KR20160144193A - Intelligent Walking Assistive Apparatus For Visual Impairment, Aged And Feeble Person - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a walking assistive apparatus for the visually impaired and the elderly which is in the form of a wearable device with a wireless mobile communication module and a detachable intelligent walking control module. More specifically, the present invention relates to a walking assistive apparatus which is in the form of a cane used by the visually impaired and the elderly, can be separated and fastened according to the purpose and use and in which the detachable intelligent walking control module that can be worn on the users body is provided such that the apparatus can be interconnected with the wireless mobile communication module, and thus, the apparatus is capable of assisting walking by guiding the visually impaired and the elderly to a safe route when walking, or preventing fall accidents in advance, and rapidly notifying a guardian and friends and family of accident information when a user is in an accident to systematically rescue the user. According to the present invention, the intelligent walking assistive apparatus for the visually impaired and the elderly comprises: a bio-signal sensing unit; an acceleration sensing unit; a piezoelectric element; a sensor signal transmission/reception connection line; a light emitting diode button; a display module; a speaker module; the wireless mobile communication module; an intelligent walking control module; and a GPS module, and can be worn as a wearable device such as a necklace and a watch depending on the purpose of the user.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an intelligent walking assist device for a visually impaired person and an aged person,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a visually handicapped person and a wearer's walking aiding device in the form of a wearable device having a wireless mobile communication module and a detachable intelligent walking control module, A walk-assisting device in the form of a wand can be separated and fastened according to the purpose and use of the user and has a function of interlocking with the wireless mobile communication module by incorporating a detachable intelligent walking control module that can be worn on the user's body It is possible to implement a walking assistance function that can lead to a safe route when the visually handicapped and the elderly are walking, or to prevent a fall accident beforehand. In case of similar situation, systematic rescue function And to an implemented walking aiding device.

In the case of the visually impaired, there is a way to accompany the guide dog as a means of assisting the walking. However, since the guide dog pre-sale procedure is complicated and the number of available guide dogs is limited, In addition, the elderly also use a walking aid device in the form of a walking stick as a walking aid, but in general, they use a walking aid device limited to the analogue support function. Therefore, if the information and communication technology and the ICT public infrastructure are utilized and a walking aids equipped with advanced digital technology can be developed and commercialized and universalized, the advanced welfare technology As well as the formation of a creative economy through technology commercialization.

Similar prior arts for solving the above-mentioned limitation factors include a study on the performance improvement of a walking assist device for the visually impaired using ultrasonic and acceleration sensors in the Journal of the Korean Information Science Society; 'A Study on Situation Recognition Using Mobile Devices - White Cane' in the Journal of the Korea Computer Information Association; 'A Study on Active Hip Hacking Cane Design to Provide Pedestrian Stability and Provide Ground Condition Sensibility' presented in the Conference of the Korean HCI Society; Korea Registered in the Korean Intellectual Property Office 10-2011-0133879 (A); KR 10-2013-0086861 (A); KR 10-1193721 (B1); KR 10-1394490 (B1); KR 10-1471856 (B1); KR 10-1400828 (B1); KR 10-1390345 (B1); KR 10-1357855 (B1); KR 10-1503381 (B1).

In the above-described conventional technology, various hardware reinforcing modules, biosensor modules, and user-friendly convenience function modules for enhancing an analog type supporting function are added. However, since the use of the walking aids is performed only in the situation limited to the visually impaired and the elderly person and in the offline environment condition, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to spread the accident to the guardian promptly in case of similar situations such as falling, fainting and fainting. In addition, since the shape is limited only in the form of a cane in terms of hardware, it is difficult to utilize the device disclosed in the prior art because a user's constant grip and strength is required.

