Wheelchair guiding

• US 8,761,963 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Hinkel III
• Original Assignee: John Hinkel III
• Inventors: Hinkel, John III
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/957,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/36, 701/49, 188/20, 188/22, 188/24.19, 297/19
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/18 by patient's head, eyes, facial muscles or voice
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1051 Arrangements for steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

Among other things, an apparatus includes a wheelchair control device sensitive to motion and adapted to attach to a user'"'"'s head, and includes a wheelchair interface device in communication with the wheelchair control device and adapted to manipulate a control system of a motorized wheelchair in response to communication from the wheelchair control device. Among other things, a method includes causing a motorized wheelchair to change velocity in response to changing a position of a head-mounted wheelchair control device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wheelchair control device sensitive to motion and adaptable to attached to a user'"'"'s head; and

a wheelchair interface device in communication with the wheelchair control device and adapted to manipulate a control system of a motorized wheelchair in response to communication from the wheelchair control device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control system of the motorized wheelchair comprises a hand control.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the hand control comprises a joystick.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wheelchair control device comprises at least one configuration option customizable for an individual user of the wheelchair control device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the configuration option comprises calibration of sensitivity to motion of the wheelchair control device according to movement patterns.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a configuration user interface for configuring the at least one configuration option, wherein the configuration user interface is in communication with at least one of the wheelchair control device and the wheelchair interface device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor configured to process movement signals of the wheelchair control device and communicate movement signals to the wheelchair interface device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wheelchair interface device is capable of attachment to and detachment from to the motorized wheelchair.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wheelchair interface device is in wireless communication with the wheelchair control device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wheelchair control device comprises an accelerometer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wheelchair interface device comprises at least one sliding plate and at least one servomechanism.

12. A method comprising

detecting a change in position of a head-mounted wheelchair control device, and

causing a motorized wheelchair to change velocity in response to the detection of the change in position of the head-mounted wheelchair control device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein causing a motorized wheelchair to change velocity comprises causing the motorized wheelchair to change direction.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein causing a motorized wheelchair to change velocity comprises causing the motorized wheelchair to change speed.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein changing the position of the head-mounted wheelchair control device comprises a head nodding action.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein changing the position of a head-mounted wheelchair control device comprises moving a user'"'"'s head to a position outside a range of motion, and causing the motorized wheelchair to change velocity comprises stopping the wheelchair.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein causing the motorized wheelchair to change velocity comprises at least one of causing the motorized wheelchair to move forward, causing the motorized wheelchair to move backwards, causing the motorized wheelchair to turn left, causing the motorized wheelchair to turn right, and causing the motorized wheelchair to turn diagonally.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein causing a motorized wheelchair to change velocity comprises manipulating a control system of the motorized wheelchair.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing the motorized wheelchair to activate in response to changing a position of the head-mounted wheelchair control device.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing the motorized wheelchair to deactivate in response to a period of inactivity of the head-mounted wheelchair control device.