Microcontroller based massage system

• US 6,375,630 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inseat Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Inseat Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Otis, Alton B. Jr., Gerth, Gayle B., Chau, Taylor, Cutler, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): DeMille, Danton D.
• Application Number:
  US09/071,357
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 601/46-54, 601/56-61, 601/64, 601/65, 601/69, 601/70, 601/84, 601/78, 601/86, 601/90, 601/98, 601/107, 601/108, 601/111
• US Class Current: 601/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2023/0281 multiple masses driven by the same motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0138 incorporated in furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0142 Beds
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0149 Seat or chair
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0228 heated by an electric resistance element
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5048 Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses

Abstract

A massaging system includes a pad; a heater element, and motorized vibrators in respective regions of the pad; corresponding heater and motor drivers in the pad; a control wand removably connectable to the pad and having a microcontroller with RAM and ROM, a serial EEPROM; a serial interface to a shift register in the pad for signaling pulse width modulation of the drivers. The ROM defines a master set of operating modes and variations thereof in response to operator input of intensity, region, heat input; and mode signals to the controller. The EEPROM has data for implementing and configuring a subset of the master modes. The system can also provide composite modes including a test mode that automatically sequentially activates each mode and variation of the subset of the modes without delays for exercising non-implemented modes. The system can have a power detector for identifying sources of power having different current limitations, the system being operated with PWM duty cycle limiting when raw power voltage falls below a preset level. Also disclosed is a set-up method for writing data to the EEPROM using the serial interface when the wand is disconnected from the pad for facilitating production of a variety of systems with reduced inventory requirements. The system can also include an audio envelope detector having a dual-slope integrating ADC in the pad that is cycled by serial signals driving the shift register, a single comparator output of the ADC signaling the microcontroller.

Claims

1. A computer controlled massaging system comprising:

(a) a pad for contacting a user of the system;

(b) a plurality of vibratory transducers for deflecting respective regions of the pad, each transducer being responsive to a transducer power signal;

(c) a microprocessor controller having associated therewith an input and output interface, and memory including read-only program memory (ROM), non-volatile programmable parameter memory (PROM), and variable memory (RAM);

(d) an array of input elements connected to the input interface for signaling the microprocessor in response to operator input, the signaling including signals for setting a plurality of operating modes, at least one region signal relating transducers to be activated in the plurality of modes, and signals for setting an intensity control value; and

(e) a plurality of transducer drivers responsive to the output interface for producing, separately for each of the transducers, the power signal;

(f) the ROM having a set of instructions stored therein to be used by the microprocessor for implementing a master set of modes including a composite mode incorporating a plurality of other modes of the master set, and for interrogating the PROM; and

(g) the PROM having parameters stored therein for enabling a predetermined complement of the master modes,

wherein the microprocessor generates the plurality of operating modes in response to the input elements, to the exclusion of all but the predetermined complement and, when the predetermined complement includes the composite mode, the microprocessor generates the composite mode in response to the input elements while skipping those portions of the composite mode that are not included in the predetermined complement of the master modes.

2. The massaging system of claim 1, wherein the PROM is electrically programmable, and the microprocessor controller is configured for programming the PROM with the parameters in response to external signals.

3. The massage system of claim 2, wherein the PROM is a serial EEPROM having two signal connections only with the microprocessor for effecting both the programming of the configuration data therein and reading the data therefrom.

4. The massaging system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor controller and the input elements are located in a control module external of the pad, the transducer drivers being located within the pad, the control module having a plug connection for signaling the transducer drivers, and wherein the plug connection is configured for the control module to receive the external signals when the plug connection is disconnected from the transducer drivers.

5. The massaging system of claim 4, further comprising a shift register connected between the plug connection and the transducer drivers, the shift register being repetitively loaded by serial data transfers using not more than two serial output signals and a buffer strobe signal from the microprocessor through the plug connection for defining respective pulse width modulation duty cycles of the transducer drivers.

6. The massaging system of claim 5, further comprising a timer for inhibiting outputs of the shift register when more than a predetermined interval passes between successive serial data transfers from the microprocessor to the shift register.

7. The massaging system of claim 5, further comprising an audio input connection for receiving an audio signal, an envelope detector for repetitively signaling measured amplitudes of the audio signal to the microprocessor, the system selectively activating the transducers variably in response to the envelope detector, the envelope detector comprising an integrating analog to digital converter (ADC) having a comparator output to the microprocessor, the ADC being cycled by the not more than two serial output signals.

