Wearable Blind Guiding Apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016284235-A1
Application number	US-201514800365-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A blind guiding apparatus comprises a first wearable assembly on which a voice recognition unit, a central processing unit, a GPS unit, a voice output unit and a Braille display unit are disposed. The blind guiding apparatus provides real-time positioning and navigating functions for a blind user walking outside, wherein the Braille display unit allows the user to confirm a destination address recognized by the voice recognition unit so as to avoid error in navigation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A blind guiding apparatus, comprising a first wearable assembly on which a voice recognition unit, a central processing unit, a GPS unit, a voice output unit and a Braille display unit are disposed; wherein
the voice recognition unit is connecting to the Braille display unit, and is configured to receive voice information of a user and recognize a destination address from the voice information; the Braille display unit is further connecting to the central processing unit, and is configured to generate Braille information based on the destination address and transmit the destination address to the central processing unit upon it's confirmed to be matched with the voice information by the user; the central processing unit is further connecting to the GPS unit, stored with an electronic map database, and configured to search for a walking route within the electronic map database according to the destination address and transmit the walking route to the GPS unit; the GPS unit is configured to perform a real-time positioning based on the walking route and send position information generated from the positioning back to the central processing unit; and the voice output unit is connecting to the central processing unit, and is configured to output navigating information generated by the central processing unit based on the position information in a form of voice.

2 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first wearable assembly further comprises an image acquiring unit and a first vibrating unit which are both connecting to the central processing unit; wherein
the image acquiring unit is configured to acquire an image of road ahead, and transmit the image to the central processing unit; the central processing unit is further configured to send a first controlling signal to the first vibrating unit upon recognizing an obstacle in the image; and the first vibrating unit is configured to generate a first vibrating signal in response to the first controlling signal.

3 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 2 , wherein if the position information is indicating a corner,
the central processing unit is further configured to send a second controlling signal to the first vibrating unit; and the first vibrating unit is further configured to generate a second vibrating signal in response to the second controlling signal.

4 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the image acquiring unit is an infrared sensor.

5 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the image acquiring unit is an infrared sensor.

6 . The blind guiding apparatus of claims 2 , wherein the first vibrating unit is a vibrating motor.

7 . The blind guiding apparatus of claims 3 , wherein the first vibrating unit is a vibrating motor.

8 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tri-axial accelerometer, an angular motion detector and an alarm unit which are all connecting to the central processing unit, wherein
the tri-axial accelerometer is configured to measure tri-axial acceleration of the user in real time and send the same to the central processing unit; the angular motion detector is configured to measure an angular velocity in real time and send the same to the central processing unit; the central processing unit is further configured to send a third controlling signal to the alarm unit upon determining a fall event of the user by computing a resultant acceleration and a deflection angle over a predetermined period based on the tri-axial acceleration and the angular velocity; and the alarm unit is configured to generate alarm signal in response to the third controlling signal.

9 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising two second wearable assemblies which are both in communication with the first wearable assembly.

10 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the two second wearable assemblies comprise a second vibrating unit and a third vibrating unit, respectively, which are both connecting to the central processing unit; and if the position information is indicating a corner,
the central processing unit is further configured to send a fourth controlling signal or a fifth controlling signal to the second vibrating unit or the third vibrating unit; and the second vibrating unit and the third vibrating unit are configured to send a third vibrating signal and a fourth vibrating signal in response to the fourth controlling signal and the fifth controlling signal, respectively, wherein the third vibrating signal and the fourth vibrating signal are representing different turning directions related to the corner.

11 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the two second wearable assemblies are adapted to be worn at different sides of a human body.

12 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the two second wearable assemblies are adapted to be worn at different sides of a human body.

13 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second vibrating unit and the third vibrating unit are vibrating motor.

14 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first wearable assembly is any one of a bracelet, an anklet, a hair band and a hat.

15 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second wearable assembly is a bracelet or an anklet.

16 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second wearable assembly is a bracelet or an anklet.

17 . The blind guiding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the Braille display unit is an electro-mechanical Braille display or an electro-film Braille display.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Jingyu

Classifications

• G06V10/17

  using hand-held instruments · CPC title

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• G06K9/00664

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01S19/47

  the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title