METHODS AND DEVICES OF MULTI-FUNCTIONAL OPERATING SYSTEM FOR CARE-TAKING MACHINE

• US 20090177109A1
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• 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 7,963,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/546
• 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 methods and devices of a multi-functional operating interface for a care-taking machine. The multi-functional operating interface of the care-taking machine includes: 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 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 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.

2. A method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 1, 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.

3. 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.

4. The method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 1, 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.

5. The method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 4, 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.

6. The method for constructing and processing potential images as claimed in claim 4, 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.

7. 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.