Method and apparatus for providing resistance to a user of a wearable device

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for providing resistance to a user. To provide resistance, the method includes measuring an angle of a joint of the user using a sensor of a wearable device, determining a resistance level for the joint based on the measured angle, determining a connection ratio of a motor driver circuit of the wearable device corresponding to the resistance level, and controlling a motor based on the determined connection ratio of the motor driver circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] At least one example embodiment relates to a method and / or apparatus for providing resistance to a user of a wearable device. For example, at least one example embodiment relates to a method and / or apparatus for providing resistance to a user of a wearable device without providing energy to a motor of the wearable device. Background Art

[0002] As a result of the aging of society, more and more people are experiencing the inconvenience and pain associated with decreased muscle strength or joint problems caused by aging. Consequently, there is growing interest in walking assist devices that enable elderly users or patients with decreased muscle strength or joint problems to walk with less effort. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Some example embodiments relate to a method of operating a wearable device to provide resistance to a user.

[0004] In some example embodiments, the method includes measuring a first angle of a first joint of the user via a sensor, determining a resistance level applied to the first joint based on the first angle, determining a connection ratio between a connection time during which a motor driver circuit electrically connected to a motor of the wearable device is controlled as a closed loop and a disconnection time during which the motor driver circuit is controlled as an open loop based on the resistance level, and controlling the motor through the motor driver circuit based on the connection ratio.

[0005] In some example embodiments, the motor driver circuit may include at least one switch configured to be controlled based on the connection ratio.

[0006] In some example embodiments, the connection ratio may be represented by pulse width modulation (PWM).

[0007] In some example embodiments, the level of resistance to be provided to the user may be adjusted based on the connection ratio, such that the resistance may increase as the connection time during which the motor driver circuit is controlled as a closed loop increases.

[0008] In some example embodiments, when the motor driver circuit is controlled as a closed loop, the motor may operate as a generator in response to an external force from a user.

[0009] In some example embodiments, when the motor operates as the generator, the method may further include charging a battery of the wearable device based on energy generated by the generator.

[0010] In some example embodiments, the method may further include receiving an instruction from the user to set the operation mode of the wearable device to an exercise mode.

[0011] In some example embodiments, when the exercise mode is set, energy from a battery of the wearable device may not be supplied to the motor.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments, the method may further include receiving an instruction from the user to set the operating mode of the wearable device to an assist mode, in response to receiving the assist mode, calculating an assist torque value applied to the first joint based on the first angle, and providing assist force to the user by controlling the motor based on the assist torque value.

[0013] Some example embodiments relate to a wearable device configured to provide resistance to a user.

[0014] In some example embodiments, the wearable device includes: a memory configured to store a program including instructions for providing the resistance to the user; a sensor configured to measure a first angle of a first joint of the user; a motor driver circuit; a motor electrically connected to the motor driver circuit; and a processor configured to execute the program to perform the following operations: measure the first angle of the first joint of the user via the sensor, determine a level of resistance applied to the first joint based on the first angle, determine a connection ratio between a connection time when the motor driver circuit is controlled as a closed loop and a disconnection time when the motor driver circuit is controlled as an open loop based on the resistance level, and control the motor through the motor driver circuit based on the connection ratio.

[0015] In some example embodiments, the motor driver circuit may include at least one switch configured to be controlled based on the connection ratio.

[0016] In some example embodiments, the connection ratio may be represented by PWM, and the resistance to be provided to the user may be adjusted based on the connection ratio such that the resistance may increase as the connection time in which the motor driver circuit is controlled as a closed loop increases.

[0017] In some example embodiments, when the motor driver circuit is controlled as a closed loop, the motor may operate as a generator with respect to an external force from the user.

[0018] In some example embodiments, when the motor operates as the generator, the processor is further configured to charge a battery of the wearable device based on energy generated by the generator.

[0019] In some example embodiments, the processor is further configured to receive an instruction from the user to set an operating mode of the wearable device to an exercise mode, and determine the level of resistance applied to the first joint based on the exercise mode and the first angle.

[0020] In some example embodiments, when the exercise mode is set, the wearable device may not supply energy from a battery to the motor.

[0021] In some exemplary embodiments, the processor is further configured to receive an instruction from the user to set the operating mode of the wearable device to an assist mode, calculate an assist torque value applied to the first joint based on the first angle in response to receiving the assist mode, and provide assist force to the user by controlling the motor based on the assist torque value.

[0022] Additional aspects of example embodiments will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] These and / or other aspects will become apparent and more readily understood from the following description of example embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figures 1A to 1D is a diagram illustrating an example of a wearable device according to at least one example embodiment;

[0025] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wearable device communicating with an electronic device according to at least one example embodiment;

[0026] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pace state according to at least one example embodiment;

[0027] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pace state transition according to at least one example embodiment;

[0028] Figure 5 is a graph illustrating an example of a trajectory of ankle joint angle relative to a gait cycle according to at least one example embodiment;

[0029] Figure 6 is a graph illustrating an example of a trajectory of ankle torque relative to a gait cycle according to at least one example embodiment;

[0030] Figures 7 to 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a motor driver circuit of a wearable device according to at least one example embodiment;

[0031] Figure 11 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method of providing resistance according to at least one example embodiment;

[0032] Figure 12is a diagram illustrating an example of a resistance curve output from a user terminal according to at least one example embodiment;

[0033] Figure 13 is a flow chart illustrating another example of a method of providing resistance according to at least one example embodiment;

[0034] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an open-loop motor driver circuit according to at least one example embodiment;

[0035] Figure 15 and Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit according to at least one example embodiment;

[0036] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit according to at least one example embodiment;

[0037] Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit including a braking resistor according to at least one example embodiment;

[0038] Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a motor driver circuit including a closed loop of a resistor according to at least one example embodiment;

[0039] Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit including a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor according to at least one example embodiment;

[0040] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a driver of a wearable device according to at least one example embodiment; and

[0041] Figures 22 to 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a whole-body wearable device according to at least one example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Hereinafter, some example embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regarding the reference numerals assigned to elements in the drawings, it should be noted that, whenever possible, the same elements will be designated by the same reference numerals even when shown in different drawings. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments, when it is deemed that a detailed description of a well-known related structure or function would lead to an obscure interpretation of the present disclosure, such description will be omitted.

[0043] However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific example embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the example embodiments will cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the scope of the example embodiments. Throughout the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0044] In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used herein to describe components. Each of these terms is not used to define the nature, order, or sequence of the corresponding components, but is only used to distinguish the corresponding component from other components. It should be noted that if the specification describes that one component is "connected," "coupled," or "engaged" to another component, a third component may be "connected," "coupled," or "engaged" between the first and second components, even though the first component may be directly connected, coupled, or engaged to the second component.

[0045] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular is intended to include the plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprising," "including," "include," and / or "comprising" when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0046] It should also be noted that in some optional embodiments, the functions / actions proposed may not occur in the order proposed in the figures. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, two figures shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or may sometimes be executed in reverse order.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure of this application belongs. Terms (such as those defined in general dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0048] Furthermore, in the description of the exemplary embodiments, detailed descriptions of structures or functions known after understanding the disclosure of the present application will be omitted when it is deemed that such descriptions would lead to ambiguous interpretation of the exemplary embodiments.

[0049] Various example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some example embodiments are shown. In the drawings, the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity.

[0050] Hereinafter, examples will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and like reference numerals in the drawings refer to like elements throughout.

[0051] Figures 1A to 1D is a diagram illustrating an example of a wearable device according to at least one example embodiment.

[0052] Reference Figures 1A to 1C , the wearable device 100 can be worn on a user and configured to help the user walk more easily. For example, the wearable device 100 can be a device that assists the user in walking. The wearable device 100 can also be an exercise device that provides an exercise function by providing resistance to the user to help the user exercise. The resistance to be provided to the user may not be a force actively applied to the user, for example, a force output by a device (such as a motor), but a force that hinders the user's movement, for example, a force acting in a direction opposite to the direction in which the user is moving. That is, the resistance may also be referred to as an exercise load.

[0053] although Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example of a hip-type wearable device is shown, but the type of wearable device is not limited to the hip type shown, and the wearable device may be provided in a type that supports the entire lower body, supports part of the lower body (e.g., the part of the lower body up to the knees and the part of the lower body up to the ankles), or supports the entire body.

