Rate-of-change switches and controllable apparatus

• US 20010048291A1
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellipro LLC
• Original Assignee: Intellipro LLC
• Inventors: Lautzenhiser, John L., Lautzenhiser, Lloyd L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,502,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/234
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/18 by patient's head, eyes, facial muscles or voice
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• 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 5/127 for lower legs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/34 Wheel chairs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/42 for obtaining a characteristic which is both proportional and time-dependent, e.g. P. I., P. I. D.
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Rate-of-change switches (63 and 154) each include a mechanical-to-electrical transducer (38A, 38B, or 39) and a rate-of-change control device (22, 110, 120, 130, 132, 140, or 146). The rate-of-change control devices (22, 110, 120, 130, 132, 140, and 146) each include a differentiator (40A, 40B, 112, or 156), and a discriminator (42, 114, 134, 160, or 162). The rate-of-change switches (63 and 154) perform at least one switching function when an output from the differentiator (40A, 40B, 112, or 156) or a second differentiator (158) exceeds an allowable magnitude. The rate-of-change switches (63 and 154) may be used to control a timed-opportunity switch (26 or 172), a conveyance, such as a wheelchair (12), and such functions as extending and retracting leg supports, and/or an environmental control unit (14 or 174). The rate-of-change switches (63 or 154) may be attached to a body member (18, 64, or 67) and be body-member actuated. Alternately, any momentary-contact switch may be used to control the timed-opportunity switch (26 or 172) and the environmental control unit (14 or 174)

Claims

1. A rate-of-change switch which comprises:

a transducer that produces an output in response to an input;

a differentiator being operatively connected to said output; and

means, being operatively connected to said differentiator, for performing a first switching function.

2. A rate-of-change switch as claimed in

claim 1

in which said transducer comprises a transducer that produces an output that is proportional to said input.

3. A rate-of-change switch as claimed in

claim 1

in which said transducer comprises a transducer that produces an output that is proportional to a tilting input.

4. A rate-of-change switch which comprises:

a transducer that produces an output in response to an input;

a first differentiator being operatively connected to said output;

a second differentiator being operatively connected to said first differentiator; and

means, being operatively connected to said second differentiator, for performing a first switching function.

5. A rate-of-change switch as claimed in

claim 4

which further comprises means, being operatively connected to said first differentiator, for performing a second switching function.

6. A rate-of-change control device which comprises:

an input terminal;

a differentiator being operatively connected to said input terminal; and

means, being operatively connected to said differentiator, for performing a first switching function.

7. A rate-of-change control device which comprises:

an input terminal;

a first differentiator being operatively connected to said input terminal;

a second differentiator being operatively connected to said first differentiator; and

means, being operatively connected to said second differentiator, for performing a first switching function.

8. A rate-of-change control device as claimed in

claim 7

which said device further comprises means, being operatively connected to said first differentiator, for performing a second switching function.

9. A method which comprises:

a) producing an output in response to a manual input;

b) differentiating said output with respect to time; and

c) performing a first switching function in response to said differentiated output.

10. A method as claimed in

claim 9

in which said producing step comprises:

a) attaching a transducer to a person; and

b) body-member actuating said transducer.

11. A method as claimed in

claim 9

in which:

a) said method further comprises differentiating said output a second time;

b) said performing step comprises performing said first switching function in response to said second differentiated output.

12. A method as claimed in

claim 9

in which:

a) said differentiating step comprises differentiating said output twice with respect to time; and

b) said method further comprises performing a second switching function in response to said twice differentiated output.

13. A method as claimed in

claim 9

in which said method further comprises:

a) performing said first switching function when said output is increasing; and

b) performing a second switching function when said output is decreasing.

14. A method as claimed in

claim 9

in which said method further comprises:

a) performing a second switching function; and

b) producing a logic output as a function of both of said switching functions.

15. A method which comprises:

a) attaching a tilt-sensitive transducer to a person;

b) body-member tilting said transducer;

c) producing a first output proportional to said body-member tilting;

d) differentiating said first output with respect to time; and

e) performing a first switching function in response to said differentiated first output.

