Method of enhancing gait of a user

Abstract

A gait-enhancing system and method of enhancing gait includes generating a reference signal having substantially equal durations between occurrences and providing the reference signal to a user. Contact between the feet of the user with a surface is received and occurrence of a trigger signal is generated in response to the contact. An occurrence of the trigger signal is compared with an occurrence of a reference signal, and a guidance signal is produced as a function of the amount of time that the trigger signal led or lagged the reference signal. The guidance signal is provided to the user in order to promote symmetry in stride between one foot and the other foot of the user, enhancing the user's gait.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A method of enhancing gait of a user, comprising:
 generating a reference signal with a processing unit and providing the reference signal to the use, the reference signal having substantially equal duration between occurrences;   causing locomotion between the user and a surface and monitoring gait of the user including sensing contact between feet of the user with the surface using a sensor unit during the locomotion;   generating occurrences of a trigger signal with the sensor unit in response to the contact between the feet of the user with the surface and providing the occurrences of the trigger signal to said processing unit;   comparing an occurrence of the trigger signal with an occurrence of the reference signal at the processing unit to determine an amount of time that the trigger signal led or lagged the occurrence of the reference signal and producing a guidance signal with the processing unit as a function of the amount of time that the trigger signal led or lagged the occurrence of the reference signal; and   providing the guidance signal to the user to subconsciously bring the user's feet into alternative contact with the surface at closer times to the reference signal to draw the user into a cadence that approaches the reference signal in order to promote symmetry in stride between one foot and the other foot of the user to enhance user gait.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  including adjusting rate of occurrences of said reference signal to vary the gait of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said sensor unit includes a pair of sensor units, one for each of the user's feet and establishing wireless communication between the sensor units and a local unit, wherein the causing locomotion comprises instructing the user to roam from the local unit. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said sensor unit is fixed to a treadmill having a moving surface and the causing locomotion comprises operating the treadmill moving surface with a user on the treadmill and wherein the generating occurrences of a trigger signal including the user actuating the sensor unit in response to the user contacting the moving surface. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4  including varying the rate of said reference signal as a function of speed of operation of the moving surface. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  including at least one broadcast speaker or a set of headphones to provide the reference signal and the guidance signal to the user.