This invention pertains to a device and a system for aiding communication by a person with a disability.
Some persons have a disability that prevents them from speaking, and well as a disability of motor skills to the hands and fingers that prevent the person from writing, typing, or gesturing to others in order to communicate. Often, such persons have very limited movement and motor skills to all parts of the body, including the head. Nevertheless, even very limited motor skills might he useful for this person to formulate communications with other persons, including parents, siblings other family members, best friends, other friends, caregivers and medical personnel, and others.
The present invention provides a system and a method to enable a person with very limited motor and verbal skills to communicate with other persons. The system includes a selector device for communicating a selected movement of the body of the person as an electronic signal, a controller for converting the electronic signal into an indication signal, and an indicator device that receives the indication signal and emits a resulting message in response to the selected movement of the person's body.
In an aspect of the invention, the person is a person with limited motor control or his or her arms and legs (for example, a quadriplegic), and the selector device is configured to interface with the head of the person.
In another aspect of the invention, the selector device includes a moveable element having an interface surface, and the person moves the body portion into contact with the interface surface to move the moveable element into contact with a switch, for actuating the switch.
In a further aspect of the invention, the moveable element can be a spring-biased element. A non-limiting example of a spring-biased element is the surface of a spring-biased button having an outer surface are sufficient for easy and effective biasing contact by the head of the person. The biasing of the button results in actuating of a switch.
The selector device can include a mechanical device comprising a base member including a switch and a moveable member having a contact surface configured for biasing the moveable member relative to the base member to actuate the switch. The actuation of the switch provides an electronic communication with a controller unit. The electronic communication can include a contact signal as a result or indication that the person has moved a part of his/her body into contact with the contact surface of the moveable member in a manner sufficient to bias the moveable member relative to the base member and to actuate the switch.
In a further aspect of the invention, the switch is an electronic switch, including an electromechanical switch. The switch can include a momentary or biased switch, or a toggle switch, for closing and opening the electrical contacts of the switch. In a particular embodiment, the switch is a push-to-make switch, or a push-to-break switch.
In another aspect of the invention, the selector device also includes a means for transmitting an electronic signal from the selector device to a controller. In an aspect of the invention, the activation of the switch closes (or opens) a circuit between the selector device and the controller, which sends the electronic signal across a wired connection between the interface device and the controller. In an alternative aspect of the invention, the activation of the switch effects the transmission of a wireless signal from the selector device, by a wireless signal transmission device, that can be received by the controller by means of a wireless signal receiver.
In an aspect of the invention, a controller includes a microprocessor for analyzing the received electronic signal, and converting the electronic signal into an indication signal. The microprocessor includes memory and programming for executing an algorithm that converts the received electronic signal to an indication signal. The indication signal is an electronic signal transmitted on a conductive wire or circuit, or transmitted wirelessly, that is received by an indicator device. The indicator device receives the indication signal and emits in response a resulting message in response to the selected movement of the person's body.
In an aspect of the invention, the indicator device can comprise one or a plurality of indicator devices, which can be the same or different devices. A non-limiting examples of an indicator device can include a light-emitting device that can include a lamp or a display panel, and the resulting message is an emitted light wave. The lamp can include an incandescent, compact fluorescent, or light emitting diode (LED) illumination element. The display can include a matrix of illumination elements including mono-chromic or multicolored illumination elements. Specific though non-limiting examples of a display can include a liquid crystal display, a matrix comprising one or a plurality of monochromic LEDs, where the plurality of LEDs emit light having the same or different illumination wavelengths, or “colored lights”. The resulting message can include a lamp that emits light of a particular color; for example, a red color or a green color. The resulting message can also include an icon or a message that is illuminated from a video or light display, which emits a light of a particular color (for example, a red color or a green color), or an icon (for example, a “thumbs up”, or a “thumbs down”, or and emoji), or a text image. The resulting message can be intended to be viewed or informing to another person, thus enabling the user of the system to communicate.
An embodiment of the invention is shown in
The controller 10 includes a housing 20 that contains a microprocessor 12 mounted on a PC board 13 and an integral display 30. One or more ports 17 accept the one or more plugs 59, placing the selector device 50 into the circuit communication with a microprocessor 12. The electronic components of the device 10, including the microprocessor 12 and the display 30, are supplied with DC current power supplied by a battery 15 or by a mains alternating current (AC) via outlet plug and cord 16 through a transformer 14. The battery 15 can be a rechargeable lithium ion battery mounted on the inside using Velcro® 115. The microprocessor 12 includes programming for executing an algorithm that converts an electronic signal 90 from the push-button device 51, into an indication signal 92. The indication signal 92 is emitted by the microprocessor 12 over a line 112 to a display 30, which converts the indication signal 92 into a resulting message that can be observed and understood by a third party.
The controller 10 also includes a data port 19, illustrated as a USB port, f©r programming the microprocessor 12.
In an embodiment of the invention, as shown in
The light elements 38 and 39 can be different colors, or the same color.
Another embodiment of the invention is shown in
The indicator device 130 includes a first lamp 131 and a second lamp 132 to indicate either the first response state or the second response state. Illumination 134 of the first lamp 131 can indicate a “yes” response, or first option for a response, such as “left”. Conversely, illumination of the second lamp 132 can indicate a “no” response, or second (or opposite) option for a response, such as “right”. The color of the illumination of the lamps 131 and 132 can be different or the same colors.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/310,916, filed Mar. 21, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62310916 | Mar 2016 | US |