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

• US 9,052,718 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• 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): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/088,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 370/248
• 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 system, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable media bearing;

one or more instructions for determining a position, velocity, acceleration, bearing, direction, rate-of-change of bearing, or rate-of-change of direction of a self-guided hospital bed;

one or more instructions for generating self-guided hospital bed status information; and

one or more instructions for generating route-to-destination information based on one or more target location inputs and the self-guided hospital bed status information.

2. The system, of claim 1, further including:

a non-transitory computer readable media bearing;

one or more instructions for generating one or more control commands for navigating the self-guided hospital bed to a second position along a travel route based on the route-to-destination information.

3. The system, of claim 1, further including:

a non-transitory computer readable media bearing;

one or more instructions for enabling at least one of remote control, manual control, and automatic control of at least one of a propulsion system, braking system, and steering system of the self-guided hospital bed based on the position, velocity, acceleration, bearing, direction, rate-of-change of bearing, or rate-of-change of direction of the self-guided hospital bed.

4. The system of claim 2, further including a navigation controller configured to generate the one or more control commands for navigating the self-guided hospital bed.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the navigation controller is operably coupled to at least one of a plurality of rotatable members, power source, or motor.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a communication interface configured to request real-time path traffic status information and to update the route-to-destination information based on the response to the requested real-time path traffic status information.

7. The system of claim 1, further including one or more memory device structures having travel route information or object along travel route information stored thereon.

8. The system of claim 1, further including one or more sensors to determine a position, velocity, or acceleration of the self-guided hospital bed.

9. The system of claim 1, further including a route-to-destination control module with a patient-in-route circuit configured to report self-guided patient-support and transport location arrival information.