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System and method for alerting visually impaired users of nearby objects

  • US 9,370,459 B2
  • Filed: 12/02/2011
  • Issued: 06/21/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for assisting a visually impaired user comprising:

  • a time of flight camera;

    a processor executing instructions from memory to;

    receive images from said time of flight camera and convert said images into signals transmitted to one or more controllers;

    one or more vibro-tactile devices;

    wherein said one or more controllers activates one or more of said vibro-tactile devices in response to said signals received from said processor;

    a lanyard means sized and otherwise dimensioned to be worn around a neck of the user, wherein said one or more vibro-tactile devices are mounted on said lanyard means;

    a sensor for determining the rotation of the imaging device with respect to a vertical orientation;

    said rotation being used by said processor to align said images with the vertical orientation prior to generating the signals for use by the one or more controllers;

    wherein said signal is transmitted to said one or more controllers;

    said one or more controllers activating one or more of said vibro-tactile devices in response to said signal;

    said one or more vibro-tactile devices including a first vibro-tactile device being activated when said signal indicates the presence of an object generally to the right of said user, a second vibro-tactile device being activated when said signal indicates the presence of an object generally to the left of said user; and

    , a third vibro-tactile device being activated when said signal indicates the presence of an object generally in front of said user.

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