Title: Communications and control method and apparatus for persons who may have muscular incoordination and/or spasticity

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Claims: I claim:

1. A method of communication and/or control for persons who are handicapped including reducing the probability of error due to insufficient motor control, muscular incoordination spasticity and the like, comprising:

a. establishing for every function in a multiplicity of functions a unique combination of designators;

b. generating a pair of complete man-machine language output signals representative of two of said unique designators;

c. providing at least one actuatable interface means for selectively generating said output signals upon at least a dual actuation of said input interface means;

d. connecting utilization means to the pair of output signals for producing a function commensurate with actuation of said input interface means,

e. disabling said producing means for a time delay interval which may be selectively varied whereby said producing means is rendered impervious to subsequent actuations of said input interface means prior to expiration of the time delay so that spastic or other extraneous movements by the handicapped operator causing inadvertent actuations of said input interface means do not produce undesired functions.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 including indicating the expiration of the time delay.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 including varying the time delay for a plurality of seconds.

Other info:

Inventors: Kafafian, Haig (Washington, DC, US)

Application Number: 536176
Filing Date: 1974-12-24
Publication_date: 1976-09-21
Assignee:
Primary Class(es): 340/825.19 341/21, 400/87
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3466647	Sep, 1969	Guza, Jr.	178/17.
3612765	Oct, 1971	Dawson	178/17.
3750160	Jul, 1973	Elzinga	340/365.
3781802	Dec, 1973	Kafafian	340/147.
3792466	Feb, 1974	Arnold et al.	340/365.
3798599	Mar, 1974	Kafafian	340/166.
3818448	Jun, 1974	Wilkins	340/147.
3831147	Aug, 1974	Kafafian	340/166.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Yusko, Donald J.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Bacon & Thomas