IP Library Granted Patent US 11,364,431
Granted Patent B2
US 11,364,431 · App. 16/629,252 · Granted Jun 21, 2022

Method and device for control of a mobility device

Inventors: Xunjie Zhang (Pittsburgh, PA); Anand Kapadia (Annandale, VA)
Assignee: SHIFT ROBOTICS, INC.
A63C17/12B60L15/2009A61B5/112A63C2203/12A63C2203/18A63C2203/24B60L2200/24B60L2240/42
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,364,431
App. No.
16/629,252
Granted
Jun 21, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for control of a mobility device comprising a controller for analyzing data from at least one sensor on the mobility device, wherein the data is used to determine the gait of user. The gait data is then used to provide motion command to an electric motor on the mobility device.

Claims (20)

1. A method of controlling a pair of mobility devices, each having an electric motor, the method comprising:

receiving gait dynamic data, comprising gyroscopic data, from at least one inertial measurement unit in a first mobility device and at least one inertial measurement unit in a second mobility device;

detecting a stance/swing phase of the first mobility device and the second mobility device based on the gait dynamic data;

computing a gait trajectory vector, wherein the gait trajectory vector comprises a foot velocity;

determining the gait of a user based on the average velocity of the first mobility device and the second mobility device; and

generating a motion command using the determined gait.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gait dynamic data further comprises at least one of acceleration, angular rates, orientation, or quaternion data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gait trajectory vector of the gait is set to zero if in a stance phase.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of computing the velocity of the gait trajectory vector comprises:

integrating an acceleration provided by the inertial measurement unit.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cross validating the motion command between the first mobility device and the second mobility device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of cross validating the motion command comprises:

converting the motion command into a motor driving signal if the motion command of the first mobility device is similar to a motion command of the second mobility device.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of cross validating the motion command comprises:

converting the motion command into a braking signal if the motion command of the first mobility device is not similar to a motion command of the second mobility device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

checking for user input from a remote controller, and overriding the motion command based on the user input.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the gait of a user based on the gait trajectory vector comprises:

comparing the velocity of the gait trajectory vector to a range of speeds.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gait trajectory vector further comprises at least one of a parameter selected from the group consisting of stride length, orientation, and elevation.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: NIMBUS ROBOTICS, INC.
To: SHIFT ROBOTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 055550/0955 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2020
From: KAPADIA, ANAND
To: NIMBUS ROBOTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 054564/0675 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2020
From: ZHANG, XUNJIE
To: NIMBUS ROBOTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 052747/0173 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62530177 · Jul 8, 2017
Related Publication 20200129844A1 · Apr 30, 2020