Patent Description:
<CIT> relates to a 'Balance training system, control method, and program'. <CIT> discloses a walking rehabilitation system which includes a treadmill, a floor reaction force sensor that measures a reaction force applied to the treadmill, a leg robot attached to a lower limb of a user, a distance image camera that captures a distance of the lower limb equipped with the leg robot, and a load estimator that estimates sole loads of right and left lower limbs of the user based on a measured value of the floor reaction force sensor and the image captured by the distance image camera.

In the related technology, when support for a user (a trainee) by an assistant is excessive in a case where the user is executing walking training with the support of the assistant, the user might not perform effective walking training.

The present invention provides a walking training system according to claim <NUM>. The present disclosure further discloses a control method of the walking training system, and a non-transitory storage medium that enable a trainee to perform effective walking training by sending a notification to an assistant who excessively supports the trainee of that effect.

A walking training system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a treadmill, a center-of-gravity position detection unit configured to detect a center-of-gravity position of a trainee from a load received from a sole of the trainee on a belt of the treadmill, a posture detection unit configured to detect a posture of the trainee, a center-of-gravity position estimation unit configured to estimate the center-of-gravity position of the trainee from the detected posture of the trainee, a determination unit configured to determine whether a difference between the detected center-of-gravity position and the estimated center-of-gravity position exceeds a predetermined value, and a notification unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that the difference exceeds the predetermined value, send a notification notifying that the difference exceeds the predetermined value. When the difference (the deviation) between the actual center-of-gravity position of the trainee who is conducting walking training with the support of an assistant and the center-of-gravity position estimated from the posture of the trainee becomes larger than the predetermined value, the walking training system determines that the support for the trainee by the assistant is excessive and notifies the assistant of that effect. As a result, the assistant who received the notification can, for example, offer the trainee less support, and thus the trainee can perform effective walking training.

In the first aspect, the center-of-gravity position detection unit is a load distribution sensor that is installed under the belt of the treadmill such that the load distribution sensor is not interlocked with the belt and is configured to detect a distribution of the load received from the sole of the trainee on the belt of the treadmill.

In the first aspect, the center-of-gravity position detection unit includes a pair of load sensors configured to be attached to respective soles of a right leg and a left leg of the trainee and a first image capturing unit configured to capture images of at least the right and left legs of the trainee, and detect the center-of-gravity position of the trainee based on loads detected by the load sensors and respective positions of the right and left legs of the trainee identified from the images captured by the first image capturing unit.

In the first aspect, the posture detection unit may include a second image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the trainee and a posture information extraction unit configured to extract information on the posture of the trainee from the image of the trainee captured by the second image capturing unit. The center-of-gravity position estimation unit may estimate the center-of-gravity position of the trainee from the posture of the trainee extracted by the posture information extraction unit.

In the first aspect, the posture detection unit may include an infrared sensor configured to detect the trainee and a posture information extraction unit configured to extract information on the posture of the trainee from a detection result of the trainee by the infrared sensor. The center-of-gravity position estimation unit may estimate the center-of-gravity position of the trainee from the posture of the trainee extracted by the posture information extraction unit.

In the first aspect, the predetermined value may be determined according to at least one of the walking speed of the trainee and a motion speed of a predetermined part of the trainee.

In the first aspect, the predetermined value may be set to a larger value as a walking speed of the trainee becomes faster, and may be set to a smaller value as the walking speed of the trainee becomes slower.

In the first aspect, the predetermined value may be determined such that the difference between the detected center-of-gravity position and the estimated center-of-gravity position is offset when an assistant does not support the trainee.

In the first aspect, when a predetermined abnormal movement is detected, the notification unit does not have to send the notification even when the difference between the detected center-of-gravity position and the estimated center-of-gravity position exceeds the predetermined value.

A control method of a walking training system according to a second aspect includes detecting a center-of-gravity position of a trainee from a load received from a sole of the trainee on a belt of a treadmill by using a center-of-gravity position detection unit, detecting a posture of the trainee, estimating the center-of-gravity position of the trainee from the detected posture of the trainee by using a center-of-gravity position estimation unit, determining whether a difference between the detected center-of-gravity position and the estimated center-of-gravity position exceeds a predetermined value, and sending, when a determination is made that the difference exceeds the predetermined value, a notification notifying that the difference exceeds the predetermined value. When the difference (the deviation) between the actual center-of-gravity position of the trainee who is executing walking training with the support of an assistant and the center-of-gravity position estimated from the posture of the trainee becomes larger than the predetermined value, the control method of the walking training system determines that the support for the trainee by the assistant is excessive and notifies the assistant of that effect. As a result, the assistant who received the notification can, for example, offer the trainee less support, and thus the trainee can perform effective walking training.

A third aspect is a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors and that cause the one or more processors to perform functions. The functions include detecting a center-of-gravity position of a trainee from a load received from a sole of the trainee on a belt of a treadmill by using a center-of-gravity position detection unit, detecting a posture of the trainee, estimating the center-of-gravity position of the trainee from the detected posture of the trainee by using a center-of-gravity position estimation unit, determining whether a difference between the detected center-of-gravity position and the estimated center-of-gravity position exceeds a predetermined value, and sending, when a determination is made that the difference exceeds the predetermined value, a notification notifying that the difference exceeds the predetermined value. According to the non-transitory storage medium, when the difference (the deviation) between the actual center-of-gravity position of the trainee who is executing walking training with the support of an assistant and the center-of-gravity position estimated from the posture of the trainee becomes larger than the predetermined value, it is determined that the support for the trainee by the assistant is excessive and the assistant is notified of that effect. As a result, the assistant who receives the notification can, for example, offer the trainee less support, and thus the trainee can perform effective walking training.

With each aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a walking training system, a control method of the walking training system, and a non-transitory storage medium that enable a trainee to perform effective walking training by sending a notification to an assistant who excessively supports the trainee of that effect.

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote like elements, and wherein:.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described through embodiments, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Moreover, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are indispensable for solving the problem. In order to make the description clearer, the description and drawings hereinafter are omitted or simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference signs, and duplicate descriptions are omitted as necessary.

<FIG> is an overall conceptual view illustrating a configuration example of a walking training device according to a first embodiment. A walking training device <NUM> according to the present embodiment is a specific example of a rehabilitation support device that supports the rehabilitation of a trainee (user) <NUM>, and is particularly a specific example of a walking training device that supports walking training. The walking training device <NUM> is a device that enables the trainee <NUM>, who is a hemiplegic patient suffering from paralysis in one leg, to perform walking training according to guidance of a training staff member <NUM>. Here, the training staff member <NUM> can be, for example, a therapist (physiotherapist) or a doctor. In addition, since the training staff member <NUM> assists the training of the trainee by guidance, assistance, or the like, he or she can be referred to as a training instructor, a training assistant, a training helper, or the like. The walking training device <NUM> can also be called a walking training system. In the following description, a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a longitudinal direction are directions relative to the direction of the trainee <NUM>.

The walking training device <NUM> mainly includes a control panel <NUM> attached to a frame <NUM> forming a whole skeleton, a treadmill <NUM> on which the trainee <NUM> walks, and a walking assist device (a robot leg) <NUM> attached to an affected leg, which is the leg on the paralyzed side of the trainee <NUM>.

The treadmill <NUM> is a device that encourages the trainee <NUM> to walk, and the trainee <NUM> who performs walking training steps on a belt <NUM> and attempts a walking motion according to the movement of the belt <NUM>. The training staff member <NUM> can also stand on the belt <NUM> behind the trainee <NUM> and perform a walking motion together, as illustrated in <FIG>, for example. However, normally, it is preferable that the training staff member <NUM> be in a state where it is easy to assist the trainee <NUM>, such as standing while straddling the belt <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic side view of a part of the treadmill <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the treadmill <NUM> includes at least the belt <NUM> with a ring shape, a pulley <NUM>, and a motor (not shown). Further, a load distribution sensor <NUM> is installed radially inward of the belt <NUM> (a lower side of a surface of the belt <NUM>, which is the surface on which the trainee <NUM> steps) so as not to be interlocked with the belt <NUM>. However, the load distribution sensor <NUM> may be provided on the upper side of the belt <NUM> so as to be interlocked with the belt <NUM>. The load distribution sensor <NUM> is an example of a center-of-gravity position detection unit <NUM>. Other examples of the center-of-gravity position detection unit <NUM> will be described below.

The load distribution sensor <NUM> is composed of a plurality of sensors, and the sensors are arranged in a matrix under the belt <NUM> that supports the sole of the trainee <NUM>. By using the sensors, the load distribution sensor <NUM> can detect the magnitude and distribution of a surface pressure (a load) received from the sole of the trainee <NUM>. For example, the load distribution sensor <NUM> is a resistance-change-detection-type load detection sheet on which a plurality of electrodes is arranged in a matrix. From the detection result of the load distribution sensor <NUM>, it is possible to determine the walking state (whether each leg is in a standing state or a swinging state, and the like) of the trainee <NUM>. The details of a method of determining the walking state of the trainee <NUM> based on the detection result of the load distribution sensor <NUM> will be described below.

In the treadmill <NUM>, for example, an overall control unit <NUM>, which will be described below, determines the walking state of the trainee <NUM> based on the detection result of the load distribution sensor <NUM>, and rotates the pulley <NUM> using the motor (not shown) according to the walking state in such a manner that the belt <NUM> with a ring shape rotates (moves). As a result, the trainee <NUM> can perform walking training without sticking out from the belt <NUM>.

The frame <NUM> is erected on the treadmill <NUM> installed on the floor. The frame <NUM> supports the control panel <NUM> that accommodates the overall control unit <NUM> that controls motors and sensors, and a training monitor <NUM> that may be, for example, a liquid crystal panel that presents the progress state of training to the trainee <NUM>. Further, the frame <NUM> supports a front tension unit <NUM> near the front of the upper head of the trainee <NUM>, a harness tension unit <NUM> near the upper head, and a rear tension unit <NUM> near the rear of the upper head. In addition, the frame <NUM> includes handrails 130a for the trainee <NUM> to grab.

The handrails 130a are arranged on both the right and left sides of the trainee <NUM>. Each of the handrails 130a is arranged in a direction parallel to a walking direction of the trainee <NUM>. A vertical position and a horizontal position of the handrail 130a can be adjusted. That is, the handrails 130a can include mechanisms for changing their height and width. Further, the handrail 130a can be configured such that an inclination angle thereof can be changed by adjusting the height such that the heights on, for example, the front side and on the rear side in the walking direction differ from each other. For example, the handrail 130a can have an inclination angle at which the height gradually increases along the walking direction.

Further, the handrail 130a is provided with a handrail sensor <NUM> used for detecting a load received from the trainee <NUM>. For example, the handrail sensor <NUM> can be a resistance-change-detection-type load detection sheet on which the electrodes are arranged in a matrix. Further, the handrail sensor <NUM> can be a six-axis sensor in which a three-axis acceleration sensor (x, y, z) and a three-axis gyro sensor (roll, pitch, yaw) are combined. However, the type and an installation position of the handrail sensor <NUM> do not matter.

A camera <NUM> functions as an image capturing unit used for observing the whole body of the trainee <NUM>. The camera <NUM> is installed in the vicinity of the training monitor <NUM> so as to face the trainee <NUM>. The camera <NUM> captures still images and moving images of the trainee <NUM> who is training. The camera <NUM> includes a set of a lens and an image capturing element in which the angle of view is set so as to be able to capture an image of the whole body of the trainee <NUM>. The image capturing element may be, for example, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and converts an optical image formed on an image plane into an image signal. Here, by using a posture detection unit <NUM> described below, it is possible to extract information on the posture of the trainee <NUM> from the whole body image of the trainee <NUM> captured by the camera <NUM>.

By a coordinated operation of the front tension unit <NUM> and the rear tension unit <NUM>, the load of the walking assist device <NUM> is offset such that the load does not become a burden on the affected leg, and further, the swinging motion of the affected leg is assisted according to the degree of setting.

A first end of a front wire <NUM> is connected to a winding mechanism of the front tension unit <NUM>, and a second end thereof is connected to the walking assist device <NUM>. The winding mechanism of the front tension unit <NUM> winds and unwinds the front wire <NUM> according to the movement of the affected leg by turning a motor on and off (not shown). Similarly, a first end of a rear wire <NUM> is connected to a winding mechanism of the rear tension unit <NUM>, and a second end thereof is connected to the walking assist device <NUM>. The winding mechanism of the rear tension unit <NUM> winds and unwinds the rear wire <NUM> according to the movement of the affected leg by turning a motor on and off (not shown). By the coordinated operation of the front tension unit <NUM> and the rear tension unit <NUM>, the load of the walking assist device <NUM> is offset such that the load does not become a burden on the affected leg, and further, the swinging motion of the affected leg is assisted according to the degree of setting.

For example, as an operator, the training staff member <NUM> sets a high level of assistance for a trainee who is severely paralyzed. When the assist level is set to be high, the front tension unit <NUM> winds the front wire <NUM> with a relatively large force according to a swing time of the affected leg. As the training progresses and assistance is no longer needed, the training staff member <NUM> sets the assist level to the minimum. When the assist level is set to the minimum, the front tension unit <NUM> winds the front wire <NUM> with a force sufficient to cancel the weight of the walking assist device <NUM> according to the swing time of the affected leg.

The walking training device <NUM> further includes a fall prevention harness device composed of an orthotic device <NUM>, a harness wire <NUM>, and the harness tension unit <NUM>.

The orthotic device <NUM> is a belt wrapped around the abdomen of the trainee <NUM> and is fixed to the abdomen by, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener. The orthotic device <NUM> includes a connecting hook 110a used for connecting a first end of the harness wire <NUM> which is a suspending tool, and can also be referred to as a hanger belt. The trainee <NUM> wears the orthotic device <NUM> such that the connecting hook 110a is located on the back.

The first end of the harness wire <NUM> is connected to the connecting hook 110a of the orthotic device <NUM>, and a second end thereof is connected to a winding mechanism of the harness tension unit <NUM>. The winding mechanism of the harness tension unit <NUM> winds and unwinds the harness wire <NUM> by turning a motor on and off (not shown). With such a configuration, when the trainee <NUM> is about to fall, the fall prevention harness device winds the harness wire <NUM> according to an instruction of the overall control unit <NUM> that detects the movement, and supports the upper body of the trainee <NUM> by the orthotic device <NUM> to prevent the trainee <NUM> from falling.

