US 11,865,062 B2
Sensor based clear path robot guide
Brian L. Higgins, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to United States Government as Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC (US)
Appl. No. 16/341,693
Filed by UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AS REPRESENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, Washington, DC (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 13, 2017, PCT No. PCT/US2017/056640
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 12, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/071851, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 19, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/408,609, filed on Oct. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0282433 A1, Sep. 19, 2019
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2006.01); A61H 3/00 (2006.01); A61H 3/02 (2006.01); A61H 3/06 (2006.01); G01S 17/88 (2006.01); G01S 15/88 (2006.01); A61H 3/04 (2006.01); G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G01S 15/931 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01); G01S 15/86 (2020.01)
CPC A61H 3/061 (2013.01) [A61H 3/00 (2013.01); A61H 3/02 (2013.01); A61H 3/04 (2013.01); A61H 3/06 (2013.01); G01S 15/88 (2013.01); G01S 15/931 (2013.01); G01S 17/88 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G05D 1/0238 (2013.01); G06F 3/016 (2013.01); A61H 2003/063 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1215 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5048 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5064 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5069 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5076 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5079 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5084 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5092 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5097 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); G01S 15/86 (2020.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a platform comprising a housing defining an interior space;
two or more wheels connected to the platform and supporting the platform above the ground;
a harness connected to the platform and positioned to be grasped by an operator;
at least two sensors configured to sense information about a local environment, wherein each sensor of the at least two sensors is connected to one of the housing or the harness, and wherein each sensor is configured to sense information associated with a sensor zone of the local environment; and
a processor configured to analyze information from the at least two sensors and identify one or more objects in a forward path, the processor additionally configured to construct and send a plurality of messages to the operator, wherein the plurality of messages correspond to the identified one or more objects in the forward path, and wherein the plurality of messages comprise an audible message via a speaker based on information associated with a first sensor zone of the local environment received from a first sensor of the at least two sensors and a tactile message via the harness based on information associated with a second sensor zone of the local environment received from a second sensor of the at least two sensors.