System, method and apparatus for providing navigational assistance
First Claim
1. A system to assist a user with low-vision to navigate from a current location to a second location within an indoor environment, the system comprising:
- a distance determination device suitable for use within the indoor environment;
a memory containing an environment data of the indoor environment;
a user interface suitable for use by the user with low-vision; and
a processing unit communicably coupled to the distance determination device, the memory, and the user interface, wherein the processing unit is configured todetermine, via the distance determination device, a distance traveled by the user in the indoor environment or from the user to one or more objects in the indoor environment;
identify a current location in the indoor environment using the distance and the environment data;
determine a route in the indoor environment to the second location based on the current location and the environment data; and
provide via the user interface, a directional cue to the user with low-vision based on the route;
wherein the distance determination device determines the distance, at least in part, by transmitting and receiving a signal to be reflected from the one or more objects and then returned to the distance determination device, and wherein the signal received is a substantially same signal as the signal transmitted.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus to assist a user navigate from a current location to a second location within an environment by determining a distance traveled by the user or from the user to one or more objects. The current location is then identified using the distance and an environment data. Thereafter, a route to the second location is determined based on the current location and the environment data, and a directional cue is provided to the user based on the route. Note that the present invention can be implemented as a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium wherein the steps are performed by one or more code segments.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A system to assist a user with low-vision to navigate from a current location to a second location within an indoor environment, the system comprising:
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a distance determination device suitable for use within the indoor environment; a memory containing an environment data of the indoor environment; a user interface suitable for use by the user with low-vision; and a processing unit communicably coupled to the distance determination device, the memory, and the user interface, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine, via the distance determination device, a distance traveled by the user in the indoor environment or from the user to one or more objects in the indoor environment; identify a current location in the indoor environment using the distance and the environment data; determine a route in the indoor environment to the second location based on the current location and the environment data; and provide via the user interface, a directional cue to the user with low-vision based on the route; wherein the distance determination device determines the distance, at least in part, by transmitting and receiving a signal to be reflected from the one or more objects and then returned to the distance determination device, and wherein the signal received is a substantially same signal as the signal transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of assisting a user with low-vision to navigate from a current location to a second location within an indoor environment, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining a distance traveled by the user with low-vision in the indoor environment or from the user to one or more objects in the indoor environment, wherein the distance is determined, at least in part, by transmitting and receiving a signal that is reflected from the one or more objects, and wherein the signal received is a substantially same signal as the signal transmitted; identifying a current location in the indoor environment using the distance and an environment data of the indoor environment; determining a route in the indoor environment to the second location based on the current location and the environment data; and providing a directional cue to the user with low-vision based on the route. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An article of manufacture comprising:
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a computer-readable storage medium; a computer program embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, configured to assist a user with low-vision to navigate from a current location to a second location within an indoor environment, the computer program comprising; a code segment for determining a distance traveled by the user with low-vision in the indoor environment or from the user to one or more objects in the indoor environment, wherein the distance is determined, at least in part, by transmitting and receiving a signal that is reflected from the one or more objects, and wherein the signal received is a substantially same signal as the signal transmitted; a code segment for identifying the current location in the indoor environment using the distance and an environment data of the indoor environment; a code segment for determining a route in the indoor environment to the second location based on the current location and the environment data; and a code segment for providing a directional cue to the user with low-vision based on the route. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification