GB2415898A

GB2415898A - Walking stick with tracking device and/or a heart rate monitor

Info

Publication number: GB2415898A
Application number: GB0415147A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jane Mival
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-07-06
Filing date: 2004-07-06
Publication date: 2006-01-11
Also published as: GB0415147D0

Abstract

The walking stick comprises an elongate support member 1 and a handle 2, the handle having a movement tracking device in the form of a pedometer, which can include an accelerometer 9 to detect the amount of times the stick makes contact with the ground combined with a counter function for counting the number of times the stick 1 is lifted and placed on the ground, hence producing an estimate for the number of steps. This count may be programmed with the user's normal stride or with a user average, in order to output an estimate of the distance covered. The handle can also house a heart rate monitor having a sensor 7 at least on one side of the handle 2. Both the tracking device or the heart rate monitor output information to a display 6. The count calculation functions are provided by a printed circuit board PCB 8 and this is driven by a battery 9.

Description

24 1 5898

WALKING STICK

Description

The present invention relates to a walking stick.

Traditional walking sticks comprise an elongate linear member with one end adapted for touching the ground and a handle at the other end to be held in the hand of a user. They may be between 65 centimetres and 1.5 metres in length and the handle may include a simple grip, optionally with a wrist or arm support.

A traditional walking stick is used to aid the balance and/or improve the gait of the user or to aid a user who may not have full use of their legs, for example, a user with one weak leg may use a walking stick to partially replace the function of the weaker leg. Such a walking stick is generally ideally held at the distance of the user's wrist to the ground.

Alternatively a walking stick may be used to aid balance and/or aid propulsion of the user's steps through the movement of the user's hand and arm, including when walking across rough terrain such as hill walking, cross country walking or 'nordic walking'. A walking stick for this purpose is generally held at the distance of the user's waist to the ground or above, according to the terrain.

The handle may take many forms, for example a relatively straightforward projection at right angles to the elongate part, or at a more oblique angle, or upright, according to which angle may be better suited to the process of holding the stick, and lifting and moving it in use. The handle may comprise contoured finger grips and/or may comprise a dedicated - 1 recess on top of the handle for the thumb of the user's hand.

A walking stick is traditionally made from wood or from a light metal, for example aluminium, or carbon fibre.

Thus walking sticks are traditionally used to aid perambulation in circumstances where either the terrain, or the physical health of the user makes walking less easy. Hence, traditional walking sticks have been used essentially as a mobility or balance aid, or aid to propulsion and are adapted accordingly.

According to the present invention there is provided a walking stick comprising an elongate support member, a handle located at one end of the support member, and a movement tracking device having a display, and at least one control member. The control member may be located on the handle.

The movement tracking device calculates and tracks the user's movement and/or steps. It may comprise means for counting each time that the support member contacts the ground and/or each occasion that it makes an up and/or down motion.

It may be a pedometer comprising an accelerometer. It may be integrated into any part of the walking stick, for example the handle or the support member or into a ferrule attached to the end of the support member which contacts the ground, although the handle would be the preferred option.

The control member is preferably easily accessible by at least one of a user's digits.

The walking stick may alternatively or additionally include a heart rate monitor which may be embedded in the walking stick, for example in the handle, elongate support member or ferrule.

The heart rate monitor may comprise two exposed electrodes, preferably located one on each side of the handle.

The electrodes are adapted to sense a user's pulse via a finger or thumb and the monitor is adapted to convert the sensed pulse rate to an ECG (Electra Cardio Graph) reading which is then displayed on the display. The display may comprise an LCD screen, which may conveniently be located in the handle in a position easily viewed by the user when using the walking stick.

The movement tracking device may comprise an accelerometer which may count movement of the stick, i.e. stick "clicks", rather than the user's footsteps. Such an accelerometer registers a vertical movement of the stick and converts this to an electronic signal which is displayed on the screen. The accelerometer may be a typical analog accelerometer, as currently found in pedometers or may be a MEMS (Micro Electrical Mechanical System) accelerometer, for example such as one of those produced by Analog Devices, Inc of USA. These are solid state devices which are sensitive to tilt, shock or vibration movements.

Such a walking stick can be used in many areas, for example for exercising and for trekking, Nordic walking or skiing. It can be used as a mobility aid, but also has the advantage that it can monitor a user's performance, whether the user is fully mobile or has restricted mobility, for example: distances covered, speed, heart rate and other performance related aspects, which can be used to track and help increase a user's fitness levels.

An advantage of combining both a movement tracking device and a heart rate monitor in a walking stick is that the user can ensure that his or her steps are made at the correct pace in order to attain a target heart rate. This avoids the situation in which all steps are recorded, including those taken at a pace slower than required to reach a "flush" or the user's target heart rate and so thereby giving a false reading of the user's actual exercise program.

The walking stick of the present invention can also be programmed to adjust and reflect a user's targets and thus, when used as a mobility aid or otherwise, can give the user confidence and assurance that he or she is not exceeding his or her "safe" heart rate whilst exercising. These features will also have benefits in the field of rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a walking stick according to the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the walking stick of figure l in use.