KR 10-2011-0133879 (A) KR 10-2013-0086861 (A) KR 10-1193721 (B1) KR 10-1394490 (B1) KR 10-1471856 (B1) KR 10-1400828 (B1) KR 10-1390345 (B1) KR 10-1357855 (B1) KR 10-1503381 (B1)

"Performance Improvement of Walking Aids for the Blind Using Ultrasonic and Acceleration Sensors," Journal of the Korean Institute of Information Scientists and Engineers, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 291-297. "A Case Study on Mobile Devices - White Cane", Journal of Korea Computer Information Society, Vol. 19, No. 11, pp. 167-173. Park, Sang-Hoon, and Yoon, Jungwon, 2014, "Active Haptic Walking Block Design to Provide Pedestrian Stability and Ground Condition Sensitivity", Proceedings of the HCI Conference, pp. 25-28.

The present invention aims to satisfy the technical needs required from the background of the above-mentioned invention.

Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for preventing an accident from occurring when a walking assistance device is utilized only in a situation limited to a user or an offline environment, or in a similar situation such as falling, fainting and fainting, The present invention provides an intelligent walking assistance device for the visually impaired and the elderly who can overcome the disadvantages of the existing walking aiding device which can not be utilized by a user whose physical exercise ability is significantly lowered.

The technical objects to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other technical subjects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. There will be.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an intelligent walking aiding device for a visually impaired person and an elderly person comprising: a living body signal sensor unit, an acceleration sensor unit, a piezoelectric device, a sensor signal transmitting and receiving connecting line, a light emitting diode button, A walking module, a communication module, an intelligent walking control module, and a GPS module, and can be worn in the form of a wearable device such as a necklace and a wrist watch according to the purpose of the user.

As described above, the present invention has a detachable intelligent walking control module that can be separated and fastened and can be worn on the body, and has a function of interacting with the wireless mobile communication module, thereby guiding the visually impaired and the elderly to a safe route Or the fall accident can be prevented in advance. In addition, there is an effect of providing a pedestrian assistance apparatus capable of quickly spreading an accident to a guardian and a surrounding person when a similar situation occurs, and thus there is an effect of expanding the advanced welfare technology that can safeguard and care for the socially weak.

It is to be understood that the technical advantages of the present invention are not limited to the technical effects mentioned above and that other technical effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims There will be.

1 is a side view of an intelligent walking aiding device for the visually impaired and the elderly according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of a light-emitting diode of an intelligent walking aide for a visually impaired and elderly person in an activated state according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of converting an intelligent walking aid for the visually impaired and the elderly into a necklace according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of converting an intelligent walking aid for the visually impaired and the elderly into a wristwatch according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, It is not. In the following description of the present embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and symbols, and further description thereof will be omitted.

The present invention can be roughly divided into a wearable device 200 having a walking assist device 100, a wireless mobile communication module 230 and a detachable intelligent walking control module 260 as shown in FIG. The walking assistance device 100 includes a biological signal sensor unit 300 for detecting biological signals generated by the hands of the visually impaired and the elderly, and an acceleration sensor unit 310 for detecting the moving state or falling of the visually impaired and the elderly Respectively. The bio-signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310 receive power from the first sensor signal transmission / reception line 300e or transmit signals sensed by the wearable device 200. [ When the visually handicapped person and the elderly person miss the walking assist device 100 due to falls, fainting, and fainting, the biosignal signal and the acceleration sensing signal are doubly crossed by the living body signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310 And detect the occurrence of a similar situation for the visually impaired and the elderly.

The connection is made through the joint part 200c of the magnet fastening type provided at one side of the wearable device 200 and the joint part 100c of the magnet fastening type provided at one side of the walking assistant device 100. [ The reason for this is that, in the case of a screw-type fastening method, the above-mentioned engagement action itself may be very difficult or impossible for a person who has symptoms of physical inconvenience caused by hand-shaking such as Parkinson's disease. In addition, when the magnet coupling type joint portions 100c and 200c are provided, the spatial limit caused by the wired connection of the first sensor signal transmission / reception connection line 300e connected to the wearable device 200 from the walking assist device 100 And it is easy to attach and detach.

