# US 11,304,828 B2 · Motion assistance apparatus and method of controlling the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,828 B2 - Document ID: US11304828B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/277,107 - Filed: 2019-02-15 - Published: 2019-06-13 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-24 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Taesin Ha; ChangHyun Roh; Youngbo Shim; Joon-Kee Cho; Byung-Kwon Choi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304828B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/70: electrical - 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 31/00: Artificial respiration by a force applied to the chest; Heart stimulation, e.g. heart massage (applying electric currents by contact electrodes for stimulation, e.g. heart pace-makers, A61N1/36 {; teaching or training models, demonstration models for medical purposes G09B23/288}) - B25J 9/0006: {Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure} - A61H 1/0262: {Walking movement; Appliances for aiding disabled persons to walk (A61H3/00 takes precedence)} - A61H 2201/0176: By stopping operation - A61H 2201/1628: Pelvis - A61H 2201/163: holding means therefor - A61H 2201/1642: Holding means therefor - A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces - A61H 2201/1652: Harness - A61H 2201/50: Control means thereof - A61H 2201/5025: Activation means - A61H 2201/5058: Sensors or detectors - A61H 2201/5066: Limit switches - A61H 2203/0406: Standing on the feet - A61H 2205/088: Hip - A61H 2205/10: Leg - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - 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) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A motion assistance apparatus may include a first fixing member to be fixed to a portion of a user, a second fixing member to be fixed to another portion of the user, a driving source provided in the first fixing member, a power transmitting member connected between the driving source and the second fixing member, a sensing portion configured to sense a fixing state of the first fixing member or the second fixing member, and a controller configured to control the driving source based on information received from the sensing portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a motion assistance apparatus, the motion assistance apparatus including a driving source having a motor, a main fixing member including a first end and a second end, the first end of the main fixing member configured to selectively connect to the second end of the main fixing member to switch the main fixing member from a main unfixed state to a main fixed state in which the main fixing member encircles a first portion of a user that is not legs of the user, an action side fixing member including a first end and a second end, the first end of the action side fixing member configured to selectively connect to the second end of the action side fixing member to switch the action side fixing member from an action side unfixed state to an action side fixed state in which the action side fixing member encircles one or more of the legs of the user, a power transmitting member including a first end and a second end, the first end of the power transmitting member connected to the driving source and the second end of the power transmitting member connected to the action side fixing member such that the power transmitting member is configured to transmit power between the driving source and the action side fixing member, and a controller configured to control the driving source, the method comprising: performing, by the controller, a motion assistance operation for the user in response to the action side fixing member being set to the action side fixed state to encircle the one or more of the legs of the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the performing comprises: reducing the power transmitted to the action side fixing member when the action side fixing member is unfixed and both of the legs of the user are in contact with a ground. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sensing, via one or more sensors, whether the user is walking in an upward inclined direction or in a downward inclined direction, wherein the performing includes transmitting the power until both legs of the user are in contact with a ground when the action side fixing member is unstrapped around the one or more of the legs of the user while the sensing senses that user is walking in the downward inclined direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sensing, via one or more sensors, whether the user is walking in an upward inclined direction or in a downward inclined direction, wherein the performing includes reducing the power transmitted to the action side fixing member when the action side fixing member is unstrapped around the one or more of the legs of the user while the sensing senses that the user is walking in the upward inclined direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sensing, via one or more sensors, when the action side fixing member is a unfixed action side fixing member set to the action side unfixed state, whether the unfixed action side fixing member is performing a moving function or a supporting function, wherein the performing includes reducing the power transmitted to the unfixed action side fixing member when the sensing senses that the unfixed action side fixing member is performing the moving function. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the performing further comprises: transmitting the power until the unfixed action side fixing member switches to performing the moving function when the sensing senses that the unfixed action side fixing member is performing the supporting function. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sensing, via one or more sensors, whether the action side fixing member is set to the action side fixed state to encircle the one or more of the legs of the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the performing includes selectively performing, by the controller, the motion assistance operation for the user based on whether data from the one or more sensors indicate that the action side fixing member is set to the action side fixed state to encircle the one or more of the legs of the user.