Automated systems, devices, and methods for transporting and supporting patients

• US 9,125,779 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Malaska, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US13/630,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20140090171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0275 having driven wheels, e.g. motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0281 having a steering device
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0287 having brakes, e.g. slowing down and/or holding details of brake actuators on castors B60B33/0078; brakes on hand carts B62B5/04; brakes in general F16D49/00 - F16D65/853
• 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 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0528 Steering or braking devices for castor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/08 Apparatus for transporting beds
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described for moving a patient to and from various locations, care units, etc., within a care facility. For example a transport and support vehicle includes a body structure including a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and a surface structured and dimensioned to support an individual subject. A transport and support vehicle can include, for example, an imager operably coupled to one or more of a power source, a steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., and having one or more modules operable to control the power source, steering assembly, one or more of the plurality of rotatable members, etc., so as to maintain an authorized operator in the image zone.

Claims

1. A vehicle for transporting an individual subject, comprising:

a bedframe structure including

a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the vehicle to a travel path and to move the vehicle along the travel path, and

a surface structured and dimensioned to support an individual subject;

a steering assembly operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members;

a power source operably coupled to one or more of the plurality of rotatable members and configured to rotate at least one of the plurality of rotatable members;

an imager operable to image a person within an image zone, the imager including circuitry configured to map one or more gestures of a person within the image zone to at least one input correlated with one or more control commands for controlling the vehicle based on the one or more gestures; and

a verification module for determining whether the person in the image zone is an authorized operator of the vehicle and configured to acquire patient identification information associated with the individual subject, the verification module having circuitry operable to generate route-to-destination information based on the acquired patient identification information associated with the individual subject;

wherein the imager is operably coupled to the power source and the bedframe structure, the imager including one or more modules having circuitry operable to control the power source and steering assembly so as to maintain the authorized operator in the image zone.

2. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the verification module includes a physical key interface.

3. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the imager further includes an image recognition module operable to recognize a badge associated with the operator.

4. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the steering assembly is communicatively coupled to the imager and is configured to vary a vehicle heading based on one or more inputs from the imager indicative of a change in position by the authorized operator.

5. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the steering assembly is communicatively coupled to the imager and is configured to vary a vehicle heading based on one or more inputs from the imager indicative of a change of direction by the authorized operator.

6. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the steering assembly is communicatively coupled to the imager and is configured to vary a vehicle speed, braking, or power delivery, based on one or more inputs from the imager indicative of a change in position or a change in velocity by the authorized operator.

7. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotatable members includes at least three wheels, and wherein the steering assembly is operable to vary a steering angle, an orientation, or a velocity information of at least one of the at least three wheels.

8. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the steering assembly includes a steering sensor operable to detect a steering angle associated with a steered one of the plurality of rotatable members.

9. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the steering assembly is operably coupled to a vehicle acceleration sensor configured to detect an acceleration of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the steering assembly is operably coupled to a vehicle position sensor configured to detect a location of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the steering assembly is operably coupled to a rotational rate sensor configured to detect a rate of rotation of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of rotatable members includes a wheel having an electric wheel hub motor.