# US 10,478,359 B2 · Person support apparatuses with acceleration detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,359 B2 - Document ID: US10478359B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/346,779 - Filed: 2016-11-09 - Published: 2017-05-11 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-10 - Assignees: Stryker Corporation - Applicants: Stryker Corporation - Inventors: Marko N. Kostic; Jonathan Mark Greenbank; Sujay Sukumaran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478359B2 ## CPC - A61G 7/0527: {Weighing devices} - A61B 5/1115: {Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair} - A61B 5/1121: {Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement} - A61B 5/6892: {Mats} - A61B 5/7275: {Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor} - A61G 1/02: with wheels - A61G 7/012: raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame (A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence) - A61G 7/015: divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position - A61G 7/018: Control or drive mechanisms - A61G 7/0506: {Head or foot boards (head or foot boards for comfort or ergonomics A47C19/022)} - A61G 7/0507: {Side-rails} - G08B 21/043: {detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall} - G08B 21/0461: {integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor} - G08B 21/22: responsive to presence or absence of persons - G16H 40/63: for local operation - A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions} - A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches - A61B 2562/0252: Load cells - A61G 2203/20: Displays or monitors - A61G 2203/32: for force - A61G 2203/40: for distance - A61G 2203/44: for weight - A61G 2203/70: with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A person support apparatus, such as a bed, stretcher, cot, recliner, or the like, includes a support surface adapted to support a person, a litter, an accelerometer positioned below the support surface, and a controller that processes signals from the accelerometer to detect the presence or absence of a person on the support surface. In some embodiments, the controller also receives signals from a plurality of force sensors and uses them in combination with the accelerometer outputs to determine if the person has exited the person support apparatus. The controller may also be adapted to use outputs from the accelerometer to detect an impact against the person support apparatus, compare a magnitude of the detected impact with a threshold, and, if the threshold is exceeded, to issue a warning indicating potential damage to one or more of the plurality of force sensors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A person support apparatus comprising: a support surface adapted to support a cushioning structure and a person thereon, the support surface including a first section and a second section, the first section being pivotable between a raised orientation and a lowered orientation; a litter adapted to support the support surface; a first accelerometer positioned below the first section and coupled to the litter such that the first accelerometer does not change orientation when the first section pivots; and a controller in communication with the first accelerometer, the controller adapted to process signals from the first accelerometer to detect a presence or absence of the person on the support surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The person support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to automatically execute a task in response to the presence of the person on the support surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The person support apparatus of claim 1 further including a second accelerometer positioned below the cushioning structure and coupled to at least one of the support surface and the litter, the controller in communication with the second accelerometer and adapted to utilize information regarding the relative position of the second accelerometer with respect to the first accelerometer to estimate a location on the support surface of a disturbance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The person support apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of load cells adapted to support said litter, wherein said controller is in communication with the load cells and uses signals from the load cells and the signals from the first accelerometer to detect the presence or absence of the person on the support surface. ### Claim 5 A person support apparatus comprising: a support surface adapted to support a person thereon; a litter adapted to support the support surface; a plurality of force sensors adapted to detect a load, the load including the support surface and the person when the person is supported on the support surface; an accelerometer coupled to at least one of the support surface and the litter; and a controller in communication with the accelerometer and the plurality of force sensors, the controller adapted to use an output from the accelerometer to filter an output of at least one of the plurality of force sensors, the controller further adapted to determine if the person has exited the person support apparatus based upon a combination of signals from both the accelerometer and the plurality of force sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The person support apparatus of claim 5 wherein the controller is adapted to measure the person's weight based upon outputs from the plurality of force sensors and the controller is further adapted to determine if the measured weight is valid based upon outputs from the accelerometer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The person support apparatus of claim 5 wherein the controller uses a periodic output from the accelerometer to filter the output from the at least one of the plurality of force sensors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The person support apparatus of claim 5 wherein the controller uses a transient output from the accelerometer to filter a contemporaneous portion of the output from the at least one of the plurality of force sensors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The person support apparatus of claim 5 wherein the controller is adapted to measure the person's weight based upon outputs from the plurality of force sensors and the controller is further adapted to use outputs from the accelerometer to determine if the person is present or absent from the person support apparatus. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The person support apparatus of claim 5 further comprising: a lift subsystem adapted to raise and lower a height of the support surface; a height sensor adapted to determine a height of the support surface and report the height to the controller; and wherein the controller is adapted to determine an amount of weight exerted on the support surface based on outputs from the plurality of force sensors and the controller is further adapted to determine if a rollover hazard exists based upon the weight exerted on the support surface and the height of the support surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The person support apparatus of claim 10 wherein the controller is further adapted to determine a center of gravity of the weight exerted on the support surface and use the determined center of gravity when determining if a rollover hazard exists. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The person support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller is adapted to automatically zero a weight reading from the plurality of force sensors when the person is absent from the person support apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The person support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller is adapted to automatically take a tare weight reading from the plurality of force sensors when the person is absent from the person support apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The person support apparatus of claim 13 wherein the controller sends a message to a user interface of the person support apparatus indicating that a tare weight reading has been automatically taken, including a magnitude of the tare weight reading. ### Claim 15 A person support apparatus comprising: a support surface adapted to support a person thereon; a litter adapted to support the support surface; a plurality of force sensors adapted to detect a load, the load including the support surface and the person when the person is supported on the support surface; an accelerometer coupled to at least one of the support surface and the litter; and a controller in communication with the accelerometer and the plurality of force sensors, the controller adapted to use outputs from the accelerometer to detect an impact against the person support apparatus, compare a magnitude of the detected impact with a threshold, and, if the threshold is exceeded, to issue a warning indicating potential damage to one or more of the plurality of force sensors. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The person support apparatus of claim 15 wherein the controller is adapted to determine a weight of the person based upon outputs from the plurality of force sensors. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The person support apparatus of claim 16 wherein the controller is further adapted to indicate that the determined weight of the person may be inaccurate due to the impact. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The person support apparatus of claim 15 wherein the person support apparatus is a cot. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The person support apparatus of claim 15 wherein the plurality of force sensors are load cells. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The person support apparatus of claim 15 further including a second accelerometer in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is adapted to estimate a location of the impact based upon the outputs from the accelerometer and second accelerometer.