Identifying a change in a home environment

• US 9,978,290 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stevens, Mark B., Wilson, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCormack, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/146,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20160242988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 340 41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/063 with tactile perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/501 connected to external computer devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5043 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5046 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5048 Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5082 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/06 Walking aids for blind persons replacing direct visual perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/523 for presence detection burglar, theft or intruder alarms G08B13/00, e.g. G08B13/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 : using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/004 : Map manufacture or repair; Tear or ink or water resistant maps; Long-life maps printing processes for maps B41M3/02; by permanently attaching map sections to sheets B42B7/00

Abstract

A system and computer implemented method for detecting a change in a home environment for a visually impaired user is disclosed. The method may include monitoring the home environment using a set of sensors configured to collect environment data for a set of areas of the home environment. The method may also include detecting an environmental change in an area of the home environment. The method may also include providing, in response to a triggering event, a notification of the environmental change.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for detecting a change in a home environment for a visually impaired user, the method comprising:

capturing, by an image capturing system, a first set of images for a set of areas of the home environment, the first set of images including one or more objects, each of the one or more objects having a respective first position in the first set of images;

while the visually impaired user is not located within the home environment, capturing a second set of images for the set of areas of the home environment in response to receiving a motion alert from a motion detection system coupled to the image capturing system, the second set of images including the one or more objects;

while the visually impaired user is not located within the home environment, comparing the first set of images with the second set of images to identify an object of the one or more objects having a respective second position in the second set of images, the respective second position of the identified object in the second set of images being different from the respective first position of the identified object in the first set of images such that the identified object meets an obstruction criterion; and

in response to detecting arrival of the visually impaired user at the home environment, providing a notification to the visually impaired user that the identified object meets the obstruction criterion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obstruction criterion includes an object displacement threshold based on an origin position and a subsequent position, and an object size threshold based on a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the home arrival is detected by a security system in response to a door unlock of a home.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting arrival of the visually impaired user at the home environment comprises monitoring, using a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking system, the location of a cane of the user, wherein the cane is equipped with a RFID bit communicatively connected to the RFID tracking system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting arrival of the visually impaired user at the home environment comprises monitoring, using a thermal imaging system, a body heat signature;

and detecting arrival of the visually impaired user based on the body heat signature.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the notification includes announcing, through a dog collar communicatively connected to the image capturing system and equipped with a speaker, a voice message notifying the user of the identified object meeting the obstruction criterion.

7. A system for detecting a change in a home environment for a visually impaired user, the system comprising:

an image capturing system configured to collect a first set of images for a set of areas of the home environment, the first set of images including one or more objects, each of the one or more objects having a respective first position in the first set of images;

a motion detection system coupled to the image capturing system and configured to detect motion in the home environment; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the image capturing system and the motion detection system;

wherein the image capturing system is configured to capture a second set of images for the set of areas of the home environment while the visually impaired user is not located within the home environment, in response to receiving a motion alert from the motion detection system, the second set of images including the one or more objects;

wherein the processor is configured to compare the first set of images with the second set of images while the visually impaired user is not located within the home environment to identify an object of the one or more objects having a respective second position in the second set of images, the respective second position of the identified object in the second set of images being different from the respective first position of the identified object in the first set of images such that the identified object meets an obstruction criterion; and

wherein the processor is configured to provide a notification to the visually impaired user that the identified object meets the obstruction criterion in response to detecting arrival of the visually impaired user at the home environment.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the obstruction criterion includes an object displacement threshold based on an origin position and a subsequent position, and an object size threshold based on a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises a security system configured to detect the home arrival in response to a door unlock of a home.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking system configured to monitor the location of a cane of the user, wherein the cane is equipped with a RFID bit communicatively connected to the RFID tracking system.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises a thermal imaging system configured to monitor for body heat signature of the visually impaired user to detect arrival of the visually impaired user at the home environment.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a first computing device, causes the first computing device to:

receive a first set of images for a set of areas of the home environment from an image capturing system, the first set of images including one or more objects, each of the one or more objects having a respective first position in the first set of images;

receive a second set of images for the set of areas of the home environment while the visually impaired user is not located within the home environment in response to receiving a motion alert from a motion detection system, the second set of images including the one or more objects;

compare the first set of images with the second set of images while the visually impaired user is not located within the home environment to identify an object of the one or more objects having a respective second position in the second set of images, the respective second position of the identified object in the second set of images being different from the respective first position of the identified object in the first set of images such that the identified object meets an obstruction criterion; and

in response to detecting arrival of the visually impaired user at the home environment, provide a notification to the visually impaired user that the identified object meets the obstruction criterion.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the obstruction criterion includes an object displacement threshold based on an origin position and a subsequent position, and an object size threshold based on a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension.