Motor skill assistance device

A device for assisting individuals having impaired motor skill to actuate a selectable region of touch screen input of a portable computing device. The touch screen is secured in a housing, which includes an operator hand support structure. The hand support include a member for placement of the palm of the operator and allowing the palm to move the hand support structure to a selectable one of a plurality of regions of the touch screen and pivot downwardly to assist the operator to touch activate the touch screen input at the selected region. The device further includes a faceplate, which is positionable over the touch screen and has openings corresponding to the input regions of the touch screen input without interfering with the movement of the hand support. The sidewalls of the faceplate are of sufficient height to assist the operator's actuation of the intended region of the touch screen and inhibiting the operator from unintentional actuation of an adjacent region. The housing still further includes tabletop support for positioning the touch screen input at one of a plurality of selectable angles to facilitate ease of operation. The tabletop support can be repositioned to enclose the touch screen input.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the technical field of electronic communication devices. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of devices for securing such electronic communication devices in a manner that permits operation by persons having severe mobility limitations. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of portable housing devices for securing electronic communication devices and including a system for allowing the actuation of the electronic communication device by operators having severe hand mobility limitations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a number of conditions in which an individual experiences impairment or a loss of the ability to communicate by verbal speech or by writing, or has decreased ability to understand written or spoken language, due to a brain injury, illness, or disease condition.

Many individuals afflicted by autism, a brain injury, stroke, or other injury caused by external forces may suffer from a severe loss of the ability to verbally communicate, in addition to a severe loss of motor skill. The partial or total inability to communicate through verbal speech or written language makes it difficult for professional caregivers and family members to ascertain the needs of the patient and to provide the appropriate care and assistance.

The ability of an individual to communicate to others varies depending on the level of disability. This is particularly important in a hospital setting or long-term care facility where there are many patients that are unable to verbally communicate with the health care providers and hospital staff, and many patients have different levels of verbal capability. The problem faced by the caregiver is magnified when the patient has severe damage to their motor function.

A wide variety of augmentative and assistive communication devices have been developed for use by individuals having differing degrees of verbal communication skills. A number of portable, “text-to-speech” communication devices are available. For those individuals that do not have the motor capability to use a keyboard, scanning communication devices are also available. The proficient use of these devices is dependant on the motor skills of the patient.

One such group of devices utilizes a laptop type of device, which is principally intended for persons who have severe limitation to their verbal communication ability. These devices generally include a touch screen divided in to zones. Each zone has a pictorial or script representation of a communication request or response of the patient. In order to communicate, the patient touch activates the corresponding zone, which represents the desired communication. Upon actuation, the device produces an audible expression of the represented depiction request or response. However, these devices are limited to persons having sufficient motor control to appropriately target the desired zone independently of assistance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an assembly for securing a communication device having a touch activated screen and providing means for placing the communication device at a selectable angle relative to a patient-operator and providing means of assisting targeting of the desired zone by the patient-operator.

In one embodiment of the invention, a foldable housing encloses a communication device. When opened the top portion of the housing provides a tabletop stand. The bottom of the housing can be pivoted along a hinge assembly in a manner to provide support at a selectable angle relative to the top portion. The communication device is securely mounted inside the housing to the bottom portion. A hand support pad is slidably mounted to a rail system, which allows the hand support pad to easily traverse across the touch screen of the communication device to any desired location perpendicular to the touch screen. The hand support pad include a biasing element which, in a neutral position, biases the hand support pad in a upward position relative to the touch screen of the communication device and allows the hand support pad to traverse over the touch screen without obstruction. The hand support pad can be pivoted downwardly by an operator's wrist action to bring the operator's finger into contact with a desired area or zone of the touch screen. The degree of tensional, compressional, or torsional force required to rotate the hand support pad is selectable by the choice of the biasing element to match the capabilities of the patient-operator.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a faceplate is detachable mounted to the communication device or the housing over the touch screen. The faceplate has a plurality of openings. Each opening is positioned over a respective zone of the touch screen. The thickness of the faceplate around its openings provides a means of preventing the operator from actuating an unintended area of the touch screen by constricting lateral movement of the operator's finger within the selected opening and, thereby the patient-operator can better target the intended area of the touch screen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, a portable communication device1is positioned in the Motor Skill Assistance Device2. The motor skill assistance device2is particularly suited to an operator-patient with severely reduced motor skills such that they are incapable of activating the touch zone Zn. of the communication device1without assistance.

