Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
  • H01H9/02—Bases, casings, or covers
  • H01H9/0214—Hand-held casings
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H2219/00—Legends
  • H01H2219/002—Legends replaceable; adaptable
  • H01H2219/01—Liquid crystal
  • H01H2219/012—Liquid crystal programmable

Definitions

• the invention relates to a portable hand-held control device for patients in the care sector with a keyboard for actuating functional units.
• a hand-held control device which is connected to a wall station via a cable.
• the handset is designed as a telephone handset with the usual keyboard for a telephone and also has numerous buttons with which various functions of numerous functional units can be triggered, such as placing an emergency call, switching the room lighting, selecting radio programs, switching on and off TV set and volume control.
• Each key is assigned to a specific function and printed with a corresponding symbol that identifies the function.
• In the wall station there are further function keys, indicator lights, a microphone, loudspeaker and a small television set.
• buttons Due to the numerous operating functions combined in one device, there is an unclear number of operating buttons, which makes operation extremely difficult. In addition, patients in the nursing field often have difficulties due to illness or age to use a large number of buttons in an operating device to control rich functions of different functional units.
• a hand control device with a transparent keyboard is known from US Pat. No. 4,143,253, which can be stored with various symbols by means of a display device arranged under the keyboard.
• the individual tactile fields are defined by crossing points of conductor tracks and their size cannot be changed.
• a button is pressed by pressing in an elastic membrane.
• US Pat. No. 5,404,267 discloses a portable data entry device in which data can be entered using a pen and a screen sensitive to touching the pen.
• German laid-open specification DE 43 09 670 AI describes a portable hand-held control device for patients in the care sector with conventional buttons and a separate emergency call button.
• the invention is intended to create a handheld operating device for the care sector, with which the operation of numerous functional units is possible in a simple manner.
• a portable hand-held control device of the type mentioned at the outset in which the keyboard consists of a touch-sensitive field with tactile fields, to which a variable display device and a control device for changing the display are assigned, the touch-sensitive field is transparent and is stored with the display device , Size and arrangement of the touch fields can be changed by the control unit and a separate emergency call button must be provided.
• the touch fields can be different depending on the functional unit to be operated Functions are occupied, these functions being displayed by different symbols on the display device.
• the total number of keys can be significantly reduced compared to conventional devices, which, in conjunction with the display of the function currently selected, results in easier operation by the display device.
• the arrangement and size of the touch fields can be selected independently of mechanical requirements. For example, very large touch fields and key field arrangements are possible, the mechanical design of which would cause strength problems.
• a so-called touch panel can expediently be used which has a touch-sensitive film.
• various functional units such as radio, telephone, call systems, television set and room light can be operated with one device.
• menu navigation in which, depending on the selected function, only the options belonging to this function are offered.
• a large-area LCD display liquid crystal display
• the keys can be stored directly with the symbols which identify the functions currently available for selection via the keys. This further simplifies operation, since the key function currently in use can be recognized immediately.
• the size and arrangement of the touch fields can be changed by the control device, depending on the functional unit to be operated, different key field arrangements and key sizes can be selected, which enable particularly simple operation. How to select a specific function unit as large and few keys and symbols that characterize the functional unit, such as telephone symbol, radio symbol, etc. are offered, whereas after selecting a functional unit a different key field arrangement and key size is selected, for example, to dial a telephone number, a numeric key field. It is also expedient to choose the size and arrangement of the buttons according to the meaning or frequency of use of the functions.
• the safety-relevant emergency call button is easier to recognize, has a permanently assigned space on the operating device and does not have to be selected from other buttons in an emergency.
• At least five further separate keys are provided, four keys being arranged in a star shape around a central key.
• the star-shaped arrangement makes menu control easier.
• the central key can be permanently assigned as an information or help key. Basic functions such as room lighting, program selection and volume control are easier to find using separate buttons.
• the operating device can be used, for example, as a telephone, but also as a paging device for a voice connection with the nursing staff and as a radio or television set.
• devices for coupling an identification or payment card are provided in a portable hand-held operating device.
• a patient can identify himself on the hand-held control device by simply inserting a card, so that fees for an account are used for the use of certain services, for example television programs or can also be debited from a card balance. Additional functions are possible by using a microchip card.
• a particularly reliable and easy-to-use configuration results if the devices are suitable for contactless coupling of a transponder card. The patient therefore does not have to pay attention to the cleanliness and integrity of contact areas on the card and does not have to fear that dirt or moisture can get into the operating device.
• the hand-held operating device is assigned a recording device and separate sound generators and sound converters, and when the hand-held device is located in the recording device, a switch is made to the sound generators and sound converters separated from the hand-held device.
