Lower leg sensing device and method of providing data therefrom
OwnerWalter Arthur Reynolds, III, Brent M. Nowakinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lower leg sensing device includes a housing, a leg attachment member and real time data providing member. The housing includes a position angle sensor, an magnetic field sensor, and a foot contact sensor. The leg attachment member is configured to facilitate attachment of the housing to the lower leg of a user. The real-time data providing member provides data, in real-time, pertaining to the angle of a lower leg of a user relative to a line of gravity upon contact with an outside surface by a leg of a user. A method of providing data to a user that is running or walking is also disclosed.
Claims12
A method of providing data to a user that is running or walking comprising the steps of:
- providing a lower leg sensing device having a mounting member configured to mount the lower leg sensing device on a user leg between the user's knee and ankle, the lower leg sensing device including at least a position angle sensor configured to measure a shank angle of the user at a time of a foot contact and a foot contact sensor and a magnetic field measurement system configured to measure a magnet positioned on a user leg;
- coupling the lower leg sensing device to a lower leg of a user between the user's knee and ankle;
- sampling the position angle sensor and the foot contact sensor;
- determining the angle of the lower leg relative to a line of gravity based upon the data received from the position angle sensor and the foot contact sensor;
- providing information to a user pertaining to the angle of the lower leg relative to the line of gravity;
- comparing the angle that has been determined to a known range of acceptable angles using a program module;
- providing a user understandable signal to a user sufficient for the user to determine whether the angle that has been determined is within the known range of acceptable angles;
- providing a first user understandable signal if the angle that has been determined is within the known range of acceptable angles;
- providing a second user understandable signal if the angle that has been determined is outside of the known range of acceptable angles on a first side of the range.
A lower leg sensing device for measuring a lower angle between a user's knee and ankle, the lower leg sensing device comprising:
- a position angle sensor, a magnetic field sensor and a foot contact sensor;
- a leg attachment member configured to facilitate attachment of the position angle sensor and a foot contact sensor to the lower leg of a user above the user's ankle;
- and
- a module configured to provide real-time data pertaining to the angle of a lower leg of a user relative to a line of gravity impact of a foot with a ground surface by the user, said module further being configured to comparing the angle that has been determined to a known range of acceptable angles using a program module and provide a user understandable signal to a user sufficient for the user to determine whether the angle that has been determined is within the known range of acceptable angles and compare changes in a measured magnetic field to determine if a stride has been taken, and further provide a first user understandable signal if the angle that has been determined is within the known range of acceptable angles, and further provide a second user understandable signal if the angle that has been determined is outside of the known range of acceptable angles on a first side of the range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.