Method and system for controlling a motorized wheelchair using controlled braking and incremental discrete speeds
AssigneeTrenton State College
InventorsMarvin Kurland, Thomas J. Noonan, David L. Martin, Eric Z. Riffl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and system for controlling the operation of a motorized wheelchair where the motors have discrete predetermined speeds thus requiring little user intervention to operate and the motors may be controlled to act as generators to provide dynamic braking of the wheelchair.
Claims20
A method of controlling a wheelchair operated by a user with severely limited dexterity, comprising the steps of:
- a) determining a braking interval as a function of the weight of the user of the wheelchair and a coefficient of friction between the user and the wheelchair;
- and
- b) braking the wheelchair as a function of the determined braking interval.
A system for controlling a wheelchair operated by a user with severely limited dexterity, comprising:
- means for generating a stop signal;
- and
- means for braking the wheelchair as a function of a predetermined braking interval when the stop signal is generated where the predetermined braking interval is selected as a function of the weight of the user of the wheelchair and a coefficient of friction between the user and the wheelchair.
A system for controlling a wheelchair operated by a user with severely limited dexterity, comprising:
- a motor;
- a pushbutton interface having at least an increase speed button and a stop button;
- means for generating a change speed command when the user of the wheelchair depresses the increase speed button;
- means for selecting, as a function of the change speed command, one of a plurality of predetermined motor speeds;
- means for controlling the motor of said wheelchair to operate at substantially the selected predetermined motor speed;
- and
- means for braking the wheelchair when the stop button is depressed by the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.