The orthotic device <NUM> includes a posture sensor <NUM> used for detecting the posture of the trainee <NUM>. The posture sensor <NUM> may be, for example, a combination of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and outputs an inclination angle of the abdomen to which the orthotic device <NUM> is attached in a direction of gravity.

A management monitor <NUM> is a display input device mainly used for monitoring and operation by the training staff member <NUM>, and is attached to the frame <NUM>. The management monitor <NUM> may be, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and a touch panel is provided on the surface thereof. The management monitor <NUM> displays various menu items related to training settings, various parameter values at the time of training, training results, or the like. Further, an emergency stop button <NUM> is provided in the vicinity of the management monitor <NUM>. When the training staff member <NUM> presses the emergency stop button <NUM>, the walking training device <NUM> makes an emergency stop. Further, for example, a notification unit <NUM> is provided on the side of the training staff member <NUM>.

The walking assist device <NUM> is attached to the affected leg of the trainee <NUM> and assists the walking of the trainee <NUM> by reducing the load of extension and flexion at the knee joint of the affected leg. The walking assist device <NUM> transmits data on the leg movement obtained by walking training to the overall control unit <NUM>, and drives a joint portion according to an instruction from the overall control unit <NUM>. The walking assist device <NUM> can also be connected to a hip joint (a connecting member having a rotating portion) attached to the orthotic device <NUM>, which is a part of the fall prevention harness device, via a wire or the like.

<FIG> is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the walking assist device <NUM>. The walking assist device <NUM> mainly includes a control unit <NUM> and a plurality of frames that supports each part of the affected leg. The walking assist device <NUM> is also referred to as a robot leg.

The control unit <NUM> includes an auxiliary control unit <NUM> that controls the walking assist device <NUM>, and also includes a motor (not shown) that generates a driving force for assisting the extension and flexion movements of the knee joint. The frames that support parts of the affected leg include an upper thigh frame <NUM>, and a lower thigh frame <NUM> pivotably connected to the upper thigh frame <NUM>. In addition, the frames include a foot flat frame <NUM> pivotably connected to the lower thigh frame <NUM>, a front connecting frame <NUM> used for connecting the front wire <NUM>, and a rear connecting frame <NUM> used for connecting the rear wire <NUM>.

The upper thigh frame <NUM> and the lower thigh frame <NUM> pivot relative to each other around an illustrated hinge axis Ha. The motor of the control unit <NUM> rotates according to the instruction of the auxiliary control unit <NUM> to apply force to the upper thigh frame <NUM> and the lower thigh frame <NUM> to open or close relatively around the hinge axis Ha. An angle sensor <NUM> accommodated in the control unit <NUM> may be, for example, a rotary encoder, and detects the angle formed by the upper thigh frame <NUM> and the lower thigh frame <NUM> around the hinge axis Ha. The lower thigh frame <NUM> and the foot flat frame <NUM> pivot relative to each other around an illustrated hinge axis Hb. The angle range of relative pivoting is pre-adjusted by an adjusting mechanism <NUM>.

The front connecting frame <NUM> is provided so as to extend on the front side of the upper thigh in the right-left direction and connect to the upper thigh frame <NUM> at both ends. Further, the front connecting frame <NUM> is provided with the connecting hook 127a used for connecting the front wire <NUM> near the center in the right-left direction. The rear connecting frame <NUM> is provided so as to extend on the rear side of the lower thigh in the right-left direction and connect to the lower thigh frames <NUM> which extend up and down at both ends, respectively. Further, the rear connecting frame <NUM> is provided with the connecting hook 128a used for connecting the rear wire <NUM> near the center in the right-left direction.

The upper thigh frame <NUM> includes an upper thigh belt <NUM>. The upper thigh belt <NUM> is a belt integrally provided on the upper thigh frame, and is wrapped around the upper thigh of the affected leg to fix the upper thigh frame <NUM> to the upper thigh. This prevents the entire walking assist device <NUM> from shifting with respect to the leg of the trainee <NUM>.

Subsequently, a system configuration example of the walking training device <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating the system configuration example of the walking training device <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the system configuration of the walking training device <NUM> includes the overall control unit <NUM>, a treadmill drive unit <NUM>, an operation reception unit <NUM>, a display control unit <NUM>, a harness drive unit <NUM>, an image processing unit <NUM>, the posture sensor <NUM> which is an example of the posture detection unit <NUM>, the handrail sensor <NUM>, the load distribution sensor <NUM> which is an example of the center-of-gravity position detection unit <NUM>, a communication connection interface (IF) <NUM>, and the walking assist device <NUM>.

