CN105476766A - Wheelchair control system and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a wheelchair control system and a control method thereof, and the wheelchair control system comprises a wheelchair, wherein a first sensor is arranged on a chair back of the wheelchair, at least one second sensor is arranged above the chair back of the wheelchair, a control device is electrically connected to the first sensor and the at least one second sensor, a rider sits on the wheelchair to trigger the first sensor and the at least one second sensor, so that the controller controls the wheelchair to move, and when the first sensor and the at least one second sensor are triggered or not triggered, the control device can control the wheelchair to be static or move. The invention can control the movement of the wheelchair by changing the sitting posture of the rider, not only solves the problem that the common traditional wheelchair can be moved only by the help of other people, but also provides a new automatic wheelchair for the rider with inconvenient upper limb actions, and the rider can control the movement of the wheelchair only by changing the sitting posture.

Description

Wheelchair control system and control method thereof

technical field

The invention relates to a system and a control method for controlling the movement of a wheelchair, in particular to a wheelchair control system and a control method for controlling the movement of the wheelchair by changing the sitting posture of an occupant.

Background technique

The early wheelchairs were designed to facilitate the occupants with disabled lower limbs or mobility problems to ride and move. In addition to being pushed by others, the occupants can also push the rim to move the wheelchair by themselves. However, traditional wheelchairs still have many inconveniences. For example, occupants with disabled upper limbs cannot move the wheelchair by themselves. Many different kinds of electric wheelchairs have been produced successively in the future to improve the deficiencies of traditional wheelchairs.

In general, electric wheelchairs still require the occupant to directly control and operate the electric wheelchair to make it move, but this greatly reduces the effort required by the occupant, and the occupant can simply control the movement of the wheelchair with only his hands. For example, China Taiwan Patent Publication No. 364844 discloses a wheelchair, which has an operating push wheel rim, which can detect and check the size of the artificial driving force, so that the motor of the control part is driven and controlled, and the occupant operates the push wheel It does not need too much effort when turning around; in addition, as No. 555554, Taiwan Patent Announcement, it discloses a power-assisted wheelchair to be installed on the wheelchair, and sensors are arranged on the rim to utilize the rider's hand strength To control the wheelchair, one-handed operation mode can also be used for operation and control. Although the above-mentioned prior art has improved the way in which the traditional electric wheelchair controls the wheelchair to advance or change direction with the joystick, no matter which way the occupant must use one of the hands to operate, the traditional joystick has limited the ability to ride. The left or right hand can be controlled by the operator, while other previous cases need the assistance of the "hand" to control the movement of the wheelchair. For the occupants whose upper limbs are not convenient, they still need the help of others to achieve the purpose of moving. Fully autonomous control cannot be achieved.

Therefore, the inventor of this case has proposed a control system and control method that can control the movement of the wheelchair without using the upper limbs in view of the existing technology and the shortcomings of the traditional electric wheelchair, so that the wheelchair is more convenient and more convenient for various occupants. achieve the purpose of moving.

Contents of the invention

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair control system and its control method. The occupant can control the movement of the wheelchair in different ways by touching the sensor on his back when sitting in the wheelchair, and can control the movement of the wheelchair without moving his hands at all. , with wider applicability, especially for passengers with handicapped upper limbs, it is very suitable to choose it as an auxiliary tool for self-moving.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair control system and its control method, which are very simple and easy to use, no matter for occupants with disabled upper limbs or for occupants with healthy upper limbs, and do not need too many complicated buttons or The control action can simply drive the wheelchair to move according to the reflex action of the human body, making the operation easier and more convenient.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wheelchair control system, which is arranged on the back of the wheelchair, the wheelchair control system includes a first sensor, at least one second sensor and a control device, the first sensor and at least one first sensor Two sensors are arranged on the back of the wheelchair, and at least one second sensor is located above the first sensor, the control device is electrically connected to the first sensor and at least one second sensor, and the control device senses the first sensor and at least one second sensor trigger state to control the wheelchair to stand still or move.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention also provides a wheelchair control method, comprising the following steps: providing a wheelchair, a first sensor and at least one second sensor are arranged on the back of the wheelchair, and at least one second sensor is located above the first sensor ; the occupant sits on the wheelchair; and the occupant triggers the first sensor and at least one second sensor to control the wheelchair to be stationary or move.

The above-mentioned wheelchair control method includes the following methods: simultaneously triggering the first sensor and at least one second sensor to make the wheelchair stationary; triggering the first sensor to make the wheelchair move; simultaneously not triggering the first sensor and at least one second sensor to make the wheelchair move The wheelchair is stationary. Through the above wheelchair control method, it is easier for the occupant to control the movement of the wheelchair.

