Technique for providing simulated vision

• US 20030048928A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aperture In Motion LLC
• Original Assignee: The Edward Yavitz Educational Foundation, Inc.
• Inventors: Yavitz, Edward Q.
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/20 Natural language analysis semantic analysis of natural language G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes

Abstract

A visual simulation technique is provided to facilitate visual activities, such as reading and movement of a subject through surroundings, for sight-impaired persons. The technique obtains digital images of the surroundings via an image retrieval and sending device, and then provides a real-time audio interpretation of the images via an automated image identification and narration system. The automated system may have communication and computing circuitry, remote human interaction circuitry, and other components for either computer-based or human-based identification and narration of the acquired images.

Claims

1. A vision aid, comprising:

an image retrieval device;

an image identifier communicatively coupled to the image retrieval device; and

an audible image narrator communicatively coupled to the image identification device.

2. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device is configured to retrieve an image of text.

3. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device is configured to retrieve an image of a photograph.

4. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device is configured to retrieve an image of a physical object within a perimetry surrounding a user.

5. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device comprises a digital video device.

6. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device comprises an infrared sensor.

7. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device comprises a light intensifier for night vision.

8. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device comprises an image magnifier.

9. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image identifier comprises communications circuitry configured for transmitting images to a remote person.

10. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image identifier comprises a remote display communicatively coupled to the image retrieval device for interpretation and verbal description by a remote human.

11. The vision aid of claim 10, wherein the image identifier comprises an image narration network comprising a plurality of the remote display for a plurality of the remote human.

12. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image identifier comprises an image matching database.

13. The vision aid of claim 12, wherein the image identifier comprises an image matching routine configured to identify a best match from the image matching database with an image obtained by the image retrieval device.

14. The vision aid of claim 12, wherein the image matching database comprises parameters characterizing images.

15. The vision aid of claim 14, wherein the parameters comprise color and geometrical characteristics.

16. The vision aid of claim 1, wherein the image retrieval device, the image narrator and at least a portion of the image identifier comprise mounting structures configured for attachment to a person.

17. The vision aid of claim 16, wherein the image identifier comprises a communication device mountable to the person and a remote processing assembly configured for wireless communication with the communication device.

18. The vision aid of claim 17, wherein the remote processing assembly comprises a display device and an audio input device configured for human interpretation and narration, respectively, of an acquired image.

19. The vision aid of claim 17, wherein the remote processing assembly comprises an image processor, an image characteristic database, and a best match system configured to identify a best match from the image characteristic database with an image obtained by the image retrieval device.

20. The vision aid of claim 19, wherein the remote processing assembly comprises an audio image describer for the image narrator.

21. An artificial sight system for use by an individual, comprising:

an image retrieval device able to obtain an image of a surrounding, the image retrieval device being configured for carrying on an individual;

a communication device coupled to the image retrieval device, wherein the communication device is configured to transmit the image to a remote processing system comprising an image identifier and an image describer; and

an audio device coupled to the communication device and configured to transmit an audio description of the surrounding to the individual carrying the image retrieval device.

22. The artificial sight system of claim 21, wherein the image retrieval device comprises a digital camera.

23. The artificial sight system of claim 21, wherein the image retrieval device comprises a plurality of image retrieval devices in multiple desired viewing orientations.

24. The artificial sight system of claim 21, wherein the image retrieval device, the communication device and the audio device comprise mounting structures for attachment to the individual.

25. The artificial sight system of claim 21, wherein the communication device comprises wireless communication circuitry.

26. The artificial sight system of claim 21, wherein the image identifier comprises an image processor configured to process an image obtained by the image retrieval device, an image characteristic database, and an image matcher configured to identify a best match from the image characteristic database with the image.

27. The artificial sight system of claim 26, wherein the image characteristic database comprises parameters for a plurality of images, the parameters comprising color and geometrical characteristics.

28. The artificial sight system of claim 21, wherein the image identifier and the image describer comprise a human interpreter.

29. A method of visualizing a surrounding environment, comprising:

obtaining an image in a desired viewing orientation;

identifying the image via an image processor; and

audibly describing the surrounding environment based on the image identified.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein obtaining the image comprises obtaining a digital image of the surrounding environment.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein obtaining the image comprises electronically capturing the image of a field of view of a perimetry surrounding a user.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein electronically capturing the image comprises magnifying the image.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein electronically capturing the image comprises adapting to lightness levels in the field of view.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein electronically capturing the image comprises sensing distances to objects in the field of view.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein obtaining the image comprises obtaining a plurality of images in multiple desired viewing orientations.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein identifying the image comprises matching image characteristics of the image with a best match from an image characteristic database of environmental images.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein matching image characteristics comprises analyzing geometrical characteristics.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein matching image characteristics comprises analyzing color characteristics.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein obtaining the image and audibly describing the surrounding environment are performed via an image retrieval device and an audio device, respectively, attached to a person.

40. The method of claim 39, comprising wirelessly communicating image information between a communication device attached to the person and the image processor disposed remote from the person.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein identifying and audibly describing are performed via an individual acting as the image processor.

42. The method of claim 29, wherein identifying and audibly describing comprise:

wirelessly communicating the image from a user to a network;

displaying the image to an individual accessing the network; and

wirelessly communicating an audio narration of the image from the individual to the user.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein displaying the image comprises displaying the image through an Internet website.

44. The method of claim 43, comprising obtaining the audio narration from the individual.