Obstacle Avoidance Using Mobile Devices

• US 20170027804A1
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yu, Loc
• Granted Patent: US 9,872,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 1/02 Walking sticks with rollers for carrying parcels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2009/002 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 9/00 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 9/04 Ferrules or tips for crutches A61H3/0288
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/063 with tactile perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/068 Sticks for blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products estimate distances to aid a visually impaired user of a mobile device. As the user carries the mobile device, a camera in the mobile device captures images of a walking cane. The images of the walking cane are analyzed to infer a distance between a tip of the walking cane and the mobile device. The distance may then be used by navigational tools to aid the visually impaired user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

pairing a visually impaired walking cane to a mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile device, an orientation angle sent from the visually impaired walking cane; and

inferring, by the mobile device, a distance to an obstacle based on the orientation angle of the visually impaired walking cane;

wherein the distance to the obstacle aids a visually impaired user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location associated with the tip of the visually impaired walking cane based on the orientation angle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a warning of the obstacle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a cane identifier during the pairing, the cane identifier uniquely identifying the visually impaired walking cane.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising querying an electronic database for the cane identifier, the electronic database having electronic associations between parameters and cane identifiers including the cane identifier received during the pairing.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising retrieving a length of the visually impaired walking cane from the electronic database, the length electronically associated with the cane identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising inferring the distance to the obstacle using the length of the visually impaired walking cane retrieved from the electronic database.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving global positioning system information sent from a mobile device paired to a visually impaired walking cane;

querying an electronic database for the global positioning system information, the electronic database having electronic associations between locations associated with obstacles and the global positioning system information;

retrieving a location of the locations from the electronic database, the location associated with an obstacle electronically associated with the global positioning system information;

receiving an orientation angle associated with the visually impaired walking cane; and

determining a distance from the tip of the visually impaired walking cane to the obstacle based on the orientation angle;

wherein the distance aids a visually impaired user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining a location associated with the tip of the visually impaired walking cane.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise generating a warning of the obstacle.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a cane identifier that uniquely identifies the visually impaired walking cane.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise querying an electronic database for the cane identifier, the electronic database having electronic associations between parameters and cane identifiers including the cane identifier.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a length of the visually impaired walking cane from the electronic database, the length electronically associated with the cane identifier.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise inferring the distance from the tip of the visually impaired walking cane to the obstacle using the length of the visually impaired walking cane retrieved from the electronic database.

15. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving global positioning system information sent from a mobile device paired to a visually impaired walking cane;

querying an electronic database for the global positioning system information, the electronic database having electronic associations between locations associated with obstacles and the global positioning system information;

retrieving a location of the locations from the electronic database, the location associated with an obstacle electronically associated with the global positioning system information;

receiving an orientation angle associated with the visually impaired walking cane; and

determining a distance from the tip of the visually impaired walking cane to the obstacle based on the orientation angle;

wherein the distance aids a visually impaired user.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining a location associated with the tip of the visually impaired walking cane.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise generating a warning of the obstacle.

18. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a cane identifier that uniquely identifies the visually impaired walking cane.

19. The memory device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

querying an electronic database for the cane identifier, the electronic database having electronic associations between parameters and cane identifiers including the cane identifier; and

retrieving a length of the visually impaired walking cane from the electronic database, the length electronically associated with the cane identifier.

20. The memory device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise inferring the distance from the tip of the visually impaired walking cane to the obstacle using the length of the visually impaired walking cane retrieved from the electronic database.