U.S. patent application number 11/782016 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-29 for apparatus and method for sensing of three-dimensional environmental information.
This patent application is currently assigned to INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Gary W. Behm, Richard E. Von Mering.
Application Number | 20090028003 11/782016 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40294184 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090028003 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Behm; Gary W. ; et
al. |
January 29, 2009 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SENSING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
INFORMATION
Abstract
An apparatus for providing information about a three-dimensional
environment to a user includes; a handle, at least one sensor
operatively coupled to the handle, a tactile pad disposed on the
handle, a plurality of tactile buttons arrayed on the tactile pad,
a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator is operatively
coupled to one of the plurality of tactile buttons to control a
height thereof in relation to the tactile pad, and a processor
which receives signals from the at least one sensor and controls
positioning of the plurality of actuators to represent a physical
environment sensed by the at least one sensor.
Inventors: |
Behm; Gary W.; (Hopewell
Junction, NY) ; Von Mering; Richard E.; (Pine Bush,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CANTOR COLBURN LLP - IBM FISHKILL
20 Church Street, 22nd Floor
Hartford
CT
06103
US
|
Assignee: |
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES
CORPORATION
Armonk
NY
|
Family ID: |
40294184 |
Appl. No.: |
11/782016 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
367/116 ;
356/51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 135/911 20130101;
G01S 17/88 20130101; G01S 15/86 20200101; A61H 2003/065 20130101;
A61H 3/061 20130101; Y10S 367/91 20130101; G01S 15/93 20130101;
G01S 17/93 20130101; G01S 15/88 20130101; A61H 3/068 20130101; G01S
17/86 20200101; A61H 2003/063 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
367/116 ;
356/51 |
International
Class: |
G01S 15/06 20060101
G01S015/06; G01J 3/00 20060101 G01J003/00 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A method of operating an apparatus that describes to a user a
layout of a three-dimensional environment, the method comprising:
transmitting a set of sensing signals from respective ones of a
pair of transmitters to the environment from a transmitting
position of the user; receiving a set of modified sensing signals
from elements within the environment; and operating a plurality of
actuators, which are operatively coupled to a plurality of tactile
buttons, in accordance with the modified sensing signals to thereby
control respective positions of the tactile buttons in real-time
and to describe at least two spatial dimensions of the elements
including a depth thereof, which extends towards/away from the
transmitting position, and a width thereof, which is perpendicular
to the depth thereof.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmitting comprises
transmitting at least one ultrasonic sensing signal and at least
one infrared sensing signal.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein, the transmitting comprises
transmitting two ultrasonic sensing signals, and the transmitting
comprises transmitting three infrared sensing signals.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of the actuators
are arranged in a substantially matrix shape.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling of the position
of the plurality of actuators further comprises: generating a map
of the elements within the environment; and instructing the
plurality of actuators to project a tactile button connected
thereto to positionally correspond to a determination of whether a
portion of the map corresponds to a position of one or more of the
elements.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the processing
the received modified sensing signal and the instructing the
plurality of actuators are performed in real-time.
17. (canceled)
18. A method of operating an apparatus that describes to a user a
layout of a surrounding three-dimensional (3D) environment, the
method comprising: upon receipt of an initializing instruction from
the user, transmitting a set of sensing signals from respective
transmitters disposed along the apparatus to the environment from a
transmitting position of the user; receiving a set of modified
sensing signals from elements within the environment until receipt
of an ending instruction from the user; repeating the sensing
operation based on receipt of subsequent initializing and ending
instructions from the user; processing the set of modified sensing
signals from each of the sensing operations to thereby generate a
map of the elements in the three-dimensional environment; and
operating a plurality of actuators, which are operatively coupled
to a plurality of tactile buttons, in accordance with the map to
thereby control respective positions of the tactile buttons in
real-time and to describe a depth of the elements, which extends
towards/away from the transmitting position, and a width of the
elements, which is perpendicular to the depth thereof.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus is
selectively swung by the user and the user selectively moves
through the environment during the sensing operations, and wherein
the processing comprises accounting for the swinging of the
apparatus and the movement of the user in the generation of the
map.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for
sensing of three-dimensional environmental information and a method
of operating the same, more particularly, to an apparatus which
provides information about a person's surroundings through a
tactile output and a method of operating the same.
