Hearing Impairment Detection System for Pedestrian Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pedestrians with hearing impairments face challenges in navigating busy roadway environments due to difficulties in perceiving warning signals and communicating effectively, which increases the risk of dangerous pedestrian-vehicle interactions.
Innovation Solution
An impaired hearing detection system that uses processors and memory to infer hearing impairment based on data collected by a user device, administers a hearing test to verify the impairment, and provides pedestrian assistance countermeasures such as recommendations for wearing hearing aids or moving to a quieter area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pedestrians with hearing impairments navigate busy roadway environments, then they can move through the environment, but they cannot perceive warning signals such as car horns or emergency sirens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual signal devices as intermediaries that convert acoustic warning signals into visual signals. These devices are worn by pedestrians with hearing impairments and transform auditory warnings (car horns, emergency sirens) into visual displays, enabling the pedestrian to perceive warning signals without requiring auditory capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the acoustic/mechanical warning signal system with a visual signal system. Instead of relying on sound waves to alert pedestrians, the system uses visual displays (such as LED lights or screens) to convey warning information, thereby compensating for the pedestrian's hearing impairment.
2Ease of operation
If pedestrians with hearing impairments communicate in noisy environments, then they can interact with others, but they have difficulty understanding what is said
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs visual display devices as intermediaries that capture acoustic information (speech) and convert it into visual representations. These devices allow pedestrians with hearing impairments to see speech patterns, lip movements, or transmitted audio visually, enabling communication in noisy environments where auditory processing is compromised.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes periodic visual feedback mechanisms that continuously display auditory information in real-time. The visual display periodically updates to reflect ongoing speech patterns, allowing the pedestrian to track conversation flow and understand spoken words through continuous visual information rather than intermittent auditory input.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If pedestrians with hearing impairments try to locate sound sources, then they can identify directions, but they have difficulty identifying the direction and distance of sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual indicator devices that serve as intermediaries between sound sources and the pedestrian's perception system. These devices visually represent the location and characteristics of sound sources, translating acoustic spatial information into visual spatial cues that the pedestrian can accurately interpret without relying on auditory localization capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions sound source information from the acoustic dimension (auditory spatial perception) to the visual dimension (optical spatial perception). By displaying sound source location and characteristics on visual displays, the system enables the pedestrian to locate and measure sound source properties in the visual domain, where they have full perceptual capability.
4Productivity
If the system infers hearing impairment based on user device data, then it can identify at-risk pedestrians, but it must administer additional hearing tests to verify the impairment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary inference of hearing impairment using user device data (such as ambient noise level monitoring, communication pattern analysis, or self-reported information) before administering the formal hearing test. This preliminary assessment identifies potential candidates for further testing, allowing the system to prioritize resources and reduce unnecessary testing while maintaining accurate identification of at-risk pedestrians.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to providing navigation assistance to pedestrians experiencing temporary hearing impairment. In one embodiment, a method includes inferring that a pedestrian is experiencing hearing impairment based on data collected by a user device of the pedestrian. Responsive to an inference of hearing impairment, a hearing test is administered to verify hearing impairment of the pedestrian. A pedestrian assistance countermeasure is produced responsive to verified hearing impairment of the pedestrian as determined from the hearing test.