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

• Current Assignee: Andrew Mahoney
• Original Assignee: Andrew Mahoney
• Inventors: Mahoney, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Jebari, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US13/310,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20120092460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A system and method for assisting a visually impaired user including a time of flight camera, a processing unit for receiving images from the time of flight camera and converting the images into signals for use by one or more controllers, and one or more vibro-tactile devices, wherein the one or more controllers activates one or more of the vibro-tactile devices in response to the signals received from the processing unit. The system preferably includes a lanyard means on which the one or more vibro-tactile devices are mounted. The vibro-tactile devices are activated depending on a determined position in front of the user of an object and the distance from the user to the object.

Claims

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.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said time of flight camera and said processor are mounted at a bottom end of said lanyard means such that said time of flight camera and said processor are positioned proximate a chest portion of the user when said lanyard means is worn.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said time of flight camera is positioned and arranged to provide depth images, or depth maps to said processing unit.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said processor includes an image processor.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said processor creates a three-dimensional reconstruction based on data from said depth map;

and wherein the three-dimensional space in front of the user is divided into a plurality of volumes of space;

said processor determining whether objects in front of the user reside in one or more of said plurality of volumes of space;

said processor further producing a signal representative of said one or more volumes of space occupied by said objects;

wherein said signal is representative of a direction and distance from said user of said objects.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said controller activates said vibro-tactile devices with an intensity proportionate to the distance from said user of said objects.

7. A system according to claim 5, further comprising audio alert means;

wherein said controller activates said audio alert means when said signal indicates the presence of said object at face level of said user.