# US 12,117,842 B2 · User control device for a transporter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,117,842 B2 - Document ID: US12117842B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/339,560 - Filed: 2023-06-22 - Published: 2023-10-26 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-14 - Assignees: DEKA Products Limited Partnership - Applicants: DEKA Products Limited Partnership - Inventors: Bob Peret; Stewart M. Coulter; Dean Kamen; Derek G. Kane - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12117842B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/222: operated by humans - A61G 3/0808: {Accommodating or securing wheelchairs} - A61G 5/06: with obstacle mounting facilities, e.g. for climbing stairs, {kerbs or steps} - A61G 5/061: {for climbing stairs} - A61G 5/104: {Devices for lifting or tilting the whole wheelchair (transfer lifts A61G3/06; arrangements for adjusting the seat height A61G5/1059)} - A61G 5/1043: {Cushions specially adapted for wheelchairs} - A61G 5/1051: {Arrangements for steering} - A61G 5/1059: {adjusting the height of the seat} - A61G 5/1067: {adjusting the backrest relative to the seat portion} - B60L 15/10: for automatic control superimposed on human control to limit the acceleration of the vehicle, e.g. to prevent excessive motor current (electric devices for safety purposes B60L3/00) - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS} - G05D 1/246: using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM] - G05D 1/248: generated by satellites, e.g. GPS - G05D 1/249: from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras - G05D 1/65: Following a desired speed profile - A61G 2203/14: Joysticks - A61G 2203/22: for automatically guiding movable devices, e.g. stretchers or wheelchairs in a hospital - A61G 2203/30: characterised by sensor means - G01S 19/01: Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A user control device for a transporter. The user control device can communicate with the transporter via electrical interface(s) that can facilitate communication and data processing among the user interface device and controllers that can control the movement of the transporter. The user control device can perform automated actions based on the environment in which the transporter operates and the user's desired movement of the transporter. External applications can enable monitoring and control of the transporter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Method of storing a transporter in a vehicle, wherein the transporter comprises a sensor and a processor configured to execute instructions to control motion of the transporter and the vehicle comprising a door, the vehicle and door defining a storage compartment having a doorway, said method comprising: segmenting data from the sensor and defining segmented data; identifying a plane in the segmented data; identifying the door and/or the doorway in the plane; positioning the transporter for entering the doorway based on said identifying; generating a first signal for opening the door; generating a second signal for moving the transporter through the doorway; and generating a third signal for closing the door. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Method of claim 1 further comprising prior to said generating a first signal or said generating a second signal: measuring the doorway and defining a measurement; and generating an alert if the measurement does not meet a threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Method of claim 1 further comprising generating a fourth signal for locking the door. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Method of claim 1 further comprising reacting to an obstacle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) Method of claim 4 wherein said reacting comprises: identifying a second plane in the segmented data; identifying an obstacle in the second plane; determining a distance between the transporter and the obstacle; identifying an allowed command based on: the distance, the obstacle, a situation identifier and combinations thereof; and generating a fourth signal for moving the transporter based on the allowed command. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Method of claim 5 further comprising receiving a user command, wherein said identifying an allowed command is based on the user command. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) Method of claim 4 wherein the obstacle is moving. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) Method of claim 4 wherein the distance is a dynamically-varying amount. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) Method of claim 5 wherein said identifying an obstacle comprises using a point cloud library (PCL). ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) Method of claim 7 further comprising tracking the object with simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) with detection and tracking of moving objects (DATMO) based on a location of the transporter. ### Claim 11 Transporter comprising a processor configured to for executing instructions for: receiving a movement command; segmenting point cloud library (PCL) data and defining segmented PCL data; identifying a plane in the segmented PCL data; identifying an obstacle in the plane; determining a situation identifier based on the movement command and the obstacle; determining a distance between the transporter and the obstacle based on the situation identifier; accessing an allowed command related to the distance, the obstacle and the situation identifier; relating the movement command with the allowed command; and moving the transporter based on the allowed command, whereby the transporter responds to the allowed command. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Transporter of claim 11 wherein the situation identifier is based on user information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) Transporter of claim 11 wherein said processor is configured for executing instructions for: storing the obstacle in a storage cloud; and enabling a system external to said transporter to access the obstacle. ### Claim 14 Method of storing a transporter comprising a sensor and a processor, said method comprising: determining a storage location of a storage area; generating a movement command for moving the transporter to the storage location based on the storage location; providing the movement command to the transporter; determining a charging location of a charging dock in the storage area; generating a docking command for docking the transporter with the charging dock based on the charging location; and providing the docking command to the transporter; and the transporter responds to the docking command. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Method of claim 14 further comprising generating a signal for locking the storage area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) Method of claim 14 further comprising reacting to an obstacle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) Method of claim 16 wherein said reacting comprises: identifying an obstacle in the plane; determining a distance between the transporter and the obstacle; identifying an allowed command based on: the distance, the obstacle, a situation identifier and combinations thereof; and generating a fourth signal for moving the transporter based on the allowed command. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) Method of claim 17 further comprising receiving a user command, wherein said identifying is based on the user command. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) Method of claim 16 wherein the obstacle is moving. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) Method of claim 16 wherein the distance is a dynamically-varying amount. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) Method of claim 16 wherein said identifying an obstacle comprises using a point cloud library (PCL). ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) Method of claim 19 further comprising tracking the object with simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) with detection and tracking of moving objects (DATMO) based on a location of the transporter. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) Method of claim 14 further comprising negotiating an elevator comprising an elevator threshold and an elevator door, said negotiating comprising: locating the elevator; providing a first movement command for moving the transporter through the elevator door clearing the elevator threshold into the elevator; determining a geometry of the elevator; providing a second movement command for moving the transporter into a floor location relative to the elevator threshold; and when the elevator door opens, providing a third movement command for moving the transporter out of the elevator. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) Method of claim 14 further comprising negotiating a door comprising a handle and having a location, a swing and a doorway, said negotiating comprising: determining a hinge side of the door, the location, and a swing direction of the door based on the hinge side; determining characteristics of the door, a distance from the transporter to the door and a width of the door; generating a movement command configured for the processor to respond by issuing instructions for moving the transporter through the door based on the swing and the width; and providing the movement command to the transporter.