Automated systems, devices, and methods for transporting and supporting patients

• US 10,241,513 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Malaska, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Polito, Nicholas F
• Application Number:
  US14/815,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20150342806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0275 having driven wheels, e.g. motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0281 having a steering device
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0287 having brakes, e.g. slowing down and/or holding details of brake actuators on castors B60B33/0078; brakes on hand carts B62B5/04; brakes in general F16D49/00 - F16D65/853
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/04 motor-driven A61G5/06 takes precedence; motor-operated rests A61G5/12; for vehicles with handlebars, equipped with three or more wheels B62K5/003, B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0528 Steering or braking devices for castor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/08 Apparatus for transporting beds
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described for moving a patient to and from various locations, care units, etc., within a care facility. For example a transport and support vehicle includes a body structure including a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a surface structured and dimensioned to support an individual subject. A transport and support vehicle can include, for example, an imager operably coupled to one or more of a power source, a steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., and having one or more modules operable to control the power source, steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., so as to maintain an authorized operator in the image zone.

Claims

1. A self-propelled operator-guided bed, comprising:

an operator-authorization device having a communication interface to acquire operator-guide verification information from an identification device associated with an operator-guide, the operator-authorization device including one or more tracking sensors operable to track one or more locations of the identification device associated with the operator-guide;

a bedframe structure including a surface configured to support a patient;

a transport assembly operably coupled to the bedframe structure, the transport assembly having

a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the transport assembly to a travel path and to move the transport assembly along the travel path, and

a steering assembly operable to vary a steering angle or an orientation of at least one of the plurality of rotatable members;

a power source and a motor for driving one or more of the plurality of rotatable members; and

a navigation controller operably coupled to the operator-authorization device and the bedframe structure, the navigation controller including

circuitry operable to provide a first control signal to navigate the bedframe structure along a travel path based on the one or more locations of the identification device;

circuitry operable to provide a second control signal to navigate the bedframe structure to a target location based on one or more inputs indicative of a change in health status of the patient.

2. The self-propelled operator-guided bed of claim 1, wherein the operator-authorization device includes a negotiation module configured to initiate a discovery protocol that allows the operator-authorization device and the identification device associated with the operator-guide to identify each other and negotiate one or more pre-shared keys.

3. The self-propelled operator-guided bed of claim 1, wherein the operator-authorization device includes one or more memories having patient-specific route-to-destination information stored thereon.

4. The self-propelled operator-guided bed of claim 1, wherein the operator-authorization device is configured to acquire patient identification information.

5. The self-propelled operator-guided bed of claim 1, wherein the operator-authorization device is configured to acquire self-propelled operator-guided vehicle status information.

6. The self-propelled operator-guided bed of claim 1, wherein the operator-authorization device is configured to acquire patient identification information associated with the patient, and wherein the navigation controller includes circuitry operable to generate route-to-destination information based on the acquired patient identification information associated with the patient.

7. A self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system, comprising:

a self-propelled operator-guided vehicle including a bedframe structure having a surface configured to support a patient, the bedframe structure including a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a navigation system configured to vary one or more of propulsion, braking, or steering angle of at least one of the plurality of rotatable members;

an operator-authorization device operably coupled to the bedframe structure and having

one or more sensors operable to detect an operator-guide identification device associated with an operator-guide, and

a communication interface configured to acquire operator-guide verification information from the operator-guide identification device; and

a navigation controller operably coupled to the operator-authorization device and the bedframe structure, the navigation controller including circuitry operable to provide a control signal to navigate the bedframe structure to a target location based on one or more inputs indicative of a change in health status of the patient,

the operator-authorization device configured to

acquire information indicative of at least one of an operator-guide authorization status, an operator-guide identity, and an operator-guide reference physical movement information; and

generate one or more control commands for causing the bedframe structure to maintain the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle at a target separation from the authorized operator-guide identification device based on the at least one of the operator-guide authorization status, the operator-guide identity, and the operator-guide reference physical movement information.

8. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the operator-authorization device is configured to acquire navigation plan information from the operator-guide identification device and to cause the generation of the one or more control commands for causing the bedframe structure to maintain the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle at the target separation from the authorized operator-guide identification device based on the navigation plan information.

9. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the operator-authorization device includes a navigation module operably coupled to the one or more sensors and is configured to detect a location of the operator-guide identification device associated with the operator-guide.

10. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the operator-authorization device include a navigation module operably coupled to the one or more sensors and is configured to determine a location of the operator-guide identification device relative to the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle.

11. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the operator-authorization device includes a navigation module operably coupled to the one or more sensors and is configured to generate one or more control commands for maintaining a velocity difference between the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle and the operator-guide identification device within a target range.

12. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the operator-authorization device is configured to generate route-to-destination information responsive to a displacement of the operator-guide identification device relative to the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle.

13. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the operator-authorization device is configured to generate one or more control commands for controlling one or more of propulsion, braking, or steering responsive to movement of the operator-guide identification device.

14. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the operator-authorization device is configured to generate one or more control commands for controlling one or more of propulsion, braking, or steering responsive to movement of the operator-guide identification device responsive to a communication loss between the operator-guide identification device and the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle.