Blind-guiding auxiliary device and environment detection method thereof

Abstract

This invention provides a guide assist device for the visually impaired, comprising: a housing, a motherboard, a power supply, a camera module, and a 3D time-of-flight ranging device. The motherboard is disposed in an accommodating space of the housing. The power supply is electrically connected to the motherboard, and the camera module and the 3D time-of-flight ranging device are both electrically connected to the motherboard. By executing the environmental detection method provided by this invention through the device, the motherboard receives a plurality of distance data generated by the 3D time-of-flight ranging device detecting the surrounding environment and generates a detection message; the motherboard also receives a plurality of image frames generated by the camera module detecting the surrounding environment and generates another detection message. The guide assist device uses a Bluetooth module on the motherboard to synchronize the two detection messages to a smart device of the visually impaired person for voice broadcast or voice broadcast in its application.

Claims

1. A guide assist device for the blind, comprising: a housing having a first hole, a second hole, a third hole, a fourth hole, a fifth hole, and an accommodating space, the accommodating space being interconnected with the first hole, the second hole, the third hole, the fourth hole, and the fifth hole respectively; a main board disposed in the accommodating space, the main board including: a charging module having a charging terminal located within the first hole; an elevation difference recognition module having a first switch located within the second hole, the elevation difference recognition module including: a first data processing unit receiving distance data and converting it into a height value, and calculating a change in elevation difference of the height value; and a first analysis unit electrically connected to the first data processing unit, determining that the value of the change in elevation difference exceeds a preset safety threshold, indicating a possible danger ahead. The system includes: the detection message; a tactile paving identification module having a second switch located within the third hole; a plurality of vibration motors disposed within the accommodating space and electrically connected to the first analysis unit, which activates the vibration motors to provide tactile feedback when the first analysis unit generates the detection message; a power supply device disposed within the accommodating space and electrically connected to the charging module; a camera module disposed within the accommodating space, electrically connected to the motherboard, with a lens located within the fourth hole, which captures multiple image frames of the surrounding environment; and a 3D time-of-flight ranging device disposed within the accommodating space, electrically connected to the motherboard, with a detector located within the fifth hole, which detects the surrounding environment and generates multiple distance data. The elevation difference recognition module receives the distance data, calculates and analyzes the elevation difference changes in the surrounding environment. If the elevation difference value exceeds a preset safety threshold, a detection message is generated. Simultaneously, the elevation difference recognition module synchronizes the detection message to a smart device for visually impaired individuals via a Bluetooth module installed on the motherboard for voice broadcast or voice broadcast in its application. The tactile paving recognition module receives the image frame, judges the position information of the tactile paving and calculates a confidence level through a pre-trained preset model. When the confidence level is above 95%, the tactile paving recognition module synchronizes the position information to the smart device via the Bluetooth module for voice broadcast or voice broadcast in its application.

2. The guide assist device as described in claim 1, wherein, The guide assist device is installed on a mobility aid for visually impaired individuals. The central axis of the lens has an angle between the top surface of the housing and the lens, which is between 10 and 20 degrees.

3. The guide assist device as described in claim 1, wherein, The guide assist device is installed on a mobility aid for visually impaired individuals, with the detection end of the 3D time-of-flight distance measuring device facing the bottom of the mobility aid.

4. The guide assist device as described in claim 3, wherein, The outer surface of the housing has multiple anti-slip strips to reduce the likelihood of the guide aid falling off when it is installed onto the mobility aid.

5. The guide assist device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The guide assist device also includes a mounting fastener and a first fastening part at the bottom of the housing, and a second fastening part at the top of the mounting fastener. The mounting fastener is fixed to a mobility aid, and the first fastening part is combined with the second fastening part, so that the guide assist device is fixed to the mobility aid.

6. The guide assist device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The smart device has a dedicated application installed, which connects to the guide device via a Bluetooth module of the smart device.

7. The guide assist device as described in claim 6, wherein, The dedicated application includes a display module and a prompt tone module. The display module is electrically connected to the prompt tone module. The prompt tone module includes a switching module and a test tone module. The display module displays the switching module and the test tone module on a screen of the smart device.

8. The guide assist device as described in claim 7, wherein, The dedicated application also includes a screen protector module that is electrically connected to the display module and is displayed on the screen. When the screen protector module is turned on, the screen displays a grayscale image and a slider is shown to unlock it.

9. The guide assist device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The tactile paving identification module includes: a second data processing unit having a trained preset model, the second data processing unit receiving the image frame, and the preset model determining whether a tactile paving exists in the image frame; and a second analysis unit electrically connected to the second data processing unit, the second analysis unit receiving the image frame in which a tactile paving is determined to exist, and calculating the location information of the tactile paving and the confidence level of the tactile paving.

10. The guide assist device as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The guide assist device further includes a plurality of vibration motors, which are disposed in the accommodating space and are electrically connected to the second analysis unit. When the second analysis unit calculates the position information of the guide brick and the confidence level of the guide brick is above 95%, the vibration motor is activated to provide tactile feedback.

11. The guide assist device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The housing also includes a fifth hole, and the charging module also includes a charging plate that protrudes from the fifth hole to power a mobile device.

12. An environmental detection method for a guide assist device, comprising the following steps: S1: providing a guide assist device, the guide assist device comprising a housing, a main board disposed within the housing, a camera module electrically connected to the main board, and a 3D time-of-flight ranging device, the main board having an elevation difference recognition module and a guide brick recognition module, the elevation difference recognition module having a first switch disposed on the outer surface of the housing, and the guide brick recognition module having a second switch disposed on the outer surface of the housing; S2: turning on the first switch and the second switch; S3: the elevation difference recognition module detecting changes in the height of the surrounding environment through the 3D time-of-flight ranging device. S4: The elevation difference recognition module detects whether a detection message has been generated; if yes, a vibration alert is issued and step S7 is executed; if no, step S5 is executed; S5: The tactile paving recognition module uses the camera module to detect and identify tactile paving in the surrounding environment; S6: The tactile paving recognition module detects whether another detection message has been generated; if yes, another vibration alert is issued and step S7 is executed; if no, step S3 is executed; S7: The detection message is synchronized to a user's smart device via a Bluetooth module on the motherboard; S8: The smart device broadcasts the detailed content of the detection message to the user via voice; S9: Steps S3 and S5 are executed.

13. The environmental detection method for the guide assist device as described in claim 14, wherein, Step S3 further includes the following steps: S31: Activate the elevation difference identification module, which includes a first data processing unit and a first analysis unit, the first analysis unit being electrically connected to the first data processing unit; S32: Initialize and set the 3D time-of-flight ranging device; S33: The sensor of the 3D time-of-flight ranging device measures a plurality of distance data; S34: The first data processing unit receives the distance data, converts it into an altitude value, and calculates an elevation difference change of the altitude value; S35: The first analysis unit analyzes that the elevation difference change value exceeds a preset safety threshold, and the first analysis unit generates a detection message.

14. The environmental detection method for the guide assist device as described in claim 14, wherein, Step S5 further includes the following steps: S51: Activate the tactile paving identification module, which includes a second data processing unit and a second analysis unit. The second analysis unit is electrically connected to the second data processing unit and has a pre-trained preset model; S52: Initialize the camera module settings; S53: Capture multiple image frames; S54: The second data processing unit activates the preset model and receives the image frames, detecting whether a tactile paving exists in the image frame; if yes, proceed to step S55; if no, proceed to step S53; S55: The second analysis unit performs statistical analysis on the image frames containing tactile paving, calculates the confidence level of the tactile paving, and determines the position of the tactile paving; S56: Check whether the confidence level calculated by the second analysis unit is greater than 95%; if yes, generate a detection message for the position of the tactile paving; if no, proceed to step S53.

Images