Systems, methods, and software for providing wayfinding orientation and wayfinding data to blind travelers

• US 8,594,935 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InTouch Graphics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: InTouch Graphics, Inc.
• Inventors: Cioffi, Joseph, Agee, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANG, MICHAEL DEAN
• Application Number:
  US12/727,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5048 Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3863 Structures of map data

Abstract

To support the independence and mobility of blind pedestrians, the present inventors devised, among other things, free systems, methods, and software for providing narrative blind-ready wayfinding information. One exemplary system receives user input identifying a starting landmark and ending landmark in a particular selected geographic region, such as a city, university campus, government building, shopping mall, or airport. The system then searches a database for the corresponding narrative wayfinding instructions, and outputs them in the form of text or audio to guide a blind pedestrian from the starting landmark to the ending landmark. In the exemplary system, blind users select the geographic region as well as the starting and ending landmark from a voice-driven telephonic menu system and receive audible wayfinding instruction via mobile telephone. In some embodiments, the system also provides access to voice-driven restaurant menus.

Claims

1. A blind traveler navigational data system having a server, the server comprising:

a machine-readable data storage medium comprising machine-executable instructions for configuring the server to;

receive into a database configuration information, including a plurality of sets of starting point identifiers and corresponding destination point identifiers, and for each set, narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions for navigating between the respective starting point identifier and destination point identifier;

wherein the narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions incorporate cues specific for blind travelers;

receive from a user information identifying a first landmark and a second landmark from a set of predefined landmarks within a predefined geographic region, wherein the first and second landmarks correspond to a set of starting point and destination point identifiers received into the database as configuration information;

responsive to the identified first and second landmarks, access and retrieve, from a database, precompiled narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions for guiding a blind or visually impaired traveler from the first identified landmark to the second selected landmark; and

output the retrieved blind-ready wayfinding instructions to an access device for use by visually impaired user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the blind-ready wayfinding instructions includes walking path surface information for facilitating trailing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to identify the first and second landmarks comprises instructions for configuring the server to receive a selection of at least one of the first and second landmarks via a voice-response system.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface at least partially defined by the server to receive the information identifying the first and second landmarks.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second landmark is a building, and wherein the instructions include instructions to configure the server to,

responsive to a user command, output a listing of indoor destination options associated with the second identified landmark;

and

responsive to selection of one of the indoor destination options, access and retrieve from the database, blind ready wayfinding data for guiding a blind or visually impaired traveler from an entry door of the building to the selected one of the indoor destination options.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one of the indoor destination options is an restaurant within the building, and the instructions further configure the server to, responsive to a user command, present at least a portion of a voice navigable voice menu of food items for the restaurant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is further configured to:

responsive to a user voice command, receive one or more menu selections;

responsive to a subsequent user voice command, play back the one or more menu selections; and

responsive to a subsequent user voice command, communicate an order based on the one or more menu selections to an order management system within the restaurant.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions further configure the server to:

responsive to a user command, eliminate one or more menu items from presentation during an access session.

9. The blind traveler navigational data system according to claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to:

receive subscriber identification information from a user; and

responsive to the identified subscriber identification information, access and retrieve, from a subscriber database, information indicating whether the user associated with the received subscriber identification information is vision-impaired;

wherein

at least a portion of the wayfinding instructions are tagged with additional blind-ready navigational information, and wherein the outputted instructions include the tagged blind-ready navigational information if the user'"'"'s subscriber profile indicates that the user is vision-impaired.

10. A method implemented using at least one processor and memory, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information into a memory, including a plurality of sets of starting point identifiers and corresponding destination point identifiers, and for each set, narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions for navigating between the respective starting point identifier and destination point identifier;

wherein the narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions incorporate cues specific for blind travelers;

receiving into the memory from a user information identifying first and second landmarks from a set of predefined landmarks within a predefined geographic region, wherein the first and second landmarks correspond to a set of starting point and destination point identifiers received into the database as configuration information;

in response to the identified first and second landmarks, using the processor to access and retrieve from a database, precompiled narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions for guiding a blind or visually impaired traveler from the first identified landmark to the second identified landmark; and

outputting the retrieved blind-ready wayfinding instructions to a wireless device carried by a visually impaired user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless device is a mobile telephone and the wayfinding instructions comprise a text-to-speech synthesis of textual wayfinding instructions.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving into the memory subscriber identification information from a user; and

retrieving subscriber profile information indicating whether the user associated with the received subscriber identification information is vision-impaired,

wherein blind-ready instructions are output when the subscriber profile information indicates that the user is vision-impaired.

13. A method for assisting vision-impaired pedestrians to navigate between physical locations, the method comprising:

storing configuration information into a database, including a plurality of sets of starting point identifiers and corresponding destination point identifiers, and for each set, narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions for navigating between the respective starting point identifier and destination point identifier;

wherein the narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions incorporate cues specific for blind travelers;

receiving from an access device an identification of first and second landmarks from a set of predefined landmarks within a predefined geographic region;

retrieving from the database, precompiled narrative blind-ready wayfinding instructions from the first identified landmark to the second identified landmark; and

transmitting the retrieved blind-ready wayfinding instructions to an access device for use by a visually impaired user.