The above-mentioned first sensor also includes at least two first sensing elements. When any one of the first sensing elements is triggered, the wheelchair will move forward left or right. By changing the sensing position of the first sensor , to achieve more detailed wheelchair operation.

When the above-mentioned at least one second sensor is more than two, at least two second sensors are sequentially arranged on the back of the wheelchair from bottom to top, and when the first sensor is triggered and the at least two second sensors When the sequence is not triggered, the wheelchair will move at different speeds, providing another way to operate the wheelchair.

When the above-mentioned first sensor is triggered, the control device controls the wheelchair to move forward, and may further include a third sensor arranged on the back of the wheelchair and above the at least one second sensor, the third sensor is electrically connected to The control device, when the first sensor, at least one second sensor and the third sensor are triggered at the same time, the control device controls the wheelchair to move backward. Provides a control back operation method.

The following specific embodiments are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so that it is easier to understand the purpose, technical content, characteristics and effects of the present invention.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the front view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the circuit block diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is the front view of the occupant of the present invention riding in the wheelchair;

Figure 4a and Figure 4b are schematic diagrams when the wheelchair is stationary;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram when the wheelchair advances;

Fig. 6a is the front view of the second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the wheelchair moving towards the right front of the occupant;

Figure 6c is a schematic diagram of the wheelchair moving towards the left front of the occupant;

Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b are schematic diagrams of the acceleration control of the third embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is the circuit block diagram of the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

9 is a schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 10 is the front view of the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 11 is the circuit block diagram of the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 12 is a side view of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 13 is a circuit block diagram of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 14 is a flow chart of the wheelchair control method provided by the present invention.

Explanation of reference signs: 10-wheelchair control system; 12-wheelchair; 122-chair back; 14-first sensor; 142-first sensing element; 144-first sensing element; 16-second sensor; 16' - second sensor; 18 - control device; 20 - occupant; 22 - third sensor; 24 - manual wheelchair; 242 - chair back; 26 - electric auxiliary wheel.

detailed description

The present invention can improve the deficiencies of traditional wheelchairs or existing electric wheelchairs. Through a more humanized operation interface and simpler operation methods, the occupants of the wheelchair can have different operation options and are easier to operate. Disabled or disabled occupants can control the movement of the wheelchair without relying on others.

First, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the wheelchair control system 10 is disposed on the seat back 122 of the wheelchair 12 , and the wheelchair 12 in this embodiment is an electric wheelchair. The wheelchair control system 10 includes a first sensor 14 and at least one second sensor 16. In FIG. 16 can also be two, three or more, and can be set according to the needs of the manufacturer. The wheelchair control system 10 also includes a control device 18, and the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16 are both arranged on the back of the wheelchair 12 122, and the second sensor 16 is located above the first sensor 14, if the second sensor 16 is more than one, it is also located above the first sensor 14, and the control device 18 (indicated by a dotted line here) can be arranged on the wheelchair 12 In the seat back 122, this is only a demonstration of this embodiment. The control device 18 is mainly electrically connected to the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16. The position of the control device 18 can be set according to the manufacturer's needs, and this embodiment is not used. The description is limited.

Then, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the wheelchair 12 equipped with the wheelchair control system 10 can be used by an occupant 20, as shown in Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b, when the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16 are seated simultaneously When the back of the patient 20 is triggered or is not triggered at the same time, the control device 18 can control the wheelchair 12 to be stationary. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the back of the occupant 20 triggers the first sensor 14 , the control device 18 controls the wheelchair 12 to move, for example, controls the wheelchair 12 to move forward.

In addition to the above-mentioned static and forward movement of the wheelchair, as shown in FIG. The number and arrangement are limited, and the sensing elements can be designed according to the needs of the manufacturer. When the occupant 20 sits in the wheelchair 12 and the back of the occupant 20 touches any one of the two first sensing elements 142, 144, the wheelchair will 12 will move forward to the left or forward to the right. For example, as shown in Figure 6b, when the back of the occupant 20 touches the first sensing element 142, the wheelchair 12 will move towards the right of the occupant 20; When the back of the wheelchair 12 touches to trigger the first sensing element 144 , the wheelchair 12 will move towards the left of the occupant 20 at this time.

