Patent ID: 8042390

Claim:
An inertial device comprising: an inertial sensor, configured to generate at least one raw acceleration signal in response to accelerations caused by movements of walking and running of a user of the inertial device; and a processing unit, associated to said inertial sensor to count a number of steps of the user on the basis of said raw acceleration signal, said processing unit having: a conversion chain configured to extract a usable acceleration signal from said raw acceleration signal; and a detection circuit associated with said conversion chain configured to detect steps of the user on the basis of said usable acceleration signal and further configured to update said number of steps, said detection circuit having: a counter register, configured to store said number of steps; a first comparator, configured to compare said usable acceleration signal with a threshold value, the first comparator coupled to said counter register and configured to increment said number of steps in response to said usable acceleration signal exceeding said threshold value; and a selective-enabling circuit, configured to enable incrementing said number of steps when said usable acceleration signal is lower than said threshold value and further configured to disable the incrementing said number of steps for a pre-determined time interval after said usable acceleration signal has exceeded said threshold value; wherein said inertial sensor and said processing unit are both encapsulated within a single integrated circuit package, which can be coupled to a circuit board of an electronic appliance and including at least one connection terminal to make available said number of steps to the electronic appliance.