The walking stick comprises an elongate support part l and a handle 2.

The support part l may be straight, or curved in a variety of ways, and stretches from the handle to the ground (not shown). It may be made of wood or metal or carbon fibre or a synthetic material of appropriate strength and weight.

The handle 2 may be contoured, as shown, to provide a suitable grip for a user's hand. For example, as shown, an indentation may be provided on the lower side at 3 to accommodate the user's fingers and on the upper side at 4, in which the part of the user's hand between the index finger and the thumb may comfortably rest. At the end of the handle 2 a raised part 5 is provided with an LCD display screen 6 embedded in it so as to face the user in use. This is connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) 8 which is driven by a battery 9.

Two electrodes or other forms of sensitive sensor are S located one on each side of the handle 2, and one of these is shown at 7 in figure 1. This is connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) 8 which is driven by a battery 9. A movement tracking device, whether analog or MEMS inertial sensor or accelerometer 10 or other, is mounted on the PCB 8. The PCB 8, battery 9 and accelerometer 10 may be embedded in the handle or may be located in a compartment accessible via a door to allow for maintenance, servicing or repair or upgrade and for the battery to be replaced as necessary.

When a user's fingers touch at least one of the heart rate electrodes 7, the electrode monitors the pulse rate in that finger or thumb and converts it to a signal suitable for displaying on the screen 6. This may of course be a digital or an analog display or may be a more generic display, for example a graph or chart showing for example a comparison of the sensed heart rate against a recommended heart rate.

The movement tracking device 10 mounted on the PCB 8, monitors each time the stick 1 is lifted and placed on the ground again, i.e. it counts the number of "clicks" of the stick. It may be pre-programmed with a user's normal stride, or it may be programmed with a value giving an average across all users. This is a technology which is known to a skilled person and such accelerometers are available from Analog Devices, Inc which manufacture small low power battery operated solid state devices such as ADXL150/250 or 202 which sense tilt, shock, vibration or movement using moving microscopic silicon parts.

Figure 2 is a view of the walking stick of the embodiment of figure 1 in use whereby the handle 2 is gripped by a user's hand 11. The display in this example is a circular, relatively slim, screen 6 mounted in a circular surround frame 14 on the raised part 5 of the handle 2. The screen 6 is directed toward the user's face so as to be easily visible to the user whilst walking. In use the raised part 5 is located between the thumb and forefinger 13 of the user. The raised part 5 has a rounded bulbous shape to be comfortable to the user and is shaped so that the screen is angled slightly, for example between 10 and 25 to the horizontal, for optimum visibility. The screen 6 may be backlit and may display time and date functions too.

It can also be seen from this illustration how easily a user may locate his thumb 12 or finger 13 on the electrode 7 to monitor his heart rate.

The heart rate monitor may be pre-programmed with data regarding average, or personal, resting and maximum recommended heart rates, and the display used to illustrate a comparison between an instantaneously measured heart rate and the maximum to aid optimism exercising efficiency and to ensure safe exercising. Alarms may be incorporated to alert a user audibly when they are reaching target or maximum heart rate levels.

Of course many different physical arrangements of the features of this invention will achieve the same desired results and the illustrations provide one example.

Claims

Claims 1. A walking stick comprising an elongate support member, a handle

located at one end of the support member, and a movement tracking device having a display, and at least one control member.
2. A walking stick according to claim 1 wherein the movement tracking device comprises means for counting each occasion that lO the support member impacts the ground and/or each occasion on which the walking stick makes an up and/or down motion.
3. A walking stick according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the control member is located on the handle.
4. A walking stick according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the display is located on the handle.
5. A walking stick according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the movement tracking device is integrated in the handle.
6. A walking stick according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the movement tracking device is integrated in the support member.
7. A walking stick according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a ferrule and wherein the movement tracking device is integrated into the ferrule.
8. A walking stick according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control member is located to be easily accessible by one of a user's digits.
9. A walking stick according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a heart rate monitor.
10. A walking stick comprising an elongate support member, a handle located at one end of the support member; and a heart rate monitor, having a display incorporated into the handle.
11. A walking stick according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the heart rate monitor is embedded in the handle.
12. A walking stick according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the heart rate monitor is embedded in the support member.
13. A walking stick according to any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein the heart rate monitor comprises at least one exposed electrode.
14. A walking stick according to claim 13 wherein the heart rate monitor comprises an exposed electrode on each side of the handle.
15. A walking stick according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the display comprises an LCD screen.
16. A walking stick according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the movement tracking device comprises an analog accelerometer.
17. A walking stick according to claim 16 wherein the movement tracking device is adapted to count stick movements and to calculate distance and speed values as a function of the counted movements.
18. A walking stick according to claim 16 or 17 wherein the movement tracking device is adapted to output the values to the display.
19. A walking stick according to claim 16, 17 or 18 wherein the movement tracking device comprises a Micro Electrical Mechanical System accelerometer.
20. A walking stick substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.