As shown in Figure 7a and Figure 7b, when at least one second sensor 16 is more than two, for example, when taking two second sensors 16, 16' as an example, the two second sensors 16, 16' can also be used as the upper and lower positions For example, two second sensors 16, 16' can be arranged on the seat back 122 of the wheelchair 12 in sequence from bottom to top, the second sensor 16 is below the second sensor 16', when the occupant 20 sits on the wheelchair 12 If the back of the occupant 20 touches the first sensor 14 and sequentially does not touch the two second sensors 16, 16', the wheelchair 12 will move at different speeds. For example, as shown in FIG. 7a, when the back of the occupant 20 has touched the first sensor 14 and first disengaged from the second sensor 16', but still touches to trigger the second sensor 16, the wheelchair 12 will slowly move forward; Then, as shown in FIG. 7b, when the occupant 20 then disengages from the second sensor 16, the wheelchair 12 will move forward at a faster speed. In addition to controlling the speed of the wheelchair 12 through a plurality of second sensors 16', the first sensor 14 can still be divided into two first sensing elements 142, 144 as described in the previous paragraph, as shown in FIG. A sensing element 142, 144 controls the wheelchair 12 to turn right or left, and the detailed control method is the same as that described in the previous paragraph, and will not be repeated here.

After explaining the forward movement of the wheelchair, turning left and right, turning right and controlling the speed, some wheelchairs are designed to continuously turn left or right to turn to the rear direction of the original position and then move forward to achieve the purpose of making the wheelchair move backwards. purpose, but the present invention can also directly make the wheelchair backward in addition to the above-mentioned mode. Next, it will be described how the present invention goes backwards directly, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 . In addition to the above-mentioned first sensor 14 and second sensor 16, a third sensor 22 may also be included, which is arranged on the seat back 122 of the wheelchair 12 and above the second sensor 16, and the third sensor 22 is also electrically connected To the control device 18, when the first sensor 14, the second sensor 16 and the third sensor 22 are simultaneously touched and triggered by the back of the occupant 20, the control device 18 controls the wheelchair 12 to move backward. A sensor 14, the second sensor 16 and the third sensor 22 are inductive switches, and the inductive switches have micro switches or touch switches, etc. In this implementation, the first sensor 14, the second sensor 16 and the third sensor 22 are touch switch. Although the first sensor 14, the second sensor 16 and the third sensor 22 are disclosed in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 of the present invention, mainly referring to the way the wheelchair 12 moves backward, the first sensor 14 can still be divided into two The first sensing element (not shown) is to control to move left or right, except a second sensor 16, also can add more than one second sensor 16 simultaneously to control speed, and make wheelchair 12 reach above-mentioned Stand still, move forward, move backward, accelerate or turn left, right, etc.

Continuing from the above, after explaining the ways of moving forward, backward, accelerating and turning left and right, the present invention is summarized in an embodiment to describe in detail the wheelchair control system with the above-mentioned various moving ways. As shown in Figure 10, the wheelchair control system 10 is arranged on the chair back 122 of the wheelchair 12. The wheelchair control system 10 includes a first sensor 14 and at least one second sensor, for example, two second sensors 16, 16' are taken as an example. , and the wheelchair control system 10 also includes a third sensor 22 and a control device 18 . The first sensor 14, the second sensor 16, 16' and the third sensor 22 are all arranged on the seat back 122 of the wheelchair 12, the second sensor 16, 16' is located above the first sensor 14, and the second sensor 16' is located Above the second sensor 16 , the third sensor 22 is located above the second sensor 16 ′, and the control device 18 can be disposed in the seat back 122 of the wheelchair 12 . The control device 18 is mainly electrically connected to the first sensor 14, the second sensors 16, 16' and the third sensor 22. The present invention can set the position of the control device 18 according to the requirements of the manufacturer, and is not limited by the description of this embodiment. And as previously described forward, backward, acceleration and turning left and right, when the occupant 20 sits on the wheelchair 12, the occupant 20 can simultaneously trigger or not trigger the first sensor 14 and the second sensor through the back. 16, 16' to make the wheelchair 12 static; when gradually disengaging from the second sensor 16, 16', the wheelchair 12 can be gradually accelerated, such as first disengaging from the second sensor 16' to make the wheelchair 12 move forward slowly, and then disengaging from the second sensor 16 Finally, when the second sensor 16, 16' is completely disengaged to trigger the first sensor 14, the wheelchair 12 can be moved forward at a slightly faster speed; and the first sensing element 142, 144 to make the wheelchair 12 move to the right front or left front; when going backward, the occupant 20 can trigger the second sensor 16, 16' at the same time in addition to triggering the first sensor 14 to make the wheelchair 12 stationary, and then trigger The third sensor 22 triggers the first sensor 14 , the second sensor 16 , 16 ′ and the third sensor 22 simultaneously to make the wheelchair 12 move backward.

