Methods and devices of multi-functional operating system for care-taking machine

• US 7,963,931 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tu, Mao-Feng, Yeh, Syh-Shiuh, Sun, Chin-Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): HOEKSTRA, JEFFREY GERBEN
• Application Number:
  US12/402,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 600/587, 600/595, 600/372, 600/384, 600/391, 623/24, 623/25
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0261 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence

Abstract

The methods and devices of a multi-functional operating interface for a care-taking machine. The multi-functional operating interface of the care-taking machine includes: muscle stretch sensor, multiplexer amplifying wave filter, analog-to-digital signal converter, image processing unit, and muscle pattern database and control bus. Aided by the present muscle template training method and potential image data collecting and processing method, it can become an interface that offers the user of a care-taking machine instantaneous and unlimited controllability of the machine, enabling such people, either sick or handicapped, to enjoy more convenience and better life.

Claims

1. A method for multi-functional control interface for a care-taking machine, which is used to construct an interface that provides a user with control of an equipment, comprising the following steps:

detecting operation movements, for detecting movements on movable parts of a body of the user and generating corresponding electric signals by a muscle stretch sensor;

amplifying and filtering electric signals by the care-taking machine and then output analog signals;

converting said analog signals into digital electric signals by the care-taking machine;

processing images by the care-taking machine, by arranging and converting said digital electric signal into gray level potential images, processing said potential images to highlight characteristics of said potential images, and grouping them according to the highlighted characteristics;

outputting control commands by the care-taking machine, for providing and tallying a set of characteristics for tallying with those highlighted characteristics by a muscle template database, and presenting corresponding commands; and

transmitting control commands by the care-taking machine, for receiving the commands by a control bus, and transmitting said commands to related interface, signal converter, or control unit so as to control a specific equipment.

2. The method for multi-functional control interface for care-taking machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of detecting operation movements is performed via a the muscle stretch sensor by detecting deformations produced by the movable parts of the body and generating corresponding electric signals.