JP2008259882A - Walking cane with portable navigation device for visually impaired person - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a white cane that enables a visually impaired person to "safely go out anywhere" by applying a remarkably high-functional cellular phone technique to the white cane and further developing the technique, because it is really pitiful that a visually impaired person walks leaning on the white cane. <P>SOLUTION: A virtual display perceivable by touch is made to appear for example in 26 inch size on a road surface for the user to step on. Information on a present position and map information about a destination or the like obtained by GPS for example are made to be perceived through a cane by the visually impaired person as the user; thus, in the cane for the visually impaired person, it is equipped with means as a portable terminal to provide the information. Then, guide blocks for the visually impaired to walk on are expressed in terms of the virtual display and made to have means for providing the information on the position, route or the like by the sense of touch through the cane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a walking stick device for making walking when a visually handicapped person goes out safe and secure.

Many visually handicapped people walk with a sense of touch through the white cane and the sense of the surroundings. There are only a few guide dogs, and raising them requires labor.

For this reason, systems and devices for guiding the walking of visually impaired people are provided.

JP2007-143724 JP2007-50191 JP-A-2005-331639

It is a pity that the visually impaired are walking with great difficulty and anxiety, relying solely on the white cane. Although mobile phones and the like are becoming more and more convenient and highly functional, the provision of information terminals considering the convenience of life for the visually impaired is currently very late.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to apply a function provided in a mobile phone, etc. to a cane, further develop and evolve, and provide a cane that is highly functional as a mobile terminal. It is to contribute to being able to go out with peace of mind anywhere.

For visually impaired people, hearing is an important sensation for grasping the surrounding situation, and it is required to provide various information by tactile sensation without hindering this.

In order to provide a cane device that allows visually impaired people to go out and walk with peace of mind, the function of the cane as an information communication device, the function of a computer for processing information, the sense of non-sight as a virtual reality, For example, a cane device for a visually impaired person having a function as a virtual display that can be recognized by tactile sense.

A means for confirming a current position, a means for inputting and searching for information such as a destination and an object such as an object, and a means for a visually handicapped person to sense provided information. The wand device for the visually impaired is a feature.

A virtual display that can be perceived by touch or the like is displayed on the road surface of the user's feet, for example, in a 26-inch size, and the current position information obtained by GPS or the like and map information regarding the destination, etc. are displayed via a cane. A device for a visually handicapped person is provided with means as a portable terminal for providing information by causing a visually handicapped person who is a user to sense.

A virtual display and a cane have a function related to the display and mouse of a personal computer. By using the cane to enter characters or braille characters on the virtual display, destinations and objects can be displayed on the virtual display. A cane device for a visually impaired person comprising means for searching and displaying and providing information through a cane of a visually impaired person through touch.

The visual display is a visual obstacle characterized by displaying or expressing a map of the current position and the destination or the object, and having means capable of changing the scale of the map, etc. It is a cane device for a person. At the four corners of the virtual display, for example, the corner on the left front side has the function of “start” displayed on the computer screen where basic selections can be made and has the function of input, and the map scale is displayed in the upper left corner. In addition, it shall have a function that can change the scale, a function that displays the current time in the right front corner, and a function that displays the north-south direction at the current position in the upper right corner. . Since these are frequently used, they are displayed together with the input / search screen and the display screen. Thereby, the visually impaired person uses the size of the screen of the virtual display with a clear image.

The handle part of the cane is equipped with a mechanism that has the shape and function of a personal computer / mouse. As if the personal computer is operated with a mouse, visually impaired persons can recognize and operate information input work and information retrieval work with the sense of touch. It is a cane device for visually handicapped persons characterized by having means as a portable terminal which performs.

A cane that has a mechanism as a pointing device, a mechanism that displays a virtual display in front of the foot of the user of the cane, a mechanism that inputs information to the virtual display and searches for information, and information such as destinations and objects And a mechanism for navigating to a destination or an object, and having a means as a portable terminal, a cane device for a visually impaired person is provided.

In the virtual display, the current position, destination, object or route is expressed by tactile sensation as a point or a circular protrusion, and two types are expressed by tactile sensation as a stick or a rod-shaped protrusion. Thus, the cane device for a visually impaired person according to claim 1, further comprising means for simply and clearly showing a positional relationship and a route to the visually impaired person. That is, it has a means for expressing a virtual visually handicapped person guidance block. This is virtual reality, and the visually impaired person can recognize it as a guidance block by tactile sense or the like with the cane device according to the present invention.

The present invention provides a visually handicapped person comprising means for causing a visually impaired person's walking guide block to appear on a virtual display and providing position information and the like by tactile sense of the visually handicapped person via a cane It is a cane device.

The present invention is a cane device having a function as a device, and has means for switching between a virtual input screen for searching position information and a virtual display screen for displaying information obtained by the search. It is a cane device for a visually impaired person characterized in that the screen is switched so that the grip part of the cane device has the shape and function of a mouse of a personal computer. For example, the virtual input screen is displayed in the sense of the visually impaired by left-clicking the mouse, and the virtual display screen is displayed in the sense of the visually impaired by right-clicking.

The present invention is a cane device for a visually impaired person characterized by having an input means using Braille for input for searching for information, for example. That is, it is assumed that braille input can be performed by placing the tip of the cane device on the ground on the virtual display.

A visually-impaired cane device having means for providing information in Braille via a tactile sensation of a palm of a visually handicapped person by causing a visually handicapped person to feel unevenness on a grip part of the cane. By expressing tactile changes in the six points, it is possible to provide Braille information to visually impaired people.
In other words, the grip portion of the cane is in the shape of a personal computer / mouse, and the portion where the palm contacts is a means for providing information to the visually impaired by Braille.

By carrying the walking stick device of the present invention when a visually handicapped person goes out, he can walk without losing a sense of direction even in a place where there is no guidance block for the visually handicapped person. It will improve.

A visually impaired person's wand will function as a tool of the ubiquitous network, and the current position and destination will be searched and displayed on a virtual display. It can be obtained. This not only provides information on the direction, route, and distance of the destination, but also makes it possible for a visually handicapped person to go out in a safe and secure manner by making a virtual guidance block appear.

Providing information to the visually impaired provides not only a virtual display at the tip of the cane by tactile sense, but also more advanced information by expressing it in braille on the grip of the cane. It is particularly effective.

For visually impaired people, input and search with the sense of touch through a cane, and obtaining information, for example, hearing can concentrate on collecting information about the surrounding situation, preventing information confusion Is effective. Since the hearing of visually handicapped persons plays an important role in obstacle perception during walking, it is assumed that it does not interfere with the function of hearing.

The present invention is a walking navigation system in which a visually impaired person uses a guidance block that has already been used on a daily basis as a virtual guidance block on a virtual display and conveys information by touch. It is easy to use.

The cane device for visually handicapped persons according to the invention is characterized in that a virtual display is displayed in front of the hand of the handicapped person, and the cane itself has a function like a mouse of a personal computer. For example, if you left-click on the handgrip part of the cane, the input / search screen can be displayed as a virtual display, and you can enter characters or braille on the tip of the cane. The screen to be provided can be displayed as a virtual display.

As a screen for providing information, rod-like and dot-like protrusions of a guidance block familiar to visually impaired persons are displayed on a virtual display so that they can be read by touch. Of course, what is exposed is not limited to rod-like and dot-like projections, but from the viewpoint of being easily usable for visually handicapped persons, these two kinds of shapes are the best mode of implementation. Is intended to express necessary information.

For example, in the display of map information on a virtual display, in order to express the north direction, a rod-like projection is represented in the north-south direction, and a dot-like projection is represented at the tip of the north-direction rod. The north-south direction at the current position where the visually impaired person is facing is recognized by a tactile sense via a cane.

