Wireless fault monitoring system

• US 8,660,565 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Handicare Accessibility Limited (Handicare Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Handicare Accessibility Limited (Handicare Group AB)
• Inventors: Hall, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, NAM TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/090,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,689 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/90.1, 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 340/438, 3405391-53918, 340/648, 340665-667, 3405391-53915, 3405391-53912, 340/539.14, 187200-202, 187/390, 187391-394
• US Class Current: 455/447
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0031 for safety reasons
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/08 associated with stairways, e.g. for transporting disabled persons facilitating access of invalids to vehicles A61G3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33209 Protocol, mailbox, email, mail system
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

If a mobility aid develops a problem, the person controlling the aid may be unable to move or request assistance or call for help. Furthermore, even if someone was alerted to their predicament, that person may not be able to identify and thus rectify the problem expediently without expert assistance. A system (10) for monitoring for a fault in a mobility aid (12) includes a fault detector for detecting a fault in the mobility aid. The system also includes a signal generator (14) for generating a signal representative of the fault is also provided. A wireless transmitter (16) for transmitting fault signal, and a wireless receiver (18) for receiving the fault signal are also provided. The receiver is also operable for causing an alert to be sent to an operator that the mobility aid (12) requires attention.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring for a fault in a stairlift, comprising:

a fault detector, located in the stairlift, for detecting a fault in the stairlift;

a signal generator, located in the stairlift, for generating a signal representative of the fault;

a wireless transmitter, located in the stairlift, for transmitting the fault signal;

a wireless receiver, located remotely from the wireless transmitter, for receiving the fault signal;

wherein the receiver is further operable for causing an alert to be sent to an operator that the stairlift requires attention; and

wherein the fault detector checks whether the stairlift starts moving when instructed to by a user, that it continues moving between a start and an end point, and that it stops at the end point.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault signal comprises a code indicative of the type of fault that has occurred.

3. The system of claim 2, and further comprising a filter operable for directing a particular type of fault code to a particular customer services operator on a particular computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault signal is an SMS message.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the receiver is a GSM or GPRS network operator.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a destination SMS server, the GSM/GPRS operator being operable for transmitting the SMS message to the SMS server for transmitting the alert to the operator.

7. The system of claim 6, configured for two-way communication between the fault detector and the SMS server and wherein the SMS server uses software to analyze the signal representative of the fault and determine the next action required.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the software determines one of:

that more information is required before the next action can be determined;

that an engineer visit is necessary to repair the fault;

that a customer services operator needs to contact the user of the mobility aid;

that the fault can be fixed remotely either permanently or temporarily.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the SMS server is operable for establishing a remote connection with the fault detector and for transmitting a software upgrade thereto.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is also operable as a receiver for receiving data to correct or control the stairlift, and the wireless receiver is also operable as a transmitter for transmitting data to the stairlift.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a panic button.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, when the user of the stairlift presses the panic button, an SMS signal is sent to any pre-programmed number with a pre-programmed message.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising audio and/or visual communications devices that allow a user of the stairlift to speak to and/or see an operator.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the fault detector continually monitors for the presence of faults in the mobility aid stairlift.

15. A system for monitoring for a fault in a mobility aid, comprising:

a fault detector, located in the mobility aid, for detecting a fault in the mobility aid;

a signal generator, located in the mobility aid, for generating a signal representative of the fault in the form of an SMS message;

a wireless transmitter, located in the mobility aid, for transmitting the fault signal;

a wireless receiver, located remotely from the wireless transmitter, for receiving the fault signal; and

a destination SMS server,

wherein the system is configured for two-way communication between the fault detector and the SMS server and wherein the SMS server uses software to analyze the signal representative of the fault and determine the next action required, and

wherein the receiver is a GSM or GPRS network operator operable for transmitting the SMS message to the SMS server and for causing an alert to be sent to an operator that the mobility aid requires attention.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the software determines one of:

(i) that more information is required before the next action can be determined;

(ii) that an engineer visit is necessary to repair the fault;

(iii) that a customer services operator needs to contact the user of the mobility aid;

(iv) that the fault can be fixed remotely either permanently or temporarily.

17. A system for monitoring for a fault in a mobility aid, comprising:

a fault detector, located in the mobility aid, for detecting a fault in the mobility aid;

a signal generator, located in the mobility aid, for generating a signal representative of the fault in the form of an SMS message;

a wireless transmitter, located in the mobility aid, for transmitting the fault signal;

a wireless receiver, located remotely from the wireless transmitter, for receiving the fault signal; and

a destination SMS server,

wherein the system is configured for two-way communication between the fault detector and the SMS server,

wherein the receiver is a GSM or GPRS network operator operable for transmitting the SMS message to the SMS server and for causing an alert to be sent to an operator that the mobility aid requires attention, and

wherein the SMS server is operable for establishing a remote connection with the fault detector and for transmitting a software upgrade thereto.