Wheelchair safety systems and related methods

• US 10,660,806 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2020
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2020
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blanche Michelle Nelson-Herron
• Original Assignee: Blanche Michelle Nelson-Herron
• Inventors: Nelson-Herron, Blanche Michelle, Justice, Gary B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie B
• Application Number:
  US16/743,506
• Time in Patent Office: 132 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6894 Wheel chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/70 with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A wheelchair system includes one or more servers. A software application is provided by the server(s) to be installed on a computing device (such as a mobile phone) communicatively coupled with the server(s) through a telecommunications network. One or more user interfaces displayed on the computing device, using the software application, include a traffic navigation selector configured to receive a user selection indicating that a wheelchair operator is preparing to cross a street. In response to a selection of the traffic navigation selector the software application may: determine whether vehicles are nearby; notify the wheelchair operator when to cross the street; notify the wheelchair operator how much time is left to cross the street; visually record the wheelchair operator crossing the street; and determine, based on receipt of sensory input from computing device sensors and wheelchair sensors, whether an accident has occurred and, if so, notify emergency personal and family/friends.

Claims

1. A wheelchair system, comprising:

one or more servers;

a software application provided by the one or more servers to be installed on a computing device communicatively coupled with the one or more servers through a telecommunications network; and

one or more user interfaces displayed on the computing device using the software application, the one or more user interfaces displaying a traffic navigation selector configured to receive a selection indicating that a wheelchair operator is preparing to cross a street;

wherein the software application is configured to;

receive an input from one or more sensors of the computing device (hereinafter “

computing device sensors”

);

determine, at least partly in response to receiving the input from the one or more computing device sensors, whether the wheelchair operator has been involved in an accident; and

in response to determining that the wheelchair operator has been involved in the accident, automatically initiate sending of an accident notification to emergency personnel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing device sensors comprise a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is configured to determine, at least partly in response to receiving an input from one or more sensors coupled with a wheelchair (hereinafter “

wheelchair sensors”

), whether the wheelchair operator has been involved in the accident.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein one of the one or more wheelchair sensors is configured to sense a weight.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein one of the one or more wheelchair sensors is configured to sense motion of the wheelchair.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the software application is configured to determine that the accident has occurred by determining that:

the one or more wheelchair sensors have indicated that the wheelchair is not in motion;

the one or more wheelchair sensors have indicated that a weight has dropped below a predetermined threshold, and;

the one or more computing device sensors have indicated a change in sensed values beyond a predetermined threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is configured to, in response to the selection of the traffic navigation selector, provide a notification of an amount of time left to cross the street.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is configured to, in response to the selection of the traffic navigation selector, initiate visual recording of the wheelchair operator crossing the street using a camera communicatively coupled with the computing device through the telecommunications network.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more data stores communicatively coupled with the one or more servers, wherein the one or more user interfaces comprise an interface for initiating storing, in the one or more data stores, contact information of a contact person, and wherein the software application is configured to, in response to determining that the wheelchair operator has been involved in the accident, automatically send an accident notification to the contact person.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is configured to, in response to the selection of the traffic navigation selector, automatically initiate sending of one or more first signals, wherein the software application is configured to determine that one or more vehicles are within a predetermined area by receiving one or more return signals responsive to the one or more first signals, wherein the software application is configured to determine no vehicles are within the predetermined area by receiving no signals responsive to the one or more first signals within a predetermined amount of time, and wherein the software application is configured to notify the wheelchair operator, only after the software application has determined whether one or more vehicles are within the predetermined area, to proceed crossing the street.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is configured to initiate, in response to the selection of the of the traffic navigation selector, receiving the input from the one or more computing device sensors.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is configured to stop receiving the input from the one or more computing device sensors when the wheelchair operator reaches a predetermined distance from a communication node.

13. A wheelchair system, comprising:

one or more servers;

a software application provided by the one or more servers to be installed on a computing device communicatively coupled with the one or more servers through a telecommunications network; and

one or more user interfaces displayed on the computing device using the software application, the one or more user interfaces displaying a traffic navigation selector configured to receive a selection indicating that a wheelchair operator is preparing to cross a street;

wherein the software application is configured to, in response to the selection of the traffic navigation selector, automatically initiate sending of one or more first signals;

wherein the software application is configured to determine that one or more vehicles are within a predetermined area by receiving one or more return signals responsive to the one or more first signals;

wherein the software application is configured to determine that no vehicles are within the predetermined area by receiving no signals responsive to the one or more first signals within a predetermined amount of time; and

wherein the software application is configured to notify the wheelchair operator, only after the software application has determined whether one or more vehicles are within the predetermined area, to proceed crossing the street.

14. A method of use of a wheelchair system, comprising:

providing one or more servers;

providing a software application, using the one or more servers, to be installed on a computing device communicatively coupled with the one or more servers through a telecommunications network;

displaying one or more user interfaces on the computing device using the software application, wherein one of the one or more user interfaces comprises a traffic navigation selector;

receiving a selection of the traffic navigation selector using the one or more user interfaces, the selection of the traffic navigation selector indicating that a wheelchair operator is preparing to cross a street;

receiving an input, using the software application, from one or more sensors of the computing device (hereinafter “

computing device sensors”

);

receiving an input, using the software application, from one or more sensors coupled with a wheelchair (hereinafter “

wheelchair sensors”

);

determining, using the software application, at least partly in response to receiving the input from the one or more computing device sensors and the input from the one or more wheelchair sensors, whether the wheelchair operator has been involved in an accident; and

in response to determining that the wheelchair operator has been involved in the accident, automatically initiating sending of an accident notification to emergency personnel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the input from the one or more computing device sensors and the one or more wheelchair sensors comprises one or more of:

global positioning system (GPS) sensor data;

accelerometer sensor data;

gyroscope sensor data;

weight data; and

wheelchair motion data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining, using the software application, that the accident has occurred by determining that:

the one or more wheelchair sensors have indicated that the wheelchair is not in motion;

the one or more wheelchair sensors have indicated that a weight has dropped below a predetermined threshold, and;

the one or more computing device sensors have indicated a change in sensed values beyond a predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing, using the software application, in response to the selection of the traffic navigation selector, a notification of an amount of time left to cross the street.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, using the software application, in response to the selection of the traffic navigation selector, initiating visual recording of the wheelchair operator crossing the street using a camera communicatively coupled with the computing device through the telecommunications network.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising communicatively coupling one or more data stores with the one or more servers, wherein the one or more user interfaces comprise an interface for initiating storing in the one or more data stores contact information of a contact person, and wherein the method includes automatically sending an accident notification to the contact person, using the software application, in response to determining that the wheelchair operator has been involved in the accident.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining, using the software application, whether one or more vehicles are within a predetermined area based on whether one or more return signals have been received in response to one or more first signals, wherein the method further comprises notifying the wheelchair operator, using the software application, only after determining whether one or more vehicles are within the predetermined area, to proceed crossing the street.