Physical fitness index calculation method and physical fitness index calculation program

Abstract

SOLUTION: A physical fitness index calculation method comprises the steps of: calculating information on a motion of the body of a subject, on the basis of a signal acquired from a wearable sensor attached to the subject; and calculating a physical fitness index on the basis of the calculated information on the motion of the body of the subject by referring to a storage part in which the information on the motion of the body with respect to a specific operation and a physical fitness index based on statistical information on the operation are stored in association with each other. The method further comprises a step of generating a comparison result with a predetermined operation on the basis of the information on the motion of the body of the subject, and may calculate the physical fitness index when the comparison result satisfies a predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a physical fitness index calculation method and a physical fitness index calculation program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses "a device for evaluating athletic ability by measuring the movement and unsteadiness of the subject's center of gravity." [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-253534 A Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for calculating a physical fitness index. The method for calculating a physical fitness index may include a step of calculating information on a physical motion of a subject based on a signal acquired from a wearable sensor attached to the subject. The method for calculating a physical fitness index may include a step of calculating a physical fitness index based on the calculated information on the physical motion of the subject by referring to a storage unit in which information on the physical motion for a specific movement and a physical fitness index based on statistical information of the movement are stored in association with each other.

[0004] The method may further include generating a comparison result with a predetermined motion based on the information on the subject's body movement.

[0005] If the comparison result does not satisfy the predetermined condition, a warning to that effect may be given.

[0006] The body movement information may include at least one of position coordinate information of a body part, acceleration information of a body part, angle information of a joint, and angular velocity information of a joint.

[0007] The joint may include at least one of a hip joint, a knee joint, and an ankle joint.

[0008] The signals may be obtained from at least two of the wearable sensors for one of the joints.

[0009] The physical fitness index may be a physical fitness age.

[0010] If the calculated physical age is an outlier, a predetermined physical age may be assigned.

[0011] The specific movement may include a plurality of types of movement, and in the step of calculating the physical fitness index, the physical fitness index may be calculated based on a representative value of physical fitness indexes relating to the plurality of types of movement.

[0012] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a physical fitness index calculation program. The physical fitness index calculation program may cause a computer to execute a procedure of calculating information on a body movement of a subject based on a signal acquired from a wearable sensor worn by the subject. The physical fitness index calculation program may cause a computer to execute a procedure of calculating a physical fitness index based on the calculated information on the body movement of the subject by referring to a storage unit in which information on the body movement for a specific movement and a physical fitness index based on statistical information of the movement are stored in association with each other.

[0013] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a wearable sensor 102 is attached to a subject 101 in the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 shows a schematic configuration of a physical fitness index calculation system 100 capable of executing a physical fitness index calculation method according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing the overall operation of a physical fitness index calculation method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a two-step test in the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of a two-step test in the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 13(a) and (b) show a first example of operation determination of the two-step test in this embodiment. [Figure 7] A second example of the operation determination of the two-step test in this embodiment will be described. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a whole-body reaction time test in the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of a whole-body reaction time test in the present embodiment. [Figure 10] An example of the motion assessment in the whole body reaction time test in this embodiment will be described below. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a closed-eye one-leg standing test in the present embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of a closed-eye one-leg standing test in the present embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 shows a first example of movement assessment for a closed-eyes one-legged standing test in this embodiment. [Figure 14] 6(a) and (b) show a second example of movement assessment for the eyes-closed one-legged standing test in this embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a 10-second chair standing test in the present embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a method for counting the number of times a subject stood up in a 10-second chair stand test in the present embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of a 10-second chair standing test in the present embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a standing forward bending test in the present embodiment. [Figure 19] 13 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of a standing forward bending test in the present embodiment. [Figure 20] 11(a) to 11(d) show an example of movement assessment in a standing forward bending test in this embodiment. [Figure 21] An overview of the calculation of physical age in this embodiment will be given. [Figure 22] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a report 300 that is output to a display unit 104 by an analysis unit 103 in the present embodiment. [Figure 23] An example of a computer 2200 is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0016] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which wearable sensors 102 are attached to a subject 101 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, in this embodiment, seven wearable sensors 102 are attached to the subject 101. One wearable sensor 102a is attached to the lower back of the subject 101, two wearable sensors 102b are attached to the left and right thighs of the subject 101, two wearable sensors 102c are attached to the left and right calves of the subject 101, and two wearable sensors 102d are attached to the insteps of the subjects 101's feet.

[0017] The wearable sensor 102 is a motion sensor for detecting the motion of the subject 101. Examples of the wearable sensor 102 include, but are not limited to, inertial sensors (including quantum inertial sensors) such as acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, and geomagnetic sensors, optical sensors, mechanical sensors, magnetic sensors, and image sensors. The wearable sensor 102 can detect the acceleration in three axial directions, the angular velocity around three axes, and the orientation in the three axial directions at the location where the sensor is worn. In addition, the detection results of the multiple wearable sensors 102 can be used to detect the angle and angular velocity of each joint of the subject 101. The joints include the left and right hip joints, the left and right knee joints, the left and right ankle joints, and the like of the subject 101.

[0018] In this embodiment, signals are obtained from at least two wearable sensors 102 for one joint, and the angle of the joint is calculated. Specifically, the hip joint angle of the subject 101 is calculated from signals obtained from one wearable sensor 102a attached to the waist of the subject 101 and two wearable sensors 102b attached to the left and right thighs of the subject 101. In addition, the knee joint angle of the subject 101 is calculated from signals obtained from two wearable sensors 102b attached to the left and right thighs of the subject 101 and two wearable sensors 102c attached to the left and right calves of the subject 101. In addition, the ankle joint angle of the subject 101 is calculated from signals obtained from two wearable sensors 102c attached to the left and right calves of the subject 101 and two wearable sensors 102d attached to the insteps of the left and right feet of the subject 101.

