KR101289966B1 - Device of walking guidance for a blind person - Google Patents

Abstract

Walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, the body is formed in a bar shape having a length in the vertical direction, the wheel is mounted on the lower side; An obstacle detecting unit mounted on the body to detect an obstacle located in front of the body; The obstacle detecting unit is configured to include a sound output unit for outputting sound when detecting the obstacle. By using the pedestrian guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, the presence of obstacles as well as the direction in which the obstacles are located can be perceived acoustically, and the accident can be prevented because the movement is stopped immediately when a crisis occurs. There is an advantage. In addition, the walk guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention is configured to be moved by the cloud of the wheel mounted on the bottom, so that even if the total weight is increased can be easily used by the user, when used physically to various sensors and electronic devices Since no impact is applied, durability is improved.

Description

Gait guide device for blind people {Device of walking guidance for a blind person}

The present invention relates to a walking guide device for aiding the visually impaired walking, more specifically, it can be informed of the presence of obstacles in front of the user and the current location of the user, easy to use, to prevent accidents in the event of a crisis The present invention relates to a walking guide device for the visually impaired.

Among the disabled, visually impaired people, especially those with visual impairment without other disorders, perform relatively more activities than others. In particular, those who do not have a disability other than vision moves relatively freely to the place they want through walking like non-disabled people. Most of these visually impaired people use the cane for the visually impaired to detect obstacles on their path and move to avoid them. However, obstacle detection and movement using the wand have a limited detection range, difficulty in accurate detection, and many limitations such as failure to detect an obstacle relatively far from the user. Therefore, the speed of movement of the visually impaired is extremely reduced when using a wand, and the visually impaired person is often injured by obstacles and moving objects that are difficult to detect.

Devices that perform various functions have been developed for the safe walking of these blind people. For example, devices for detecting obstacles in the front using an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor, and devices for informing a user's current position using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or RFID have been developed. Using such a walking guide device, it is possible to grasp the existence of the obstacle in advance before hitting the obstacle located in front, it is easy to recognize where it is now, it is possible to receive a lot of help in walking.

At this time, the conventional walking guide device, the general visually impaired cane is configured with the above-described ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, GPS, RFID unit, the structure, the user in the process of tapping the ground with the cane ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, Since GPS and RFID units are shaken, normal operation does not occur. On the other hand, when the various types of units as described above are mounted on one cane, the overall weight becomes heavy, and thus there is a problem that a user cannot easily manipulate the cane.

In addition, the conventional pedestrian guide device configured to detect an obstacle in the front by using an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like has a disadvantage in that it merely notifies the existence of the obstacle and does not guide the exact position of the obstacle. Therefore, even if a warning sound that there is an obstacle in front of the user, the user is unable to determine in which direction to move the obstacle to avoid, there is a problem that the end result in the collision with the obstacle.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, it is possible to inform the position and distance of the obstacle as well as the presence of the obstacle, can be easily used even if the total weight is increased, the accident by stopping immediately in the event of a crisis situation An object of the present invention is to provide a walking guide device for the visually impaired.

Walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention for achieving the above object is formed in a bar shape having a length in the vertical direction, the body is equipped with wheels on the lower side; An obstacle detecting unit mounted on the body to detect an obstacle located in front of the body; The obstacle detecting unit is configured to include a sound output unit for outputting sound when detecting the obstacle.

The obstacle detecting unit is configured to detect an obstacle located in the front, left, and right fronts, and the sound output unit outputs a different sound depending on which direction the obstacle is located in the front, left, and right fronts. It is composed.

The obstacle detection unit is configured to detect the obstacle located in the front, left, front, right front, the sound output unit is configured to generate a warning sound when there is an obstacle in front, different patterns depending on the direction of the obstacle It is configured to emit a beep.

The obstacle detecting unit is configured to detect a distance to the obstacle, and further includes a braking unit to stop the rotation of the wheel when the distance to the obstacle is less than the set distance.

