# US 2018/0023937 A1 · System for and a method of measuring a path length using a handheld electronic device

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- Number: US 2018/0023937 A1
- Document ID: US20180023937A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/548,260
- Filed: 2016-02-02
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-02
- Assignees: My Size Israel 2014 Ltd.
- Applicants: My Size Israel 2014 Ltd.
- Inventors: Michal Miriam RADAI; Meni Menashe ITZHAK
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023937A1

## CPC

- G01B 5/02: for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B5/004, G01B5/08 take precedence)
- A61B 5/1072: {measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness (A61B5/1076 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/6898: {Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers}
- G01C 21/20: Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence)
- A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of measuring a path length using a handheld electronic device comprising an acceleration sensor. The method comprises: sensing an acceleration of the handheld electronic device while the handheld electronic device is translated over the path, thereby obtaining an acceleration plot of the handheld device; and calculating the path length from the acceleration plot using an integration procedure. In some cases projection of a distance over a required measured path is used.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of measuring a path length using a handheld electronic device comprising an acceleration sensor, the method comprising, using a processor for:
sensing an acceleration of the handheld electronic device while the handheld electronic device is translated over the path, thereby obtaining an acceleration plot of the handheld device; and
calculating the path length from the acceleration plot using an integration procedure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, said integration procedure comprising:
computing a set of velocity plots by integrating the acceleration plot over a set of integration intervals, wherein the integration intervals have a decreasing span and exclude a growing initial portion of the acceleration plot;
computing a set of distances by integrating the set of velocity plots; and
estimating the path length based on the set of computed distances.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein an end point of each integration interval corresponds to the last sensed acceleration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein a starting point of the integration interval of largest span is determined by analyzing the acceleration plot.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising analyzing the acceleration plot to detect a major change of acceleration.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising analyzing the acceleration plot to detect an acceleration sensor noise.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein a starting point of each subsequent integration interval after the integration interval of largest span corresponds to an acceleration sensed after the starting point of the integration interval of largest span.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein a starting point of the integration interval of largest span corresponds to the first sensed value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein calculating the path length is based on a statistical analysis of the computed distance.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, comprising correcting at least some velocity plots and computing the set of distances using the at least some corrected velocity plots.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, said integration procedure comprising:
identifying the start and end point of the movement; and
integrating between the start and end points of the movement to find the path length.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, comprising obtaining acceleration measurements plots for a second dimension.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, comprising identifying the start and end point of the movement for said second dimension.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, comprising integrating between the start and end points of the movement for said second dimension to find the path length.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, comprising calculating a final path length based on the path length of said first dimension and the path length of said second dimension.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, comprising identifying the start and end point of the movement using at least one type of weight type.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, comprising identifying the start and end point of the movement for said second dimension using at least one type of weight type.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, comprising calculating a maximum velocity and using the maximum velocity for an indication of quality measurement.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, comprising checking for a dominant dimension.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising projecting movement of a distance over a required measured path.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising measuring orientation with the help of a gyroscope sensor.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method according to claim 21, comprising calibrating the acceleration measurements to compensate for the orientation potential inaccuracy.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising measuring acceleration with the help of an acceleration sensor.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising calibrating the handheld electronic device to True North or Magnetic North.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said procedure of obtaining acceleration measurements of the handheld electronic device further comprising receiving user input indicative of a starting and an ending of a traversing movement of the handheld electronic device over the path.

### Claim 26

The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said handheld electronic device is a smart-phone.

### Claim 27

A non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a handheld electronic device translated over a path to be measured, cause the handheld electronic device to measure the path length by:
sensing an acceleration of the handheld electronic device while the handheld electronic device is translated over the path, thereby obtaining an acceleration plot of the handheld device; and
calculating the path length from the acceleration plot using an integration procedure.

### Claim 28 (depends on 38)

The non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions of claim 38, said integration procedure comprising:
computing a set of velocity plots by integrating the acceleration plot over a set of integration intervals, wherein the integration intervals have a decreasing span and exclude a growing initial portion of the acceleration plot;
computing a set of distances by integrating the set of velocity plots; and
estimating the path length based on the set of computed distances.

### Claim 29 (depends on 38)

The non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions of claim 38, said integration procedure comprising:
identifying the start and end point of the movement; and
integrating between the start and end points of the movement to find the path length.

### Claim 30

A handheld electronic device configured to measure a path length, the handheld electronic device comprising:
an acceleration sensor configured to sense an acceleration of the handheld electronic device;
computer memory; and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory and to the acceleration sensor, wherein the memory includes instructions for causing the processor to:
sense an acceleration of the handheld electronic device while the handheld electronic device is translated over the path, thereby obtaining an acceleration plot of the handheld device; and
calculate the path length from the acceleration plot using an integration procedure.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The handheld electronic device of claim 30, said integration procedure causing the processor to:
compute a set of velocity plots by integrating the acceleration plot over a set of integration intervals, wherein the integration intervals have a decreasing span and exclude a growing initial portion of the acceleration plot;
compute a set of distances by integrating the set of velocity plots; and
estimate the path length based on the set of computed distances.

### Claim 32 (depends on 30)

The handheld electronic device of claim 30, said integration procedure causing the processor to:
identify the start and end point of the movement; and
integrate between the start and end points of the movement to find the path length.

### Claim 33

A measuring module for a handheld electronic device, the measuring module configured to measure a path length and comprising:
a user interface to receive user input indicative of a starting and an ending of a translation movement of the handheld electronic device over the path;
a data receiver unit configured to obtain from an acceleration sensor an acceleration plot of the handheld device, the acceleration plot being indicative of an acceleration of the handheld electronic device while the handheld electronic device is translated over the path;
a data processing unit configured to calculate the path length from the acceleration plot using an integration procedure; and
an output unit configured to output the calculated path length to a user.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The measuring module of claim 33, said integration procedure causing the data processing unit to:
compute a set of velocity plots by integrating the acceleration plot over a set of integration intervals, wherein the integration intervals have a decreasing span and exclude a growing initial portion of the acceleration plot;
compute a set of distances by integrating the set of velocity plots; and
estimate the path length based on the set of computed distances.

### Claim 35 (depends on 33)

The measuring module of claim 33, said integration procedure causing the data processing unit to:
identify the start and end point of the movement; and
integrate between the start and end points of the movement to find the path length.