U.S. patent application number 09/832905 was filed with the patent office on 2001-10-18 for pedometer capable of keeping user interested in exercise.
Invention is credited to Kihira, Masazumi, Kitamura, Munehiro, Maehashi, Koji, Ogawa, Hiroshi.
Application Number | 20010031031 09/832905 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18625105 |
Filed Date | 2001-10-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010031031 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ogawa, Hiroshi ; et
al. |
October 18, 2001 |
Pedometer capable of keeping user interested in exercise
Abstract
A pedometer determines that the user does not wear the pedometer
when the current number of steps is not more than a prescribed set
value, not to employ the data of the current number of steps on the
day the user does not wear the pedometer for calculating an average
number of steps. If the current number of steps is in excess of the
set value, the pedometer determines that the user wears the
pedometer for adding the current number of steps to the total
number of steps, adding 1 to the number of days and dividing the
total number of steps by the number of days for calculating an
average number of steps per day. Consequently, a pedometer having a
function of displaying the average number of steps per day, which
can not only maintain correctness of the average number of steps
but also keep the user interested in exercise even if the user
forgets wearing the pedometer, can be provided.
Inventors: |
Ogawa, Hiroshi; (Kyoto,
JP) ; Kitamura, Munehiro; (Kyoto, JP) ;
Kihira, Masazumi; (Kyoto, JP) ; Maehashi, Koji;
(Kyoto, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Barry E. Bretschneider
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Suite 500
2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20006-1888
US
|
Family ID: |
18625105 |
Appl. No.: |
09/832905 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
377/24.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 22/006
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
377/24.2 |
International
Class: |
G01C 021/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 14, 2000 |
JP |
2000-113064 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pedometer having a walking detection sensor for detecting
walking, including: a counter counting outputs from said walking
detection sensor; a clock measuring time; a memory storing the
total of each of the number of steps theretofore counted by said
counter and the number of days spent for counting said steps on the
basis of the time measured by said clock; a wear determination part
determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer; a display
part displaying information related to said walking; and a control
part calculating an average number of steps per day from the total
number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory,
displaying said average number of steps on said display part and
controlling said display part and said memory to add the current
number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps
and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on
a day said wear determination part determines that the user wears
said pedometer and not to add the current number of steps and the
number of days to the total number of steps and the total number of
days stored in said memory respectively on a day said wear
determination part determines that the user does not wear said
pedometer.
2. The pedometer according to claim 1, wherein said wear
determination part determines whether or not the user wears said
pedometer with the current total number of steps.
3. The pedometer according to claim 2, wherein said wear
determination part compares the current total number of steps with
a predetermined set value and determines that the user does not
wear said pedometer when the total number of steps is not more than
said set value.
4. The pedometer according to claim 3, wherein said set value is
changeable.
5. The pedometer according to claim 1, wherein said pedometer has a
key or a switch, and said wear determination part determines
whether or not the user wears said pedometer through operation of
said key or said switch.
6. The pedometer according to claim 1, further having a function of
manually adding the current number of steps or a preceding average
number of steps and the number of days to the total number of steps
and the total number of days stored in said memory respectively on
a day said wear determination part determines that the user does
not wear said pedometer.
7. The pedometer according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores
the number of steps counted over a plurality of days every day,
said display part switchingly displays the number of steps counted
over said plurality of days every day, and said control part does
not use the function of said wear determination part for
determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer as to the
storage of the number of steps counted over said plurality of days
in said memory.
8. A pedometer having a walking detection sensor for detecting
walking, comprising: a counter counting outputs from said walking
detection sensor; a clock measuring time; a memory storing the
total of each of the number of steps theretofore counted by said
counter and the number of days spent for counting said steps on the
basis of the time measured by said clock; a wear determination part
determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer; and a
display part displaying information related to said walking, for
calculating an average number of steps per day from the total
number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory,
displaying said average number of steps on said display part,
adding the current number of steps and the number of days to the
total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said
memory respectively on a day said wear determination part
determines that the user wears said pedometer and adding the
current average number of steps and the number of days to the total
number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory
respectively on a day said wear determination part determines that
the user does not wear said pedometer.
9. A pedometer having a walking detection sensor for detecting
walking, comprising: a counter counting outputs from said walking
detection sensor; a clock measuring time; a memory storing the
total of each of the number of steps theretofore counted by said
counter and the number of days spent for counting said steps on the
basis of the time measured by said clock; a wear determination part
determining whether or not the user wears said pedometer; and a
display part displaying information related to said walking, for
calculating an average number of steps per day from the total
number of steps and the total number of days stored in said memory,
displaying said average number of steps on said display part,
adding the current number of steps and the number of days to the
total number of steps and the total number of days stored in said
memory respectively on a day said wear determination part
determines that the user wears said pedometer and adding the
current number of steps or a preceding average number of steps and
the number of days to the total number of steps and the total
number of days stored in said memory respectively on a day said
wear determination part determines that the user does not wear said
pedometer.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a pedometer which can keep
the user interested in exercise, and more particularly, it relates
to a pedometer displaying not only the current number of steps but
also various information related to walking such as the total
number of steps theretofore counted over a set period, the total
number of days spent for counting the steps, the average number of
steps per day and the like.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] General pedometers include the following apparatuses:
[0005] {circle over (1)} A pedometer simply numerically displaying
the number of counted steps on a display part.
[0006] {circle over (2)} A pedometer having a memory for about a
week for storing the number of steps counted over a week in the
memory every day and arbitrarily displaying the number of steps
counted over the preceding week on the display part every day (e.g.
Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 2-42156 (1990)
"Pedometer").
[0007] {circle over (3)} A pedometer displaying an average number
of steps per day for expressing the number of steps counted over a
long period (e.g. Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 63-135473
(1988) "Pedometer").
[0008] In order to keep his/her health and develop his/her strength
with such a pedometer, the user must continuously take walking
exercise over a long period.
[0009] However, the aforementioned conventional pedometers have the
following problems:
[0010] The pedometer {circle over (1)} has a simple function.
Whether or not the user increases the number of steps as compared
with the preceding day, therefore, the pedometer starts counting
the steps anew on this day. Thus, the result of the user's effort
is not reflected on the pedometer and hence the user cannot keep
but soon loses his/her interest in walking. Consequently, the user
tends to neglect daily exercise itself.
[0011] Although the pedometer {circle over (2)} has a more
complicated function than the pedometer {circle over (1)}, data of
the preceding week disappear sequentially from the oldest one.
Therefore, the pedometer is so limited in capability of keeping the
user interested in exercise that the user finally loses his/her
interest in exercise. While the memory of the pedometer may be
increased in capacity for increasing the number of days storable in
the memory beyond a week or to be capable of displaying a graph of
data over a month or a year, the structure of the memory or a
control circuit of the pedometer is disadvantageously complicated
in this case.
[0012] The pedometer {circle over (3)} capable of expressing data
related to walking over a long period can keep the user interested
in exercise. The user can compare his/her average number of steps
with those of his/her family or friends and hence his/her
motivation for exercise is strengthened. Further, the used capacity
of the memory is small and hence the pedometer can be provided at a
relatively low cost.
[0013] If the user forgets wearing the pedometer in the morning,
however, the pedometer counts zero or a value close to zero (if the
pedometer erroneously operates due to some impact) as the current
number of steps. The pedometer still records the date in this case,
and hence average data is disturbed when the pedometer adds the
current data thereto. Therefore, the result of the user's effort
over tens of days is damaged by occasional carelessness, and the
user thereafter hesitates to wear the pedometer and his/her
motivation for daily exercise is weakened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to
provide a pedometer having a function of displaying an average
number of steps per time, which can not only maintain correctness
of the average number of steps but also keep the user interested in
exercise even if the user forgets wearing the pedometer.
[0015] In order to attain the aforementioned object, the pedometer
according to the present invention comprises a walking detection
sensor detecting walking, a counter counting outputs from the
walking detection sensor, a clock measuring time, a memory storing
the total of each of the number of steps theretofore counted by the
counter and the number days spent for counting the steps, a wear
determination part determining whether or not the user wears the
pedometer, and a display part displaying information related to the
walking. The pedometer calculates an average number of steps per
day from the total number of steps and the total number of days
stored in the memory and displays the average number of steps on
the display part, while the current number of steps and the number
of days are added to the total number of steps and the total number
of days stored in the memory on a day the wear determination part
determines that the user wears the pedometer and the former are not
added to the latter on a day the wear determination part determines
that the user does not wear the pedometer.
[0016] When the wear determination part determines that the user
does not wear the pedometer, the current number of steps and the
number of days are not added to the total number of steps and the
total number days stored in the memory respectively. In other
words, the current data is excluded from calculation of the average
number of steps, and hence the average number of steps can be
correctly calculated even if the user forgets wearing the
pedometer. Consequently, the pedometer correctly reflects a result
of exercise, so that the user can keep his/her interest in the
exercise.