The brake unit includes a brake pad for stopping rotation of the wheel when the brake unit is in close contact with a rim of the wheel, and a driving unit for moving the brake pad to be in close contact with and spaced apart from the rim of the wheel. .

It further includes a self-generation unit for generating a current by receiving the rotational force of the wheel.

The light emitting unit is mounted on the body and emits light by receiving current generated from the self-generating unit.

And an RF reader configured to receive and decode a signal from an RF tag mounted on a structure and collect information about the structure on which the RF tag is mounted, wherein the sound output unit is configured to output information about the structure as sound. do.

It further comprises a GPS unit for receiving a signal from the satellite to calculate the current location of the user.

The obstacle detecting unit emits an ultrasonic wave and receives the reflected ultrasonic wave to detect the direction of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle. The ultrasonic radiation direction is lower than the horizontal direction when the body is erected vertically. Is set to face the horizontal direction when tilted to move the body.

Further extending from the outer circumferential surface of the body to the left front and right front, respectively, and further comprises a pair of support legs extending downwards toward the ground.

By using the pedestrian guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, the presence of obstacles as well as the direction in which the obstacles are located can be perceived acoustically, and the accident can be prevented because the movement is stopped immediately when a crisis occurs. There is an advantage.

In addition, the walk guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention is configured to be moved by the cloud of the wheel mounted on the bottom, so that even if the total weight is increased can be easily used by the user, when used physically to various sensors and electronic devices Since no impact is applied, durability is improved.

1 is a front view of a walking guide device for the blind according to the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of a walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention.
3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention.
4 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement structure of an obstacle detecting unit.
5 to 7 is a state diagram used in the walking guide device for the blind according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a front view of a walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a block diagram of a walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a part of the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention It is a cross section.

The walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention is manufactured in a long shape in the vertical direction as a cane so that it can be used as a substitute for the visually impaired, and informs that there is an obstacle in the front by sound (warning sound or voice). It is a kind of walking guide device configured to be.

That is, the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention is produced in a bar shape having a length in the vertical direction and is provided with a body 110 and a handle 130 provided on the upper side, and mounted on the body 110. And an obstacle detecting unit 200 for detecting an obstacle located in front of the vehicle, an audio output unit 400 for outputting sound when the obstacle detecting unit 200 detects an obstacle, and a signal transmission between the components. It is configured to include a control unit 300 for controlling the operation. The user walks while holding the handle 130 and pushes the body 110 forward, and listens to the sound output from the sound output unit 400 and senses whether there is an obstacle in front so that it does not collide with the obstacle. At this time, when the body 110 is shaken up and down while moving, the obstacle detecting unit 200 does not normally detect the obstacle, so that the body 110 moves forward in accordance with the walking speed of the user while maintaining a constant height. When the bottom of the body 110 is in direct contact with the ground, it may cause a problem in the movement of the body 110 due to friction between the body 110 and the ground. Of course, the body 110 is kept spaced apart from the ground, that is, when walking with the body 110 in a hand-held state, the friction between the body 110 and the ground does not occur, but the body 110 for a long time Walking with) has the problem of physically following.

Therefore, the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, so that the wheel 120 is mounted on the lower side of the body 110 to minimize the friction with the ground while moving forward with the bottom is in contact with the ground. It is composed. As such, when the wheel 120 is mounted to the lower side of the body 110, the body 110 may be easily moved forward in accordance with the walking speed, and the top and bottom shaking of the body 110 may be minimized. There is an advantage that the detector can detect the obstacle normally.

On the other hand, the obstacle detecting unit 200 may be configured not only to detect the presence of the obstacle in front of the front but also to detect the distance to the obstacle. As such, when the obstacle detecting unit 200 is configured to detect the distance to the obstacle, the sound output unit 400 sets the distance to the obstacle so as to notify the user by a warning sound or a voice, such as the user and the obstacle. The collision between them can be prevented more effectively. At this time, the obstacle detecting unit 200 is preferably applied as an ultrasonic sensor that can detect the distance to the obstacle by receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected by hitting the obstacle after radiating the ultrasonic wave forward, to detect the distance to the obstacle If it can, it can be replaced by any kind of sensor.

