DEVICE THAT DETERMINES THAT A SUBJECT MAY CONTACT A SENSED OBJECT AND THAT WARNS OF THE POTENTIAL CONTACT

• US 20160253891A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Malamud, Mark A., Pan, Tony S., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Application Number:
  US14/634,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253891A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An embodiment of a device includes an image-capture sensor, a determiner, and a notifier. The image-capture sensor is configured to be located on a subject having a body portion and to capture data representative of an image of an object. The determiner is configured to determine, in response to the data, whether the body portion may contact the object. The notifier is configured to warn, or otherwise notify, the subject in response to the determiner determining that the body portion may contact the object. Such a device (e.g., attached to, or part of, a shoe) may be useful to warn a subject of a potential collision between an object (e.g., stairs, furniture, door jamb, curb, toy) and a body part (e.g., foot, toes) in which the subject has lost feeling, the ability to feel pain, or proprioception. And such a warning may help the subject to avoid inadvertently and repeatedly injuring the body part.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an image-capture sensor configured to be located on a subject having a body portion and to capture data representative of an image of an object;

a determiner configured to determine, in response to the data, whether the body portion may contact the object; and

a notifier configured to notify the subject in response to the determiner determining that the body portion may contact the object.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor includes a pixel array.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor includes a camera.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor includes a video camera.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor is configured to capture data representative of a region of space adjacent to the body portion.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor is configured to capture data representative of a region of a surface that is supporting the subject.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor is configured to capture data representative of a region of a space toward which the subject is moving.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor is configured to capture data representative of a region of a space in front of the subject.

51. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor includes a personal computing device.

52. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor is configured to generate data representing multiple images of the object.

56. The device of claim 1, further including:

a housing; and

wherein at least the image-capture sensor, determiner, and notifier are disposed in the housing.

60. The device of claim 1 wherein the image includes a light image.

61. The device of claim 1 wherein the image includes a thermal image.

62. The device of claim 1 wherein the image-capture sensor is configured to generate information representing a sound image of the object.

5. A device, comprising:

means for capturing information that is related to an image of an object, the means for capturing attachable to a subject having a body portion;

means for determining, in response to the information, whether the body portion may contact the object; and

means for notifying the subject in response to the means for determining that the body portion may contact the object.

6. (canceled)

7. A method, comprising:

capturing, with an image-capture sensor configured to be located on a subject having a body portion, data representative of an image of an object;

determining, in response to the data, whether the body portion of the subject may contact the object; and

notifying the subject in response to determining that the body portion may contact the object.

40. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes:

determining a movement of the body portion relative to the object; and

determining whether the body portion may contact the object in response to the movement.

41. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining whether the body portion may contact the object in response to a trajectory along which the body portion has moved relative to the object.

42. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining whether the body portion may collide with the object.

43. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining with a determiner that is remote from the image-capture sensor.

44. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining with a determiner that is remote from the subject.

45. The method of claim 7 wherein the notifying the subject includes notifying the subject with a notifier that is remote from the image-capture sensor.

46. The method of claim 7 wherein the notifying the subject includes notifying the subject with a notifier that is remote from the subject.

47. The method of claim 7 wherein the notifying the subject includes generating a notification.

48. The method of claim 7 wherein the notifying the subject includes notifying another subject.

65. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining whether the body portion may contact the object in response to a speed of the body portion relative to the object.

66. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining whether the body portion may contact the object in response to a direction in which the body portion is moving relative to the object.

67. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining whether the body portion may contact the object in response to a location of the body portion relative to the object.

68. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining includes determining whether the body portion may contact the object in response to a rate at which a speed of the body portion relative to the object is changing.

71. The method of claim 7 wherein the data representing an image of an object includes data regarding light emitted or reflected from the object.

8-15. -15. (canceled)

20-39. -39. (canceled)

49-50. -50. (canceled)

53-55. -55. (canceled)

57-59. -59. (canceled)

63-64. -64. (canceled)

69-70. -70. (canceled)

72-75. -75. (canceled)