[0002] Currently, the nearly 300,000 blind and visually impaired
people in the United States utilize conventional mobility canes
which provide a very limited amount of information about their
surrounding environment. A conventional mobility cane only provides
information about the space surrounding a user which may be
physically touched by the cane.
[0003] Various apparatus have been developed to provide blind
people with information about the surrounding environment beyond
the physical reach of the conventional cane. These devices
typically rely on an acoustic element to provide information to the
user. One example of such a device is an acoustic cane which
provides sensing information through sound feedback, e.g., echo
location. The acoustic cane emits a noise which reflects, or
echoes, from objects within the blind person's environment. The
blind person then interprets the echoes to decipher the layout of
the surrounding environment. Similarly, other devices may emit
light and detect reflection of the emitted light from obstacles.
These devices also rely on an audio signal such as a click or a
variably pitched beep to convey obstacle detection information to
the user.
[0004] Devices relying on an audio signal for information
conveyance are not well suited for noisy environments such as
heavily trafficked streets where audible signals are difficult to
detect and interpret. These devices are especially ill suited for
deaf and blind individuals who are incapable of receiving the audio
signals. Other drawbacks to the acoustic cane and other audio
devices include that they may draw unwanted attention to the user
and or interfere with the user's sense of hearing.
[0005] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and
apparatus for increasing the information gathering range of blind
or blind and deaf people beyond the range of a conventional cane
and supplying the gathered information to the user in real time and
in a way which may be easily perceived in high noise level
environments by both hearing and non-hearing individuals.
SUMMARY
[0006] The foregoing discussed drawbacks and deficiencies of the
prior art are overcome or alleviated, in an exemplary embodiment,
by an apparatus for providing information about a three-dimensional
environment to a user includes; at least one sensor, a processor
which receives signals from the at least one sensor and operatively
controls a plurality of actuators to represent a physical
environment sensed by the at least one sensor, and a plurality of
tactile buttons, wherein each tactile button is operatively coupled
to at least one of the plurality of actuators.
[0007] In another exemplary embodiment, a method of providing
information about a three-dimensional environment to a user
includes; transmitting at least one sensing signal to an
environment, receiving a modified sensing signal from the
environment, and controlling positions of a plurality of actuators
operatively coupled to a plurality of tactile buttons, the
controlling being based on the modified sensing signal.
[0008] In another exemplary embodiment an apparatus for providing
information about a three-dimensional environment to a user, the
apparatus including; a handle, at least one sensor operatively
coupled to the handle, a tactile pad disposed on the handle; a
plurality of tactile buttons arrayed on the tactile pad; a
plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator is operatively
coupled to one of the plurality of tactile buttons to control a
height thereof in relation to the tactile pad, and a processor
which receives signals from the at least one sensor and controls
positioning of the plurality of actuators to represent a physical
environment sensed by the at least one sensor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Referring to the exemplary drawings wherein like elements
are numbered alike in the several Figures:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment
of an apparatus for sensing of a three-dimensional environment
according to the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a magnified bottom perspective view illustrating
the handle of the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus of FIG.
1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment
of an apparatus taken along line III-III' of FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a top plan perspective view illustrating sensor
ranges of the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIGS. 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A and 11A are schematic top down
views illustrating a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and
seventh step, respectively, in an exemplary embodiment of a method
of operating the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to
the present invention; and
[0015] FIGS. 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10B and 11B are bottom perspective
views of the exemplary embodiment of the apparatus according to the
first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh step,
respectively, in the exemplary embodiment of a method of operating
the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Disclosed herein is an apparatus for increasing the
information gathering range of blind or blind and deaf people
beyond the range of a conventional mobility cane and supplying the
gathered information to the user in real time and in a way which
may be easily perceived in high noise level environments by both
hearing and non-hearing individuals and a method of operating the
same. Briefly stated, a combination of infrared and ultrasonic
sensing information is processed to control the height of a
plurality of buttons on a tactile pad of a walking cane. In so
doing, three-dimensional information about the surrounding
environment may be provided to a user. Furthermore, the tactile
feedback mechanism may be used in high noise environments and by
users with limited hearing.
[0017] Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, there are shown a side
perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 1 for
sensing of a three-dimensional environment according to the present
invention, a magnified bottom perspective view illustrating the
handle of the apparatus 1, a cross-sectional view of the apparatus
1 and a top plan perspective view illustrating the sensor of the
apparatus 1, respectively.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus
1 includes a shaft 10 connected to a handle 20, similar to a
conventional mobility cane. However, unlike a conventional mobility
cane, the present apparatus includes a sensor mast 30. The sensor
mast 30 may serve as a mount for a wide array of sensor apparatus
as commonly known in the art. As shown in FIG. 4, in the present
exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 1 includes an ultrasonic sensor
40, which includes first and second individual ultrasonic sensors
40a and 40b, respectively, to emit ultrasonic signals 45 including
first and second ultrasonic signals 45a and 45b. The present
exemplary embodiment also includes an infrared sensor 50, which
includes first, second and third infrared sensors 50a, 50b and 50c,
respectively, to emit infrared signals 55 including first, second
and third infrared signals 55a, 55b and 55c. Both the ultrasonic
sensor 40 and the infrared sensor 50 are mounted on the sensor mast
30. Alternative exemplary embodiments include configurations
wherein only one sensing apparatus, e.g., only the ultrasonic
sensor 40 or only the infrared sensor 50 are disposed on the
sensing mast 30. Alternative exemplary embodiments also include
configurations wherein alternative sensing apparatus, such as
apparatus using lasers or radar, are mounted on the sensing mast
30.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, the sensors 40 and 50 emit signals 45
and 55, respectively, to the environment. The ultrasonic sensor 40
includes the first ultrasonic sensor 40a emitting the first
ultrasonic signal 45a and the second ultrasonic sensor 40b emitting
the second ultrasonic signal 45b. The first and second ultrasonic
sensors 40a and 40b are slightly offset from one another so as to
provide an offset signal range. The first, second and third
infrared sensors 50a-c are similarly offset so the emitted infrared
signals 55a, 55b and 55c are also offset in different directions.
This provides the apparatus 1 with a broad range of sensor
coverage.
[0020] The emitted signals are then reflected from objects in the
environment, such as walls, columns, trees, etc., and the sensors
40 and 50 detect these reflected signals. Each sensor has a
predetermined range for the detection of reflections. In one
exemplary embodiment the infrared sensor 50 may detect objects at
up to three feet and the ultrasonic sensor 40 may detect objects at
up to ten feet. The detected signals are then processed by a
processor to be described in more detail below.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the present exemplary embodiment of an
apparatus 1 also includes various modifications to the handle 20.
The handle 20 includes a tactile pad 60, a plurality of buttons 65
attached to the tactile pad 60, a handle positioner 70, a reset
button 80, and various other components 150.
[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle 20 incorporates a
tactile pad 60 including a plurality of buttons 65 which enable
tactile feedback of information sensed from the sensors 40 and 50
positioned on the sensor mast 30, as shown in FIG. 1. An actuator
such as a solenoid 66 powers each of the plurality of buttons 65.
The solenoid 66 further includes a magnetic coil 67 with a
ferromagnetic rod 68 disposed therein. The solenoid may move the
ferromagnetic rod 68 within the magnetic coil 67. As shown in FIG.
3, the ferromagnetic rod 68 may be positioned to force the rubber
button 65 positioned above it to project from the surface of the
tactile pad 60. For the purposes of illustration as shown in FIG.
