Intelligent glasses for the visually impaired

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016372007-A1
Application number	US-201615254486-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2016
Priority date	Feb 7, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An approach for communicating navigation information on a physical environment to a user. The approach includes a computer receiving digital images of a physical environment of the user captured by digital video devices and converting the digital images into a three-dimensional image. The approach includes the computer analyzing the three-dimensional image using object analysis to generate output data, wherein the output data corresponds to the physical environment and determining at least one device associated with the user. The approach includes the computer formatting the output data for use with at least one device, wherein the at least one device is capable of providing to the user a spatial map of the physical environment created by an electrical stimulation pad, and receiving a touch from a user on a surface of the electrical stimulation pad corresponding to an object represented in the spatial map of the physical environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for communicating navigation information on a physical environment to a user, the method comprising:
receiving, by a server computer, at least one digital image of a physical environment of the user captured by one or more digital video devices; converting, by the server computer, the at least one digital image into a three-dimensional image; analyzing, by the server computer, the three-dimensional image using object analysis to generate output data, wherein the output data corresponds to the physical environment; determining, by the server computer, at least one device associated with the user; and formatting, by the server computer, the output data for use with the at least one device, wherein the at least one device is capable of providing to the user a spatial map of the physical environment created by an electrical stimulation pad, and receiving a touch from a user on a surface of the electrical stimulation pad corresponding to an object represented in the spatial map of the physical environment.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein formatting the output data for use with the at least one device, further comprises:
receiving, by the server computer, from the at least one device, a request for information on the object based, at least in part, on the touch from the user on the surface of the electrical stimulation pad corresponding to the object; and retrieving, by the server computer, a name of the object in the physical environment from a database, the database containing the at least one digital image associated with the name of the object.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the three dimensional image using object analysis to generate output data further comprises:
determining, by the server computer, a distance to an object, based, at least in part, on at least one of a focal point of the user's gaze and a touch by the user on a surface of the at least one device corresponding to the object; and determining, by the server computer, output data as a series of beeps that correspond to the distance to the object, based, at least in part, on the distance to the object wherein a tone of the beeps provides information on a type of object and information on a motion of the object.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein formatting the output data for use with the at least one device further comprises:
transmitting, by the server computer, the output data to the at least one device associated with the user, wherein the output data is formatted to create the spatial map on the electrical stimulation pad that depicts the physical environment, the output data is formatted to create audio responses from one of a smartphone and an intelligent computing device, and the output data is formatted for a series of beeps representing information on the object in the physical environment from one of a smartphone and an intelligent computing device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one device associated with the user includes at least one of: an audio device, a smart phone, and an intelligent computing device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein formatting the output data for use with the at least one device further comprises:
determining, by the server computer, a level of intensity of the electrical stimulation associated with the object represented in the spatial map of the physical environment, the level corresponding to a motion of the object, a proximity of the object to the user, and a terrain in the physical environment.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating, by the server computer, a representation of the physical environment using a matrix of electrical stimulation electrodes in the electrical stimulation pad providing varying levels of intensity of electrical stimulation to represent a terrain, one or more objects in the terrain, a distance of the one or more objects to the user, and motion of the one or more objects in the physical environment.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the server computer, the touch from the user on the surface of the electrical stimulation pad for requesting at least one of an estimated distance to the object and an identification of the object.

9 . A computer program product for communicating navigation information on a physical environment to a user, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising instructions for: receiving at least one digital image of a physical environment of the user captured by one or more digital video devices; converting the at least one digital image into a three-dimensional image; analyzing the three-dimensional image using object analysis to generate output data, wherein the output data corresponds to the physical environment; determining at least one device associated with the user; and formatting the output data for use with the at least one device, wherein the at least one device is capable of providing to the user a spatial map of the physical environment created by an electrical stimulation pad, and receiving a touch from a user on a surface of the electrical stimulation pad corresponding to an object represented in the spatial map of the physical environment.

10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein formatting the output data for use with the at least one device, further comprises:
receiving, by the server computer, from the at least one device, a request for information on the object based, at least in part, on the touch from the user on the surface of the electrical stimulation pad corresponding to the object; and retrieving, by the server computer, a name of the object in the physical environment from a database, the database containing the at least one digital image associated with the name of the object.

11 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein analyzing the three dimensional image using object analysis to generate output data further comprises:
determining a distance to an object, based, at least in part, on at least one of a focal point of the user's gaze and a touch by the user on a surface of the at least one device corresponding to the object; and determining output data as a series of beeps that correspond to the distance to the object, based, at least in part, on the distance to the object wherein a tone of the beeps provides information on a type of object and information on a motion of the object.

12 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein formatting the output data for use with the at least one device further comprises:
transmitting the output data to the at least one device associated with the user, wherein the output data is formatted to create the spatial map on the electrical stimulation pad that depicts the physical environment, the output data is formatted to create audio responses from one of a smartphone and an intelligent computing device, and the output data is formatted for a series of beeps representing information on the object in the physical environment from one of a smartphone and an intelligent computing device.

13 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the at least one device associated with the user includes at least one of: an audio device, a smart phone, and an intelligent computing device.

14 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein formatting the output data for use with the at least one device further comprises:
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Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Cervantes Humberto Orozco

Classifications

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title

• G06T7/60

  Analysis of geometric attributes · CPC title

• G09B21/006

  using audible presentation of the information · CPC title

• H04N13/0239

  Electricity · mapped topic