The wheelchair in the above embodiments is an electric wheelchair, but the wheelchair in the present invention can also be used for manual and electric wheelchairs or purely manual wheelchairs, as long as the control device can be installed in the wheelchair body, the control device can be determined according to the design of the occupant position, and then the first sensor, at least one second sensor and the third sensor are arranged on the back of the wheelchair. Then, another embodiment is provided, as shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13, when the wheelchair is a general traditional manual wheelchair 24, an electric auxiliary wheel 26 can be added on the manual wheelchair 24, and the control device 18 is electrically connected to the electric wheel. The auxiliary wheel 26, the control device 18 can control the electric auxiliary wheel 26 to make the manual wheelchair 24 move. For example, the chair back 242 of the manual wheelchair 24 is still provided with the first sensor 14 and at least one second sensor 16, such as a second sensor 16, but the number of the second sensor 16 is not limited, as long as at least one The second sensor 16 can be implemented, the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16 are all electrically connected to the control device 18, and the first sensor 14, the second sensor 16 and the control device 18 can be made together first, and then installed on the On the chair back 242 of the manual wheelchair 24, the mode of triggering the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16 can be changed as the above-mentioned triggering mode, and the control device 18 controls the electric auxiliary wheel 26 to work, and the electric auxiliary wheel 26 can simultaneously drive the manual wheelchair. twenty four. This paragraph mainly explains that the present invention can be additionally installed on the manual wheelchair 24. Although the third sensor as mentioned in the previous paragraph is not mentioned, it should not be limited by this. The manufacturer can still design according to the needs, and can still add more The second sensor 16 and the third sensor are in the manual wheelchair 24.

After explaining the various working modes of the wheelchair control system of the present invention and the connection relationship and installation positions of the components, as shown in Fig. 10, Fig. 11 and Fig. 14, the wheelchair control method provided by the present invention will be described next. First, as shown in step S10, a wheelchair 12 is provided. A first sensor 14 and at least one second sensor, such as a second sensor 16, 16', are provided on the back 122 of the wheelchair 12. The second sensor 16, 16' is located at On the top of the first sensor 14, there is at least one second sensor 16. Here, two second sensors 16, 16' are used as an example, but this number should not be a limitation of the implementation, and the second sensor 16 ′ is located above the second sensor 16 . As shown in step S12 , the occupant 20 sits on the wheelchair 12 . As shown in step S14, the occupant 20 triggers the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16, 16' to control the wheelchair 12 to be still or move, and the control of the wheelchair 12 to be still or move includes the following methods. As shown in step S16, when the back of the occupant 20 touches simultaneously to trigger the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16, 16', the control device 18 controls the wheelchair 12 to be stationary. Or as shown in step S18, when the back of the occupant 20 does not trigger the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16, 16' at the same time, the control device 18 controls the wheelchair 12 to be stationary. As shown in step S20, the occupant 20 triggers the first sensor 14 to move the wheelchair 12, wherein triggering the left or right side of the first sensor 14 can make the wheelchair 12 move toward the left front or right front, for example, triggering The first sensing element 142 on the left side of the first sensor 14 can make the wheelchair 12 move toward the right front of the occupant 20, or trigger the first sensing element 144 on the right side of the first sensor 14 to make the wheelchair 12 move toward the passenger. The left front of the operator 20 moves. As shown in step S22, when the occupant 20 triggers the first sensor 14 to move the wheelchair 12, he can gradually move away from the second sensor 16, 16' from bottom to top, so that the wheelchair 12 gradually increases the moving speed, for example, when the occupant 20 triggers The first sensor 14 disengages from the second sensor 16' first, but still triggers the second sensor 16. At this time, the wheelchair 12 will slowly move forward. When the occupant 20 then disengages from the second sensor 16, the wheelchair 12 will move faster. speed forward. As shown in step S24, when the occupant 20 triggers the first sensor 14, the wheelchair 12 can be moved forward; , the second sensor 16, 16' and the third sensor 22, so that the wheelchair 22 moves backward.