[0019] The number and locations of the wearable sensors 102 attached to the subject 101 are not limited to those shown in the figure. For example, the wearable sensors 102 may be attached to the upper body of the subject 101, such as the arms or shoulders, or ten or more wearable sensors 102 may be attached to the subject 101.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of a physical fitness index calculation system 100 capable of executing the physical fitness index calculation method according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the physical fitness index calculation system 100 includes seven wearable sensors 102 attached to a subject 101, an analysis unit 103, a display unit 104, and a storage unit 105. The analysis unit 103 receives signals related to the acceleration in three axial directions, the angular velocity around three axes, and the orientation in the three axial directions of each of the seven wearable sensors 102 attached to the subject 101. The analysis unit 103 may receive data that has been preprocessed, and may receive data in the form of a quaternion, for example. The analysis unit 103 analyzes the signal acquired from the wearable sensors 102 attached to the subject 101, and calculates information on the body movement of the subject 101. The analysis unit 103 calculates a physical fitness index based on the calculated information on the body movement of the subject 101. The analysis unit 103 stores the calculated physical fitness index in the storage unit 105, and also displays it on the display unit 104. The information on the body movement of the subject 101 may include at least one of position coordinate information of a body part, acceleration information of a body part, angle information of a joint, and angular velocity information of a joint.

[0021] A part or the whole of the physical fitness index calculation system 100 may be realized by a computer. For example, the analysis unit 103 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the computer. When the physical fitness index calculation system 100 is realized by a computer, a physical fitness index calculation program for causing the computer to function as the physical fitness index calculation system 100 may be installed in the computer, and a physical fitness index calculation program for causing the computer to execute the physical fitness index calculation method of the present embodiment may be installed in the computer.

[0022] The storage unit 105 is composed of memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random access memory), etc. The storage unit 105 stores information on the body movement for a specific movement and a physical fitness index based on statistical information on the movement in association with each other.

[0023] 3 is a flowchart showing the overall operation of the physical fitness index calculation method in this embodiment. In step S101, the wearable sensor 102 is turned on, the terminal 106 is turned on, and the measurement application is started. In the next step S102, it is confirmed whether the subject information has been registered. If the subject information has not been registered, the subject information is newly registered. In the next step S103, the subject 101 is fitted with the wearable sensor 102, and the wearable sensor 102 is calibrated.

[0024] In the next step S104, measurements are made for a two-step test, and the results are recorded. In the next step S106, measurements are made for a whole body reaction time test, and the results are recorded. In the next step S106, measurements are made for a one-legged standing test with eyes closed, and the results are recorded. In the next step S107, measurements are made for a 10-second chair rise test, and the results are recorded. In the next step S108, measurements are made for a standing forward bending test, and the results are recorded. Details of each step from step S104 to step S108 will be described later.

[0025] In the next step S109, a physical age is calculated from the results of each test. For example, a physical age in the 2-step test is calculated from the results of the 2-step test. This is performed for all tests. In the next step S109, the physical ages calculated in all tests are averaged to calculate an overall physical age. In the next step S110, an exercise recommended for the subject 101 is selected based on the calculated physical age and the results of each test. In the next step S111, a report on the subject 101 is created and displayed on the display unit 104.

[0026] [2-step test] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the two-step test in this embodiment. The following explanation will show the details of step S104 in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the two-step test is a test in which the subject 101 takes two large steps and the stride length of the subject 101 for two steps is measured. In the two-step test, the subject 101 first takes an "attention" posture, then takes two large steps, and then takes an "attention" posture again. The stride length for two steps is divided by the height of the subject 101 to obtain the result of the two-step test.

[0027] In the 2-step test, two wearable sensors 102d attached to the insteps of the left and right feet of the subject 101 are used to calculate the distances moved by the left and right feet of the subject 101 using the following formulas 1 and 2. The analysis unit 103 continues to acquire position information of the wearable sensors 102d attached to the insteps of the left and right feet of the subject 101 at predetermined time intervals from the start of measurement to the stop of measurement. The acquired position information is stored in the storage unit 105 as position information of the first sample, second sample, ... nth sample.

[0028]

number

[0029]

number

[0030] Equation 1 indicates the distance traveled by the left foot of the subject 101 measured by wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot, and Equation 2 indicates the distance traveled by the right foot of the subject 101 measured by wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot. In Equation 1, LeftFoot_g_x[0] indicates the x coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot at the start of measurement, LeftFoot_g_y[0] indicates the y coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot at the start of measurement, LeftFoot_g_x[f] indicates the x coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot at the stop of measurement, and LeftFoot_g_y[f] indicates the y coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot at the stop of measurement.

[0031] Similarly, RightFoot_g_x[0] in Equation 2 indicates the x-coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot at the start of measurement, RightFoot_g_y[0] indicates the y-coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot at the start of measurement, RightFoot_g_x[f] indicates the x-coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot when measurement stops, and RightFoot_g_y[f] indicates the y-coordinate of wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot when measurement stops.

[0032] In this embodiment, the result of the 2-step test is calculated by taking the average value of the result of Equation 1 and the result of Equation 2 and dividing the average value by the height of the subject 101.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of the two-step test in the present embodiment. In step S201, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement start button of the physical strength index calculation system 100. In the next step S202, the analysis unit 103 of the terminal 106 continuously acquires the position information of the wearable sensors 102d on the insteps of the left and right feet at predetermined time intervals. The acquired position information is stored in the storage unit 105 as the position information of the first sample, the second sample,... the nth sample. In the next step S203, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement stop button of the physical strength index calculation system 100.

[0034] In the next step S204, the analysis unit 103 calculates the coordinate change from the start of measurement to the nth sample of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot, and designates this as (1). In the next step S205, the analysis unit 103 calculates the coordinate change from the start of measurement to the nth sample at the end of measurement of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot, and designates this as (2). In the next step S206, the analysis unit 103 calculates (1) - (2). In the next step S207, the analysis unit 103 calculates nmin and nmax, which are the indexes of the maximum value and the minimum value of (1) - (2). In the next step S208, the analysis unit 103 determines that the left foot is the first step when nmax < nmin, and the right foot is the first step when nmax > nmin.

