Activity meter

Abstract

To reduce a burden on a user caused by carrying an activity meter on a daily basis.SOLUTION: An activity meter comprises a case, and internal components arranged in the case. The internal components include: a board comprising an acceleration sensor, a processing part for calculating an amount of activity on the basis of a value detected by the acceleration sensor, and a storage part; a secondary battery; and a power receiving circuit for charging the secondary battery. The board, the power receiving circuit, and the secondary battery are arranged in parallel on almost the same plane in the case.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an activity meter.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a pedometer as an activity meter carried by a user. Inside the case constituting this pedometer, there are arranged component parts such as a step measurement board (10) provided with an acceleration sensor (11), a processing chip (12) and a button battery (14), and a communication board (20) provided with an induction coil (21) and a communication chip (22).

[0003] The step measurement board (10) of this pedometer has a first surface on which the button battery (14) is mounted, and a second surface on which the acceleration sensor (11) and the processing chip (12) are mounted. Further, the communication board (20) has a third surface on which the communication chip (22) is mounted, and a fourth surface on which the induction coil (21) is mounted.

[0004] The step measurement board (10) and the communication board (20) are provided inside the pedometer in a state where their respective second surfaces and third surfaces are opposed and laminated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the above pedometer, since the step measurement board (10) and the communication board (20) are located above and below the case, by adopting a configuration in which these are three-dimensionally combined and housed in the case, the overall size of the pedometer (1) is reduced.

[0007] However, in the structure where the step count measurement substrate (10) and the communication substrate (20) are stacked vertically, it is necessary to secure a certain amount of space between the stacked substrates so that these substrates and components such as chips mounted on the substrates do not interfere with each other. For this reason, there was a limit to reducing the thickness of the pedometer.

[0008] In particular, an activity meter that detects parameters representing body movements based on the daily activities of users, such as a pedometer, is assumed to be carried by the user on a daily basis (for a long time). Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the burden on the user caused by daily carrying as much as possible.

[0009] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to reduce the burden on the user caused by daily carrying of the activity meter.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an activity meter including a housing and internal components disposed within the housing. The internal components include a substrate having an acceleration sensor, a processing unit that calculates an activity amount based on a detection value by the acceleration sensor, and a storage unit, a secondary battery, and a power receiving circuit that charges the secondary battery. In particular, the substrate, the power receiving circuit, and the secondary battery are arranged in parallel on substantially the same plane within the housing.

[0011] Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an activity meter system including the above-described activity meter, a charging battery having a power supply interface that supplies power to the power receiving circuit in opposition to the power receiving circuit, and a holder that holds the charging battery and the activity meter in a state where the power supply interface is opposed to the power receiving circuit.

Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to this aspect, by arranging the substrate, power receiving circuit, and secondary battery included in the internal components of the activity meter in parallel on substantially the same plane within the housing, the thickness of the housing can be made smaller. Further, by providing a secondary battery as the battery, the configuration of the lid portion for battery replacement, which was required in a pedometer with a conventional primary battery, can be omitted, and the thickness of the housing can be made smaller. As a result, the overall thickness of the activity meter can be reduced to form a thin card shape similar to the thickness of an IC card or the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and the like.

[0015] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, and 3.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the appearance of the pedometer 10 as an activity meter according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the pedometer 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular thin plate shape (card shape). Further, a pair of LEDs 30a and 30b and an operation unit 30c that constitute the light emitting device 30 described later are provided at a position near one long side 11a (the long side located on the lower side in FIG. 1) of the housing 11 and near one short side 11b (the short side portion located on the right side in FIG. 1) (the lower right side position in FIG. 1).

[0017] The housing 11 is formed in a thin card shape of several millimeters or less, for example, about 2 millimeters or less (the thickness equivalent to a general non-contact IC card). That is, the overall thickness of the pedometer 10 that houses the internal component parts 12 described later is also formed in a thin card shape.

[0018] The pedometer 10 of the present embodiment is carried by a user in daily life such as commuting, going to school, and leisure, and has a function of detecting the number of steps taken by the user's walking or running and a function of outputting the detected number of steps as information to the outside.

[0019] The pedometer 10 is configured by incorporating the internal component parts 12 described later into the thin plate-shaped housing 11. Therefore, the pedometer 10 as a whole is formed in a thin card shape of about 2 millimeters or less, similar to the thickness of the housing 11. In particular, in the present embodiment, such a thin card-shaped pedometer 10 is realized by the aspect of the internal component parts 12 described later. Hereinafter, the aspect of the internal component parts 12 will be described.

[0020] FIG. 2A is a perspective view schematically showing the arrangement of the internal components 12. FIG. 2B is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of the internal components 12.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the internal components 12 of the housing 11 of the pedometer 10 include a substrate 13, a power receiving circuit 14, and a secondary battery 16. In this embodiment, the substrate 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16 are arranged in parallel on substantially the same plane within the housing 11. Details of each component will be described.

[0022] The substrate 13 of this embodiment is provided with a processing chip 22 as a processing unit, a memory 24 as a storage unit, a power supply IC (Integrate circuit) 26, a power control circuit 28, the above-described light emitting device 30, an operation unit 30c, an acceleration sensor 32, and a communication unit 33 composed of a communication IC 34 and a communication antenna 36.

[0023] Furthermore, FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical connection in the internal components 12. As shown in the figure, in the internal components 12, the memory 24, the power supply IC 26, the power control circuit 28, the light emitting device 30, the acceleration sensor 32, and the communication unit 33 are communicably connected to the processing chip 22.

[0024] The power receiving circuit 14 is a circuit for receiving power for charging the secondary battery 16 from an external power source. That is, the power receiving circuit 14 functions as non-contact charging means. In particular, the power receiving circuit 14 of this embodiment has an induction coil 14a for realizing power transfer according to a so-called electromagnetic induction method and a wiring 14b connected to a terminal of the power supply IC 26. With this configuration, the induced electromotive force generated in the induction coil 14a by the magnetic flux received from the external power source is transmitted to the power supply IC 26 via the wiring 14b.

[0025] The secondary battery 16 is composed of, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or the like. In particular, the secondary battery 16 is composed of a laminated battery formed by laminating a single unit cell or a plurality of unit cells. When the secondary battery 16 is composed of a laminated battery, the cells are laminated in such a number that the overall thickness of the secondary battery 16 is equal to or less than the thickness of the substrate 13 or the power receiving circuit 14 (including up to the chip). Also, the terminals of the secondary battery 16 are wired and connected so as to enable the input of power from the power receiving circuit 14 and the output of power to each component on the substrate 13.

[0026] The processing chip 22 is configured as an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing chip 22 detects walking steps from an acceleration signal Ks based on a detection value D1 detected by the acceleration sensor 32 and calculates step count data Hs.

[0027] Note that the processing chip 22 may be configured to calculate parameters indicating the user's body movement, such as calorie consumption, based on the acquired step count data Hs, with reference to the user's body data (height, weight, etc.) stored in the memory 24 in advance as necessary.

[0028] Also, the processing chip 22 receives a charge remaining signal representing the remaining charge of the secondary battery 16 from the power control circuit 28 and receives an operation detection signal indicating that an operation has been performed on the operation unit 30c from the light emitting device 30. Instead of this configuration, the processing chip 22 may directly determine the remaining charge from the terminal voltage of the secondary battery 16. Then, when the processing chip 22 receives the operation detection signal, it causes the pair of LEDs 30a, 30b in the light emitting device 30 to emit light in a light emission mode determined in advance according to the remaining charge.

[0029] The memory 24 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile memory unit (ROM; Read Only Memory) and a volatile memory unit (RAM; Random Access Memory). The memory 24 functions as a main memory device that temporarily stores each instruction used for the processing executed by the processing chip 22, and as an auxiliary storage device that stores the program for executing the processing and the calculated step count data Hs in the medium to long term.

[0030] The power supply IC 26 performs control to adjust the power received from an external power source via the power receiving circuit 14 to a desired voltage and supply it to the power control circuit 28.

[0031] The power control circuit 28 is a circuit that controls the supply of the power received from the power supply IC 26 to the secondary battery 16. Further, the power control circuit 28 controls the power supplied from the secondary battery 16 to electronic components such as the processing chip 22, the memory 24, the light emitting device 30, and the acceleration sensor 32.

[0032] The light emitting device 30 is composed of the pair of LEDs 30a, 30b described above and the operation unit 30c. Here, as described above, the light emission modes of the pair of LEDs 30a, 30b are controlled by the processing chip 22. The operation unit 30c is composed of a mechanical switch such as a push button switch or a sensor switch such as a touch panel, and is appropriately operated by the user.

[0033] In the present embodiment, for example, when the processing chip 22 receives an operation detection signal indicating that the operation unit 30c has been operated, if it is above a first threshold value determined from the viewpoint of determining whether the secondary battery 16 has a sufficient remaining charge when using the pedometer 10, both of the pair of LEDs 30a, 30b are lit.

[0034] Further, when receiving the above operation detection signal, the processing chip 22 determines whether the remaining charge amount of the secondary battery 16 is less than the first threshold value and is an amount sufficient for the pedometer 10 to be used. If the remaining charge amount is equal to or greater than a second threshold value determined from this perspective, only one of the LEDs 30a or 30b is lit. On the other hand, when the remaining charge amount of the secondary battery 16 is less than the second threshold value, the processing chip 22 turns off both of the pair of LEDs 30a and 30b. Note that the second threshold value is smaller than the first threshold value.

[0035] Thereby, the user can grasp whether charging of the secondary battery 16 is necessary by operating the operation unit 30c at a desired timing and checking the light emission mode of the pair of LEDs 30a and 30b.

[0036] Note that the light emission mode of the light emitting device 30 set according to the remaining charge amount of the secondary battery 16 is not limited to the above example. That is, as long as it is visually distinguishable according to the remaining charge amount of the secondary battery 16 so that the user can grasp whether charging of the secondary battery 16 is necessary when operating the operation unit 30c, other light emission modes may be set.

[0037] Further, the light emitting device 30 may be configured to perform a display that visually distinguishes that charging is in progress. For example, one of the LEDs 30a and 30b may be set to a light emission mode according to the remaining charge amount, and the other may be set to different light emission modes (such as blinking and lighting) between during charging and after charging is completed.

[0038] The acceleration sensor 32 outputs a detection value D1 of the acceleration generated in the pedometer 10 due to the user's walking or running or the like as an acceleration signal Ks to the processing chip 22. The acceleration sensor 32 is constituted by, for example, a known three-axis acceleration sensor.

[0039] The communication IC 34 of the communication unit 33 controls the communication between the pedometer 10 and the outside via the communication antenna 36. Also, the communication antenna 36 receives a wireless signal from the outside. In particular, the communication unit 33 outputs information including the step count data Hs stored in the memory 24 described above or parameters related to body movement, etc., to an external communication means such as a reader / writer via the communication antenna 36.

[0040] Therefore, it is possible to appropriately aggregate the step count data Hs obtained by the pedometer 10 to an external server and comprehensively analyze and manage information related to body movement (activity) based on the step count data Hs of the user who owns the pedometer 10.

[0041] Since the board 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16, which are internal component parts 12 of the pedometer 10 described above, are arranged in parallel, the thickness of the pedometer 10 can be formed relatively thin.

[0042] As described above, according to the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0043] According to the present embodiment, there is provided a pedometer 10 as an activity meter including a housing 11 and internal component parts 12 arranged in the housing 11. In particular, the internal component parts 12 include a board 13 including an acceleration sensor 32, a processing chip 22 as a processing unit that calculates an activity amount (step count data Hs) based on a detection value D1 by the acceleration sensor 32, and a memory 24 as a storage unit, a secondary battery 16, and a power receiving circuit 14 that charges the secondary battery 16. In the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, the board 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16 are arranged in parallel on substantially the same plane within the housing 11.

[0044] In this way, since the board 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16, which are internal component parts 12, are arranged in parallel on substantially the same plane, the thickness of the housing 11 that houses the internal component parts 12 can be made small. As a result, the overall thickness of the pedometer 10 can also be made small.

[0045] In particular, in this embodiment, the battery disposed inside the pedometer 10 is configured as a secondary battery 16. Therefore, unlike a primary battery such as a button battery used in conventional pedometers, battery replacement is not required due to a decrease in the remaining battery power. Thus, with the configuration of the pedometer 10 of this embodiment, the structure related to the lid for battery replacement, which was necessary in the past, can be omitted. That is, with the configuration of this embodiment, a structure that imposed a thickness of a certain level or more on the pedometer, such as a hinge or a screw-fastening part related to the conventional lid, can be omitted.

[0046] As a result, the overall thickness of the pedometer 10 can be reduced to a level corresponding to a thin card shape, for example, several millimeters, particularly about 2 millimeters or less. Thereby, the burden on the user caused by carrying the pedometer 10 on a daily basis can be suppressed.

[0047] More specifically, since the activity meter including the pedometer 10 is for detecting the activity amount in the user's daily life, it is required to be carried by the user relatively frequently regardless of the purpose such as commuting, going to school, or leisure. Therefore, even if the activity meter has a size considered to be small from the perspective of general portability, such as a thickness of about several centimeters, it may become a burden on the user when carried.

[0048] In particular, from the perspective of detecting the user's body movement with higher accuracy, such an activity meter is generally carried while being housed in a pocket or a bag of clothes, or directly or indirectly attached to the wrist or neck via a case or the like. Considering such a carrying mode, it is assumed that even a thickness of about several centimeters will impose a certain burden on the user. Also, when the user wears the activity meter on a part of the body such as the wrist or neck during exercise such as running, frequent contact between the activity meter and the user's body due to the vibration caused by the exercise is assumed. Therefore, in view of the situation where the user starts carrying something that was not carried before, even if the activity meter has a thickness of about several centimeters, the user will feel stressed.