The overall control unit <NUM> may be, for example, a micro processing unit (MPU), and controls the entire device by executing a control program read from a system memory.

The treadmill drive unit <NUM> includes a motor used for rotating the belt <NUM> of the treadmill <NUM> and a drive circuit thereof. The overall control unit <NUM> executes rotation control of the belt <NUM> by sending a drive signal to the treadmill drive unit <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> adjusts the rotation speed of the belt <NUM> according to, for example, the walking speed set by the training staff member <NUM>. Alternatively, the overall control unit <NUM> adjusts the rotation speed of the belt <NUM> according to the walking state of the trainee <NUM> determined from the detection result of the load distribution sensor <NUM>.

The operation reception unit <NUM> receives an input operation by the training staff member <NUM> via an operation button provided on the device, the touch panel superimposed on the management monitor <NUM>, an attached remote controller, or the like. The operation signal received by the operation reception unit <NUM> is transmitted to the overall control unit <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> can give an instruction to switch the power on and off or give an instruction to start training based on the operation signal received by the operation reception unit <NUM>. In addition, it is possible to enter numerical values related to settings and select the menu items. The operation reception unit <NUM> is not limited to accepting the input operation of the training staff member <NUM>, and certainly can also accept the input operation of the trainee <NUM>.

The display control unit <NUM> receives the display signal from the overall control unit <NUM>, generates a display image, and displays it on the training monitor <NUM> or the management monitor <NUM>. The display control unit <NUM> generates an image showing the progress of training and a real-time image captured by the camera <NUM> according to the display signal.

A tension drive unit <NUM> includes a motor used for pulling the front wire <NUM> and a drive circuit thereof that are provided in the front tension unit <NUM>, and a motor used for pulling the rear wire <NUM> and a drive circuit thereof that are provided in the rear tension unit <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> controls the winding of the front wire <NUM> and the winding of the rear wire <NUM> by sending a drive signal to the tension drive unit <NUM>. Further, the overall control unit <NUM> controls the tensile force of each wire by controlling the drive torque of the motor, not limited to the winding operation. Further, the overall control unit <NUM> identifies, for example, a timing at which the affected leg switches from the standing state to the swinging state from the detection result of the load distribution sensor <NUM> and assists the swinging motion of the affected leg by increasing or decreasing the tensile force of each wire in synchronization with the timing.

The harness drive unit <NUM> includes a motor used for pulling the harness wire <NUM> and a drive circuit thereof that are provided in the harness tension unit <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> controls the winding of the harness wire <NUM> and the tensile force of the harness wire <NUM> by sending a drive signal to the harness drive unit <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> winds a certain amount of the harness wire <NUM> to prevent the trainee <NUM> from falling, for example, when it is predicted that the trainee <NUM> will fall.

The image processing unit <NUM> is connected to the camera <NUM> and can receive an image signal from the camera <NUM>. The image processing unit <NUM> receives the image signal from the camera <NUM> according to the instruction from the overall control unit <NUM>, and performs image processing on the received image signal to generate image data. Further, the image processing unit <NUM> can also perform the image processing on the image signal received from the camera <NUM> according to the instruction from the overall control unit <NUM> to perform a specific image analysis. For example, the image processing unit <NUM> detects a position (a standing position) of the foot of the affected leg in contact with the treadmill <NUM> by image analysis. Specifically, for example, the standing position is calculated by extracting an image region near a tip of the foot flat frame <NUM> and analyzing an identification marker drawn on the belt <NUM> overlapping the tip.

The posture sensor <NUM>, which is an example of the posture detection unit <NUM>, detects the inclination angle of the abdomen of the trainee <NUM> with respect to the gravity direction as described above, and transmits a detection signal to the overall control unit <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> calculates the posture of the trainee <NUM>, specifically, an inclination angle of the trunk, using the detection signal from the posture sensor <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> and the posture sensor <NUM> may be connected by wire or by near-field wireless communication.

The posture detection unit <NUM> is not limited to the posture sensor <NUM>, and may be composed of, for example, a camera (a second image capturing unit; for example, the camera <NUM>) that captures an image of the whole body of the trainee <NUM> on the belt <NUM> of the treadmill <NUM>, and a posture information extraction unit that extracts information on the posture of the trainee <NUM> from the images captured by the camera.

Alternatively, the posture detection unit <NUM> may be composed of an infrared sensor that detects the trainee <NUM> on the belt <NUM> of the treadmill <NUM>, and a posture information extraction unit that extracts information on the posture of the trainee <NUM> from the detection result by the infrared sensor.

The handrail sensor <NUM> detects a load applied to the handrail 130a. In other words, the load that the trainee <NUM> cannot support with his or her legs out of his or her own weight is applied to the handrail 130a. The handrail sensor <NUM> detects the load and sends a detection signal to the overall control unit <NUM>.

