Electronic talking stick for the blind

• US 5,097,856 A
• Filed: 01/14/1991
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hsieh Chi-Sheng
• Original Assignee: Hsieh Chi-Sheng
• Inventors: Chi-Sheng, Hsieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAI, LANNA
• Application Number:
  US07/640,903
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 135/72, 135/88, 135/65, 135/911, 364/460, 364/461, 364/708, 364/710.12, 381/51-53
• US Class Current: 135/72
• 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: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/483 Details of pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/911 Cane for the blind

Abstract

This invention relates to an electronic talking stick for the blind and more particularly to a stick which talks to instruct a blind man to walk and go upstairs and downstairs, and to warn a blind man of dangerous depression in road, and which calls for help when a blind man who uses the stick falls. It is generally comprised of a supporting rod, a control box, a handle, a free steering caster, and a horizontal scanning device, in which the free steering caster helps the whole assembly to slide; two detectors in the control box and a range finder and moving object detector in the handle are arranged for trouble detection to let detected signals be converted into voice, by means of the processing through a control circuit, to instruct the user through an earphone connected to the handle.

Claims

1. An electronic talking stick for:

the blind, including;

a supporting rod having an upper end and a lower end;

a handle structure mounted on the upper end of said supporting rod, said handle structure comprising a power switch, an earphone socket, a range finder, and a moving object detector;

a control box connected to the lower end of said supporting rod, said control box comprising a horizontal scanning window, and a ground surface detecting window;

a horizontal scanning device within said control box in registry with said horizontal scanning window, a ground surface detector within said box in registry with said ground surface detecting window, and an encased control processing circuit board within said box;

a caster means extending downwardly from said control box, said caster means including a holder resiliently connected to said box and a free steering caster wheel carried by said holder; and

switch means interposed between the box and a caster means for actuation by the weight of the box on the caster means;

characterized in that said control processing circuit board will judge if said caster means does not touch sthe ground, and will send a voice warning signal "Please pick up the stick or will call for help after 5 seconds" to inform the user through said earphone;

said range finder of said handle detects a front obstruction during moving of the stick, and sends any detected obstruction signal to said control processing circuit board to convert the detected signal into a voice "front obstruction!" to inform the user through the earphone;

said moving object detector of said handle detects front moving objects during moving of the stick and sends any detected moving object signal to said control processing circuit board for processing, to further provide a voice --"Please let me pass!";

said ground surface detector of said control box detects the ground surface during moving of the stick and sends the detected signal to said control processing circuit board for processing to further provide a voice --"Uneven ground"--to inform the user through the earphone; and

said horizontal scanning device detects objects through said horizontal scanning window to direct signals to said control processing circuit board for processing, to thereby provide warning-direction and obstruction-type information.

2. The electronic talking stick for the blind according to claim 1, wherein the control processing circuit board includes a scanning detection circuit, a decoder, a signal locking circuit, a memory bank, a voice microprocessor, an audio frequency amplifier, a speaker, a power circuit, a counter and a warning system, and the control processing circuit board is operated in a manner that said scanning detection circuit sends any obstruction or moving object signal to said decoder for decoding and further to said signal locking circuit for signal lock-out, to further pick up a pre-stored voice data from said memory bank to said voice microprocessor for digital-analog conversion during output of signal lock-out, the converted signal being further amplified through said audio frequency amplifier to further be delivered through said speaker to provide a hearable and understandable human language, and said counter being simultaneously in control of said voice microprocessor to send a signal to control the triggering time of said warning system.

3. The electronic talking stick for the blind according to claim 2, wherein the scanning detection circuit of the control processing board includes a pulse generator, a pulse amplifier, a wave filter-detector circuit, a synchronous amplifier-comparator and a load drive stage, and the scanning detection circuit of the control processing board is operated in a manner that when said pulse amplifier receives a signal generated by said pulse generator and reflected by a reflecting object, the signal is amplified by said pulse amplifier, filtered through said wave filter-detector circuit and further amplified by said synchronous amplifier-comparator and compared with the signal (frequency) transmitted by said pulse generator to further drive the load by means of said load drive stage.

4. The electronic talking stick for the blind according to claim 1, wherein the handle is connected to the telescopic supporting rod by means of a control knob (31) which is to control the angular position of the handle on the supporting rod.

5. The electronic talking stick for the blind according to claim 1, wherein the main control case of the control box includes further a rechargeable battery and a charging socket.

6. The electronic talking stick for the blind according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal scanning device of the control box is secured to an aluminum circular plate coupled with the motor shaft of a motor and the scanning control device in the control box controls said motor to make reciprocating motion within a sector range of 30 degrees so as to detect front 30 degrees sector area conditions.

7. The electronic talking stick for the blind according to claim 1, wherein the control box includes further a fixture at the bottom with a spring set therebetween to connect with the caster holder of the caster through a bearing.

8. The electronic talking stick for the blind according to claim 1, wherein the control box further includes two acrylic cover boards bilaterally mounted thereon with small flash lights respectively at the inner side, said flash lights being controlled by the control processing circuit board to flash at dark.