[0035] In the next step S209, the analysis unit 103 calculates the coordinate change from the start of measurement to the stop of measurement of the sensor on the instep of the left foot, and designates this as (3). In the next step S210, the analysis unit 103 calculates the coordinate change from the start of measurement to the stop of measurement of the sensor on the instep of the right foot, and designates this as (4). In the next step S211, the analysis unit 103 calculates the average value of (3) and (4) as the stride length for two steps of the subject 101. In the next step S212, the analysis unit 103 calculates the value obtained by dividing the stride length for two steps of the subject 101 by the height of the subject 101, and this is used as the result of the two-step test.

[0036] [2-step test operation judgment] In this embodiment, a motion judgment is performed to determine whether the subject 101 is performing the motion of the two-step test correctly. The analysis unit 103 generates a comparison result with a predetermined motion based on information on the body movement of the subject 101 in the motion judgment of the two-step test. Figures 6(a) and (b) show a first example of the motion judgment of the two-step test. Figures 6(a) and (b) show statistical information stored in advance in the storage unit 105, and are used for comparison with the motion of the subject 101. Figure 6(a) shows a typical change over time in the left and right hip joint angles of a person who performed the two-step test, and Figure 6(b) shows a typical change over time in the left and right knee joint angles of a person who performed the two-step test. The solid line 201 in Figure 6(a) shows the right hip joint angle, and the solid line 202 shows the left hip joint angle. The solid line 203 in Figure 6(b) shows the right knee joint angle, and the solid line 204 shows the left knee joint angle.

[0037] In the two-step test, when the subject 101 first assumes an "attention" posture, the hip joint angles 201, 202 of the subject 101 are typically almost 0 on both the left and right. In this embodiment, the knee joint angles 203, 204 are also almost 0, which is also used for motion judgment in order to distinguish from kneeling. Next, when the subject 101 takes two steps with a wide stride, the hip joint angles 201, 202 of the subject 101 swing in the flexion direction (positive side in the figure) of the hip joint of the forward leg and in the extension direction (negative side in the figure) of the hip joint of the rear leg, so that a step is detected. The second step has the opposite polarity, so that is detected. When the subject 101 assumes an "attention" posture again at the end of the two-step test, the hip joint angles 201, 202 of the subject 101 are typically almost 0 on both the left and right. In addition, in order to distinguish from kneeling, the knee joint angles 203, 204 are also almost 0, which is also used for motion judgment.

[0038] The analysis unit 103 acquires the hip joint angles 201, 202 and knee joint angles 203, 204 of the subject 101 by the wearable sensor 102 while the subject 101 is performing the movements of the two-step test. The analysis unit 103 generates a comparison result by comparing the changes over time of the acquired hip joint angles 201, 202 and knee joint angles 203, 204 of the subject 101 with the typical changes shown in Figs. 6(a) and (b). The comparison result is, for example, a comparison result in which the similarity between the two is calculated. The analysis unit 103 calculates a physical fitness index when the comparison result satisfies a predetermined condition. The case in which the comparison result satisfies a predetermined condition means, for example, that the similarity between the two is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. When the comparison result satisfies the predetermined condition, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 is performing the movements of the two-step test correctly, calculates the result of the two-step test, and displays it in a report.

[0039] On the other hand, if the comparison result does not satisfy the predetermined condition, i.e., if the change over time of the hip joint angles 201, 202 and knee joint angles 203, 204 of the subject 101 does not show the typical changes shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), it is determined that the subject 101 has not performed the movements of the 2-step test correctly, and an error is displayed on the display unit 104, or an alarm sound is sounded to point out to the subject 101 or the supervisor that the subject 101 has performed the movements incorrectly. In this case, since the subject 101 has not performed the movements of the 2-step test correctly, the analysis unit 103 does not calculate the results of the 2-step test.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a second example of the movement judgment of the two-step test. FIG. 7 shows typical changes over time in the coordinates of the front-rear direction of the left and right feet of a person who performed the two-step test. In FIG. 7, a solid line 205 indicates the coordinates of the right foot, and a solid line 206 indicates the coordinates of the left foot. FIG. 7 shows statistical information previously stored in the storage unit 105, and is used for comparison with the movements of the subject 101.

[0041] In the two-step test, when the subject 101 first assumes an "attention" posture, the coordinates 205, 206 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 typically have the same value for both the left and right. Note that the numerical value itself is not 0 because it changes if the subject moves location after the calibration of the wearable sensor 102. Next, when the subject 101 takes two steps with a large stride, the foot coordinate of the stepping foot changes to the positive side (the right foot in the figure). When the subject takes the second step, the coordinate 206 of the left foot overtakes the coordinate 205 of the right foot. When the subject 101 assumes an "attention" posture again at the end of the two-step test, the coordinates 205, 206 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 typically have the same value for both the left and right.

[0042] When the coordinates 205, 206 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 show the typical changes shown in Fig. 7, the analysis unit 103 of the terminal 106 determines that the subject 101 has performed the movements of the 2-step test correctly, calculates the results of the 2-step test, and displays them in a report. On the other hand, when the coordinates 205, 206 do not show the typical changes shown in Fig. 7, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 has performed the movements of the 2-step test incorrectly, and indicates to the subject 101 that he or she is performing an incorrect movement by displaying an error on the display unit 104 or sounding an alarm, for example.

[0043] [Whole Body Reaction Time Test] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the whole-body reaction time test in this embodiment. The following explanation shows the details of step S106 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 8, when an alarm sound is emitted from terminal 106, subject 101 reacts to the alarm sound by jumping quickly, and the reaction time from the alarm sound to subject 101 jumping is measured. The measured reaction time is the result of the whole-body reaction time test.

[0044] In the whole-body reaction time test, two wearable sensors 102d attached to the insteps of the left and right feet of the subject 101 are used to calculate the whole-body reaction time of the subject 101 according to the following formulas 3 and 4.

[0045]

number

[0046]

number

[0047] The left side of Equation 3 represents the acceleration of the left foot of the subject 101, and the left side of Equation 4 represents the acceleration of the right foot of the subject 101. In Equation 3, LeftFootIMU_acc_x 2 indicates the x-direction acceleration of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot of the subject 101, and LeftFootIMU_acc_y 2 indicates the y-direction acceleration of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot of the subject 101, and LeftFootIMU_acc_z 2 indicates the z-direction acceleration of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot of the subject 101. In Equation 4, RightFootIMU_acc_x 2 indicates the x-direction acceleration of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot of the subject 101, and RightFootIMU_acc_y 2 indicates the y-direction acceleration of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot of the subject 101, and RightFootIMU_acc_z 2 indicates the z-direction acceleration of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot.

[0048] In this embodiment, the analysis unit 103 continues to acquire acceleration information of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left and right feet of the subject 101 at a predetermined time interval. The acquired acceleration information is stored in the storage unit 105 as acceleration information of the first sample, the second sample, to the nth sample. In Formula 3, if the acceleration of the left foot of the subject 101 is 4.0 m / s 2 When the acceleration of the right foot of the subject 101 exceeds 4.0 m / s, the left foot of the subject 101 accelerates and jumps. 2When the acceleration exceeds the threshold, it is assumed that the right foot of the subject 101 is accelerated and the subject 101 jumps. In this embodiment, when both of the formulas 3 and 4 are satisfied, it is assumed that the subject 101 jumps with both feet in response to the warning sound.

[0049] 9 is a flow chart showing the details of the operation of the whole body reaction time test in this embodiment. In step S301, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement start button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100. In the next step S302, the analysis unit 103 continues to acquire acceleration information of the wearable sensors 102d on the insteps of the left and right feet at predetermined time intervals. In the next step S303, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement stop button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100.

[0050] In the next step S304, the analysis unit 103 calculates three-dimensional acceleration information of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot of the subject 101, and sets this information as (11). In the next step S305, the analysis unit 103 calculates three-dimensional acceleration information of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot of the subject 101, and sets this information as (12). In the next step S306, the analysis unit 103 calculates (11)>4.0 m / s 2 , and (12)>4.0m / s 2 In the next step S307, the analysis unit 103 multiplies the detected n by the reciprocal of the data sampling rate to calculate the whole body reaction time, which is the time from when the warning sound is sounded until the subject 101 jumps.

[0051] [Whole-body reaction time test motion assessment] In this embodiment, a motion judgment is performed to determine whether the subject 101 is performing a jumping motion correctly. FIG. 10 shows an example of motion judgment for a whole-body reaction time test in this embodiment. FIG. 10 shows typical changes over time in the vertical coordinates of the left and right feet of a person who has performed a whole-body reaction time test. In FIG. 10, a solid line 207 indicates the coordinates of the right foot, and a solid line 208 indicates the coordinates of the left foot. FIG. 10 is statistical information previously stored in the storage unit 105, and is used for comparison with the motion of the subject 101.

[0052] In a whole-body reaction time test, when the subject 101 first assumes an "attention" posture, the coordinates 207, 208 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 typically have the same value for both the left and right. Note that the numerical value itself is not 0 because it varies depending on the attachment position of the wearable sensor 102. Next, when the subject 101 jumps, the position coordinates (vertical direction) of both feet shift to the positive side from the initial value. This makes it possible to detect that both feet of the subject 101 are completely off the ground.

[0053] When the coordinates 207, 208 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 show the typical changes shown in Fig. 10, the analysis unit 103 of the terminal 106 determines that the subject 101 is performing the jumping action correctly, calculates the result of the whole-body reaction time test, and displays it in a report. On the other hand, when the coordinates 207, 208 do not show the typical changes shown in Fig. 10, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 is performing the jumping action incorrectly, and indicates to the subject 101 or the supervisor that the subject 101 is performing an incorrect action by displaying an error on the display unit 104 or sounding an alarm, for example.

[0054] [Closed eyes one-legged standing test] Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the closed-eyes one-legged standing test in this embodiment. The following explanation shows the details of step S106 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 11, when a predetermined signal sound is generated from terminal 106, subject 101 performs the action of standing on one leg with both eyes closed, and measures the elapsed time until the posture of standing on one leg collapses and the foot lands on the ground. The measured elapsed time becomes the result of the closed-eyes one-legged standing test.

[0055] In the closed-eyes one-legged standing test, two wearable sensors 102d attached to the insteps of the left and right feet of the subject 101 are used to calculate the time during which the difference in the vertical coordinates of the subject's 101's left and right feet is 2 cm or more, using the following equation 5.

[0056]

number

[0057] In Equation 5, LeftFoot_g_z[n] indicates the vertical position coordinate (i.e., z coordinate) of the left foot of the subject 101 at the nth sample, and RightFoot_g_z[n] indicates the vertical position coordinate of the right foot of the subject 101 at the nth sample. Therefore, LeftFoot_g_z[n]-RightFoot_g_z[n] indicates the difference between the vertical position coordinates of the left and right feet of the subject 101.

[0058] The analysis unit 103 measures the elapsed time from when LmRFoot_z[n] becomes 2 cm or more to when LmRFoot_z[n] becomes 2 cm or less, and regards this as the result of the eyes-closed one-legged standing test. It is also possible to determine whether the left or right foot is raised based on the sign of LmRFoot_z[n].

[0059] FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing details of the operation of the closed-eyes one-legged standing test in this embodiment. In step S401, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement start button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100. In the next step S402, the analysis unit 103 continues to acquire position information of the wearable sensors 102d on the insteps of the left and right feet at predetermined time intervals. The acquired position information is stored in the storage unit 105 as position information of the first sample, second sample, ..., nth sample. In the next step S403, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement stop button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100.

