Wheelchair system with emergency stop function

Abstract

To provide systems.SOLUTION: A wheelchair system comprises a wheelchair comprising a seat, one or more first sensors disposed on or within the seat, one or more second sensors configured to communicate with the one or more first sensors and configured to be associated with a user to determine if the user is falling out of the wheelchair, where the wheelchair is configured to automatically stop upon detection that the user is falling out of the wheelchair.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments described herein generally relate to wheelchairs, and more specifically to a wheelchair system having an emergency stop function.

Background Art

[0002] Wheelchairs are often used as a means of transportation for individuals with motor disabilities. An individual may sit in a wheelchair, such as an electric wheelchair, and use one or more control devices to direct the movement of the wheelchair. The wheelchair may be moved by a motor or other actuator disposed on the wheelchair. Thus, the wheelchair may be used by an individual to traverse the environment.

[0003] However, the physical ability of an individual using a wheelchair may be low. Therefore, when the wheelchair moves within an environment, the user sitting on the wheelchair may fall off the wheelchair, which may cause injury to the user. For this reason, there is a need for a wheelchair that can prevent the user from falling off the wheelchair.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one embodiment, a wheelchair system includes a wheelchair having a seat, one or more first sensors disposed on or within the seat, and one or more second sensors configured to communicate with the one or more first sensors and determine, in conjunction with a user, whether the user has fallen off the wheelchair. The wheelchair is configured to automatically stop when it detects that the user has fallen off the wheelchair.

[0005] In another embodiment, the wheelchair system comprises a wheelchair having a seat and a backrest, one or more first sensors positioned on or inside the surface of the seat or backrest, a master controller, a seat adjustment actuator, and one or more second sensors configured to communicate with one or more first sensors and the master controller, and configured to determine the user's movement within the wheelchair in conjunction with the user. The master controller is configured to cause the seat adjustment actuator to adjust the seat or backrest based on the user's movement when it detects the user's movement within the wheelchair.

[0006] The features and additional features provided by embodiments of this disclosure will be understood more comprehensively in conjunction with the drawings and the following detailed description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] The embodiments shown in the drawings are for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. The following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments can be understood in conjunction with the following drawings. Similar structures are indicated by similar reference numbers. [Figure 1] A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary wheelchair according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein. [Figure 2A] A diagram showing an exemplary shirt equipped with a sensor according to one or more embodiments described or shown herein. [Figure 2B] A figure showing an exemplary pair of trousers equipped with sensors according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein. [Figure 3] Figure showing a schematic diagram of an exemplary master controller for the wheelchair shown in Figure 1, according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary memory module of the master controller according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 5]A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method performed with the wheelchair shown in Figure 1, according to one or more embodiments described or presented herein. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating another exemplary method, as demonstrated by the wheelchair in Figure 1, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of this disclosure relate broadly to wheelchair systems with an emergency stop function. A wheelchair, such as an electric wheelchair, may include one or more sensors that can be paired with sensors attached to or embedded in the user's clothing. When a user uses the wheelchair, the pair of sensors can determine whether the user is falling from the wheelchair. If the user begins to fall from the wheelchair, the wheelchair may automatically stop to prevent injury to the user. In some embodiments, the wheelchair may determine the direction in which the user is falling from the wheelchair and adjust the wheelchair seat position accordingly to prevent or stop the user from falling from the wheelchair.

[0009] Referring to Figure 1, a schematic diagram of the wheelchair 10 is provided. The wheelchair 10 may be a commonly recognized wheelchair, and in some embodiments, it may be a powered wheelchair equipped with powered components that allow a user 12 to electronically control the movement of the wheelchair 10. In some embodiments, the wheelchair 10 may be an autonomously controlled wheelchair, where the movement of the wheelchair is controlled without direct control by the user 12. The various components of the wheelchair 10 should be understood and will not be described in further detail herein. In some embodiments, the wheelchair 10 may comprise a power base 14, a frame 16, and a seat defined by a seat portion 18 and a back portion 20 supported by the frame 16. The frame 16 is then supported by the power base 14. Thus, the frame 16 is positioned roughly below the seat portion 18 in the vertical direction, and the power base 14 is positioned roughly below the frame 16 in the vertical direction. In some embodiments, the power base 14 may raise, tilt, or otherwise move the frame 16, followed by the seat 18. For example, the power base 14 may control the seat adjustment actuator 24 to raise, lower, tilt, or otherwise move the frame 16, seat 18, and / or backrest 20. The seat adjustment actuator 24 may include a motor or any other suitable mechanism for moving the frame 16, seat 18, and / or backrest 20. In some embodiments, other mechanisms may be used to adjust the frame 16 and seat 18. The frame 16, seat 18, and backrest 20 are generally configured to support the user 12 when the user 12 is seated in the wheelchair 10.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control member 22 may be coupled to the wheelchair 10. The control member 22 may be used by the user 12 as an input device to the wheelchair 10. The control member 22 may be used to input instructions, such as movement instructions, to the wheelchair 10. The control member 22 may include a touchscreen, joystick, buttons, switches, voice control, breathing control, etc., for receiving input from the user 12. The control member 22, including its various components, may be communicatively coupled to the power base 14 to transmit signals to the power base 14 so that the wheelchair 10 responds according to the input received by the control member 22.

[0011] The power base 14 may include, but is not limited to, a plurality of wheels 28, a motor 30, a battery 32, and a master controller 34. The master controller 34 may be an electronic control unit and may generally be a control device for controlling the wheelchair 10 and / or one or more of its components. For this reason, the master controller 34 may be communicatively coupled to various components of the wheelchair 10, and as a result, one or more control signals can be transmitted from the master controller 34 to various components, as will be described in more detail herein. The master controller 34 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 3.

[0012] The wheelchair 10 may also be equipped with one or more sensors 40. The sensors 40 may communicate with a pair of sensors 50 that can be embedded in the user 12's clothing to indicate the presence and / or location of the user 12 on the wheelchair 10, as will be described in more detail below. The sensors 40 may include magnetic sensors, proximity sensors, RFID sensors, or any other sensors capable of indicating the presence and / or location of the user 12 on the wheelchair 10. In the example in Figure 1, two sensors 40 are mounted on the back 20 and two sensors 40 are mounted on the seat 18. However, it should be understood that the wheelchair 10 may be equipped with any number of sensors 40 in various locations on the wheelchair 10. The sensors 40 may be communicably coupled to a master controller 34, as will be described in more detail below.

[0013] One or more sensors 50 may be attached to or embedded in the clothing worn by the user 12. The sensors 50 may be used to indicate the location and / or presence of the user 12 within the wheelchair 10 (e.g., the presence of the user 12 on the seat 18). The sensors 50 may include magnetic sensors, proximity sensors, RFID sensors, or any other sensors that can indicate the presence and / or location of the user 12 relative to the wheelchair 10. In the example in Figure 1, two sensors 50 are attached to the shirt worn by the user 12, and two sensors 50 are attached to the trousers worn by the user 12. However, it should be understood that any number of sensors 50 can be provided in or on any part of the user 12's clothing. Figure 2A shows an exemplary shirt 200 with four sensors 50 attached, and Figure 2B shows an example of a pair of trousers 202 with four sensors 50 attached. In some embodiments, the sensors 50 may be communicably coupled to a master controller 34, as will be described in more detail below.

[0014] The sensor 50 may be sewn onto the user 12's clothing, clipped on, or otherwise attached by any other method. In some embodiments, the sensor 50 may be clipped onto the wheelchair 10 (e.g., the seat 18 and / or backrest 20). In some embodiments, the sensor 50 may be embedded in a wearable electronic device such as a smartwatch or a portable electronic device such as a smartphone carried by the user 12.

[0015] Each of the sensors 50 may be paired with one of the sensors 40. For example, as shown in Figure 1, two sensors 50 attached to the user 12's shirt may be paired with two sensors 40 on the back 20 of the wheelchair 10, and two sensors 50 on the user 12's trousers may be paired with two sensors 40 on the seat 18 of the wheelchair 10. The sensors 50 may be aligned with the sensors 40 when the user 12 is properly seated in the wheelchair 10, as shown in Figure 1. For this reason, each of the sensors 40 may determine its proximity to its paired sensor 50.

