist torque profile of the abnormal gait types based on the value of the objective function. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The walking assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the at least one abnormal gait type without utilizing a sensor to sense to sense motion of joints of the user such that the at least one abnormal gait type is determined without reference to sensor data.