Identifying a change in a home environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9984590-B2
Application number	US-201615146330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A system and computer implemented method for detecting a change in a home environment for a visually impaired user is disclosed. The method may include monitoring the home environment using a set of sensors configured to collect environment data for a set of areas of the home environment. The method may also include detecting an environmental change in an area of the home environment. The method may also include providing, in response to a triggering event, a notification of the environmental change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for detecting a change in a home environment for a visually impaired user, the method comprising:
mapping, using a sonar mapping system, a first sonar map of a set of areas of the home environment;
mapping, in response to receiving a noise alert from a sound detection system coupled to the sonar mapping system, a second sonar map of the set of areas;
identifying an object of the second sonar map meeting an obstruction criterion; and
providing a notification to the visually impaired user that the identified object meets the obstruction criterion, in response to an alert from a sleep sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert from the sleep sensor includes a change in a pulse beyond a pulse threshold, and a change in respiration frequency beyond a respiration frequency threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
collecting, by the sonar mapping system, a background noise level of the set of areas;
collecting, by the sonar mapping system, a sound baseline of the set of areas; and
creating, using the sound baseline offset by the background noise level, the sonar map.

4. A system for detecting a change in a home environment for a visually impaired user, the system comprising:
a plurality of sound capture devices each configured to emit one or more sound probes in the home environment and to detect reflected sound waves;
a sleep sensor configured to monitor one or more biological signs of the visually impaired user; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of sound capture devices and the sleep sensor;
wherein the processor is configured to generate a first sonar map of a set of areas of the home environment based on the reflected sound waves detected by the plurality of sound capture devices, and to generate a second sonar map based on subsequent reflected sound waves in response to receiving a noise alert;
wherein the processor is further configured to compare the second sonar map to the first sonar map to identify an object of the second sonar map meeting an obstruction criterion; and t
wherein the processor is further configured to provide a notification to the visually impaired user that the identified object meets the obstruction criterion in response to an alert from the sleep sensor indicating that the visually impaired user has awoken.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the alert from the sleep sensor includes a change in a pulse beyond a pulse threshold, and a change in respiration frequency beyond a respiration frequency threshold.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of sound capture devices are further configured to collect a background noise level of the set of areas and a sound baseline of the set of areas; and wherein the processor is configured to generate the first and second sonar maps using the sound baseline offset by the background noise level.

7. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a first computing device, causes the first computing device to:
map a first sonar map of the set of areas of the home environment;
map, in response to receiving a noise alert from a sound detection system, a second sonar map of the set of areas;
identify an object of the second sonar map meeting an obstruction criterion; and
providing a notification to the visually impaired user that the identified object meets the obstruction criterion, in response to an alert from a sleep sensor.

8. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the alert from the sleep sensor includes a change in a pulse beyond a pulse threshold, and a change in respiration frequency beyond a respiration frequency threshold.

9. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the first computing device, further causes the first computing device to generate the first and second sonar maps using a sound baseline offset by a background noise level.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Stevens Mark B
• Wilson John D

Classifications

• G09B29/004

  Map manufacture or repair; Tear or ink or water resistant maps; Long-life maps (printing processes for maps B41M3/02; by permanently attaching map sections to sheets B42B7/00) · CPC title

• G09B21/008

  using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted · CPC title

• G09B21/00

  Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute (audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B) · CPC title

• A61H2201/5097

  wireless · CPC title

• A61H2201/5092

  Optical sensor · CPC title