WO2016133477A1

WO2016133477A1 - Walking stick and audible-eye system embedded in surfaces and tactile paths for the visually impaired

Info

Publication number: WO2016133477A1
Application number: PCT/TR2016/000020
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kemal KARAOĞLAN
Original assignee: Kemal KARAOĞLAN
Priority date: 2015-02-16
Filing date: 2016-02-15
Publication date: 2016-08-25

Abstract

The invention is an audible detection system comprising an Audible-Eye hand held device, Audible-Eye glasses, triggering Audible-Eye walking stick, and embedded data transmitter systems for indoors and outdoors which enable the visually impaired individuals to detect the place they are in audibly and which can read and broadcast signs, barcodes and square codes, an can give audible position information via the GPS module.

Description

WALKING STICK AND AUDIBLE-EYE SYSTEM EMBEDDED IN SURFACES AND TACTILE PATHS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Technical Field

The present invention is related to an audible sensor system that is to be used in the living environments of visually impaired individuals. The invention is related to a system which enables visually impaired or partially sighted individuals to perceive the environment they are located in and the workplace, institution, highway, street, signs etc as audio sounds and to hear everything they are supposed to be seeing and to receive information of thereabouts and to be able to walk around without any support from anyone else.

Prior Art

It is impossible for visually impaired individuals to walk around without support from someone else and to perceive their whereabouts when they leave their homes. Visually impaired individuals seek the support of another person when they want to reach their destination in the city and in all residential areas, and they do not know which highway, street, building or institution they are at when they reach a door, an entrance or a street or highway. For this reason someone else guides the visually impaired individual and this limits the living standards of the visually impaired person. The coatings and tiles that are laid down on sidewalks, corridors and walkways comprising embossed straight paths and embossed large dots called tactile paths that have been developed accordingly are not sufficient and these tactile paths only enable the visually impaired individual to follow a certain path and when the individual reached to embossed large dots, the individual understands that he/she has reached the end of that certain path. However when the individual is walking down said paths, he/she does not know the destination of the path, where he/she will end up at the end of the path and where the road or cross roads are. Audible navigation systems not only do not have sufficient sensitivity for the visually impaired individual, but also it is not possible for each detail on each sidewalk to be uploaded into the navigation system; when the visually impaired person changes direction, the GPS and audible navigation systems cannot describe the difference in direction and therefore said system insufficient for the visually impaired individual and as a result this system does not fulfil the needs of the visually impaired person. For this reason additional support and information is also needed. The system we have designed is an Data transmitter unit which can be placed into the related places, embedded in surfaces, sidewalks and walkways and which can be used indoors and outdoors and can be carried by the user, comprising wireless glasses and built in headphones (15) a hand held device (13) to which wireless headphones (16) can be connected to and a walking stick (14) which can be adjusted in length.

Data transmitter units (18) are triggered and actuated when the Audible-Eye hand held device (13) carried by the user senses the Audible-Eye glasses and built in head headphones (15) and Audible-Eye walking stick (14), and said unit broadcasts the information recorded in memory, and the hand held device (13), senses the wireless headphone (16) and wireless glasses and built in headphones (15) and as a result announces said information audibly to the user. Data transmitter units (18) broadcast from free frequency RF, FM channels via broadcasting techniques such as Bluetooth, and the hand held device (13) broadcasts said information audibly; furthermore the device broadcasts a code comprising the information relating to the location and the corresponding audible information is audibly broadcasted. The information provided via Bluetooth after the Data transmitter units (18) are actuated, have been designed such that they can be listened to by Bluetooth receivers that have compatible frequency.

Data transmitter units (18) can be provided in various forms to be used indoors, outdoors and as units embedded into disabled tactile paths. All Data transmitter units (18) can use the energy from the city mains, from the battery it houses or via solar batteries (4) that can be mounted on its surface. The outdoor Data transmitter units (18) have been designed such that they are resilient enough to be tread on, so that they can be embedded into disabled walkways and such that they can convert solar power into electricity. Data transmitter units ( 18) have different sensors (2) for each direction such as single direction or multi direction sensors such that they can submit information for all directions in order to be able to provide information regarding different directions.

Embedded Data transmitter units that have been embedded into walkways and sidewalks, are similar to the tactile pathways for the visually impaired and have embossed straight line (3) surfaces at the sections that are continuous and embossed large dots (3) at the sections where the path ends, or when there is a junction or intersection. The Audible-Eye hand held device (13) provides automatic connection in order to ensure that the information that has been broadcasted by Data transmitter units (18) that have been triggered via Audible-Eye glasses and built in head headphones (15) and Audible-Eye wireless headphones (16) can be heard by the user. Audible-Eye Data transmitter unit (18) triggering features have been provided in the wireless headphones (16) Audible-Eye glasses and built in head headphones (1 ) and at the end of the walking stick (14). Audible information can be listened to connecting wireless headphones (17) to the hand held device.

The Audible-Eye walking stick (14) can trigger the Data transmitter units (18) independently without having to be connected to the hand held device (13). When the Audible-Eye walking stick (14) is pointed towards the Data transmitter unit (18), the Data transmitter unit (18) is triggered and information can be heard from the headphones (16) of the Audible-Eye hand held device (13). The triggering process of the Data transmitter unit (18) by the Audible-Eye walking stick (14) and the hand held device (13), can be carried out via radio control, infrared control, RFID and magnetic triggering. The Audible-Eye hand held device (13) receives the information broadcasted by the Audible-Eye Data transmitter units (18) via the F channel at a free frequency, via Bluetooth and submits this information audibly to the user. Moreover the device can broadcast the sounds in its memory which correspond to the codes broadcasted by the Data transmitter unit (18).

The Audible-Eye hand held device (13) comprises a GPS module within the processor circuit board (19) in order to be able to receive information from the global positioning systems and to define the location of the user when necessary and in order to audibly broadcast the information received from the GPS to the user.

The Audible-Eye hand held device ( 13), comprises a processor circuit board (19) which processes the images that have been obtained via the camera sensor (20), and the characters, square codes and barcodes and writings on signs and converts them into audible information in order to read the signs, square codes and barcodes and broadcast said information to the user. The Audible-Eye hand held device (13) operates by means of the rechargeable batteries it houses and can be charged by plugging in the charger (12) into a socket. The user can trigger the Data transmitter unit (18) by pointing the hand held device (13) forward when he/she is walking. The user can also trigger the Data transmitter unit (18) located at the direction when the user turns his/her head whilst wearing the glasses (15) and by plugging in the plug (17) of the glasses (15) to the Audible-Eye hand held device (13) or the user can hear the information from the headphones or the hand held device by triggering the Audible-Eye data transmitter unit (18) that is in its direction and to which the user is getting closer to by holding the Audible-Eye walking stick to the tactile visually impaired pathway and by plugging in the headphone plug (17) into the Audible-Eye hand held device or by directly listening to the Audible-Eye hand held device (13) without using headphones (16). The Audible-Eye hand held device (13), can not only be used by holding it parallel to the ground but also by plugging in Audible-Eye glasses (15) and headphones (16) to the hand held device, or by using a walking stick (14) and the device can also be used by wireless headphones. The user has the alternative to use the device according to his/her preference, according to the environment he/she is located in or according to any preference that seems easier to be used by the user in relation to the special condition of the user. The user can control both the path and the road with the walking stick (14) by putting on wireless headphones (16) and at the same time while walking outdoors with the Audible-Eye walking stick (14) and the user can also trigger the Audible-Eye Data transmitter units (18) via the Audible-Eye walking stick (14) and can listen to the audible information while continuing on his/her way.

The Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways for the visually impaired which we has been designed and carried out in order to reach the aims of the invention have been shown in the figures and the figures illustrate the following;

Figure 1- View of the Data transmitter unit embedded into the tactile pathway having embossed straight lines.

Figure 2- View of the Data transmitter unit embedded into the tactile pathway having embossed large dots.

Figure 3- View of the embedded Data transmitter unit with solar batteries

Figure 4- View of the Audible-Eye hand held device.

Figure 5- View of the Audible-Eye walking stick

Figure 6- View of the cross section of the embedded Audible-Eye data transmitter unit

Figure 7- View of the indoor Data transmitter unit

Figure 8- View of the outdoor Data transmitter unit

Figure 9- View of the quadrivial outdoor Data transmitter unit

Figure 10- View of the Audible-Eye wireless glasses and built in head headphones Figure 11 - View of the wired headphones

Figure 12- View of the wireless headphones

The parts in the figures have been numbered and their references have been listed below.

1 ) Transparent cover for the embedded system Data transmitter unit 2 ) Detecting sensor

3 ) Embossed dots and embossed lines

4 ) Solar batteries

5 ) Processor circuit boards

6 ) Rechargeable batteries

7) Housing

8) Ground anchor

9) Headphone socket

10) Glasses socket

1 1) Speakers

12) Charger plug socket

13) Audible-Eye hand held device

14) Audible-Eye walking stick

15) Audible-Eye wireless glasses and built in head headphones

16) Audible-Eye wireless headphones

17) Wired headphones

18) Data transmitter unit

19) Audible-Eye hand held device processor circuit board

20) Camera sensor

The top cover (1) of the embedded system Data transmitter unit (18) can be transparent, durable and the surface of the cover can be embossed with straight lines (3) or embossed with large dots (3). The detecting sensors (2) have been mounted on the surface of and beneath the top transparent cover (1). The solar batteries (4) have been placed underneath the transparent top cover (1). The rechargeable batteries (6) and processor circuit boards (5) have been arranged as separate layers. The single direction or multi direction outdoor data transmitter units (18) have a housing (7) that is durable against impact and collisions and the units have been designed such that they are powered by batteries located therein, or from the city mains or from the solar batteries (6) mounted on the surfaces thereof. The embedded system data transmitter unit (18) shall be embedded into indoor and outdoor tactile walking paths by initially placing the unit into the housing (7) having a fixing anchor at the base so that the unit can be fixed and embedded into the ground. Data transmitter units (18) can be used in all languages and the device can also transmit data in a plurality of languages. The energy obtained via the solar batteries (4) during day time can be stored in the electricity energy charged batteries (6) and the data transmitter units (18) can be fed by the rechargeable batteries when there is no solar energy available and therefore the units can operate without disruption during the day and night.

Claims

1. Claim: An Audible-Eye system embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways and a walking stick characterized by a data transmitter unit (18) comprising an Audible-Eye hand held device (13) which enables the visually impaired individuals to perceive the environment they are in audibly, and which compatible with wireless Audible-Eye glasses and built in head headphones (15) and wireless headphones (16); an Audible-Eye walking stick (14) with adjustable length, and Audible-Eye data transmitter units (18); wherein when the Audible-Eye hand held device (13) is triggered via the Audible-Eye walking stick (14) and the Audible- Eye wireless glasses and built in head headphones (15) or wireless headphones (16) the data can be listened from the hand held device (13) audibly or by means of the wireless headphones (16); that the data transmitter units (18) can be embedded into highways, streets, sidewalks, entrances of buildings, into mass transportation vehicles and bus stops etc, into corridors of buildings, staircases and other places that need to be identified; and in that the surfaces of the data transmitter units (18) that are embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways can be designed with embossed straight lines (3) or embossed large dots (3), the Audible-Eye hand held device (13) can read and broadcast barcodes, signs and square codes by means of a camera sensor (20), the hand held device (13) is an audible guide which determines the position and transmits this information audibly by means of the GPS module provided inside the processor circuit board (19), and comprises an audible detection system which can recognize and vocalizes colours.

2. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claim 1 , wherein the data transmitter units (18) which can be installed into buildings, can be embedded into the tactile pathways for the visually impaired, into the entrances of buildings and sidewalks, characterized in that the units can produce electricity from daylight and sunlight and can be powered from solar batteries (4) and city mains.

3. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1 or 2 characterized in that; it comprises embedded system data transmitter units, outdoor data transmitter units and indoor data transmitter units (18) which can be embedded into open spaces, at the entrances of highways and streets, boulevards, crossroads and into tactile pathways for the visually impaired.

4. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1 ,2 or 3, characterized in that; it comprises wireless glasses and built in head headphones (15) and wireless headphones (16) which trigger and operate outdoor Data transmitter units (18), indoor Data transmitter units (18) and embedded system Data transmitter units (18).

5. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1 ,2,3 or 4, characterized in that; it comprises a hand held device (13) which can be connected to a wired headphone (17) which triggers and operates outdoor Data transmitter units (18), indoor Data transmitter units (18) and embedded system Data transmitter units (18).

6. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1 ,2,3,4 or 5, characterized in that; it comprises a walking stick (14) that can be adjusted in length which triggers and operates outdoor Data transmitter units (18), indoor Data transmitter units (18) and embedded system Data transmitter units (18).

7. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1,2,3,4,5 or 6, characterized in that; the processor circuit (19) of the Audible-Eye hand held device (13) has the ability to read signs, barcodes and square codes via the camera sensor (20) and to submit this information audibly to the user through wireless headphones (16) and speakers (1 1).

8. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1 ,2,3,4,5,6 or 7, characterized in that; it comprises a single direction and multi direction Data transmitter units (18) which can be embedded to tactile paths for the visually impaired, indoors and outdoors.

9. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1 ,2,3,4,5,6, or 7, characterized in that; the Data transmitter units (18) can be operated by the batteries it houses, by rechargeable batteries (6) or solar batteries (4) located on located thereon.

10. Claim: Audible-Eye system and walking stick embedded into surfaces and tactile pathways according to claims 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 or 8, characterized in that; the embedded system Data transmitter units (18) have a structure that can be embedded into the ground, having surfaces with embossed large dots (3) and embossed lines (3).