The power source for driving the wearable device 200 is a rechargeable battery 250 that is supplied from the charging piezoelectric element 320 provided at the lower end of the walking aid device 100 or built in the wearable device 200 itself, . In this case, the center of gravity of the piezoelectric element 320 moves to the lower end due to an action of the visually impaired and the elderly person walking and supporting the walking assist device 100. At this time, the pressure applied to the lower end portion is converted into electric energy, 2 sensor signal transmission / reception line 320e to the wearable device. In addition to the determination of whether a similar situation occurs due to a change in a biosensor signal and an acceleration sensing signal sensed by the bio-signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310, Can be utilized as a triple cross validation factor that can judge similar situations when the irregularity is not detected for a predetermined time or more.

The light emitting diode button 210 mounted on one side of the wearable device 200 basically serves to indicate the state of engagement with the walking aid device 100. When a similar situation occurs, the light emitting diode button 210 is pressed to rapidly blink to transmit a visual warning effect to nearby people, and an alarm sound is generated in the speaker module 240 to enable emergency rescue signal propagation. In the intelligent control module 260 mounted inside the wearable device 200, the living body and acceleration signals of the living body signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310 are disconnected, An intelligent control algorithm can be realized in which the light emitting diode button 210 is rapidly blinked and an alarm sound is generated by the speaker module 240 to propagate the emergency rescue signal.

The display module 220 mounted on the other side of the wearable device 200 plays a role of representing basic personal information such as the name of the visually handicapped person and the aged person, Lt; / RTI > Then, all the above-mentioned situations are transferred to the commercial mobile communication network 230w via the wireless mobile communication module 230 mounted on one side of the wearable device 200 and transmitted to the wireless mobile communication terminal owned by the designated guardian So that the walking information of the visually impaired and the elderly can be confirmed in real time.

The GPS module 270 mounted on one side of the wearable device 200 is connected to the base station position information in the commercial mobile communication network to which the wireless mobile communication module 230 belongs to display the moving position and walking information of the blind and the elderly It plays a role of accurately grasping and directing.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a multi-type high-brightness LED 120 is mounted on one side of the walking aid device 100 to allow the visually impaired person to confirm his / her position at night when walking at night When the elderly person is walking at night, it can be used as a night light for safe walking. At this time, the light source irradiation angle 120a of the bundle type high-brightness LED 120 is set such that the blind assistant or the elderly person supports or moves the walking assist device 100 in order to prevent glare of the opposite party and to increase the light source irradiation efficiency. .

The wearable device 200 for the visually impaired and the elderly according to the present invention can be worn in the form of a necklace 400 according to the purpose of the user as shown in FIGS. ) Can be worn.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, will be. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined only by the appended claims.

100: a walking aid
200: wearable device
300: biological signal sensor unit

Claims (11)

