# US 11,998,459 B2 · Gait assistance apparatus and operating method thereof

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- Number: US 11,998,459 B2
- Document ID: US11998459B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/463,900
- Filed: 2021-09-01
- Published: 2021-12-23
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-31
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Bokman Lim; Kyung-Rock Kim; Youngbo Shim; Jun-Won Jang; Seungyong Hyung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998459B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/70: electrical
- A61B 5/112: {Gait analysis}
- 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})
- A63B 21/4009: {to the waist}
- A63B 21/4011: {to the lower limbs (means for physically limiting movements of body parts A63B69/0057)}
- A63B 23/0405: {involving a bending of the knee and hip joints simultaneously (A63B23/0476 takes precedence)}
- A63B 24/0006: {Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement}
- A63B 24/0087: {Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load}
- A61B 2505/09: Rehabilitation or training
- A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
- A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors
- A61B 2562/0252: Load cells
- A61B 2562/0261: Strain gauges
- A61H 2003/007: {secured to the patient, e.g. with belts}
- A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces
- A61H 2201/1652: Harness
- A61H 2201/50: Control means thereof
- A61H 2201/5069: Angle sensors
- A61H 2201/5079: Velocity sensors
- A63B 2024/0009: {Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user}
- 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)
- 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

A gait assistance apparatus including at least one sensor configured to sense a step motion of a user, and an operator configured to determine assistance forces of a right step and a left step of the user based on step motion information of the user and adjust the assistance force for at least one of the right step or the left step of the user based on a result of proportionally adding together the assistance forces of the right step and the left step based on a variable ratio may be provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a gait assistance apparatus, the method comprising:
sensing, using a sensor, step motion information of a user during a first gait cycle;
determining, by at least one processor, a first assistance force for assisting one leg of the user and a second assistance force for assisting another leg of the user during a second gait cycle occurring after the first gait cycle;
sensing, using the sensor, the step motion information of the user during the second gait cycle;
determining a variable ratio based on a difference between the step motion information of the user during the first gait cycle and the step motion information of the user during the second gait cycle;
adjusting, by the at least one processor, the first assistance force based on the variable ratio to generate an adjusted first assistance force such that an amount that a motion of the another leg influences the adjusted first assistance force applied to the one leg by the gait assistance apparatus varies based on the variable ratio; and
controlling, by the at least one processor, the gait assistance apparatus to apply the adjusted first assistance force to the one leg during a step of the one leg in a third gait cycle occurring after the second gait cycle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
increasing, by the at least one processor, the variable ratio in response to the difference between the step motion information obtained during the second gait cycle and the step motion information obtained during the first gait cycle being greater than or equal to a reference value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
decreasing, by the at least one processor, the variable ratio in response to the difference between the step motion information obtained during the second gait cycle and the step motion information obtained during the first gait cycle being less than a reference value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining the difference between the step motion information obtained during the second gait cycle and the step motion information obtained during the first gait cycle by comparing (i) one or more of a step time, a joint motion range, a stride, a gait speed and a bilateral symmetry associated with the second gait cycle and (ii) one or more of the step time, the joint motion range, the stride, the gait speed and the bilateral symmetry associated with the first gait cycle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the greater the variable ratio is, the more the motion of the another leg influences the first assistance force applied to the one leg by the gait assistance apparatus.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing of the step motion information comprises: sensing a joint angle and a joint angular velocity associated with a step of the user.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a processor to perform the method of claim 1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the first assistance force generates the adjusted first assistance force based on the variable ratio by:
setting a proportion that the step motion information associated with applying the second assistance force to the another leg influences the adjusted first assistance force applied to the one leg.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the variable ratio used by the at least one processor to determine the proportion that the step motion information associated with applying the second assistance force to the another leg influences the adjusted first assistance force applied to the one leg is a ratio of a first variable to a second variable, and wherein
the first variable indicates an amount that the second assistance force for assisting the one leg of the user influences the first assistance force for assisting the one leg of the user, and
the second variable indicates an amount that the first assistance force for assisting the another leg of the user influences the second assistance force for assisting the one leg of the user.

### Claim 10

A gait assistance apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to sense step motion information of a user; and
a processor configured to:
sense, using the sensor, the step motion information of the user during a first gait cycle,
determine a first assistance force for assisting one leg of the user and a second assistance force for assisting another leg of the user during a second gait cycle occurring after the first gait cycle,
sense, using the sensor, the step motion information of the user during the second gait cycle,
determine a variable ratio based on a difference between the step motion information of the user during the first gait cycle and the step motion information of the user during the second gait cycle,
adjust the first assistance force based on the variable ratio to generate an adjusted first assistance force such that an amount that a motion of the another leg influences the adjusted first assistance force applied to the one leg by the gait assistance apparatus varies based on the variable ratio, and
control the gait assistance apparatus to apply the adjusted first assistance force to the one leg during a step of the one leg in a third gait cycle occurring after the second gait cycle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The gait assistance apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:
increase the variable ratio in response to the difference between the step motion information obtained during the second gait cycle and the step motion information obtained during the first gait cycle being greater than or equal to a reference value.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The gait assistance apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:
decrease the variable ratio in response to the difference between the step motion information obtained during the second gait cycle and the step motion information obtained during the first gait cycle being less than a reference value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The gait assistance apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the difference between the step motion information obtained during the second gait cycle and the step motion information obtained during the first gait cycle by comparing (i) one or more of a step time, a joint motion range, a stride, a gait speed and a bilateral symmetry associated with the second gait cycle and (ii) one or more of the step time, the joint motion range, the stride, the gait speed and the bilateral symmetry associated with the first gait cycle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The gait assistance apparatus of claim 10, wherein the greater the variable ratio is, the more the motion of the another leg influences the first assistance force applied to the one leg by the gait assistance apparatus.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The gait assistance apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor senses a joint angle and a joint angular velocity associated with a step of the user.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The gait assistance apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the first assistance force to generate the adjusted first assistance force based on the variable ratio by:
setting a proportion that the step motion information associated with applying the second assistance force to the another leg influences the adjusted first assistance force applied to the one leg.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The gait assistance apparatus of claim 16, wherein the variable ratio used by the processor to determine the proportion that the step motion information associated with applying the second assistance force to the another leg influences the adjusted first assistance force applied to the one leg is a ratio of a first variable to a second variable, and wherein
the first variable indicates an amount that the second assistance force for assisting the one leg of the user influences the first assistance force for assisting the one leg of the user, and
the second variable indicates an amount that the first assistance force for assisting the another leg of the user influences the second assistance force for assisting the one leg of the user.