Tilt compensation for tremor cancellation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11058598-B2
Application number	US-202016745270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2020
Priority date	Sep 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A method of tremor reduction in a handheld device includes measuring a tremor motion and a tilt motion with a motion tracking module (“MTM”) disposed in a housing of the handheld device. In response to measuring the tremor motion, an attachment arm is moved with at least one motion generating mechanism to reduce the tremor motion in the attachment arm. Additionally, in response to measuring the tilt motion, the attachment arm is moved with the at least one motion generating mechanism to resist the attachment arm hitting a hard stop in the handheld device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of tremor reduction in a handheld device, comprising:
measuring a tremor motion and a tilt motion with a motion tracking module (“MTM”) disposed in a housing of the handheld device, wherein measuring the tilt motion includes identifying low frequency motion corresponding to the tilt motion;
in response to measuring the tremor motion, moving an attachment arm with at least one motion generating mechanism to reduce the tremor motion in the attachment arm; and
in response to measuring the tilt motion, moving the attachment arm with the at least one motion generating mechanism to resist the attachment arm from hitting a hard stop in the handheld device, wherein said moving the attachment arm includes resisting the attachment arm from hitting the hard stop in response to identifying the low frequency motion,
wherein the hard stop is a maximum movement distance in one direction and an outermost point in a range of motion of the attachment arm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the tremor motion and the tilt motion includes:
measuring the tremor motion with an accelerometer;
measuring the tilt motion with the accelerometer; and
using at least one of a low pass filter or a high pass filter to distinguish between the tremor motion and the tilt motion, and wherein the at least one motion generating mechanism resists the attachment arm hitting the hard stop in response to measuring the low frequency motion and shifting a set point of the attachment arm.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one motion generating mechanism includes a motor, and wherein reducing the tremor motion in the attachment arm includes adjusting a motor output to counteract an inertia of the housing, and wherein resisting the attachment arm hitting the hard stop includes adjusting the motor output to counteract a torque of gravity resulting from the tilt motion.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the tremor motion and the tilt motion includes using an accelerometer and a gyroscope included in the MTM.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein measuring the tremor motion and the tilt motion includes using at least one of a Kalman filter or a complementary filter.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one motion generating mechanism includes a motor, and wherein in response to detecting the tilt motion with the accelerometer and the gyroscope, the motor outputs a torque equal and opposite to a gravitational vector to resist the attachment arm hitting the hard stop.

7. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:
measuring a tremor motion and a tilt motion of a handheld device with a motion tracking module (“MTM”) wherein measuring the tilt motion includes:
identifying low frequency motion corresponding to the tilt motion with a motion sensor included in the MTM; and
in response to measuring the tremor motion, controlling an attachment arm with at least one motion generating mechanism to reduce the tremor motion in the attachment arm, wherein the at least one motion generating mechanism is coupled to the attachment arm included in the handheld device;
in response to identifying the low frequency motion, controlling the attachment arm with the at least one motion generating mechanism to resist the attachment arm hitting a hard stop,
wherein the hard stop is a maximum movement distance in one direction and an outermost point in a range of motion of the attachment arm.

8. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein resisting the attachment arm hitting the hard stop includes adjusting an output from a motor in the at least one motion generating mechanism to counteract a torque of gravity resulting from the tilt motion.

9. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein measuring the tremor motion and the tilt motion of the handheld device includes using an accelerometer and a gyroscope included in the MTM.

10. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein in response to measuring the tilt motion with the accelerometer and the gyroscope, a motor in the at least one motion generating mechanism produces a torque equal and opposite to a gravitational vector.

11. A handheld tool, comprising:
a housing;
at least one motion generating mechanism disposed within the housing;
an attachment arm coupled to the at least one motion generating mechanism;
a motion tracking module (“MTM”) disposed in the housing to detect motion of the housing, including a motion sensor to detect frequency motion corresponding to a tilt motion; and
a controller electrically coupled to the MTM and the at least one motion generating mechanism, wherein the controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform operations including:
in response to the MTM detecting a tremor motion, controlling the at least one motion generating mechanism to move the attachment arm relative to the housing to reduce the tremor motion in the attachment arm;
in response to the MTM detecting low frequency motion, controlling the at least one motion generating mechanism to resist the attachment arm hitting a hard stop in the handheld tool,
wherein the hard stop is a maximum movement distance in one direction and an outermost point in a range of motion of the attachment arm.

12. The handheld tool of claim 11 , wherein the controller further includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform operations including:
applying at least one of a low pass filter or a high pass filter to distinguish between the tremor motion and the tilt motion.

13. The handheld tool of claim 11 , wherein the at least one motion generating mechanism includes a motor, and wherein the controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform operations including:
reducing the tremor motion in the attachment arm by adjusting the motor output to counteract an inertia of the housing, and resisting the attachment arm hitting the hard stop by adjusting the motor output to counteract a torque of gravity resulting from the tilt motion.

14. The handheld tool of claim 11 , wherein the MTM includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope, wherein the accelerometer and the gyroscope detect an orientation of the handheld tool including a pitch of the handheld tool and a roll of the handheld tool to resist the attachment arm hitting the hard stop.

15. The handheld tool of claim 14 , wherein the controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform operations including:
using at least one of a Kalman filter or a complementary filter to reduce the tremor motion in the attachment arm and resist the attachment arm hitting the hard stop.

16. The handheld tool of claim 14 , wherein the at least one motion generating mechanism includes a motor, and wherein the controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the handheld tool to perform operations including:
in response to detecting the tilt motion, instructing the motor to produce torque equal and opposite to a gravitational vector to resist the attachment arm hitting the hard stop.

17. The handheld tool of claim 11 , wherein the MTM includes at least one gyroscope, and the at least one gyroscope is located in at least one of a distal end of attachment arm or in the housing.

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Pathak Anupam
• Owens Dylan

Classifications

• A47G21/02

  Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers · CPC title

• A47G2200/046

  of holding or grasping · CPC title

• A61B5/4836 Primary

  Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47G21/04

  Spoons; Pastry servers · CPC title

• A61F2/54

  Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof · CPC title