WEARABLE TACTILE NAVIGATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A tactile feedback navigation system comprising:
- a first sensor operable to detect the global orientation of the user to produce a first output, said first sensor being an on-board sensor portable by a user, or an off-board sensor positioned distant from the user;
a sensor detector operable to detect geographic co-ordinate position (in terms of latitude and longitude) of the user to produce a second output, said geographic co-ordinate position being provided to indicate latitude and longitude, said sensor detector being an on-board sensor portable by a user, or an off-board sensor positioned distant from, the user;
a second sensor operable to detect 3-directional accelerations of the user to produce a third output, said second sensor being an on-board sensor portable by a user, or an off-board sensor positioned distant from the user, and any combination of the first output, the second output and the third output individually or collectively being sensor outputs;
a plurality of tactile actuators operable to provide directional information to a landmark and its inherent coordinate system, placed in the cardinal locations (North (N.), South (S.), West (W.), and East (E.)) aligned on a body part upon which a scale system is superimposed that repeats itself in degree ordinates; and
each cardinal location is exactly separated by 90 degrees;
at least one tactile actuator operable to provide distance information to a landmark;
a wireless communication apparatus operable to communicate to an internet network via an external device;
an integrated power management and portable power source; and
a controller in communication with the sensors operable to receive and process at least one on-board sensor output and at least one off-board sensor output into an optimal accurate estimate of global position in terms of latitude and longitude and the position, and size of objects and terrain in the immediate environment, wherein the controller is operable to activate adjacent actuators in succession so as to indicate an intermediate point between two actuators by interpolation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The wearable tactile navigation system frees you from requiring to use your eyes as there is no display, all positional information is conveyed via touch. As a compass, the device nudges you towards North. As a GPS navigator, the device orients you towards a landmark (i.e., home) and lets you feel how far away home is. A bluetooth interface provides network capabilities, allowing you to download map landmarks from a cell phone. The bidirectional networking capability generalizes the device to a platform capable of collecting any sensor data as well as providing tactile messages and touch telepresence. The main application of the device is a wayfinding device for people that are blind and for people that suffer from Alzheimer'"'"'s disease but there are many other applications where it is desirable to provide geographical information in tactile form as opposed to providing it in visual or auditory form.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A tactile feedback navigation system comprising:
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a first sensor operable to detect the global orientation of the user to produce a first output, said first sensor being an on-board sensor portable by a user, or an off-board sensor positioned distant from the user; a sensor detector operable to detect geographic co-ordinate position (in terms of latitude and longitude) of the user to produce a second output, said geographic co-ordinate position being provided to indicate latitude and longitude, said sensor detector being an on-board sensor portable by a user, or an off-board sensor positioned distant from, the user; a second sensor operable to detect 3-directional accelerations of the user to produce a third output, said second sensor being an on-board sensor portable by a user, or an off-board sensor positioned distant from the user, and any combination of the first output, the second output and the third output individually or collectively being sensor outputs; a plurality of tactile actuators operable to provide directional information to a landmark and its inherent coordinate system, placed in the cardinal locations (North (N.), South (S.), West (W.), and East (E.)) aligned on a body part upon which a scale system is superimposed that repeats itself in degree ordinates; and
each cardinal location is exactly separated by 90 degrees;at least one tactile actuator operable to provide distance information to a landmark; a wireless communication apparatus operable to communicate to an internet network via an external device; an integrated power management and portable power source; and a controller in communication with the sensors operable to receive and process at least one on-board sensor output and at least one off-board sensor output into an optimal accurate estimate of global position in terms of latitude and longitude and the position, and size of objects and terrain in the immediate environment, wherein the controller is operable to activate adjacent actuators in succession so as to indicate an intermediate point between two actuators by interpolation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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- 5. The tactile feedback navigation system as claimed in claim i, that acts as a global positioning system (GPS) where direction to a waypoint is purely provided in tactile form and no use of the visual sense is required by the user.
Specification