16. A method as claimed in

claim 15

in which said method further comprises:

a) attaching a second tilt-sensitive transducer to said person;

b) body-member tilting said second tilt-sensitive transducer;

c) producing a second output proportional to said body-member tilting of said second tilt-sensitive transducer;

d) differentiating said second output with respect to time; and

e) performing said first switching function as a logic combination of said first and second differentiated outputs.

17. A method for initiating operation of a first electrical device which comprises:

a) initiating a sequential plurality of time delays in which one is a window of opportunity;

a) refraining from momentary-contact switching during a first time delay that follows said initiating step;

b) momentary-contact switching within said window of opportunity that follows said first time delay; and

c) refraining from momentary-contact switching during a second time delay that follows said window of opportunity.

18. A method as claimed in

claim 17

in which said momentary-contact switching step comprises:

a) manually-actuating a transducer;

b) producing an output in response to said manual-actuating step;

c) differentiating said output with respect to time;

d) performing said momentary-contact switching step as a function of said differentiated output.

19. A method as claimed in

claim 17

in which said method further comprises:

a) momentary-contact switching during said second time delay;

b) initiating operation of a second electrical device in response to said momentary-contact switching during said second time delay.

20. A method as claimed in

claim 17

in which:

a) said method further comprises initiating operation of a second electrical device in response to momentary-contact switching during said second time delay; and

b) one of said momentary-contact switching steps comprises manually producing an output, and differentiating said output with respect to time.

21. A method for controlling selected ones of a plurality of electrically-powered functions comprises:

a) providing an opportunity for selection from said electrically-powered functions;

b) selecting one of said electrically-powered functions;

c) controlling said one electrically-powered function; and

d) returning to said providing step.

22. A method as claimed in

claim 21

in which said method further comprises:

a) manually-actuating a transducer;

b) producing an output in response to said manual-actuating step;

c) differentiating said output with respect to time; and

d) performing said controlling step as a function of said differentiated output.

23. A method as claimed in

claim 21

in which said providing step comprises:

a) initiating a sequential plurality of time delays in which a second one is a window of opportunity;

b) momentary-contact switching within said window of opportunity; and

c) refraining from said momentary-contact switching step except in said window of opportunity.

24. A method as claimed in

claim 21

in which said selecting step comprises:

a) manually producing an output; and

b) differentiating said output with respect to time.

25. Apparatus which comprises:

an electrically-powered conveyance;

an environmental control unit that includes a plurality of accessible control functions;

a momentary-contact switch; and

means for selectively controlling said conveyance or said environmental control unit by said momentary-contact switch.

26. Apparatus as claimed in

claim 25

in which said momentary-contact switch comprises a differentiator.

27. Apparatus as claimed in

claim 25

in which:

control of both speed and steering of said conveyance are accomplished by selectively tilting X- and Y-axis transducers; and

said momentary-contact switch comprises one of said transducers and a differentiator.

28. An electrically-powered conveyance having a wheel and an electric motor that is drivingly connected to said wheel, the improvement which comprises:

a transducer that produces an output that is proportional to an input;

means for controlling speeds of said electrically-powered conveyance proportional to said output;

a differentiator being operatively connected to said transducer; and

means, being operatively connected to said differentiator, for shutting down said conveyance whenever said differentiator produces a signal that exceeds an allowable magnitude.

29. Apparatus as claimed in

claim 28

in which:

said conveyance includes a second wheel and a second electric motor that is drivingly connected to said second wheel;

said means for controlling said conveyance comprises means for differential speed control of said wheels;

said transducer comprises a tilt axis transducer;

said differential control of said speed of said wheels comprises a second tilt axis transducer, and means for attaching said tilt axis transducers to a person; and

said means for shutting down said conveyance comprises means for shutting down said conveyance whenever a differentiated output from either of said tilt axis transducers exceeds an allowable magnitude.

30. Apparatus as claimed in

claim 28

in which said differentiator produces both first and second differentials with respect to time;

and

said means for shutting down said conveyance whenever said differentiator produces said signal that exceeds said allowable magnitude comprises means for shutting down said wheelchair whenever said second differential exceeds said allowable magnitude.