Patent ID: 8968218
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method of enhancing gait of a user, comprising: mounting a pair of remote units to the user, each of said remote units having a sensor that is configured to a size of the sole of one of the user's feet; generating a reference signal with a processing unit and providing the reference signal to the user, the reference signal having substantially equal duration between occurrences; monitoring the gait of the user with said remote units including generating occurrences of a trigger signal in response to the sensors contacting a 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 and producing a guidance signal as a function of an amount of time that the trigger signal led or lagged the reference signal, said comparing and said producing carried out with said processing unit; 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 wherein said sensor includes a plurality of switches and wherein generating an occurrence of the trigger signal includes operation of any one of said switches including ignoring operation of other of said switches until said one of said switches is no longer operated wherein all said switches are deactivated before a new occurrence of the trigger signal is generated.