In order to express the current position, a point-like protrusion is displayed at the center of the virtual display, and the destination is expressed as a point-like protrusion on the virtual display. This provides information on the direction and distance of the destination to the visually impaired. The route to the destination is expressed by a rod-shaped protrusion, and the place where the vehicle temporarily stops, such as an intersection, is expressed by a dot-shaped protrusion.

It is map information displayed on the screen, but the user can change the scale of the map. For example, in a downtown area around a station, it is assumed that map information about 100 meters square can be expressed on a virtual display. In addition, if you enter Braille as “ticket gate” on the input / search screen, the location of the ticket gate at the nearest station is displayed on the display screen, and the visual block is visually impaired by a guidance block that recognizes virtual reality. It induces the person. Further, for example, by inputting Braille as “toilet” and searching, the positions of some toilets that can be used in the vicinity are displayed and guided.

As a means for providing information to a visually handicapped person, there is provided a means for providing Braille information that can be sensed by a tactile sensation of the hand of a visually handicapped person at a hand grip part of a cane. That is, it is characterized in that six point-like projections are arranged on the gripping part and information in Braille is transmitted by a tactile sense that senses the movement. Alternatively, information is transmitted to the visually impaired by 6-point Braille due to vibration or heat generated when the 6-point portion is lit using, for example, an LED. By making the handgrip part of the cane into the shape of a mouse of a personal computer, the palm will wrap around the mouse, and information in Braille can be provided accurately.

The braille information described above is not limited to public lines such as the Internet, but is configured by an embedded system that analyzes and expresses information from RFID, infrared rays, FM waves, or the like.

Claims (11)

A means for confirming a current position, a means for inputting and searching for information such as a destination and an object such as an object, and a means for a visually handicapped person to sense provided information. Characteristic cane device for the visually impaired Confirm the current position, let the visually handicapped sense the direction of east, west, north and north, or the direction of true north, by tactile sense, and display a virtual display of 26 inch size, for example, in front of the feet of the user of the cane. 2. The cane device for a visually impaired person according to claim 1, further comprising means as a portable terminal that provides information by allowing the user to sense the information via the cane. The virtual display and the cane according to claim 2 have a function related to the display of the personal computer and the mouse, and the character display or braille input is performed on the virtual display by using the cane. 2. A cane device for a visually impaired person according to claim 1, further comprising means for searching for and displaying a destination or an object and providing information through the cane of the visually impaired person through the sense of touch. The virtual display according to claim 2 is provided for displaying or expressing a map of the current position, the destination, and the object, and having means capable of changing a scale of the map. The cane device for the visually impaired according to claim 1, For destinations and objects displayed or represented on the virtual display, the user can navigate the cane user by confirming the destination or object as if the mouse on the computer is clicked by operating the buttons attached to the cane. 2. The cane device for a visually impaired person according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing a function for expressing, for example, a virtual visually impaired person guidance block. A cane that has a mechanism as a device, a mechanism that displays a virtual display in front of the feet of the user of the cane, a mechanism that inputs information to the virtual display and searches for information, and displays information such as destinations and objects And a visually impaired person cane device comprising a mechanism for navigating to a destination or an object In the virtual display, the current position, destination, object or route is expressed by tactile sensation as a point or a circular protrusion, and two types are expressed by tactile sensation as a stick or a rod-shaped protrusion. 2. The cane device for a visually impaired person according to claim 1, further comprising means for simply and clearly indicating a positional relationship and a route to the visually impaired person. A walking stick device for visually handicapped persons comprising means for causing a visually impaired person's walking block to appear on a virtual display and providing position information and the like by tactile sense of the visually handicapped person through the walking stick. A wand having a function as a device, characterized by comprising means for switching between a virtual input screen for searching position information and a virtual display screen for displaying information obtained by the search. The walking stick device for the visually impaired according to 8 2. The cane device for the visually impaired according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit using Braille for input for searching for information. 2. A visually impaired person cane device according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing information in Braille via a tactile sensation of a visually impaired person's palm by making the grip part of the cane feel uneven.