Smart handle system and method for automatically adjusting handle length using the same

Smart Public Transit Handle with Variable Length Based on Automatic Passenger Height Measurement

This technology is a smart handle system that detects a passenger via floor pressure sensors, calculates their height by measuring the distance to their head using ceiling-mounted ultrasonic sensors, and adjusts the handle height by sliding a variable rod within a fixed rod using a motor connected to a rack-and-pinion gear.

Handles in subways and buses are typically fixed at a uniform height based on the average adult, making them difficult for children or shorter passengers to reach, which can lead to safety accidents during sudden stops, starts, or swaying. Existing solutions that use push-buttons to adjust cord length are also limited, as children cannot reach the handle if it is already retracted to a high position.

This technology calculates height based on the time difference between ultrasonic emission and reflection, preventing malfunctions by ignoring objects below a certain height. It determines the variable rod's travel distance by adding a set height to the passenger's stature. Once a contact sensor detects the hand has released the handle, it returns to its initial position after a set time, while a compression spring and spherical joint absorb vehicle vibrations. Applicable to buses, subways, and airport shuttles, it allows children and the elderly to travel safely by providing an appropriately positioned handle without manual adjustment.

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Key Features:

• A pressure sensor installed on the vehicle floor to detect weight-based pressure and an ultrasonic sensor device on the ceiling that emits ultrasonic waves toward the passenger's head and receives reflected signals
• A handle unit comprising a rotating member coupled to a fixed bar, a cylindrical fixed rod body, a variable rod body that slides within the fixed rod, and a handle at the bottom of the variable rod
• A control module that activates the ultrasonic sensor when pressure exceeds a threshold, calculates height based on signal timing, and adjusts the variable rod length via a motor by adding a target height
• A lifting drive structure consisting of a pinion gear on the variable rod meshed with a rack gear on the inner wall of the fixed rod, powered by a motor coupled to a rotating shaft

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