Drive Manager For Power Wheelchair And Related Methods

A drive manager device for managing the controls of a power wheelchair equipped with one or more motors capable of actuating a set of moveable components, the set of moveable components including at least one of a vertically adjustable seat, a tiltable backrest, and a plurality of wheels, the power wheelchair being further equipped with a drive controller operatively connected to the one or more motors and to the drive manager device, the drive manager device comprising:

• one or more memories;
• and
• one or more processors, operatively coupled to the one or more memories, to:
• establish a first communication session with an input collection/display unit that is operable by a user in the power wheelchair,
• establish a second communication session with a caregiver unit that is external to the power wheelchair and operable by a caregiver,
• determine a command by processing command data received from one of the input collection/display unit or the caregiver unit, the command being a request to control the power wheelchair,
• cause voltage to be applied to the drive controller, wherein the voltage causes the drive controller to interact with the one or more motors to actuate at least one of the set of moveable components,
• determine that one of the input collection/display unit or the caregiver unit is a controlling device that is presently controlling the power wheelchair, the other unit being a non-controlling device, and
• cause a user interface to be provided for display on the non-controlling device such that the user interface:
• omits buttons corresponding to motion-based controls so as to prevent the non-controlling device from moving the power wheelchair, and
• displays one or more buttons corresponding to controls other than the motion-based controls.

A method for managing the controls of a power wheelchair equipped with one or more motors, one or more moveable components, a drive controller operatively connected to the one or more motors and mounted to the power wheelchair, and a drive manager device operatively connected to the drive controller;

• the method comprising:
• establishing, by the drive manager device, a first communication session with an input collection/display unit that is operable by a user in the power wheelchair;
• establishing, by the drive manager device, a second communication session with a caregiver unit that is external to the power wheelchair and operable by a caregiver;
• receiving, by the drive manager device, command data for a command to control the power wheelchair, wherein the command data is received from one of the input collection/display unit or the caregiver unit;
• determining, by the drive manager device, the command made by the user by processing the received command data;
• causing, by the drive manager device, voltage to be applied to the drive controller to cause the drive controller to interact with the one or more motors to actuate at least one of the one or more moveable components;
• determining, by the drive manager device, that one of the input collection/display unit or the caregiver unit is a controlling device that is presently controlling the power wheelchair, the other unit being a non-controlling device;
• and
• causing, by the drive manager device, a user interface to be provided for display on the non-controlling device such that the user interface:
• omits buttons corresponding to motion-based controls so as to prevent the non-controlling device from moving the power wheelchair, and
• displays one or more buttons corresponding to controls other than the motion-based controls.