Integral joystick display for a powder driven wheelchair

• US 7,003,381 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invacare Corporation
• Original Assignee: Invacare Corporation
• Inventors: Wakefield, Theodore D. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/681,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/32, 701/36, 701/22, 345/161, 180/65.8, 180/907
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/14 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• 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: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

Apparatus of a power driven wheelchair for displaying operational parameters thereof comprises: a programmed controller operative to monitor a plurality of operational parameters of the wheelchair; a joystick unit coupled to the programmed controller; and a display screen integral to the joystick unit. The programmed controller is operative to interact with the joystick unit to display a user selected operational parameter of the plurality on the display screen of the joystick unit. In addition, a method of displaying operational parameters of a power driven wheelchair on a display screen integral to a joystick unit of the wheelchair comprises the steps of: monitoring a plurality of operational parameters of the wheelchair by a programmed controller; coupling the joystick unit to the programmed controller; utilizing the joystick unit to select an operational parameter of the plurality; and operating the programmed controller to interact with the joystick unit to display the selected operational parameter of the plurality on the display screen of the joystick unit.

Claims

1. Apparatus of a power driven wheelchair powered by a battery for displaying operational parameters of said battery, said apparatus comprising:

a programmed controller operative to monitor a plurality of operational parameters of said wheelchair battery;

a joystick unit coupled to said programmed controller; and

a display screen integral to said joystick unit, wherein said programmed controller being operative to interact with said joystick unit to display a user selected battery operational parameter of said plurality on said display screen of said joystick unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the joystick unit is operative to accommodate user selection of a battery operational parameter of the plurality and to communicate the user selection to the programmed controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including a memory coupled to said programmed controller for storing data representative of the monitored battery operational parameters;

and wherein the programmed controller is operative in response to the user selection from the joystick unit to access data representative of said user selected battery operational parameter from said memory and to communicate said accessed data to the joystick unit for display on the display screen.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the joystick unit comprises a joystick operable by a user to a predetermined position to select a battery operational parameter for display on the display screen of the joystick unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the joystick unit is operative in response to movement of the joystick to said predetermined position to communicate a second signal to the programmed controller;

and wherein the programmed controller being responsive to the second signal to communicate to the joystick unit data representative of a next battery operational parameter in a predetermined sequence of battery operational parameters for display on the display screen of the joystick unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the programmed controller is responsive to the second signal when in a display select mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the programmed controller continues to communicate to the joystick unit data representative of the next battery operational parameter of the sequence at a predetermined rate in response to the second signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user selected battery operational parameter of the plurality is displayed on the display screen of the joystick unit in parametric units.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display screen is operative to display images in a split screen format;

and wherein the user selected battery operational parameter is displayed in one region of the split display screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a battery discharge indicator is displayed in the other region of the split display screen.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 including a serial communication cable for coupling the joystick unit to the programmed controller to accommodate serial data communication therebetween.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the programmed controller comprises a microcontroller.

13. Method of displaying operational parameters of a battery that powers a power driven wheelchair on a display screen integral to a joystick unit of said wheelchair, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of operational parameters of said wheelchair battery by a programmed controller;

coupling the joystick unit to said programmed controller;

utilizing said joystick unit to select a battery operational parameter of said plurality; and

operating said programmed controller to interact with said joystick unit to display said selected battery operational parameter of said plurality on said display screen of said joystick unit.

14. The method of claim 13 including the steps of:

storing data representative of the monitored battery operational parameters in a memory coupled to the programmed controller;

communicating a selection signal from the joystick unit to the programmed controller; and

operating the programmed controller to respond to the selection signal to access data representative of the selected battery operational parameter from said memory and to communicate said accessed data to the joystick unit for display on the display screen.

15. The method of claim 13 including operating the programmed controller to respond to an activation signal to enter a display select mode of operation.

16. The method of claim 13 including operating a joystick of the joystick unit to a predetermined position to select a battery operational parameter for display on the display screen of the joystick unit.

17. The method of claim 16 including the steps of:

operating the joystick unit to communicate a selection signal to the programmed controller in response to movement of the joystick to the predetermined position; and

operating the programmed controller to respond to the selection signal to communicate to the joystick unit data representative of a next battery operational parameter in a predetermined sequence of battery operational parameters for display on the display screen of the joystick unit.

18. The method of claim 17 including operating the programmed controller to respond to the selection signal when in a display select mode.

19. The method of claim 17 including operating the programmed controller to continue to communicate to the joystick unit data representative of the next battery operational parameter of the sequence at a predetermined rate in response to the selection signal.

20. The method of claim 13 including displaying the selected battery operational parameter on the display screen of the joystick unit in one region of a split screen format.