Remote guidance system

• US 9,508,269 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echo-Sense, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Echo-Sense, Inc.
• Inventors: Slamka, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US13/297,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 340/4.11, 340/4.1, 701/201, 701/200, 367/87, 345/169, 434/112
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1604 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5048 Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A method of providing assistance from an assistant to a user, wherein the user and the assistant are remote from each other, includes obtaining an image of an area adjacent the user, transmitting the image from the user to the assistant, and displaying the image on a display to the assistant. The method also includes transmitting a message generated by the assistant relating to the image from the assistant to the user and audibly outputting the message to the user.

Claims

1. A system for providing assistance from an assistant to a user, the user and the assistant being remote from each other, the system comprising:

a user device that includes a visual data collector, an audible output device, and a plurality of spaced apart short range echo-location sensors, each of the plurality of the spaced apart short range echo-location sensors configured to transmit a respective signal and each of the plurality of the spaced apart short range echo-location sensors configured to receive all of the respectively transmitted signals such that each received signal to contributes to calculations that detect and triangulate upon objects at a single point in time within the user'"'"'s environment such that detected objects are prioritized with respect to relevance to the user, the visual data collector configured to obtain an image of an area adjacent to the user, the audible output device configured to audibly output a message relating to the image to the user;

an assistant device including a display and an assistant input device, the display configured to display the image to the assistant, and the assistant input device configured for inputting the message by the assistant;

a communication device that is configured to transmit the image from the user device to assistant device, the communication device also configured to transmit the message from the assistant device to the user device; and

,

a computer system in communication with the plurality of spaced apart short range echo-location sensors that determines location information about the detected objects within the user'"'"'s environment and provides the location information to the user through a transducer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual data collector and the audio output device are portable by the user.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a mount configured to be mounted on a head of the user, the mount configured to support the visual data collector and the audio output device on the head of the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the assistant device further includes a database having a map, and further comprising a positioning system that determines a current position of the user on the map, the display configured to display to the assistant the current position of the user on the map.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the positioning system is configured to update a change in the current position of the user on the map, and wherein the display is configured to display the change in the current position of the user on the map.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the display is configured to display a destination on the map, the assistant input device being configured for inputting a route message by the assistant, the route message including a plurality of directions for travelling from the current position of user to the destination, the route message also including avoidance information for avoiding an obstacle shown in the image.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user device also includes a user input device configured for inputting a destination criteria by the user, wherein the communication device is configured to transmit the destination criteria from the user device to assistant device, and wherein the assistant device further includes a searching device configured for identifying the destination from among a plurality of possible destinations satisfying the destination criteria.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the assistant input device is configured for inputting a descriptive message that describes the image.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual data collector is configured to obtain a moving image representing the area adjacent to the user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display a customized site having content that is customized to the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is a first user device, wherein the visual data collector is a first visual data collector of the first user device, wherein the audible output device is a first audible output device of the first user device, wherein the first visual data collector is configured to obtain a first image of a first area adjacent a first user, wherein the first audible output device is configured to audibly output a first message relating to the first image to the first user,

further comprising a second user device that includes a second visual data collector and a second audible output device, wherein the second visual data collector is configured to obtain a second image of a second area adjacent a second user, wherein the second audible output device is configured to audibly output a second message relating to the second image to the second user, and

wherein the display is configured to display the first image and the second image to the assistant, and wherein the assistant input device is configured for inputting the first message and the second message by the assistant.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the assistant input device is a microphone and the audible output device is a speaker that outputs a spoken message that is spoken into the microphone by the assistant.

13. A method of providing assistance from an assistant to a user, the user and the assistant being remote from each other, the method comprising:

obtaining an image of an area adjacent to the user;

obtaining by triangulation at a single point in time, through echo-location sensors transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals having unique identifiers coded therein, information relating to objects within the user'"'"'s environment such that objects are prioritized with respect to relevance to the user;

providing the information relating to objects within the user'"'"'s environment to the user with a transducer;

transmitting the image from the user to the assistant;

displaying the image on a display to the assistant;

transmitting a message generated by the assistant relating to the image from the assistant to the user; and

audibly outputting the message to the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining a map, determining a current location of the user on the map, and displaying to the assistant the current position of the user on the map.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising updating a change in the current position of the user on the map, and displaying the change in the current position of the user on the map.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying a destination on the map, and wherein the message includes a route message generated by the assistant, the route message including a plurality of directions for travelling from the current position of the user to the destination, the route message also including avoidance information for avoiding an obstacle shown in the image.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting, from the user to the assistant, a destination criteria,

identifying, by the assistant, the destination from among a plurality of possible destinations satisfying the destination criteria.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the message is a descriptive message describing the image.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the image includes obtaining a moving image representing the area adjacent to the user.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the image includes displaying the image on a customized site having content that is customized to the user.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the image includes obtaining a first image of a first area adjacent a first user, wherein transmitting the image includes transmitting the first image from the first user to the assistant, wherein displaying the image includes displaying the first image on the display to the assistant, wherein transmitting the message includes transmitting a first message generating by the assistant relating to the first image from the assistant to the first user, and wherein audibly outputting the message includes audibly outputting the first message to the first user, and further comprising:

obtaining a second image of a second area adjacent a second user;

transmitting the second image from the second user to the assistant;

displaying the second image on the display to the assistant;

transmitting a second message generated by the assistant relating to the second image from the assistant to the second user; and

audibly outputting the second message to the second user.

22. A method of providing assistance from an assistant to a vision-impaired user, the user and the assistant being remote from each other, the method comprising:

obtaining a moving image of an area adjacent the vision-impaired user, the moving image obtained from a portable camera that is transportable by the vision-impaired user;

obtaining by triangulation at a single point in time, through echo-location sensors transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals having unique identifiers coded therein, information relating to objects within the user'"'"'s environment such that objects are prioritized with respect to relevance to the user;

providing the information relating to objects within the user'"'"'s environment to the user with a transducer;

transmitting the moving image from the vision-impaired user to the assistant;

displaying the moving image on a display to the assistant;

determining a current position of the vision-impaired user on a map;

displaying the map and the current position on the display to the assistant;

displaying a destination of the vision-impaired user on the display to the assistant;

transmitting a route message generated by the assistant from the assistant to the vision-impaired user, the route message including the route message including a plurality of directions for travelling from the current position of the vision-impaired user to the destination, the route message also including avoidance information for avoiding an obstacle shown in the moving image;

audibly outputting the route message from a speaker to the vision-impaired user, the speaker being transportable by the vision-impaired user.