8. The massaging system of claim 7, wherein the envelope detector comprises a peak detector, the peak detector being periodically reset by an output bit of the shift register.

9. The massaging system of claim 5, further comprising a heater element in the pad, and a heater driver connected between the shift register and the heater element for selectively activating the heater element at low and high power levels in response to serial data transfers from the microprocessor.

10. The massaging system of claim 9, wherein the heat control input has off, high, and low states for selectively powering the heater at high power, low power, and no power, and wherein the microprocessor controller is operative for activating the heater driver to power the heater element at high power when the heat control input is high, at no power when the heat control input is off, and at low power when the heat control input is low, except that when the heat control input is changed from off to low, the microprocessor controller is operative for powering the heater at high power for a warm up interval of time prior to the low power, the warm up interval being dependent on a time interval of the off state of the control input.

11. The massaging system of claim 1, wherein the program memory defines the master set of modes in accordance with substantially every state of the region signals and the mode signals, the composite mode being responsive to data of the parameter memory for skipping non-implemented modes and functions of the system.

12. A computer controlled massaging system comprising:

(a) a pad for contacting a user of the system;

(b) a plurality of transducers for deflecting respective regions of the pad, each transducer being responsive to a transducer power signal;

(c) a microprocessor controller having program and variable memory and an input and output interface;

(d) an array of input elements connected to the input interface for signaling the microprocessor in response to operator input, the signaling including an intensity control value and at least one region signal relating transducers to be activated; and

(e) a plurality of transducer drivers responsive to the output interface for producing, separately for each of the transducers, the power signal;

(f) means for powering the microprocessor and the drivers from a first source of electrical power, the first source having a voltage drop as loads are added; and

(g) means for limiting each of the power signals to a signal upper limit being inversely related to the source voltage for preventing overloading of the power source.

13. The massaging system of claim 12, for use additionally with a second power source, the second power source not having a voltage drop as great as the voltage drop of the first source as loads are added, the system further comprising a power detector for sensing whether the second power source is being used, the microprocessor being programmed for selectively limiting the power signals in response to the power detector.

14. The massaging system of claim 13, wherein one of the power sources is AC, the other DC, and wherein the power detector comprises an inverter having a square wave output when the power source is AC and a level output when the power source is DC, the microprocessor being responsive to the output of the power detector.

15. A computer controlled massaging system comprising:

(a) a pad for contacting a user of the system;

(b) a vibratory transducer for vibrating the pad, the transducer including a motor having a mass element eccentrically coupled thereto, the motor being responsive to a motor power signal;

(c) a control microprocessor having program and variable memory, and an input-output interface;

(d) an array of input elements connected to the microprocessor for signaling the microprocessor in response to operator input, the signaling including an audio mode signal;

(e) a motor driver responsive to the input-output interface for producing the power signal for the motor;

(f) an audio detector for detecting an audio envelope of an audio input signal, comprising;

(i) a peak detector having a reset input; and

(ii) an analog to digital converter having a switching circuit, a differential integrator, and a comparator, the integrator having a sample connection configuration and a discharge connection configuration being defined in response to the switching circuit;

(g) wherein the microprocessor controller is operative for cycling the switching circuit and generating the motor power signal in response to the audio envelope.

16. The massaging system of claim 15, wherein the transducer is in an array of transducers, the motor driver is one of a corresponding plurality of motor drivers, the system further comprising:

(a) a serial communication interface between the microprocessor controller and the drivers, the interface having respective serial data, strobe, and clock outputs of the controller, and a converter input to the controller from the comparator;

(b) a shift register driven in response to the serial outputs for signaling the driver circuits and the reset input of the peak detector; and

(c) wherein the switching circuit is operable in response to the serial outputs.

17. A computer controlled massaging system comprising:

(a) a pad for contacting a user of the system;

(b) a plurality of vibratory transducers for vibrating respective regions of the pad, each region having left and right ones of the transducers, each transducer being responsive to a transducer power signal;

(c) a microprocessor controller having program and variable memory and an input and output interface;

(d) an array of input elements connected to the input interface for signaling the microprocessor in response to operator input, the signaling including a plurality of region signals relating transducers to be activated, and a plurality of mode signals;

(e) a plurality of transducer drivers responsive to the output interface for producing, separately for each of the transducers, the power signal; and

(f) the microprocessor controller being operative in response to the input elements for activating the transducers for operation thereof in a plurality of modes, and in a first composite mode wherein each of the plurality of modes is activated sequentially, the first composite mode automatically terminating upon completion thereof, and a second composite mode continuously repeating the first composite mode.