[0049] In view of such a situation, in this embodiment, a step counter 10 in the shape of a thin card about several millimeters thick is provided, so that the burden and stress on the user can be reduced even in the mode of carrying the step counter 10 described above.

[0050] In particular, if the step counter 10 has a thickness of about several millimeters, it generally has the same thickness as ID cards such as cash cards, credit cards, IC cards for electronic money, or employee ID cards, or cards such as name tags that users usually carry daily. Therefore, when the user stores and carries the step counter 10 in a wallet, a bag, or a pocket of clothes, etc., the user feels almost the same as when carrying the cards usually held daily. That is, the user can carry the step counter 10 daily with almost no feeling of carrying or wearing something other than the above-mentioned cards.

[0051] Furthermore, if the step counter 10 is configured in the shape of a thin card in this embodiment, even for young users such as infants or elementary school students, it can be integrally incorporated into a name tag holder worn in a childcare facility, kindergarten, or elementary school without a sense of incongruity. Therefore, even for young users, the step counter 10 can be carried daily without imposing a burden or stress caused by carrying or wearing something other than the name tag worn daily.

[0052] Also, in this embodiment, the power receiving circuit 14 is configured as non-contact charging means (inductive coil 14a) for charging the secondary battery 16 by non-contact charging. Thereby, a wired charging structure such as a connector and a charging cable for charging the secondary battery 16 can be omitted. And, in this way, the space required in the thickness direction within the housing 11 can be further reduced by the amount that the charging structure can be omitted. That is, further reduction of the thickness of the step counter 10 can be easily realized.

[0053] In addition, as long as the thickness of the pedometer 10 does not increase to the extent that it imposes a burden on the user, in the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, instead of the power receiving circuit 14 configured as the non-contact charging means, a configuration for charging the secondary battery 16 by ordinary wired means may be provided as the power receiving circuit 14. For example, the power receiving circuit 14 may be configured by a structure for charging by wire such as a charging cable and a connector.

[0054] That is, the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment mainly realizes a mode in which the substrate 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16 are arranged in parallel on a plane, and the pedometer 10 has a thin card shape. Therefore, as long as the size in the thickness direction occupied when providing the connection interface, which is the charging structure for performing the above-described wired charging, does not significantly impair the effect of forming the pedometer 10 in a thin card shape, such a charging structure can be adopted.

[0055] Also, the front part (the surface on which the LEDs 30a and 30b are provided) of the housing 11 of the pedometer 10 shown in FIG. 1 etc. may be configured as a display surface on which the personal information (ID information) of the user is printed. Thereby, the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment can be used not only for obtaining the step count data Hs but also for presenting the ID information of the user.

[0056] Also, a microcomputer that integrally includes the above-described processing chip 22 and memory 24 may be adopted to realize the functions of the above-described each IC circuit.

[0057] (Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0058] In particular, in the present embodiment, in a situation where the user hangs the pedometer 10 from the body such as the neck by a strap or the like and carries it, from the viewpoint of suppressing noise from being included in the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 due to the swinging of the pedometer 10 caused by factors other than the walking or running of the user, a pedometer 10 having a preferable configuration is provided.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement mode of the internal component parts 12 of the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, for convenience of explanation, the outline of the housing 11 is shown by a broken line.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 4, in the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, the position where the acceleration sensor 32 is provided on the substrate 13 is different from that of the pedometer 10 of the first embodiment.

[0061] More specifically, the acceleration sensor 32 of the present embodiment is provided on the substrate 13 near one long side 11c of the housing 11 and at a substantially central position of the long side 11c. In particular, the acceleration sensor 32 is located closer to the long side 11c than the straight line connecting the midpoints of the two short sides 11b and 11d of the housing 11.

[0062] More specifically, the acceleration sensor 32 is located on the substrate 13 closer to the long side 11c than the communication unit 33 and at a substantially central position in the extending direction of the long side 11c (substantially intermediate position between the power receiving circuit 14 and the secondary battery 16). The technical significance of arranging the acceleration sensor 32 at such a position will be described.

[0063] FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the principle of noise generation according to the position of the acceleration sensor 32. In FIGS. 5 and 6, a mode is assumed in which the pedometer 10 is attached to a strap 80 worn by the user via a fastener 90. In particular, in the modes shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fastener 90 is attached to the suspension support portion 10a at the central position on the long side 11c of the housing 11 of the pedometer 10.

[0064] Furthermore, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the acceleration sensor 32 according to the present embodiment is shown by a dashed line, and its arrangement position is referred to as "sensor position A". Also, as a comparative example, an acceleration sensor 32' assumed to be arranged at the corner where one short side 11d and the long side 11a of the housing 11 meet is shown by a virtual line, and its arrangement position is referred to as "sensor position B".

[0065] As clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the distance between the stopper 90 and the sensor position A is shorter than that between the stopper 90 and the sensor position B. That is, the sensor position A is provided closer to the stopper 90 than the sensor position B.

[0066] Here, when the user hangs the strap 80 around the neck and supports and carries the pedometer 10 via the stopper 90, the pedometer 10 is in a suspended state with the position of the stopper 90 as the fulcrum. Therefore, due to the user's movement or the like, a rotational force that swings the pedometer 10 around two rotation axes passing through the position of the stopper 90 is generated.

[0067] More specifically, it is assumed that a rotational force along the rotational direction Rd1 around the rotation axis passing through the position of the stopper 90 and extending in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, a rotational force along the rotational direction Rd2 when the extension direction of the long side 11c passing through the position of the stopper 90 is taken as the rotation axis, or a rotational force in the direction obtained by synthesizing the rotational force in the rotational direction Rd1 and the rotational force in the rotational direction Rd2 is generated.

[0068] Here, in FIG. 6, from the viewpoint of simplifying the drawing, the state in which the pedometer 10 is swinging due to the rotational force in the rotational direction Rd1 is shown by a dashed-dotted line. The rotational force in the rotational direction Rd1 increases as the longitudinal component of the distance from the position of the stopper 90 serving as the fulcrum (hereinafter, also referred to as "Y-axis distance") increases. Therefore, the acceleration sensor 32 at the sensor position A where the Y-axis distance is relatively small has a smaller swing displacement in the rotational direction Rd1 than the acceleration sensor 32' at the sensor position B where the Y-axis distance is relatively large.

[0069] Therefore, in the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 disposed at the sensor position A, in a scene where the user wears the strap 80 on which the pedometer 10 is supported via the stopper 90 around the neck, it is difficult for the detection value D1 to be affected by the swing displacement caused by factors other than the walking or running of the user. That is, it is possible to preferably suppress the inclusion of noise due to factors other than the walking or running of the user in the detection value D1.

