Assistance apparatus and assistance method

An assistance apparatus comprising:

• an upper body belt configured to be worn on an upper body of a user;
• a first knee belt configured to be worn above a left knee of the user;
• a second knee belt configured to be worn above a right knee of the user;
• a first wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other on a front side of the user;
• a second wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the first wire extends on the front side of the user;
• a third wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other on a back side of the user;
• a fourth wire that couples the upper body belt and the first knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the third wire extends on the back side of the user;
• a fifth wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other on the back side of the user;
• a sixth wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the fifth wire extends on the back side of the user;
• a seventh wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other on the front side of the user;
• an eighth wire that couples the upper body belt and the second knee belt to each other and that extends in a direction crossing a direction in which the seventh wire extends on the front side of the user;
• a control circuit;
• and
• first motors, wherein
• the first wire and the fourth wire extend upward from the first knee belt toward a right side of the user,
• the second wire and the third wire extend upward from the first knee belt toward a left side of the user,
• the fifth wire and the eighth wire extend upward from the second knee belt toward the left side of the user,
• the sixth wire and the seventh wire extend upward from the second knee belt toward the right side of the user,
• when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn left, the control circuit causes the first motors to generate, when a left leg of the user is in a stance phase and a right leg of the user is in a swing phase, first tensions in the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eighth wire at a first identical timing, each of the first tensions being larger than or equal to a first threshold,
• when the assistance apparatus assists the user in moving to turn right, the control circuit causes the first motors to generate, when the left leg is in a swing phase and the right leg is in a stance phase, second tensions in the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eighth wire at a second identical timing, each of the second tensions being larger than or equal to the first threshold, and
• the control circuit causes the first motors to generate the first tensions and the second tensions using information obtained from force sensors or drive amounts of the first motors.

An assistance method for assisting a user in moving by using wires attached to the user,

• the wires including a first wire, a second wire, a third wire, and a fourth wire that couple an upper body belt configured to be worn on an upper body of the user and a first knee belt configured to be worn above a left knee of the user to each other, and a fifth wire, a sixth wire, a seventh wire, and an eighth wire that couple the upper body belt and a second knee belt configured to be worn above a right knee of the user to each other,
• the first wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward a right side of the user on a front side of the user,
• the second wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward a left side of the user on the front side of the user, the second wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the first wire extends,
• the third wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward the left side of the user on a back side of the user,
• the fourth wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward the right side of the user on the back side of the user, the fourth wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the third wire extends,
• the fifth wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the left side of the user on the back side of the user,
• the sixth wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the right side of the user on the back side of the user, the sixth wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the fifth wire extends,
• the seventh wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the right side of the user on the front side of the user, and
• the eighth wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the left side of the user on the front side of the user, the eighth wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the seventh wire extends,
• the assistance method comprising:
• when assisting the user in moving to turn left, causing, by a control circuit, first motors to generate, when a left leg of the user is in a swing phase and a right leg of the user is in a stance phase, first tensions in the second wire, the third wire, the sixth wire, and the seventh wire at a first identical timing, each of the first tensions being larger than or equal to a first threshold,
• when assisting the user in moving to turn right, causing, by a control circuit, the first motors to generate, when the left leg is in a stance phase and the right leg is in a swing phase, second tensions in the second wire, the third wire, the sixth wire, and the seventh wire at a second identical timing, each of the second tensions being larger than or equal to the first threshold,
• wherein the control circuit causes the first motors to generate the first tensions and the second tensions using information obtained from force sensors or drive amounts of the first motors.

An assistance method for assisting a user in moving by using wires attached to the user,

• the wires including a first wire, a second wire, a third wire, and a fourth wire that couple an upper body belt configured to be worn on an upper body of the user and a first knee belt configured to be worn above a left knee of the user to each other, and a fifth wire, a sixth wire, a seventh wire, and an eighth wire that couple the upper body belt and a second knee belt configured to be worn above a right knee of the user to each other,
• the first wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward a right side of the user on a front side of the user,
• the second wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward a left side of the user on the front side of the user, the second wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the first wire extends,
• the third wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward the left side of the user on a back side of the user,
• the fourth wire extending upward from the first knee belt toward the right side of the user on the back side of the user, the fourth wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the third wire extends,
• the fifth wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the left side of the user on the back side of the user,
• the sixth wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the right side of the user on the back side of the user, the sixth wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the fifth wire extends,
• the seventh wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the right side of the user on the front side of the user, and
• the eighth wire extending upward from the second knee belt toward the left side of the user on the front side of the user, the eighth wire extending in a direction crossing a direction in which the seventh wire extends,
• the assistance method comprising:
• when assisting the user in moving to turn left, causing, by a control circuit, first motors to generate, when a left leg of the user is in a stance phase and a right leg of the user is in a swing phase, first tensions in the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eighth wire at a first identical timing, each of the first tensions being larger than or equal to a first threshold,
• when assisting the user in moving to turn right, causing, by the control circuit, the first motors to generate, when the left leg is in a swing phase and the right leg is in a stance phase, second tensions in the first wire, the fourth wire, the fifth wire, and the eighth wire at a second identical timing, each of the second tensions being larger than or equal to the first threshold,
• wherein the control circuit causes the first motors to generate the first tensions and the second tensions using information obtained from force sensors or drive amounts of the first motors.