• the receiving device can be designed as a receiving quiver arranged on the patient bed or as a wall station.
• Simple touch switches can be provided in the receptacle or in the handheld device, which trigger the switchover after the handheld device has been inserted into the receptacle.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the hand control device according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a perspective partial sectional view of the hand-held device shown in Figure 1.
• the control device shown in Figure 1 is designed as a handheld device 10, which is connected via a connecting cable 12 to a wall station, not shown.
• the handheld device 10 can be used to operate various functional units such as a telephone set, radio set, call systems with voice contact to the nursing staff, room lighting and television set.
• the handheld device 10 has an LCD touch panel module 14, which integrates a keyboard consisting of a touch-sensitive film and a liquid crystal display device.
• two separate buttons 16 are provided above the module 14, with which the room light can be switched on and off.
• a central key 18, which is provided, for example, as an information or help key, and four further keys 20, 22, 24 and 26 arranged in a star shape around the central key 18.
• the keys 20 to 26 can serve as so-called cursor keys for selecting a menu offered on the display device of the module 14 by moving a cursor on the display device in the direction of the arrow symbols on the keys 20 to 26.
• the keys 20 to 26 can also be assigned basic functions such as program selection or volume control. The assignment of the keys 18 to 26 is variable and depends on the selected functional unit to be operated.
• a large and clearly visible emergency call button 28 is arranged in the upper area of the handset 10.
• a patient can use the emergency call button 28 to make an emergency call to the nursing staff.
• the arrangement of the emergency call button 28 in a lateral arcuate cutout of the lateral border of the hand-held device 10 on the one hand makes it easier to press the emergency call button 28, which is particularly important for old or weak patients; avoided on its side border.
• Patients with severely restricted vitality, who only need the emergency call function do not have to find the emergency call button 28 out of a large number of other buttons and can therefore reach the nursing staff more easily.
• hearing capsule openings 30 are provided in the housing of the handset, behind which there is an earphone 34 which can be seen in FIG. 2, and a microphone opening 32, behind which there is a microphone.
• the LCD touch panel module 14 is shown, which is arranged behind a film viewing window 36 of the housing of the handheld device 10.
• the module 14 has a touch-sensitive, transparent film 38, which, viewed by an operator of the handheld device 10, is arranged in front of a large-area LCD display 40.
• areas or fields on the touch-sensitive film 38 can be defined by defining coordinates, which represent the keys of a keyboard.
• the LCD display 40 is then controlled by the control device such that the defined keypads are deposited on the touch-sensitive film 38 with certain symbols.
• ten keypads are then defined, for example, and stored with the numbers from 0 to 9. This means that the number keys can be displayed in a sufficiently large size, and no other key symbols can distract from the operation of the number keys.
• the television symbol for example, only a number of key areas that correspond to the number of programs available are defined and are stored with symbols or numbers.
• a receiving device (not shown) for a transponder card is provided on the back of the handheld device 10.
• a patient can identify himself with this transponder card on the hand-held device 10 via the transmitting and receiving devices provided in the hand-held device 10. Through identification, he enables access to a personal cash account and can thus also access additional services to be paid, such as the use of telephone calls or television programs.
• the transponder card is connected contactlessly, so that the patient does not have to pay particular attention to the careful treatment of his identification card and does not have to fear that dirt or moisture penetrates into the handheld device 10 itself through contact openings.
• a receptacle (not shown) for the handheld device 10 is arranged on the patient bed itself, wherein the handheld device 10 can be placed either on the wall station or in the receptacle.
• the receptacle is provided with a switch which is operated by inserting the handheld device into the receptacle. By actuating the switch, speakers for radio or television sound are arranged in the patient's room, for example in the wall station. There is also a loudspeaker and in the wall station a microphone of a telephone hands-free system is provided, which is then switched over when the handheld device 10 is in the recording cooker.

Landscapes

• Telephone Set Structure (AREA)
• Measurement And Recording Of Electrical Phenomena And Electrical Characteristics Of The Living Body (AREA)
• Push-Button Switches (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)
• Measuring Pulse, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure Or Blood Flow (AREA)
• Percussion Or Vibration Massage (AREA)
• Cash Registers Or Receiving Machines (AREA)
• Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
• Details Of Garments (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=7908772

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications Before (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 1999
  • 1999-05-21 DE DE19923392A patent/DE19923392C1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-05-18 AT AT00927215T patent/ATE245307T1/de active
  • 2000-05-18 AT AT02024705T patent/ATE290716T1/de active
  • 2000-05-18 ES ES00927215T patent/ES2203465T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-18 DE DE50002917T patent/DE50002917D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-18 ES ES02024705T patent/ES2236425T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-18 EP EP02024705A patent/EP1288979B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-18 WO PCT/EP2000/004507 patent/WO2000072343A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-05-18 DE DE50009748T patent/DE50009748D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-05-18 EP EP00927215A patent/EP1181701B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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