[0070] FIG. 7 is a graph showing waveforms of the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 and the detection value D2 of the acceleration sensor 32' when the pedometer 10 swings along the rotation direction Rd1.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 7, the detection value D1 has a smaller displacement of the waveform on average than the detection value D2. That is, the waveform of the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 has less variation in displacement due to noise compared to the waveform of the detection value D2 of the acceleration sensor 32'. Therefore, the step count data Hs calculated by the processing chip 22 based on the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 reflects the value determined by the walking or running of the user with higher accuracy compared to the step count data Hs' created using the detection value D2 of the acceleration sensor 32'.

[0072] In addition, the lateral direction component of the distance from the position of the stopper 90 serving as the fulcrum to the sensor position A (hereinafter, also referred to as "X-axis distance") of the sensor position A is also smaller than the X-axis distance of the sensor position B. For this reason, since the rotational force in the rotation direction Rd2 also becomes relatively small, the swing displacement in the rotation direction Rd2 caused by the rotational force also becomes small. Therefore, by providing the acceleration sensor 32 at the sensor position A, the influence of noise due to the swing displacement along the rotation direction Rd2 can also be suppressed.

[0073] As a result, according to the configuration in which the acceleration sensor 32 is disposed at the sensor position A in the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the influence of noise caused by the swing displacement in an arbitrary direction with the position of the stopper 90 formed by synthesizing the rotation direction Rd1 and the rotation direction Rd2 as the fulcrum.

[0074] According to the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment described above, the following effects are achieved.

[0075] The pedometer 10 of the present embodiment includes a suspension support portion 10a (the attachment position of the stopper 90) that serves as a fulcrum for the user to suspend and hold the pedometer 10. The acceleration sensor 32 is provided at a sensor position A, which is in the vicinity of the suspension support portion 10a, on the substrate 13.

[0076] The vicinity position means a position within the housing 11 where the straight-line distance (the square root of the sum of the square of the X-axis distance and the square of the Y-axis distance) from the suspension support portion 10a is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

[0077] In particular, this predetermined distance is determined from the viewpoint of suppressing noise included in the detection value D1 caused by swinging (swinging in the rotation direction Rd1, swinging in the rotation direction Rd2, or swinging in the direction obtained by synthesizing the rotation directions Rd1 and Rd2) around an arbitrary rotation axis passing through the suspension support portion 10a in a state where the user is suspending and holding the pedometer 10.

[0078] As a result, it is possible to suppress the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 from including noise caused by influences other than the user's walking or running. As a result, the accuracy of the step count data Hs calculated by the processing chip 22 based on the detection value D1 can be further improved.

[0079] The predetermined distance can be appropriately determined from the viewpoint of suppressing noise to an acceptable level from the viewpoint of maintaining the accuracy of the step count data Hs. For example, a threshold value of the coincidence rate (coincidence rate of phase or displacement) between the walking waveform based on the step count data Hs created based on the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 and the ideal walking waveform based only on the influence of the actual user's walking or running is set, and the straight-line distance from the suspension support portion 10a that exceeds the set coincidence rate threshold value is calculated and used as the predetermined distance.

[0080] In addition, when setting the above-mentioned predetermined distance, the relationship between the linear distance from the suspension support portion 10a and the weight distribution according to the form of the housing 11 and the internal components 12 of the pedometer 10 may be considered.

[0081] For example, when the above weight distribution can be regarded as substantially uniform in the entire area of the pedometer 10, a model is adopted in which only the linear distance from the suspension support portion 10a contributes to noise suppression, and the distance between the suspension support portion 10a and the straight line connecting the midpoints of the short sides 11b and 11d may be set as the predetermined distance. Thereby, the linear distance between the suspension support portion 10a and the sensor position A is at most 1 / 2 of the length of the short side 11b. That is, the sensor position A is set to a position relatively closer to the midpoint of the long side 11c over the entire area of the housing 11. That is, under the condition that the above weight distribution is substantially uniform, by setting the predetermined distance in this way, the effect of suppressing the noise caused by the rocking in the rotation direction Rd1, the rocking in the rotation direction Rd2, and the rocking synthesized from these can be obtained.

[0082] On the other hand, when the above weight distribution varies according to the linear distance from the suspension support portion 10a, in particular, even when the linear distance is the same, the larger the weight density, the larger the rocking displacement in the rotation direction Rd1 and the rotation direction Rd2. For this reason, when the weight density at a position where the linear distance from the suspension support portion 10a is large is relatively large due to the form of the component arrangement in the pedometer 10 or the like, the weight density may be considered as a weighting factor when setting the above predetermined distance.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the aspect of arranging the acceleration sensor 32 at a position where the linear distance from the suspension support portion 10a is equal to or less than a predetermined distance has been described. According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress noise caused by the swing in the rotation direction Rd1, the swing in the rotation direction Rd2, and the swing in the direction in which these are combined. However, depending on the configuration of the pedometer 10 and the correspondence of the suspension and holding of the pedometer 10, it is also assumed that in some cases, the component of the swing displacement in one of the rotation directions Rd1 and Rd2 is negligibly small compared to the component of the swing displacement in the other. In such a case, from the viewpoint of suppressing the swing in the direction that substantially affects the generation of noise, instead of providing the acceleration sensor 32 in the range where the linear distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the acceleration sensor 32 may be provided in the range where the Y-axis distance or the X-axis distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance.

[0084] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the suspension support portion 10a to which the stopper 90 is attached is configured on the housing 11 of the pedometer 10 has been described. However, for example, when the housing 11 is housed in a protective case and the stopper 90 of the strap 80 is attached to the case, the suspension support portion 10a may be configured on the case.

[0085] That is, when the pedometer 10 is configured to include the housing 11 and the case, it is assumed that the user carries the pedometer 10 while hanging the strap 80 around the neck with the housing 11 housed in the case (for example, a name tag case and an ID holder). In this case, the suspension support portion 10a to which the stopper 90 is attached will be configured on the case instead of on the housing 11.

[0086] However, even for the pedometer 10 configured such that the housing 11 is housed in the case, by adopting the configuration described in the above embodiment (the configuration in which the acceleration sensor 32 is provided at a position near the suspension support portion 10a on the substrate 13), it is similarly possible to suppress the noise included in the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the fastener 90 is attached to one suspension support portion 10a, that is, a case where there is one fulcrum that can cause the pedometer 10 to swing has been described. However, for example, a case is also assumed where the housing 11 is housed together with the above-described protective case (for example, a name tag case) provided with a pin or the like for attaching to clothes, and this is worn on the clothes. In such a case, depending on the shape of the pin, it is also assumed that a linear region along the extension direction of the long side 11c of the housing 11 serves as the support axis. In this case, the extension direction of the long side 11c becomes the rotation axis, and it is assumed that the swing displacement in the rotation direction Rd2 increases. On the other hand, the acceleration sensor 32 may be provided in a range where the above-described Y-axis distance (= distance from the support axis) is equal to or less than a predetermined distance to suppress noise due to the swing displacement in the rotation direction Rd2.

[0088] (Third Embodiment) Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be mainly described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0089] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the appearance of the pedometer 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, in addition to or instead of the configuration of the light emitting device 30 in the pedometer 10 of the first embodiment or the second embodiment, a display device 40 that displays information such as step data Hs on the display 40a, and a display switch 50 as a display command means for switching the information displayed on the display 40a are provided.

[0090] The display 40a of the display device 40 is composed of a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

[0091] The display switch 50 is a switch operated by the user to switch between the display state and the non-display state of the information on the display 40a and the type of information to be displayed. The display switch 50 is composed of a mechanical switch such as a push button switch or a sensor switch such as a touch panel.

[0092] The display switch 50 of the present embodiment particularly includes a display on / off switch 50a for switching between the display and non-display of the display 40a, and a display switching switch 50b for switching the types of information displayed on the display 40a.

[0093] Note that the above display device 40 is arranged within the housing 11, and the power required for the display of the display 40a is supplied by the secondary battery 16.

[0094] FIG. 9 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical connections in the internal component 12 of the pedometer 10 in the present embodiment.

[0095] As shown in the figure, in the internal component 12 of the present embodiment, particularly, the display device 40 and the display switch 50 are communicably connected to the processing chip 22. That is, in the present embodiment, the processing chip 22 functions as a display control means that appropriately reads the information stored in the memory 24 and displays it on the display 40a based on a display command signal generated based on the operation of the display switch 50 by the user.

[0096] More specifically, the processing chip 22 selectively switches between a first display control mode for displaying the step count data Hs, a second display control mode for displaying the user ID information or the date and time information, which is information other than the step count data Hs, and a third display control mode other than these based on the above display command signal.

[0097] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the switching mode of the display of the display 40a in the present embodiment.

[0098] More specifically, particularly in the present embodiment, the display in FIG. 10(a) is a display mode based on the first display control mode, the display modes in FIGS. 10(b) and 10(c) are display modes based on the second display control mode, and the display (non-display state) in FIG. 10(d) is a display mode based on the third display control mode.

[0099] In the initial state, the processing chip 22 executes a third display control mode in which the display 40a is turned off as shown in FIG. 10(d). That is, in the third display control mode, since private information such as the user's ID information is not displayed, leakage of personal information that may occur due to constantly displaying such private information can be suppressed.

[0100] Also, in the third display control mode of the present embodiment, the power supply from the secondary battery 16 to the display 40a is stopped by operating a switch or the like (not shown). Therefore, consumption of the charged power amount of the secondary battery 16 can be suppressed in the third display control mode.

[0101] Next, when the processing chip 22 detects a display command signal based on an operation on the display on / off switch 50a, it executes the first display control mode in FIG. 10(a). That is, the processing chip 22 displays the step count data Hs on the display 40a. Thereby, the user can grasp the step count data Hs stored in the pedometer 10 at a desired timing.

[0102] Furthermore, when the processing chip 22 of the present embodiment detects a display command signal based on an operation on the display changeover switch 50b while causing the display 40a to execute the display in FIG. 10(a), the display in FIG. 10(b), or the display in FIG. 10(c), it executes a display changeover.

[0103] Specifically, when the processing chip 22 detects a display command signal based on an operation on the left arrow key of the display changeover switch 50b shown in FIG. 8 while the display 40a is displaying the content in FIG. 10(a), it switches to the display in FIG. 10(b).

[0104] Furthermore, when the processing chip 22 detects a display command signal based on an operation on the left arrow key of the display changeover switch 50b while the display 40a is displaying the content in FIG. 10(b), it switches to the display in FIG. 10(c).

[0105] Also, when the processing chip 22 detects a display command signal based on an operation on the left arrow key of the display switch 50b while the display 40a is showing the display of FIG. 10(c), it switches to the display of FIG. 10(a).

[0106] On the other hand, when the processing chip 22 detects a display command signal based on an operation on the right arrow key of the display switch 50b while the display 40a is showing the display of FIG. 10(a), it switches to the display of FIG. 10(c).

[0107] Furthermore, when the processing chip 22 detects a display command signal based on an operation on the right arrow key of the display switch 50b while the display 40a is showing the display of FIG. 10(c), it switches to the display of FIG. 10(a).

[0108] Also, when the processing chip 22 detects a display command signal based on an operation on the display on / off switch 50a while the display 40a is showing any one of the displays of FIGS. 10(a) to 10(c), it switches to the third display control mode (see FIG. 10(d)).

[0109] Note that, from the viewpoint of suppressing an unintended switch to the third display control mode due to a user's incorrect operation or the like, when the operation on the display on / off switch 50a continues for a predetermined time or longer (for example, 3 seconds or longer), the processing chip 22 may execute the switch to the third display control mode.

[0110] According to the pedometer 10 provided with the display device 40 described above, the user can operate the display switch 50 as needed to switch the display mode of the display 40a of the display device 40.

[0111] More specifically, in the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, there are a first display control mode (see FIG. 10(a)) for displaying the acquired step count data Hs, a second display control mode (see FIGS. 10(b) and 10(c)) for displaying the user's ID information or date and time, and it can be displayed on the display 40a according to an operation on the display switch 50.

[0112] Therefore, when the user grasps the step count data Hs which is the user's own activity amount, the step count data Hs based on the first display control mode is displayed on the display 40a. When it is necessary to present ID information at the workplace or school, etc., or when the user wants to check the date and time, these pieces of information based on the second display control mode are appropriately displayed on the display 40a, and these different types of information can be grasped at a desired timing.

[0113] Thereby, the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment not only obtains the step count data Hs which is a basic use, but also has a function of displaying the obtained step count data Hs on the display 40a, and a function of displaying ID information that can be used for the purposes of employee ID cards, student ID cards, name tags, and general identity certificates on the display 40a.

[0114] Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the thin card-shaped pedometer 10 having both the function of obtaining and displaying the step count data Hs and the function as an ID card for presenting ID information. That is, with the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, it can be configured as one thin card integrating an ID card that the user usually carries and an activity meter that is recommended to be carried daily from the viewpoint of suitably reflecting the user's daily activity amount.

[0115] As described above, according to the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment described above, the following operational effects are achieved.

[0116] In the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, it further includes a display device 40 as a display means, a display switch 50 as a display command means for executing an information display command in the display device 40, and a processing chip 22 as a display control means for controlling the display device 40 based on a command (operation) from the display switch 50. Then, based on a command from the display switch 50, the processing chip 22 switches between a first display control mode (see Fig. 10(a)) for displaying first information including the detected step count data Hs, a second display control mode (see Figs. 10(b) and 10(c)) for displaying second information other than the step count data Hs, and a third display control mode (Fig. 10(d)) for not displaying the first information or the second information.

[0117] Thereby, according to requirements, based on an operation on the display switch 50, the display on the display 40a of the display device 40 can be switched between first information including the step count data Hs and second information other than the step count data Hs. And by selectively selecting the third display control mode for not displaying the first information or the second information as needed, it is possible to suppress the leakage of these information caused by constantly displaying the first information or the second information while carrying the pedometer 10 for a long time.