[0060] In the next step S404, the analysis unit 103 calculates the difference between the z coordinate of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the left foot of the subject 101 and the z coordinate of the wearable sensor 102d on the instep of the right foot, and sets this as (21). In the next step S405, the analysis unit 103 determines whether the subject 101 has lifted his left foot or his right foot based on the sign of the calculated (21). In the next step S406, if the absolute value of (21) is > 2 cm, the analysis unit 103 determines that one foot is lifted, and calculates the number of data samples for which the absolute value of (21) is > 2 cm. In the next step S407, the analysis unit 103 multiplies the detected n by the reciprocal of the data sampling rate to calculate the elapsed time during which the subject 101 has been standing on one leg with eyes closed, and sets this as the result of the whole-body reaction time test.

[0061] [Movement assessment for closed-eyes one-legged standing test] In this embodiment, a motion judgment is performed to determine whether the subject 101 is correctly performing the motion of standing on one leg. FIG. 13 shows a first example of motion judgment for a closed-eyes one-leg standing test in this embodiment. FIG. 13 shows typical changes over time in the vertical coordinates (i.e., z coordinates) of the left and right feet of a person who has performed a closed-eyes one-leg standing test. Solid line 209 in FIG. 13 indicates the vertical coordinate of the right foot, and solid line 210 indicates the vertical coordinate of the left foot. FIG. 13 shows statistical information previously stored in storage unit 105, and is used for comparison with the motion of subject 101.

[0062] In the closed-eyes one-legged standing test, when the subject 101 first assumes a "stand at attention" posture, the coordinates 209, 210 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 typically have the same value for both the left and right. The numerical value itself is not 0 because it varies depending on the attachment position of the wearable sensor 102d. Next, when the subject 101 performs the motion of standing on one leg, the z coordinate of one foot shifts to the positive side from the initial value. This makes it possible to detect that one foot of the subject 101 is completely off the ground. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the subject 101 performs the motion of lifting his right foot. Next, when the foot of the subject 101 touches the ground, the z coordinate of the lifted foot returns to the vicinity of the initial value. This makes it possible to detect that one foot of the subject 101 touches the ground.

[0063] When the coordinates 209, 210 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 show the typical changes shown in Fig. 13, the analysis unit 103 of the terminal 106 determines that the subject 101 is standing on one leg correctly, calculates the results of the eyes-closed one-leg standing test, and displays them in a report. On the other hand, when the coordinates 209, 210 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 do not show the typical changes shown in Fig. 13, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 is standing on one leg incorrectly, and indicates to the subject 101 or the supervisor that the subject 101 is making an incorrect movement by displaying an error on the display unit 104 or sounding an alarm, for example.

[0064] 14(a) and (b) show a second example of the motion judgment of the closed-eyes one-legged standing test in this embodiment. FIG. 14(a) shows a typical change over time in the coordinates of the front and back directions of the left and right feet of a person who has performed the closed-eyes one-legged standing test, and FIG. 14(b) shows a typical change over time in the coordinates of the left and right feet of a person who has performed the closed-eyes one-legged standing test. In FIG. 14(a), a solid line 211 shows the coordinates of the front and back directions of the right foot, and a solid line 212 shows the coordinates of the front and back directions of the left foot. In FIG. 14(b), a solid line 213 shows the coordinates of the right foot in the left and right directions, and a solid line 214 shows the coordinates of the left and right directions of the left foot. FIG. 14(a) and (b) show statistical information stored in advance in the storage unit 105, and are used for comparison with the motion of the subject 101.

[0065] In the second example of motion determination, motion determination is performed taking into consideration two indices shown in Figs. 14(a) and 14(b) in addition to the indices in the first example shown in Fig. 13. In Fig. 14(a), when the subject 101 first assumes a "stand at attention" posture, the coordinates 211, 212 in the front-rear direction of the left and right feet of the subject 101 typically have the same value for both the left and right. Next, when the subject 101 performs a motion to stand on one leg, the coordinate in the front-rear direction of the one foot shifts to the + side from the initial value. This makes it possible to detect that one foot of the subject 101 is completely lifted. In the example shown in Fig. 14(a), the subject 101 performs a motion to lift his right foot. Next, when the foot of the subject 101 touches the ground, the coordinate in the front-rear direction of the lifted foot returns to the vicinity of the initial value. This makes it possible to detect that one foot of the subject 101 touches the ground.

[0066] In FIG. 14(b), when subject 101 first assumes an "attention" posture, coordinates 213, 214 in the left and right directions of subject 101's left and right feet are spaced apart by a certain distance. Then, when subject 101 stands on one leg, the distance between subject 101's left and right feet in the left and right directions narrows, and the raised foot approaches the position coordinates of the other foot. This makes it possible to detect that one foot of subject 101 has completely lifted off the ground. Then, when subject 101's foot touches the ground, the position coordinate of the raised foot returns to near its initial value. This makes it possible to detect that one foot of subject 101 has touched the ground.

[0067] As described above, in the second example of motion determination, motion determination is performed using not only the change in the coordinates of the left and right feet of the subject 101 in the up-down direction, but also the change in the coordinates of the left and right feet of the subject 101 in the front-back direction and the left-right direction. Therefore, more precise motion determination is possible. For example, if the coordinates of the supporting foot move, it means that the supporting foot is sliding or hopping, and it can be determined that this is not a correct one-legged standing motion.

[0068] 13 and 14, the analysis unit 103 of the terminal 106 determines that the subject 101 is standing on one leg correctly, calculates the results of the eyes-closed one-leg standing test, and displays them in a report. On the other hand, when the coordinates 209 to 214 of the left and right feet of the subject 101 do not show the typical changes shown in Fig. 13 or 14, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 is standing on one leg incorrectly, and indicates to the subject 101 that he is making an incorrect movement by displaying an error on the display unit 104 or sounding an alarm, for example.

[0069] [10-second chair stand test] Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the 10-second chair standing test in this embodiment. The following explanation will show the details of step S107 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 15, in the 10-second chair standing test, the subject 101 repeats standing up from a seated position on a chair and sitting down as many times as possible, and the number of times he or she is finally able to sit down on the chair is measured.