[0054] Although the reference Figure 1A and Figure 1B Example embodiments to be described hereinafter may be applied to a hip-type wearable device (eg, the wearable device 100), but example embodiments are not limited to hip-type wearable devices but may be applied to all types of wearable devices.

[0055] Reference Figures 1A to 1D , the wearable device 100 includes a driver 110 , a sensor 120 , an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 130 , a controller 140 , and a battery 150 .

[0056] The driver 110 includes a motor 114 and a motor driver circuit 112 configured to drive the motor 114. The sensor 120 includes at least one sensor 121. The controller 140 includes a processor 142, a memory 144, and an input interface 146. Figure 1C A single sensor 121, a single motor driver circuit 112, and a single motor 114 are shown in FIG, but the example is not limited thereto. For another example, the wearable device 100-1 may include multiple sensors 121 and 121-1, multiple motor driver circuits 112 and 112-1, and multiple motors 114 and 114-1, such as Figure 1DIn addition, depending on the embodiment, the wearable device 100 may include multiple processors. The number of motor driver circuits, the number of motors, or the number of processors may vary depending on the body part on which the wearable device 100 is worn.

[0057] The following description of the sensor 121, the motor driver circuit 112, and the motor 114 also applies to Figure 1D Shown are sensor 121 - 1 , motor driver circuit 112 - 1 , and motor 114 - 1 .

[0058] The driver 110 can drive the hip joint of the user wearing the wearable device 100. For example, the driver 110 can be provided in the user's right hip and / or the user's left hip. The driver 110 can also be provided in the user's knee and the user's ankle. The driver 110 includes a motor 114 configured to generate a rotational torque and a motor driver circuit 112 configured to drive the motor 114.

[0059] While the user is walking, sensor 120 can measure the user's hip angle. Here, the information associated with the hip angle sensed by sensor 120 can include the angle of the right hip joint, the angle of the left hip joint, the difference between the angles of the right and left hip joints, and / or the direction of hip joint movement. For example, sensor 121 can be disposed in driver 110. Based on the position of sensor 121, sensor 120 can also measure the user's knee angle and the user's ankle angle.

[0060] For example, the sensor 120 may include a potentiometer that can sense the R-axis joint angle and the L-axis joint angle, and the R-axis joint angular velocity and the L-axis joint angular velocity based on the user's walking motion.

[0061] The IMU 130 can measure acceleration information and posture information when the user walks. For example, the IMU 130 can sense X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, and Z-axis acceleration, as well as X-axis angular velocity, Y-axis angular velocity, and Z-axis angular velocity based on the user's walking motion.

[0062] The wearable device 100 can detect the point where the user's foot touches the ground based on the acceleration information measured by the IMU 130.

[0063] In addition, a pressure sensor (not shown) may be provided on the sole of the user's foot and detect a time point when the user's foot touches the ground.

[0064] In addition to the sensor 120 and the IMU 130, the wearable device 100 may further include other sensors configured to sense changes in the amount of movement of the user or changes in biosignals based on the user's walking motion. For example, the sensor may include an electromyography (EMG) sensor.

[0065] According to an example embodiment, the processor 142 of the controller 140 may control the driver 110 to provide resistance to the user. The driver 110 may provide resistance to the user through the reverse driving capability of the motor 114 without outputting torque to the user. Here, the reverse driving capability of the motor 114 may indicate the responsiveness of the rotation shaft of the motor 114 in response to an external force. For example, a high reverse driving capability of the motor 114 may indicate that it is easy to respond to an external force applied to the rotation shaft of the motor 114, that is, the rotation shaft of the motor 114 is easy to rotate. For example, even if the same external force is applied to the rotation shaft of the motor 114, the degree of rotation of the rotation shaft of the motor 114 may also directly change according to the level of the reverse driving capability.

[0066] In the following we will refer to Figures 7 to 21 Describe in detail the method of providing resistance to the user.

[0067] According to another example embodiment, the processor 142 of the controller 140 may control the driver 110 to output a torque (e.g., an assist torque) to assist the user in walking. For example, in a hip-type wearable device 100, the driver 110 may be provided as two drivers for the right hip and the left hip, respectively, and the controller 140 may output a control signal for controlling the driver 110 to generate a torque.

[0068] The driver 110 may generate torque based on a control signal output by the controller 140. Here, the torque value for generating the torque may be set externally or by the controller 140. For example, to indicate the magnitude of the torque value, the controller 140 may use the magnitude of the current corresponding to the signal sent to the driver 110. That is, as the magnitude of the current received by the driver 110 increases, the torque value may increase.

[0069] The battery 150 can provide power to the components of the wearable device 100. For example, there may be a circuit, such as a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), configured to convert the power of the battery 150 into an operating voltage for each component of the wearable device 100 and then provide the power to the component. In addition, the battery 150 may provide power to the motor 114 or not provide power to the motor 114 based on the operating mode of the wearable device 100. That is, the battery 150 may provide power to the motor 114 in the assist mode, but not provide power to the motor 114 in the exercise mode. Therefore, the battery 150 can consume less power in the exercise mode, and thus the available time for using the wearable device 100 can be increased.

[0070] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wearable device communicating with an electronic device according to at least one example embodiment.

[0071] Reference Figure 2 , the wearable device 100 can communicate with the electronic device 200. The electronic device 200 may include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a smartwatch, glasses, etc., but the example is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device 200 may be an electronic device associated with the user of the wearable device 100. For another example, the user may exercise with a trainer while wearing the wearable device 100. In this case, the electronic device 200 may be an electronic device associated with the trainer.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the wearable device 100 and the electronic device 200 may communicate with each other via a server (not shown) using a short-range wireless communication method or a cellular mobile communication method.

[0073] The electronic device 200 may display a user interface (UI) on the display 200-1 for controlling the operation of the wearable device 100. For example, the UI may include at least one soft key that enables a user to control the wearable device 100.

[0074] A user or a coach may input a control instruction for controlling the operation of the wearable device 100 through the UI on the display 200-1 of the electronic device 200. The electronic device 200 may transmit the control instruction to the wearable device 100. The wearable device 100 may operate according to the received control instruction and transmit the control result to the electronic device 200. The electronic device 200 may display a message indicating that the control is completed on the display 200-1 of the electronic device 200.

[0075] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pace state according to at least one example embodiment.

[0076] Reference Figure 3 , the gait state or gait phase of a leg of a user of a wearable device can be defined (or alternatively, predefined). For example, the gait state can include standing and swinging. Swinging indicates a state in which the foot is off the ground. The gait state of the user's left leg can include left standing (LSt) and left swinging (LSw), and the gait state of the user's right leg can include right standing (RSt) and right swinging (RSw).

[0077] In a finite state machine (FSM), the step cycle of such a step state or step phase can be pre-mapped. For example, 0% of the step cycle can be mapped to the time point when stance begins, 60% of the step cycle can be mapped to the time point when swing begins, and 100% of the step cycle can be mapped to the time point just before the next stance begins.

[0078] According to example embodiments, stance and swing can be categorized into a plurality of states in greater detail. Stance can be categorized into, for example, initial contact, weight bearing, intermediate stance, final stance, and pre-swing. Additionally, swing can be categorized into, for example, initial swing, intermediate swing, and final swing. However, the categorization of stance and swing is not limited to the exemplary categorization described above, and stance and swing can be categorized differently depending on the example.

[0079] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pace state transition according to at least one example embodiment.

[0080] Reference Figure 4 ,According to the general step mechanism, the step state of each of the two legs may include standing and swinging, and standing and swinging may occur alternately for walking.

[0081] According to the changes 400 of the right leg during walking, the right leg's gait state 410 may include right stance and right swing. Here, standing may include weight bearing, intermediate stance, and final stance. However, the example is not limited to the example shown. With respect to the changes 400 of the right leg, the left leg's gait state 420 according to the changes (not shown) of the left leg may include left stance and left swing.

