System and method for detecting steps with double validation
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsFabio Passaniti, Enrico Rosario Alessi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for detecting steps of a user includes processing circuitry and a sensor configured to detect a variation of electrostatic charge of the user during a step of the user and generate a charge-variation signal. An accelerometer is configured to detect an acceleration as a consequence of the step and generate an acceleration signal. The processing circuitry is configured to: acquire the charge-variation signal; acquire the acceleration signal; detect, in the charge-variation signal, a first characteristic identifying the step; detect, in the acceleration signal, a second characteristic identifying the step. If both of the first and second characteristics have been detected, the presence of the step can be validated.
Claims29
A system for detecting a step of a user, comprising:
- processing circuitry;
- a sensor coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to detect a variation of electrostatic charge of the user during execution of a step by the user and generate a charge-variation signal;
- and
- an accelerometer coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to detect an acceleration as a consequence of the step of the user and generate an acceleration signal,
- wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
- acquire the charge-variation signal;
- acquire the acceleration signal;
- detect, in the charge-variation signal, a first charge-variation characteristic identifying the step of the user;
- detect, in the acceleration signal, a second acceleration signal characteristic identifying the step of the user, wherein one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic is detected prior to detecting the other of the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and the other of the first characteristic and second characteristics is detected only in a case where the one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic has been detected;
- and
- validate the execution of the step by the user in response to detecting both the first and the second characteristics.
A method for detecting a step of a user, comprising:
- supplying a charge-variation signal by a sensor configured to detect a variation of electrostatic charge of the user during the execution of a step by the user;
- supplying an acceleration signal by an accelerometer coupled to processing circuitry and configured to detect an acceleration as a consequence of the step of the user;
- detecting, in the charge-variation signal, a first charge-variation characteristic identifying the step of the user;
- detecting, in the acceleration signal, a second acceleration signal characteristic identifying the step of the user, wherein one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic is detected prior to detecting the other of the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and the other of the first characteristic and second characteristics is detected only in a case where the one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic has been detected;
- and
- validating the execution of the step by the user in response to detecting both of the first and second characteristics.
A device, comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- processing circuitry coupled to the memory, wherein the processing circuitry, in operation:
- detects, in a charge-variation signal, a first charge-variation characteristic identifying a user-step;
- detects, in an acceleration signal, a second acceleration signal characteristic identifying the user-step, wherein one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic is detected prior to detecting the other of the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and the other of the first characteristic and second characteristics is detected only in a case where the one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic has been detected;
- and
- in response to detecting both the first and the second characteristics, detects the user-step.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having contents which cause a processing device to perform a method, the method comprising:
- detecting, in a charge-variation signal, a first charge-variation characteristic identifying a user-step;
- detecting, in an acceleration signal, a second acceleration signal characteristic identifying the user-step, wherein one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic is detected prior to detecting the other of the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and the other of the first characteristic and second characteristics is detected only in a case where the one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic has been detected;
- and
- in response to detecting both the first and the second characteristics, detecting the user-step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.