Patient-lifting-device controls

• US 8,310,179 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altorr Corporation
• Original Assignee: Altorr Corporation
• Inventors: Clough, Bradford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson, Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUO, DAVID S
• Application Number:
  US12/698,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 318/266, 318255-256, 318264-265
• US Class Current: 318/266
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/10 Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons, e.g. special adaptations of hoists thereto
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1005 mounted on, or in combination with, a swimming-pool
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1015 Cables, chains or cords
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1017 Pivoting arms, e.g. crane type mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1042 Rail systems walking aids with suspension devices A61H3/008
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1044 Stationary fixed means, e.g. fixed to a surface or bed
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1046 Mobile bases, e.g. having wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1048 having auxiliary drive means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1051 Flexible harnesses or slings
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1061 Yokes
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1065 with electronic monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1073 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/109 Lower body, e.g. pelvis, buttocks
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 3/20 with driving motor, e.g. electric motor, and drum or barrel contained in a common housing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0851 : for motors actuating a movable member between two end positions, e.g. detecting an end position or obstruction by overload signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 : Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 : Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some multisensory implementations, a patient-lifting-device is controlled by voice recognition using a background noise filter, keyboard text input, synaptic control and/or a tongue tactile input commands. In some implementations, the command is rejected or accepted in reference to an analysis of the command, the analysis including an analysis of the authority of operator, competency and/or the state of mind of the operator.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver of multisensory digital audio input from a plurality of input devices, the receiver of multisensory digital audio input;

a command-extractor that is operable to extract from the multisensory digital audio input a command that is relevant to a patient-movement-actuator, the command-extractor being operably coupled to the receiver;

a lift-device-controller that is operable to receive the command from the command-extractor and that is operable to generate at least one electrical signal from the command, the lift-device-controller being electrically coupled to the command-extractor; and

a patient-movement-actuator that is operable to receive at least one electrical signal and operable to perform motion in accordance with the at least one electrical signal and in response to the at least one electrical signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a filter of environment background noise from the multisensory digital audio input, the filter of environment background noise being operably coupled to the receiver of the multisensory digital audio input and operably coupled to the command-extractor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input devices further comprises:

a keypad controller; and

a microphone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input devices is selected from the group of input devices consisting of a keypad controller and a microphone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input devices is selected from the group of input devices consisting essentially of a keypad controller and a microphone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input devices further comprises:

a keyboard;

a microphone; and

a synaptic activity sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input devices is selected from the group of input devices consisting of a keyboard, a microphone, and a synaptic activity sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input devices further comprises:

a wireless connection to the receiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input devices further comprises:

a wired connection to the receiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the patient-movement-actuator further comprises:

a normally-open double-pole-double-throw (DPDT) relay.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the command-extractor further comprises:

a voice recognition unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an authority-detector that is operable to extract an indicator of an authority from the multisensory digital audio input;

the authority-detector being operably coupled to the filter;

an authority-identifier that is operable to identify an authority associated with the multisensory digital audio input from the indicator of the authority;

the authority-identifier being operably coupled to the authority-detector;

a subjective-analyzer that is operable to determine indicators of an emotional state, a competency and a state-of-mind in the multisensory digital audio input;

the subjective-analyzer operably coupled to the filter;

a final-analyzer that is operable to determine whether or not the indicator of the authority, the indicator of the emotional state, the indicator of the competency and the indicator of the state-of-mind all have a sufficient level of authority emotional state, competency and state-of-mind that is required by the command, the final analyzer being operably coupled to the authority-indicator and the subjective-analyzer.

13. A method comprising:

receiving multisensory input from a plurality of input devices, the plurality of devices consisting of a hand-held keypad controller and a microphone;

responsive to the receiving of multisensory input, filtering environment background noise from the multisensory input, yielding filtered multisensory input;

responsive to the filtering environment background noise from the multisensory input, extracting a patient-lifting-device command from the filtered multisensory input;

responsive to the extracting of the patient-lifting-device command from the filtered multisensory input, generating at least one electrical signal from the patient-lifting-device command; and

responsive to the generating of the at least one the electrical signal, performing motion of a patient-lifting-device in accordance with the at least one electrical signal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of input devices consists of:

the microphone.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of input devices further comprises:

a wireless connection to the receiver.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of input devices further comprises:

a wired connection to the receiver.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein extracting the patient-lifting-device command from the filtered multisensory input further comprises:

voice recognition on input from the microphone.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

extracting an indicator of an authority from the multisensory input;

identifying an authority associated with the multisensory input from the indicator of the authority;

determining indicators of an emotional state, a competency and a state-of-mind in the multisensory input;

the subjective-analyzer operably coupled to the filter; and

determining whether or not the indicator of the authority, the indicator of the emotional state, the indicator of the competency and the indicator of the state-of-mind have a sufficient level of authority emotional state, competency and state-of-mind that is required by the patient-lifting-device command.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

generating at least one instruction from the patient-lifting-device command from the command, responsive to a sufficient level of emotional state, a sufficient competency and a sufficient state-of-mind of the patient-lifting-device command.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein identifying the authority further comprises:

comparing a speech pattern of a human speaker to a database of known humans; and

determining an identity of the human speaker, yielding the authority of the identified human.