[0082] When the muscle strength of a user's ankle weakens due to aging or illness, the user may experience inconvenience when walking. For example, when the leg begins to swing, the toes of the leg need to be lifted up, but if they are not lifted up, the swinging leg may hit the ground. That is, in this case, there may be a risk of falling. To prevent this risk, it may be necessary to adjust the angle of the ankle based on the progression of the gait state or gait phase or the change of the gait state or gait phase. Therefore, a wearable device can be provided to those who may have difficulty adjusting the angle of their ankle by themselves due to the decline in the muscle strength of the ankle. The wearable device can be worn around the user's ankle and outputs an assist torque based on a value sensed in association with the user's walking or gait. The assist torque can be used to adjust the angle of the user's ankle.

[0083] Although the example embodiments described above relate to assisting or supporting an ankle, the example embodiments may also be similarly and substantially applied to assisting or supporting a hip joint or a knee.

[0084] Figure 5 is a graph illustrating an example of a trajectory of ankle joint angle relative to a gait cycle according to at least one example embodiment.

[0085] Reference Figure 5As a user walks according to a typical gait mechanism, the user's ankle angle may vary as shown in trajectory 500. Although the ankle angle may vary based on stride length and walking speed even in the same gait state, the trajectory of the ankle angle over a gait cycle may develop in a similar pattern. Trajectory 500 may have the range of variation shown as the gait cycle progresses. The range of variation may include weight bearing 510, intermediate stance 520, final stance 530, and swing 540.

[0086] However, the illustrated trajectory 500 may not be shown in the ankle angle of the leg of the patient who may experience leg discomfort. Here, when the ankle angle of the leg of the patient who may experience leg discomfort is adjusted so that the ankle angle of the leg has the trajectory 500, the patient's gait mechanism can be improved.

[0087] Although the above reference Figure 5 The trajectory of the ankle joint angle is described, but the foregoing description can be similarly and substantially applied to the hip and knee joints.

[0088] Figure 6 is a graph illustrating an example of a trajectory of ankle torque relative to a gait cycle according to at least one example embodiment.

[0089] Reference Figure 6 , refer to Figure 6 The content to be described can be applied to a case where the wearable device 100 operates in an assist mode, in which the wearable device 100 assists a user wearing the wearable device 100 in walking. Figures 7 to 21 A case where the wearable device 100 operates in the exercise mode is described in detail.

[0090] When a user walks according to a general gait mechanism, the ankle torque output by the user's ankle joint may vary as shown in trace 600. A positive value of the ankle torque may increase the ankle joint angle, for example, causing plantar flexion. A negative value of the ankle torque may decrease the ankle joint angle, for example, causing dorsiflexion.

[0091] According to an example embodiment, the first portion 610 of the ankle torque trajectory 600 corresponding to the segment after push-off occurs may be an assist torque value for dorsiflexion for preventing the foot from falling. The assist torque value for dorsiflexion may be a negative value.

[0092] A patient who may experience leg discomfort may not be able to generate sufficient assisting torque by himself / herself, so the patient may wear a wearable device on the leg where the patient experiences discomfort to receive the assisting torque. The wearable device may output the assisting torque and adjust the ankle angle via a driver. Here, it may be necessary to output the assisting torque for adjusting the ankle angle at a desired timing so that the user does not experience discomfort. For example, it may be necessary to provide a relatively high assisting torque for increasing the ankle angle when the leg performs a push-off. For example, the timing may be determined by directly determining the gait state of the leg where the patient experiences discomfort. For another example, the timing may be determined by indirectly determining the gait state of the leg based on the gait state of another normal leg where the patient does not experience discomfort.

[0093] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 7 to 10 The structure of the motor driver circuit 112 included in the driver 110 , which enables the wearable device 100 to operate in an exercise mode without using the battery 150 , is described in detail.

[0094] Figures 7 to 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a motor driver circuit of a wearable device according to at least one example embodiment.

[0095] Reference Figure 7 The motor driver circuit 112 is an H-bridge circuit and includes a plurality of switches, for example, a first switch 710 , a second switch 720 , a third switch 730 , and a fourth switch 740 . The motor driver circuit 112 is connected to the motor 114 .

[0096] For example, when the first switch 710 and the fourth switch 740 are closed and the second switch 720 and the third switch 730 are opened under the control of the processor 142, a closed loop including the battery 150 may be formed. Therefore, power may be supplied from the battery 150 to the motor 114. In such an example, the motor 114 may rotate in a first direction.

[0097] For another example, when the second switch 720 and the third switch 730 are closed and the first switch 710 and the fourth switch 740 are opened under the control of the processor 142, a closed loop including the battery 150 may be formed. Thus, power may be supplied from the battery 150 to the motor 114. In such an example, the motor 114 may rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0098] Reference Figure 8 , the processor 142 may control the motor driver circuit 112 to form a closed loop including the battery 150. The battery 150 may supply power to the motor 114. The motor 114 may rotate in a direction corresponding to the direction of the current. For example, when the wearable device 100 operates in the assist mode, the processor 142 may control the motor driver circuit 112 to form a closed loop including the battery 150.

[0099] Refer to above Figure 7 and Figure 8 Unlike the above, the motor driver circuit 112 can also be controlled without the battery 150. Figure 9 and Figure 10 When the operation mode of the wearable device 100 is the exercise mode, the following reference Figure 9 and Figure 10 An example of controlling the motor driver circuit 112 .

[0100] Reference Figure 9 , processor 142 may disconnect the electrical connection between battery 150 and motor 114 by opening first switch 710 and second switch 720. In exercise mode, first switch 710 and second switch 720 may remain disconnected. In exercise mode, only the lower driver circuit including third switch 730 and fourth switch 740 connected to motor 114 may be controlled.

[0101] The processor 142 may apply the control signal 1 to the third switch 730 and the control signal 2 to the fourth switch 740, so that the control state of the motor driver circuit 112 changes between the first control state and the second control state. Here, the control signal 1 and the control signal 2 may be in the form of PWM, which repeatedly alternates between high and low values and has a duty cycle. The duty cycle may indicate a duty cycle. The period is T and the time of maintaining the high value in the period T is t. H In the case of H / T. Although the processor 142 is described herein as outputting the control signal 1 and the control signal 2, the example is not limited thereto. For example, the processor 142 may output a single control signal, and the output control signal may be divided by separate circuits. The control signals obtained by the division may be applied to the third switch 730 and the fourth switch 740, respectively.

[0102] For example, when the control signal 1 and the control signal 2 are high, the (+) terminal and the (-) terminal of the motor 114 may be connected to be in an equipotential state. That is, in the first control state, the (+) terminal and the (-) terminal of the motor 114 may be electrically connected to have the same potential or voltage.

[0103] In the first control state, the motor 114 may form a closed loop with the ground and may not be electrically connected to the battery 150. Therefore, the first control state may also be referred to as a closed loop state in which the motor 114 is not electrically connected to the battery 150.

[0104] When the user moves in the first control state, the motor 114 disposed around the user's corresponding joint rotates due to the movement of the user's joint. This rotation generates an electromotive force or potential difference in the motor 114. The terminals of the motor 114 in the first control state are in an equipotential state, thereby generating a rotational resistance in the motor 114 to reduce the generated electromotive force. This rotational resistance can be provided to the user as resistance.

[0105] For example, when control signal 1 and control signal 2 are low, the (+) terminal and the (-) terminal of motor 114 may be electrically disconnected. In the second control state, there is no electrical connection to motor 114. Therefore, the second control state may also be referred to as an open-loop state for motor 114.

[0106] When the user moves in the second control state, the motor 114 rotates in response to the user's movement. In the second control state, the (+) and (-) terminals of the motor 114 are electrically disconnected, so no electromotive force is generated in the motor 114, and no resistance is output. In other words, the reverse driving capability of the motor 114 is increased, and the friction generated by the gear ratio may be felt or experienced only as resistance by the user.

[0107] The high value and the low value of the control signal 1 and the control signal 2 may be repeated according to the PWM signal, and thus the control state of the motor driver circuit 112 may be repeatedly switched between the first control state and the second control state.

