Handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor, spatial information sensing method and electronic blind guiding stick

Abstract

The invention provides a handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor, a spatial information sensing method and an electronic blind guiding stick. The high-frequency spatial information sensor comprises a body which is provided with a head part and a holding part, and the interior of the head part and / or the holding part at least defines a cavity; the tactile sensing area array is located on the surface of the head and can be sensed by a user through hand touch, the tactile sensing area array is provided with salient point parts distributed in an M * N array, and each salient point part is driven by a driving part to move up and down; the space sensing sensor is located at the head and used for scanning and sensing obstacles in a vertical sector range in front of the body; and the processor circuit is electrically connected with the touch sensing area array and the space sensing sensor, receives the obstacle information and controls the driving parts distributed in the M * N array to independently drive the salient point parts to move so as to present the distance position and / or azimuth information of the obstacle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of spatial information scanning and sensing, and in particular to a handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor, a spatial information sensing method, and an electronic blind cane. Background Art

[0002] The design of a blind cane aims to help visually impaired people travel safely, detect obstacles, and guide the direction. It can sense obstacles in front (such as steps, low branches, etc.) physically or electronically to avoid collisions. Traditional blind canes mainly rely on the blind to tap the ground to sense factors affecting travel safety such as obstacles. When using a traditional blind cane, the blind can make judgments by integrating the obstacles beside their feet and the blind path, and can avoid the obstacles beside their feet, but often hit objects such as signs at face height. Its use depends on the user's experience for the perception of spatial position and obstacles, and it cannot detect high obstacles. With the application of intelligent sensing technology to blind canes, intelligent blind canes integrating various functions such as sensors, visual perception, and fall detection have been developed.

[0003] Relatively mature ultrasonic electronic blind canes, such as the electronic blind cane developed by Mitsuhiro Oka of Japan, use ultrasonic sensors to calculate the distance by emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to detect obstacles in front, and can sense obstacles at the user's face height and provide vibration feedback to the user. In addition, the integration of more sensors in various electronic blind canes, such as combining gyroscopes to detect falls, combining GSM modules to send location information, combining visual recognition to provide visual perception, autonomous navigation, traffic light recognition, providing voice recognition, emergency rescue, and environmental map construction, etc.

[0004] Although the application of ultrasonic sensor technology enables the blind cane to have a certain function of detecting high obstacles, as a blind user, it is still difficult to perceive high places in front, especially the orientation (direction, angle, etc. information) of obstacles above the user's face or above the face, so it is difficult to take accurate avoidance measures. Moreover, when the electronic blind cane recognizes special environments such as obstacles or dangers, the existing design only uses vibration feedback and voice announcements to prompt the user, and the prompting effect is not ideal. The blind user can only receive the information feedback of "there is an obstacle ahead", but cannot perceive the relative specific situation of the obstacle, so it is also difficult to take accurate avoidance measures. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the defects and deficiencies existing in the prior art, according to the first aspect of the object of the present invention, a handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor is provided, including:

[0006] A main body having a head and a grip portion integrally connected to the head, and at least a cavity is defined inside the head and / or the grip portion;

[0007] A tactile sensing matrix located on the surface of the head and capable of being touched and sensed by the user's hand when the user holds the holding part. The tactile sensing matrix has physical tactile parts distributed in an M*N array, and the physical tactile parts are configured to be independently controlled to trigger to provide one of mechanical touch and electrical stimulation touch to the hand covering its surface;

[0008] A space perception sensor located at the top of the head for scanning obstacles within a vertical fan range in front of the body;

[0009] A processor circuit electrically connected to the tactile sensing matrix and the space perception sensor, receiving obstacle information within the vertical fan range scanned and sensed by the space perception sensor, and controlling one or more of the physical tactile parts to trigger to provide mechanical touch or electrical stimulation touch to the hand covering its surface to represent the spatial position information of the detected obstacle, where the spatial position information includes distance information and / or azimuth information of the obstacle.

[0010] Wherein, both M and N represent positive integers greater than or equal to 3.

[0011] As an optional embodiment, the physical tactile parts distributed in an M*N array of the tactile sensing matrix are configured to represent the spatial position information of the detected obstacle through different triggering forms.

[0012] As an optional embodiment, among the physical tactile parts distributed in an M*N array of the tactile sensing matrix, the azimuth information of the obstacle is represented by the triggering of the physical tactile parts in the left / right direction.

[0013] As an optional embodiment, among the physical tactile parts distributed in an M*N array of the tactile sensing matrix, the distance information of the obstacle is represented by the triggering of the physical tactile parts in the front / rear direction.

[0014] As an optional embodiment, among the physical tactile parts distributed in an M*N array of the tactile sensing matrix, the distance information of the obstacle is represented by the number of triggers or the trigger positions of the physical tactile parts in the front / rear direction.

[0015] As an optional embodiment, the physical tactile part includes bump parts distributed in an M*N array, and each bump part is configured to be independently driven up and down by a driving part distributed in an M*N array located in the cavity; the physical touch that can be sensed by the user's hand is provided through the change in the movement position of the bump part.

[0016] As an optional embodiment, the driving part is an electromagnet driver.

[0017] As an optional embodiment, the bump part is a ferromagnetic ball.

[0018] As an alternative embodiment, holes corresponding to the convex dot portions distributed in an M*N array are formed on the surface of the tactile sensing matrix, allowing the convex dot portions to at least partially protrude from or retract into the surface of the tactile sensing matrix through the holes.

[0019] As an alternative embodiment, each of the holes has an extension portion facing the cavity inside the head, which constitutes guidance and limitation for the convex dot portions.

[0020] As an alternative embodiment, the physical tactile portion includes deformation portions distributed in an M*N array, and the deformation portions are configured to be independently triggered by a second driving portion located in the cavity, so that after the deformation portions are triggered, they deform, and the physical tactile that can be sensed by the user's hand is provided through the deformation change of the deformation portions.

[0021] As an alternative embodiment, the deformation portions are conductive expanding elastomers.

[0022] As an alternative embodiment, the second driving portion is an array-type gated trigger circuit for independently controlling the current intensity of one or more of the deformation portions.

[0023] As an alternative embodiment, the physical tactile portion includes electrical stimulation portions distributed in an M*N array, and the electrical stimulation portions are configured to be independently triggered by a third driving portion located in the cavity, so that the triggered electrical stimulation portions give perceivable electrical stimulation tactile sensations when touched by the user's hand.

[0024] As an alternative embodiment, the electrical stimulation portions distributed in an M*N array form a microelectrode array.

[0025] As an alternative embodiment, the electrical stimulation portions are configured as flat electrodes or flexible electrodes.

[0026] The third driving portion includes an array-type gated trigger circuit for independently controlling the current intensity and / or stimulation time of one or more of the electrical stimulation portions.

[0027] As an alternative embodiment, a battery assembly is disposed in the cavity for providing a working power supply for the tactile sensing matrix, the spatial sensing sensor, and the processor circuit.

[0028] As an alternative embodiment, a data interface and / or a charging interface connected to the processor circuit are provided at the tail of the holding portion.

[0029] As an alternative embodiment, the spatial sensing sensor adopts at least one of the following designs:

[0030] An ultrasonic sensor array;

[0031] The ultrasonic sensor array is used in combination with infrared sensing;

[0032] The ultrasonic sensor array is used in combination with a camera;

[0033] Solid-state LiDAR;

[0034] The solid-state LiDAR is used in combination with a depth camera;

[0035] The depth camera dynamically captures depth imaging;

[0036] Line laser scanning is used in combination with a camera.

[0037] As an optional embodiment, the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor particularly refers to a handheld intelligent blind cane.

[0038] According to the second aspect of the object of the present invention, a handheld electronic blind guide is further proposed, which includes the aforementioned handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor, and a blind cane body part is arranged at the tail of the holding part and is installed at a vertical angle to the holding part.

[0039] As an optional embodiment, the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor is particularly provided with a sensing update configuration, including but not limited to setting the update frequency of the obstacle sensing touch representation, such as 3s, 5s, etc., which can be switched through the control buttons arranged on the body or the holding part to achieve high-frequency sensing and touch representation.

[0040] With the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor in the embodiments of the above various aspects, through the hand touch perception of the tactile perception matrix, the azimuth and position information of each detected obstacle is represented for the user in a non-visual, high-frequency updated and direct touch manner. These information together constitute the environmental characteristics in front of the user's environment, and are helpful for the user to build the distribution characteristics of obstacles in the current environment, enabling the user to have a pre-judgment on the road and the existence of obstacles, and making accurate judgments and avoidance behaviors.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the remarkable advantages of the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor of the present invention are as follows:

[0042] (1) The tactile perception matrix adopts an M*N array, and the azimuth and distance information of obstacles are separated and encoded through independently controlled physical tactile parts (such as bumps, deformable bodies or electrodes):

[0043] The azimuth encoding triggers the corresponding obstacle azimuth through the left / right tactile touch, and the distance encoding triggers the number or position mapping of the obstacle distance through the front / back direction tactile touch. Accordingly, through the combination of the trigger modes of the two-dimensional array, composite feedback is realized, the spatial vector information expression of the obstacle is realized, the distance + information resolution and recognizability of the recognized obstacle by the blind or visually impaired user are improved, and the perception effect is improved;

[0044] (2) The physical tactile perception provided by the present invention has multimodal tactile compatibility and supports three optional tactile feedback mechanisms:

[0045] Mechanical touch (such as electromagnetic drive of ferromagnetic beads): Provide direct tactile feedback perception through bump displacement;

[0046] Deformation touch (such as conductive swelling elastomer): The amount of deformation is linearly related to the current intensity to achieve physical tactile perception of softness / hardness / topography changes;

[0047] Electrical stimulation touch (such as microelectrode array): Regulate the tactile intensity through the current intensity and stimulation time;

[0048] Therefore, through the design of the present invention, tactile feedback directly maps spatial information, which is suitable for use by the blind, visually impaired people, and in low-light environments. In particular, it can also be applied to the navigation of firefighters in thick smoke environments, tactile feedback of defects on the inner wall of pipelines, etc.

[0049] It should be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts described in more detail below can be regarded as part of the inventive subject matter of the present disclosure as long as such concepts do not contradict each other. In addition, all combinations of the claimed subject matter are regarded as part of the inventive subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0050] The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments, and features of the teachings of the present invention can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Other additional aspects of the present invention, such as the features and / or beneficial effects of exemplary embodiments, will be apparent in the following description, or will be learned through the practice of specific embodiments according to the teachings of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or approximately identical component shown in each figure may be denoted by the same reference numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in each figure. Now, embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the drawings.

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic principle diagram of a handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 4It is a schematic diagram of a triggering form of the physical tactile part in the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of the first triggering method of the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the physical tactile part (bump part) in a to-be-triggered state under the first triggering method of the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the physical tactile part (bump part) in a triggered state under the first triggering method of the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of the second triggering method of the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the physical tactile part (deformation part) in a to-be-triggered state under the second triggering method of the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 10 It is a schematic structural diagram of the physical tactile part (deformation part) in a triggered state under the second triggering method of the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of the third triggering method of the tactile perception matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0063] For a better understanding of the technical content of the present invention, specific embodiments are hereby given and described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows.

[0064] In this disclosure, aspects of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which many illustrative embodiments are shown. The embodiments of this disclosure are not necessarily intended to cover all aspects of the present invention. It should be understood that the various concepts and embodiments introduced above, as well as those described in more detail below, can be implemented in any of many ways, because the concepts and embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not limited to any implementation manner. Additionally, some aspects of the present invention can be used alone, or in any suitable combination with other aspects disclosed in the present invention.

[0065] Handheld High-Frequency Spatial Information Sensor

[0066] Combined with Figure 1As shown, the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body 100, a tactile sensing array 200, a spatial sensing sensor 300, and a processor circuit 1000.

[0067] The body 100 has a head 110 and a grip portion 120 integrally connected to the head 110. At least a cavity is defined inside the head 110 and / or the grip portion 120, and the cavity is used to accommodate the spatial sensing sensor 300, the processor circuit 1000, and other components.

[0068] Combined with the illustrated example, the tactile sensing array 200 is located on the surface 110a of the head 110, and when the user holds the grip portion 120, the user can touch and sense the tactile sensing array 200 through the hand.

[0069] Specifically, physical tactile portions 210 are provided on the surface of the tactile sensing array 200, and the physical tactile portions 210 provide tactile sensations when the user's hand touches.

[0070] Optionally, the physical tactile portions 210 are configured to be independently controlled and triggered to provide one of mechanical touch and electrical stimulation touch to the user's hand covering its surface.

[0071] Furthermore, the spatial sensing sensor 300 is disposed at the top 110b of the head 110 and is used for scanning obstacles within a vertical fan range in front of the body 100.

[0072] It should be understood that the spatial sensing sensor 300 is designed to obtain obstacle information in the front, especially position and direction information. By performing high-frequency scanning within a vertical fan range in front of the body 100 (for example, the vertical fan angle of scanning is designed in the range of 30° - 180°), it can continuously monitor whether there are obstacles in a predetermined area in the front.

[0073] Optionally, by selecting different sensor types and angle ranges, the obstacle monitoring of the maximum distance and maximum angle in front of the body 100 can be changed.

[0074] Thus, in the embodiment of the present invention, through reasonable setting and selection of sensors, the scanning and discovery of obstacles within a certain vertical fan range in the front can be achieved.

[0075] It should be understood that for users of this handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor, especially blind or visually impaired users, when they hold the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor (taking a white cane as an example) in their hand and turn it on for use, the spatial perception sensor 300 scans continuously forward at a set scanning frequency. Particularly preferably, the spatial perception sensor 300 has a scanning angle range in the vertical direction, and different sensors or combinations of sensors can achieve different angle ranges. The scanning angle range in the vertical direction is usually configured in the range of 30° - 90° to cover the scanning and discovery of obstacles within the height range in front of the user in the normal use state, but it is not sensitive to the specific height information of the obstacles and does not need to know exactly.

[0076] In an embodiment of the present invention, taking a scanning angle range of 60° as an example, taking the height where the user's hand is located as a reference, there are scanning limit ranges of 30° upward and downward respectively. This height is usually known and varies within a very small range (it will change during the user's movement). Thus, a right triangle is constructed with the hand-held position, the position of the vertical bottom surface, and the scanning direction. Since the limit value of the scanning direction angle is 30°, scanning coverage can be achieved within the coverage range of the entire triangle.

[0077] In an embodiment of the present invention, a battery assembly 400 is provided in the cavity, especially a rechargeable battery pack, including but not limited to lithium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, etc., for providing working power supply for the tactile perception matrix 200, the spatial perception sensor 300, the processor circuit 1000, and other electrical components and drive mechanisms that need to be powered. It should be understood that the battery assembly 400 is especially configured with a power supply circuit having a voltage stabilizing module for providing different working voltages for different components.

[0078] Furthermore, a data interface and / or a charging interface 130 connected to the processor circuit 1000 is provided at the tail of the holding part 120 for realizing data communication and charging control of the battery assembly.

[0079] In an alternative embodiment, the spatial perception sensor 300 adopts at least one of the following designs:

[0080] An ultrasonic sensor array;

[0081] The ultrasonic sensor array is used in combination with an infrared sensor;

[0082] The ultrasonic sensor array is used in combination with a camera;

[0083] A solid-state LiDAR;

[0084] The solid-state LiDAR is used in combination with a depth camera;

[0085] Depth camera for dynamic capture of depth imaging;

[0086] Line laser scanning is used in combination with a camera.

[0087] It should be understood that in different embodiments, different sensors or combinations of sensors can be used.

[0088] As an alternative embodiment, a combination of an ultrasonic sensor array and infrared sensing is adopted. It can combine the advantages of close-range detection of ultrasonic sensors and the non-contact detection characteristics of infrared sensors. It can also combine the infrared sensors to provide temperature information of the target object, which helps to distinguish different types of obstacles and improve the accuracy of detection.

[0089] In other embodiments, a combination of an ultrasonic sensor array and a camera is adopted. The camera provides image information of the obstacle, and the ultrasonic sensor provides distance information. The combination of the two can provide more comprehensive obstacle distance and position information. In addition, the camera can identify features such as the shape and color of the obstacle, which helps to more accurately judge the type of the obstacle. Additionally, in complex environments such as light changes and occlusions, the combined use of the two sensors can improve the adaptability of the system.

[0090] In other embodiments, a combination of a solid-state LiDAR and a depth camera is adopted. The solid-state LiDAR provides high-precision three-dimensional point cloud data, and the depth camera provides depth information and image information of the object. The combination of the two can achieve more accurate spatial position information perception.

[0091] In other embodiments, the depth camera for dynamic capture of depth imaging is applicable to scenarios that require quick response and can identify rapid changes in the position and orientation of obstacles.

[0092] In other embodiments, a combination of line laser scanning and a camera is adopted. High-precision and high-speed distance information is provided through line laser scanning to accurately measure and feedback the distance of the obstacle.

[0093] As shown in the accompanying drawings, in this embodiment, the processor circuit 1000 is electrically connected to the tactile sensing matrix 200 and the spatial sensing sensor 300.

[0094] The processor circuit 1000 receives obstacle information within the vertical fan range scanned by the spatial sensing sensor 300 and controls one or more of the physical tactile parts 210 to provide mechanical tactile or electro-stimulatory tactile sensations to the hand covering its surface to represent the spatial position information of the detected obstacle.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned spatial position information includes distance information and / or azimuth information of the obstacle.

[0096] It should be understood that the above-mentioned spatial perception sensor 300 can obtain whether there are obstacles in front of the user and the spatial position information of the obstacles, such as the distance information and azimuth information of the obstacles, through scanning and perceiving the obstacles within the vertical fan-shaped range in front of the main body 100, and physically feedback through the tactile perception matrix 200 located on the surface of the holding part 120. The user can perceive the spatial position information of the obstacles through the touch of the hand, realizing real-time, high-frequency, and efficient obstacle perception and implementing effective avoidance.

[0097] In this way, compared with the traditional method of using a cane to swing left and right and obtain obstacle information by touching, the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor designed by the present invention intuitively perceives the recognition result of the obstacle in front through the physical feedback of the user's hand touch, and obtains the spatial physical distance and azimuth information of the obstacle. The physical tactile part of the tactile perception matrix provides the position information and azimuth information of the obstacle to the user's hand, enabling early warning and implementing effective avoidance measures. From the user's experience, there is no need for the left and right tapping and swinging actions of the traditional method. Through the present invention, high-frequency obstacle scanning and tactile characterization feedback can be achieved, realizing high distance resolution and azimuth resolution of the obstacle.

[0098] As an optional embodiment, the multiple physical tactile parts 210 of the tactile perception matrix 200 are distributed according to a predetermined rule, especially according to a rule that is conducive to the user establishing a direct connection between the perception of the physical tactile part 210 and the spatial position information of the obstacle.

[0099] In an optional embodiment, when defining the spatial position or the contact spatial position, especially in the two-dimensional position relationship, the two-dimensional position relationship between the two is usually described by a two-dimensional orthogonal grid. Therefore, the multiple physical tactile parts 210 can be arranged according to a two-dimensional orthogonal grid or distributed at different radial angles.

[0100] Physical Tactile Unit 210 Distributed in a Two-Dimensional Orthogonal Grid

[0101] In an optional embodiment, as shown in the accompanying drawings, the tactile perception matrix 200 has physical tactile parts 210 distributed in an M*N array. Both M and N are positive integers, especially positive integers greater than or equal to 3.

[0102] Optionally, for the physical tactile parts 210 distributed in an M*N array, the row width and column width can be designed according to different requirements, and it is especially preferably configured with M = N.

[0103] Among them, the physical tactile parts 210 of the M*N array distribution of the tactile perception matrix 200 are set to characterize the spatial position information of the detected obstacle through different triggering forms.

[0104] It should be understood that the multiple physical tactile parts 210 are distributed in an M*N array, which can help users to simultaneously construct multiple different scenes (i.e., different starting forms) based on the M*N array distribution. The different trigger forms of the physical tactile parts 210 are fed back to the user, so that the user can know the existence of obstacles and their spatial position information through physical tactile feedback.

[0105] In an optional embodiment, in the physical tactile parts 210 distributed in the M*N array of the tactile sensing array 200, the position information of the obstacle is represented by triggering the physical tactile parts 210 in the left / right directions.

[0106] It should be understood that when the user is holding the device, the position of the thumb is usually fixed. Therefore, when the user's thumb is placed on the surface of the tactile sensing array 200, it is easy to distinguish whether the physical tactile part 210 on the left or right side is triggered, which helps the user improve the directional resolution of obstacles.

[0107] In an optional embodiment, in the physical tactile parts 210 distributed in the M*N array of the tactile sensing array 200 , the distance information of the obstacle is represented by triggering the physical tactile parts 210 in the front / back direction.

[0108] In this way, when the user places his thumb on the surface of the tactile sensing array 200, it is easy to distinguish whether the front or rear physical tactile portion 210 is triggered, which helps the user improve the distance resolution of obstacles.

[0109] In an optional embodiment, among the physical tactile parts 210 distributed in the M*N array of the tactile sensing surface array 200, the distance information of the obstacle is characterized by the number of triggered physical tactile parts 210 in the front / back direction. For example, based on the reference physical tactile parts 210, the more physical tactile parts 210 are triggered and thus perceived by the user, the farther the distance is, and vice versa.

[0110] In another embodiment, the distance information of the obstacle may be represented by the trigger distance of the physical tactile portion 210 in the front / rear direction.

[0111] In this way, by distinguishing the position or number of the physical tactile portion 210 , it is helpful to more specifically distinguish the specific distance of the obstacle from the user, thereby improving the distance resolution.

[0112] In this embodiment, it is particularly preferred to represent the distance information of the obstacle by the triggering number of the physical tactile part 210 in the front / back direction.

[0113] Combination Figure 3 , Figure 4As shown, taking the tactile perception matrix layout with M = 7 and N = 8 as an example, an array of 7 rows and 8 columns (7*8) is formed. Taking the position of the bottom center point as the reference point, that is, taking the bottom center of the tactile perception matrix 200 as the origin, a coordinate system is constructed.

[0114] When an obstacle is detected in front, different triggering patterns of the 7*8 array are used to give the user tactile feedback.

[0115] For example, taking Figure 4 the spatial position of the obstacle obtained by the scanning shown as an example, as shown in the figure, it is located in the front left side. As Figure 4 shown, from the perspective of the arranged rows, in the direction where the physical tactile part 210 extends from the middle to the left, four are triggered, providing the user with azimuth tactile perception; starting from the middle position, each of the left and right sides includes 6 gear angles of azimuth (each representing an interval of 30°), from which the azimuth direction of the obstacle in the front left side of the user can be roughly determined to be about 60°; from the perspective of the arranged columns, in the direction where the physical tactile part 210 extends from the bottom forward, four are triggered, providing the user with distance tactile perception; similarly, if it is defined that each row represents 0.5m during the design process, the triggering of the four physical tactile parts 210 in the longitudinal direction indicates that the obstacle is about 2m away from the user. Thus, according to the detected spatial position of the obstacle, different triggering patterns of the physical tactile part 210 of the touch perception matrix can be used to give the user tactile feedback.

[0116] As described above, when the physical tactile part 210 at the corresponding position forms tactile perception information for the user, the user can synchronously obtain the spatial position where the obstacle exists through tactile perception.

[0117] Triggering Method of Physical Tactile Unit 210

[0118] In the embodiment of the present invention, the physical tactile parts 210 distributed in an array on the tactile perception matrix are triggered in different ways, such as providing mechanical touch or electrical stimulation touch to the hand.

[0119] {Embodiment 1}

[0120] As Figure 5 shown, it represents the schematic diagram of the triggering method of the first example of the physical tactile part 210.

[0121] Combined with Figure 6 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7 shown, the physical tactile part 210 includes bump parts 211 distributed in an M*N array, and each bump part 211 is configured to be independently driven to move up and down by a driving part 221 distributed in an M*N array located in the cavity.

[0122] Thus, different triggering patterns are achieved by controlling the movement position changes of one or more bump portions 211, providing a physical tactile sensation that can be perceived by the user's hand.

[0123] As an alternative embodiment, each bump portion 211 can be driven by a driving portion to move in the up and down directions. For the convenience of control and characterization, the stroke (degree of position change) of each bump portion moving upward and downward is the same, which is conducive to forming a unified and standard characterization.

[0124] For example, each bump portion 211 is configured with an upper limit position and a lower limit position for driven movement. In particular, when the bump portion 211 is at the upper limit position, the user can perceive its existence. When the bump portion 211 is at the lower limit position, the user cannot perceive its existence, which helps the user judge the tactile feedback given by the physical tactile portion 210.

[0125] Of course, in other embodiments, the bump portions 211 do not necessarily need to move to the limit positions. As long as the tactile perception feedback can be achieved through the change of their up and down positions.

[0126] In an alternative embodiment, the aforementioned driving portion 221 uses an electromagnetic drive.

[0127] The aforementioned bump portion 211 is a round bead made of ferromagnetic material.

[0128] It should be understood that in an alternative embodiment, the moving portion of the electromagnetic magnet can be configured with a reset mechanism such as a spring, so that when the ferromagnetic round bead is not attracted by the electromagnetic drive, it can be pushed by the reset mechanism (such as a spring, etc.) to maintain its initial state.

[0129] As an alternative embodiment, holes corresponding to the M*N array distribution of the bump portions 211 are formed on the surface of the tactile perception matrix 200, allowing the bump portions 211 to at least partially protrude from or retract into the surface of the tactile perception matrix 200.

[0130] In this way, the ferromagnetic round bead can move upward in the hole and partially expose the surface of the tactile perception matrix 200, enabling the user to tactilely perceive; when the ferromagnetic round bead retracts into the hole, the user cannot perceive it or a change in perception occurs.

[0131] In a particularly alternative embodiment, each hole has an extension portion facing the cavity inside the head 110, constituting a guide and limit for the bump portion 210.

[0132] In this way, it is ensured that each bump portion 210 can move along a predetermined path when moving up and down, guaranteeing the reliability of the action of the bump portion 210 protruding from or retracting into the surface of the tactile perception matrix 200.

[0133] {Embodiment 2}

[0134] As shown in Figure 8 , the schematic diagram of the triggering method of the second example of the physical tactile part 210 is shown.

[0135] Combined with Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 shown, the physical tactile part 210 includes deformation parts 212 distributed in an M*N array. The deformation parts 212 are configured to be independently triggered by a second driving part 222 located in the cavity, so that the deformation parts 212 deform after being triggered, and the physical touch that can be sensed by the user's hand is provided through the deformation change of the deformation parts 212.

[0136] In the embodiment of the present invention, the deformation part 212 is configured to have two states: an initial state and a deformed state. Among them, when the deformation part 212 is triggered and driven by the second driving part 222 to deform, it changes from the initial state to the deformed state. For example, the deformation part 212 adopts a conductive expansion elastomer, and it can deform after being provided with current stimulation, and this deformation can be sensed by the user's hand. When the trigger of the second driving part 222 disappears, the deformation part 212 returns from the deformed state to the initial state.

[0137] In an alternative embodiment, the deformation part 212 adopts a conductive expansion elastomer, such as but not limited to a columnar structure / spherical structure made of a conductive polymer, a columnar structure / spherical structure made of a nanomaterial, a columnar structure / spherical structure made of expanded graphite, a spring made of an alloy structure with a shape memory effect, etc.

[0138] As an alternative embodiment, the second driving part 222 is an array-type gating trigger circuit for independently controlling the current intensity of one or more of the deformation parts 212, and by applying different currents to the conductive expansion elastomer, the conductive expansion elastomer is deformed.

[0139] As an alternative embodiment, a coating layer 201 can be provided on the surface of the tactile sensing matrix 200, including but not limited to thin film materials such as pp and pe, to achieve dust and water protection.

[0140] {Embodiment 3}

[0141] As shown in Figure 11 , the schematic diagram of the triggering method of the third example of the physical tactile part 210 is shown.

[0142] In this embodiment, the physical tactile part 210 includes electrical stimulation parts 213 distributed in an M*N array. The electrical stimulation parts 213 are configured to be independently triggered by a third driving part 223 located in the cavity, so that the triggered electrical stimulation parts 213 give electrical stimulation touch that can be sensed after being touched by the user's hand.

[0143] It should be understood that the electrical stimulation unit 213 has two states, one is the charged state (triggered state), and the other is the uncharged state (untriggered state). When the electrical stimulation unit 213 is in the charged state, the user's hand can feel the electrical stimulation.

[0144] In an optional embodiment, the electrical stimulation units 213 presenting an M*N array distribution form a microelectrode array. In a particularly optional embodiment, the electrical stimulation unit 213 is configured as a flat electrode or a flexible electrode.

[0145] Among them, the third driving unit 223 includes an array type gating trigger circuit for independently controlling the current intensity and / or stimulation time of one or more electrical stimulation units 213.

[0146] In this way, by applying a certain intensity of current to one or more electrical stimulation units 213 in the microelectrode array, the electrical stimulation units 213 at specific positions can be triggered, thereby generating a perceptual feedback of electrical stimulation when the user's hand touches.

[0147] Furthermore, each electrical stimulation unit 213 of the tactile perception matrix 200 is insulated from each other, so that when the electrical stimulation unit 213 at any position is triggered by the third driving unit 223, the user can perceive the electrical stimulation touch by touching the conductive sheet at the corresponding position.

[0148] {Embodiment 4}

[0149] In the above embodiment, there is a relative deviation angle α between the head 110 and the holding part 120, α≥5°. For example, when tilting upward, the user's thumb can easily be placed on the tactile perception matrix 200 on the surface of the holding part 120, and the user can perceive the change in the triggering morphological characteristics of the physical tactile part 210 on the surface of the tactile perception matrix 200 in real time.

[0150] {Embodiment 5}

[0151] Optionally, in the above embodiment, the holding part 120 is provided with a vibration sensor, and the vibration sensor is electrically connected to the processor circuit 1000 and the space perception sensor 300.

[0152] According to the sensing range of the space perception sensor 300, once an obstacle enters the scanning and sensing range of the space perception sensor, that is, when an obstacle is detected, the vibration sensor can be controlled to vibrate simultaneously to prompt the user. At the same time, the physical tactile part 210 in the triggered state of the tactile perception matrix 200 can be controlled, and the user can perceive the existence position and direction of the obstacle by touching the entire tactile perception matrix 200 to achieve early prediction.

[0153] {Embodiment 6}

[0154] In an alternative embodiment, the aforementioned handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor is particularly configured with a sensing update configuration, including but not limited to setting the update frequency of the obstacle sensing tactile representation, such as 1s, 3s, 5s, etc., which can be switched by the control buttons set on the main body or the holding part to achieve high-frequency sensing and tactile representation.

[0155] As an alternative embodiment, the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor in each of the aforementioned embodiments particularly refers to a handheld intelligent blind cane.

[0156] As shown in the accompanying drawings, a blind cane body part 500 is provided at the tail of the holding part 120 and is installed at a perpendicular angle to the holding part 120.

[0157] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to what is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor, characterized in that, include: A body (100) comprises a head (110) and a gripping portion (120) integrally connected to the head (110), wherein at least a cavity is defined inside the head (110) and / or the gripping portion (120); A tactile sensing array (200) located on a surface (110a) of the head (110) and capable of being sensed by a user through touch with a hand when the user holds the grip portion (120), the tactile sensing array (200) having physical tactile portions (210) distributed in an M*N array, the physical tactile portions (210) being configured to be independently controllable and triggerable to provide one of mechanical tactile sensation and electrical stimulation tactile sensation to a hand covering the surface thereof; A space perception sensor (300) located at the top (110b) of the head (110), used for scanning obstacles within a vertical sector range facing in front of the body (100); The processor circuit (1000) is electrically connected to the tactile sensing array (200) and the spatial sensing sensor (300), receives obstacle information within a vertical sector range obtained by scanning the spatial sensing sensor (300), and controls triggering one or more of the physical tactile parts (210) to provide mechanical tactile sensation or electrical stimulation tactile sensation to a hand covering the surface thereof, so as to characterize spatial position information of the detected obstacle, wherein the spatial position information includes distance information and / or orientation information of the obstacle.

2. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 1, wherein The physical tactile parts (210) distributed in an M*N array of the tactile sensing surface array (200) are configured to represent the spatial position information of the detected obstacle through different triggering forms.

3. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 2, wherein In the physical tactile parts (210) distributed in the M*N array of the tactile sensing surface array (200), the position information of the obstacle is represented by triggering the physical tactile parts (210) in the left / right directions.

4. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 2, wherein In the physical tactile parts (210) distributed in the M*N array of the tactile sensing surface array (200), distance information of obstacles is represented by triggering the physical tactile parts (210) in the front / back direction.

5. The hand-held high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that In the physical tactile parts (210) distributed in an M*N array of the tactile sensing surface array (200), distance information of obstacles is represented by the triggering number or triggering position of the physical tactile parts (210) in the front / back direction.

6. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that The physical tactile portion (210) comprises convex point portions (211) distributed in an M*N array, and each convex point portion (211) is configured to be independently driven to move up and down by a driving portion (221) distributed in an M*N array and located in the cavity; a physical tactile sensation that can be sensed by a user's hand is provided through the change in the movement position of the convex point portion (211).

7. The hand-held high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 6, wherein The driving part (221) is an electromagnet driver.

8. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 6, wherein The convex point portion (211) is a ferromagnetic round bead.

9. The hand-held high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that, The surface of the tactile sensing array (200) is formed with M*N distributed holes corresponding to the M*N array distributed convex points (211), so as to allow the convex points (211) to at least partially protrude from the surface of the tactile sensing array (200) or retract from the holes.

10. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that, Each of the hole positions has an extension towards the cavity inside the head (110), which constitutes the guidance and limitation of the bump portion (211).

11. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The physical tactile part (210) includes deformation parts (212) distributed in an M*N array. The deformation parts (212) are configured to be independently triggered by a second driving part (222) located in the cavity, so that the deformation parts (212) deform after being triggered, and the physical tactile sensation that can be perceived by the user's hand is provided through the deformation change of the deformation parts (212).

12. The hand-held high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 11, wherein The deformation part (212) is a conductive expansion elastomer.

13. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 11, characterized in that, The second driving part (222) is an arrayed gating trigger circuit for independently controlling the current intensity of one or more of the deformation parts (212).

14. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The physical tactile part (210) includes electrical stimulation parts (213) distributed in an M*N array. The electrical stimulation parts (213) are configured to be independently triggered by a third driving part (223) located in the cavity, so that the triggered electrical stimulation parts (213) give a perceivable electrical stimulation tactile sensation when touched by the user's hand.

15. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 14, characterized in that, The electrical stimulation parts (213) presenting an M*N array distribution form a microelectrode array.

16. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 14, wherein The electrical stimulation part (213) is a flat electrode or a flexible electrode.

17. The hand-held high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 14, wherein The third driving part (223) includes an arrayed gating trigger circuit for independently controlling the current intensity and / or stimulation time of one or more of the electrical stimulation parts (213).

18. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is a relative deviation angle α between the head (110) and the holding part (120), and α≥5°.

19. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, A battery assembly (400) is arranged in the cavity for providing a working power supply for the tactile sensing matrix (200), the spatial sensing sensor (300), and the processor circuit (1000).

20. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 1, wherein, A data interface and / or a charging interface (130) connected to the processor circuit (1000) is arranged at the tail of the holding part (120).

21. The handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spatial sensing sensor (300) adopts at least one of the following designs: An ultrasonic sensor array; The ultrasonic sensor array is used in combination with infrared sensing; The ultrasonic sensor array is used in combination with a camera; Solid-state LiDAR; Solid-state LiDAR is used in combination with a depth camera; The depth camera dynamically captures depth imaging; Line laser scanning is used in combination with a camera.

22. The spatial information sensing method of the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to any one of claims 1-21, characterized in that, Including: The spatial sensing sensor (300) scans the obstacles within the vertical fan range in front of the spatial sensing sensor (300) according to the configured scanning frequency, and obtains the spatial position information of the obstacles when detecting the obstacles, including distance information and azimuth information; According to the obtained spatial position information of the obstacles, different triggering forms of the physical tactile part (210) of the tactile sensing matrix (200) are controlled to represent the distance information and azimuth information; When the user holds the holding part (120), different triggering forms of the physical tactile parts (210) on the tactile sensing matrix (200) are sensed by hand touch, and one of mechanical touch and electrical stimulation touch is provided to the hand of the user covering the surface of the tactile sensing matrix (200).

23. The spatial information sensing method of the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to claim 22, characterized in that, Among the physical tactile parts (210) distributed in an M*N array, the azimuth information of the obstacle is characterized by the triggering of the physical tactile parts (210) in the left / right direction; and The distance information of the obstacle is characterized by the triggering of the physical tactile parts (210) in the front / rear direction.

24. A handheld electronic blind guide, characterized in that, Comprising the handheld high-frequency spatial information sensor according to any one of claims 1-21, a cane body part (500) is arranged at the tail of the holding part (120) and is installed at a vertical angle to the holding part (120).

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