The Motor Skill Assistance Device2is comprised of a foldable housing3, which also functions as a stand for the device1, and storage and carrying case. The bottom plate4of the housing3has a bottom support bar5such that the bottom side of portable communication device1is supported. The bottom support bar5is secured to the bottom plate4by any suitable means or made integral to the bottom plate4. Mounted to the top portion of bottom plate4to opposite sides are respectively Z shape clips7aand7b. As best seen inFIG. 1, respective fasteners61and62, such as by adjustable fasteners, are secured to one end of the respective Z shaped clips7aand7bto the bottom plate4. The Z shaped clips7aand7bare orientated to allow them to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the bottom plate4to allow the communication device1to be slid between the Z shaped clips7aand7bto rest on the bottom plate4. Once the portable communication device1is in place, the lower side rests against the bottom support5brace. The Z shaped clips7aand7bcan then be pivoted to restrain the communication device1in place on the bottom plate4.

Along one side of the bottom plate4, at opposing ends, are mounted respective blocks9aand9b, which are mounted to the sidewall10of the bottom plate4by any suitable means. Extending between and supported by the mounting blocks9aand9bis a rail13in an elevated position relative to the bottom plate4and the communication device1. Along an opposing side of the bottom plate4are mounting blocks11aand11b, which are mounted to the sidewall12of the bottom plate4by any suitable means. Extending between and supported by the mounting block11aand11bis a rail14in a elevated position relative to the bottom plate4and communication device1parallel to rail13.

The rail13has slide mounted to it a slide block15, which can slide along rail13between mounting blocks9aand9b. In like manner, the rail14has a slide mounted to it, a slide block16, which can slide along rail14between the mounting blocks11aand11b. Extending between the slide blocks15and16and mounted at their respective ends are rails17and18. The rails17and18are positioned such that the assembly elements15,16,17and18can be moved as a unit along the rails13and14without obstruction by the communication device1.

Referring toFIGS. 1, 2, and 3, riding along rails17and18is a hand support brace19. The hand support brace19includes a base6, which has tubular passageway20through which rail18extends and a formed channel21through which rail17extends.

Referring more specifically toFIG. 3, which is a sectional view along line A-A in the area of detail B, perpendicularly formed in the base6is a passageway24and contained in the passage way24is a spring22. The passageway24is closed lengthwise at the top by an end plug70. The hand pedestal51has a plurality of formed wells61, which are aligned to a plurality of wells64formed in the base6. Attaching pins66are press fit in respective wells64and are slip fit into respective wells61to detachable attach the hand pedestal51to the base6.

Because the hand support brace19rides along rails17and18, which are secured to blocks15and16at their respective ends, and blocks15and16in turn ride along respective rails13and14, the hand support brace19can be repositioned laterally, and fore and aft to any desired location relative to the touch screen40of the communication device1. Because of the bias of the spring22, the support brace19is free move above the touch screen40and pivot about rail18.

Referring toFIG. 4, if one wishes to activate a region of the touch screen40, one can position their hand15on the hand support brace19. By placing, one's hand on the hand support brace19one can position the hand support brace19over any desired region of the touch screen40and with an action of the wrist to cause the hand support brace19to pivot about rail18to bring their finger into contact with the selected region of touch screen40.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, along the bottom edge of the bottom plate4of the housing3is mounted a piano hinge26which joins the bottom plate4to a side plate27. The piano hinge26can be secured to the bottom plate4and side plate27by any suitable means such as by rivets. The opposite side of the side plate27is affixed to a top cover28, in like manner, by a second piano hinge29. In this manner, the top cover28can be folded over to provide an enclosure such that the sides30and31of the top cover28meet respective sides10and12of the bottom plate4.

