Walking assistance method and apparatuses

Abstract

A walking assistance method may include measuring a current gait motion of a user, defining a state variable based on the current gait motion, setting a delay that is a feedback element for the state variable, and generating a torque profile based on the state variable and the delay.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A walking assistance method comprising:
 measuring a current gait motion of a user;   defining a state variable based on the current gait motion;   setting a delay associated with the state variable; and   generating a torque profile based on the state variable and the delay such that the delay is a feedback element defining an output time of torque corresponding to the torque profile.   
     
     
         2 . The walking assistance method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 filtering the current gait motion.   
     
     
         3 . The walking assistance method of  claim 2 , wherein the filtering of the current gait motion comprises:
 performing low-pass filtering of the current gait motion using a low-pass filter (LPF).   
     
     
         4 . The walking assistance method of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the current gait motion comprises:
 measuring at least one hip joint angle of the user.   
     
     
         5 . The walking assistance method of  claim 4 , wherein the measuring of the at least one hip joint angle comprises:
 measuring a left hip joint angle of the user; and   measuring a right hip joint angle of the user.   
     
     
         6 . The walking assistance method of  claim 5 , wherein the defining of the state variable comprises:
 defining the state variable based on a difference between the left hip joint angle and the right hip joint angle.   
     
     
         7 . The walking assistance method of  claim 1 , wherein the defining of the state variable defines the state variable such that the state variable is expressed in a form of a trigonometric function. 
     
     
         8 . The walking assistance method of  claim 7 , wherein the defining of the state variable comprises:
 expressing a left hip joint angle of the user based on a first trigonometric function;   expressing a right hip joint angle of the user based on a second trigonometric function; and   defining the state variable based on a difference between the first trigonometric function and the second trigonometric function.   
     
     
         9 . The walking assistance method of  claim 1 , wherein the state variable includes the delay and a gain associated with the torque. 
     
     
         10 . The walking assistance method of  claim 9 , wherein the defining of the state variable comprises:
 determining the delay based on a gait velocity of the user.   
     
     
         11 . A walking assistance apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to measure a current gait motion of a user; and   a controller configured to,   define a state variable based on the current gait motion,   set a delay for the state variable, and   generate a torque profile based on the state variable and the delay such that the delay is a feedback element defining an output timing of a torque corresponding to the torque profile.   
     
     
         12 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a filter configured to filter the current gait motion.   
     
     
         13 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the filter comprises:
 a low-pass filter (LPF) configured to perform low-pass filtering on the current gait motion.   
     
     
         14 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure a hip joint angle of the user as the current gait motion. 
     
     
         15 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor is configured to,
 measure a left hip joint angle of the user, and   measure a right hip joint angle of the user.   
     
     
         16 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to define the state variable based on a difference between the left hip joint angle and the right hip joint angle. 
     
     
         17 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to define the state variable such that the state variable is expressed in a form of a trigonometric function. 
     
     
         18 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to define the state variable by,
 expressing a left hip joint angle of the user based on a first trigonometric function,   expressing a right hip joint angle of the user based on a second trigonometric function, and   defining the state variable based on a difference between the first trigonometric function and the second trigonometric function.   
     
     
         19 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the state variable includes the delay and a gain associated with the torque. 
     
     
         20 . The walking assistance apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the delay based on a gait velocity of the user.