JPS63163120A - Color discriminator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a blind person or color anomaly person to discriminate a color, by optically detecting the color of an object and converting the same to an audible word expressing said color. CONSTITUTION:The white light from a light source 1 scatters on the surface of an object 2 and the scattering light thereof enters three photoelectric converter elements 31-33. Means for mounting color filters different from each other is applied to the front surfaces of said elements 31-33 and, by directly applying mutual operation to the outputs of the elements 31-33, said elements are formed so as to have sensitivity characteristics equal to color matching functions x(lambda), y(lambda), z(lambda). Therefore, the outputs of the elements 31-33 become electric signals proportional to X, Y and Z color stimulus values of the color of the object 2 and these X-Z signals enter an operation circuit 4. In the circuit 4, a microcomputer 43 performs the mutual operation of the X-Z signals and the kind of the color is discriminated on the basis of the operation result and an audible word memory element 5 storing said color as a word is selected. The selected element 5 is read by the microcomputer 43 and the content thereof is outputted as the sound word expressing the color from a speaker 8 through a D/A converter 6 and an amplifier 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention enables blind and color-blind people to identify colors by optically detecting the color of an object and converting it into an audio word representing the color or an operation of a tactile stimulation element through electrical processing. This relates to a device for doing so.

Color can be expressed using three parameters. For example, hue, brightness,
It is generally known that it can be represented by a three-attribute color system of saturation, another example is an RGB color system, and another example is an XYZ color system. The present invention will be explained below using an example in which colors are expressed using the XYZ color system.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of an apparatus according to the present invention. White light from a light source 1 is scattered on the surface of an object 2, and the scattered light enters three photo-electric conversion elements 31, 32, 33 such as photodiodes. These three photo-electric conversion elements are equipped with different color filters on their front surfaces, and their outputs are subjected to mutual calculations to create color matching functions x(λ), y(λ), and z. (λ). Therefore, their outputs are electrical signals proportional to the X, Y, and Z color stimulus value components of the object color. These X, Y, and Z signals enter an arithmetic circuit 4 which has the function of identifying the type of color. The arithmetic circuit consists of a multiplexer 41, an A/D converter 42, and a microcomputer 43. The microcomputer mutually operates the X, Y, and Z signals, identifies the type of color based on the result, and stores the color as a word. Select the audio word storage element 5 or its storage address.

The selected memory element or memory address is read out by the microcomputer, and its contents are converted into an analog voltage by a D/A converter 6 and amplified by an amplifier 7 to output an audio word representing the color from a speaker 8. Blind and color-blind people can identify the color of objects by listening to these audio words.

FIG. 2 is an example of a chromaticity classification diagram showing the principle of identifying basic colors in a system of colors from the results of mutual calculation of X, Y, and Z signals in the apparatus according to the present invention. This diagram is JIS Z 81
This is a diagram that is approximately the same as the reference diagram "General chromaticity classification of systematic color names" in 10 "Color names of light source colors", and in the diagram y = f1 (
x), g1(x, y)=0, etc. are mathematical expressions representing boundaries of chromaticity classifications. Here, x and y are chromaticity coordinates obtained by the following calculation, and V is a composite stimulus value.

V=X + Y + Z border between gray and black).

In this way, a one-sided region whose end or edge is a boundary value or boundary line can be expressed by an inequality. Table 1 shows the inequalities and region symbols representing these regions. By performing logical operations between the area symbols shown in Table 1, 3 types of achromatic colors and 11 types of chromatic colors,
A total of 14 different colors can be completely identified.

By increasing the number of expressions representing a region, a wider variety of colors can be identified, and conversely, by decreasing the number of expressions, only a specific color can be identified. Furthermore, when reading the spoken words from the memory element, for example, "aka" and "murasaki" can be read out temporally in series and combined with "akamurasaki" to save the memory capacity of the memory element.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another example of the device according to the present invention. Outputs X of optical electric conversion elements 31, 32, 33,
The configuration up to Y and Z is the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

The X, Y, and Z signals enter an analog calculation circuit 9, where they are subjected to color identification, and drive circuits 101 to 10n drive tactile stimulation elements 111 to 11n corresponding to the selected color based on the result. Select. The selected drive circuit drives the corresponding tactile stimulation element. Therefore, by touching these elements with fingers or palms, it is possible to identify the color of an object without relying on vision.

