INTERFACE APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING WHEELCHAIR AND WHEELCHAIR USING THE SAME

• US 20110168478A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Lin, Yang-Hua, KUO, CHUNG-HSIEN, Chiu, Kuo-Wei
• Application Number:
  US12/850,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20110168478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/315
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/84 Wheelchairs

Abstract

The present invention provides an interface apparatus for manipulating a wheelchair which is capable of controlling the translation/rotation of the wheelchair by means of a pair of sliding mechanisms. In addition, there is at least one physiological sensor being disposed on each sliding mechanism for detecting physiological status of a user sitting on the wheelchair so as to monitor the bio-status of the user via a closed bio-potential circuit. The pair of sliding mechanisms are disposed respectively on their corresponding arm rest of the wheelchair so that the user can manipulating the wheelchair by two hands grasping the corresponding sliding mechanism while the physiological sensor can detect the physiological status of the user. With the aforesaid apparatus and wheelchair, it not only can provide a directly operating way with human-factor concerns but can also monitor the physiological status of the user so as to improve the safety in manipulation.

Claims

1. An interface apparatus for manipulating a wheelchair, comprising:

a pair of two-way sliding mechanisms, each being configured with a base and a sliding sleeve in a manner that the sliding sleeve, having at least one physiological sensor disposed therein, is mounted on the base while enabling the same to slide in a first direction and a second direction, capable of using a closed bio-potential circuit formed by the use of the physiological sensors of the two two-way sliding mechanisms to detect a physiological status and thus generating a physiological status signal accordingly;

a pair of manipulation sensors, mounted respectively on the pair of two-way sliding mechanisms for detecting the sliding status of their corresponding sliding sleeve and thus generating a sliding status signal accordingly; and

a control unit, electrically connected to the pair of manipulation sensors and each physiological sensor, for processing the sliding status signal and the physiological status signal so as to correspondingly generate a power control signal and a bio signal accordingly.

2. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein each base is further comprised of:

an accommodation space;

a sliding block, slidably received inside the accommodation space while enabling the same to coupled with the corresponding sliding sleeve in a manner that the sliding is capable of being driven to perform a translation movement by the sliding of the sliding sleeve; and

a pair of elastic members, being disposed inside the accommodation space while being arranged respectively at the two side of the sliding block.

3. The interface apparatus of claim 2, wherein each manipulation sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of:

a force sensor being designed for detecting forces exerting on the pair of the elastic members so as to generate the sliding status signal accordingly;

an ultrasonic sensor being designed for detecting the position of its corresponding sliding sleeve so as to generate the sliding status signal accordingly; and

an optic sensor being designed for detecting the position of its corresponding sliding sleeve so as to generate the sliding status signal accordingly.

4. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further coupled to a power output unit as the power output unit is designed for output a power according to the power control signal received thereby.

5. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further coupled to a storage media, provided for receiving and storing the bio signal.

6. The interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further coupled to a wireless transmission unit in a manner that an alarm signal issued by the control unit is transmitted out by the wireless transmission unit as soon as an safety evaluation performed in the control unit according to the bio signal suggests that a safety threshold had been exceeded.

7. A wheelchair, comprising:

a seat, having two arm rests respectively disposed at the two sides thereof, being coupled to a wheel module as the wheel module is further connected to a power output module in a manner that the wheel module is powered by the power output module for driving the seat to move therewith;

a pair of two-way sliding mechanisms, disposed respectively on the two arm rests as each being configured with a base and a sliding sleeve in a manner that the sliding sleeve, having at least one physiological sensor disposed therein, is mounted on the base while enabling the same to slide in a first direction and a second direction, capable of using a closed bio-potential circuit formed by the use of the physiological sensors of the two two-way sliding mechanisms to detect a physiological status and thus generating a physiological status signal accordingly;

a pair of manipulation sensors, mounted respectively on the pair of two-way sliding mechanisms for detecting the sliding status of their corresponding sliding sleeve and thus generating a sliding status signal accordingly; and

a control unit, electrically connected to each physiological sensor, the pair of manipulation sensors and the power output module, for receiving and processing the sliding status signal and the physiological status signal so as to correspondingly generate a power control signal to the power output module and a bio signal accordingly.

8. The wheelchair of claim 7, wherein each base is further comprised of:

an accommodation space;

a sliding block, slidably received inside the accommodation space while enabling the same to coupled with the corresponding sliding sleeve in a manner that the sliding is capable of being driven to perform a translation movement by the sliding of the sliding sleeve; and

a pair of elastic members, being disposed inside the accommodation space while being arranged respectively at the two side of the sliding block.

9. The wheelchair of claim 8, wherein each manipulation sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of:

a force sensor being designed for detecting forces exerting on the pair of the elastic members so as to generate the sliding status signal accordingly;

an ultrasonic sensor being designed for detecting the position of its corresponding sliding sleeve so as to generate the sliding status signal accordingly; and

an optic sensor being designed for detecting the position of its corresponding sliding sleeve so as to generate the sliding status signal accordingly.

10. The wheelchair of claim 7, wherein the control unit is further coupled to a storage media, provided for receiving and storing the bio signal.

11. The wheelchair of claim 7, wherein the control unit is further coupled to a wireless transmission unit in a manner that an alarm signal issued by the control unit is transmitted out by the wireless transmission unit as soon as an safety evaluation performed in the control unit according to the bio signal suggests that a safety threshold had been exceeded.

12. The wheelchair of claim 7, wherein further comprising:

an alerting unit, electrically connected to the control unit, capable of issuing an alarm according to the alarm signal.

13. The wheelchair of claim 7, further comprising:

a display unit, electrically connected to the control unit, for displaying the bio signal.