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US 6,805,677 B2Granted
Wheel-less walking support and rehabilitation device
OwnerJohn Castle Simmonsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and process for empowering those in wheelchairs and others with loss of limb control to walk, climb stairs, sit in ordinary chairs, use normal bathroom facilities and stand at normal height with their peers. It also provides a means to speed rehabilitation of the injured while providing superior physical therapy without draining professional resources. The apparatus is worn under normal clothing allowing them to also look normal.
Claims33
A limb control or assistance device comprising:
- a first reporting means for reporting joint dynamics of a first body;
- and
- a first computing means associated with the first body, operatively connected to first reporting means and equipped with a first memory means for storing the joint dynamics over time for one or more body parts as a body executes an action or series of actions, thus capturing the joint dynamics of one or many thus-learned actions or types of learned actions;
- a joint control means for controlling or modifying some or all of the joint dynamics of a second body;
- a second computing means associated with the second body, operatively connected to joint control means, and equipped with a second memory means for storing and recalling learned actions, to direct the joint control means to replicate or approximate these stored joint dynamics over a time period;
- and
- a learned action selection means, associated with the second computing means, for selecting a previously stored learned action to be replicated or approximated;
- wherein
- learned action selection means, whether in the form of a user directing the computing means to pick the next of any number of available learned actions, or in the form of a software-driven computer selection of the most currently appropriate of the learned actions, or any combination thereof, can direct the body through a series of potentially complex learned actions by selecting, as needed, learned actions which are then transitioned-to and replicated or approximated.
6 more elements
A limb control or assistance device comprising:
- a joint control means for the control of joint dynamics of a body wherein joint dynamics comprise joint or body part position, angle, direction, force, contact, pressure, speed, attitude, or acceleration, or any combination thereof;
- a reporting means for reporting the joint dynamics of the parts of the body;
- a computing means, operatively connected to said joint control means and said reporting means, equipped with memory means for storing the joint dynamics over time for one or multiple body parts simultaneously as a body models a learned action by performing an action or a series of actions, and for recalling those stored joint dynamics and directing the same or a similar joint control means on the same or another joint-control-means- equipped body to replicate those thus-learned actions over some time period;
- and
- a learned action adjustment means for adjusting joint dynamics through commands to joint control means, wherein
- learned action adjustment means, responsive to current conditions or objectives, whether the learned action adjustment means is computer software, or a user with a user interface, or any combination thereof, makes it possible to adjust the replication or approximation of a potentially complex learned action with potentially simple adjustments.
3 more elements
A method for assisting or directing in part or in full the mobilization of a body comprising, in any order, the steps of:
- capturing joint dynamics data, where joint dynamics are defined as joint or body part position, angle, direction, force, contact, pressure, speed, attitude, or acceleration, or any combination thereof, while a learned action or multiple learned actions to be learned are modeled by a body being monitored for some or all of these values by sensors,
- storing data for each such learned action in retrievable form,
- placing a body in a joint-control means capable of controlling body part positions,
- selecting, by decision of computing means or by user selection through a user interface, or any combination thereof, the desired learned actions to recapitulate or approximate,
- using the data for each thus-selected learned action to direct the joint-control means to transition, when necessary, from current positions or any learned action already in progress, and replicate or approximate over time those stored values on affected body areas.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.