[0017] Specifically, the wear determination part of this pedometer
automatically or manually determines whether or not the user wears
the pedometer. The wear determination part automatically makes this
determination from the current number of steps. More specifically,
the wear determination part compares the current total number of
steps with a set value and determines that the user does not wear
the pedometer when the total number of steps is not more than the
set value. In this case, the set value is preferably changeable
through a key. This is because the daily behavioral pattern
remarkably varies with the lifestyle of the user. The set value is
relatively increased for an office worker or the like, particularly
a sales staff generally working outside the office, for example. On
the contrary, the set value is relatively reduced for a full-time
housewife or the like generally staying indoors. This is because
this type of user does not frequently walk about in general and
hence the wear determination part may erroneously determine that
the user does not wear the pedometer if the set value is
excessive.
[0018] A switch may be utilized for automatically determining
whether or not the user wears the pedometer. In this case, the
switch is automatically turned on or off in response to whether or
not the user wears the pedometer. When the user wears the
pedometer, the switch is turned on so that the wear determination
part automatically determines that the user wears the pedometer
while determining that the user does not wear the pedometer if the
switch is off.
[0019] On the other hand, the wear determination part manually
determines whether or not the user wears the pedometer through key
operation, for example.
[0020] Whether the wear determination part automatically or
manually makes the aforementioned determination, the current number
of steps and the number of days are not directly added to the total
number of steps and the total number of days stored in the memory
when the wear determination part determines that the user does not
wear the pedometer. When the user does not wear the pedometer, the
current number of steps or a preceding average number of steps and
the number of days may be rendered manually addable to the total
number of steps and the total number of days stored in the memory
respectively. In this case, a rough number of steps can be
estimated from the user's daily life pattern even if the user
forgets wearing the pedometer, and hence a roughly estimated number
of steps may be entered by key operation for the day the user
forgets wearing the pedometer. If the number of steps cannot be
estimated, the preceding average number of steps may be
entered.
[0021] Alternatively, the preceding average number of steps and the
number of days may be automatically added to the total number of
steps and the total number of days stored in the memory
respectively on the day the wear determination part determines that
the user does not wear the pedometer. As to the day the wear
determination part determines that the user does not wear the
pedometer, the pedometer may be provided with a function for
manually adding the current number of steps or the preceding
average number of steps and the number of days to the total number
of steps and the total number of days stored in the memory
respectively so that the user manually enters the data through this
function.
[0022] Also when the wear determination part determines that the
user does not wear the pedometer, the total number of steps and the
total number of days can be continuously calculated by manually or
automatically setting the current number of steps or the preceding
average number of steps.
[0023] In the pedometer according to the present invention, the
memory may store the number of steps counted over a plurality of
days every day and the display part may switchingly display the
number of steps counted over the plurality of days stored in the
memory every day, so that the function of the wear determination
part for determining whether or not the user wears the pedometer is
not used as to storage of the number of steps counted over the
plurality of days in the memory. In this case, the current number
of steps (zero or a value close to zero) is stored in the memory as
such also when the wear determination part determines that the user
does not wear the pedometer (the number of steps is not more than
the set value or the key or the switch is operated).
[0024] In the present invention, the information related to walking
includes the current number of steps, the total number of steps,
the total number of days, the average number of steps, the number
of steps per day over a plurality of days, the total number of
steps counted over the plurality of days, the time and the
like.
[0025] In the present invention, the wording "the user wears the
pedometer" includes such a mode that the user carries the pedometer
in his/her wear such as a pocket of his/her clothing or his/her bag
or the like in addition to such a mode that the pedometer is fixed
to slacks or a belt with a clip provided thereon so that the
pedometer can count the user's steps, as described with reference
to an embodiment of the present invention later.
[0026] The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and
advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from
the following detailed description of the present invention when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pedometer according to an
embodiment of the present invention with a rear case opened;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the pedometer with the
rear case closed;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the
structure of the pedometer;
[0030] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing a display mode
(total display state) of a display part of the pedometer;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an exemplary display of a
total number of steps counted over seven days in the display part
of the pedometer;
[0032] FIG. 6A is a plan view showing an exemplary display of a
total number of steps in the display part of the pedometer, FIG. 6B
is a plan view showing an exemplary display of a total number of
days and FIG. 6C is a plan view showing an exemplary display of an
average number of steps;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a flow chart for illustrating overall operation of
the pedometer;
[0034] FIG. 8 is a flow chart for illustrating operation input
processing in the flow chart shown in FIG. 7; and
[0035] FIG. 9 is a flow chart for illustrating date change
processing in the flow chart shown in FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0036] An embodiment of the present invention is now described with
reference to the drawings.