To sum up, the present invention not only provides a wheelchair control system, but also provides a more convenient and easy-to-operate control method for the occupants through the wheelchair control system. The control methods provided above should not be limited by this. The number of at least one second sensor can be adjusted according to the different needs of the occupants. For example, three to five or more second sensors can be added to control the acceleration more finely. The main spirit of the present invention is to use the user's back To operate the movement of the wheelchair, the design of a variety of different numbers of sensors as control switches in the future should be related to the present invention. For wheelchair occupants, regardless of whether the upper limbs are convenient to control the wheelchair, the way the occupant himself feels the movement of the wheelchair, controls the wheelchair forward, backward, left, right or controls the speed, and the movement of the occupant's upper body It can control the movement of the wheelchair, which is very ergonomic design concept, and although the present invention does not limit the shape of each sensor, it is mainly designed to match the waist of the occupant, so as to make a more comfortable and conform to the shape of the back of the human body. The unique back operation method is completely different from the operation method of traditional wheelchairs or electric wheelchairs.

The above-described embodiments are only to illustrate the technical ideas and characteristics of the present invention, and its purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. Equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit disclosed in the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (21)

1. A wheelchair control system, which is arranged on the chair back of the wheelchair, is characterized in that the wheelchair control system comprises: a first sensor, which is arranged on the seat back of the wheelchair; at least one second sensor disposed on the back of the wheelchair above the first sensor; and A control device is electrically connected to the first sensor and the at least one second sensor, and the control device senses the triggering states of the first sensor and the at least one second sensor to control the wheelchair to be stationary or move. 2 . The wheelchair control system according to claim 1 , wherein when the first sensor and the at least one second sensor are triggered at the same time or are not triggered at the same time, the control device controls the wheelchair to be stationary. 3 . 3. The wheelchair control system according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor further comprises at least two first sensing elements, and when any one of the first sensing elements is triggered, the wheelchair moves forward to the left. or move right forward. 4. The wheelchair control system according to claim 1, wherein when the at least one second sensor is more than two, the at least two second sensors are sequentially arranged on the seat back of the wheelchair from bottom to top Above, the wheelchair moves at different speeds when the first sensor is triggered and when the at least two second sensors are not triggered sequentially. 5. The wheelchair control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the wheelchair to move forward only when the first sensor is triggered. 6. The wheelchair control system according to claim 5, further comprising a third sensor disposed on the back of the wheelchair and above the at least one second sensor, the third sensor is electrically The control device is connected, and when the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor are triggered simultaneously, the control device controls the wheelchair to move backward. 7. The wheelchair control system according to claim 6, wherein the first sensor, the at least one second sensor and the third sensor are inductive switches. 8. The wheelchair control system according to claim 7, wherein the inductive switch is a micro switch or a touch switch. 9. The wheelchair control system according to claim 6, wherein when the occupant sits on the wheelchair, the back of the occupant triggers the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor on the back of the seat. sensor. 10. The wheelchair control system according to claim 1, wherein the wheelchair is an electric wheelchair or a manual and electric wheelchair. 11. The wheelchair control system according to claim 1, wherein when the wheelchair is a manual wheelchair, the manual wheelchair is further provided with electric auxiliary wheels, the electric auxiliary wheels are electrically connected to the control device, and the control device controls the Electric training wheels allow this manual wheelchair to move. 12. A wheelchair control method, characterized in that, comprising the following steps: providing a wheelchair, the chair back of the wheelchair is provided with a first sensor and at least one second sensor, the at least one second sensor is located above the first sensor; the occupant is in the wheelchair; and The occupant activates the first sensor and the at least one second sensor to control the wheelchair to be stationary or to move. 13. The wheelchair control method according to claim 12, wherein the first sensor and the at least one second sensor are triggered simultaneously to make the wheelchair stationary. 14. The wheelchair control method according to claim 12, wherein the first sensor and the at least one second sensor are not triggered at the same time to make the wheelchair stationary. 15. The wheelchair control method according to claim 12, characterized in that, when the first sensor is triggered to move the wheelchair, the wheelchair moves forward or left after triggering either the left side or the right side of the first sensor. Move right forward. 16 . The wheelchair control method according to claim 12 , wherein when the first sensor is triggered to move the wheelchair, the at least one second sensor is gradually separated from top to bottom, so that the wheelchair gradually increases its moving speed. 17. The wheelchair control method according to claim 12, wherein triggering the first sensor can make the wheelchair move forward. 18. The wheelchair control method according to claim 17, wherein a third sensor is arranged above the at least one second sensor, and the first sensor, the at least one second sensor and the third sensor can be triggered simultaneously Move the wheelchair backwards. 19. The wheelchair control method according to claim 18, wherein the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor are inductive switches. 20. The wheelchair control method according to claim 19, wherein the inductive switch is a micro switch or a touch switch. 21. The wheelchair control method according to claim 12, wherein the first sensor and the at least one second sensor are electrically connected to a control device, and the occupant triggers the first sensor and the at least one second sensor Sensors enable the control device to control the movement of the wheelchair.