[0016] If user 12 begins to slide, fall, or otherwise move within the wheelchair 10, this movement may be detected by sensors 40, 50. For example, in some embodiments, the distance between sensor 50 and its paired sensor 40 may increase as user 12 begins to fall from the wheelchair 10. In some embodiments, sensors 40, 50 may detect the rate of change in the distance between the sensors. This rate of change may be used to determine how quickly user 12 falls from the wheelchair 10. In other embodiments, other data collected by sensors 40, 50 may be used to determine the position or movement of user 12 within the wheelchair 10. For this purpose, data collected by sensors 40, 50 may be transmitted to the master controller 34. The master controller 34 may then adjust the movement and / or seat of the wheelchair 10 accordingly, as will be described in more detail below.

[0017] Figure 3 shows an exemplary master controller 34 included in the wheelchair 10 of Figure 1. The master controller 34 comprises one or more processors 302, a communication path 304, one or more memory modules 306, network interface hardware 312, and data storage components 314. Details of these components are described in the following paragraphs. The master controller 34 in Figure 3 is provided for illustrative purposes only, and it should be understood that other master controllers 34 with more, fewer, or different components may be available.

[0018] Each of the one or more processors 302 may be any device capable of executing machine-readable and executable instructions. For this reason, each of the one or more processors 302 may be a controller, integrated circuit, microchip, computer, or any other computing device. The one or more processors 302 are coupled to a communication path 304 that provides signal interconnection between various modules of the master controller 34. For this reason, the communication path 304 may connect any number of processors 302 to each other in a communicative manner, enabling the modules coupled to the communication path 304 to operate in a distributed computing environment. Specifically, each module may operate as a node capable of transmitting and / or receiving data. As used herein, the term “communicatively coupled” means that coupled components can exchange data signals with each other, such as electrical signals over a conductive medium, electromagnetic signals over air, or optical signals over an optical waveguide.

[0019] Therefore, the communication path 304 may be formed from any medium capable of transmitting signals, such as conductive wires, conductive wiring, or optical waveguides. In some embodiments, the communication path 304 may facilitate the transmission of wireless signals such as WiFi, Bluetooth®, or Near Field Communication (NFC). Furthermore, the communication path 304 may be formed from a combination of media capable of transmitting signals. In one embodiment, the communication path 304 includes a combination of conductive wiring, conductive wires, connectors, and buses that cooperate to enable the transmission of electrical data signals to components such as processors, memory, sensors, input devices, output devices, and communication devices. Therefore, the communication path 304 may include buses such as LIN buses, CAN buses, or VAN buses. Furthermore, it should be noted that the term “signal” means a waveform (e.g., electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical, or electromagnetic) such as DC, AC, sine waves, triangular waves, square waves, or vibrations that can pass through a medium.

[0020] The master controller 34 includes one or more memory modules 306 coupled to the communication path 304. One or more memory modules 306 may include RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard drives, or any device capable of storing machine-readable executable instructions so that one or more processors 302 can access the machine-readable executable instructions. Machine-readable executable instructions may include logic or algorithms written in any programming language of any generation (e.g., 1GL, 2GL, 3GL, 4GL, or 5GL), such as processor code that can be compiled or assembled into machine-readable executable instructions and stored in one or more memory modules 306, or machine code that can be directly executed by assembly language, object-oriented programming (OOP), scripting language, microcode, etc. Separately, machine-readable executable instructions may be written in a hardware description language (HDL), such as logic implemented via a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configuration or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or an equivalent thereto. Therefore, the methods described herein may be implemented in any conventional computer programming language, either as pre-programmed hardware elements or as a combination of hardware and software components. The memory module 306 of the master controller 34 200 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 4.

[0021] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the master controller 34 200 includes network interface hardware 312 for communicatively coupling the master controller 34 to sensors 40, 50. The network interface hardware 312 can be communicatively coupled to a communication path 304 and can be any device capable of transmitting and / or receiving data over a network. For this reason, the network interface hardware 312 can include a communication transceiver for transmitting and / or receiving any wired or wireless communication. For example, the network interface hardware 312 can include an antenna, a modem, a LAN port, a Wi-Fi card, a WiMax card, mobile communication hardware, short-range communication hardware, satellite communication hardware, and / or any wired or wireless hardware for communicating with other networks and / or devices. In one embodiment, the network interface hardware 312 includes hardware configured to operate according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless communication protocol. The network interface hardware 312 of the master controller 34 may receive data from sensors 40, 50 as disclosed herein.

[0022] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the master controller 34 includes a data storage component 314. The data storage component 314 may store data that can be utilized by the memory module 306 and / or other components of the master controller 34. For example, the data storage component 314 may store sensor data received from sensors 40, 50. Other data that can be stored in the data storage component 214 will be described throughout this disclosure.

[0023] Referring now to FIG. 4, an exemplary memory module 306 of master controller 34 is shown. One or more memory modules 306 may include a sensor data receiving module 400, a user movement determination module 402, an emergency stop module 404, and a seat adjustment module 406. Each of the sensor data receiving module 400, the user movement determination module 402, the emergency stop module 404, and the seat adjustment module 406 may be a program module in the form of an operating system, an application program module, and other program modules stored in one or more memory modules 306. Such program modules may include routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. for performing specific tasks or for operating on specific data types, but are not limited to those listed herein.

[0024] The sensor data receiving module 400 may receive data from sensors 40 and / or 50. In the illustrated example, the sensor data receiving module 400 receives data from only sensor 40. However, in other examples, the sensor data receiving module 400 may receive data from sensor 50 in addition to or instead of sensor 40.

[0025] When wheelchair 10 moves user 12 around the environment, sensors 40 and 50 may continuously communicate with each other and collect data that master controller 34 may use to determine whether user 12 is properly seated in wheelchair 10. If sensor 40 detects that user 12 is not properly seated in wheelchair 10 (e.g., user 12 has fallen out of seat portion 18), sensors 40 and / or sensor 50 may send a signal to master controller 34. In other embodiments, sensors 40 and / or 50 may continuously send data to master controller 34, and master controller 34 may determine whether user 12 has fallen out of wheelchair 10 based on the received data, as described in more detail below.

[0026] For example, each of the paired sensors 40 and 50 may transmit the distance between them to the master controller 34. In other examples, each of the sensors 50 may be clipped to the corresponding sensor 40, and the sensors 40 may transmit a signal to the master controller 34 when one or more sensors 40 are released from the clipping to the pair of sensors 50. In some examples, each of the sensors 40 may transmit data to the master controller 34 indicating the relative position between sensor 40 and the pair of sensors 50. In some examples, when sensor 50 moves away from the pair of sensors 40, sensor 40 may transmit the speed at which sensor 50 is moving away from sensor 40 to the master controller 34. In other examples, sensor 40 may transmit other data to the master controller 34. Any such data transmitted from one and / or more sensors 50 may be received by the sensor data receiving module 400.

[0027] Referring further to Figure 4, the user movement determination module 402 may determine the movement and / or position of the user 12 in the wheelchair 10 based on the data received by the sensor data receiving module 400. The movement determination module 402 may also determine the direction in which the user 12 is moving within the wheelchair 10. In addition, the movement determination module 402 may determine the speed at which the user 12 is moving within the wheelchair 10. Based on the direction and / or speed at which the user 12 is moving within the wheelchair 10, the movement determination module 402 may determine whether the user 12 has fallen from the wheelchair 10 using the techniques described herein.

[0028] In one example, the user movement detection module 402 may determine that user 12 has fallen from the wheelchair 10 if the distance between sensor 40 and its paired sensor 50 is greater than a predetermined threshold amount. In another example, the user movement detection module 402 may determine that user 12 has fallen from the wheelchair 10 if the distance between sensor 40 and its paired sensor 50 increases by an amount exceeding a threshold amount. In yet another example, the user movement detection module 402 may determine that user 12 has fallen from the wheelchair 10 using other metrics based on data received by the sensor data receiving module 400. In some examples, the user movement detection module 402 may determine the speed at which user 12 falls from the wheelchair 10 based on the rate of change between the relative positions of one or more sensors 40 and their paired sensor 50.

[0029] In some embodiments, the user movement determination module 402 may determine the direction in which user 12 is moving, such as the direction in which user 12 is about to fall from wheelchair 10, based on the data received by the sensor data receiving module 400. For example, if one or more of the sensors 50 move away from a pair of sensors 40 in a specific direction, the user movement determination module 402 may detect the direction in which sensor 50 is moving away from sensor 40 and, accordingly, determine the direction in which user 12 is moving within wheelchair 10. For example, if sensor 50 moves to the right of the pair of sensors 40, the user movement determination module 402 may determine that user 12 is moving to the right side of wheelchair 10 and is potentially about to fall from the right side of wheelchair 10.

[0030] Referring further to Figure 4, the emergency stop module 404 may automatically stop the movement of the wheelchair 10 (for example, by stopping the motor 30) based on the movement of the user 12 inside the wheelchair 10 as determined by the user movement determination module 402. For example, the emergency stop module 404 may automatically stop the wheelchair 10 when the user movement determination module 402 determines that the user 12 has fallen out of the wheelchair 10. This would prevent the user 12 from falling completely out of the wheelchair 10 if it continued to move, but allows the user 12 to readjust their position inside the wheelchair 10 or receive assistance while the wheelchair 10 is not moving.

[0031] In some examples, the emergency stop module 404 may stop the wheelchair 10 only if the speed at which the user 12 falls from the wheelchair 10 is greater than a predetermined threshold. In other examples, the emergency stop module 404 may stop the wheelchair 10 when other metrics are met based on one or more determinations made by the user movement determination module 402.

[0032] The seat adjustment module 406 may cause the seat portion 18, backrest 20, and / or other parts of the wheelchair 10 to automatically adjust based on the movement of the user 12 in the wheelchair 10 as determined by the user movement determination module 402. This may prevent or prevent the user 12 from falling out of the wheelchair 10. Adjustments to the seat of the wheelchair 10 that may be caused by the seat adjustment module 406 may include tilting the backrest 20 forward, backward, or to one side, moving the seat portion 18 forward, backward, or to the side, or other adjustments. Specifically, the seat adjustment module 406 may cause the seat adjustment actuator 24 to adjust the seat of the wheelchair 10, as described herein.

[0033] After the user movement detection module 402 determines the direction in which user 12 is moving within the wheelchair 10 (for example, the direction in which user 12 may fall from the wheelchair 10), the seat adjustment module 406 may adjust the seat of the wheelchair 10 based on the direction in which user 12 is moving within the wheelchair 10 or has fallen from the wheelchair 10. For example, if the user movement detection module 402 determines that user 12 is sliding forward from the seat portion 18 of the wheelchair 10, the seat adjustment module 406 may move the seat portion 18 forward to prevent or stop user 12 from falling from the wheelchair 10. If the user movement detection module 402 determines that user 12 is sliding to the side of the seat portion 18 of the wheelchair 10, the seat adjustment module 406 may move the seat portion 18 to the side to prevent or stop user 12 from falling from the wheelchair 10. In other examples, the seat adjustment module 406 may adjust the seat of the wheelchair 10 based on other determinations made by the user movement determination module 402, such as the position of the user 12 in the wheelchair 10 (for example, the direction in which the user 12 is leaning).

[0034] Referring to Figure 5, a flowchart of an exemplary operation method for wheelchair 10 is shown. In step 500, the sensor data receiving module 400 receives data from one or more of the sensors 40 and / or 50. In step 502, the user movement determination module 402 determines, based on the data received by the sensor data receiving module 400, whether user 12 has fallen from wheelchair 10. If the user movement determination module 402 determines that user 12 has not fallen from wheelchair 10 ("no" in step 502), control returns to step 500. If the user movement determination module 402 determines that user 12 has fallen from wheelchair 10 ("yes" in step 502), then in step 504, the emergency stop module 404 stops the movement of wheelchair 10.

[0035] Referring now to Figure 6, a flowchart of another exemplary operation method of wheelchair 10 is shown. In step 600, the sensor data receiving module 400 receives data from one or more of the sensors 40 and / or 50. In step 602, the user movement determination module 402 determines, based on the data received by the sensor data receiving module 400, whether user 12 has fallen from wheelchair 10. If the user movement determination module 400 determines that user 12 has not fallen from wheelchair 10 (no in step 602), control returns to step 600. If the user movement determination module 402 determines that user 12 has fallen from wheelchair 10 (yes in step 602), control moves to step 604.