[0118] In particular, when the second information includes information for which there is a high demand for suppressing leakage from the perspective of protecting personal information such as the user's ID information, in a scene where it is not necessary to display the second information, by selecting the third display control mode, it is possible to satisfy the requirement for suppressing leakage in the ID information while realizing a configuration that can selectively switch the display on the display 40a between the first information and the second information as needed.

[0119] In particular, in the third display control mode of the present embodiment, the power supply to the display 40a is stopped. Therefore, in the third display control mode, the consumption of the charging power amount of the secondary battery 16 can be suppressed. As a result, the usable time of the pedometer 10 per unit of the substantial power amount of the secondary battery 16 can be extended.

[0120] In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the processing chip 22 functions as a display control means for controlling the display of the display 40a in addition to the function as a processing unit for acquiring the step count data Hs. However, instead of this configuration, a dedicated display processor may be separately provided in the pedometer 10, and the function of the display control means may be realized by the display processor. Further, the function of the display control means may be realized in parallel with the display processor and the processing chip 22.

[0121] Further, the display modes of the display 40a shown in FIGS. 10(a) to 10(d) are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. Also, the specific operation content for the display switch 50 for switching the display of the display 40a can be changed as appropriate.

[0122] For example, when the display 40a is executing a display based on the first information (step count data Hs) or the second information (display of the user ID, etc.), if no operation on the user's display switch 50 is detected for a predetermined time or more (for example, several minutes or more), the processing chip 22 or the above-mentioned display processor may be configured to execute the third display control mode. Thereby, the effects of suppressing the leakage of the above-described ID information and the like and the power consumption of the secondary battery 16 can be further improved.

[0123] Furthermore, it is also possible to configure the display 40a with a so-called electronic paper. Here, the electronic paper in this specification means a reflective display, particularly a display having a structure in which the display content can be visually recognized by the naked eye even without irradiation by a backlight.

[0124] And by configuring the display 40a with such electronic paper, it is possible to display certain information that can be recognized by the user even in the third display control mode. That is, in the case of electronic paper, as the third display control mode, it is possible to display predetermined information on the display 40a while stopping the power supply to the display 40a.

[0125] As the predetermined information, for example, still images such as the date and time information, landscape photos, and portrait photos shown in FIG. 10(c) are applicable. Thereby, the user can set a desired image for display on the display 40a in the third display control mode. That is, while suppressing the display of personal information such as ID information on the display 40a except when necessary, the user-preferred image can be displayed on the display 40a while suppressing the power consumption of the secondary battery 16.

[0126] (Fourth Embodiment) Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those in the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0127] In the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, based on the configuration of the pedometer 10 according to any one of the first to third embodiments, the communication unit 33 (see FIG. 2B) described above also functions as a passive communication means for realizing so-called passive communication. More specifically, when the communication antenna 36 receives radio waves from an external reader / writer, power is generated in the communication antenna 36 by electromagnetic induction, and the communication IC 34 is activated by the generated power. Then, the communication IC 34 operates with the converted power, reads out the ID information for identifying the user of the pedometer 10 stored in advance in the memory 24, and transmits it to the external reader.

[0128] With such a configuration, it becomes possible to acquire the ID information of the user of the pedometer 10 without consuming the power of the secondary battery 16 by using an external reader / writer.

[0129] Therefore, according to the configuration of the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, by previously recording information that can identify the user, such as the user's ID information (e.g., employee number, student ID number, grade, or class to which the user belongs) in the memory 24 of the pedometer 10, the user of the pedometer 10 can be identified by communication between the external communication means and the pedometer 10. That is, the pedometer 10 can function as a device for electronically authenticating the user's ID information.

[0130] Furthermore, in the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, since the communication unit 33 of the pedometer 10 also functions as a passive communication means, the power for communication can be secured by radio waves received from an external reader / writer. Therefore, it is not necessary to consume the power of the secondary battery 16 of the pedometer 10 for this communication. Thus, for example, even when the remaining power of the secondary battery 16 of the pedometer 10 is substantially zero, it is possible to acquire the ID information from the pedometer 10. As a result, the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment functions as a highly practical and suitable ID device.

[0131] Note that, instead of the configuration in which the memory 24 of the pedometer 10 described above stores the user's ID information, the memory 24 may store pedometer identification information that can uniquely identify the pedometer 10, and an external reader / writer may acquire the pedometer identification information in communication with the pedometer 10. And in this case, the user's ID information may be identified from the acquired pedometer identification information using a database associating the pedometer identification information and the user's ID information. In this case, since the user's ID information is not stored in the memory 24 of the pedometer 10, it is possible to prevent the outflow of ID information via the pedometer 10 that the user carries daily, and thus the security from the viewpoint of personal information protection can be further improved.

[0132] As described above, according to the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, the following operational effects are achieved.

[0133] The pedometer 10 of the present embodiment includes a communication unit 33 that communicates with an external communication means, a reader / writer. In particular, the communication unit 33 is configured as a passive communication means that performs passive communication with the reader / writer.

[0134] This enables the acquisition of the information stored in the memory 24 of the pedometer 10 using an external reader / writer without consuming the power of the secondary battery 16 of the pedometer 10. That is, even when the remaining amount of the power of the secondary battery 16 is substantially zero, since the communication function with the reader / writer is ensured, the function of acquiring the information held by the pedometer 10 from the outside is maintained.

[0135] Note that the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment can be incorporated as various system elements used for the content of the information according to the type of information stored in the memory 24 together with the step count data Hs. An example will be described below.

[0136] For example, the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment can be incorporated as an element of an entrance / exit management system that performs attendance management or presence management in facilities such as companies or schools. Specifically, in such an entrance / exit management system, a reader / writer is arranged at the entrance and exit of the facility, and using the reader / writer, the information held in an employee ID or student ID card equipped with a wireless communication function is acquired, and it is assumed that attendance management or presence management is performed based on the information.

[0137] In such an entrance / exit management system, by previously recording entrance / exit related information consisting of the ID information (such as employee number, student ID number, or affiliation) of the user who is the subject of attendance management or presence management and other necessary information in the memory 24 of the pedometer 10, it is possible to incorporate the pedometer 10 as an element of the entrance / exit management system.

[0138] More specifically, by acquiring the above entrance / exit related information from the pedometer 10 with a reader / writer at the time of entrance / exit and transmitting it to a predetermined management server in the facility, attendance management or presence management based on the entrance / exit related information acquired by the management server can be executed.

[0139] In particular, when communicating between the reader / writer and the pedometer 10 during entry and exit, the reader / writer and the pedometer 10 can be configured so that, in addition to the above entry / exit related information, the step count data Hs stored in the memory 24 of the pedometer 10 can also be read.

