Walking assistance method and apparatuses

Abstract

A walking assistance method and/or apparatuses configured to perform same are provided. A state variable may be defined based on a result obtained by measuring a gait motion of a user, and a torque profile may be generated based on the defined state variable, a gain and a delay. The generated torque profile may correspond to a torque profile to assist the gait motion, or a torque profile to provide a resistance to the gait motion.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . An operating method of a walking assistance apparatus, the operating method comprising:
 defining a state variable based on a result obtained by measuring a gait motion of a user; and   generating a torque profile based on the state variable, a gain and a delay such that the torque profile assists the gait motion or resists the gait motion based on the gain.   
     
     
         24 . The operating method of  claim 23 , wherein the defining the state variable comprises:
 defining the state variable as a difference between a first function based on a first hip joint angle of the user and a second function based on a second hip joint angle.   
     
     
         25 . The operating method of  claim 24 , wherein each of the first function and the second function corresponds to a trigonometrical function. 
     
     
         26 . The operating method of  claim 23 , wherein the generating the torque profile comprises:
 generating the torque profile to assist the gait motion by applying a first gain and the delay to the state variable in response to the gain being the first gain, and   generating the torque profile to resist the gait motion by applying a second gain and the delay to the state variable in response to the gain being the second gain.   
     
     
         27 . The operating method of  claim 26 , wherein a sign of the first gain and a sign of the second gain are different from each other. 
     
     
         28 . The operating method of  claim 23 , wherein the generating the torque profile determines a direction of a torque based on the gain. 
     
     
         29 . The operating method of  claim 23 , wherein the generating the torque profile determines an output timing of torque based on the delay. 
     
     
         30 . The operating method of  claim 23 , wherein the gait motion of the user includes a left hip joint angle and a right hip joint angle of the user. 
     
     
         31 . The operating method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 outputting torque based on the torque profile.   
     
     
         32 . The operating method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 filtering the result obtained by measuring the gait motion of the user.   
     
     
         33 . The operating method of  claim 32 , wherein the generating the torque profile comprises:
 determining an output timing of torque associated with the torque profile based on the delay and a time delay associated with the filtering.   
     
     
         34 . An operating method of a walking assistance apparatus, the operating method comprising:
 measuring a gait motion of a user;   defining a state variable based on the gait motion;   generating a torque profile based on the state variable, a gain and a delay associated with the state variable; and   outputting torque to resist the gait motion based on the torque profile.   
     
     
         35 . The operating method of  claim 34 , wherein the defining the state variable comprises:
 defining the state variable as a difference between a first function based on a first hip joint angle of the user and a second function based on a second hip joint angle.   
     
     
         36 . The operating method of  claim 35 , wherein each of the first function and the second function corresponds to a trigonometrical function. 
     
     
         37 . The operating method of  claim 34 , wherein the generating of the torque profile comprises:
 generating a first torque profile corresponding to a first leg of the user by applying the gain and the delay to the state variable; and   generating a second torque profile corresponding to a second leg of the user by changing a sign of the torque profile corresponding to the second leg.   
     
     
         38 . The operating method of  claim 34 , wherein the generating the torque profile determines a direction of torque based on the gain. 
     
     
         39 . The operating method of  claim 34 , wherein the generating the torque profile determines an output timing of torque based on the delay. 
     
     
         40 . The operating method of  claim 34 , wherein the gait motion of the user includes a left hip joint angle and a right hip joint angle of the user. 
     
     
         41 . The operating method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 filtering the gait motion of the user.   
     
     
         42 . The operating method of  claim 41 , wherein the generating the torque profile determines an output timing of torque based on the delay and a time delay associated with the filtering.