# US 11,304,627 B2 · Balance training apparatus and control program of balance training apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,627 B2 - Document ID: US11304627B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/814,133 - Filed: 2020-03-10 - Published: 2020-09-17 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-15 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yoh Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304627B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions} - A61B 5/4023: {Evaluating sense of balance} - A61H 1/00: Apparatus for passive exercising (A61H5/00 takes precedence); Vibrating apparatus; Chiropractic devices, e.g. body impacting devices, external devices for briefly extending or aligning unbroken bones - A61H 1/0262: {Walking movement; Appliances for aiding disabled persons to walk (A61H3/00 takes precedence)} - A63B 22/20: using rollers, wheels, castors or the like, {e.g. gliding means,} to be moved over the floor or other surface, {e.g. guide tracks,} during exercising - A63B 26/003: {for improving balance or equilibrium (balance beams A63B4/00; apparatus for rope dancing A63B7/08; balancing drums, balancing boards or the like A63B22/16)} - A61B 5/1036: {Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies} - A61B 2505/09: Rehabilitation or training - A61H 2201/1215: Rotary drive - A61H 2201/5007: computer controlled - A61H 2201/5046: Touch screens - A61H 2201/5061: Force sensors - A61H 2203/0406: Standing on the feet - A63B 71/0054: {Features for injury prevention on an apparatus, e.g. shock absorbers (mats or the like for absorbing shocks for jumping A63B6/00)} - A63B 71/0622: {Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user} - A63B 2220/13: Relative positions - A63B 2220/52: Weight, e.g. weight distribution - A63B 2220/80: Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor - A63B 2220/833: Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement - A63B 2225/02: Testing, calibrating or measuring of equipment - A63B 2225/50: Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - 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) - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract The balance training apparatus includes: a moving cart capable of moving on a moving surface by driving a driving unit; a detection unit configured to detect a load received from a foot of a trainee who is standing on the moving cart; a calculation unit configured to calculate the center of gravity of loads of both feet of the trainee on a riding surface from, the load detected by the detection unit; a setting unit configured to set the center of gravity of the loads at which it is estimated that the trainee has maintained an upright state on the riding surface as a reference center of gravity; and an instruction controller configured to output an instruction of the orientation of the body to the trainee and an instruction to move the center of gravity to the trainee. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A balance training apparatus comprising: a moving cart capable of moving on a moving surface by driving a driving unit: a detection unit configured to detect a load received from a foot of a trainee who is standing on the moving cart; a calculation unit configured to calculate a center of gravity of loads of both feet of the trainee on a riding surface from the load detected by the detection unit; a setting unit configured to set the center of, gravity of the loads at which it is estimated that the trainee has maintained an upright state on the riding surface as a reference center of gravity; and an instruction controller configured to output an instruction of an orientation of a body to the trainee and an instruction to move the center of gravity to the trainee, wherein the calculation unit determines the orientation of the body of the trainee based on a change direction of the center of gravity of the loads from the reference center of gravity when the trainee has moved his/her center of gravity in accordance with the instruction from the instruction controller, and outputs an operation instruction to the driving unit when it is determined that a result of the determination is appropriate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The balance training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the reference center of gravity based on the center of gravity of the loads calculated by the calculation unit in a calibration operation that the trainee performs prior to trial of the training. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The balance training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instruction controller outputs a center of gravity moving instruction to the trainee who is in an upright state to cause the trainee to move one foot, and the calculation unit outputs the operation instruction to the driving unit when a displacement direction of the center of gravity of the loads of the trainee from the reference center of gravity after the instruction for moving the center of gravity is a direction along a preset displacement direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The balance training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit switches a front/back training mode in which a frontal direction of the body of the trainee matches a moving direction of the moving cart and a right/left training mode in which the frontal direction of the body of the trainee is substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving cart based on an external instruction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The balance training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit instructs the instruction controller to display a position of the center of gravity of the loads of the trainee, and after it is determined that the center of gravity of the loads of the trainee remains in a preset measurement start position for a predetermined period of time, the calculation unit instructs the instruction controller to cause the trainee to move the center of gravity. ### Claim 6 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a control program of a balance training apparatus in which a trainee who is standing on a moving cart that moves on a moving surface performs balance training, the control program causing a computer to execute the following steps: a center of gravity calculation step for calculating the center of gravity of loads of both feet of the trainee on a riding surface from a load detected by a detection unit mounted on the moving cart; a reference center of gravity setting step for setting the center of gravity of the loads at which it is estimated that the trainee has maintained an upright state on the riding surface as a reference center of gravity; an instruction control step for outputting an instruction of an orientation of a body to the trainee and an instruction to move the center of gravity to the trainee; and a control determination step for determining the orientation of the body of the trainee based on a change direction of the center of gravity of the loads from the reference center of gravity when the trainee has moved his/her center of gravity in the instruction output in the instruction control step and performing control to move the moving cart when it is determined that a result of the determination is appropriate.