The load distribution sensor <NUM> detects the magnitude and distribution of the surface pressure (the load) received from the sole of the trainee <NUM> as described above, and transmits the detection signal to the overall control unit <NUM>. The overall control unit <NUM> receives the detection signal and analyzes it to determine the walking state and estimate the switching. Here, the load distribution sensor <NUM> can also detect a center-of-gravity position (an actual center-of-gravity position) CP of the trainee <NUM> from the load received from the sole of the trainee <NUM> as the center-of-gravity position detection unit <NUM>.

The center-of-gravity position detection unit <NUM> is not limited to the load distribution sensor <NUM>, and may be composed of, for example, a pair of load sensors respectively attached to the soles of the right and left legs of the trainee <NUM>, and a camera (a first image capturing unit; for example, the camera <NUM>) that captures the feet of the trainee <NUM> on the belt <NUM> of the treadmill <NUM>. In this case, the center-of-gravity position CP of the trainee <NUM> is detected based on the load detected by the pair of load sensors and the positions of the right leg and the left leg of the trainee <NUM> identified from the captured image of the camera.

The overall control unit <NUM> also serves as a function execution unit that executes control or various calculations associated with control. The overall control unit <NUM> includes, for example, a walking evaluation unit 210a, a training determination unit 210b, a walking state determination unit 210c, a center-of-gravity position estimation unit 210d, and a determination unit 210e. The center-of-gravity position estimation unit 210d and the determination unit 210e will be described below.

The walking evaluation unit 210a evaluates whether the walking motion of the trainee <NUM> is abnormal walking by using the data acquired from various sensors. The training determination unit 210b determines, for example, the training results of a series of walking training sessions based on the cumulative number of instances of abnormal walking evaluated by the walking evaluation unit 210a.

The method and criteria of determining the training results may be arbitrarily set. For example, the training results may be determined by comparing the amount of movement of the paralyzed body with the standard amount for each walking phase. The walking phase refers to phases of one walking cycle (one walk cycle) for the affected leg (or a healthy leg) which are classified into a standing phase in which the leg is in the standing state, a transition phase from the standing phase to the swinging phase in which the leg is in the swinging state, the swinging phase, a transition phase from the swinging phase to the standing phase, and the like. Which walking phase the leg is in can be classified (determined) from, for example, the detection result by the load distribution sensor <NUM>. As described above, the walking cycle consisting of the standing phase, the transition phase, the swinging phase, and the transition phase can be treated as one cycle, but it does not matter which phase is defined as the start phase. In addition, the walking cycle consisting of, for example, a both-leg supporting state, a single-leg (the affected leg) supporting state, a both-leg supporting state, and a single-leg (the healthy leg) supporting state can be treated as one cycle. In this case as well, it does not matter which state is defined as the start state.

In addition, the walking cycle focusing on the right leg or the left leg (the healthy leg or the affected leg) can be further subdivided. For example, the standing phase can be divided into and expressed as initial ground contact and four phases, and the swinging phase can be divided into and expressed as three phases. The initial ground contact refers to the moment when the observation foot touches the floor, and the four phases of the standing phase refer to a load response phase, a middle standing phase, a final standing phase, and a pre-swinging phase. The load response phase is a period from the initial ground contact to the moment when the foot on an opposite side leaves the floor (contralateral ground takeoff). The middle standing phase is a period from the contralateral ground takeoff to the moment when the heel of the observation foot moves away (heel takeoff). The final standing phase is a period from the heel takeoff to the initial ground contact on the opposite side. The pre-swinging phase is a period from the initial ground contact on the opposite side to the time when the observation foot leaves the floor (takeoff). The three phases of the swinging phase refer to an initial swinging phase, a middle swinging phase, and a final swinging phase. The initial swinging phase is a period from the end of a previous swinging phase (the ground takeoff described above) to the time when both feet cross (foot crossing). The middle swinging phase is a period from the foot crossing to the time when the cervical spine becomes vertical (a vertical state of cervical spine). The final swing phase is a period from the vertical state of the cervical spine to the next initial ground contact.

The walking state determination unit 210c determines the walking state of the trainee <NUM> based on the load distribution of each leg detected by the load distribution sensor <NUM>. For example, when the load that is received from a first leg of the trainee <NUM> and detected by the load distribution sensor <NUM> changes from a state where the load is lower than a first threshold value to a state where the load is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the walking state determination unit 210c determines that the state of the first leg has changed from the swinging state to the standing state. In addition, when the state changes from a state where the load is equal to or higher than a second threshold value (first threshold value > second threshold value) to a state where the load is lower than the second threshold value, the walking state determination unit 210c determines that the state of the first leg has changed from the standing state to the swinging state. Similarly, when the load that is received from a second leg of the trainee <NUM> and detected by the load distribution sensor <NUM> changes from a state where the load is lower than the first threshold value to a state where the load is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the walking state determination unit 210c determines that the state of the second leg has changed from the swinging state to the standing state. In addition, when the state changes from a state where the load is equal to or higher than the second threshold value (first threshold value > second threshold value) to a state where the load is lower than the second threshold value, the walking state determination unit 210c determines that the state of the second leg has changed from the standing state to the swinging state. The walking state determination unit 210c determines not only the walking state of the healthy leg but also the walking state of the affected leg equipped with the walking assist device <NUM>. In that case, the walking state determination unit 210c determines the walking state in consideration of the load of the walking assist device <NUM>. For example, the flexion and extension control of the affected leg is performed by the walking assist device <NUM> based on the determination result of the walking state determination unit 210c.

The communication connection IF <NUM> is an interface connected to the overall control unit <NUM>, and is an interface used for giving a command to the walking assist device <NUM> mounted on the affected leg of the trainee <NUM> and receiving sensor information.

The walking assist device <NUM> can include a communication connection IF <NUM> that is connected to the communication connection IF <NUM> in a wired or wireless manner. The communication connection IF <NUM> is connected to the auxiliary control unit <NUM> of the walking assist device <NUM>. The communication connection IFs <NUM>, <NUM> are communication interfaces, such as a wired LAN or a wireless LAN, according to a communication standard.

Further, the walking assist device <NUM> can include the auxiliary control unit <NUM>, a joint drive unit <NUM>, and the angle sensor <NUM>. The auxiliary control unit <NUM> may be, for example, an MPU, and controls the walking assist device <NUM> by executing a control program given by the overall control unit <NUM>. Further, the auxiliary control unit <NUM> notifies the overall control unit <NUM> of the state of the walking assist device <NUM> via the communication connection IFs <NUM>, <NUM>. Further, the auxiliary control unit <NUM> receives a command from the overall control unit <NUM> and executes control such as starting and stopping the walking assist device <NUM>.

The joint drive unit <NUM> includes a motor of the control unit <NUM> and a drive circuit thereof. The auxiliary control unit <NUM> applies force to the upper thigh frame <NUM> and the lower thigh frame <NUM> to open or close relatively around the hinge axis Ha by sending a drive signal to the joint drive unit <NUM>. Such movements assist the knee extension and flexion movements and prevent the knee from becoming fractured.

As described above, the angle sensor <NUM> detects the angle formed by the upper thigh frame <NUM> and the lower thigh frame <NUM> around the hinge axis Ha, and transmits the detection signal to the auxiliary control unit <NUM>. The auxiliary control unit <NUM> receives the detection signal and calculates the opening angle of the knee joint.

In the case where the trainee <NUM> is performing walking training with the support of the training staff member <NUM>, when the training staff member <NUM> excessively supports the trainee <NUM>, the trainee <NUM> cannot perform effective walking training when no further measures are taken.

Therefore, the walking training device <NUM> according to the present embodiment has a function of sending a notification to the training staff member <NUM> when the support of the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM>, who is an assistant, is excessive. As a result, the training staff member <NUM> who has received the notification can offer the trainee <NUM> less support, such that the trainee <NUM> can perform effective walking training.

Specifically, first, the center-of-gravity position estimation unit 210d estimates a center-of-gravity position CPx of the trainee <NUM> from the posture of the trainee <NUM> detected by the posture detection unit <NUM>, such as the posture sensor <NUM>. For example, the center-of-gravity position estimation unit 210d estimates the center-of-gravity position CPx of the trainee <NUM> by applying, for example, the weight and center of gravity of each part stored in a database to the posture of the trainee <NUM> detected by the posture detection unit <NUM>, such as the posture sensor <NUM>. In this case, the center-of-gravity position detection unit <NUM>, such as the load distribution sensor <NUM>, detects the actual center-of-gravity position CP of the trainee <NUM>.

Then, the determination unit 210e determines whether a difference (a deviation) between the actual center-of-gravity position CP detected by the center-of-gravity position detection unit <NUM> and the center-of-gravity position CPx estimated from the posture of the trainee <NUM> by the center-of-gravity position estimation unit 210d exceeds a predetermined value T1. When the determination unit 210e determines that the difference between the actual center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx estimated from the posture of the trainee <NUM> exceeds the predetermined value T1, the notification unit <NUM> notifies the training staff member <NUM> that the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is excessive.

<FIG> are diagrams used for illustrating the operation of the walking training device <NUM>. First, in the example of <FIG>, since the training staff member <NUM> does not support the trainee <NUM>, the difference between the actual center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx estimated from the posture of the trainee <NUM> is substantially zero. In this case, since the difference between the actual center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx estimated from the posture of the trainee <NUM> is equal to or lower than the predetermined value T1, the determination unit 210e determines that the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is not excessive. Therefore, the notification unit <NUM> does not send a notification.

When there is a deviation (an error value) between the center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx in a state where the training staff member <NUM> is not supporting the trainee <NUM>, the determination unit 210e may subtract the error value and determine whether the deviation between the center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx exceeds the predetermined value T1. Alternatively, the predetermined value T1 may be set to a value that offsets the deviation (the error value) between the center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx in the state where the training staff member <NUM> does not support the trainee <NUM>.

Next, in the example of <FIG>, the training staff member <NUM> supports the trainee <NUM> from the right side to the left. However, the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is not excessive, and thus the actual center-of-gravity position CP has a small deviation to the left. In this case, since the difference between the actual center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx estimated from the posture of the trainee <NUM> is equal to or lower than the predetermined value T1, the determination unit 210e determines that the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is not excessive. Therefore, the notification unit <NUM> does not send a notification.

Next, in the example of <FIG>, the training staff member <NUM> supports the trainee <NUM> from the right side to the left. However, the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is excessive, and thus the actual center-of-gravity position CP has a large deviation to the left. In this case, since the difference between the actual center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx estimated from the posture of the trainee <NUM> exceeds the predetermined value T1, the determination unit 210e determines that the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is excessive. Therefore, the notification unit <NUM> notifies the training staff member <NUM> that the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is excessive. As a result, the training staff member <NUM> who has received the notification can, for example, offer the trainee <NUM> less support, and thus the trainee <NUM> can perform effective walking training.

As described above, the walking training device <NUM> according to the present embodiment has a function of sending a notification to the training staff member <NUM> when the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is excessive. As a result, the training staff member <NUM> who has received the notification can, for example, offer the trainee <NUM> less support, such that the trainee <NUM> can perform effective walking training.

As described above, the predetermined value T1 may be set to a value that offsets the deviation (the error) between the center-of-gravity position CP and the center-of-gravity position CPx in the state where the training staff member <NUM> does not support the trainee <NUM>. Further, the predetermined value T1 may be adjusted in real time according to at least one of the walking speed of the trainee <NUM> and the motion speed of a predetermined part (an arm or the like) of the trainee <NUM>. For example, since the error of the center-of-gravity position CPx estimated from the posture of the trainee <NUM> tends to increase as the walking speed of the trainee <NUM> increases, the predetermined value T1 may be set to a high value. Also, since the error of the center-of-gravity position CPx tends to become smaller as the walking speed of the trainee <NUM> becomes slower, the predetermined value T1 may be set to a low value.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the notification unit <NUM> notifies the trainee <NUM> when the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is excessive is described as an example.

For example, when a predetermined abnormal movement of the trainee <NUM> is detected, such as when the trainee <NUM> is clearly about to fall, it is useless to determine whether the support for the trainee <NUM> by the training staff member <NUM> is excessive, and thus the notification unit <NUM> does not have to send a notification.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the trainee <NUM> is a hemiplegic patient suffering from paralysis in one leg is described as an example.

The trainee <NUM> may be, for example, a patient suffering from paralysis of both legs. In that case, the trainee <NUM> attaches the walking assist devices <NUM> to respective legs to perform the training. Alternatively, the trainee <NUM> does not have to be equipped with the walking assist device <NUM> on any of the legs.

Further, the present disclosure can be implemented by causing a central processing unit (CPU) to execute a computer program in part or all of the processing in the walking training device <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A walking training system comprising:
a treadmill (<NUM>);
a center-of-gravity position detection unit (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to detect a center-of-gravity position of a trainee from a load received from a sole of the trainee on a belt (<NUM>) of the treadmill (<NUM>);
a posture detection unit (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to detect a posture of the trainee;
a center-of-gravity position estimation unit (210d) configured to estimate the center-of-gravity position of the trainee from the detected posture of the trainee;
a determination unit (210e) configured to determine whether a difference between the detected center-of-gravity position (CP) and the estimated center-of-gravity position (CPx) exceeds a predetermined value (T1); and
a notification unit (<NUM>) configured to, when the determination unit (210e) determines that the difference exceeds the predetermined value (T1), send a notification notifying that the difference exceeds the predetermined value,
wherein the center-of-gravity position detection unit (<NUM>) is a load distribution sensor (<NUM>) that is installed under the belt (<NUM>) of the treadmill (<NUM>) such that the load distribution sensor (<NUM>) is not interlocked with the belt (<NUM>) and is configured to detect a distribution of the load received from the sole of the trainee on the belt (<NUM>) of the treadmill (<NUM>), and wherein:
the center-of-gravity position detection unit (<NUM>, <NUM>) includes:
a pair of load sensors configured to be attached to respective soles of a right leg and a left leg of the trainee; and
a first image capturing unit (<NUM>) configured to capture images of at least the right and left legs of the trainee; and
the center-of-gravity position detection unit (<NUM>, <NUM>) is configured to detect the center-of-gravity position of the trainee based on loads detected by the load sensors and respective positions of the right and left legs of the trainee identified from the images captured by the first image capturing unit (<NUM>).