An assistance apparatus comprising:

• an upper body belt configured to be worn on an upper body of a user;
• a first knee belt configured to be worn above a left knee of the user;
• a second knee belt configured to be worn above a right knee of the user;
• wires including a first wire, a second wire, a third wire, a fourth wire, a fifth wire, a sixth wire, a seventh wire, and an eighth wire;
• motors including a first motor, a second motor, a third motor, and a fourth motor;
• a control circuit;
• and
• a walk timing detecting unit that determines a 65% period of a gait cycle of a left leg of the user and a 15% period of the gait cycle based on of information obtained by a sensor,
• wherein the first wire coupled to a first portion of the upper body belt and to the first knee belt, the upper body belt having the first portion configured to be worn on a front side of the user, the first wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the first knee belt to upper right of the user,
• wherein the second wire coupled to the upper body belt and to the first knee belt, the second wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the first knee belt to upper left of the user, the longitudinal direction of the second wire crossing the longitudinal direction of the first wire above the front side,
• wherein the fourth wire coupled to a fourth portion of the upper body belt and to the first knee belt, the upper body belt having the fourth portion configured to be worn on a back side of the user, the fourth wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the first knee belt to upper right of the user,
• wherein the third wire coupled to the upper body belt and to the first knee belt, the third wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the first knee belt to upper left of the user, the longitudinal direction of the third wire crossing the longitudinal direction of the fourth wire above the back side,
• wherein the fifth wire coupled to a fifth portion of the upper body belt and to the second knee belt, the upper body belt having the fifth portion configured to be worn on the back side, the fifth wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the second knee belt to upper left of the user,
• wherein the sixth wire coupled to the upper body belt and to the second knee belt, the sixth wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the second knee belt to upper right of the user, the longitudinal direction of the sixth wire crossing the longitudinal direction of the fifth wire above the back side,
• wherein the eighth wire coupled to an eighth portion of the upper body belt and to the second knee belt, the upper body belt having the eighth portion configured to be worn on the front side, the eighth wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the second knee belt to upper left of the user,
• wherein the seventh wire coupled to the upper body belt and to the second knee belt, the seventh wire having a longitudinal direction extending from the second knee belt to upper right of the user, the longitudinal direction of the seventh wire crossing the longitudinal direction of the eighth wire above the front side,
• wherein when the user turns left,
• (i) the control circuit causes the first motor to generate a first tension equal to or more than a first value in the second wire from the 65% period of a gait cycle of a left leg of the user, a 0% period of the gait cycle of the left leg being defined when a left heel of the user touches a ground or a floor,
• (ii) the control circuit causes the second motor to generate a second tension equal to or more than the first value in the third wire from the 65% period,
• (iii) the control circuit causes the third motor to generate a third tension equal to or more than the first value in the sixth wire from the 65% period, and
• (iv) the control circuit causes the fourth motor to generate a fourth tension equal to or more than the first value in the seventh wire from the 65% period,
• wherein when the user turns right,
• (v) the control circuit causes the first motor to generate a fifth tension equal to or more than the first value in the second wire from the 15% period of the gait cycle,
• (vi) the control circuit causes the second motor to generate a sixth tension equal to or more than the first value in the third wire from the 15% period,
• (vii) the control circuit causes the third motor to generate a seventh tension equal to or more than the first value in the sixth wire from the 15% period, and
• (viii) the control circuit causes the fourth motor to generate an eighth tension equal to or more than the first value in the seventh wire from the 15% period, and
• wherein the control circuit causes the motors to generate the first tension to the eighth tension using information obtained from forces sensors or drive amounts of the motors.