[0036] In step 604, the user movement determination module 402 determines the direction in which the user 12 will fall from the wheelchair 10 based on the data received by the sensor data receiving module 400. Next, in step 606, the seat adjustment module 406 adjusts the position of the seat 18, backrest 20 and / or other components of the wheelchair 10 based on the direction in which the user 12 will fall from the wheelchair 10. In the embodiment, the seat adjustment module 406 adjusts the position of the seat 18, backrest 20 and / or other components of the wheelchair 10 by transmitting an appropriate signal to the seat adjustment actuator 24.

[0037] It should be understood here that embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a wheelchair having one or more sensors that communicate with one or more pairs of sensors attached to or embedded in the clothing of the wheelchair user. The pairs of sensors on the wheelchair and the user's clothing may communicate with each other and / or with one or more other components within the wheelchair 10 to determine whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair. If it is determined that the user has fallen from the wheelchair, the wheelchair automatically stops moving.

[0038] Sensors may communicate with each other within the wheelchair and / or with other components to determine the user's movement or position within the wheelchair. The wheelchair may then automatically adjust the seat, backrest, or other parts to prevent or reduce the possibility of the user falling out of the wheelchair.

[0039] While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, it is not necessary to use such aspects in combination. For this reason, the attached claims are intended to cover any such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0040] Example 1. A wheelchair equipped with a seat, One or more first sensors located on or inside the seat, A wheelchair system comprising: one or more second sensors configured to communicate with the one or more first sensors and configured to work in conjunction with the user to determine whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair, A wheelchair system configured to automatically stop the wheelchair when it detects that the user has fallen from the wheelchair. Example 2. The wheelchair system according to Example 1, wherein the one or more second sensors are configured to be attached to the user's clothing. Example 3. The wheelchair system according to Example 1, wherein the one or more second sensors are configured to be embedded in the user's clothing. Example 4. The wheelchair system according to Example 1, wherein each of the one or more first sensors is paired with one of the one or more second sensors. Example 5. The wheelchair system according to Example 1, further comprising a master controller configured to receive data from the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors, and to determine whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair based on the received data. Example 6. The wheelchair system according to Example 5, wherein at least one of the one or more first sensors is configured to clip onto one of the one or more second sensors, and the master controller determines that the user has fallen from the wheelchair when at least one of the one or more first sensors is released from clipping onto one of the one or more second sensors. Example 7. The wheelchair system according to Example 6, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair by cutting off power to the wheelchair's motor when it detects that the user has fallen from the wheelchair. Example 8. The wheelchair system according to Example 6, wherein the data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors, and the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair if the distance between any of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold. Example 9. The wheelchair system according to Example 6, wherein the data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors, and the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the distance between any of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors increases by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold. Example 10. A wheelchair having a seat and a backrest, One or more first sensors disposed on the surface or inside the seat or backrest, Master controller and Seat adjustment actuator and A wheelchair system comprising: one or more first sensors and one or more second sensors configured to communicate with the master controller and to determine the user's movement within the wheelchair in conjunction with the user, A wheelchair system in which, upon detecting the movement of the user within the wheelchair, the master controller is configured to cause the seat adjustment actuator to adjust the seat or backrest based on the user's movement. Example 11. The wheelchair system according to Example 10, wherein the master controller is configured to receive data from one or more first sensors or one or more second sensors to determine the position of the user in the wheelchair, and to cause the seat adjustment actuator to adjust the seat or the backrest according to the position of the user. Example 12. At least one of the one or more first sensors is attached to the seat of the wheelchair. The wheelchair system according to Example 10, wherein at least one of the one or more first sensors is attached to the back of the wheelchair. Example 13. The wheelchair system according to Example 10, wherein the one or more first sensors are configured to communicate with the one or more second sensors to determine whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair based on the user's movement. Example 14. The master controller is: Receiving data from the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors, The wheelchair system according to Example 10, configured to determine the user's movement based on the received data. Example 15. Each of the one or more first sensors is paired with a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to Example 14, wherein the data received by the master controller includes the relative position between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. Example 16. The master controller is: Based on the user's movements, it is determined whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair. The wheelchair system according to Example 14, configured to stop the wheelchair when it detects that the user has fallen from the wheelchair. Example 17. The wheelchair system according to Example 16, further comprising a motor, A wheelchair system in which, upon detecting that the user has fallen from the wheelchair, the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair by cutting off power to the motor. Example 18. The data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to Example 16, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the distance between any of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold. Example 19. The data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to Example 16, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the distance between any of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors increases by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold. Example 20. The data received by the master controller includes the rate of change in the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to Example 16, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the rate of change between any one of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A wheelchair equipped with a seat, One or more first sensors located on or inside the seat, One or more second sensors configured to communicate with the one or more first sensors, and which are attached to the wheelchair user, are configured to work in conjunction with the user to determine whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair, A master controller configured to receive data from one or more first sensors or one or more second sensors indicating the positional relationship between the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors, and to determine whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair based on the received data, In a wheelchair system equipped with, A wheelchair system configured to automatically stop the wheelchair when it detects that the user has fallen from the wheelchair.

