KR102097795B1 - The smart braille cane for blind person - Google Patents

Abstract

Smart braille walking stick for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a handle part that can be grabbed by a visually impaired person and a body part connected to the handle part, and the handle part is provided for communication with other devices. A communication unit, a braille display unit for displaying information acquired and detected by the sensor unit in braille, a control unit for controlling the operation of the sensor unit and the braille display unit, and a power supply unit for supplying power are included. A sensor unit may be included to sense the walking direction.

Description

Smart Braille Staff for the Visually Impaired {THE SMART BRAILLE CANE FOR BLIND PERSON}

The present invention relates to a smart braille wand for the visually impaired, and more particularly, to a smart braille wand for the blind including a braille display, an ultrasonic sensor module, a laser sensor module, and an infrared sensor module.

The visually impaired is a concept that includes both blind and low-vision people. People with visual impairments are commonly found around, and visual impairment does not stop at the problem that an individual's vision is not normal, but leads to a decrease in the ability to cope with the surrounding environment. Accordingly, there is a problem that the desire and motivation for the outdoor activities of the visually impaired decrease and are directly linked to the deterioration of the quality of life of the individual.

Various clinical aspects of individuals with visual impairments appear from individuals who cannot fully see the light to those with low vision who can dimly perceive objects. Accordingly, various means for assisting the activities of low-sighted persons have been conventionally devised even when the league is excluded. However, in the case of a conventional visually impaired walking stick, it is only possible to check the presence or absence of an obstacle below the user's waist by striking within about 1 to 2 meters of the walking forward radius of the visually impaired user. In other words, it is difficult for the visually impaired to distinguish whether it is an object or an organism that can be encountered while walking using a conventional visually impaired walking stick, and the distance to the obstacle is dependent on the sense of the visually impaired and the visually impaired It is only a prediction.

There is an urgent need to develop assistive tools for the visually impaired (e.g., smart cane, etc.) to accurately deliver the obstacle to the user by measuring the existence of an obstacle, the type of obstacle, and the distance to the obstacle when the user moves.

1. Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 1072943 (Registration date: 2011.10.06)

The present invention has been devised as a countermeasure to the above-mentioned problems, and when a user moves, the presence or absence of an obstacle within a predetermined range, the type of the obstacle, the distance to the obstacle, and the like are measured quickly and accurately to the user. We want to provide a smart walking stick for the blind to deliver.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a smart braille wand for the blind can be provided.

Smart braille walking stick for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a handle part that can be grabbed by a visually impaired and a body part connected to the handle part, and the handle part includes a communication part for communication with other devices , Braille display unit for displaying information acquired and detected by the sensor unit in Braille, a control unit for controlling the operation of the sensor unit and Braille display unit, and a power supply unit for supplying power. A sensor unit for detecting the direction surrounding may be included.

In addition, the handle portion is streamlined to facilitate grip by a visually impaired person, includes a plurality of braille display portions, and the plurality of braille display portions may be disposed at different positions of the handle portion.

The sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ultrasonic sensor module for detecting whether an obstacle exists within a range of a predetermined angle with respect to the walking direction of a blind person, a laser sensor module for measuring a separation distance to an obstacle, and At least one of the infrared sensor modules for detecting whether the obstacle is an object or a living body may be included.

The other device includes an electronic device that the visually impaired person is carrying, and information obtained by sensing and obtained by the sensor unit is broadcast to another device through the communication unit, and the other device may provide information to the visually impaired person in a sound form.

In addition, another device generates a braille code for learning the braille of the visually impaired and transmits it to the handle portion, and the braille display portion of the handle portion can display braille based on the braille code.

When using the smart walking stick according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a user moves, the presence or absence of an obstacle within a predetermined range of the front, the type of the obstacle, the separation distance to the obstacle, etc. are measured, and thus the user with a visual impairment is fast. Can be provided accurately. In other words, this sensed information is provided as a braille through the braille display provided on the handle of the smart cane, so that the user can immediately confirm the information through a familiar touch.

In addition, it is possible to quickly and accurately detect obstacles located at the highest eye level or height when the visually impaired person goes out, so that the visually impaired person can relieve fear of leaving the house.

In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent access to dangerous areas when the visually impaired is moved in terms of social welfare. For example, it is possible to eliminate the possibility of unnecessary fall accidents by detecting the presence or absence of a hole in the front and the distance to the hole to promptly inform a visually impaired person in braille. Furthermore, since a sound such as voice can be used to inform whether a visually impaired person is approaching a dangerous area while moving through a device such as a smart phone, it is possible to more effectively prevent a safety accident.

In addition, a braille code for learning the braille of the visually impaired is generated from another device and transmitted to the handle of the smart wand, and the braille is displayed on the basis of the braille code in the braille display of the handle, so that the visually impaired can be repeatedly and conveniently used in daily life You can also learn braille.

1 is a block diagram showing a smart braille walking stick for a blind person according to an embodiment of the present invention and a braille guide system including a smart braille walking stick.
Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a smart braille walking stick for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 shows a handle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows a state in which a handle according to an embodiment of the present invention is gripped by a user.
5 shows various modified embodiments of the handle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows a rendered image of the handle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a schematic diagram of the internal configuration of a handle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 shows an operation example of a braille display unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a schematic diagram of a braille guide system including a smart braille stick for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may easily practice. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to clearly describe the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and like reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.

Terms used in the specification will be briefly described, and the present invention will be described in detail.

The terminology used in the present invention has been selected, while considering the functions in the present invention, general terms that are currently widely used are selected, but this may vary according to the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art or the appearance of a new technology. In addition, in certain cases, some terms are arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the applicable invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the contents of the present invention, not simply the names of the terms.

When a part of the specification "includes" a certain component, this means that other components may be further included instead of excluding other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary. In addition, terms such as “... unit” and “module” described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. . In addition, when a part is "connected" to another part in the specification, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "connected with other elements in between".

The term "user" in this specification includes not only a person who has no visual function, but also a person who suffers discomfort in walking due to poor eyesight in both eyes.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing a smart braille stick for the blind according to an embodiment of the present invention and a braille guide system including a smart braille wand, and FIG. 2 is a smart braille for the blind according to an embodiment of the present invention A schematic side view of a cane, and FIG. 3 shows a handle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows a state in which the handle part is gripped by a user according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 shows various modified embodiments of the handle part according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 shows one embodiment of the present invention Shows a rendered image of the handle according to an example.

In addition, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the internal configuration of a handle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 shows an example of an operation of a braille display according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is according to an embodiment of the present invention This is a schematic diagram of a braille guidance system that includes a smart braille stick for the visually impaired.

Smart braille wand 1000 for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a handle part 100 that can be grabbed by a visually impaired person and a body part 200 connected to the handle part 100 In addition, the handle unit 100 includes a communication unit 110 for communication with other devices 2000, a braille display unit 120, and a communication unit 110 for displaying information obtained by sensing by the sensor unit in Braille. , A control unit 130 for controlling the operation of the sensor unit 210 and the braille display unit 120 and a power supply unit 140 for supplying power are included, and the body unit 200 detects surroundings of the walking direction of the visually impaired The sensor unit 210 may be included.

As described above, when the smart braille wand 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, when a visually impaired user moves, the presence or absence of an obstacle within a predetermined range of the front, the type of the obstacle, and the obstacle By measuring the separation distance, etc., it can be delivered to the user quickly and accurately as Braille. Accordingly, the user can receive (confirm) information in real time, such as surrounding environment related to his or her walking, by pausing familiar braille. The predetermined range may be a radial 30-75 degree range centered on the height value of the sensor unit while the user is walking while holding the cane. Of course, it is possible to widen the detection angle through a process such as increasing the number of ultrasonic transducers to be used in the ultrasonic sensor module of the sensor unit 210, but considering a user's walking speed, obstacle identification speed, etc. The angular range may be preferably a radial 30-75 degree range centered on the height value of the sensor unit while the user is walking while holding the cane.

In addition, the straight line distance from the user to the obstacle can be measured by the laser sensor module. The laser sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a Time Of Flight (TOF) sensor. In other words, the straight line distance between the user and the obstacle can be quickly and accurately measured using a laser having a strong straightness.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, information on the separation distance may be measured in a preset distance measurement unit according to the stride length of the user. For example, the distance measurement may be performed in units of 1.1 meters, and the measured distance value information is provided to another device 2000 through the communication unit 110 and converted into a form such as sound such as voice. It can be provided to the user.

In addition, it is possible to identify whether an obstacle in the user's walking direction is an object or a living body (eg, a person) through the infrared sensor module.

In other words, according to one embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasonic sensor module is used to detect a forward obstacle in a wider range around the user, and a laser sensor module is used to rapidly increase the distance to an obstacle in the user's walking direction. It is possible to accurately measure, and by using the infrared sensor module, it is possible to detect the type of obstacle in the user's walking direction (eg, an object or a living object), thereby enabling comprehensive monitoring on the user's walking path.

2 to 4 and 6, the handle portion 100 is a streamlined shape to facilitate grip by a visually impaired person, includes a plurality of braille display portions 120, and a plurality of braille display portions 120 are handle portions It may be disposed at different positions of (100). The plurality of braille display units 120 may be provided at positions that allow the user to make natural contact when the user grips the handle unit 100.

The handle portion 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a streamlined shape manufactured to facilitate gripping by a visually impaired user, and the user may separate the handle portion 100 from the cane 1000 and carry it alone. In this case, information about an obstacle or the like may be received through smart glasses or the like. The handle portion 100 can be easily mounted or pulled out and detached by inserting it into one end of the user's own cane 1000. The handle unit 100 may display the received obstacle-related information in real-time in braille, and may cause a danger to the user by vibrating in an emergency (for example, when the distance between the user and the obstacle is narrowed to within 3 meters). You can tell immediately. The vibration may be generated by a vibration generating unit (not shown) connected to the control unit 130.

For example, when the user grips the handle portion 100, the braille display unit 120 may be disposed at a portion where the user's thumb is in contact and a portion where the index finger is in contact, respectively. According to this arrangement, the user can quickly check the detected type of obstacle ahead and the distance to the obstacle through braille simultaneously. For example, the user can check the detected type of obstacle in front (eg, an object or a creature, such as a person) as braille information through a braille display unit provided at a portion where the thumb comes in contact, and detect the separation distance to the obstacle. It can be confirmed as braille information through the braille display unit provided at the contact portion. In this way, the user can quickly check (recognize) the existence of an obstacle, the type of the obstacle, and the distance to the obstacle through braille simultaneously.

Referring to FIG. 8, the braille display unit 120 may include a braille projection 121 capable of protruding according to the application of a signal from the controller 130, an actuator 123 for driving a protruding or the like. In other words, through the protrusion of the braille projection 121, information about an obstacle or the like may be provided to the user as Braille. The actuator 123 may be driven forward or backward by a PWM method using a piezoelectric buzzer, and the braille protrusion 121 connected to the actuator 123 may be protruded or disengaged according to the forward or reverse driving of the actuator 123. have. As an example of the driving method of the actuator 123, when the piezoelectric buzzer is oscillated in a 100KHz high-frequency method to increase the duty ratio to the positive side and adjust it to drive it forward, stop it and then stop it. Likewise, when the braille protrusion 121 protrudes and stops, and the duty ratio is inverted and adjusted again, a method in which the braille protrusion 121 is downward and the protrusion returns to the released state may be used.

In the sensor unit 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasonic sensor module for detecting whether an obstacle exists within a predetermined angle with respect to a walking direction of a visually impaired person, a laser for measuring a separation distance to an obstacle At least one of a sensor module and an infrared sensor module for detecting whether an obstacle is an object or a living body may be included. 2 and 4, such a sensor unit 210 may be installed on the upper body portion of the cane.

For example, when information sensed through the ultrasonic sensor module is irregularly changed or information is not changed, information sensed through the ultrasonic sensor module and specific information previously stored in a memory unit (not shown) (eg, a specific object) Based on the degree of conformity with all or part of the image, etc.), the controller 130 may determine that an obstacle exists in the front. In addition, the control unit 130 may determine whether an obstacle is an object or a living object according to whether information detected through the infrared sensor module matches specific information (eg, infrared image information of a specific object) previously stored in the memory unit. have.

The other device 2000 includes an electronic device that the visually impaired person is carrying, and information obtained by being detected by the sensor unit 210 is broadcast to the other device 2000 through the communication unit 110, and the other device 2000 ) Can provide information to the visually impaired as sound.

The other device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a smart braille wand 1000 and a wearable device such as a smart phone capable of wireless communication with a smart phone, a tablet PC, or a smart watch, but is not limited thereto. It is not. In other words, another device 2000 that can be carried by the user may refer to any form of electronic device that includes a function for outputting information in sound, vibration, or braille.

The communication unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more components that enable communication with another device 2000, and includes, for example, a short-range communication module, a wired communication module, and a wireless communication module. can do. The short-range communication module means a module for performing short-range communication with a device located within a predetermined distance. The short-range communication technology according to an embodiment of the present invention includes wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, zigbee, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct), UWB (ultra wideband), infrared communication ( IrDA, infrared data association (BLE), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), NFC (Near Fie1214 Communication), and the like, but are not limited thereto. In addition, the wired communication module means a module for communication using an electrical signal or an optical signal, and the wired communication technology may include wired communication technology using a pair cable, a coaxial cable, an optical fiber cable, and the like. Obviously wired communication technology may be included. The wireless communication module transmits and receives wireless signals to and from at least one of a base station, an external device, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The broadcast is a 1: N (N is a natural number) method, which means a method of communicating with all devices existing on a network capable of communication. Such broadcasts may occur periodically at predetermined time intervals. The predetermined time interval may be 30 seconds or 1 minute at 200 mSec, but is not limited thereto. In other words, a broadcast operation may be adjusted according to a preset state in the communication unit 110. When using the broadcast method, since it can communicate with all devices existing on the network, the user can share information related to the user's gait with equipment owned by others in addition to the equipment owned by the user.

In addition, the smart braille wand 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a power supply 140. For example, the power supply unit 140 may be a replaceable battery, a rechargeable battery, or the like. In other words, the wand 1000 may further include a battery to supply power to each element itself. A battery according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a lithium ion battery and a lithium ion polymer battery, but is not limited thereto. In other words, any device or device capable of storing electrical energy may be referred to as the battery described above, regardless of its shape. The power supply unit 140 may be manufactured to be detachable from the handle unit 100 or the like.

The network according to an embodiment of the present invention refers to a communication network capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from other equipment through wired or wireless communication.

In addition, the other device 2000 generates a braille code for learning the braille of the visually impaired and transmits it to the handle 100, and the braille display 120 of the handle 100 displays braille based on the braille code. Can be. The other device 2000 may generate a braille code of a pattern pre-assigned to the braille and provide it to the handle 100, and the user may perform braille daily through the touch of the braille display 120 of the handle 100. You can easily learn it in your life. For example, during the user's walking waiting (eg, waiting in front of a pedestrian crossing, etc.), the other device 2000 may generate a braille code for braille learning and provide it to the handle unit 100. Accordingly, the handle unit ( At 100), braille is displayed, so the user can learn braille. Since the braille learning can be repeatedly performed according to a preset by a user, the efficiency of braille learning in daily life can be maximized.

The above description of the present invention is for illustration only, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can understand that the present invention can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed description, and it should be interpreted that all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts thereof are included in the scope of the present invention. do.

100: handle 110: communication unit
120: Braille display unit 121: Braille projection
123: actuator
130: control unit 140: power supply unit
200: body portion 210: sensor portion
1000: Smart Braille Staff 2000: Other devices

Claims (5)

In the smart braille stick for the blind,
A handle part that can be gripped by a visually impaired person; And
And a body part connected to the handle part,
The handle portion,
A communication unit for communication with other devices;
A plurality of braille display units for displaying information obtained by sensing by the sensor unit in braille;
A control unit that controls operations of the communication unit, the sensor unit, and the braille display unit; And
Includes a power supply for supplying power,
The body portion includes a sensor unit for detecting the periphery of the visually impaired walking direction, and the sensor unit includes an ultrasonic sensor module for detecting whether an obstacle exists within a predetermined angle with respect to the visually impaired walking direction. , At least one of a laser sensor module for measuring the separation distance to the obstacle and an infrared sensor module for detecting whether the obstacle is an object or a living body are included,
The predetermined angular range corresponds to a radial range of 30 to 75 degrees based on the height from the ground of the sensor unit in a state where the user grips the handle when walking,
The handle portion has a streamlined shape to facilitate gripping by a visually impaired person, and the handle portion is disposed on a first braille display portion disposed at a portion where the user's thumb is in contact with the user's grip and a portion where the user's index finger is in contact. A second braille display is included, and in the first braille display, information on the type of an obstacle ahead detected by the sensor is displayed in braille, and in the second braille display, from the sensor to the obstacle detected. Smart braille wand for the visually impaired, characterized in that information about the distance is displayed in Braille.
delete delete According to claim 1,
The other device includes an electronic device that the blind person is carrying,
The information obtained by sensing and obtained by the sensor unit is broadcast to the other device through the communication unit, and the other device provides the information in the form of sound to the visually impaired smart braille wand for the visually impaired.
The method of claim 4,
The other device generates a braille code for learning the braille of the visually impaired and transmits it to the handle, and the braille display for the blind is characterized in that a braille is displayed based on the braille code.

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