2, herein, buttons 65 which are projected from the tactile pad 60
will be illustrated in white, while buttons 65 which are not being
projected by the plurality of actuators will be illustrated in
gray. Alternative exemplary embodiments include configurations
wherein various other actuators may be used instead of, or in
conjunction with, the solenoids 66.
[0023] In one exemplary embodiment, the solenoids 66 are latching
solenoids which can pass current through the magnetic coil 67 in
either direction to control the position of the ferromagnetic rod
68. Latching solenoids have the advantage of being able to control
the position of the ferromagnetic rod 68 without having to
constantly maintain current through the magnetic coil 67, and
therefore such solenoids offer improved power consumption profiles
in portable applications.
[0024] The solenoids 66 are connected to a circuit board 100
through electrical connections 101. The circuit board 100 is also
electrically connected to a processor 110, a power supply 120, a
vibrator 130, the reset button 80, and the sensors on the sensor
mast 30 is connected via signal line 140. The other components 150
may include an orientation apparatus (not shown) which provides
orientation information about the apparatus's position in space.
Exemplary embodiments of the orientation apparatus include
accelerometers and various other mechanisms as commonly known in
the art.
[0025] The sensors 40 and 50, the processor 110, the tactile pad
60, the vibrator and various other components are powered by the
power supply 120. The power supply 120 may be a battery, a fuel
cell or various other components as commonly known in the art.
[0026] Analog information from the ultrasonic sensors 40 and the
infrared sensors 50 is input to an analog to digital converter (not
shown) before being sent to the processor 110. The processor 110
processes the converted signals from the sensors 40 and 50 to
determine information about the surrounding environment. The
processor 110 specifically interprets the signals received from the
sensors 40 and 50 along signal line 140 to determine distances and
directions to potential obstacles within the sensor ranges. The
processor then supplies the processed information to a digital to
analog converter (not shown) before supplying the information to
the vibrator 130 and the plurality of solenoids 66 to provide
information about the surrounding environment to the user through
tactile feedback. The handle positioner 70 allows a user to ensure
consistent hand positioning with respect to the tactile pad 60.
[0027] In the present exemplary embodiment information from
different sensors may be displayed at different positions on the
tactile pad 60, e.g., information obtained from the infrared sensor
50 may be output to solenoids 66 in the rows closest to the handle
positioner 70 and information obtained from the ultrasonic sensor
40 may be output to the solenoids 66 in rows further from the
handle positioner 70. In one exemplary embodiment each subsequent
row of buttons from the handle positioner 70 displays information
corresponding to an increase of one foot of distance from the
sensor mast 30, e.g. the first row of buttons 65 displays
information corresponding to sensor information from one foot away,
the second row of buttons 65 displays information corresponding to
sensor information from two feet away, etc.
[0028] Hereinafter an exemplary embodiment of a method of operating
the apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A-11B.
FIGS. 5-11A are schematic top down views illustrating steps in an
exemplary embodiment of a method of operating the exemplary
embodiment of an apparatus 1 according to the present invention and
FIGS. 5-11B are bottom perspective views of the exemplary
embodiment of the apparatus 1 according to the steps in the
exemplary embodiment of a method of operating the exemplary
embodiment of an apparatus 1 according to the present
invention.
[0029] FIGS. 5A-11B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a method
of operating the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 1 according
to the present invention wherein a user 1000 is approaching and
subsequently maneuvering within a hallway with sides 200A and 200B
and maneuvering around an obstacle 300. Referring now to FIGS. 1
and 5A-B, a user 1000 performs an initial setup process by placing
the tip of the apparatus 1 on the ground and pressing the reset
button 80 on the handle 20. This prepares the apparatus 1 to begin
receiving spatial information about its surroundings by clearing
any previous environmental data.
