Self-service crossing aid for pedestrians

• US 9,524,639 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Siao C. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US14/848,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 340/944, 340/925
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A tool for a crossing aid on a mobile device. The tool determines, by a first computer processor, a unique ID associated with a crossing signal. The tool searches, by the first computer processor, for a wireless access point (WAP) having the unique ID. The tool determines, by the first computer processor, whether the WAP having the unique ID is found. Responsive to determining that the WAP having the unique ID is found, the tool determines, by the first computer processor, haptic feedback. The tool initiates, by the first computer processor, the haptic feedback on the mobile device to aid in crossing.

Claims

1. A method for a crossing aid on a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, by a first computer processor, a unique ID associated with a crossing signal, wherein determining the unique ID associated with the crossing signal includes scanning a machine-readable tag of the crossing signal via near field communication;

searching, by the first computer processor, for a wireless access point (WAP) having the unique ID;

determining, by the first computer processor, whether the WAP having the unique ID is found, wherein determining whether the WAP having the unique ID is found includes determining a service set identifier (SSID) of the WAP includes the unique ID extracted from a machine-readable tag of the crossing signal;

responsive to determining that the WAP having the unique ID is found, determining, by the first computer processor, haptic feedback; and

initiating, by the first computer processor, the haptic feedback on the mobile device to aid in crossing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a unique ID associated with the crossing signal, further comprises extracting, by the first computer processor, unique ID information embedded in the machine-readable tag of the crossing signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein extracting unique ID information embedded in a machine-readable tag, further comprises scanning, by the first computer processor, the machine-readable tag of a crossing signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring, by a second computer processor, the service set identifier (SSID) for the WAP with the unique ID of the crossing signal;

updating, by the second computer processor, the SSID for the WAP with a countdown value, the countdown value representing an amount of time remaining before a pedestrian right of way expires at the crossing signal; and

broadcasting, by the second computer processor, the WAP with the SSID, wherein the SSID includes both the unique ID for the crossing signal and the countdown value.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining, by the first computer processor, that a WAP matching the unique ID is not found when the SSID of the WAP does not include the unique ID of the crossing signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining haptic feedback, further comprises utilizing, by the first computer processor, a countdown value included in the SSID for the WAP to determine haptic feedback proportional to an amount of time remaining before a pedestrian right of way expires at the crossing signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating haptic feedback on the mobile device, further comprises:

enabling, by the first computer processor, an internal mechanism within the mobile device designed to produce tactile feedback; and

determining, by the first computer processor, whether a countdown value is “

0”

.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the countdown value is “

0”

, further comprises;

extracting, by the first computer processor, the countdown value from the SSID for the WAP of the crossing signal.