Insole selection system

Abstract

To select an insole which is suitable for correction of a way of walking and posture of a user.SOLUTION: An image pick-up part 10 picks up images of a user. A feature point displacement measurement part 11 detects the multiple feature points of the user, from images of the user acquired by the image pick-up part 10, and measures displacement between the respective feature points. A correction amount determination part 12 determines a correction amount of the posture and / or the way of walking, on the basis of the displacement between the respective feature points measured by the feature point displacement measurement part 11. A database 13 stores information with which, at least one of the position, the size, the shape, the thickness, hardness, and repulsion force of the insole to the correction amount is associated. An insole selection part 14 selects the insole corresponding to the correction amount measured by the correction amount determination part 12, on the basis of the information stored in the database 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for selecting insoles used to improve the posture of a user.

Background Art

[0002] As shown in the patent documents, it has been conventionally known to improve the posture of a user by adjusting the position, size, thickness, hardness, and resilience of an insole within footwear.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] These conventional techniques require the knowledge of experts who can select appropriate insoles for correcting the posture and gait of users, such as doctors and sports trainers. It was difficult for ordinary salespersons lacking expertise to select appropriate insoles in a short period of time.

[0005] In particular, it is difficult to determine whether the posture and gait of a user need to be corrected without using dedicated devices such as a plantar pressure distribution meter or motion capture (3D motion analysis device). Also, it was almost impossible for those without expertise to select appropriate insoles considering the gender, age, body type, etc. of the user for the detected posture and gait.

[0006] The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the prior art as described above. The object of the present invention is to use a camera provided in devices such as personal computers, tablets, and smartphones to capture a part of the posture and walking with the minimum required time and number of images, and to determine the user's posture and walking style based on the distance and angle from the display to a predetermined body part of the user, and compare the determination result with the data of the corrective insoles corresponding to various postures and walking styles stored in advance, so as to provide an insoles selection system capable of selecting an appropriate insole for correcting the user's walking style and posture.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The insoles selection system of the present invention has the following configuration. (1) An image capturing unit for capturing an image of the user. (2) A feature point displacement measurement unit that detects a plurality of feature points of the user from the image of the user acquired by the image capturing unit and displaces the distance between the respective feature points. (3) A correction amount determination unit that determines a correction amount for the posture and / or walking style based on the displacement between the respective feature points measured by the feature point displacement measurement unit. (4) A database that stores information associating at least one of the position, size, shape, thickness, hardness, resilience, and material of the insoles with the correction amount. (5) An insoles selection unit that selects an insoles corresponding to the correction amount measured by the correction amount determination unit based on the information stored in the database. (6) An output unit that presents the insoles selected by the insoles selection unit.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, it can have the following configuration. (1) It includes a user information storage unit that stores user information including at least one of the user's age, gender, height, weight, body fat percentage, and body segment length (such as the length of the forearm), and the insoles selection unit selects an insoles corresponding to the correction amount based on the user information. (2) An insole creating device that includes a 3D printer and / or a 2D cutter and creates an insole selected by the insole selection unit.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Configuration] Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The "displacement of feature points" in the present invention includes, in addition to the distances between a plurality of feature points, the distance of each feature point from a line segment passing through the midpoint of both feet and perpendicular to the floor surface, and further includes the degree of inclination of the line segment connecting each feature point with respect to a vertical line or a horizontal line. In this embodiment, the distances between a plurality of feature points are mainly described as the displacement of feature points serving as criteria for determining the correction amount, but the present invention is not limited to the distances between feature points.

[0011] The console selection system of this embodiment is incorporated as a computer program on a device that uses a computer such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet (hereinafter referred to as a device). As shown in FIG. 1, the device has a display unit 1 such as a display, a camera 2 incorporated in the device body, an operation input unit 3 such as a touch panel that also serves as a keyboard and a display, an audio output unit 4, and a storage unit 5 that stores the program of this embodiment and various data. In addition to the display unit 1 and the audio output unit 4 of the device, it has a communication unit 6 that transmits data via the Internet to other devices, for example, a management server, a personal computer or smartphone owned by a supervisor or family member, etc. At least one of these display unit 1, audio output unit 4, communication unit 6, and the console creation device 15 described later corresponds to the output unit described in the claims of the present invention.

[0012] The console selection system of this embodiment has an image capturing unit 10, a feature point displacement measurement unit 11, a correction amount determination unit 12, a database 13, a console selection unit 14, and a console creation device 15.

[0013] The image capturing unit 10 captures an image of the user's full body in a frontal standing position and / or a side standing position and / or an arbitrary posture (for example, a posture with knees bent and waist lowered) according to the purpose of using the console, and stores it in the storage unit 5. The image capturing unit 10 stores a reference image that has been statistically processed according to the user's height, age, and gender for an image in a state defined as a correct posture.

