US 12,111,964 B2
Drive manager for power wheelchair and related methods
John Patrick Sexton, Cumming, GA (US); Shawn Patrick Sexton, Cumming, GA (US); and Mary Kathryn Bryson Sexton, Cumming, GA (US)
Assigned to Life Drive LLC, Cumming, GA (US)
Appl. No. 18/036,228
Filed by LifeDrive LLC, South Bend, IN (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 28, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/048190
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 10, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/076573, PCT Pub. Date May 4, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/272,842, filed on Oct. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0019930 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 3/01 (2006.01); A61G 5/04 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 3/013 (2013.01) [A61G 5/04 (2013.01); A61G 2203/18 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power wheelchair, comprising:
a plurality of wheels operatively connected to the power wheelchair;
one or more motors operatively associated with the power wheelchair;
a drive controller operatively connected to the one or more motors and mounted to the power wheelchair; and
a drive manager device operatively connected to the drive controller, wherein the drive manager device is to:
communicate with an input collection/display unit via a first communication interface, the input collection/display unit operable by a user in the power wheelchair,
determine a command made by the user by processing command data received in a communication with the input collection/display unit, the command being a request to drive the power wheelchair,
in response to determining the command, cause voltage to be applied through a second communication interface and to the drive controller, wherein the voltage causes the drive controller to interact with the one or more motors to actuate one or more wheels of the plurality of wheels,
communicate, via a third communication interface, with a caregiver unit that is external to the power wheelchair and operable by a caregiver, wherein the first communication interface and the third communication interface permit the input collection/display unit and the caregiver unit to communicate with the drive manager device concurrently,
determine that the input collection/display unit is a controlling device that is presently controlling the power wheelchair, where the caregiver unit is a non-controlling device, and
cause a user interface to be provided for display on the non-controlling device such that the user interface:
omits buttons corresponding to directional drive controls so as to prevent the non-controlling device from driving the power wheelchair, and
displays one or more buttons corresponding to controls other than the directional drive controls.