Electricaly operable wheelchair having a controller responsive to different types of inputs
First Claim
1. An electrically operable wheelchair comprising:
- a wheelchair framework having wheels and structure for supporting a user;
an electrically operable motor coupled with one of said wheels;
control means coupled with said motor for controlling the operation thereof and thereby the movements of said wheelchair in accordance with input signals received from a source thereof; and
an input device selected from a plurality of different types of user-operable input devices including means for coupling with said control means and operable for providing said input signals thereto, said different types of input devices being operable for providing a plurality of different types of input signals characteristic of the corresponding input device and representative of desired wheelchair movements,said control means including means for responding to said plurality of different types of input signals for controlling said wheelchair movements; and
selector means for producing a selection signal representative of a selected one of said different types of input devices,said control means including means for storing a plurality of computer program subroutines corresponding to said different types of user-operable devices, said control means being operable for executing said subroutines for controlling the movements of said wheelchair in accordance with input signals from the corresponding input device,said control means further including means for receiving said selection signal and for responding thereto by retrieving for execution one of said subroutines corresponding to the type of input device represented by said selection signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically operable wheelchair includes a pair of support wheels coupled with a pair of drive motors, one of a plurality of different types of user-operable input devices, and a controller responsive to input signals from the input devices for controlling the operation of the motors and thereby the movements of the wheelchair. The input devices include, for example, a proportional control joy stick and sets of one, two, three or four switches, and are operable for producing different types of input signals characteristic of the corresponding devices and representative of desired wheelchair movements. The controller is operable to respond to the different types of input signals provided by the devices for producing outputs to the motors for effecting the desired wheelchair movements.
72 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An electrically operable wheelchair comprising:
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a wheelchair framework having wheels and structure for supporting a user; an electrically operable motor coupled with one of said wheels; control means coupled with said motor for controlling the operation thereof and thereby the movements of said wheelchair in accordance with input signals received from a source thereof; and an input device selected from a plurality of different types of user-operable input devices including means for coupling with said control means and operable for providing said input signals thereto, said different types of input devices being operable for providing a plurality of different types of input signals characteristic of the corresponding input device and representative of desired wheelchair movements, said control means including means for responding to said plurality of different types of input signals for controlling said wheelchair movements; and selector means for producing a selection signal representative of a selected one of said different types of input devices, said control means including means for storing a plurality of computer program subroutines corresponding to said different types of user-operable devices, said control means being operable for executing said subroutines for controlling the movements of said wheelchair in accordance with input signals from the corresponding input device, said control means further including means for receiving said selection signal and for responding thereto by retrieving for execution one of said subroutines corresponding to the type of input device represented by said selection signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A controller for a wheelchair having structure for supporting a user, wheels, and at least one electrically operable motor coupled with one of the wheels for effecting wheelchair movements, said controller comprising:
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signal processing means for receiving and processing input signals representative of desired wheelchair movements and for producing corresponding output signals for controlling operation of the wheelchair motor and thereby the wheelchair movements; output means for intercoupling said signal processing means and wheelchair motor for delivering said output signals thereto; input means for coupling with an input device selected from a plurality of different types of user-operable input devices, said different types of input devices being operable for producing a respective plurality of different types of input signals characteristic of the corresponding type of device and with each type of signals being representative of desired wheelchair; and selector means for producing a selection signal representative of a selected one of said different types of input devices, said signal processing means including means for storing a plurality of computer program subroutines corresponding to said different types of user-operable devices, said control means being operable for executing said subroutines for controlling wheelchair movements in accordance with input signals from the corresponding input device, said control means further including means for receiving said selection signal and for responding thereto by retrieving for execution one of said subroutines corresponding to the type of input device represented by said selection signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An electrically operable wheelchair comprising:
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a wheelchair framework having wheels and structure for supporting a user; an electrically operable motor coupled with one of said wheels; control means coupled with said motor for controlling the operation thereof and thereby the movements of said wheelchair in accordance with input signals received from a source thereof; and an input device selected from a plurality of different types of user-operable input devices including means for coupling with said control means and operable for providing said input signals thereto, said different types of input devices being operable for providing a plurality of different types of input signals characteristic of corresponding input device and representative of desired wheelchair movements, said control means including means for responding to said plurality of different types of input signals for controlling said wheelchair movements; and selector means for producing a selection signal representative of a selected one of said different types of input devices, said control means including means for receiving said selection signal and responding thereto by responding only to input signals characteristic of the type of input device represented by said selection signal, said different types of input devices including a plurality selected from the group consisting of a proportional control joystick, a single switch, a double switch, a triple switch, and a quadruple switch. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A controller for a wheelchair having structure for supporting a user, wheels, and at least one electrically operable motor coupled with one of the wheels for effecting wheelchair movements, said controller comprising:
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signal processing means for receiving and processing input signals representative of desired wheelchair movements and for producing corresponding output signals for controlling operation of the wheelchair motor and thereby the wheelchair movements; output means for intercoupling said signal processing means and wheelchair motor for delivering said output signals thereto; input means for coupling with an input device selected from a plurality of different types of user-operable input devices, said different types of input devices being operable for producing a respective plurality of different types of input signals characteristic of the corresponding type of device and with each type of signals being representative of desired wheelchair movements; and selector means for producing a selection signal representative of a selected one of said different type of input devices, said signal processing means including means for receiving said selection signal and responding thereto by responding only to input signals characteristic of the type of input device represented by said selection signal, said different types of input devices including a plurality selected from the group consisting of a proportional control joystick, a single switch, a double switch, a triple switch, and a quadruple switch. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification