User control device for a transporter

• US 10,802,495 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Peret, Bob D., Coulter, Stewart M., Kamen, Dean, Kane, Derek G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/486,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/14 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/22 for automatically guiding movable devices, e.g. stretchers or wheelchairs in a hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/0808 Accommodating or securing wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/06 with obstacle mounting facilities, e.g. for climbing stairs, kerbs or steps
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/061 for climbing stairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/104 Devices for lifting or tilting the whole wheelchair transfer lifts A61G3/06; arrangements for adjusting the seat height A61G5/1059
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1043 Cushions specially adapted for wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1051 Arrangements for steering
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1059 adjusting the height of the seat
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1067 adjusting the backrest relative to the seat portion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/10 for automatic control superimposed on human control to limit the acceleration of the vehicle, e.g. to prevent excessive motor current electric devices for safety purposes B60L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A user control device for a transporter. The user control device can communicate with the transporter via electrical interface(s) that can facilitate communication and data processing among the user interface device and controllers that can control the movement of the transporter. The user control device can perform automated actions based on the environment in which the transporter operates and the user'"'"'s desired movement of the transporter. External applications can enable monitoring and control of the transporter.

Claims

1. A method for reacting to at least one obstacle while maneuvering a transporter, the transporter including a processor configured to execute instructions to control motion of the transporter, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor from a user, at least one command and user information;

receiving, by the processor, and segmenting, by the processor, obstacle data from at least one sensor associated with the transporter, the at least one sensor collecting the obstacle data as the transporter moves;

identifying, by the processor, at least one plane within the segmented obstacle data;

identifying, by the processor, the at least one obstacle within the at least one plane;

measuring, by the processor, at least one characteristic of at least one staircase, the processor locating, based on environmental information, at least one stair obstacle, from the at least one obstacle, on the at least one staircase;

locating, by the processor, based on the environmental information, a last stair of the at least one staircase,

determining, by the processor, at least one situation identifier based at least on the at least one obstacle, the user information, and the at least one command;

determining, by the processor, an obstacle distance between the transporter and the at least one obstacle;

accessing, by the processor, at least one allowed command related to the obstacle distance, the at least one obstacle, and the at least one situation identifier;

accessing, by the processor, at least one automatic response to the at least one command;

relating, by the processor, the at least one command to one of the at least one allowed commands forming a related allowed command;

providing, by the processor, at least one first movement command instructing the transporter to move moving, by the processor, the transporter based at least on the at least one command and the at least one automatic response associated with the related allowed command; and

providing, by the processor, at least one second movement command instructing the transporter to move on the at least one staircase based on the at least one characteristic, the last stair, and the at least one stair obstacle.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the at least one obstacle comprises at least one moving object.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising:

tracking the at least one moving object using simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) with detection and tracking of moving objects (DATMO) based on a location of the transporter.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the distance comprises a dynamically-varying amount.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the at least one movement command comprises a pass-the-at-least-one-obstacle command.

6. A method for enabling a transporter to navigate stairs transporter, the transporter including a processor configured to execute instructions to control motion of the transporter through movement commands to wheel motor drives of the transporter, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor from a user, at least one stair command;

receiving, by the processor, environmental information from sensors mounted on the transporter, the sensors collecting obstacle data as the transporter moves;

locating, by the processor, based on the environmental information, a plurality of staircases;

receiving, by the processor, a selection of a selected staircase from the plurality of staircases, the selection being based on the environmental information;

measuring, by the processor, based on the environmental information, at least one characteristic of the selected staircase;

locating, by the processor, based on the environmental information, at least one obstacle on the selected staircase;

locating, by the processor, based on the environmental information, a last stair of the selected staircase; and

providing, by the processor, the at least one stair command to move the transporter on the selected staircase based at least on the measured at least one characteristic, the last stair, and the at least one obstacle.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

locating the at least one staircase based on GPS data.

8. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

building a map of the selected staircase using SLAM.

9. The method as in claim 6 wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a surface texture of a surface of at least one riser of the selected staircase.

10. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

determining a situation identifier based at least on user information, the at least one stair command, and the at least one obstacle; and

determining an obstacle distance between the transporter and the at least one obstacle as the transporter moves.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising:

accessing an allowed command related to the obstacle distance, the at least one obstacle, and the situation identifier as the transporter moves;

accessing an automatic response associated with the allowed command as the transporter moves;

relating the at least one stair command with at least one of the allowed commands as the transporter moves; and

enabling mode-specific processing based at least on the automatic response associated with the related allowed command as the transporter moves.

12. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

storing a location of the at least one obstacle in a storage cloud; and

enabling systems external to the transporter to access the at least one stored obstacle.

13. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

segmenting the environmental information, the environmental information being included in point cloud data received from the sensors, the environmental information including geometry of the transporter;

identifying at least one plane within the point cloud data of the segmented environmental information as the transporter moves;

identifying a door within the at least one plane;

measuring, based on the segmented environmental information, the door;

determining a handle location of at least one handle associated with the door;

providing a first at least one movement command moving the transporter towards the handle location for access to the at least one handle;

providing a second at least one movement command moving the transporter away from the door as the door opens by a door distance, the door distance being based at least on measured door characteristics associated with the measured door if a swing of the door is towards the transporter; and

providing a third at least one movement command moving the transporter through a doorway associated with the door.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the measured door characteristics comprise the swing of the door, a hinge side of the door, a width of the door, and a direction and an angle of the door.

15. The method as in claim 14 further comprising:

determining a traversal distance from the transporter to the door;

generating at least one movement command moving the transporter based at least on the door swing, the width of the door, and the traversal distance.

16. The method as in claim 14 further comprising:

generating an alert if the width is smaller than a pre-selected size related to a size of the transporter;

positioning the transporter for access to the door, the positioning being based on the width;

generating a first signal for opening the door;

moving the transporter through a doorway associated with the door; and

generating a second signal to close the door.

17. The method as in claim 6 wherein the sensors comprise time of flight sensors.

18. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

locating, by processing of data from the sensors, at least one storage/charging area;

providing a first at least one movement command to move the transporter from a pre-selected location to the located at least one storage/charging area;

locating, by processing of data from the sensors, a charging dock in the at least one storage/charging area; and

providing a second at least one movement command to couple the transporter with the charging dock.

19. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

locating, by the processor processing of data from the sensors, an elevator;

providing, by the processor, a first at least one movement command to the wheel motor drives moving the transporter through an elevator door associated with the elevator, the at least one movement command driving the wheel motor drives of the transporter to clear an elevator threshold associated with the elevator door and arrive within the elevator;

determining, by the processor processing of data from the sensors, a geometry of the elevator;

providing, by the processor to the wheel motor drives, a second at least one movement command driving the wheel motor drives of the transporter into a floor selection/exit location relative to the elevator threshold; and

when the elevator door opens, providing, by the processor, a third at least one movement command driving the wheel motor drives of the transporter across the elevator threshold to arrive outside of the elevator.

20. A transporter for navigating stairs comprising:

a processor receiving, from a user, at least one stair command included in user information,

the processor receiving environmental information from sensors mounted on the transporter, the processor locating, at least one staircase within the environmental information, and receiving a choice of a selected of the at least one staircase,

the processor measuring at least one characteristic of the selected of the at least one staircase, the processor locating, based on the environmental information, obstacles;

on the selected of the at least one staircase,

the processor locating, based on environmental information, a last stair of the selected of the at least one staircase, the processor providing at least one movement command instructing the transporter to move on the selected of the at least one staircase based on the at least one characteristic, the last stair, and the at least one obstacle.