Location, orientation, product and color identification system for the blind or visually impaired

• US 7,267,281 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Billy D. Hopkins
• Original Assignee: Billy D. Hopkins
• Inventors: Hopkins, Billy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US10/994,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20060108426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/435, 235/454, 235/462.01, 235/462.31, 235/462.43, 235/487, 235/462.45, 341/21, 434/112, 434/116, 135 65- 67, 135/911, 367/101, 367/107, 367/116
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• 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 3/066 Installations on the floor, e.g. special surfaces, to guide blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/068 Sticks for blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/911 Cane for the blind

Abstract

Barcode scanning and digitizing technology incorporated in the tip of a white cane for the blind, which houses barcode reader, sonar, color sensory and audio production mechanisms. Apparatus detects and announces via audio or vibratory output, obstacles, drop-offs, colors or suitable informational barcode sites placed with a plurality of locations or environments for assisting blind or visually impaired users to navigate. In one embodiment, the apparatus combines the white cane with a barcode scanner and decoder with laser depth finding capacity in the cane tip, an sonar technology within the cane housing; and a separate hand-held unit having color and standard UPC barcode scanners, both the cane and the hand-held unit being connected to the audio output device by a hard-wire or wireless connection. The audio production unit can be pocket or purse carried and emits verbal information via respective barcodes suitable for either component or announces color when the respective scanner is used; hand-held color/barcode scanner or cane can be used separately or simultaneously.

Claims

1. A location orienting system for a blind or visually impaired user comprising:

a plurality of barcode sites placed at a plurality of fixed predefined ground-level locations within a geographic area, each said barcode site containing in a fixed predefined ground-level position thereat a unique barcode that represents information about its specific geographical location in barcode format;

a cane configured to be carried by the user, said cane having a tubular body with a handle at one end and a tip at its opposite end, said cane containing a barcode scanner within said tubular body adjacent the tip end of said cane, said barcode scanner adapted to generate and pass a scanner beam through a window in said tubular body to scan the barcode at one or more of the plurality of barcode sites at which the user is positioned and to generate a binary code signal in response to such scan, said window located adjacent said tip end in a relatively rearward facing portion of the tubular body relative to the user'"'"'s direction of travel when the user extends the cane forwardly during use, the rearward facing portion of the tubular body positioned at an acute angle relative to the ground and the scanner beam projected substantially normal to the ground;

means for transmitting said binary code signal to a microprocessor;

a microprocessor coupled with a speech synthesizer to translate said binary code signal into an audible spoken-language signal; and

means for transmitting said spoken-language signal to an earphone worn by the user whereby the user is apprised of his or her geographical location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting said binary code signal is electrical wiring.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting said binary code signal to the microprocessor is a transmitter which transmits the binary code signal to a receiver that is in electrical communication with said microprocessor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of barcode sites is built into a ground-level ramp structure placed at a fixed predefined location adjacent a sidewalk at an intersection of streets within the geographical area.

4. A method for location orienting a blind or visually impaired user comprising:

placing a plurality of barcode sites at a plurality of fixed predefined ground-level locations within a geographic area, each said barcode site containing in a fixed predefined ground-level position and orientation thereat a barcode that contains information about the respective barcode site'"'"'s geographical location in barcode format;

providing the user with a cane having a tubular body with a handle at one end and a tip at its opposite end, the cane containing a barcode scanner within said tubular body adjacent the tip end of said cane, the barcode scanner adapted to generate a scanner beam which is passed through a window in said tubular body, said window located adjacent said tip end and oriented relatively rearwardly relative to the user'"'"'s direction of travel when the user extends the cane forwardly during use the rearward facing portion of the tubular body positioned at an acute angle relative to the ground and the scanner beam projected substantially normal to the ground;

scanning the barcode at the barcode site at which the user is positioned to generate a binary code signal in response to said scanning, said scanning including positioning the tip of the cane in a predefined ground-level position and in a predefined orientation adjacent a respective one of the plurality of barcode sites;

translating the binary code signal into an audible spoken-language signal; and

transmitting the audible spoken language signal to an earphone worn by the user whereby the user is apprised of his or her geographical location.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein said translating is performed by a microprocessor coupled with a speech synthesizer.

6. An apparatus for providing a blind or visually impaired user with his or her geographic location comprising:

a cane configured to be carried by the user, said cane having a tubular body with a handle at one end and a tip at its opposite end, said cane containing a barcode scanner within said tubular body adjacent the tip end of said cane, said barcode scanner adapted to generate a scanner beam which is passed through a window in said tubular body to scan a barcode at a barcode site at which the user is positioned and to generate a binary code signal in response to the scan, said window located adjacent said tip end in a relatively rearward facing portion of the tubular body relative to the user'"'"'s direction of travel when the user extends the cane forwardly during use, the rearward facing portion of the tubular body positioned at an acute angle relative to the ground and the scanner beam projected substantially normal to the ground;

means for transmitting said binary code signal to a speech synthesizer, said transmitting means also contained within said body of said cane;

a speech synthesizer also contained within said body of said cane, said speech synthesizer being configured to translate said binary code signal into an audible spoken-language signal; and

means for transmitting said spoken-language signal to an earphone configured to be worn by the user whereby the user is apprised of his or her geographic location.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for transmitting said binary code signal includes electrical wiring.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for transmitting said binary code signal to said speech synthesizer is a microprocessor coupled with a transmitter which transmits the binary code signal to a receiver that is in electrical communication with said speech synthesizer.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 which further comprises:

a sonar dispersal and reception mechanism within said body of said cane, said mechanism configured to detect sonar bounce from a proximate object and to produce a vibration in said handle of said cane to warn the user away from an obstacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 which further comprises:

an elevation detection mechanism within said body of said cane, said mechanism configured to detect a proximate elevation difference from a proximate step or drop-off and to produce a warning signal to the user to warn the user away from the step or drop-off.