Object identification system combined with millimeter-wave passive image system and global positioning system (GPS) for the blind

• US 7,336,226 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Original Assignee: Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Inventors: Chae, Yeon-Sik, Rhee, Jin-Koo, Jung, Kyung-Kwon
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/535,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.14, 342/372, 342/373, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.52
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information

Abstract

This invention relates to an object identification device, for the blind, that identifies objects such as walls and cars by detecting the ambient environment through a 94-GHz millimeter-wave image system mounted on the eyeglass and inform the situation to the user by transforming the identified signals to the voice or sound.

This invention is designed to not only help the blind in walking but also provide the function to find the person who has a device realizing this invention.

Claims

1. An object identification device combined with a millimeter-wave passive image system and global positioning system (GPS) for the blind, comprising:

a millimeter-wave passive image wireless circuit (31) that consists of a patch antenna array, a low-noise amplifier and a phase shifter required for the millimeter image system to transmit/receive the millimeter-wave for the detection of millimeter-wave image signals;

a control unit that consists of an array antenna beam forming unit (321) for the beam forming of the millimeter-wave, a signal process unit (322) to analyze millimeter wave images, a GPS antenna (35) to receive position signals from a satellite and a GPS control unit (322) to control signals received from the GPS antenna;

an operation unit (33) that consists of an object identification unit (331) and a position navigation unit (332) to constitute the information about the ambient situation by using signal-processed data; and

an audio process unit (34) that consists of a voice process unit (341) for voice transformation using the millimeter image information and position information and a audio generation unit (342) to generate the transformed voice.