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pedometer according to this
embodiment comprises a front case 1 and a rear case 2. When the
pedometer is attached to slacks or the like, the front case 1 is
hinged to the rear case 2 to be openable/closable along arrow A in
FIG. 2. A pawl 5 of the front case 1 is engaged in a notch 6 of the
rear case 2, so that the front case 1 and the rear case 2 can be
fixed in a closed state.
[0038] A panel 7 is engaged in the front case 1, while a display
part 10, a display switch button 11, a reset button 12, a
set/.Arrow-up bold. button 13 and a step sensitivity adjusting knob
14 are provided on the panel 7.
[0039] A clip 20 is mounted on the rear case 2 to be swingable
along arrow B in FIG. 2. This clip 20 is supported by a spindle 21
and urged to be closed by a spring (not shown) mounted on the
spindle 21. The rear case 2 and the clip 20 are provided with
projections 2A and 20A respectively, so that the user can reliably
wear the pedometer with no displacement when the upper edge of the
slacks, for example, is held by the clip 20.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the
structure of this pedometer. This pedometer comprises a walking
detection sensor 30 detecting walking, a control part (CPU) 40 of a
microcomputer, an operation part 31 formed by the aforementioned
buttons 11 to 13 and the like, the aforementioned display part 10,
a clock 32 measuring time, a battery 33 supplying power to the
respective parts, and a memory 70 storing various types of
data.
[0041] An arbitrary form can be selected for the walking detection
sensor 30 from a number of forms such as that having a switching
function on the forward end of a pendulum for detecting body
movement, for example. The sensitivity of the walking detection
sensor 30 can be properly adjusted with the aforementioned step
sensitivity adjusting knob 14 so that the difference between the
number of steps counted by the user during walking and the
displayed value is minimized.
[0042] The CPU 40 stores the clock 32, a present count memory 51, a
current memory 52, a day memory 53, a total step memory 54, an
average step memory 55, a total memory 60 over seven days, a step
memory 61 for the preceding day, a step memory 62 for two days
before, . . . , a step memory 67 for seven days before and the
like. Further, the CPU 40 has a wear determination function for
determining whether or not the user wears the pedometer and a
function of not adding the current number of steps and the number
of days to the total step memory 54 and the day memory 53 of the
memory 70 respectively when determining that the user does not wear
the pedometer through the wear determination function.
[0043] As shown in an enlarged plan view (total display state) in
FIG. 4, the display part 10 can display the total number of steps,
the total number of days, the average number of steps, the current
number of steps, the clock, the pace, the distance and the like.
While the total number of steps, the total number of days, the
average number of steps and the like may be simultaneously
displayed, the following description is made with reference to a
system varying the display contents with operation of the operation
part 31.
[0044] The pedometer having a storage function may be provided with
a backup function for protecting the contents stored in the memory
70 when the battery 33 is exchanged. The backup function may be
implemented by employing a capacitor having a relatively large
capacity as a power source or employing a battery dedicated to
backup.
[0045] The display mode of the display part 10 is briefly
described. When the display part 10 displays the current number of
steps through the display switching button 11, the display is
switched to the number of steps counted on the preceding day, the
number of steps counted two days before, . . . , the number of
steps counted seven days before and the total number of steps
counted over a week every time the set/.Arrow-up bold. switch 13 is
pressed. Referring to FIG. 5, the display part 10 displays the
total number of steps counted over a week.
[0046] When the display part 10 displays totals through the display
switching button 11, the display is switched to the total number of
steps, the total number of days and the average number of steps per
day every time the set/.Arrow-up bold. button 13 is pressed, as
shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C. The exemplary displays shown in FIGS. 6A
to 6C are related to yearlong data.
[0047] The operation of the pedometer having the aforementioned
structure is briefly described. The CPU 40 captures a walking
signal detected by the walking detection sensor 30, increments the
number of steps on the present count memory 51 by 1 and displays
the resulting number of steps on the display part 10 as the current
number of steps while adding 1 to the contents of the current
memory 52.