In the above example, the number of photoelectric conversion elements is three, but as long as the identification of a specific color is limited, the number of photoelectric conversion elements may be two.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a specific example of the structure of the apparatus according to the present invention having the configuration shown in FIG.

At the conical tip inside the cylindrical portable case 12, there are a light source 1 for illuminating an object, and three optical-to-electrical conversion elements 31 having different wavelength sensitivity characteristics for receiving scattered light from the object. 32 and 33 are incorporated.

In addition, in the center of the case there is an arithmetic circuit 4 and a voice word memory element 5.
, an electric circuit such as a D/A converter 6, an amplifier 7, and a battery 13.
However, a speaker 8 is built into the rear end of the case.

Further, the head of the push button switch 14 is exposed on the side of the case.

When you bring the tip of the case close to or touch an object and press the pushbutton switch, battery voltage is applied to the light source, photoelectric conversion element, and electric circuit to identify the color of the object based on the above principle, and the speaker outputs the color. The phonetic word represented is output.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a specific structure of the device according to the present invention, which has both the structure shown in FIG. 1 and the structure shown in FIG.

A white cane for the blind 15 includes a light source 1 and a light electric conversion element 31, 3
2, 33, an optical bundle fiber 16, and an analog calculation circuit 9 and a drive circuit 1 inside the grip part 151 of the white cane.
01 to 10n, tactile stimulation elements 111 to 11n, and a battery 13 are incorporated. Light from a light source is guided by an optical bundle fiber and impinges on the surface of a road 17, for example, and scattered light from the road is guided by this optical bundle fiber to an optical-to-electrical conversion element. The outputs of these elements enter an analog arithmetic circuit, are identified by color, and actuate the tactile stimulation element via a drive circuit corresponding to that color.

Furthermore, in the example shown in this figure, the white cane also incorporates a function almost the same as that in FIG. 4, and a speaker 8 can output audio. That is, by operating the changeover switch 17, the battery 1
3 can be turned on and off, the speaker output and the tactile stimulation element output can be switched, or both of these outputs can be enabled at the same time.

Blind and color-blind people can use this white cane to walk while identifying, for example, blue Braille blocks on roads, white lines on station platforms, and red guide lines in buildings by hearing or by touch.

As described above, according to the present invention, it becomes possible for a blind person or a person with color vision impairment to recognize the type of color by sound or touch.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an outline of an example of a device according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a principle of identifying basic colors among systematic colors from the results of mutual calculation of X, Y, and Z signals in the device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing other aspects of the device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views each showing an example of a specific structure of the device according to the present invention. This is shown in the figure.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of light-to-electrical conversion elements having mutually different wavelength sensitivities that receive scattered light from an object illuminated with a white light source;
An arithmetic circuit that has the function of identifying the color of an object by calculating the electrical signals output from these optical-to-electrical conversion elements, and a memory element that stores words representing colors to be selected based on the identification results. , a D/A converter that converts the output read from these memory elements into an analog electrical quantity, and an amplifier circuit and a speaker that further converts the output into audio. A color identification device that converts into (2) a plurality of optical-to-electrical conversion elements having mutually different wavelength sensitivities that receive scattered light from an object illuminated with a white light source;
An arithmetic circuit that has the function of identifying the color of an object by calculating the electrical signals output from these optical-electrical conversion elements, a tactile stimulation element that corresponds to the color selected based on the identification result, and a tactile stimulation element that drives it. A color identification device that converts the color of an object into the operation of a tactile stimulation element that represents that color. (3) A color identification device having both the functions of (1) and (2) above.