[0108] Processor 142 can adjust the magnitude of the resistance by controlling the duty cycle of each of control signals 1 and 2. For example, when the time during which each of control signals 1 and 2 maintains a high value increases (i.e., the time during which it maintains a low value decreases), the ratio of motor 114 operating in the first control state during each of control signals 1 and 2's time period may increase compared to the ratio of motor 114 operating in the second control state during each of control signals 1 and 2's time period. Consequently, the intensity of the resistance output to the user may increase. Conversely, when the time during which each of control signals 1 and 2 maintains a high value decreases (i.e., the time during which it maintains a low value increases), the ratio of motor 114 operating in the second control state during each of control signals 1 and 2's time period may increase compared to the ratio of motor 114 operating in the first control state during each of control signals 1 and 2's time period. Consequently, the intensity of the resistance output to the user may decrease.

[0109] In exercise mode, the wearable device 100 can output resistance without supplying power from the battery 150 to the motor 114, thereby consuming less power from the battery 150 and increasing the usable time of the wearable device 100. When power from the battery 150 is supplied to the motor 114, the motor 114 may malfunction. However, in exercise mode, power from the battery 150 may not be supplied to the motor 114, thereby preventing potential malfunction of the motor 114 and further improving the safety of the wearable device 100.

[0110] Reference Figure 10 , the motor driver circuit 112 may be controlled to not include the battery 150. The battery 150 may be electrically disconnected from the motor 114. Based on the connection state of the motor driver circuit 112, the motor 114 may generate an electromotive force by an external force (in the case where the connection state corresponds to a closed loop), or may not generate an electromotive force (in the case where the connection state corresponds to an open loop).

[0111] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method of providing resistance according to at least one example embodiment.

[0112] The wearable device 100 may be used to perform the following operations. Figure 11 Operations 1110 to 1180 are described above. Although the wearable device 100 is described above as being worn on the user's lower body, examples of the wearable device 100 are not limited thereto. For example, the wearable device 100 may be worn on the user's upper body. For another example, the wearable device 100 may be worn on the user's entire body.

[0113] Reference Figure 11 In operation 1110, the wearable device 100 receives an operation mode for controlling the wearable device 100 from a user. The operation mode may include an exercise mode and an assistance mode, and the received operation mode may be the exercise mode or the assistance mode.

[0114] For example, the user can send the operating mode to the wearable device 100 through a user terminal connected to the wearable device 100 via a wireless network. The wearable device 100 can receive the operating mode through the communication module. The wireless network may include, for example, a cellular network, a Bluetooth network, a WiFi network, etc., but the example is not limited thereto.

[0115] For another example, the user may input an operation mode through the input interface 146 of the wearable device 100. The input interface 146 may include, for example, a physical button for receiving a user's input, a software button formed based on a touch panel, a display and an indicator for outputting the state of the wearable device 100, etc. The indicator may be, for example, a light emitting diode (LED), but the example is not limited thereto.

[0116] Multiple dynamic modes for controlling the wearable device 100 can be pre-set in the wearable device 100.

[0117] For example, the wearable device 100 may control the operation of the wearable device 100 through a control algorithm. The control algorithm may be an algorithm that outputs a control value corresponding to input including, for example, input from a user and input from the sensor 120, the IMU 130, etc. For example, the control algorithm may operate based on a control table indicating output values corresponding to input values.

[0118] For another example, the wearable device 100 may control the operation of the wearable device 100 based on a neural network corresponding to each operating mode rather than through a control algorithm. The neural network may be an artificial neural network and pre-trained through machine learning. The neural network may be, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a deep neural network (DNN), and a combination thereof, but the examples are not limited thereto.

[0119] In response to receiving input, the neural network may output the result of that input. For example, when a joint angle is input, a neural network trained using an assistance mode may determine the gait state corresponding to the angle and calculate the assist torque value for the joint. For another example, when a joint angle is input, a neural network trained using an exercise mode may determine the gait state corresponding to the angle and calculate and output the resistance level for the joint. In this example, the resistance level to be calculated may vary based on the exercise level set by the user. For example, a higher resistance level may be calculated when a higher exercise level is set.

[0120] In operation 1120, the wearable device 100 uses the sensor 121 to measure the angles of the user's joints. The sensor 121 may be an angle sensor and measures the angle of at least one of the hip joint, knee joint, or ankle joint. Alternatively, the corresponding angles of multiple joints may be measured. The angles of the joints measured simultaneously may form a joint angle group for a specific time. The joint angle group may be used to determine the level of the user's step cycle. For example, the user's leg posture may be determined based on the hip joint angle, knee joint angle, and ankle joint angle. In addition, the joint angle group may further include angular acceleration calculated based on changes in the same joint angle.

[0121] Although the hip, knee, and ankle joints are described herein as examples, the foregoing description may also be applied to other joints including, for example, the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints.

[0122] Although operation 1120 is shown as being performed between operations 1110 and 1130, operation 1120 may be performed continuously as long as power is supplied to sensor 121. Sensor 121 may generate data including, for example, joint angles at a preset period. That is, joint angles may be measured sequentially and continuously.

[0123] In operation 1130, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 determines whether the operating mode is exercise mode or assistance mode. When the operating mode is exercise mode, resistance may be provided to the user. When the operating mode is assistance mode, assistive force may be provided to the user. To provide resistance to the user, operations 1140 to 1160 may be performed. To provide assistive force to the user, operations 1170 and 1180 may be performed.

[0124] Although it has been described that the operation mode is determined in operation 1130, it may be determined in operation 1130 whether the operation mode is the assist mode, and then, when it is determined that the operation mode is not the assist mode, it may be determined whether the operation mode is the exercise mode. Alternatively, it may be determined in operation 1130 whether the operation mode is the exercise mode, and then, when it is determined that the operation mode is not the exercise mode, it may be determined whether the operation mode is the assist mode.

[0125] According to example embodiments, when a user walks, an exercise mode may be applied throughout the entire gait state, or selectively applied in a specific gait state. For example, an exercise mode may be applied only in a swing state between a standing state and a swing state selected by the user. Here, to determine the user's current gait state, the angles of the user's joints may be used.

[0126] In operation 1140, when the operating mode is exercise mode, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 determines a resistance level for the joint based on the measured joint angle. For example, a control algorithm may determine a resistance level based on the input of the joint angle. For another example, the resistance level may be output by inputting the joint angle into a neural network determined based on the operating mode.

[0127] Resistance level refers to the level or size of resistance that a user may feel or experience. For example, when a user expects to receive the same resistance for the entire gait motion (or running motion), the same resistance level can be determined for the entire gait motion. For another example, when a user expects to receive different resistances for a specific state or phase (e.g., swing state) of the gait mechanism, the level of the user's step cycle can be determined based on the joint angles (e.g., joint angle groups), and the resistance level corresponding to the level of the determined step cycle can be determined. The level of the step cycle can change in real time, and therefore the resistance level to be determined can change in real time.

[0128] According to an example embodiment, a pre-generated resistance curve may indicate the trajectory of the resistance level over the entire step cycle. Based on the resistance curve over the entire step cycle, a resistance level corresponding to the level of the current step cycle may be determined.

[0129] The resistance curve can be adjusted by the user. For example, the user can adjust the resistance level of at least a portion of the resistance curve through the input interface 146 of the wearable device 100 or a user terminal connected to the wearable device 100. That is, the user can adjust the resistance level of at least a portion of the resistance curve to set the user's desired exercise method. Figure 12 Describe the resistance curve in detail.

[0130] Here, the neural network for each operating mode may be pre-trained by the manufacturer of the wearable device 100. Alternatively, the neural network may be further trained, for example, fine-tuned, by the user of the wearable device 100. For example, the user may input feedback regarding the current output of the neural network to the wearable device 100, and the processor 142 may further train the neural network to reflect the feedback. For example, backpropagation or reinforcement learning may be used to train the neural network, but examples are not limited thereto.

[0131] According to example embodiments, the resistance level can be determined based on the position and angle of the user's joints. For example, a target posture for the user's left leg can be preset, and the resistance level can be determined based on the difference between the target posture and the user's current posture. In this example, when the difference between the target posture and the current posture is large, the resistance level can be determined to be low. Conversely, when the difference between the target posture and the current posture is small, the resistance level can be determined to be high. Additionally, when the current posture corresponds to the target posture, the highest resistance level can be provided to the user.

[0132] For example, in a case where a posture of lifting the thigh at a preset angle or greater is set as a target posture, as the user lifts the thigh higher, the resistance level may be higher, and the user may feel or experience the strongest resistance from the target posture.