18. The massaging system of claim 17, wherein the signaling further includes signals for setting an intensity value, and wherein the transducers are activated at power levels responsive to the intensity control value in at least some of the modes, including at least one of the composite modes.

19. The massaging system of claim 17, wherein the signaling further includes a speed input for determining a rate of sequencing mode component intervals, and wherein, during at least one of the composite modes, the duration of operation in sequential activation of modes is responsive to the speed control value.

20. The massaging system of claim 17, wherein the input elements further define a heat control input, the system further comprising:

(a) a heater element in the pad;

(b) a heater driver responsive to the output interface for powering the heater,

the microprocessor being further operative in response to the input elements for activating the heater element, and

wherein the composite mode includes activation of the heater element.

21. The massaging system of claim 17, wherein at least some of the modes are altered upon repeated occurrences of same mode input signals.

22. The massaging system of claim 17, wherein the mode signals include a zig-zag signal, the microprocessor being operative in response to the zig-zag signal for activating alternating left and right ones of the transducers in sequential zones.

23. The massaging system of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor is operative in response to repeated occurrences of the zig-zag signal for selectively activating the transducers in:

(a) a shoelace pattern wherein diagonal pairs of the transducers are activated in a repeating pattern;

(b) a first alternating zig-zag pattern of left and right transducers in adjacent regions, followed by a second alternating pattern being a mirror image of the first; and

(c) an alternating repetitive pattern in one region, the pattern sequentially advancing among the regions.

24. The massaging system of claim 17, wherein the mode signals include a circle signal, the microprocessor being operative in response to the circle signal for activating an alternating pattern of the transducers, the pattern periodically advancing in a closed path among the transducers.

25. The massaging system of claim 24, wherein the microprocessor is operative in response to repeated occurrences of the circle signal for selectively activating the transducers in:

(a) a circle pattern wherein the pattern is circular, advancing between the left transducers in one direction and the right transducers in the opposite direction;

(b) a circle pattern advancing oppositely of the previous pattern; and

(c) a figure-eight pattern.

26. The massaging system of claim 17, wherein the mode signals include a program signal, the microprocessor being operative in response to the program signal for setting a relative power level for the transducers separately for each of the regions in response to the intensity control value and respective ones of the region signals.

27. The massaging system of claim 26, wherein the microprocessor is operative in response to repeated occurrences of the program signal for:

(a) changing custom settings of individual regions;

(b) permitting operation in other modes while maintaining relative power levels of the regions corresponding to the custom settings; and

(c) permitting operation in other modes without the custom settings, the custom settings being preserved until being changed following a subsequent occurrence of the program signal.

28. The massaging system of claim 17, further comprising a non-volatile parameter memory for storing and signaling to the microprocessor controller particular functions being implemented in the system for utilizing a single set of programmed instructions in the program memory in variously configured examples of the massaging system.

29. The massaging system of claim 28, wherein the program memory defines the first composite mode as a master set of modes and functions in accordance with substantially every state of the region signals and the mode signals, the composite mode being responsive to data of the parameter memory for skipping non-implemented modes and functions of the system.

30. A method for configuring a massaging system comprising a pad having a plurality of vibrators in respective regions of the pad, a microprocessor control module including ROM firmware, non-volatile parameter memory, and a communication interface, and drivers for the vibrators being electrically connectable by the communication interface with the microprocessor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a set-up unit having means for receiving parameter data;

(b) connecting the set-up unit to the communication interface of the control module;

(c) feeding the parameter data to the microprocessor using the communication interface;

(d) writing the parameter data into the parameter memory using a portion of the ROM firmware, thereby to configure the system; and

(e) disconnecting the set-up unit from the communication interface.

31. The method of claim 30, comprising the further steps of:

(a) loading the parameter data into the set-up unit using a script file;

(b) powering the control module from the set-up unit subsequent to the step of loading the parameter data; and

(c) the step of feeding the parameter data comprises;

(i) momentarily asserting a signal of the communication interface simultaneously with the step of powering the control module for triggering the ROM firmware portion;

(ii) feeding portions of the data sequentially on the communication interface in response to respective request signals from the microprocessor; and

(iii) removing power from the control module subsequent to the step of writing the parameter data thereby to terminate the configuring.

32. The method of claim 30, comprising the further step of connecting the drivers to the communication interface for enabling normal operation of the massaging system using the configuration data.