Method, apparatus, computer program and system for measuring oscillatory motion
AssigneeThe University Court of the University of Edinburgh
InventorsDamal Arvind, Andrew Bates
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Abstract
A method, apparatus, computer program, system and device for measuring oscillatory motion comprising: receiving a plurality of signals related to a plurality of measurements of a direction of a vector parameter (at-1, at); determining a predominant measured direction of the vector parameter (āt) based on the plurality of measurements of the direction of the vector parameter; determining an angle of rotation (φt) between: a measured direction of the vector parameter (at) of one of the plurality of measurements of the direction of the vector parameter, and the predominant measured direction of the vector parameter (āt).
Claims31
A method for measuring oscillatory motion comprising:
- receiving a plurality of signals related to a plurality of measurements of a direction of a vector parameter;
- determining a predominant measured direction of the vector parameter based on the plurality of measurements;
- and
- determining an angle of rotation between:
- a measured direction of the vector parameter of one of the plurality of measurements, and
- the predominant measured direction of the vector parameter.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the plurality of measurements comprises a plurality of pairs of sequential measurements of a direction of the vector parameter;
- the method further comprising:
- determining an of axis of rotation for each pair of sequential measurements, wherein the axis of rotation is defined as an axis about which the measured direction of the vector parameter rotates between a pair of sequential measurements of the direction of the vector parameter;
- determining a predominant axis of rotation based on the determined axes of rotation;
- and
- wherein the angle of rotation is further determined based on rotation about the predominant axis of rotation.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising determining an angular velocity based on the angle of rotation.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the signals related to a measurement of a direction of the vector parameter are received from at least one sensor coupled to an object whose oscillatory motion is to be measured.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the vector parameter comprises at least one of:
- gravitational field, magnetic field and angular orientation.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, wherein each signal related to a measurement of a direction of the vector parameter comprises a representation of the direction of the vector parameter in three orthogonal axes.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, wherein at least one of:
- receiving the plurality of signals related to the plurality of measurements of the direction of the vector parameter,
- determining the predominant direction of the measured vector parameter, or
- determining the predominant axis of rotation;
- occurs over a predetermined period of time.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the predetermined period of time is greater than or equal to the duration of a cycle of the oscillatory motion.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising determining a change between:
- a measurement of the vector parameter and
- a sequential measurement of the vector parameter.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising:
- determining a plurality of angular velocities;
- monitoring values of angular velocities;
- defining a first band of range of angular velocity values where an angular velocity value is greater that a first threshold value;
- defining a second band of range of angular velocity values where an angular velocity value is less than a second threshold value;
- defining a third band of range of angular velocity values where an angular velocity value is between the first and second threshold values;
- and
- registering a count of a cycle of the oscillatory motion upon determining monitored values of angular velocity undergoing 4 band transitions.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising:
- receiving a plurality of signals related to a plurality of measurements of a direction of second vector parameter;
- determining a predominant direction of the second vector parameter based on the plurality of measurements of the direction of the second vector parameter;
- and
- determining an angle of rotation between:
- a measured direction of the second vector parameter and
- the predominant direction of the second vector parameter.
A method as claimed in any previous claim, further comprising determining an angle of projection, wherein the angle of projection is defined as a projection of the angle of rotation onto a surface.
An apparatus for measuring oscillatory motion comprising:
- means for receiving a plurality of signals related to a plurality of measurements of a direction of a vector parameter;
- means for determining a predominant direction of the vector parameter based on the plurality of measurements;
- and
- means for determining an angle of rotation between:
- a measured direction of the vector parameter of one of the plurality of measurements, and
- the predominant measured direction of the vector parameter.
An apparatus for measuring oscillatory motion comprising:
- an input interface arranged to receive a plurality of signals related to a plurality of measurements of a direction of a vector parameter;
- a controller arranged to determine a predominant direction of the vector parameter based on the plurality of measurements;
- and
- the controller further arranged to determine an angle of rotation between:
- a measured direction of the vector parameter of one of the plurality of measurements, and
- the predominant measured direction of the vector parameter.
A method, apparatus, computer program, system and device for measuring oscillatory motion substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.