Automated Systems, Devices, and Methods for Transporting and Supporting Patients Including Multi-Floor Operation

• US 20140094997A1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Malaska, Stephen L.
• Application Number:
  US13/663,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/22 for automatically guiding movable devices, e.g. stretchers or wheelchairs in a hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/08 Apparatus for transporting beds
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means

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 elevator interface module that provides communicate and control of elevator controller.

Claims

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

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 steering assembly operably coupled to at least one of the 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; and

an elevator interface module having circuitry operable to communicate with an elevator controller.

2. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation module operably coupled to the elevator interface module, the navigation module including circuitry operable to generate one or more navigation control commands for controlling the vehicle based on information received from an elevator controller.

3. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to initiate a discovery protocol that allows the elevator interface module and an elevator controller to identify each other and negotiate one or more control instructions.

5. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to enable control of at least one parameter associated with actuating an electro-mechanical component that causes movement of an elevator.

6. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to control operation of one or more elevators along a travel route.

7. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to control acquire elevator status information associated one or more elevator controllers along a travel route.

9. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to allow wireless remote accessed to elevator data to be stored and collected by the elevator interface module.

10. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to provide identification information and target destination information to a remote enterprise.

13. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to negotiate access rights with an elevator controller.

14. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to enable multiple elevator control across a physical campus, via a wide-area network (WAN).

15. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry operable to provide elevator arrival information to an elevator controller.

16. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry operable to requests elevator arrival information from an elevator controller.

19. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry operable to request that an elevator controller hold the elevator at a target location.

20. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry operable to generate navigation control commands that guide a vehicle to an elevator at a target time

21. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry operable to request occupancy status from one or more elevator controllers associated with a plurality of elevators along a travel route

22. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry operable to override one or more elevator control inputs.

23. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry operable to generate a virtual representation, on a virtual display, of at least one of elevator location information, elevator operation status information, and elevator occupancy information for elevators along a travel route.

24. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, further comprising:

an imager operable to image a person within an image zone, and

a verification module for determining whether the person in the image zone is an authorized operator of the vehicle;

wherein the imager is operably coupled to at least one of the power source and the steering assembly, 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.

25. The vehicle for transporting the individual subject of claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation module including circuitry operable to generate one or more navigation control commands for controlling the vehicle based on information received from an elevator controller;

one or more sensors operable to detect at least one human operator within an operator-guide zone associated with the vehicle; and

an operator movement mapping module operably coupled to the navigation controller and to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, and the steering assembly;

wherein the operator movement mapping module includes circuitry that maps one or more physical movements of the human operator within the operator-guide zone to at least one input correlated with one or more navigation control commands for controlling the vehicle, and

generates a control signal to at least one of the plurality of rotatable members, the power source, and the steering assembly to navigate the vehicle based on the one or more navigation control commands.

4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

26. A self-propelled hospital bed, comprising:

a bedframe structure including a surface configured to support an individual subject;

a plurality of rotatable members operable to frictionally interface the bedframe structure to a travel path and to move the bedframe along the travel path;

a powertrain for driving one or more of the plurality of rotatable members; and

an elevator interface module having circuitry operable to communicate with an elevator controller;

27. The self-propelled hospital bed of claim 26, further comprising:

a navigation module including circuitry configured to acquire image information of a human operator within an operator-guide zone, and configure to determining whether the human operator is an authorized operator based on the image information.

28. The self-propelled hospital bed of claim 27, wherein the navigation module is operably coupled to the elevator interface module, and is configure to initiate a discovery protocol that allows the elevator interface module and an elevator controller to identify each other and to negotiate information, and to generate one or more navigation control commands for controlling the self-propelled hospital bed based on the negotiated information.

31. The self-propelled hospital bed of claim 26, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to communicate access information to an elevator controller.

32. The self-propelled hospital bed of claim 26, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to communicate one or more travel commands to an elevator controller.

33. The self-propelled hospital bed of claim 26, wherein the elevator interface module includes circuitry configured to communicate with a key card input operably coupled to an elevator controller.

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

34. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory signal-bearing medium bearing;

one or more instructions for enabling a discovery protocol that allows an elevator interface module associated with a self-propelled hospital bed and an elevator controller to identify each other and negotiate one or more pre-shared keys;

one or more instructions for enabling control of at least one parameter associated with actuating an electro-mechanical component that causes movement of an elevator; and

one or more instructions for controlling operation of one or more elevators along a travel route.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for communicating with a key card input operably coupled to an elevator controller.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for communicating with an authorization device operably coupled to an elevator controller.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for communicating authorization status information to an elevator controller.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for communicating elevator status information to a remote enterprise.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for requesting elevator arrival information from an elevator controller.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for requesting elevator arrival information and elevator travel information from one or more elevator controllers associated with a plurality of elevators along a travel route.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for generating navigation control commands that guide the self-propelled hospital bed to an elevator at a target time.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for requesting occupancy status from one or more elevator controllers associated with a plurality of elevators along a travel route.

49. The article of manufacture of claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for generating a virtual representation, on a virtual display, of at least one of elevator location information, elevator operation status information, and elevator occupancy information for elevators along a travel route.

38. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

48. (canceled)