Method and apparatus for programming parameters of a power driven wheelchair for a plurality of drive settings

• US 7,403,844 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invacare Corporation
• Original Assignee: Invacare Corporation
• Inventors: Chopcinski, Gary E., Jaenke, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/511,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/36, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/14 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• 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 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1059 adjusting the height of the seat
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1075 tilting the whole seat backwards tilting forwards for standing-up or sitting-down aids A61G5/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1089 Anti-tip devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/12 Rests specially adapted therefor, e.g. for the head or the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/128 for feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05784 with ventilating means, e.g. mattress or cushion with ventilating holes or ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/84 Wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23128 Switch from one kind of display to other when parameter is changed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23129 Animated display, changes as function of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23159 Display plurality of parameters simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23193 Memory stores lifetime, different settings, configurations of controlled device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23332 Overide stored parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23388 Mixture of different means, joystick, keys, pedals, fader, potentiometer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/18 Estimation of position or speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A method of programming parameters of a power driven wheelchair for a plurality of drive modes comprises: displaying a menu image on an interactive display screen, the menu image including settings of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair; selecting a wheelchair parameter for a drive mode from the displayed menu image; and programming the setting of the selected wheelchair parameter to a desired setting.

Claims

1. Method of programming parameters of a power driven wheelchair for a plurality of drive modes, said method comprising:

displaying a menu image on an interactive display screen, said menu image including names and values of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair;

selecting a wheelchair parameter value for a drive mode from the displayed menu image;

in response to the selecting, opening a window on the interactive display screen to program the selected wheelchair parameter value while continuing to display names and values of at least the select wheelchair parameter for the plurality of drive modes in the menu image; and

programming the value of said selected wheelchair parameter to a desired value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of programming includes:

adjusting a value of the selected wheelchair parameter to a desired value; and

updating the menu image with the adjusted value of the selected wheelchair parameter.

3. The method of claim 2 including saving the adjusted value of the selected wheelchair parameter in a designated memory location.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of adjusting includes:

opening a window within the interactive display screen for displaying the value of the selected parameter in a predetermined format; and

adjusting the value of the selected parameter to the desired value using said format of the window display.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the window format is displayed with a numerical value of the selected parameter;

and wherein said numerical value of the window display is adjusted to the desired value.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the window format is displayed with a graphic gauge depiction of the selected parameter value thereof;

and wherein said graphic gauge display of parameter value within the window display is adjusted to the desired value.

7. The method of claim 4 including closing the window display after the parameter value has been adjusted to the desired value.

8. The method of claim 1 including programming the value of said selected wheelchair parameter to the desired value using the displayed menu image.

9. The method of claim 1 including:

storing a plurality of menu images in a memory, each menu image including names and values of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair; and

displaying menu images from said plurality of stored menu images on the interactive display screen according to a predetermined routing.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the menu image is displayed in a table format with rows of wheelchair parameters and columns of drive modes.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 including:

a memory for storing a plurality of menu images in a memory, each menu image including names and values of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair; and

wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to display menu images from said plurality of stored menu images on the screen of the display according to a predetermined routing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to display a main menu image on the screen of the display, and to select for display other menu images of the stored plurality from the main menu image.

20. The method of claim 1, further including:

closing the window on the interactive display screen after the selected wheelchair parameter value is programmed while continuing to display names and values of the plurality of wheelchair parameters for the plurality of drive modes in the menu image.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive display screen forms at least a portion of a control unit for the power driven wheelchair.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive display screen forms at least a portion of a programmer unit associated with the power driven wheelchair.

11. Apparatus for programnhing parameters of a power driven wheelchair for a plurality of drive modes, said apparatus comprising:

a display;

a controller for interacting with said display and operative to display a menu image on a screen of said display, said menu image including names and values of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair; and

one or more input devices operative to interact with said controller and said display to select a wheelchair parameter value for a drive mode from the displayed menu images and to program the value of said selected wheelchair parameter to a desired value;

wherein the controller is operative to open a window on the display for programming the selected wheelchair parameter value in response to selection of said wheelchair parameter value such that names and values of at least the select wheelchair parameter for the plurality of drive modes continue to be displayed in the menu image.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to adjust a value of the selected wheelchair parameter to a desired value, and to update the displayed menu image with the adjusted value of the selected wheelchair parameter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to save the adjusted value of the selected wheelchair parameter in a designated memory location.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to open a window within the screen of the display for displaying the value of the selected parameter in a predetermined format, and to adjust the value of the selected parameter to the desired value using said format of the window display.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to display the selected parameter in the window format with a numerical value, and to adjust said numerical value of the window display to the desired value.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to display the selected parameter in the window format with a graphic gauge depiction, and to adjust said graphic gauge depiction of the window display to the desired value.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the programming unit is operative to control the controller to close the window display after the parameter value has been adjusted to the desired value.

23. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is operative to close the window on the display after the selected wheelchair parameter value is programmed such that names and values of the plurality of wheelchair parameters for the plurality of drive modes continue to be displayed in the menu image.

24. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the display, controller, and one or more input devices fonn at least a portion of a control unit for the power driven wheelchair.

25. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the display and one or more input devices form at least a portion of a programmer unit associated with the power driven wheelchair.

26. A method associated with a power driven wheelchair for setting or modifying a programming parameter, including:

a) displaying a menu image on an interactive display screen of a control unit for the power driven wheelchair, said menu image including names and values of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair;

b) selecting a wheelchair parameter for a select drive mode from the displayed menu image using one or more input devices of the control unit; and

c) selecting a desired value for the selected wheelchair parameter of the select drive mode using the one or more input devices while continuing to display names and values of at least the selected wheelchair parameter for the plurality of drive modes in the menu image.

27. The method of claim 26, further including:

d) in response to the selecting in b), opening a window on the interactive display screen to facilitate the selecting in c).

28. The method of claim 27, further including:

e) in response to the selecting in c), closing the window on the interactive display screen while continuing to display names and values of the plurality of wheelchair parameters for the plurality of drive modes in the menu image.

29. An apparatus associated with a power driven wheelchair for setting or modifying a programmable parameter, including:

a display;

a controller for interacting with said display and operative to display a menu image on a screen of said display, said menu image including names and values of a plurality of wheelchair parameters for a plurality of drive modes of the wheelchair; and

one or more input devices operative to interact with said controller and said display to select a wheelchair parameter for a select drive mode from the displayed menu image and to select a desired value for the selected wheelchair parameter of the select drive mode while continuing to display names and values of at least the selected wheelchair parameter for the plurality of drive modes in the menu image;

wherein the display, controller, and one or more input devices form at least a portion of a control unit for the power driven wheelchair.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the controller is operative to open a window on the display for selecting the desired value for the selected wheelchair parameter of the select drive mode in response to selection of said wheelchair parameter such that names and values of at least the selected wheelchair parameter for the plurality of drive modes continue to be displayed in the menu image.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is operative to close the window on the display after the desired value for the selected wheelchair parameter of the select drive mode is selected such that names and values of the plurality of wheelchair parameters for the plurality of drive modes continue to be displayed in the menu image.