[0140] Thereby, in addition to the attendance management or presence management at the time of entry and exit, information regarding the user's step count data Hs can also be obtained. That is, the step count data Hs of the user can be obtained in association with the ID information included in the above entry / exit related information. Therefore, at the management server, it also contributes to grasping and analyzing the user's step count data Hs and the activity amount such as calorie consumption based thereon. As a result, in an organization such as a company or a school that should bear a certain responsibility for the health management of users (constituent members), data related to the daily activity amount of the constituent members can be obtained together with the attendance management or presence management that is almost daily executed without going through a special procedure.

[0141] Also, when incorporating the pedometer 10 adopting the passive communication means described in the present embodiment into the above entry / exit management system in particular in the configuration described in the third embodiment, the acquisition timing of the entry / exit related information and the user's step count data Hs at the time of entry and exit can be associated with the switching of the display on the display 40a.

[0142] For example, when commuting or going to school to a facility such as a company or a school, a display mode based on the third display control mode (see FIG. 10(d)) may be selected. In this case, at the time of entry into the building (at the time of attendance or presence), the display of the user's ID information based on the second display control mode (see FIG. 10(b)) may be switched at the communication timing between the reader / writer and the pedometer 10 for which communication is obligatory or required. Also, at the time of exit from the building (when returning home), it may be configured to switch from the display of the user's ID information to the display mode based on the third display control mode at the communication timing between the reader / writer and the pedometer 10 for which communication is obligatory or required.

[0143] Accordingly, while the user is at work or staying at school or the like, ID information can be displayed on the display 40a of the pedometer 10 to function as an employee ID card or name tag (ID card), and ID information can be prevented from being displayed during other times (such as during commuting, going to school, or on holidays).

[0144] That is, in the above entry / exit management system, ID information can be displayed on the display 40a of the pedometer 10 only when necessary. As a result, while ensuring the function as an ID card of the pedometer 10, unintentional leakage of personal information based on the ID information can also be suppressed.

[0145] (Fifth Embodiment) Hereinafter, the fifth embodiment will be described with particular reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. Note that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements as in the above embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0146] In this embodiment, a pedometer system 300 as an activity amount measurement system is provided, which includes a pedometer 10 having a configuration of any one of the first to fourth embodiments, a charging battery 100 provided with a power supply interface 100a for supplying power to the power receiving circuit 14 of the pedometer 10 by facing the power receiving circuit 14, and a holder 200 for holding the pedometer 10 in a state where the power supply interface 100a faces the power receiving circuit 14.

[0147] This pedometer system 300 assumes a pedometer system 300 that enables charging of the secondary battery 16 while the user is carrying the pedometer 10 and even when the charged power amount of the secondary battery 16 of the pedometer 10 has decreased, while the pedometer 10 is being used (while the step data Hs is being acquired).

[0148] Here, in the pedometer 10 of the first to fourth embodiments, the power receiving circuit 14 is held by the holder 200 so as to be located at a position close to the long side 11c of the housing 11, that is, in the upper region of the housing 11 shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4.

[0149] The charging battery 100 is configured to house a battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery (not shown) and a power supply interface 100a inside the main body. The charging battery 100 is fixed to the holder 200 while facing the long side 11c of the housing 11 of the pedometer 10.

[0150] Here, the capacity of the battery constituting the charging battery 100 may be arbitrarily set, but it is preferably configured to have a capacity that allows the secondary battery 16 of the pedometer 10 to be fully charged multiple times.

[0151] Furthermore, a strap 100b is attached to the main body of the charging battery 100 of the present embodiment.

[0152] This strap 100b is attached from the perspective of allowing the user to hang and wear the charging battery 100 and the pedometer 10 together with the holder 200 around the neck. The strap 100b is appropriately configured with a loop diameter and material suitable for this purpose.

[0153] Therefore, the user can carry the pedometer 10 by hanging the strap 100b around the neck. When carrying it in this way, the power receiving circuit 14 is arranged in the area located above the housing 11 of the pedometer 10.

[0154] In addition, the power supply interface 100a appropriately includes a configuration such as a coil for performing power transfer with the induction coil 14a of the power receiving circuit 14.

[0155] In the present embodiment, the holder 200 is configured in a plate shape having a space for housing the pedometer 10 inside. The charging battery 100 is detachably fixed to the long side portion 200b of the plate-shaped holder 200. In particular, the holder 200 holds the pedometer 10 with the induction coil 14a of the power receiving circuit 14 of the pedometer 10 and the power supply interface 100a of the charging battery 100 facing each other.

[0156] In addition, in the present embodiment, the state where the induction coil 14a and the power supply interface 100a face each other includes not only the state where the induction coil 14a and the power supply interface 100a are arranged in a strictly facing space, but also the state where the induction coil 14a is relatively close to the power supply interface 100a in the housing 11 from the viewpoint of effectively performing power transfer between the induction coil 14a and the power supply interface 100a.

[0157] According to the configuration of the pedometer system 300 of the present embodiment, it is held by the holder 200 in a mode that enables suitable charging from the charging battery 100 to the secondary battery 16. Therefore, by the user wearing the pedometer system 300 with the strap 100b attached to the charging battery 100 around the neck, it is possible to charge the secondary battery 16 with the charging battery 100 while using the pedometer 10.

[0158] As described above, according to the pedometer 10 of the present embodiment, the following operational effects are achieved.

[0159] In the present embodiment, the power receiving circuit 14 is disposed in a region (a region close to the long side 11c) located at the upper part of the housing 11 when the user carries the pedometer 10 (see FIG. 2B or FIG. 4).

[0160] Further, in the present embodiment, there is provided a pedometer system 300 including a pedometer 10 having the configuration of any one of the first to fourth embodiments, a charging battery 100 including a power supply interface 100a for supplying power to the power receiving circuit 14, and a holder 200 for holding the pedometer 10 in a state where the power supply interface 100a faces the power receiving circuit 14.

[0161] In this way, even when the user is using the pedometer 10, the pedometer 10 is held by the holder 200 so that the secondary battery 16 can be charged from the charging battery 100. Therefore, by carrying the present pedometer system 300, the user can charge the secondary battery 16 of the pedometer 10 while using the pedometer 10.

[0162] Next, FIG. 12 shows a state where the holder 200 is placed on the stand 400. That is, when the holder 200 is not being used, such as when at home, the pedometer 10 can be removed from the holder 200 and the strap 100b can be hooked on the stand 400 and left there. In particular, by providing the charging battery 100 with a configuration that enables charging from a commercial power supply as appropriate, it is also possible to place the pedometer system 300 on the stand 400 and charge the charging battery 100 from the commercial power supply.

[0163] In the present embodiment, a pedometer system 300 including a pedometer 10 that charges the secondary battery 16 from the charging battery 100 by non-contact charging has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a pedometer system 300 including a pedometer 10 provided with a structure such as a charging cable or connector for performing charging from the charging battery 100 to the secondary battery 16 by wire may be configured.

[0164] As described above, each embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the above embodiments merely show a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

[0165] For example, the arrangement modes of the substrate 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16 in the pedometer 10 shown in FIGS. 2B and 4 are just examples and can be changed. For example, the substrate 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16 may be arranged in the arrangement modes shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B. That is, as long as the substrate 13, the power receiving circuit 14, and the secondary battery 16 are arranged in parallel on a plane within the housing 11 of the pedometer 10 from the viewpoint of realizing the function of suppressing the thickness of the pedometer 10, they can take various modes.

[0166] On the other hand, while basically based on the parallel arrangement on the plane within the housing 11, from the viewpoint of suppressing the noise included in the detection value D1 of the acceleration sensor 32 described in the second embodiment, and from the viewpoint of realizing the pedometer system 300 for enabling charging of the secondary battery 16 when the pedometer 10 is in use described in the fifth embodiment, it is more preferable to appropriately consider the determined arrangements.

[0167] Also, instead of or together with the light emitting device 30 in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, an audio output device such as a small speaker may be adopted. That is, as a means for making the user recognize that the remaining power amount of the secondary battery 16 has decreased, in addition to the visual notification by the light emitting device 30, notification means such as audio may be adopted.

[0168] Furthermore, the above embodiments can be combined with each other within a non - conflicting range.

[0169] Hereinafter, the designs of the activity meters according to each of Reference Examples 1 to 9 as articles will be described. The activity meter is an activity meter that can measure various physical movements in daily life including the resting state of the user of the activity meter, and measure and record the daily energy consumption amount. That is, the pedometer 10 described in each of the above embodiments is included in the concept of this activity meter.

[0170] (Reference Example 1) FIG. 14 is a view showing the design of the activity meter as an article according to Reference Example 1. More specifically, FIGS. 14(a) to 14(f) represent the form of the activity meter by a front view, a rear view, a left side view, a right side view, a plan view, and a bottom view created at the same scale for each figure by the orthographic projection method. Note that the bottom view (FIG. 14(f)) is symmetric or identical to the plan view (FIG. 14(e)). Also, the right side view (FIG. 14(d)) is symmetric or identical to the left side view (FIG. 14(c)).

[0171] Further, FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 1. As understood from FIG. 15, the region surrounded by two relatively small-diameter circles included in the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 1 is the display unit. Also, the region surrounded by one relatively large-diameter circle included in the design is the operation unit. The display unit emits light by the light of a light source such as an LED built into the activity meter. The display surface of the display unit is composed of a member that can transmit the light of the built-in light source. For example, it may be composed of a transparent or translucent member, or may be composed of an opaque light-transmitting member.

[0172] (Reference Example 2) FIG. 16A is a front view showing the design of the activity meter as an article according to Reference Example 2. Note that the rear view, the left side view, the right side view, the plan view, and the bottom view created at the same scale as the front view of the design of the activity meter shown in FIG. 16A by the orthographic projection method are identical to the respective views shown in FIGS. 14(b) to 14(f).

[0173] Note that, as understood from FIG. 16B, the region surrounded by two relatively small-diameter circles included in the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 2 is the display unit. Also, the region surrounded by one relatively large-diameter circle included in the design is the operation unit. The display unit emits light by the light of a light source such as an LED built into the activity meter. The display surface of the display unit is composed of a member that can transmit the light of the built-in light source. For example, it may be composed of a transparent or translucent member, or may be composed of an opaque light-transmitting member.

[0174] (Reference Example 3) FIG. 17A is a diagram showing the design of an activity meter as an article according to Reference Example 3. More specifically, FIGS. 17A(a) to 17A(f) represent the form of the activity meter by a front view, a rear view, a left side view, a right side view, a plan view, and a bottom view created at the same scale for each figure by the orthographic projection method. The bottom view (FIG. 17A(f)) is symmetric or identical to the plan view (FIG. 17A(e)). Also, the right side view (FIG. 17A(d)) is symmetric or identical to the left side view (FIG. 17A(c)).

[0175] As understood from FIG. 17B, the region surrounded by the relatively small quadrilaterals included in the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 3 is a display portion composed of a panel of a display or the like. The display portion is transparent.

[0176] (Reference Example 4) FIG. 18A is a front view showing the design of an activity meter as an article according to Reference Example 4. Note that the rear view, left side view, right side view, plan view, and bottom view created at the same scale as the front view by the orthographic projection method for the front view of the design of the activity meter shown in FIG. 18A are identical to the respective figures shown in FIGS. 14(b) to 14(f).

[0177] As understood from FIG. 18B, the region surrounded by the relatively small quadrilaterals included in the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 4 is a display portion composed of a panel of a display or the like. The display portion is transparent.

[0178] (Reference Example 5) FIG. 19A is a front view showing the design of an activity meter as an article according to Reference Example 5. Note that the rear view, left side view, right side view, plan view, and bottom view created at the same scale as the front view by the orthographic projection method for the front view of the design of the activity meter shown in FIG. 19A are identical to the respective figures shown in FIGS. 14(b) to 14(f).

[0179] As understood from FIG. 19B, the region surrounded by the relatively small quadrilaterals included in the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 5 is a display portion composed of a panel of a display or the like. The display portion is transparent.

[0180] (Reference Example 6) Figure 20A is a front view showing the design of the activity meter as an article according to Reference Example 6. Note that the rear view, left side view, right side view, top view, and bottom view created at the same scale as the front view of the activity meter design shown in Figure 20A by the orthographic projection method are the same as the respective views shown in Figures 14(b) to 14(f).

[0181] Note that as understood from Figure 20B, the region surrounded by the relatively small quadrilateral included in the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 6 is a display unit composed of a display panel or the like. The display unit is transparent.

[0182] (Reference Example 7) Figure 21A is a front view showing the design of the activity meter as an article according to Reference Example 7. Note that the rear view, left side view, right side view, top view, and bottom view created at the same scale as the front view of the activity meter design shown in Figure 21 by the orthographic projection method are the same as the respective views shown in Figures 14(b) to 14(f).

[0183] Note that as understood from Figure 21B, the region surrounded by the relatively small quadrilateral included in the design of the activity meter according to Reference Example 6 is a display unit composed of a display panel or the like. The display unit is transparent.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0184] 10 Step counter 10a Suspension support part 10b Internal components 11 Housing 12 Internal components 13 Substrate 14 Power receiving circuit 16 Secondary battery 22 Processing chip 24 Memory 30 Light emitting device 32 Acceleration sensor 33 Communication unit 40 Display device 50 indicates switch 80 strap 90 stopper 100 battery for charging 100a power supply interface 200 holder 300 pedometer system

Claims

[Claim 1] An activity meter including a housing and internal components disposed within the housing, The internal components include: a substrate including an acceleration sensor, a processing unit that calculates an amount of activity based on a detection value by the acceleration sensor, and a storage unit; A secondary battery; a power receiving circuit for charging the secondary battery, the substrate, the power receiving circuit, and the secondary battery are arranged in parallel on substantially the same plane within the housing; Activity meter.

Images