2. The wheelchair system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more second sensors are configured to be attached to the user's clothing.

3. The wheelchair system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more second sensors are configured to be embedded in the user's clothing.

4. The wheelchair system according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first sensors is paired with one of the one or more second sensors.

5. The wheelchair system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more first sensors is configured to be clipped to one of the one or more second sensors, and the master controller receives a signal transmitted from the one or more first sensors when the clipping is released as data indicating the positional relationship, and determines that the user has fallen from the wheelchair.

6. The wheelchair system according to claim 5, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair by cutting off power to the wheelchair's motor when it detects that the user has fallen from the wheelchair.

7. The wheelchair system according to claim 5, wherein the data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors, and the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair if the distance between any of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold when any of the one or more first sensors is released from clipping to a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors.

8. The wheelchair system according to claim 5, wherein the data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors, and the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the distance between any of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors increases by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold, due to any of the one or more first sensors being released from clipping to the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors.

9. A wheelchair equipped with a seat and a backrest, One or more first sensors disposed on the surface or inside the seat portion or the back portion, Master controller and Seat adjustment actuator and A wheelchair system comprising: one or more first sensors and one or more second sensors configured to communicate with the master controller and to be attached to the wheelchair user in conjunction with the user to determine the user's movement within the wheelchair, The aforementioned master controller The system receives data from one or more first sensors or one or more second sensors indicating the positional relationship between the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors. The system is configured to determine the user's movement based on the received data. A wheelchair system in which, upon detecting the movement of the user within the wheelchair, the master controller is configured to cause the seat adjustment actuator to adjust the seat or backrest based on the user's movement.

10. The wheelchair system according to claim 9, wherein the master controller is configured to receive data from one or more first sensors or one or more second sensors to determine the position of the user in the wheelchair, and is configured to cause the seat adjustment actuator to adjust the seat or the backrest according to the position of the user.

11. comprising a plurality of the first sensors, At least one of the plurality of first sensors is attached to the seat of the wheelchair. The wheelchair system according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of first sensors is attached to the back of the wheelchair.

12. The wheelchair system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more first sensors are configured to communicate with the one or more second sensors to determine whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair based on the user's movement.

13. Each of the one or more first sensors is paired with a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to claim 9, wherein the data received by the master controller includes the relative position between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors.

14. The aforementioned master controller Based on the user's movements, it is determined whether the user has fallen from the wheelchair. The wheelchair system according to claim 9, configured to stop the wheelchair when it is determined that the user has fallen from the wheelchair.

15. Equipped with an additional motor, The wheelchair system according to claim 14, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair by cutting off power to the motor when it determines that the user has fallen from the wheelchair.

16. The data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to claim 14, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the distance between any one of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold.

17. The data received by the master controller includes the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to claim 14, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the distance between any one of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors increases by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold.

18. The data received by the master controller includes the rate of change in the distance between each of the one or more first sensors and the corresponding one of the one or more second sensors. The wheelchair system according to claim 14, wherein the master controller is configured to stop the wheelchair when the rate of change between any one of the one or more first sensors and a corresponding one of the one or more second sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold.

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