As mentioned above, when the distance to the obstacle is configured to prevent the collision with the obstacle to some extent, the collision with the obstacle is inevitable when the course changes rapidly or the obstacle approaches the user quickly. There is a problem. Therefore, the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention may further include a braking unit 500 for stopping the rotation of the wheel 120 when the distance to the obstacle is less than the set distance. As soon as the rotation of the wheel 120 is stopped, the movement of the body 110 is momentarily stopped, and there is an advantage in that collision between the walking guide device for the visually impaired and the obstacle can be more effectively prevented.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the braking part 500 includes a brake pad 510 for stopping rotation of the wheel 120 when the wheel 120 is in close contact with a rim of the wheel 120, and the wheel 120. It may be configured to include a drive unit 520 for moving the brake pad 510 to be in close contact and spaced apart from the rim (). Therefore, when the distance to the obstacle is detected by the obstacle detecting unit 200 to be less than the set distance, the control unit 300 operates the drive unit 520 to close the brake pad 510 to the rim of the wheel 120, The walk guide apparatus for the visually impaired according to the present invention can be stopped.

At this time, when the brake pad 510 is in close contact with the rim of the wheel 120, the configuration in which the rotation of the wheel 120 is stopped is similar to the brake configuration of the bicycle, and the brake pad 510 is reciprocated in one direction according to a signal input. The configuration is to be widely implemented, such as a reciprocating transfer device using a solenoid, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. As described above, when the brake pad 510 is configured to be in close contact with the rim of the wheel 120 to brake the wheel 120, the configuration of the brake pad 510 and the driving unit 520 for moving the wheel 120 is very simple. As a result, the manufacturing is easy and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Of course, the braking unit 500 is not limited to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, and changes to any structure as long as it can stop the rotation of the wheel 120 when a signal is received from the obstacle detecting unit 200. Can be.

Meanwhile, the light emitting unit 900 may be additionally provided in the body 110 of the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention so that others may easily recognize that the visually impaired person is walking at night. The light emitting unit 900 is preferably applied to a high brightness LED compared to the power consumption, the light emitting direction may be directed toward the front, as shown in this embodiment, may be configured to emit light in the left and right. When the light emitting unit 900 is provided in the body 110 as described above, even when the user passes a dark place, the vehicle driver or other pedestrians can easily recognize it from a distance, thereby preventing various accidents.

In this case, when the light emitting unit 900 is configured to emit light by a current provided through a separate battery, not only the battery purchase cost is continuously consumed, but also a risk of an accident occurs when the life of the battery is exhausted during night walking. It has the disadvantage of being. Therefore, the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention may further include a self-generating unit 800 that generates a current by the rotational force of the wheel 120 and supplies it to the light emitting unit 900. The self-developing unit 800 is driven roller 820 mounted inside the body 110 to be rotated so as to receive the rotational force of the wheel 120 directly to generate power, and a protrusion rim formed on the wheel 120 ( 122) and a power transmission belt 810 which is mounted to surround the driven roller 820 to transfer the rotational force of the wheel 120 to the driven roller 820, and receives the rotational force of the driven roller 820 It may be configured to include a generator 830 for generating a current. Therefore, when the user pushes the body 110 forward, the wheel 120 is rotated, the rotational force of the wheel 120 rotates the driven roller 820 through the power transmission belt 810, the generator 830 is driven The rotation force of the roller 820 is transmitted to generate a current. Since the technology for generating power in the above manner is a well-known technology widely used in the art, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When the self-generation unit 800 is additionally provided as described above, the initial manufacturing cost is somewhat higher, but the above-mentioned battery purchase cost is reduced, so it is economically advantageous for long time use, and the light is emitted at any time while the wheel 120 is rolling. The advantage is that the risk can be lowered. In addition, the self-generating unit 800 is not limited to the structure shown in the present embodiment, and can be changed to any structure if it can be generated by using the rotational force of the wheel 120, the light emitting unit while the user standing A separate rechargeable battery (not shown) that is charged by the self-generating unit 800 to supply the current to the light emitting unit 900 may be further provided so that the 900 may emit light.

