Motorized infant walker

Abstract

An infant walker apparatus for moving automatically across a floor surface includes a housing and a seat mounted to the housing. The seat is positioned and configured to hold an infant such that the infant's legs contact a floor surface upon which the apparatus is placed during normal use. A drive system is mounted to the housing and is configured to drive the housing across the floor surface. A processor is mounted in the housing and is operatively coupled to the drive system. A plurality of sensors is mounted to the housing and is configured to cause the drive system to move the housing across the floor surface according to navigation data received from the sensors.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An infant walker apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   a seat mounted to the housing, the seat being positioned and configured to hold an infant such that the infant's legs contact a floor surface upon which the apparatus is placed during normal use;   a drive system mounted to the housing and configured to drive the housing across the floor surface;   a processor mounted in the housing and operatively coupled to the drive system;   a plurality of sensors mounted to the housing, the processor being configured to cause the drive system to move the housing across the floor surface according to navigation data received from the plurality of sensors.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of sensors comprises a pair of magnetic field sensors mounted to the housing and in communication with the processor, each magnetic field sensor being configured to detect a position of the housing in relation to a magnetic guide; and   the processor is configured to selectively operate in a track mode, the processor causing the drive system to move the housing along the magnetic guide when operating in the track mode.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of sensors includes a plurality of obstacle sensors mounted around the housing and in communication with the processor, the plurality of obstacle sensors being configured to detect obstacles which obstruct a path of the housing; and   the processor is configured to selectively operate in a roam mode, the processor causing the drive system to move the housing across the floor surface in a random or pseudo-random fashion when operating in the roam mode, the processor being configured to cause the drive system to move the housing away from obstacles while the processor operates in the roam mode.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of sensors includes a plurality of height sensors mounted to the housing and in communication with the processor, each height sensor being configured to detect ledges in the path of the housing; and   the processor is configured to selectively operate in a roam mode, the processor causing the drive system to move the housing across the floor surface in a random or pseudo-random fashion when operating in the roam mode, the processor being configured to cause the drive system to move the housing away from ledges while the processor operates in the roam mode.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing defines a central opening which extends vertically through the housing when the apparatus is during normal use; and   the seat is spaced upwardly with respect to the housing, the seat having leg-receiving apertures extending therethrough, the seat being configured to hold the infant such that the infant's legs extend through the leg-receiving apertures.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drive system comprises a pair of drive wheels and a pair of motors, each motor being operatively coupled to an associated drive wheel of the pair of drive wheels, the pair of drive wheels extending downwardly from the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a foot rest mountable to the housing in the central opening. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of support wheels mounted to a bottom side of the housing, the pair of support wheels being spaced from the pair of drive wheels. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each support wheel comprises a caster. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a pair of retractable wheels mounted to the bottom side of the housing, each retractable being movable between a deployed position and a retracted position, the pair of retractable wheels extending downwardly from the housing when in their deployed positions, the pair of retractable wheels being stored in the housing when in their retracted positions, each retractable wheel being pivotable with respect to the housing, the pair of retractable wheels being configured to disengage the drive system from the floor surface when in their deployed positions. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein each retractable wheel comprises a caster. 
     
     
         12 . An infant walker apparatus comprising:
 a housing defining a central opening which extends vertically through the housing when the apparatus is during normal use;   a seat mounted to the housing, the seat being spaced upwardly with respect to the housing, the seat having leg-receiving apertures extending therethrough, the seat being configured to hold an infant such that the infant's legs extend through the leg-receiving apertures, the seat being positioned at a height above the housing such that the seat is configured to facilitate the infant's feet contacting a floor surface upon which the apparatus is placed during normal use;   a drive system mounted to the housing and configured to drive the housing across the floor surface, the drive system comprising a pair of drive wheels and a pair of motors, each motor being operatively coupled to an associated drive wheel of the pair of drive wheels, the pair of drive wheels extending downwardly from the housing;   a processor mounted in the housing and operatively coupled to the drive system;   a plurality of obstacle sensors mounted around the housing and in communication with the processor, the plurality of obstacle sensors being configured to detect obstacles which obstruct a path of the housing;   a plurality of height sensors mounted to the housing and in communication with the processor, each height sensor being configured to detect ledges in the path of the housing;   wherein the processor is configured to selectively operate in a roam mode, the processor causing the drive system to move the housing across the floor surface in a random or pseudo-random fashion when operating in the roam mode, the processor being configured to cause the drive system to move the housing away from obstacles and ledges when operating in the roam mode;   a pair of magnetic field sensors mounted to the housing and in communication with the processor, each magnetic field sensor being configured to detect a position of the housing in relation to a magnetic guide;   wherein the processor is configured to selectively operate in a track mode, the processor causing the drive system to move the housing along the magnetic guide when operating in the track mode;   a foot rest mountable to the housing in the central opening;   a pair of support wheels mounted to a bottom side of the housing, the pair of support wheels being spaced from the pair of drive wheels, each support wheel comprising a caster; and   a pair of retractable wheels mounted to the bottom side of the housing, each retractable being movable between a deployed position and a retracted position, the pair of retractable wheels extending downwardly from the housing when in their deployed positions, the pair of retractable wheels being stored in the housing when in their retracted positions, each retractable wheel being pivotable with respect to the housing, each retractable wheel being mounted adjacent to an associated drive wheel of the pair of drive wheels, the pair of retractable wheels extending farther away from the housing than the pair of drive wheels when in their deployed positions, each retractable wheel comprising a caster.