Intelligent tactile stick

Abstract

The utility model relates to an intelligent tactile stick which comprises a tactile stick main body, a detection unit, a control circuit, a power supply change-over switch, a main power supply, a standby power supply and a switch button, the detection unit is arranged on the outer surface of the tactile stick body and used for detecting the surrounding environment. A control circuit and two battery compartments are arranged in the tactile stick main body, and the control circuit is used for controlling the detection unit; the two battery cabins are respectively used for accommodating a main power supply and a standby power supply; the control circuit is connected with the main power supply or the standby power supply according to the connection mode of the power supply change-over switch; the output end of the switch button is connected with the power change-over switch and is used for switching the control circuit, when the main power supply of the intelligent tactile stick is prompted to be low in power, the gears of the switch button are switched, rapid switching from power supply of the main power supply to power supply of the standby battery can be achieved, the situation that the blind person needs to manually replace the battery outdoors is avoided, and the service life of the blind person is prolonged. And the convenience of the blind to use the intelligent tactile stick is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of white canes, and in particular to a smart white cane. Background Technology

[0002] Blind people rely heavily on tactile paving and white canes when traveling. However, due to the diversity and complexity of road conditions, there are still significant risks for blind people when traveling. With the development of technology, some products have added small circuits, cameras, and scanning functions to the white cane. Combined with existing GPS, APP, Bluetooth, etc., they can realize detection and obstacle avoidance interaction, greatly improving the safety of blind people when traveling.

[0003] However, multi-functional intelligent detection requires a power supply. For the blind community, it is impossible to know the battery status of the cane in a timely manner. This means that the cane may run out of power during travel. Even if they carry spare batteries with them, due to the special characteristics of the blind community, there is still a risk of parts falling off or being installed incorrectly when trying to replace the batteries. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a smart cane that achieves rapid switching between main power and backup power through improvements in circuit structure, thereby solving the problem of blind people running out of power and needing to replace batteries during their travels.

[0005] The smart cane provided by this utility model includes: a cane body, a detection unit, a control circuit, a power switching switch, a main power supply, a backup power supply, and a switch button;

[0006] The detection unit is disposed on the outer surface of the cane body and is used to detect the surrounding environment;

[0007] The cane body contains a control circuit and two battery compartments. The control circuit is used to control the detection unit; the two battery compartments are used to house the main power supply and the backup power supply, respectively.

[0008] The control circuit is connected to the main power supply or the backup power supply, depending on the connection method of the power switching switch.

[0009] The output terminal of the switch button is connected to the power switching switch for switching the control circuit.

[0010] Furthermore, the power switching switch is a double-pole double-throw switch, which includes six ports, with the first, third, and fifth ports being the positive terminals; and the second, fourth, and sixth ports being the negative terminals.

[0011] The third and fourth ports are common terminals, the first and second ports are the first connection terminals, and the fifth and sixth ports are the second connection terminals.

[0012] The two ends of the control circuit are connected to a common terminal, and the main power supply and the backup power supply are connected to two terminals respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the smart cane also includes an energy storage capacitor, the two ends of which are connected to the common terminal.

[0014] The energy storage capacitor is used as a temporary power source during the power switching process of the double-pole double-throw switch to solve the problem of power outage in the control circuit caused by power supply change, which requires restarting and initializing the program in the detection unit and affects the travel efficiency of blind people.

[0015] Furthermore, a diode is provided at the positive terminal of the control circuit and the energy storage capacitor.

[0016] Diodes are used to prevent reverse charging during power switching from damaging control circuit components and to improve equipment safety.

[0017] Furthermore, the switch button is a three-position rocker switch, corresponding to the control circuit's off state, main power supply state, and backup power supply state.

[0018] The three positions of the rocker switch correspond to the three states of a double-pole double-throw switch. By touching the raised direction of the rocker switch, users can quickly determine whether the smart cane assistive function is on or off, and whether the current power supply is the main battery or the backup battery.

[0019] Furthermore, the cane is equipped with multiple charging ports at the top.

[0020] Each charging port allows the power source inside the battery compartment to be charged, eliminating the need to replace the battery every time it runs out of power and improving ease of use.

[0021] Furthermore, the detection unit is located near the handheld end of the cane body.

[0022] Furthermore, the cane has multiple segments, allowing it to extend and retract.