[0048] The CPU 40 monitors the clock 32 and updates the total
number of steps, the total number of days, the average number of
steps and the like regularly at 24:00, for example, every day. The
CPU 40 adds the contents of the current memory 52 to the contents
of the total step memory 54 while erasing the contents of the
current memory 52, for example. The CPU 40 further adds one day to
the contents of the day memory 53, obtains the average number of
steps by dividing the total number of steps stored in the total
step memory 54 by the number of days stored in the day memory 53
and stores the obtained average number of steps in the average step
memory 55.
[0049] When such processing is simply performed, zero or a value
close to zero is added to the data of the total step memory 54 if
the user forgets wearing the pedometer, leading to incorrect
calculation of the average number of steps. However, the pedometer
according to this embodiment has the wear determination function
for determining whether or not the user wears the pedometer and the
function of not adding the current number of steps and the number
of days to the data of the total step memory 54 and the day memory
53 of the memory 70 respectively on a day the pedometer determines
that the user does not wear the pedometer through this wear
determination function, thereby causing no such problem.
[0050] More specifically, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the
value stored in the current memory 52 exceeds a previously set
numerical value. If the former is not in excess of the latter, the
CPU 40 determines that the user does not wear the pedometer, and
does not calculate the current total number of steps, the total
number of days and the average number of steps.
[0051] As to the number of steps counted over seven days, however,
the CPU 40 shifts the contents of the step memory 61 for the
preceding day, the step memory 62 for two days before, . . . the
step memory 67 for seven days before and performs addition as to
the total memory 60 over seven days. This is because the number of
steps counted over seven days is obtained from the data for the
past seven days with reference to the current date and hence the
dates of the data are confused if the number of steps on the day
the user does not wear the pedometer is not input on this day. If
the user does not wear the pedometer on one day, for example,
storage of the number of steps counted over the week including this
day runs over into the first day of the next week.
[0052] The memory 70 has the present count memory 51 and the
current memory 52 since reset operation is manually performed. In
this pedometer, the current number of steps can be arbitrarily
reset through the reset button 12 of the operation part 31 in order
to count steps between points A and B, for example. In this case,
the data of the current number of steps disappears if the memory 70
has no current memory 52. If the current number of steps is reset
not arbitrarily but at 24:00 as described above, the memory 70 may
have only either the present count memory 51 or the current memory
52, as a matter of course.
[0053] The total operation of the pedometer is now described with
reference to flow charts shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. In the flow chart
shown in FIG. 7, the operation starts when power is supplied to the
pedometer. At a step (hereinafter abbreviated as ST) 1, the CPU 40
clears each memory of the memory 70. In other words, the CPU 40
clears the memories 51 to 55 in a working area of the CPU 40 and
the memories 60 to 67 related to the number of steps. It is assumed
that the display part 10 simultaneously displays the clock 32 and
the number of steps, and displays the current memory 51 in the
state where the memories are cleared.
[0054] Then, the CPU 40 starts step-by-step motion of the clock 32
(ST2). Setting of correct time is described later. ST3 and
subsequent steps form a step counting routine. At ST3, the CPU 40
determines whether or not a walking input is received from the
walking detection sensor 30, and the process advances to ST6 if the
determination is of NO. If the determination is of YES, the CPU 40
adds 1 to the numerical value of the present count memory 51 (ST4),
while adding 1 also to the numerical value of the current memory 52
(ST5).
[0055] At ST6, the CPU 40 determines whether or not an operation
input is received from the operation part 31. If the determination
is of YES, the process advances to ST10 for operation input
processing, as described later. If the determination is of NO, the
CPU 40 performs step-by-step processing of the clock 32 (ST7).
According to the block structure of the pedometer shown in FIG. 3,
the clock 32 is located outside the CPU 40 and hence the CPU 40
reads the time of the clock 32 and displays the read time on the
display part 10. The time may alternatively be stepped by timer
processing of the CPU 40 itself, as a matter of course. At ST8, the
CPU 40 determines whether or not the time has reached the set time,
24:00 in this case. If the determination is of YES, the process
advances to ST20 for date change processing, as described later. If
the determination is of NO, the process returns to ST3 for
repeating the series of processing through ST3 to ST8.
[0056] The operation input processing (ST10) is now described with
reference to the flow chart of FIG. 8. When determining that the
operation input is received at ST6, the CPU 40 determines whether
or not the operation input is a reset input (ST11), and the process
advances to ST13 if the determination is of NO. If the
determination is of YES, the CPU 40 clears the present count memory
51 (ST12). As described above, the present count memory 51,
independent of the current memory 52, records the number of steps
between sections or the like.