Referring toFIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 12, pivotally mounted to the underside of the bottom plate4is U-shaped support rod32with its respective ends directed inwardly. The ends of support rod32are pivotally captured in formed brackets53and54attached by any suitable means to bottom plate4. The top cover28has a series of slots36through39formed therein and aligned to selectively receive the bottom portion of the support rod32such that the angle between the bottom plate4and the top cover28can be selectively changed between one of four positions. In the fully open position, the top cover28serves as a table top base.

The underside of the top cover28includes an elongated U-shaped member69, mounted by any conventional means and positioned to enclose the slots36through39, to form a channeled opening43. Positioned lengthwise within the channel are first and second set of guide members41and42, respectively, mounted by any conventional mean to respective sides of the top cover28.

Referring more specifically toFIGS. 7, 9, and 12, a locking plate44includes elongate U-channel openings45,46,47, and48. The locking plate44is sized to be accepted within the channel opening43and fit between and slide between and along the guide members41and42. The U-channel openings45through48are positioned on the locking plate44such that they can be aligned to the slots37through39, respectively, and such that the bottom portion of the support rod32can pass through the selected slot36through39and, correspondingly, U-channel openings45through48. The bottom portion of support rod32can than rest on the inner face of member69. The locking plate44can be slidable manipulated such that the bottom corners of brace32are locked into lateral portions of the U-channel openings45through48. The locking plate44can be secured into locking position by spring65, which is secured at one end to a receiving hole in the locking plate44and at the other end to the receiving hole in the top cover. To release the support rod32, the locking plate44is moved rearward, by pulling on formed tab67, to again align slots36through39to respective slots45to48, which will allow brace32to be withdrawn from the channel43. The housing3can then be folded into a closed position as best seen inFIG. 13.

Referring toFIG. 1, communication device1is partitioned into a number of touch sensitive zones Z1through Z. Each Zone Znhas graphically depicted a desired request or response. When the touch screen40is touch activated the communication device1produces an audible expression representative of the patient-operator's desire or response. For example, the operator may suffer from a physical condition, which prevents the operator from directly communicating and has extremely limited mobility or dexterity in their hands. The operator may position his or her hand on the hand support19or with a caregiver's assistance have his hand placed over the hand support19. The operator can then move the hand support19over the desired zone and with minimal effort flex, his or her wrist to finger activate the desired zone.

Referring toFIGS. 1, 2, and 10, a removable faceplate50has a plurality of formed openings Y1through Yn. The faceplate50can be positioned over the touch screen40of the communication device1. The faceplate50can be held in position by a clamp8, detachable mounted by any suitable means to the top portion of the communication device1or, in the alternative, to the bottom plate4. The thickness T of the faceplate50is chosen so as not to interfere with movement of the hand support brace19as it traverses the communication device1but of sufficient thickness to prevent the inadvertent actuation of an adjacent zones Znby the operator. The openings in faceplate Ynare positioned to reveal a corresponding Znof the touch screen40of the communication device1.

Referring toFIGS. 11athrough 11c, a plurality of hand pedestals51athrough51c, of like construction to the hand pedestal51, may be selectively used by positioning onto the corresponding pins66in the hand support brace19. Each hand pedestal51and51athrough51cmay be respectively shaped to accommodate unique requirements of the operator. By selecting a suitable hand pedestal51, or51athrough51c, the assembly can be tailored to the capabilities of the patient-operator. For example, it is not uncommon for certain patient-operators to not only have degradation of hand mobility, but also deformity of the hand. A caregiver may choose the best-suited hand pedestal51,51athrough51cthat best suits the operator's hand.