[0070] 16 is an explanatory diagram of a method for counting the number of times a subject stands up in a 10-second chair stand test in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the number of times a subject stands up is counted using the average value of the left and right knee joint angles and the knee joint angular velocity of the subject 101. The knee joint angle and the knee joint angular velocity of the subject 101 can be calculated from information obtained by the wearable sensor 102b on the thigh and the wearable sensor 102c on the calf of the subject 101.

[0071] 16, solid line 215 shows, as an example, a typical change over time in the average value of the left and right knee joint angles of subject 101, and solid line 216 shows, as an example, a typical change over time in the knee joint angular velocity of subject 101. Fig. 16 shows statistical information stored in advance in storage unit 105, and is used for comparison with the movements of subject 101.

[0072] As shown by the solid line 215 in Fig. 16, when a person performing the 10-second chair stand test is in a seated state, the knee joint angle is typically between 80° and 90°, and when the person stands up, the knee joint angle is typically 20° or less. In this embodiment, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 has stood up when the knee joint angle of the subject 101 is 30° or less. Note that a knee joint angle different from the above may be used as the threshold value in determining whether the subject has stood up.

[0073] As shown by the solid line 216 in FIG. 16, when the subject 101 sits down, the knee joint angular velocity gradually decreases from near +300 deg / s and finally reaches a value near 0. When the subject 101 stands up, the knee joint angular velocity gradually decreases from near 0 and finally reaches a value near -300 deg / s. In this embodiment, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 has sat down when the knee joint angular velocity of the subject 101 is 10 deg / s or less and the difference between the average value of the knee joint angle of the subject 101 and the initial value is 10° or less. In addition, a knee joint angular velocity and a knee joint angle different from the above may be used as thresholds in determining whether the subject 101 has sat down. The analysis unit 103 counts the number of times the subject 101 has sat down and sets it as the result of the 10-second chair stand test.

[0074] 17 is a flow chart showing the details of the operation of the 10-second chair stand test in this embodiment. In step S501, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement start button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100. In the next step S502, the analysis unit 103 continues to acquire information from the wearable sensor 102b on the right thigh of the subject 101 and the wearable sensor 102c on the right calf of the subject 101 at a predetermined time interval. In the next step S503, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement stop button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100.

[0075] In the next step S504, analysis unit 103 calculates an average value of the left and right knee joint angles of subject 101 based on the acquired information, and stores the calculated average value of the knee joint angle in storage unit 105. The calculated average value of the knee joint angle is stored in storage unit 105 as information of the first sample, second sample, to nth sample. In the next step S505, analysis unit 103 calculates a knee joint angular velocity of subject 101 based on the calculated average value of the knee joint angle, and stores the calculated knee joint angular velocity in storage unit 105. The calculated knee joint angular velocity is stored in storage unit 105 as information of the first sample, second sample, to nth sample.

[0076] In the next step S506, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 has stood up when the average value of the knee joint angle becomes 30° or less. In the next step S507, the analysis unit 103 determines that the subject 101 has sat down when the difference between the average value of the knee joint angle and the initial value becomes 10° or less and the knee joint angular velocity becomes 10 deg / s or less. In the next step S508, the analysis unit 103 counts the time when the subject 101 stands up and sits down as one time, and counts how many times the subject 101 has performed this movement, and determines the result of the 10-second chair stand test.

[0077] [10-second chair stand test] In this embodiment, the motion judgment as to whether the subject 101 is performing the motion of the 10-second chair stand test correctly is performed using Fig. 16. In the 10-second chair stand test, when the subject 101 is first seated, the difference between the average value and the initial value of the knee joint angle of the subject 101 is 10° or less, and the knee joint angular velocity is 10 deg / s or less. When the subject 101 stands up, the knee joint angle of the subject 101 is 30° or less.

[0078] When the knee joint angle and knee joint angular velocity of the subject 101 change as shown in Fig. 16, the analysis unit 103 judges that the subject 101 is performing the movements of the 10-second chair stand test correctly, calculates the results of the eyes-closed one-legged standing test, and displays them in a report. On the other hand, when the typical changes shown in Fig. 16 are not shown, the analysis unit 103 judges that the subject 101 is not performing the movements of the 10-second chair stand test correctly, and indicates to the subject 101 or the supervisor that the subject is performing an incorrect movement by displaying an error on the display unit 104 or sounding an alarm, for example.

[0079] [Standing forward bending test] Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the standing body forward bending test in this embodiment. The following explanation will show the details of step S108 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 18, the standing body forward bending test is a test in which the subject 101 bends forward in a standing position and the hip joint angle 217 of the subject 101 is measured. The hip joint angle 217 of the subject 101 can be calculated from information obtained from the wearable sensor 102a on the waist and the wearable sensor 102b on the thigh of the subject 101.

[0080] In the standing forward bending test, the hip joint angle 217 of the subject 101 is calculated using the following equation 6.

[0081]

number

[0082] In formula 6, LeftHip_z[n] indicates the left hip joint angle of the nth sample of subject 101, RightHip_z[n] indicates the right hip joint angle of the nth sample of subject 101, and Hip_z[n] indicates the average value of the left hip joint angle and right hip joint angle of the nth sample of subject 101. In this embodiment, formula 6 is used to calculate the average value of the left hip joint angle and right hip joint angle of subject 101, and the maximum value within the measurement period is calculated to obtain the result of the standing forward bending test.

[0083] FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing details of the operation of the standing forward bending test in this embodiment. In step S601, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement start button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100. In the next step S602, the analysis unit 103 continues to acquire information obtained from the wearable sensor 102a on the waist and the wearable sensors 102b on the left and right thighs. The analysis unit 103 calculates the average value of the left hip joint angle and the right hip joint angle of the subject 101 from the acquired information, and stores it in the storage unit 105 as angle information of the first sample, the second sample, ..., the nth sample. In the next step S603, the subject 101 or the supervisor clicks the measurement stop button of the physical fitness index calculation system 100.

[0084] In the next step S604, the analysis unit 103 calculates the average value of the left and right hip joint angles of the subject 101 from the stored left and right hip joint angle information. In the next step S605, the analysis unit 103 obtains the maximum value of the calculated average values ​​of the hip joint angles and regards it as the result of the standing forward bending test.

[0085] [Movement assessment for standing forward bending test] In this embodiment, a motion judgment is performed as to whether the subject 101 is correctly performing the motion of bending forward in a standing position. Figs. 20(a) to (d) show an example of motion judgment of the standing body bending forward test in this embodiment. Figs. 20(a) and (b) show typical changes in the hip joint angle and the knee joint angle over time when a person who has performed the standing body bending forward test is performing the correct motion of straightening the knee, and Figs. 20(c) and (d) show typical changes in the hip joint angle and the knee joint angle over time when a person who has performed the standing body bending forward test is performing the incorrect motion of bending the knee. Figs. 20(a) to (d) are statistical information previously stored in the storage unit 105, and are used for comparison with the motion of the subject 101.

[0086] In Fig. 20(a), a thick grey solid line 218 indicates the right hip joint angle of the subject 101, and a thin black solid line 219 indicates the left hip joint angle of the subject 101. In Fig. 20(b), a thick grey solid line 220 indicates the right knee joint angle of the subject 101, and a thin black solid line 221 indicates the left knee joint angle of the subject 101. In Fig. 20(c), a thick grey solid line 222 indicates the right hip joint angle of the subject 101, and a thin black solid line 223 indicates the left hip joint angle of the subject 101. In Fig. 20(d), a thick grey solid line 224 indicates the right knee joint angle of the subject 101, and a thin black solid line 225 indicates the left knee joint angle of the subject 101.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 20(a), when the subject 101 is bending forward correctly with his knees straight, the hip joint angle of the subject 101 changes to about +30°. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 20(c), when the subject 101 is bending forward incorrectly with his knees bent, the hip joint angle of the subject 101 changes from +60° to +90°.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 20(b), when the subject 101 is performing a correct standing body forward bending motion with the knees extended, the knee joint angle of the subject 101 is approximately 0. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 20(d), when the subject 101 is performing an incorrect standing body forward bending motion with the knees bent, the knee joint angle of the subject 101 changes to approximately +60°.

[0089] When the hip joint angle and knee joint angle of the subject 101 show typical changes in the case of correct movement shown in Figures 20(a) and (b), the analysis unit 103 of the terminal 106 judges that the subject 101 is performing a correct standing body forward bending movement with the knees extended, calculates the result of the standing body forward bending test, and displays it in a report. On the other hand, when the hip joint angle and knee joint angle show typical changes in the case of incorrect movement shown in Figures 20(c) and (d), the analysis unit 103 judges that the subject 101 is performing an incorrect standing body forward bending movement with the knees bent, and indicates to the subject 101 that he is performing an incorrect movement by displaying an error on the display unit 104 or sounding an alarm, for example.

[0090] FIG. 21 shows an overview of the calculation of the physical age in this embodiment. FIG. 21 shows the details of step S109 in FIG. 3. The solid line 226 in FIG. 21 shows the average value by age for men in the 2-step test, and the solid line 227 shows the average value by age for women in the 2-step test. The solid lines 226 and 227 in FIG. 21 correspond to information on the body movement for a specific movement and a physical fitness index based on statistical information on the movement. In this step, the analysis unit 103 calculates the physical age as an example of a physical fitness index based on the information on the body movement of the subject 101 by referring to the solid lines 226 and 227 stored in the storage unit 105. For example, FIG. 21 shows an example in which the analysis unit 103 calculates the physical age of the subject 101 based on the result of the 2-step test.

[0091] For example, if the subject 101 is male and the result of the 2-step test is 1.6, the analysis unit 103 outputs the result that the physical age of the subject 101 is equivalent to 40 years old based on the solid line 226 in FIG. 21 as a result of the 2-step test. Also, if the subject 101 is male and the result of the 2-step test is 1.5, the analysis unit 103 outputs the result that the physical age of the subject 101 is equivalent to 62 years old based on the solid line 226 in FIG. 21 as a result of the 2-step test. The analysis unit 103 performs this for all tests, and calculates an overall physical age by averaging the calculated physical ages in all tests. The overall physical age may be calculated as a physical fitness index using a representative value of the five tests. For example, the overall physical age may be calculated using a median instead of the average value.

[0092] If the calculated overall physical age is an outlier due to an extremely high or extremely low test result, a predetermined physical age may be assigned. For example, the upper limit of the physical age may be preset to 75 years old and the lower limit to 20 years old, and the upper or lower limit physical age may be assigned to the outlier. This makes it possible to prevent an unrealistic physical age, such as 1000 years old or minus 100 years old, from being calculated. The upper and lower limit ages do not have to be the above ages.

[0093] In addition, if a person is unable to take all five of the above tests, for example, if he or she takes only three of the five tests, the two tests that he or she was unable to take may be disregarded and the overall physical age may be calculated based only on the results of the three tests that he or she was able to take.

[0094] In the present embodiment, the physical age is calculated as an example of the physical index, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be other indexes. For example, the physical index may be calculated as a physical deviation value or a 10-point scale physical level.

[0095] In this embodiment, the physical age of the subject 101 was calculated based on the results of five tests. The five tests were a two-step test, a whole body reaction time test, a one-legged standing test with eyes closed, a 10-second chair rise test, and a standing forward bending test. However, tests of other movements may be performed, and some of the five tests in this embodiment may be replaced with tests of other movements.

[0096] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a report 300 outputted to the display unit 104 by the analysis unit 103 in this embodiment. FIG. 22 shows details of step S111 in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 22, the report 300 describes, for example, that the training recommended to the subject 101 is "front lunge". "Front lunge" is an exercise recommended to the subject 101 based on the physical age of the subject 101 and the results of each test. The report 300 also describes that the physical age of the subject 101 in the current test result is "47 years old" and the physical age in the previous test result is "54 years old".