[0030] The user 1000 then sweeps the apparatus 1 in a left-to-right
and right-to-left motion, similar to the motion used in a
conventional mobility cane. However, unlike the conventional
mobility cane, the exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 1 is not
required to physically contact the ground or other objects
surrounding the user 1000.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 5A, at the peak of the initial sweep to the
left the user 1000 presses the reset button 80 as part of an
initialization process that sets parameters for feedback from the
tactile pad 60 and the vibrator 130. Pressing the reset button 80
here signals the processor 110 that the sweep to the left has
reached its furthest point and assigns any information processed
from the area directly in front of the apparatus 1 to the leftmost
side of the tactile pad 60. It is also necessary to press the reset
button here in case the apparatus 1 has no reflections to track to
determine a change in the apparatus 1's motion.
[0032] The processor 110 then interprets data from the sensors 40
and 50. In the environment shown in FIG. 5A, the user 1000
encounters the wall 200A at the peak of the initial sweep to the
left. The sensors 40 and 50 detect reflections of their
individually output signals from the wall 200A. The sensors 40 and
50 send the reflection information to the processor 110 which
interprets the received reflections as the presence of a solid
object and generates a map corresponding to the location of the
solids.
[0033] The processor can determine the direction of motion of an
object relative to the apparatus 1; this is especially facilitated
by the sensors 40 and 50 including several offset sensors. As shown
in FIG. 5A, the wall 200A is detected first by the second
ultrasonic sensor 40b which is offset to the left. The wall 200A is
then subsequently detected by the second ultrasonic sensor 40b. The
processor is able to determine that the object has moved from the
leftmost sensor range into a middle, or overlapping, sensor range
and therefore the apparatus 1 is moving in a right-to-left motion.
The processor determines the direction of the motion and outputs
the processed information to the tactile pad 60. In one exemplary
embodiment the processor 110 outputs a new map whenever the
processor 110 determines a change in the direction of the apparatus
1's motion, e.g., from moving left to moving right. This allows an
updated set of information to be displayed after every sweep of the
apparatus 1.
[0034] Alternative exemplary embodiments include configurations
wherein the processor determines the direction of motion and or the
orientation of the apparatus 1 from an orientation apparatus such
as an accelerometer in conjunction with, or instead of, the motion
sensing method described above. Additional alternative exemplary
embodiments include configurations wherein new maps are processed
and output by the processor 110 at various other times, such as the
middle of a right-to-left or left-to-right sweep, after several
sweeps, or at any time which is convenient for that particular
application. In one exemplary embodiment maps are output to the
tactile pad 60 while they are being generated, this allows for
real-time display of the three-dimensional environmental
information.
[0035] FIG. 5B illustrates that in response to the processed
reflection information, the processor 110 outputs the map generated
from processing the received reflections from the sensors 40 and 50
to the tactile pad 60. The tactile pad displays the map by
activating a solenoid 66 which projects a rubber button 65 on the
tactile pad 60. Because the apparatus 1 has been recently reset as
described above, the tactile pad 60 contains only the
three-dimensional environmental information which has been input
since the first depressing of the reset button 80. Also, the
processor outputs the information about the leftmost part of the
environment on the leftmost part of the tactile pad 60 (the left
portion of FIG. 5B). The leftmost part of the environment is
determined by the pressing of the reset button at the peak of the
swing to the left. The pressing of the reset button ensures that
the processor 110 is aware that the right-to-left sweep is
finalized in case the apparatus 1 has no reflections to track
changes in the apparatus 1's motion.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 6A, at the peak of the initial sweep to the
right the user 1000 again presses the reset button 80. Pressing the
reset button 80 here finalizes parameters for feedback from tactile
pad 60 and the vibrator 130. In the environment shown in FIG. 6A,
the user 1000 encounters the wall 200B at the peak of the initial
sweep to the right. The sensors 40 and 50 detect reflections of
their individually output signals from the wall 200B. The sensors
40 and 50 send the reflection information to the processor 110
which interprets the received reflections as the presence of a
solid object and generates a map to be output to the solenoids
66.