[0133] To determine the resistance level, a damping control technique using a muscle model may be used. When the resistance level determined by the damping control technique changes sequentially, the user's sense of resistance to the change in exercise load may be reduced.

[0134] According to a generally known biological muscle model (for example, the Hill-type muscle model developed in medical engineering), when a stimulation signal is input to a muscle, the input stimulation signal can be amplified proportionally to the force generated by the muscle (which is positive feedback), and the muscle strength (or force) amplified by the stimulation signal can be expressed in terms of the relationship between muscle length and muscle contraction speed.

[0135] When a muscle is most contracted and when it is most stretched, there may not be much force. However, when a muscle is of the proper length, it may have the strongest force. As the rate of change increases, the force generated based on the rate of change in muscle length can be greater.

[0136] The relationship between muscle length and muscle strength based on the muscle length may be in the form of a normal distribution, and the relationship between muscle stretching speed and muscle strength based on the muscle stretching speed may be in the form of a sigmoid.

[0137] The user can become familiar with changes in body movement based on muscle stretching and the corresponding strength or force. Therefore, when a resistance level corresponding to the force exerted in response to changes in body movement is provided to the user, the user can also become familiar with the resistance (or exercise load) provided by the resistance level and the change in resistance based on the change in resistance level.

[0138] The wearable device 100 can calculate the user's body movement based on the position and angle of the user's joints. In exercise mode, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 can calculate the body movement and the magnitude of the corresponding force through the movement based on the position and angle of the user's joints, and calculate the control level based on the calculated force.

[0139] In operation 1150, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 determines, based on the resistance level, a ratio between the time the motor driver circuit 112 is controlled in closed loop and the time the motor driver circuit 112 is controlled in open loop. Here, the ratio between the time the motor driver circuit 112 is controlled in closed loop and the time the motor driver circuit 112 is controlled in open loop may also be referred to as a connection ratio. For example, a connection ratio of the motor driver circuit 112 corresponding to the resistance level may be determined. The connection ratio of the motor driver circuit 112 may indicate the ratio of the motor driver circuit 112 being controlled in closed loop (e.g., a first control state) or open loop (e.g., a second control state) when energy is controlled not to be supplied from the battery 150 to the motor 114. For example, based on the closed loop state, a connection ratio of 0.5 may indicate that the closed loop state is controlled to 50% and the open loop state is controlled to 50% for a set (or alternatively, preset) period of time. The connection ratio may be dynamically adjusted as the resistance level changes.

[0140] For example, PWM can be used to implement the connection ratio. However, the examples are not limited to the aforementioned examples, and various methods can be applied to adjust the connection state of the motor driver circuit 112. When PWM is used to control the connection ratio, the connection ratio determined in operation 1150 can be represented by a PWM with a specific duty cycle. The PWM with a duty cycle can be set (or alternatively, preset) so as to provide the user with a desired resistance. By using PWM with a duty cycle, the motor driver circuit 112 can be controlled to be closed-loop (first control state) or open-loop (second control state). For example, the processor 142 can control the operation of each switch in the motor driver circuit 112 using PWM to control the motor driver circuit 112 to be closed-loop or open-loop.

[0141] When the motor driver circuit 112 is in a closed loop, the motor 114 can operate as a generator, and the reverse driving capability of the motor 114 can be reduced by dynamic braking. When the reverse driving capability is reduced, the resistance that the user can feel or experience can increase. Conversely, when the motor driver circuit 112 is in an open loop, the reverse driving capability of the motor 114 can be increased, and the user can only experience the friction of the gear ratio as resistance.

[0142] The desired reverse driving capability can be achieved by adjusting the on-off state ratio of the motor driver circuit 112 based on the connection ratio. For example, the resistance provided to the user can be adjusted according to the ratio of the motor driver circuit 112 being controlled in closed loop or open loop within a uniform and repeating time interval of PWM, and as the ratio of the time the motor driver circuit 112 is controlled in closed loop increases, the resistance can be increased.

[0143] In operation 1160, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 controls the motor 114 through the motor driver circuit 112 based on the determined connection ratio. The motor driver circuit 112 may include at least one switch (e.g., the first to fourth switches 710 to 740) to be controlled based on the connection ratio, and the motor driver circuit 112 may be controlled in a closed loop or an open loop through the switch. When the exercise mode is set as the operating mode of the wearable device 100, energy from the wearable device 100 may not be supplied to the motor 114. For example, the electrical energy stored in the battery 150 of the wearable device 100 may not be supplied to the motor 114. In this example, although electrical energy is not supplied to the motor 114, the reverse driving capability of the motor 112 can be controlled by controlling the motor driver circuit 112 in a closed loop or an open loop, and thus the resistance can be adjusted by the controlled reverse driving capability.

[0144] When the user is not moving, the motor 112 may not operate as a generator. When the motor 112 is not operating as a generator, no resistance may be generated and provided to the user. That is, the resistance generated based on the reverse driving capability of the motor 112 may only exist when the user is moving.

[0145] When the motor 112 operates as a generator, the battery 150 of the wearable device 100 can be charged based on the energy generated by the generator. That is, when the wearable device 100 operates in the exercise mode, the energy of the battery 150 of the wearable device 100 can be significantly less consumed and instead be charged. When the wearable device 100 operates in the exercise mode, the wearable device 100 can continue to operate even without external energy supply.

[0146] When the operation mode of the wearable device 100 is set to the exercise mode, the above operations 1140 to 1160 may be performed. When the operation mode of the wearable device 100 is set to the assist mode, operations 1170 and 1180 to be described below may be performed.

[0147] In operation 1170, upon receiving an assist mode as input from the user, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 calculates an assist torque value for the joint based on the measured joint angle. For example, the assist torque value for the input joint angle may be determined by a control algorithm. In another example, the assist torque value may be output by inputting the joint angle into a neural network determined based on the operating mode.

[0148] According to an example embodiment, processor 142 may determine a user's gait state, gait phase, or gait cycle progression based on the joint angles, and determine an assist torque value corresponding to the determined gait state or the determined gait cycle progression. For example, as the number of joints to be measured increases, a more accurate gait state or a more accurate gait cycle progression may be determined.

[0149] For example, the assisting torque value may be determined based on a desired (or alternatively, a preset) torque curve.However, the method of calculating the assisting torque value is not limited to the aforementioned example.

[0150] In operation 1180, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 controls the motor 114 based on the assist torque value to provide an assist force to the user. The wearable device 100 may use the battery 150 of the wearable device 100 to operate or drive the motor 114 so that an assist torque is output, and the assist torque output by the motor 114 provides the user with an assist force. The assist torque value may indicate a control signal applied to the motor 114, and the assist torque may indicate a rotational torque output by the motor 114 based on the assist torque value. The assist force may indicate a force that the user may feel or experience through the assist torque.

[0151] Although the reference Figure 11While the wearable device 100 is described as providing both an exercise mode and an assist mode to the user, the wearable device 100 may operate only in the exercise mode. If the wearable device 100 operates only in the exercise mode, operations 1110, 1130, 1170, and 1180 described above may not be performed. Furthermore, the wearable device 100 may not include a battery for powering the motor 114. By excluding a battery, the wearable device 100 may be reduced in weight.

[0152] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resistance curve output from a user terminal according to at least one example embodiment.

[0153] Reference Figure 12 , the wearable device 100 can be connected to the user terminal 1200 through a wired or wireless network. For example, the wearable device 100 can send and receive information associated with the wearable device 100 through an application installed in the user terminal 1200. The information associated with the wearable device 100 may include, for example, setting values of the wearable device 100, the operating state of the wearable device 100, the device state of the wearable device 100, and the like. The setting values of the wearable device 100 may include, for example, detailed setting values set by the user for an assist mode or an exercise mode. The operating state of the wearable device 100 may include, for example, the current step state of the user or the progress of a step cycle. The device state of the wearable device 100 may include, for example, the remaining amount of the battery 150.

[0154] Various resistance curves associated with exercise modes may be pre-stored in the wearable device 100 or the user terminal 1200. For example, resistance curves may be pre-generated to produce different exercise effects.

