System and method for interpretation of visual information

• US 7,231,066 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Videoakt AB
• Original Assignee: Videoakt AB
• Inventors: Lindahl, Olof, Forchheimer, Robert, Li, Haibo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta; Bhavesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, CHONG R
• Application Number:
  US10/332,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20030161508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/114
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

In a system (10) and a method for interpreting visual information and transmitting it to a human being through tactile influence of sensorial organs in its body, the system has a sensor module (12) capturing visual information; a control module (14), interpreting the captured information and controlling a tactile actuator module (16) in accordance with the interpreted information. An actuator module (16) transmits the interpreted information to a human being by electro-mechanically influencing sensorial organs in the skin of the human being, thereby creating an image in its brain. An image is corresponding to the visual information transmitted through the electro-mechanical actuator module (16).

Claims

1. A system for interpreting visual information and transmitting such visual information to a human being through tactile influence of sensorial organs in its body comprising:

a sensor module capturing the visual information;

a control module communicating with the sensor module and interpreting the captured visual information; and

a tactile actuator module controlled by the control module in accordance with the interpreted information and able to transmit the interpreted information to a human being by electro-mechanically influencing sensorial regions in the skin of the human being, thereby making conscious an image in the brain of the human being, the image corresponding to the visual information through the electro-mechanical transmission, and enhancing the seeing of the human being by making conscious two images of one and the same instance in the brain of the human being through seeing the captured visual sensor module information and simultaneously receiving the captured information as a tactile information made conscious in the brain, wherein conscious information is provided to the brain about emotional state through the modules.

2. A system for interpreting visual information and transmitting such visual information to a human being through tactile influence of sensorial organs in its body comprising:

a sensor module capturing the visual information;

a control module communicating with the sensor module and interpreting the captured visual information, wherein the control module processes images through independent low level visual processing modules through which different visual cues are extracted in parallel, the cues represent color, motion, shape, range, texture and other visual primitives; and

a tactile actuator module controlled by the control module in accordance with the interpreted information and able to transmit the interpreted information to a human being by electro-mechanically influencing sensorial regions organs in the skin of the human being, thereby making conscious an image in the brain of the human being, the image corresponding to the visual information through the electro-mechanical transmission, and enhancing the seeing of the human being by making conscious two images of one and the same instance in the brain of the human being through seeing the captured visual sensor module information and simultaneously receiving the captured information as a tactile information made conscious in the brain.

3. A system for interpreting visual information and transmitting such visual information to a human being through tactile influence of sensorial organs in its body comprising:

a sensor module capturing the visual information;

a control module communicating with the sensor module and interpreting the captured visual information, wherein the control module has low level visual processing and high level visual processing having multiple connections to each other; and

a tactile actuator module controlled by the control module in accordance with the interpreted information and able to transmit the interpreted information to a human being by electro-mechanically influencing sensorial regions in the skin of the human being, thereby making conscious an image in the brain of the human being, the image corresponding to the visual information through the electro-mechanical transmission, and enhancing the seeing of the human being by making conscious two images of one and the same instance in the brain of the human being through seeing the captured visual sensor module information and simultaneously receiving the captured information as a tactile information made conscious in the brain.

4. A method for interpreting visual information and transmitting such visual information to a human being through tactile influence of sensorial organs in its body, comprising the steps of:

capturing the visual information;

controlling and interpreting the captured information and controlling a tactile actuator in accordance with the interpreted information; and

transmitting the interpreted information to a human being by electro-mechanically influencing sensorial regions in the skin of the human being, thereby making conscious an image in the brain of the human being, the image corresponding to the visual information through the electro-mechanical transmission and enhancing the seeing of the human being by making conscious two images of one and the same instance in the brain of the human being through seeing the captured visual sensor module information and simultaneously receiving the captured information as a tactile information made conscious in the brain, wherein conscious information is provided to the brain about emotional state.

5. A method for interpreting visual information and transmitting such visual information to a human being through tactile influence of sensorial organs in its body, comprising the steps of:

capturing the visual information; and

controlling and interpreting the captured information and controlling a tactile actuator in accordance with the interpreted information, wherein during the controlling and interpreting of the captured information step, images are processed through independent low level visual processing modules through which different visual cues are extracted in parallel, the cues are representing color, motion, shape, range, texture and other visual primitives; and

transmitting the interpreted information to a human being by electro-mechanically influencing sensorial regions in the skin of the human being, thereby making conscious an image in the brain of the human being, the image corresponding to the visual information through the electro-mechanical transmission and enhancing the seeing of the human being by making conscious two images of one and the same instance in the brain of the human being through seeing the captured visual sensor module information and simultaneously receiving the captured information as a tactile information made conscious in the brain.

6. A method for interpreting visual information and transmitting such visual information to a human being through tactile influence of sensorial organs in its body, comprising the steps of:

capturing the visual information;

controlling and interpreting the captured information and controlling a tactile actuator in accordance with the interpreted information, wherein the controlling and interpreting visual information step is conducted by low level visual processing and high level visual processing modules having multiple connections to each other; and

transmitting the interpreted information to a human being by electro-mechanically influencing sensorial regions in the skin of the human being, thereby making conscious an image in the brain of the human being, the image corresponding to the visual information through the electro-mechanical transmission and enhancing the seeing of the human being by making conscious two images of one and the same instance in the brain of the human being through seeing the captured visual sensor module information and simultaneously receiving the captured information as a tactile information made conscious in the brain.