[0023] This invention provides a smart white cane. A power switch is controlled by a power switch button to activate the cane's intelligent detection function. The cane detects the surrounding environment using its detection unit, transmits the environmental information to associated devices, and communicates it to the blind user via voice, ensuring their safety. When the main power supply of the smart white cane indicates low battery, the power switch button can be adjusted to quickly switch between main power and backup battery power, avoiding the need for manual battery changes outdoors and improving the convenience of using the smart white cane. Furthermore, to address the issue of short-term power outages during power switching requiring a restart, this invention includes a storage capacitor connected in parallel to the common terminal of the power switch. During power switching, the storage capacitor acts as a temporary power source for the control circuit, ensuring the smart white cane does not enter a sleep or shutdown state due to power failure.

[0024] To better understand and implement this invention, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the smart cane provided by this utility model.

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal circuit structure of a smart cane in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal circuit structure of a smart cane in another embodiment of this utility model;

[0028] Reference numerals: 10: Cane body; 20: Detection unit; 30: Control circuit; 40: Power switch; 50: Switch button. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Existing smart white canes incorporate small cameras, scanners, and communication circuits, combined with existing mobile apps and AI to achieve environmental recognition and provide voice prompts for the blind, preventing visually impaired individuals from wandering off or bumping into things, thus improving safety and significantly expanding their travel range. However, due to the various circuit devices, these smart white canes require a power source to power each component. Blind individuals cannot readily perceive the remaining battery level in the cane, potentially leading to low battery warnings and loss of environmental detection capabilities. Replacing the battery externally requires a series of steps: opening the battery compartment, storing the cover, finding the spare battery, and replacing the battery—a time-consuming and laborious process with risks of incorrect battery installation or parts falling out, severely impacting the user experience.

[0030] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides an intelligent cane, and through improvements to the circuit structure, enables it to quickly switch between main power and backup power.

[0031] Please see Figure 1 The smart cane includes: a cane body 10, a detection unit 20, a control circuit 30, a power switching switch 40, a main power supply V1, a backup power supply V2, and a switch button 50;

[0032] The detection unit 20 is disposed on the outer surface of the cane body and is used to detect the surrounding environment.

[0033] The detection unit 20 uses a camera as its main body, combined with a distance sensor and connected to the outer surface of the white cane through a rotating shaft structure. The built-in program adjusts the output of the control circuit 30 to rotate the detection unit 20 to collect surrounding environmental data. Preferably, it can also be connected to a mobile device to upload the detected environmental data to the mobile device. Combined with existing object recognition APP + AI, it can complete the recognition of people within the detection range and provide corresponding voice prompts to blind users.

[0034] The cane body is equipped with a control circuit 30 and two battery compartments. The control circuit 30 is used to control the detection unit 20. The two battery compartments are used to house the main power supply V1 and the backup power supply V2, respectively.

[0035] The white cane of this invention has two battery compartments inside. One battery compartment is the main power supply (usual power supply). Under normal circumstances, the main power supply supplies power to the control circuit 30 to ensure the power output of the detection unit 20 on the white cane. The other battery compartment is equipped with a backup power supply. When the main power supply is insufficient, the power switching switch 40 can be adjusted by the switch button 50 to switch between the main power supply and the backup power supply.

[0036] The control circuit 30 is connected to the main power supply or the backup power supply, depending on the connection method of the power switching switch 40.

[0037] The power switching switch 40 is a double-pole double-throw switch with six ports. Ports P1, P3, and P5 are the positive terminals; P2, P4, and P6 are the negative terminals. Ports P1 and P3 are the common terminal, P3 and P4 are the first connection terminals, and P5 and P6 are the second connection terminals. The two ends of the control circuit 30 are connected to the common terminal, and the main power supply and the backup power supply are connected to the two connection terminals respectively. The common terminal connects to both ends of the control circuit 30. When the two switches of the double-pole double-throw switch are moved to the first connection terminal, the control circuit 30 is powered by the backup power supply, and the main power supply is disconnected from the control circuit 30. When the two switches of the double-pole double-throw switch are moved to the second connection terminal, the control circuit 30 is powered by the main power supply, and the backup power supply is disconnected from the control circuit 30.

[0038] The output terminal of the switch button 50 is connected to the power switching switch 40 for switching the control circuit 30. The switch button 50 is a three-position rocker switch, corresponding to the off state of the control circuit 30, the main power supply state, and the backup power supply state. The three positions of the rocker switch correspond to the three states of a double-pole double-throw switch. By touching the raised direction of the rocker switch, the user can quickly determine whether the cane's intelligent assistance function is on or off, and whether the current power supply is the main battery or the backup battery. Furthermore, there is a clear "click" sound between each position of the rocker switch, which helps the blind person confirm that the power switch has been completed.