[0155] The user can personalize existing resistance curve 1210 by adjusting at least a portion 1220 of resistance curve 1210 to a user-desired resistance level. For example, portion 1220 may correspond to a swinging state, and the user can adjust the resistance level of portion 1220 so that the resistance level is substantially minimized in the swinging state. For example, the user can adjust the resistance level by touching portion 1220 via a touch panel of user terminal 1200 and dragging the selected portion 1220.

[0156] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a method of providing resistance according to at least one example embodiment.

[0157] The wearable device 100 may be used to perform the following operations. Figure 13 Operations 1310 to 1380 are described.

[0158] Reference Figure 13In operation 1310, the wearable device 100 receives information from the user about the operation mode of controlling the wearable device 100. For a more detailed description of operation 1310, reference may be made to the above reference. Figure 11 A description of operation 1110 is provided.

[0159] In operation 1320, the wearable device 100 measures the angle of the user's joint using the sensor 121. For a more detailed description of operation 1320, reference may be made to the above reference. Figure 11 A description of operation 1120 is provided. Operation 1320 may be performed independently in parallel with operation 1330.

[0160] In operation 1330, the wearable device 100 determines whether the operation mode is the exercise mode or the assist mode.

[0161] For example, if the wearable device 100 operates based on multiple neural networks, the wearable device 100 may determine the neural network corresponding to the determined operating mode. Based on the determined neural network, subsequent operations may be performed. For example, an exercise mode neural network may be determined for exercise mode, and an assist mode neural network may be determined for assist mode. When the operating mode is exercise mode, operations 1340 to 1360 may be performed. When the operating mode is assist mode, operations 1370 and 1380 may be performed.

[0162] Although it is described above that the exercise mode or the auxiliary mode operates based on its corresponding neural network, the example is not limited thereto. For example, the operation of the wearable device 100 may be controlled by a control algorithm rather than such a neural network.

[0163] <Exercise Mode>

[0164] In operation 1340, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 determines the resistance level of the joint based on the measured angle of the joint. For a more detailed description of operation 1340, reference may be made to the above reference. Figure 11 A description of operation 1140 is provided.

[0165] In operation 1350, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 determines the connection ratio of the motor driver circuit 112 corresponding to the resistance level. For a more detailed description of operation 1350, reference may be made to the above reference. Figure 11 A description of operation 1150 is provided.

[0166] In operation 1360, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 controls the motor 114 through the connection ratio of the motor driver circuit 112. For a more detailed description of operation 1360, reference may be made to the above reference. Figure 11 A description of operation 1160 is provided.

[0167] <Assist Mode>

[0168] In operation 1370, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 calculates the assist torque value of the joint based on the measured angle of the joint. For a more detailed description of operation 1370, reference may be made to the above reference. Figure 11 A description of operation 1170 is provided.

[0169] In operation 1380, the processor 142 of the wearable device 100 provides an assist force to the user by controlling the motor 114 based on the assist torque value. Figure 11 A description of operation 1180 is provided.

[0170] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an open-loop motor driver circuit according to at least one example embodiment.

[0171] Reference Figure 14 , the motor driver circuit 1400 may be an H-type bridge circuit. The motor driver circuit 1400 may have an open or closed state determined based on the connection state of the switches 1410 to 1440. The switches 1410 to 1440 may be implemented by, for example, bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), but the example is not limited thereto.

[0172] When the motor driver circuit 1400 is in an open circuit state, the dynamic braking of the motor 114 can be minimized, and thus the reverse driving capability of the motor 114 can be increased. In this case, the reverse driving capability can be the friction generated by the gears connected to the motor 114.

[0173] Figure 15 and Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit according to at least one example embodiment.

[0174] According to example embodiments, a closed loop of the motor driver circuit 1400 may be formed to include the battery 150 and the motor 114 .

[0175] For example, when switch 1410 and switch 1440 of motor driver circuit 1400 are open and switch 1420 and switch 1430 of motor driver circuit 1400 are closed, current provided to motor 114 may flow in a first direction 1510 .

[0176] For another example, when switches 1410 and 1440 are closed and switches 1420 and 1430 are open, the current provided to motor 114 may flow in second direction 1610. Second direction 1610 may be opposite to first direction 1510. Based on such current direction, the rotation direction of the shaft of motor 114 may change.

[0177] These exemplary closed loops may be formed in the case of an assist mode, and exemplary current directions 1510 and 1610 may be determined based on the direction of the assist force to be provided to the user.

[0178] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit according to at least one example embodiment.

[0179] Reference Figure 17 , the motor driver circuit 1400 connected to the motor 114 controlled not to use the energy of the battery 150 can form a closed loop. Figure 17 In the example of FIG. 1 , the motor driver circuit 1400 may be a motor driver circuit for an exercise mode that does not use power from the battery 150 and a closed-loop circuit connected to the motor 114 .

[0180] For example, when switches 1410 and 1430 of motor driver circuit 1400 are open and switches 1420 and 1440 of motor driver circuit 1400 are closed, a closed loop including motor 114 may be formed. That is, a closed loop may be formed by the lower driver circuit of motor driver circuit 1400. The closed loop may be formed in exercise mode, and dynamic braking of motor 114 may occur. A user rotating motor 114 may feel or experience resistance due to dynamic braking.

[0181] Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit including a braking resistor according to at least one example embodiment.

[0182] Reference Figure 18 The motor driver circuit 1800 includes a battery 150, switches 1810 to 1840 connected to the motor 114, and a braking resistor 1850. When the switches 1820 and 1840 are closed, a closed loop including the motor 114 is formed. When the closed loop is formed, the resistance felt or experienced by the user is maximized.

[0183] When the ratio of the open-loop state and the closed-loop state of the motor driver circuit 1800 is adjusted by the connection ratio, the level of resistance can be adjusted. The closed-loop state can be maintained to maximize the resistance, and the open-loop state can be maintained to minimize the resistance.

[0184] For example, when the motor driver circuit 1800 is controlled in a closed loop, the motor 114 can operate as a generator for external force applied by the user, and the generated energy can be dissipated as heat through the braking resistor 1850. For another example, in the motor driver circuit 1800, the current generated by the motor 114 can flow from the (+) terminal of the battery 150 to the (-) terminal of the battery 150 through the diode, regardless of the rotation direction of the rotating shaft of the motor 114. Therefore, the generated energy can charge the battery 150.

[0185] Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a motor driver circuit including a closed loop of a resistor according to at least one example embodiment.

[0186] Reference Figure 19 , by adding an auxiliary path including at least one resistor 1962 and a switch 1964 to the above reference Figures 14 to 17 The motor driver circuit 1900 obtained by the described motor driver circuit 1400 can increase the electrical stability of the closed loop.

[0187] In a motor driver circuit 1900 in a closed-loop state including motor 114, motor 114 can operate as a generator when rotated by an external force and generate an electromotive force. The generated electromotive force can damage electronic components within the closed loop. Therefore, by adding resistor 1962 to the closed loop, the internal resistance value of the closed loop can be increased, and thus the magnitude of the current generated by the electromotive force can be reduced. As the magnitude of the current is reduced, the probability of damage to internal electronic components within the closed loop can also be reduced.

[0188] Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a closed-loop motor driver circuit including a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor according to at least one example embodiment.

[0189] Figures 14 to 19 The motor driver circuits 1400, 1800, and 1900 shown may be connected to a direct current (DC) motor. Figure 20 As another example, motor driver circuit 2000 may be connected to BLDC motor 2005. BLDC motor 2005 may be connected to three terminals in motor driver circuit 2000. Generally, compared to DC motors, BLDC motors can generate greater torque relative to their volume and may not generate friction between brushes and rotor coils because they do not use the mechanical brushes used to commutate current in DC motors. Due to the lack of friction between the brushes and rotor coils, BLDC motors may have greater durability than DC motors.

[0190] For example, when switches 2010, 2030, and 2050 of motor driver circuit 2000 are open and switches 2020, 2040, and 2060 of motor driver circuit 2000 are closed, a closed loop may be formed including BLDC motor 2005. The closed loop may be formed without including battery 150.

[0191] When the PWM signal is applied to the switch 2020, the switch 2040, and the switch 2060, the closed-loop state and the open-loop state of the motor driver circuit 2000 may be controlled. Here, the control ratio may vary according to the resistance level.

[0192] Switch 2020 can control the opening and closing of a first terminal (u) of BLDC motor 2005. Switch 2040 can control the opening and closing of a second terminal (v) of BLDC motor 2005. Switch 2060 can control the opening and closing of a third terminal (w) of BLDC motor 2005. For example, when the same PWM signal is applied to switches 2020, 2040, and 2060, a closed loop can be formed regardless of the commutation order of BLDC motor 2005.

[0193] Since BLDC motor 2005 is connected to three terminals u, v, and w, a closed loop can be formed by determining the rotor's Hall sensor information (e.g., the angle of the motor's rotation shaft) and then selectively connecting two switches among switches 2020, 2040, and 2060 to match the commutation sequence, thereby forming an electrical closed loop between terminals u, v, and w. However, when controlling BLDC motor 2005 to control only its reverse drive capability in exercise mode, a closed loop can be formed by connecting all switches 2020, 2040, and 2060 without considering the commutation sequence. In this case, there is no need to consider the commutation sequence to form a closed loop, which can reduce the time required to calculate the commutation sequence and also reduce the probability of BLDC motor 2005 failure.

[0194] For another example, a PWM signal may be applied to each of the switches 2020 , 2040 , and 2060 to form a closed loop corresponding to a commutation sequence of states classified based on the angle of the rotating shaft of the BLDC motor 2005 .

[0195] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a driver of a wearable device according to at least one example embodiment.

[0196] Reference Figure 21The driver 110 of the wearable device 100 includes a motor 2110, a clutch 2120, and a plurality of gears including a low reduction gear 2130 and a high reduction gear 2140. From these gears, different gears can be selected based on user input or a determined resistance level. The clutch 2120 can control the transmission of driving force by selectively connecting the motor 2110 to one of the gears.

[0197] The gear ratio may be set differently based on the target of the operating mode of the wearable device 100, and thus the magnitude of resistance to be provided to the user may be adjusted.

[0198] Refer to above Figures 1A to 1D Unlike the hip-type wearable device 100 described above, the wearable device may be a wearable device that will be referred to below. Figures 22 to 24 The whole-body wearable device 1 described herein can be configured to provide walking assist torque to the user's hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint, respectively.

[0199] <Overview of Whole-body Walking Assist Devices>

[0200] Figures 22 to 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a whole-body wearable device 1 according to at least one example embodiment.

[0201] Figure 22 is a front view of the whole-body wearable device 1, Figure 23 is a side view of the whole-body wearable device 1, and Figure 24 It is a rear view of the whole-body wearable device 1.

[0202] According to example embodiments, the whole-body wearable device 1 may include the above-described driver 110 , sensor 120 , IMU 130 , controller 140 , and battery 150 .

[0203] Reference Figures 22 to 24 , the whole-body wearable device 1 may be provided in an exoskeleton structure to be worn on the user's left and right legs. While wearing the wearable device 1, the user may be able to perform various movements, such as extension, flexion, adduction, and abduction. Extension may refer to a movement or exercise that stretches a joint, and flexion may refer to a movement or exercise that bends a joint. Adduction may refer to a movement or exercise that moves the leg closer to the body's central axis, and abduction may refer to a movement or exercise that extends the leg in a direction away from the body's central axis.

[0204] Reference Figures 22 to 24 The wearable device 1 includes a main body portion 10 and a device portion including 20R and 20L, 30R and 30L, and 40R and 40L.

[0205] The main body 10 includes a housing 11 in which various components are embedded. The components to be embedded in the housing 11 may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a printed circuit board (PCB), various types of storage devices, and a power supply. Although not shown, the whole-body wearable device 1 may also include the aforementioned driver 110, sensor 120, IMU 130, and controller 140. For example, the main body 10 may include the controller 140, wherein the controller 140 may include a CPU and a PCB.

[0206] The CPU may be a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be provided with an arithmetic logic unit, registers, a program counter, an instruction decoder, and / or a control circuit in a silicon chip. The CPU may select a control mode suitable for the walking environment and generate control signals to control the operation of the device components.

[0207] The PCB refers to a board on which a circuit is printed, and a CPU and / or various storage devices may be mounted in the PCB. The PCB may be fixed to the inner side surface of the housing 11.

[0208] Various types of storage devices may be embedded in the housing 11. The storage devices may include magnetic disk storage devices configured to magnetize a magnetic disk surface and store data, and semiconductor memory devices configured to store data using various types of memory semiconductors.

[0209] The power source embedded in the housing 11 may supply power to various components or device parts embedded in the housing 11 .

[0210] The main body portion 10 further includes a lumbar support 12 configured to support the user's waist. The lumbar support 12 may be provided in the shape of a curved flat surface plate that supports the user's waist.

[0211] The main body 10 further includes a fixing portion 11a configured to fix the shell 11 to the user's hips and a fixing portion 12a configured to fix the waist support 12 to the user's waist. The fixing portions 11a and 12a can be implemented by one of elastic belts, straps, and bands.

[0212] The main body 10 further includes an IMU 130. For example, the IMU 130 may be provided inside or outside the housing 11. The IMU 130 may be provided on a PCB provided inside the housing 11. The IMU 130 may measure acceleration and angular velocity.

[0213] The device part includes Figures 22 to 24 A first structure 20, a second structure 30 and a third structure 40 are shown.

[0214] The first structure 20, comprising a right portion 20R and a left portion 20L, can assist or support the movement of the user's thigh and hip joints when the user walks. The first structure 20 includes a first driving device having 21R and 21L, a first support member having 22R and 22L, and a first fixing portion having 23R and 23L.

[0215] The driver 110 may include a first driving device having 21R and 21L. The description of the driver 110 may be referred to below. Figures 22 to 24 A description of the first driving device including 21R and 21L is provided instead.

[0216] The first drive device including 21R and 21L can be installed on the hip joint of the first structure 20 including 20R and 20L, and can generate rotational forces of different magnitudes in specific directions. The rotational force generated in the first drive device including 21R and 21L can be applied to the first support member including 22R and 22L. The first drive device including 21R and 21L can be configured to rotate within the range of motion of the human hip joint.

[0217] The first driving device including 21R and 21L may operate based on a control signal provided from the main body portion 10. The first driving device including 21R and 21L may be implemented by one of a motor, a vacuum pump, and a hydraulic pump, but examples are not limited thereto.

[0218] The joint angle sensor may be provided around the first driving device including 21R and 21L. The joint angle sensor may detect an angle at which the first driving device including 21R and 21L rotates on a rotation axis. The sensor 120 may include a joint angle sensor.

[0219] The first support member including 22R and 22L may be physically connected to the first driving device including 21R and 21L. The first support member including 22R and 22L may be rotated in a specific direction by a rotation force generated from the first driving device including 21R and 21L.

[0220] The first support member 22R and 22L can be configured in various shapes. For example, the first support member 22R and 22L can be configured in a shape with nodes connected to each other. A joint can be provided between the nodes, through which the first support member 22R and 22L can be bent within a certain range. For another example, the first support member 22R and 22L can be configured in the shape of a rod. In this example, the first support member 22R and 22L can be formed of a flexible material that can be bent within a certain range.

[0221] The first fixing portion including 23R and 23L may be provided in the first support member including 22R and 22L. The first fixing portion including 23R and 23L may fix the first support member including 22R and 22L to the thigh of the user.

[0222] Figures 22 to 24 The first support member including 22R and 22L is shown fixed to the outer side of the user's thigh via the first fixing portion including 23R and 23L. When the first driving device including 21R and 21L is operated and the first support member including 22R and 22L rotates, the thigh to which the first support member including 22R and 22L is fixed can also rotate in the same direction as the rotation direction of the first support member including 22R and 22L.

[0223] The first fixing portion including 23R and 23L may be implemented by one of an elastic belt, a belt, and a strap, or a metal material. Figure 22 The first fixing portion including 23R and 23L as a chain is shown.

[0224] The second structure 30, comprising a right portion 30R and a left portion 30L, can assist or support the movement of the user's lower leg and knee joint when the user walks. The second structure 30, comprising 30R and 30L, includes a second drive device comprising 31R and 31L, a second support member comprising 32R and 32L, and a second fixing portion comprising 33R and 33L.

