Automated Systems, Devices, and Methods for Transporting and Supporting Patients

• US 20140094990A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Malaska, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,220,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0275 having driven wheels, e.g. motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0281 having a steering device
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0287 having brakes, e.g. slowing down and/or holding details of brake actuators on castors B60B33/0078; brakes on hand carts B62B5/04; brakes in general F16D49/00 - F16D65/853
• 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 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0528 Steering or braking devices for castor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/08 Apparatus for transporting beds
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described for moving a patient to and from various locations, care units, etc., within a care facility. For example a transport and support vehicle includes a body structure including a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a surface structured and dimensioned to support an individual subject. A transport and support vehicle can include, for example, an imager operably coupled to one or more of a power source, a steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., and having one or more modules operable to control the power source, steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., so as to maintain an authorized operator in the image zone.

Claims

1-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A self-propelled operator-guided vehicle for transporting and supporting at least one individual subject, comprising:

an operator-authorization device including

a one or more image sensors for acquiring image information of a human operator within an operator-guide zone, and

a verification module for determining whether the human operator is an authorized operator based on the image information;

a bedframe structure including a surface configured to support an individual subject and a transport assembly having a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface a self-propelled operator-guided vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a steering assembly operable to vary a steering angle of at least one of the plurality of rotatable members;

a powertrain for driving one or more of the plurality of rotatable members; and

an operator-guided vehicle navigation controller operably coupled to at least one or more of the operator-authorization device, the steering assembly, and the powertrain, the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including a control command module operable to determine physical movement information from the image information and to map one or more physical movements of the authorized human operator within the operator-guide zone to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle based on the physical movement information.

62. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle for transporting and supporting the at least one individual subject of claim 56, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is operably coupled to at least one of the one or more image sensors and is configured to determine a travel route based on the one or more physical movements of the human operator within the operator-guide zone.

66. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle for transporting and supporting the at least one individual subject of claim 56, further comprising:

a virtual object generator operably coupled to the operator-guide vehicle navigation controller and configured to generate a virtual representation of at least one of a locality of the human operator within the operator-guide zone or a locality the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle within a physical space on a virtual display.

68. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle for transporting and supporting the at least one individual subject of claim 56, further comprising:

a virtual object generator operably coupled to the operator-guide vehicle navigation controller and configured to generate a virtual representation of the one or more navigation control commands on a virtual display.

73. The self-propelled operator-guided vehicle for transporting and supporting the at least one individual subject of claim 56, further comprising:

one or more sensors that image and track a movement of a least a portion of the human operator within the operator-guide zone.

57-61. -61. (canceled)

63-65. -65. (canceled)

67. (canceled)

69-72. -72. (canceled)

74-78. -78. (canceled)

79. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory signal-bearing medium bearing;

one or more instructions for acquiring physical movement image information of a human operator within an operator-guide zone;

one or more instructions for determining operator-guide verification information for the human operator within the operator-guide zone based on the physical movement image information; and

one or more instructions for mapping one or more physical movements of the human operator within the operator-guide zone to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling a self-propelled operator-guided bed.

82. The article of manufacture of claim 79, further comprising:

a non-transitory signal-bearing medium bearing;

one or more instructions for generating a virtual representation of the one or more physical movements on a virtual display.

86. The article of manufacture of claim 79, further comprising:

a non-transitory signal-bearing medium bearing;

one or more instructions for registering a physical location of the human operator within the operator-guide zone relative the self-propelled operator-guided bed, and generating registration information; and

one or more instructions for generating a virtual representation of at least one of a locality of the human operator within the operator-guide zone and a locality the self-propelled operator-guided bed within a physical space on a virtual display based on the registration information.

80-81. -81. (canceled)

83-85. -85. (canceled)

87. (canceled)

88. A self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system, comprising:

an operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including

one or more sensors operable to detect at least one human operator within an operator-guide zone associated with a self-propelled operator-guided hospital bed having

a bedframe structure including a surface configured to support an individual subject,

a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path,

a steering assembly operable to vary a steering angle of at least one of the plurality of rotatable members,

a power source, and

a motor for driving one or more of the plurality of rotatable members; and

an operator movement mapping module operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller and to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, and the motor;

the operator movement mapping module configured to

map one or more physical movements of the human operator within the operator-guide zone to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle, and

generate a control signal to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, and the motor to navigate the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle based on the one or more navigation control commands.

89. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is configured to detect the at least one human operator within an operator-guide zone located proximate the self-propelled hospital bed based on at least one measurand from the one or more sensors.

95. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller includes one or more transducers operable to detect an acoustic authorization signal from an identification device associated with the at least one human operator.

98. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is operably connected to a physical coupling member associated with the at least one human operator via an input-or-output port, the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including a verification module including circuitry operable to determine whether the physical coupling member associated with the at least one human corresponds to an authorized human operator.

104. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, further comprising:

a fail-safe control system that physically couples the self-propelled hospital bed to the at least one human operator, the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller operable to activate a fail-safe protocol during a fail-safe mode of operation.

108. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, further comprising:

a fail-safe control system having a connection assembly for coupling the operator-guided vehicle to a physical coupling member associated with the least one human operator, the fail-safe control system operable to activate a fail-safe protocol when the coupling to the physical coupling member is lost.

110. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, further comprising:

an audio-activated control module operable to receive an audio input and to correlate the audio input to at least one navigation control command for controlling at least one of propulsion, braking, and steering of the self-propelled hospital bed.

117. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, further comprising:

a speech recognition device including a speech control module configured to correlate speech input to at least one navigation control command for controlling at least one of propulsion, braking, and steering of the self-propelled hospital bed.

121. The self-propelled hospital bed navigation control system of claim 88, further comprising:

a collision avoidance system operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller and including one or more sensors operable to detect a travel path condition, the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller configured to generate a control signal to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, a braking mechanism, and the motor to navigate the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle based on one or more measurands outputs from the collision avoidance system.

90-94. -94. (canceled)

96-97. -97. (canceled)

99-103. -103. (canceled)

105-107. -107. (canceled)

109. (canceled)

111-116. -116. (canceled)

118-120. -120. (canceled)

122-128. -128. (canceled)

129. A self-propelled hospital bed, comprising:

an operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including an audio-activated control module operable to receive an audio input from an operator; and

a bedframe structure operably coupled to the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller, the bedframe structure including

a surface configured to support an individual subject,

a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the self-propelled hospital bed to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path,

a steering assembly operable to vary a steering angle of at least one of the plurality of rotatable members,

a power source, and

a motor for driving one or more of the plurality of rotatable members;

the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including an audio input mapping module including circuitry operable to correlate the audio input from the operator to at least one navigation control command for controlling at least one of propulsion, braking, and steering of the self-propelled hospital bed.

134. The self-propelled hospital bed of claim 129, wherein the plurality of rotatable members comprise a plurality of wheels, each wheel having an electric wheel hub motor, and wherein the operator-guided vehicle navigation controller is configured to vary an applied current to each electric wheel hub motor based on the operator-specific input.

138. The self-propelled hospital bed controller system of claim 129, wherein the audio-activated control module includes a speech recognition device configured to correlate speech input to at least one navigation control command for controlling at least one of propulsion, braking, and steering of the self-propelled hospital bed.

130-133. -133. (canceled)

135. A self-propelled hospital bed controller system, comprising:

an operator-guided vehicle navigation controller including an audio-activated control module having one or more transducers operable to receive an audio input from an operator; and

an audio input mapping module including circuitry operable to correlate the audio input from the operator to at least one navigation control command for controlling at least one of propulsion, braking, and steering of the self-propelled hospital bed.

136-137. -137. (canceled)

139. A self-propelled operator-guided vehicle for transporting and supporting at least one individual subject, comprising:

an operator-guide verification and navigation control device including one or more sensors operable to acquire at least one digital image of a human operator within an operator-guide zone;

a body structure operably coupled to the operator-guide verification and navigation controller, the body structure including a surface configured to support an individual subject, the body structure including at least three wheels and a steering assembly;

a power source operably coupled to one or more of the at least three wheels;

the operator-guide verification and navigation controller including circuitry operable to map one or more physical movements of the human operator within the operator-guide zone and imaged in the at least one digital image to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle.

140. (canceled)

141. A self-propelled operator-guided vehicle control system, comprising:

an operator-authorization device including one or more sensors that detect one or more physical movements of an human operator within the operator-guide zone; and

a self-propelled operator-guided vehicle navigation controller having a computing device and memory to provide a control signal to

map the one or more physical movements of the human operator within the operator-guide zone to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle, and

navigate a self-propelled operator-guided vehicle based on the one or more navigation control commands.

142. A self-propelled operator-guided vehicle for transporting and supporting at least one individual subject using real-time automatic image recognition, comprising:

a real-time object recognition device configured to;

identify groups of pixels indicative of one or more physical movements associated with an human operator within an operator-guide zone imaged in the at least one digital image;

generate one or more connected components of a graph representative of groups of pixels indicative of the one or more physical movements associated with the human operator imaged in the at least one digital image; and

correlate the one or more connected components of the graph to at least one input associated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled operator-guided vehicle.

143-189. -189. (canceled)