[0014] The feature point displacement measurement unit 11 detects a plurality of feature points on the user's face or upper body from the user's image acquired by the image capturing unit 10, and measures the distances between these plurality of feature points. As a method for detecting feature points, various conventionally known methods can be appropriately used. As feature points, each part of the face, for example, eyes, eyebrows, nose, ears, chin, etc., or the left and right or upper and lower ends of each part, and each part of the body, for example, the top of the head, neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, waist, knees, feet, toes, etc. can be used. Also, the outlines of the face and each part of the body may be used as feature points.

[0015] The correction amount determination unit 12 determines the positions of the respective feature points based on the displacements between the respective feature points measured by the feature point displacement measurement unit 11, and determines the correction amount for the posture and / or the walking style based on the positions of the respective feature points. That is, the feature point displacement measurement unit 11 selects a plurality of feature points positioned vertically in the image and measures the distances therebetween, or measures the respective distances for the plurality of feature points arranged in a triangle.

[0016] For example, when the posture deteriorates such that the back becomes rounded, the angle of the upper body inclines forward, but since there is no change in the shooting angle of the camera, in the image captured by the camera, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the distance from the vertical line of each feature point increases. Therefore, the correction amount of the posture is determined by detecting how much the distance between each feature point and the vertical line in the captured image is displaced with respect to the angle of the same feature point in the reference image of FIG. 2(a).

[0017] Similarly, from an image of the user from the front, for example, when both shoulders are used as feature points, the correction amount in the left-right direction of the posture can be determined by detecting the difference in inclination between the straight line connecting them and the horizontal line. Also, in the case of correcting the walking style, while the user walks or runs on a room runner, the respective feature points are continuously photographed, and the angular displacement amounts between the respective feature points and the vertical line or / and the horizontal line are compared in the front-rear states of the left and right feet, for example, to measure how much difference there is in the displacement amount in the state where either the left or right leg is extended forward, and the correction amount can be determined based on this.

[0018] As specific criteria, use the camera of the device to take a large number of images of the correct and incorrect postures in advance, measure the distances between each feature point by the feature point displacement measurement unit 11 for each of these postures, and store them in the storage unit 5. For example, for four types including the distance L1 between the top of the head and the vertical line, the distance L2 between the nose and the vertical line, the distance L3 between the side and the vertical line, and the angle of the line L4 connecting the top of the head and the center of the abdomen, acquire the photographed images in advance and measure the displacement of each feature point in the image. The correction amount determination unit 12 compares how different the displacement of each feature point in the image taken at the determination time is from the displacement of the four types of reference images, and determines the correction amount of the posture at the determination time. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable to measure the displacement amount not only for the image from the side of the body but also for the images from the front or back of the body in the same way.

[0019] As the correction amount, it may be determined as specific numerical values such as "correct by ○○ mm to the right side", "correct by ○○ mm to the left side and ○○ mm forward", or it may be determined step by step such as "correct by ○○ level to the right side", "correct by ○○ level to the left side and ○○ level forward".

[0020] The database 13 stores information associating at least one of the position, size, thickness, hardness, and resilience of the insole with the correction amount of the posture. This information stores information on insoles required for various posture corrections that have been empirically known and adopted by experts. For example, when the posture is tilted to the right side, depending on the correction amount, as expert knowledge, it is empirically known which part of the user's sole, what size, thickness, hardness, and resilience of the insole should be placed, and the content of that knowledge is stored in the database 13.

[0021] The insole selection unit 14 selects an insole corresponding to the correction amount measured by the correction amount determination unit 12 based on the information stored in the database 13. The insole selection unit 14 can output the selection result by the correction amount determination unit 12 and the database 13 in the form of messages, lists, insole diagrams, etc. from output units such as the display unit 1, the voice output unit 4, and the printer. Also, using the communication unit 6, the selected insole and its information can be transmitted to other devices.

[0022] In the storage unit 5, the information obtained by the image capturing unit 10 and / or the feature point displacement measurement unit 11 is stored in time series. This information includes information about the user, information about the devices used for measuring the correction amount, the captured images at the time of setting or determination, the distance information between each feature point in typical normal postures and walking styles and bad postures and walking styles, the time data at the time of determination or shooting, and information about the selected insole. Information about the insole includes physical information such as the material, hardness, combination, resilience, and color of its parts, the manufacturer, type, price, etc. By presenting this information stored in the storage unit 5 about the selected insole, the user can determine the desired insole.

[0023] The insole selection unit 14 is provided with an insole creation device 15 as one of the output units to create the insole selected by the insole selection unit 14. As this insole creation device 15, one equipped with a 3D printer and / or a 2D cutter can be used. For example, as shown in Figure 3, an insole can also be created by combining or adhering insole parts b and c of one or more different thicknesses and materials to the already prepared insole a. That is, in addition to or instead of the insole creation device 15, an insole part creation device can also be provided.

