Samsung patents wearable that adjusts walking force while you test walk
This patent describes a wearable device that applies physical force to help a user walk. It measures how the user's joints move during a test walk and automatically adjusts the strength and timing of that force to make walking feel more comfortable.
In the filing’s own words
Provided are a method and apparatus for adjusting a control parameter value in association with a torque output to provide a force to a user, which, when the user performs a test walk while wearing a wearable device, assesses suitability of the control parameter value used for outputting the torque based on the torque output through the test walk and state information of a joint of the user and adjusts the control parameter value such that the user feels convenience in walking, in order to adjust the control parameter value.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method of adjusting a control parameter value performed by a wearable device, the method comprising: outputting a first torque value to a driver circuit configured to control the wearable device to apply a force to a portion of a body of a user while the user is wearing the wearable device, the first torque value being determined based on a first value of a control parameter, and the control parameter including at least one of magnitude information, output timing information, and sensitivity information; obtaining a first angular velocity of a first joint in the body of the user in association with the output of the first torque value; determining, based on the first angular velocity, a second value of the control parameter to change the first angular velocity of the first joint; outputting a second torque value to the driver circuit, the second torque value being determined based on the second value of the control parameter; obtaining a second angular velocity of the first joint in the body of the user in association with the output of the second torque value; and determining a final value of the control parameter based on the second value of the control parameter, wherein the determination of the final value is further based on a termination condition on optimization of the control parameter being satisfied after the second angular velocity is obtained, and wherein the determining of the second value of the control parameter to change the first angular velocity of the first joint comprises: re-determining the second value of the control parameter to change the first angular velocity of the first joint, based on the termination condition being not satisfied after the second angular velocity is obtained, wherein the termination condition comprises at least one of whether a number of times of adjusting a value of the control parameter corresponds to a threshold number of adjustment, whether a number of strides of the user corresponds to a threshold number of strides, and a passage of time for adjusting the value of the control parameter corresponds to a threshold time, and wherein the determining of the second value of the control parameter comprises: calculating a first gait agility value representing gait agility of the user based on the first angular velocity of the first joint in the body of the user obtained in association with the output of the first torque value; and determining the second value of the control parameter to change the gait agility of the user.
Facts
- Company
- Samsung (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)
- Official title
- Method and apparatus for adjusting control parameter values of wearable device
- Patent number
- US12728063B2
- Application number
- 17955033
- Filed
- Sep 28, 2022
- Granted
- Sep 8, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 18
Classified under
A61H 3/00 Human necessitiesA61H 1/024 Human necessitiesA61H 1/0244 Human necessitiesA61H 1/0266 Human necessitiesA61H 2201/1207 Human necessitiesA61H 2201/1261 Human necessitiesMore from Samsung in Wearables
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.