[0039] In another preferred embodiment, considering that a brief power outage may occur when switching states via the aforementioned switch button 50, potentially causing the cane's built-in program and detection unit to shut down and restart, requiring the user to wait for initialization and affecting travel efficiency, an energy storage capacitor is added to the cane circuit. Figure 2 As shown, the two ends of the energy storage capacitor are connected to the common terminal. The energy storage capacitor acts as a temporary power source during the power switching process of the double-pole double-throw switch. When the cane is first activated, the power source charges the two ends of the energy storage capacitor. After the two ends of the energy storage capacitor are fully charged, it is equivalent to an open circuit. At this time, the current flows through the control circuit 30 to provide power support. At the instant that the power switching switch 40 is disconnected from the second terminal, the energy storage capacitor and the control circuit 30 form a loop. At this time, the charge on the plates will move directionally through the external circuit under the action of the electric field force, forming a discharge current to provide power to the control circuit 30. When the switch handle of the power switching switch 40 is moved to the first terminal, the energy storage capacitor is charged and the control circuit 30 is powered simultaneously.

[0040] The parallel connection of energy storage capacitors solves the problem of power outages in the control circuit 30 during power supply replacement, which requires restarting and initializing the program in the detection unit 20, thus affecting the travel efficiency of blind people.

[0041] In another preferred embodiment, the present invention further includes a diode at the positive terminal of the control circuit 30 and the energy storage capacitor, specifically as follows: Figure 3 As shown. To prevent reverse charging of the battery during circuit switching, a diode is used to limit the current flow, thus avoiding damage to the control circuit 30 components due to reverse charging and improving equipment safety.

[0042] In addition, multiple charging ports are located at the top of the handheld end of the cane. Each charging port can charge the power source in the battery compartment, eliminating the need to replace the battery every time it runs out and improving ease of use.

[0043] This invention provides a smart white cane. A power switch is controlled by a power switch button to activate the cane's intelligent detection function. The cane detects the surrounding environment using its detection unit, transmits the environmental information to associated devices, and communicates it to the blind user via voice, ensuring their safety. When the main power supply of the smart white cane indicates low battery, the power switch button can be adjusted to quickly switch between main power and backup battery power, avoiding the need for manual battery changes outdoors and improving the convenience of using the smart white cane. Furthermore, to address the issue of short-term power outages during power switching requiring a restart, this invention includes a storage capacitor connected in parallel to the common terminal of the power switch. During power switching, the storage capacitor acts as a temporary power source for the control circuit, ensuring the smart white cane does not enter a sleep or shutdown state due to power failure.

[0044] The embodiments described above are merely examples of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A smart white cane, characterized in that, include: The white cane consists of a main body, a detection unit, a control circuit, a power switching switch, a main power supply, a backup power supply, and a switch button. The detection unit is disposed on the outer surface of the cane body and is used to detect the surrounding environment; The cane body contains a control circuit and two battery compartments. The control circuit is used to control the detection unit; the two battery compartments are used to house the main power supply and the backup power supply, respectively. The control circuit is connected to the main power supply or the backup power supply, depending on the connection method of the power switching switch. The output terminal of the switch button is connected to the power switching switch for switching the control circuit.

2. The smart cane according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power switching switch is a double-pole double-throw switch, which includes six ports: the first, third, and fifth ports are positive terminals; and the second, fourth, and sixth ports are negative terminals. The third and fourth ports are common terminals, the first and second ports are the first connection terminals, and the fifth and sixth ports are the second connection terminals. The control circuit is connected to a common terminal at both ends, and the main power supply and the backup power supply are respectively connected to two terminals.

3. The smart cane according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes an energy storage capacitor, the two ends of which are connected to the common terminal.

4. The smart cane according to claim 3, characterized in that: A diode is provided at the positive terminal of the control circuit and the energy storage capacitor.

5. The smart cane according to claim 4, characterized in that, The switch button is a three-position rocker switch, corresponding to the control circuit's off state, main power supply state, and backup power supply state.

6. The smart cane according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cane has multiple charging ports on its top.

7. The intelligent white cane according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The detection unit is located near the handheld end of the cane.

8. The smart cane according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cane has multiple segments, allowing it to extend and retract.

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