[0057] At ST13, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the operation
input is a display switch input, and the process advances to ST15
if the determination is of NO. If the determination is of YES, the
CPU 40 switches the display of the number of steps (ST14). In this
case, the display is simply sequentially switched as the present
count .fwdarw. the current number of steps .fwdarw. the number of
steps counted on the preceding day .fwdarw. the number of steps
counted two days before .fwdarw. . . . .fwdarw. the number of steps
counted seven days before .fwdarw. the total number of steps
counted over seven days .fwdarw. the number of days .fwdarw. the
total number of steps .fwdarw. the average number of steps .fwdarw.
the present count (again) . . . . Alternatively, the memories may
be classified into a group of weeklong memories and a group of
memories related the total number of steps, for switching the
display every group.
[0058] At ST15, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the operation
input is a clock set input, so that the operation input processing
is terminated and the process advances to ST7 of the flow chart
shown in FIG. 7 if the determination is of NO. If the determination
is of YES, the CPU 40 performs clock set processing (ST16). In this
time set processing, the CPU 40 sets or corrects the time of the
clock 32 with a known technique, details of which are not
described. While the display part 10 simultaneously displays the
clock 32 and the number of steps in this flow chart, the clock 32
and the number of steps may alternatively be switchingly displayed.
In this case, the display is switched to the clock 32 when the time
set input is received.
[0059] The date change processing (ST20) is now described with
reference to the flow chart of FIG. 9. When the time is 24:00 at
ST8 (when a day has elapsed), the CPU 40 first performs processing
related to the memories for seven days regardless of whether or not
the user wears the pedometer (ST21). In other words, the CPU 40
sequentially shifts the contents of the current memory 52 to the
step memory 61 for the preceding day, the contents of the step
memory 61 for the preceding day to the step memory 62 for two days
before, . . . , the contents of the step memory 66 for six days
before to the step memory 67 for seven days before. Thus, the
numerical value of the step memory 67 for seven days before is
deleted. If the pedometer has a function of storing not weeklong
data but monthlong data, the CPU 40 shifts the contents of such
memories in response to the monthlong, as a matter of course. At
ST22, the CPU 40 adds up the values of the step memories 61 to 67
for the preceding day to seven days before for calculating the
total number of steps counted over seven days, and stores the
obtained value in the total memory 60 over seven days.
[0060] At ST23, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the value of
the current memory 52 is greater than a predetermined value N of
100, for example. If the determination is of NO, the CPU 40 erases
the contents of the current memory 52 (ST27) without through ST24
to ST26, and the process returns to ST3 of the flow chart shown in
FIG. 7. If the current number of steps is not more than 100, the
CPU 40 determines that the user has forgotten wearing the
pedometer, not to add the number of steps (.ltoreq.100) to the data
of the average number of steps etc.
[0061] When the value of the current memory 52 is greater than the
set value at ST23, the CPU 40 adds the contents of the current
memory 52 to the data of the total step memory 54 (ST24), steps the
contents of the day memory 53 by one day (ST25) and divides the
contents of the total step memory 54 by the contents of the day
memory 53 for calculating the average number of steps per day and
storing the obtained value in the average step memory 55 (ST26).
The CPU 40 clears the contents of the current memory 52 (ST27), and
the process returns to ST3.
[0062] While the CPU 40 determines whether or not the user wears
the pedometer by determining whether or not the value of the
current memory 52 is greater than the set value in the
aforementioned embodiment, this determination may alternatively be
made by switch operation. For example, a mechanical switch is
provided to interlock with the clip 20. When the clip 20 holds
slacks or a belt, the switch is turned on so that the CPU 40
determines that the user currently wears the pedometer. If the
mechanical switch remains off, the CPU 40 determines that the user
does not wear the pedometer.
[0063] In the flow chart shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 40 does not
employ the contents of the current memory 52 for calculating the
average number of steps when determining that the user does not
wear the pedometer. Also when the CPU 40 determines that the user
does not wear the pedometer, however, the processing of ST24 and
ST25 may be automatically or manually forcibly carried out as
described above. In this case, the CPU 40 determines whether or not
to make a manual input if the determination at ST23 is of NO, for
example, so that the user adds a roughly estimated value of the
current number of steps to the data of the total step memory 54
while adding 1 to the contents of the day memory 53. Alternatively,
the pedometer itself automatically adds the current average number
of steps to the data of the total step memory 54 and steps the
contents of the day memory 53 by one day. Thus, the total number of
steps and the total number of days can be continuously
calculated.
[0064] Although the present invention has been described and
illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by
way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way
of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being
limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
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