Methods and devices of multi-functional operating system for care-taking machine

• US 20060149167A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tu, Mao-Feng, Yeh, Syh-Shiuh, Sun, Chin-Chu
• Granted Patent: US 7,520,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0261 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to the methods and devices of a multi-functional operating interface for a care-taking machine. The idea of the invention is to use a plurality of strain gauges to detect the changes that occur on the body of a care-taking machine user and, with such data gathered, establish a set of potential images from which related characteristics can be obtained and compared, via some image processing techniques, with a characteristics database so that corresponding commands can be given as a way of operating and controlling said care-taking machine. The multi-functional operating interface of the care-taking machine as disclosed by the present invention comprises such units as: muscle stretch sensor, multiplexer amplifying wave filter, analog-to-digital signal converter, image processing unit, and muscle pattern database and control bus. Aided by the present invention'"'"'s muscle template training method and potential image data collecting and processing method, it can become an interface that offers the user of a care-taking machine instantaneous and unlimited controllability of the machine, enabling such people, either sick or handicapped, to enjoy more convenience and better life.

Claims

1. A multi-functional care-taking machine interface that provides the user with instant controllability and high degree of freedom of operation, wherein the interface comprises:

a muscle stretch sensor, to be used to detect the deformation of any movable parts of the body, by which to generate corresponding electric signals;

a multiplexer amplifying filter, to be used to amplify and filter the electric signals detected by said muscle stretch sensor and output analog signals;

an analog-to-digital converter, to be used to convert the analog signals outputted by said multiplex amplifying filter into digital electric signals;

an image processing unit, to be used to arrange and convert said digital electric signal into gray level potential images, process the images and highlights their characteristics;

a muscle template database, to be used to store said highlighted characteristics, pass them to said image processing unit for further tallying so that corresponding commands can be given; and

a control bus, to be used to receive said commands, pass them to related interfaces, signal converting units, or other control units, in order to control a particular equipment.

2. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control bus is connected to software interfaces, internet transceivers, digital-to-analog converters, analog controllers, or digital controllers.

3. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said muscle stretch sensor further comprises:

a sub-layer, made of a resilient material, and can be attached to any moveable parts of the user;

an attachment layer, which can be attached to the surface of said sub-layer;

at least one strain gauge, attached on top of said attachment layer;

a stimulation source, which provides stimulations for said strain gauges;

a signal bus, which transmit said electric signals detected by the said strain gauge to related components;

a plurality of cables, which connect said strain gauges with said stimulation source and said signal bus; and

a cover layer, which covers said attachment layer, said strain gauge, said stimulation source, said signal bus, and said cables to prevent them from contamination and damage.

wherein said movements on said moveable parts of a user can be detected by the deformation of said strain gauges.

4. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 3, wherein the number and arrangement of strain gauges can be adjusted according to needs for convenience and freedom of control.

5. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said multiplexer amplifying filter further comprises:

a stimulation (bridge) circuit, used to provide stable stimulation source for said muscle stretch sensor;

a detecting and amplifying circuit, used to convert mechanical strains into electric signals and amplify said electric potential signals;

a multiplex circuit, used to activate scanning; and

an analog multiplexer and de-multiplexer circuit, used to receive commands from the multiplex circuit to activate scanning.

6. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bridge stimulation circuit further comprises:

at least a rectifier diode, at least a precision operational amplifier, and at least a high output current outputting operational amplifier.

7. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein said analog multiplexer and de-multiplexer circuit or said multiplexer address circuit further comprises an analog multiplexer and de-multiplexer.

8. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein said detecting and amplifying circuit further comprises:

a quarter bridge circuit, which further comprises at least a strain gauge and at least a variable resistance to convert mechanical strains into electric signals;

an detect amplifying circuit, which further comprises an detect amplifiers whose function is to do initial amplification of signals detected; and

an operational Amplifier circuit, which further comprises an operational Amplifiers whose function is to re-amplify signals detected.

9. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein the stimulation source produced by said bridge stimulation circuit can be used by more than one detecting and amplifying circuit.

10. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein said plurality of detecting and amplifying circuit can be utilized in parallel.

11. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outputs of more than one said operational amplifier circuit are transmitted to the analog multiplexer and de-multiplexer circuit to wait for commands from the multiplexer address circuit to conduct scanning.

14. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image processing steps of said image processing unit further comprises:

forming digitized electric signals—

signals detected processed by said multi-task amplifying filter and said analog-to-digital converter to become digitized electric signals;

constructing potential images—

image processing unit received digital electric signals and convert them into grey scale pixel signals to form specific potential images;

pre-processing said images—

characteristics of said potential images are highlighted to identify iso-potential lines and iso-potential points;

grouping said images—

after the characteristics were highlighted, said potential images are grouped, according to their characteristics, and tallied with those in the muscle template database;

generating movement commands—

after said images are grouped and tallied with said muscle template database, movement commands are given to said control bus to conduct various controls of said care-taking machine; and

obtaining the next step—

after the above control cycle is completed, the next step goes back to said potential image construction step and starts the next control cycle.

18. The multi-functional care-taking machine interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said muscle template database is generated by a muscle template training method, which further comprises the following steps:

defining specific muscle movements and control commands—

which requires the trainer communicating with the trainee to define what characteristics of muscle pattern represent what specific control command and then instructing stimulations to the user as to how to stimulate/produce said muscle movements as defined above; and

generating muscle template data—

specific muscle movements generate electric signals through said muscle stretch sensor;

said electric signals are then processed by an image processing unit to highlight the characteristics of such signals;

said image processing unit then produce a set of electric signals with such characteristics which, together with the corresponding commands of said movements, are then stored in said muscle template database.

12. A method for constructing and processing potential images, used to process, analyze, and identify the electric signals detected by detecting devices;

said construction and processing method further comprises the following steps;

forming digitized electric signals—

signals detected processed by said multi-task amplifying filter and said analog-to-digital converter to become digitized electric signals;

constructing potential images—

image processing unit received digital electric signals and convert them into grey scale pixel signals to form specific potential images;

pre-processing said images—

characteristics of said potential images are highlighted to identify iso-potential lines and iso-potential points;

grouping said images—

after the characteristics were highlighted, said potential images are grouped, according to their characteristics, and tallied with those in the muscle template database;

generating movement commands—

after said images are grouped and tallied with said muscle template database, movement commands are given to said control bus to conduct various controls of said care-taking machine; and

obtaining the next step—

after the above control cycle is completed, the next step goes back to said potential image construction step and starts the next control cycle.

13. A method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step of constructing potential images is done by normalizing the irregularly or regularly shaped electric voltage signals into 256 categories and then re-arranging them in grey scaled dot matrix images.

15. The method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 12, wherein said method for constructing and processing potential images is used to process, analyze, and identify massive and highly complicated electrical-potential signal, and/or to control equipment related thereto.

16. The method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 15, wherein said method for constructing and processing potential images is used to process, analyze, and identify the signals of multi-channel EEGs, and/or to control equipment related thereto.

17. The method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 15, wherein said method for constructing and processing potential images is used to process, analyze, and identify the signals of multi-channel EMGs, and/or to control equipment related thereto.

19. A method for multi-functional control interface for care-taking machine, which is used to construct an interface that provides the user with high degree of freedom and instant controllability that the user can use any movable parts of the body to exert highly free control of an equipment, comprising the following steps:

detecting operation movements—

detect the movements on the movable parts of the user'"'"'s body and generate corresponding electric signals;

amplifying and filtering electric signals detected by the above step and then output analog signals;

converting said analog signals into digital electric signals;

processing images—

arranging and converting said digital electric signal generated by said A/D converting step into gray level potential images, and processing said potential images and grouping them according to characteristics highlighted;

outputting control commands—

a muscle template database provides a set of characteristics for tallying with those highlighted in the above step;

after that, said muscle template database presents a corresponding commands; and

transmitting control commands—

a control bus receives the commands outputted in the above step and transmit said commands to related interface, signal converter, or control unit so as to control a specific equipment.

20. The method for multi-functional control interface for care-taking machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said control movement detecting step is performed via that a muscle stretch sensor detects deformations produced by the movable parts of the body and generates corresponding electric signals.