[0097] According to the physical fitness index calculation method in the above embodiment, by having subject 101 wear wearable sensor 102 on the lower body and performing the same movement tests as in conventional physical fitness tests, the movement information obtained from wearable sensor 102 can be automatically analyzed to calculate physical fitness indexes for items common to conventional physical fitness tests.

[0098] According to the physical fitness index calculation method in the above embodiment, the physical age is calculated by conducting the same movement tests as in conventional physical fitness tests, so that it can be compared with existing literature and large-scale statistical data published by organizations.

[0099] According to the method for calculating a physical fitness index in the above embodiment, a physical fitness age can be calculated for each item, as in the case of conventional physical fitness tests. In addition, since it is possible to know which item is poor, it is possible to grasp from the measurement results which of the agility, balance, muscle strength, flexibility, and walking ability is problematic in the current physical fitness of the subject 101, and it is possible to provide guidance tailored to the individual subject 101.

[0100] Various embodiments of the present invention may also be described with reference to flow charts and block diagrams, where the blocks may represent (1) stages of a process in which operations are performed or (2) sections of an apparatus responsible for performing the operations. Particular stages and sections may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, and / or a processor provided with computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium. Dedicated circuitry may include digital and / or analog hardware circuitry and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuitry including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, memory elements such as flip-flops, registers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), and the like.

[0101] A computer-readable medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by a suitable device, such that the computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, and the like. More specific examples of computer-readable media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or flash memories), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), static random access memories (SRAMs), compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), Blu-ray (RTM) disks, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, and the like.

[0102] The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.

[0103] Computer readable instructions may be provided to a processor or programmable circuitry of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, either locally or over a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, etc., to execute the computer readable instructions to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0104] 23 illustrates an example of a computer 2200 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. Programs installed on the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as or perform operations associated with an apparatus or one or more sections of the apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and / or to perform a process or steps of a process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such programs may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0105] The computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphic controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are connected to each other by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0106] The CPU 2212 operates according to a program stored in the ROM 2230 and the RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphic controller 2216 retrieves image data generated by the CPU 2212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or into the graphic controller 2216 itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 2218.

[0107] The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the programs or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0108] The ROM 2230 stores therein a boot program or the like executed by the computer 2200 upon activation, and / or a program that depends on the hardware of the computer 2200. The input / output chip 2240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 2220 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, and the like.

[0109] The programs are provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable medium, installed in the hard disk drive 2224, the RAM 2214, or the ROM 2230, which are also examples of computer-readable media, and executed by the CPU 2212. Information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be constructed by realizing information manipulation or processing according to the use of the computer 2200.

[0110] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded in the RAM 2214 and instruct the communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 2212, the communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in the RAM 2214, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM 2201, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0111] Furthermore, the CPU 2212 may cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 2214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0112] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored in the recording medium and undergo information processing. The CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and write back the results to the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 2212 may search for an entry that matches a condition, in which an attribute value of the first attribute is specified, from among the plurality of entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0113] The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable medium on the computer 2200 or in the vicinity of the computer 2200. Also, a recording medium such as a hard disk or a RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable medium, thereby providing the programs to the computer 2200 via the network.

[0114] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0115] It should be noted that the order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and may be realized in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the process in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 100 Physical fitness index calculation system, 101 Subject, 102 Wearable sensor, 102a Wearable sensor, 102b Wearable sensor, 102c Wearable sensor, 102d Wearable sensor, 103 Analysis unit, 104 Display unit, 105 Storage unit, 106 Terminal, 2200 Computer, 2201 DVD-ROM, 2210 Host controller, 2212 CPU, 2214 RAM, 2216 Graphic controller, 2218 Display device, 2220 Input / output controller, 2222 Communication interface, 2224 Hard disk drive, 2226 DVD-ROM drive, 2230 ROM, 2240 Input / output chip, 2242 Keyboard

Claims

1. Calculating information on the subject's body movement based on a signal acquired from a wearable sensor attached to the subject; calculating a physical fitness index based on the calculated information on the body movement of the subject by referring to a storage unit in which information on the body movement of a specific movement and a physical fitness index based on statistical information on the movement are stored in association with each other; A method for calculating a physical fitness index.

2. The method further includes a step of generating a comparison result with a predetermined motion based on the information of the body motion of the subject, The method for calculating a physical fitness index according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of calculating the physical fitness index when the comparison result satisfies a predetermined condition.

3. 3. The method for calculating a physical fitness index according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: if the comparison result does not satisfy the predetermined condition, issuing a warning to that effect.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information on the body movement includes at least one of position information of a body part, acceleration information of a body part, angle information of a joint, and angular velocity information of a joint.

5. The physical fitness index calculation method according to claim 4 , wherein the joints include at least one of a hip joint, a knee joint, and an ankle joint.

6. The physical fitness index calculation method according to claim 5 , wherein the signals are obtained from at least two of the wearable sensors for one of the joints.

7. The method for calculating a physical fitness index according to claim 1 , wherein the physical fitness index is a physical fitness age.

8. The method for calculating a physical fitness index according to claim 7 , further comprising the step of: assigning a predetermined physical fitness age to the user when the calculated physical fitness age is an outlier.

9. The specific action includes a plurality of types of actions, The method for calculating a physical fitness index according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of calculating the physical fitness index, the physical fitness index is calculated based on a representative value of physical fitness indexes relating to the plurality of types of movements.

10. On the computer, Calculating information on the subject's body movement based on a signal acquired from a wearable sensor attached to the subject; A physical fitness index calculation program that executes a procedure for calculating a physical fitness index based on the calculated physical movement information of the subject by referring to a storage unit in which information on physical movements for a specific movement and a physical fitness index based on statistical information of the movement are stored in correspondence with each other.

Images