Obstacle Avoidance Using Mobile Devices

• US 20150070479A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yu, Loc
• Granted Patent: US 9,460,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/62
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 1/02 Walking sticks with rollers for carrying parcels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2009/002 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/00 Sticks combined with other objects
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 9/00 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 9/04 Ferrules or tips for crutches A61H3/0288
• 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 2003/063 with tactile perception
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/068 Sticks for blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products estimate distances to aid a visually impaired user of a mobile device. As the user carries the mobile device, a camera in the mobile device captures images of a walking cane. The images of the walking cane are analyzed to infer a distance between a tip of the walking cane and the mobile device. The distance may then used by navigational tools to aid the visually impaired user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

pairing a walking cane to a mobile device;

receiving a command sent from the walking cane to activate a camera in the mobile device;

storing an image of a tip of the walking cane in memory of the mobile device;

receiving at the mobile device an orientation angle sent from the walking cane; and

inferring a distance from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device based on information in the image and the orientation angle of the walking cane,

wherein the distance is used to aid a visually impaired user of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a length of the walking cane from the memory of the mobile device; and

retrieving an arm length of the visually impaired user from the memory of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating a first maximum for the distance as twice the length of the walking cane; and

calculating a second maximum for the distance as a sum of the length of the walking cane and the arm length of the visually impaired user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an association between the image of the tip of the walking cane and the orientation angle of the walking cane.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a database of images that associates different images of the tip of the walking cane to corresponding distances from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising comparing the image of the tip of the walking cane to a database of images stored in the memory of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising selecting a matching image in the database of images that matches the image of the tip of the walking cane captured by the camera in the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising retrieving a corresponding distance that is associated with the matching image in the database of images.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising using the corresponding distance of the matching image as the distance from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an association between the image of the tip of the walking cane and the orientation angle of the walking cane.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

pairing a walking cane with a mobile device;

receiving a command sent from the walking cane to activate a camera in the mobile device;

storing an image of a tip of the walking cane;

receiving at the mobile device an orientation angle sent from the walking cane; and

inferring a distance from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device based on information in the image and the orientation angle of the walking cane,

wherein the distance is used to aid a visually impaired user of the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

retrieving a length of the walking cane from the memory; and

retrieving an arm length of the visually impaired user from the memory.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

calculating a first maximum for the distance as twice the length of the walking cane; and

calculating a second maximum for the distance as a sum of the length of the walking cane and the arm length of the visually impaired user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise storing a database of images that associates different images of the tip of the walking cane to corresponding distances from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise comparing the image of the tip of the walking cane to a database of images.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise selecting a matching image in the database of images that matches the image of the tip of the walking cane captured by the camera.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a corresponding distance that is associated with the matching image in the database of images.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise using the corresponding distance of the matching image as the distance from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device.

19. A memory storing instructions that when execute cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

pairing a walking cane with a mobile device;

receiving a command sent from the walking cane to activate a camera in the mobile device;

storing an image of a tip of the walking cane;

receiving at the mobile device an orientation angle sent from the walking cane; and

inferring a distance from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device based on information in the image and the orientation angle of the walking cane,

wherein the distance is used to aid a visually impaired user of the mobile device.

20. The memory of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise storing, in a database of images, an association between the image of the tip of the walking cane and the orientation angle of the walking cane, the database of images associating different images of the tip of the walking cane to corresponding distances from the tip of the walking cane to the mobile device.