[0225] The second drive device including 31R and 31L can be installed on the knee joint of the second structure 30 including 30R and 30L, and can generate rotational forces of different magnitudes in specific directions. The rotational force generated in the second drive device including 31R and 31L can be applied to the second support member including 32R and 32L. The second drive device including 31R and 31L can be configured to rotate within the range of motion of the human knee joint.

[0226] The driver 110 may include a second driving device having 31R and 31L. Figures 1A to 1D What is described with respect to the hip joint can be similarly and substantially applied to the knee joint.

[0227] The second driving device including 31R and 31L may operate based on a control signal provided from the body portion 10. The second driving device including 31R and 31L may be implemented by one of a motor, a vacuum pump, and a hydraulic pump, but examples are not limited thereto.

[0228] The joint angle sensor may be provided around the second driving device including 31R and 31L. The joint angle sensor may detect the angle at which the second driving device including 31R and 31L rotates on the rotation axis. The sensor 120 may include a joint angle sensor.

[0229] The second support member including 32R and 32L may be physically connected to the second driving device including 31R and 31L. The second support member including 32R and 32L may be rotated in a certain direction by a rotation force generated from the second driving device including 31R and 31L.

[0230] The second fixing portion including 33R and 33L may be provided in the second support member including 32R and 32L. The second fixing portion including 33R and 33L may fix the second support member including 32R and 32L to the user's calf. Figures 22 to 24 The second support member including 32R and 32L is shown fixed to the outside of the user's calf via the second fixing portion including 33R and 33L. When the second driving device including 31R and 31L is operated and the second support member including 32R and 32L rotates, the calf to which the second support member including 32R and 32L is fixed can also rotate in the same direction as the rotation direction of the second support member including 32R and 32L.

[0231] The second fixing portion including 33R and 33L may be implemented by one of an elastic belt, a strap, and a band, or a metal material.

[0232] The third structure 40, including the right portion 40R and the left portion 40L, can assist or support the movement of the user's ankle joint and related muscles when the user walks. The third structure 40, including 40R and 40L, includes a third drive device including 41R and 41L, a foot support including 42R and 42L, and a third fixing portion including 43R and 43L.

[0233] The driver 110 may include a third driving device having 41R and 41L. Figures 1A to 1D What is described with respect to the hip joint can be similarly and substantially applied to the ankle joint.

[0234] The third driving device including 41R and 41L may be provided on the ankle joint of the third structure 40 including 40R and 40L, and operates based on a control signal provided by the main body portion 10. Similar to the first driving device including 21R and 21L or the second driving device including 31R and 31L, the third driving device including 41R and 41L may be implemented by a motor.

[0235] The foot support including 42R and 42L may be provided at a position corresponding to the sole of the user's foot and physically connected to the third driving device including 41R and 41L.

[0236] The third fixing portion including 43R and 43L may be provided in the foot support including 42R and 42L. The third fixing portion including 43R and 43L may fix the user's foot to the foot support including 42R and 42L.

[0237] The units and / or modules described herein can be implemented using hardware components and software components. For example, the hardware components may include a microphone, an amplifier, a bandpass filter, an audio-to-digital converter, and a processing device. The processing device can be implemented using one or more hardware devices configured to implement and / or execute program code by performing arithmetic, logical, and input / output operations. The (one or more) processing devices may include a processor, a controller and an arithmetic logic unit, a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable array, a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, or any other device capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner. The processing device may run an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the OS. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and create data in response to the execution of the software. For simplicity, the description of the processing device is used as a singular; however, those skilled in the art will understand that the processing device may include multiple processing elements and multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processing device may include multiple processors or a processor and a controller. In addition, different processing configurations are possible, such as parallel processors.

[0238] Software may include computer programs, code segments, instructions, or some combination thereof to independently or collectively instruct and / or configure a processing device to operate as desired, thereby converting the processing device into a special-purpose processor. Software and data may be embodied permanently or temporarily in any type of machine, component, physical or virtual device, computer storage medium or device, or in a propagating signal wave capable of providing instructions or data to a processing device or capable of being interpreted by a processing device. Software may also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the software is stored and executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored by one or more non-transitory computer-readable recording media.

[0239] The method according to the above-mentioned example embodiment can be recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which includes program instructions for implementing the various operations of the above-mentioned example embodiment. The medium may also include data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination with the program instructions. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be program instructions specially designed and constructed for the purpose of the example embodiment, or they may be types known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic media (such as hard disks, floppy disks, and tapes), optical media (such as CD-ROM disks, DVDs, and / or Blu-ray discs), magneto-optical media (such as optical discs), and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions (such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory (e.g., USB flash drive, memory card, memory stick, etc.), etc.). Examples of program instructions include machine code (such as generated by a compiler) and files containing higher-level code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter. The above-mentioned devices can be configured to act as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the above-mentioned example embodiments, and vice versa.

[0240] A number of example embodiments have been described above. However, it should be understood that various modifications may be made to these example embodiments. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and / or if components in the described systems, architectures, devices, or circuits are combined in a different manner and / or replaced or supplemented with other components or their equivalents. Therefore, other implementations are within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a motor driver circuit of a wearable device, the method comprising: measuring a first angle of a first joint of the user via a sensor; determining a level of resistance applied to the first joint based on the first angle; determining, based on the resistance level, a connection ratio between a connection time at which the terminals of the motor will be electrically connected in a closed loop and a disconnection time at which the terminals of the motor will be electrically disconnected; as well as The motor driver circuit electrically connected to the motor is controlled based on the connection ratio when the motor is electrically disconnected from a power source.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The motor driver circuit includes at least one switch configured to be controlled based on the connection ratio.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The connection ratio is represented by pulse width modulation PWM.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The resistance level to be provided to the user is adjusted based on the connection ratio such that resistance increases as a connection time during which the terminals of the motor are electrically connected in a closed loop increases.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein In a state in which terminals of the motor are to be electrically connected in a closed loop, the motor is configured to operate as a generator with respect to an external force of the user.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: When the motor operates as the generator, the battery of the wearable device is charged based on energy generated by the generator.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: An instruction to set an operation mode of the wearable device to an exercise mode is received from the user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: When the exercise mode is set, no energy from the battery of the wearable device is supplied to the motor.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving an instruction from the user to set the operating mode of the wearable device to an assist mode; calculating an assist torque value applied to the first joint in the assist mode based on the first angle; as well as An assist force is provided to the user by controlling the motor based on the assist torque value.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 1.

11. A wearable device configured to control a motor driver circuit of the wearable device, the wearable device comprising: a memory configured to store a program including instructions for providing resistance to a user; a sensor configured to measure a first angle of a first joint of the user; the motor driver circuit; a motor electrically connected to the motor driver circuit; as well as A processor is configured to execute the program to perform the following operations: measuring a first angle of a first joint of the user via the sensor, determining a level of resistance applied to the first joint based on the first angle, determining a connection ratio between a connection time at which the terminals of the motor will be electrically connected in a closed loop and a disconnection time at which the terminals of the motor will be electrically disconnected based on the resistance level, and The motor driver circuit electrically connected to the motor is controlled based on the connection ratio when the motor is electrically disconnected from a power source.

12. The wearable device according to claim 11, wherein: The connection ratio is represented by pulse width modulation PWM, and The resistance to be provided to the user is adjusted based on the connection ratio such that the resistance increases as a connection time during which terminals of the motor are electrically connected in a closed loop increases.

13. The wearable device according to claim 11, wherein: In a state in which terminals of the motor are to be electrically connected in a closed loop, the motor is configured to operate as a generator with respect to an external force of the user.

14. The wearable device according to claim 11, wherein: The processor is further configured to: receiving an instruction from the user to set the operation mode of the wearable device to an exercise mode, and The level of resistance applied to a first joint is determined based on the exercise pattern and a first angle.

15. The wearable device according to claim 11, wherein: The processor is further configured to: receiving an instruction from the user to set the operating mode of the wearable device to an assist mode; calculating an assist torque value applied to the first joint in the assist mode based on the first angle; as well as An assist force is provided to the user by controlling the motor based on the assist torque value.

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