[0024] In the memory unit 5, current and past information regarding the distances between respective feature points obtained by the correction amount determination unit 12 during determination, the determined postures, and the states of walking styles are stored in the memory unit 5. At the same time, in the memory unit 5, information indicating which insole the insole selection unit 14 has selected and information on postures and walking styles obtained from the feature point displacement measurement unit 11 when the selected insole is used are also stored as values of distances between feature points or values of correction amounts. The effect determination unit 16 compares information on postures and walking styles before and after the use of the insole selected by the user and determines to what extent the selected insole contributes to the correction of postures and walking styles.

[0025] The memory unit 5 includes a user information memory unit that stores user information including at least one of the user's age, gender, obesity level, body segment length (e.g., forearm length, etc.). This user information also includes information such as the correction amount of the user determined by the correction amount determination unit 12, the details of the selected insole, and information regarding the usage date and time and frequency of this system. These information are input from the operation input unit 3 and each part of this system into the memory unit 5. When selecting an insole, not only based on the value of the distance between feature points, but also by referring to user information, even if the distance between the same feature points, by considering information such as weight, appropriate insoles with different sizes, hardness, resilience, etc. can be selected.

[0026] [1-3. Effects of the Embodiment] The effects of the first embodiment are as follows. (1) Since it is possible to select a correction amount and the corresponding insole simply by photographing the user's postures and walking styles with a camera, even those without professional knowledge can easily select an appropriate insole.

[0027] (2) By using an algorithm for determining the correction amount of the user's postures and walking styles based on the displacements of a plurality of feature points, the arithmetic processing required for determining the correction amount is easy, and an appropriate insole can be selected in a short time.

[0028] (3) By using the insole creating device 15 having a 3D printer and / or a 2D cutter connected to the output unit, the selected insole can be created immediately, and by combining the parts of the insole already prepared, it is also possible to easily and quickly obtain an insole customized for each individual user.

[0029] (4) The effect determination unit 16 compares information on the posture and walking style of the user before and after using the selected insole, and determines to what extent the selected insole contributes to the correction of the posture and walking style. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the suitability of the selected insole and the degree of improvement in the posture and walking style after long-term use, and obtain powerful information when selecting a new insole.

[0030] (5) Since it is provided with a user information storage unit that stores user information including at least one of the user's age, gender, obesity level, and body segment length, even if it is the displacement amount of the same feature point, it is possible to obtain a correction amount suitable for the user, and an appropriate insole customized for each user can be selected.

[0031] [2. Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and at the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist thereof. Also, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. Specifically, the following other embodiments are also included.

[0032] (1) The determination of the correction amount can be set in advance for each user at the start of the system, or by using AI or the like to measure the correct postures and walking styles of a large number of users, and storing the postures and walking styles within a certain range as normal values in the storage unit 5 in advance. Also, by averaging the data of postures and visual distances over a certain period from the start of use by each individual user, that is, when the user's fatigue has not yet accumulated, the correction amount can be set, or the correction amount can be determined based on the postures and walking styles immediately after the system presents an improvement proposal.

[0033] (2) Store in the storage unit 5 the correction amounts determined in the past and information regarding the insoles created accordingly. By measuring the correction amount again after a certain period has elapsed, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of the correction effect by the insoles created in the past, or to use it as a reference when selecting a new insole.

Explanation of Signs

[0034] 1… Display unit 2… Camera 3… Operation input unit 4… Audio output unit 5… Storage unit 6… Communication unit 10… Image capturing unit 11… Feature point displacement measurement unit 12… Correction amount determination unit 13… Database 14… Insole selection unit 15… Insole creation device 16… Effect determination unit

Claims

1. An image capturing unit that captures an image of a user; A feature point displacement measurement unit that detects a plurality of feature points of the user from the image of the user acquired by the image capturing unit and displaces the distances between the respective feature points; A correction amount determination unit that determines a correction amount for posture and / or walking style based on the displacements between the respective feature points measured by the feature point displacement measurement unit; A database that stores information associating at least one of the position, size, shape, thickness, hardness, resilience, and material of the insole with the correction amount; An insole selection unit that selects an insole corresponding to the correction amount based on the information stored in the database; An output unit that presents the insole selected by the insole selection unit; An insole selection system comprising the above.

2. The insole selection system according to claim 1, further comprising a user information storage unit that stores user information including at least one of the age, gender, height, weight, body fat percentage, and body segment length of the user, wherein the insole selection unit selects an insole corresponding to the correction amount based on the user information.

3. The insole selection system according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a 3D printer and / or a 2D cutter, an insole creating device that creates the insole selected by the insole selection unit, or an insole part creating device, or an insole creating device that combines the insole parts selected by the insole selection unit.

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