System and method for providing navigation instructions at optimal times

• US 9,677,901 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US14/643,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20160265917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• 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 3/06 Walking aids for blind persons replacing direct visual perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/14 by recording the course traversed by the object G01C21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids

Abstract

A wearable smart device for alerting a user of an upcoming turn or object. The wearable smart device includes a camera configured to detect image data. The wearable smart device also includes a processor coupled to the camera and configured to determine a current speed of the wearable smart device based on the image data. The processor is also configured to determine when a navigation instruction is to be output based on the current speed. The wearable smart device also includes an output unit coupled to the processor and configured to output the navigation instruction.

Claims

1. A system for providing a user with navigation instructions comprising:

a wearable smart device configured to be worn by the user and having;

a camera configured to detect image data;

an output unit configured to output one or more instructions that notify the user; and

a processor coupled to the camera and the output unit, the processor configured to;

determine a current speed of the wearable smart device based on the image data,

cause, when an instruction relates to a first upcoming turn, the output unit to output the instruction to notify the user of the first upcoming turn at an amount of time or distance prior to reaching the first upcoming turn based on the current speed; and

cause, when the instruction relates to a first upcoming object, the output unit to output the instruction to notify the user of the first upcoming object at an amount of time or distance prior to reaching the first upcoming object that is different than the amount of time or distance prior to reaching the first upcoming turn and based on the current speed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable smart device has an inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to detect inertial measurement data and wherein the processor is further configured to determine the current speed of the wearable smart device based on the inertial measurement data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a current walking environment of the wearable smart device based on the image data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wearable smart device has a memory configured to store a first average speed of the wearable smart device corresponding to a first walking environment and a second average speed of the wearable smart device corresponding to a second walking environment, and wherein the processor is further configured to update the first average speed based on the current speed when a current walking environment matches the first walking environment and to update the second average speed based on the current speed when the current walking environment matches the second walking environment.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the wearable smart device has a memory configured to store an average speed of the wearable smart device, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine the amount of time or distance prior to reaching the upcoming turn to notify the user and the amount of time or distance prior to reaching the upcoming object to notify the user based on the average speed.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the wearable smart device has a memory configured to store a maximum speed corresponding to the current walking environment and wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the output unit to output data indicating that the current speed should be reduced when the current speed is greater than the maximum speed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an average response time of the user and to determine the amount of time or distance prior to reaching the upcoming turn to notify the user and the amount of time or distance prior to reaching the upcoming object to notify the user based on the average response time of the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the first upcoming turn or the first upcoming object based on a current location of the wearable smart device and map data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a current distance from the first upcoming turn or the first upcoming object and to cause the output unit to output the instruction to notify the user of the first upcoming turn or the first upcoming object based on the current distance from the first upcoming turn or the first upcoming object.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the wearable smart device will approach a second upcoming turn or a second upcoming object within a predetermined amount of time of the first upcoming turn or the first upcoming object and to instruct the output unit to output data indicating that the current speed should be reduced based on the determination that the wearable smart device will approach the second upcoming turn or the second upcoming object within the predetermined amount of time.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the amount of time or distance prior to reaching the upcoming object is greater than the amount of time or distance prior to reaching the upcoming turn.