Method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic knee joint

1. A method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic knee joint of an orthosis or prosthesis, the orthosis or prosthesis including a lower leg component arranged distal of the knee joint, the method comprising:

providing at least one inertial sensor and a resistance device, the at least one inertial sensor being positioned on the lower leg component, and the resistance device having at least one actuator;

determining that an absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached a threshold value using a control device and sensor data provided to the control device during a gait cycle by only the at least one inertial sensor;

determining an angular velocity of the lower leg component using a control device and sensor data provided to the control device during the gait cycle by the at least one inertial sensor;

modifying a bending resistance of the orthotic or prosthetic knee joint with the resistance device during the gait cycle based on the absolute angle reaching the threshold value and the angular velocity; and

adjusting the threshold value of the absolute angle of the lower leg component to a value of the absolute angle of the lower leg component at an end of a standing phase of a patient.

2. A method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic device, the artificial orthotic or prosthetic device comprising:

a knee joint;

a lower leg component coupled to the knee joint, the lower leg component being positioned distal to the knee joint;

a resistance device including an actuator, the resistance device being configured to modify a bending resistance of the knee joint;

one or more inertial sensors configured to measure an absolute angle of the lower leg component; and

a control device in electronic communication with the one or more inertial sensors;

the method comprising;

determining that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached a threshold value using the control device and information provided to the control device during a gait cycle by only the one or more inertial sensors; and

modifying the bending resistance of the knee joint using the resistance device based upon the absolute angle of the lower leg component reaching the threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising:

determining that an angular velocity of the lower leg component is not zero using the control device and information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by the one or more inertial sensors; and

reducing the bending resistance of the knee joint based upon the angular velocity of the lower leg component not being zero.

4. The method of claim 2 comprising determining that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached the threshold value using the control device and information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by only the one or more inertial sensors positioned distal to the knee joint.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more inertial sensors include at least one of a two dimensional magnetic field sensor, a three dimensional magnetic field sensor, a two dimensional acceleration sensor, a three dimensional acceleration sensor, a one dimensional gyroscope, a two dimensional gyroscope, and a three dimensional gyroscope.

6. The method of claim 2 comprising determining that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached the threshold value using the control device and information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by at least two of the inertial sensors.

7. The method of claim 2 comprising adjusting the threshold value to a value of the absolute angle of the lower leg component at an end of a standing phase of a patient.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein modifying the bending resistance of the knee joint using the resistance device based upon the absolute angle of the lower leg component reaching the threshold value includes switching the bending resistance to one of two fixed values.

9. The method of claim 2 comprising:

determining, using the control device and information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by the one or more inertial sensors, that an angular velocity of the lower leg component has reached zero signifying a reversal of a movement direction of the lower leg component; and

modifying the bending resistance of the knee joint using the resistance device based upon the angular velocity of the lower leg component reaching zero signifying the reversal of the movement direction of the lower leg component.

10. The method of claim 2 comprising:

determining that an angular acceleration of the lower leg component has exceeded a threshold acceleration value using the control device and information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by the one or more inertial sensors; and

maintaining or increasing the bending resistance of the knee joint based upon the angular acceleration of the lower leg component exceeding the threshold acceleration value.

11. The method of claim 2 comprising determining that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached the threshold value using the control device and electronic signals provided to the control device during the gait cycle by only the one or more inertial sensors.

12. An artificial orthotic or prosthetic device comprising:

a knee joint;

a lower leg component coupled to the knee joint, the lower leg component being positioned distal to the knee joint;

a resistance device including an actuator, the resistance device being configured to modify a bending resistance of the knee joint;

one or more inertial sensors configured to measure an absolute angle of the lower leg component; and

a control device in electronic communication with the one or more inertial sensors;

wherein the control device is configured to determine that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached a threshold value using information provided to the control device during a gait cycle by only the one or more inertial sensors; and

wherein the control device is configured to modify the bending resistance of the knee joint using the resistance device based upon the absolute angle of the lower leg component reaching the threshold value.

13. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12

wherein the control device is configured to determine that an angular velocity of the lower leg component is not zero using information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by the one or more inertial sensors; and

wherein the control device is configured to reduce the bending resistance of the knee joint based upon the angular velocity of the lower leg component not being zero.

14. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12 wherein the control device is configured to determine that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached the threshold value using information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by only the one or more inertial sensors positioned distal to the knee joint.

15. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12 wherein the one or more inertial sensors include at least one of a two dimensional magnetic field sensor, a three dimensional magnetic field sensor, a two dimensional acceleration sensor, a three dimensional acceleration sensor, a one dimensional gyroscope, a two dimensional gyroscope, and a three dimensional gyroscope.

16. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12 wherein the control device is configured to determine that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached the threshold value using information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by at least two of the inertial sensors.

17. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12 wherein the threshold value is a value of the absolute angle of the lower leg component at an end of a standing phase of a patient.

18. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12 wherein the control device is configured to modify the bending resistance of the knee joint using the resistance device based upon the absolute angle of the lower leg component reaching the threshold value by switching the bending resistance to one of two fixed values.

19. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12

wherein the control device is configured to determine, using information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by the one or more inertial sensors, that an angular velocity of the lower leg component has reached zero signifying a reversal of a movement direction of the lower leg component; and

wherein the control device is configured to modify the bending resistance of the knee joint using the resistance device based upon the angular velocity of the lower leg component reaching zero signifying the reversal of the movement direction of the lower leg component.

20. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12

wherein the control device is configured to determine that an angular acceleration of the lower leg component has exceeded a threshold acceleration value using information provided to the control device during the gait cycle by the one or more inertial sensors; and

wherein the control device is configured to maintain or increase the bending resistance of the knee joint based upon the angular acceleration of the lower leg component exceeding the threshold acceleration value.

21. The artificial orthotic or prosthetic device of claim 12 wherein the control device is configured to determine that the absolute angle of the lower leg component has reached the threshold value using electronic signals provided to the control device during the gait cycle by only the one or more inertial sensors.