1. An intelligent walking aiding device for the visually impaired and the elderly, comprising a walking assistant device (100) and a wearable device (200)
The walking assist device (100)
A biological signal sensor unit 300 for detecting a biological signal generated from the hands of the visually impaired and the elderly;
An acceleration sensor unit 310 for detecting a moving state or a fall of the blind and the elderly;
A first sensor signal transmission / reception line 300e for supplying power to the living body signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310 or transmitting a living body signal and an acceleration signal to the wearable device 200;
A joint part 100c of a magnet fastening type provided at one side of the walking aid device 100 for fastening with the wearable device 200;
A piezoelectric element (320) provided at a lower end of the walking assistance device (100) to produce electric power for supplying the wearable device (200);
A second sensor signal transmission / reception line 320e for transmitting the power and pressure sensing signal generated by the piezoelectric element 320 to the wearable device 200;
And a bundle type high brightness light emitting diode 120 provided on one side of the walking assist device 100,
The wearable device (200)
A joining portion 200c of a magnet coupling type provided at one side of the wearable device 200 for coupling with the walking aid device 100;
A light emitting diode button 210 for indicating the state of engagement between the walking aid 100 and the wearable device 200 and for propagating an emergency recovery signal;
A display module 220 mounted on one side of the wearable device 200 and displaying basic personal information such as the name of the visually impaired and the elderly, the residence, the infirmity information, and the contact information of the guardian;
A wireless mobile communication module 230 mounted on one side of the wearable device 200 and connected to a commercial mobile communication network for delivering walking information of the visually impaired and the elderly to a wireless mobile communication terminal having a specified guardian;
A speaker module (240) for generating an emergency recovery signal sound;
A rechargeable battery 250 built in the wearable device 200 itself;
An intelligent control module (260) having an intelligent control algorithm capable of propagating an emergency rescue signal according to the physical condition of the visually impaired and the elderly;
And a GPS module (270) mounted on one side of the inside of the wearable device (200) for linking with base station position information in a commercial mobile communication network and grasping mobile location information of a visually impaired person and an elderly person. An intelligent walking aid for. The method according to claim 1,
The living body signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310 cross-detect the biological signal and the acceleration sensing signal in a double manner when the carrier misses the walking assist device 100 due to falls, And an intelligent walking assist device for the visually impaired and the elderly, The method according to claim 1,
The walking assistant device 100 and the walking assistant device 100 are connected to each other through the joint portion 200c of the magnet fastening type provided at one side of the wearable device 200 and the magnet fastening type joint portion 100c provided at one side of the walking assistant device 100, Wherein the wearable device (200) is detachably attached to the wearable device (200). The method according to claim 1,
The power source for driving the wearable device 200 is supplied from the piezoelectric element 320 provided at the lower end of the walking aid device 100 or supplied from the rechargeable battery 250 built in the wearable device 200 And an intelligent walking aid for the visually impaired and the elderly. 5. The method of claim 4,
The piezoelectric element 320 converts the pressure generated by moving the center of gravity of the center of gravity of the visually handicapped person or the elderly person to the lower end of the walking aid device 100 when walking using the walking assist device 100, And transmits it to the wearable device 200 through the signal transmission / reception connection line 320e. The bio-signal and acceleration detection signals detected by the bio-signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310 determine whether a similar situation has occurred Is used as a triple cross-validation element capable of judging whether or not a similar situation occurs when the intensity of the pressure sensed by the piezoelectric element (320) is irregular or is not detected for a predetermined time or longer. Walking aids. The method according to claim 1,
The light emitting diode button 210 mounted on one side of the wearable device 200 plays a role of indicating the state of engagement with the walking aid 100 and when the light emitting diode button 210 is pressed in a similar situation, And an alarm sound is generated in the speaker module (240), so that emergency rescue signal propagation is possible. [3] The intelligent walking support device for the visually impaired and the elderly. The method according to claim 1,
The intelligent control module 260 installed inside the wearable device 200 disconnects the living body and acceleration signals from the living body signal sensor unit 300 and the acceleration sensor unit 310 and thereby recognizes the visually impaired and the elderly And the intelligent control algorithm that emits an emergency rescue signal by generating an alarm sound by the speaker module 240 is implemented as an abrupt flashing of the light emitting diode button 210. [ Intelligent walking aids. The method according to claim 1,
The display device 220 mounted on one side of the wearable device 200 displays user's personal information such as the name of the visually handicapped person and the aged person, the residence, the infirmity information and the guardian contact, Is transmitted to the commercial mobile communication network through the wireless mobile communication module 230 mounted on one side of the device 200 and is transmitted to the wireless mobile communication module owned by the designated guardian so that the visually impaired person and the elderly person walking information can be checked in real time Intelligent walking aids for visually impaired and elderly people characterized by. The method according to claim 1,
The GPS module 270 installed in the wearable device 200 is associated with base station location information in a commercial mobile communication network to which the wireless mobile communication module 230 belongs, And an intelligent walking aid for the visually impaired and the elderly. The method according to claim 1,
A bundle-type high-brightness LED 120 is mounted on one side of the walking aid device 100 to allow the visually impaired to identify the position of the visually impaired person while walking at night, and to use the night vision when the elderly person is walking at night The intelligent walking aid for the visually impaired and the elderly. The method according to claim 1,
The walking assistant device 100 and the wearable device 200 are detachable and can be worn in the form of a necklace 400 or a wristwatch 500 according to the purpose of the user. An intelligent walking aid for.

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