In addition, in recent years, the use of the structure guide braille block for indicating the location of the bus stop or subway, the entrance of the toilet or elevator, etc. is increasing, it is not easy to recognize where the structure guide braille block is located, the structure guide There is a disadvantage in that the utility of the braille block has a limit. Of course, if you continue to follow the walk guide braille blocks arranged in a line can reach the structure guide braille block, there is a problem that there is a lot of difficulty in walking while following only the walk guide braille block. The walk guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention is RFID (speech) so that when a user reaches a specific structure such as a bus stop, subway, restroom, elevator, etc., even if the user does not walk along a predetermined path, Radio Frequency Identification) technology may be configured to be grafted. The RFID technology recognizes wirelessly related information by using an RF tag 20 for generating a signal including various information and an RF reader 600 for receiving and analyzing a signal generated by the RF tag 20. As a technology, since it is widely used in various fields such as security and distribution, a detailed description of the basic principle is omitted.

In the case of incorporating RFID technology into the present invention, the RF tag 20 for generating the respective structure information signal is installed in a specific structure such as a bus stop, subway, restroom, elevator, etc., and walking for the visually impaired according to the present invention. When the RF reader 600 is installed in the guide device and the user reaches the structure in which the RF tag 20 is installed, the RF reader 600 receives and decodes the signal from the RF tag 20 to output the sound output unit 400. ) And the sound output unit 400 may output information about the structure as a sound. As such, when the RF reader 600 is mounted on the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, when the user reaches the structure to which the RF tag 20 is attached, the user may receive information about the corresponding structure by voice. It is very convenient to walk.

On the other hand, the gait guide device for the blind according to the present invention may be provided with a GPS unit 700 (Global Positioning System) for receiving a signal from the satellite to calculate the current position of the user. If the GPS unit 700 is provided, the user can know where he is currently located even if he is lost while walking, and can further provide a navigation service by installing additional navigation, so he can make his way without the help of others. The advantage is that it's easy to go.

4 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement structure of the obstacle detecting unit 200.

The obstacle detecting unit 200 may include a first obstacle detecting unit 210 that detects an obstacle located in the immediate front, a second obstacle detecting unit 220 that detects an obstacle located in the left front, and a right front side. It may be configured to include a third obstacle detecting unit 230 for detecting the obstacle located. In this case, the sound output unit 400 is configured to output different sounds depending on which direction the obstacle is located in the front, left, front and right so that the user can recognize in which direction the obstacle is located by hearing. Can be. For example, the sound output unit 400 outputs a bell when the obstacle is located in the front, outputs a buzzer when the obstacle is in the left, and outputs a ring tone when the obstacle is located in the front. It can be configured to. In this case, the user can immediately recognize in which direction the obstacle is located according to the type of sound output, there is an advantage that can prevent the collision with the obstacle.

In addition, the sound output unit 400 may be configured to generate a warning sound when an obstacle exists in the front, and may be configured to generate a warning sound having a different pattern according to a direction in which the obstacle exists. For example, the sound output unit 400 repeatedly outputs one beep sound when the obstacle is located directly in front, and repeatedly outputs two beep sounds when the obstacle is located in the front left, and the obstacle is in front of the right. When positioned at may be configured to output three beeps repeatedly. In this case, even if the sound output unit 400 is configured to output only one type of sound, the sound output unit 400 can be notified to the user by indicating various directions of the obstacles by setting various patterns of the output sound. ) Has the advantage of simplifying the configuration.

5 to 7 is a state diagram used in the walking guide device for the blind according to the present invention.

When the body 110 having a length in the vertical direction is pushed forward, the body 110 is inclined so that the upper part with the handle 130 is rearward, and the obstacle detecting unit 200 is thus the body 110. As it is operated to detect the obstacle located in front in the inclined state, the obstacle detecting unit 200 is preferably mounted so as to face in the horizontal direction in the inclined body 110 as shown in FIG. For example, when the obstacle detecting unit 200 is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave and receive the reflected ultrasonic wave to detect the direction of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle, the ultrasonic radial direction is the body as shown in FIG. 5. When 110 is erected vertically, it is lower than the horizontal direction, and as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable that the user is set to face the horizontal direction when tilted to move the body 110.

On the other hand, the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, in order to minimize the space occupied during storage, it is preferable that it is composed of a structure that can be built independently without leaning on other structures. At this time, the body 110 is equipped with a wheel 120 at the bottom bar can not stand independently, the walk guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention is a separate support leg 140 for setting up the body 110 ) Is further provided.

The support legs 140 extend from the outer circumferential surface of the body 110 to the left front and the right front, respectively, and are mounted inclined downward so that their ends face the ground. Therefore, when not using the walking guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, by tilting the body 110 forward as shown in Figure 7 so that the ends of the pair of support legs 140 in contact with the ground, It is possible to stand independently the pedestrian guide device for the visually impaired. In this case, the direction and the angle in which the support leg 140 extends may be appropriately changed according to various factors such as the length and the center of gravity of the body 110.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. It will also be appreciated that many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

110: body 120: wheels
130: handle 140: support leg
200: distance detection unit 210: first distance detection unit
220: second distance detection unit 230: third distance detection unit
300: control unit 400: sound output unit
500: braking unit 510: braking pad
520: drive unit 600: RF reader
700 GPS unit 800 self-generation unit
810: power transmission belt 820: driven roller
830: generator 900: light emitting unit

Claims (13)

delete delete delete delete It is formed in a bar shape having a length in the vertical direction, the body is mounted on the lower wheel;
An obstacle detecting unit mounted on the body to detect an obstacle located in front and configured to detect a distance to the obstacle;
A sound output unit for outputting sound when the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle;
It is configured to include a brake pad for stopping the rotation of the wheel when in close contact with the rim (rim) of the wheel, and a drive unit for moving the brake pad to be in close contact with and spaced apart from the rim (rim) of the wheel, to the obstacle Braking for stopping the rotation of the wheel when the distance of less than the set distance;
Gait guide device for the visually impaired, comprising a.
It is formed in a bar shape having a length in the vertical direction, the body is mounted on the lower wheel;
An obstacle detecting unit mounted on the body to detect an obstacle located in front of the body;
A sound output unit for outputting sound when the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle;
Self-generating unit for generating a current by receiving the rotational force of the wheel;
Walking guide device for the visually impaired, characterized in that comprises a.
The method according to claim 6,
The walk guide device for the visually impaired, further comprising a light emitting unit mounted on the body and emitting light by receiving current generated from the self-generating unit.
8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
Receiving and decoding the signal from the RF tag mounted on the structure, further comprising an RF reader for collecting information about the structure on which the RF tag is mounted,
The sound output unit for the visually impaired walking guide device, characterized in that for outputting information about the structure as a sound.
8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
And a GPS unit for receiving a signal from a satellite and calculating a current position of the user.
8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The obstacle detection unit is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave and receive the reflected ultrasonic wave to detect the direction of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle,
Wherein the ultrasonic radiation direction is lower than the horizontal direction when the body is erect vertically, walk direction device for the visually impaired, characterized in that toward the horizontal direction when the user tilts to move the body.
8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
A walk guide device for the visually impaired, further comprising a pair of support legs extending from the outer circumferential surface of the body to the left front and the right front, respectively, the ends of which extend downwardly toward the ground.
8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The obstacle detecting unit is configured to detect and distinguish the obstacle located in the front, front left, front right,
And the sound output unit outputs a different sound depending on which direction the obstacle exists in the front, left, and right directions.
8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The obstacle detecting unit is configured to detect and distinguish the obstacle located in the front, front left, front right,
The sound output unit is configured to generate a warning sound when there is an obstacle in front, the walk guide device for the visually impaired, characterized in that for generating a different pattern of warning sound according to the direction in which the obstacle exists.

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