[0037] FIG. 6B illustrates that in response to the processed
reflection information, the processor activates a solenoid 66 which
projects a rubber button 65 on the tactile pad 60. The processor
outputs the information from the left-to-right sweep to the tactile
pad 60. The processor outputs the information about the rightmost
part of the environment on the rightmost part of the tactile pad 60
(the right portion of FIG. 6B). Pressing the reset button 80 here
signals the processor 110 that the sweep to the right has reached
its furthest point and assigns any information processed from the
area directly in front of the apparatus 1 to the rightmost side of
the tactile pad 60. This ensures that the map generated by the
processor 110 displays information corresponding to the region
between the two presses of the reset button 80. It is also
necessary to press the reset button here in case the apparatus 1
has no reflections to track changes in the apparatus 1's
motion.
[0038] The leftmost and rightmost region defining process described
above need only be performed once after resetting the apparatus 1;
subsequent sweeps of the cane need not include a pressing of the
reset button. In one exemplary embodiment, if the sensors 40 and 50
do not detect an obstacle during the course of either the first
right-to-left or left-to-right sweeps the user continues to press
the reset button at the peak of each right-to-left and
left-to-right sweep until an object is detected which allows the
processor to determine the sweep direction.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B the user 1000 again sweeps
the apparatus 1 to the left while moving in a forward motion. The
sensors 40 and 50 continue to detect reflections of their output
signals and send that information to the processor 110. The
processor 110 then creates a map to output to the tactile pad
60.
[0040] The tactile pad 60 displays a series of raised buttons 65 on
the leftmost and rightmost sides in accordance with the parameters
set by the user 1000. The raised buttons 65 indicate that the
distance between the walls 200A and 200B and the user 1000 has
decreased. The walls 200A and 200B are no longer indicated as being
at the last row of buttons corresponding to the edge of the sensor
range, instead the projected buttons extend 7 rows deep into the
tactile pad corresponding to an object being well within the sensor
range. The user 1000 then interprets the raised buttons 65 on the
tactile pad 60 as distance information to an obstacle. An obstacle
300, such as a column, is present in the schematic top down view of
FIG. 7A; however, the object 300 is not yet within range of the
sensors 40 and 50 and so it is not reflected on the tactile pad
60.
[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 8A and 8B the user 1000 again sweeps
the apparatus 1 to the right while moving in a forward motion. The
sensors 40 and 50 continue to detect reflections of their output
signals and send that information to the processor 110. The
processor 110 then creates a map to output to the tactile pad
60.
[0042] The tactile pad 60 displays a series of raised buttons 65 on
the leftmost and rightmost sides in accordance with the parameters
set by the user 1000. The raised buttons 65 indicate that the
distance between the walls 200A and 200B and the user 1000 has
decreased until the walls 200A and 200B are detectable by all the
sensors 40 and 50 on the apparatus 1 and surround the user 1000. In
addition to the walls 200A and 200B, the obstacle 300 is within
range of the ultrasonic sensors 40. The obstacle 300 is located
relatively far away from and to the right of the user 1000. The
sensors also provide information about the obstacle 300's size. The
processor 110 interprets this information from the sensors and
outputs a map where the solenoids 66 represent the obstacle 300 as
two raised buttons 65 on the last row of the tactile pad 60
corresponding to the obstacle 300's size and location relative to
the sensors 40 and 50. The user 1000 then interprets the raised
buttons 65 on the tactile pad 60 as distance and direction
information to an obstacle.
[0043] Referring now to FIGS. 9A and 9B the user 1000 again sweeps
the apparatus 1 to the left while moving in a forward motion. The
sensors 40 and 50 continue to detect reflections of their output
signals and send that information to the processor 110. The
processor 110 then creates a map to output to the tactile pad
60.
[0044] The tactile pad 60 displays a series of raised buttons 65 on
the leftmost and rightmost sides in accordance with the parameters
set by the user 1000. The raised buttons 65 on the leftmost and
rightmost sides of the tactile pad 60 indicate that the user 1000
is still surrounded by the walls 200A and 200B. The obstacle 300 is
now detectable by both the ultrasonic sensors 40 and the infrared
sensors 50. The entire obstacle 300 is within range of the
ultrasonic sensors 40. Therefore, the processor 110 interprets this
information from the sensors as size information about the obstacle
300 and generates a map which displays the obstacle 300 as four
raised buttons 65 on the right side of the tactile pad 60
corresponding to the obstacle 300's size and location relative to
the sensors 40 and 50. In the exemplary embodiment wherein each row
of buttons indicates sensor information of a distance of about one
foot, the obstacle 300 would be approximately four feet long and
two feet wide. The user 1000 then interprets the raised buttons 65
on the tactile pad 60 as distance and direction information to an
obstacle.
[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 10A and 10B the user 1000 again
sweeps the apparatus 1 to the right while moving in a forward
motion. The sensors 40 and 50 continue to detect reflections of
their output signals and send that information to the processor
110. The processor 110 then creates a map to output to the tactile
pad 60.
[0046] The tactile pad 60 displays a series of raised buttons 65 on
the leftmost and rightmost sides in accordance with the parameters
set by the user 1000. The raised buttons 65 on the leftmost and
rightmost sides of the tactile pad 60 indicate that the user 1000
is still surrounded by the walls 200A and 200B. The obstacle 300 is
still detectable by both the ultrasonic sensors 40 and the infrared
sensors 50. The majority of the obstacle 300 is now within range of
the infrared sensors 50. Due to the user 1000's forward motion, the
obstacle 300 is now represented as raised buttons 65 closer to the
handle positioner 70. The user 1000 then interprets the raised
buttons 65 on the tactile pad 60 as distance and direction
information to an obstacle.
[0047] Finally, referring now to FIGS. 11A and 11B the user 1000
again sweeps the apparatus 1 to the left while moving in a forward
motion. The sensors 40 and 50 continue to detect reflections of
their output signals and send that information to the processor
110. The processor 110 then creates a map to output to the tactile
pad 60.
[0048] The tactile pad 60 displays a series of raised buttons 65 on
the leftmost and rightmost sides in accordance with the parameters
set by the user 1000. The raised buttons 65 on the leftmost and
rightmost sides of the tactile pad 60 indicate that the user 1000
is still surrounded by the walls 200A and 200B. The obstacle 300 is
still detectable by both the ultrasonic sensors 40 and the infrared
sensors 50. However, due to the user 1000's forward motion the
obstacle 300 is now substantially parallel to and behind the user
1000. The sensors 40 and 50 are only contacting the obstacle 300 at
the farthest end of the right sweep. Therefore, the processor 110
interprets this information from the sensors and generates a map
which displays the obstacle 300 as two raised buttons 65 on the
right side of the tactile pad 60 corresponding to the obstacle
300's location relative to the sensors 40 and 50. The user 1000
then interprets the raised buttons 65 on the tactile pad 60 as
distance and direction information to an obstacle.
[0049] While one exemplary embodiment of a method of using the
apparatus 1 has been described with relation to FIGS. 5A-11B
additional exemplary embodiments are within the scope of the
present invention. The apparatus 1 may be used in substantially any
terrain and the method of operation may be modified accordingly. In
one exemplary embodiment the apparatus 1 may be used to detect the
presence of stairs along the user 1000's path. In another exemplary
embodiment the apparatus 1 may be used to detect holes or
depressions in the ground along the user 1000's path. In the
exemplary embodiments wherein the apparatus 1 detects changes in
elevation along the path of the user 1000, such as stairs or
depressions, etc., the processor 110 may activate the vibrator 130
as an additional source of feedback information to the user
1000.
[0050] While the invention has been described with reference to a
preferred embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents
may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the
scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made
to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.
Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the
particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for
carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include
all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended
claims.
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