TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present disclosure relates to the field of systems and/or devices for aiding
visually, speech and hearing impaired people. More particularly, the present disclosure relates
to an interactive and automatic system, smart assisting device and method for aiding and
guiding visually/speech/hearing impaired persons and other elderly persons in real-time to
avoid hitting of statistic and dynamic obstacles with enhanced accuracy and efficiency.
BACKGROUND
[002] Background description includes information that may be useful in
understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information
provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any
publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[003] Conventionally, it is very difficult for blind people for doing normal daily
activities. They may not be able to travel without having any assistance along with them
while travelling or while moving from one place to another. For example, consider a
geographical area with heavy traffic, and it might not be possible for people (such as elderly
people, dementia patients, visually impaired (blind) people, speech impaired people, hearing
impaired people etc. other people) to cross roads, to board vehicles etc. without taking any
assistance from other normal people. Even, if they try to cross the roads without any
assistance, to board the vehicles etc., then there might be higher chances of occurrence of
fatal accidents, injuries etc. damages to the above-mentioned people. The main reason is they
are not able to predict upcoming actions that will be taken place.
[004] Further, walking or movement of the above-mentioned people (such as
visually impaired people, dementia patients, elderly people etc.) may be very limited because
these people may not be able to easily obtain information about external environment, and it
might be difficult to cope with dangerous factors such as obstacles properly. Therefore, the
most common walking aid for these people can help the people, but it may not provide
adequate clues to the change of the terrain due to obstacles such as stairs, vehicles, hanging
objects etc. that surround the people. Hence, there is a requirement in the art to provide
proper and accurate assistance and guidance to the above-mentioned people by analyzing all
the circumstances around the people.
[005] Efforts have been made in the related art to provide systems, devices or
techniques for providing assistance and/or guidance to the blind or elderly people. Most of
the related art techniques implement audio based wearable devices or walking aids (cane etc.)
to alert the visually impaired person when there is any static/dynamic obstacle that comes
towards the person. This may notify the person to take proper action in order to save
himself/herself from hitting of obstacles. However, in this technique, the device may not be
able to guide or assist the blind person to move the blind person either towards left or towards
right direction (or in any direction opposite to the movement of the obstacles) that is free
from obstacles. These techniques may not be able to save the person in noisy areas (such as
heavy traffic areas, congested areas, industrial areas etc.) as the audio generated by the device
may not be audible to the person. This may lead to a lot of confusion, panic to the person and
ultimately it may lead to accidents or injuries to the person. These techniques may not be able
to work in long range in order to identify the obstacle accurately. These techniques can also
be implemented with audio sensors (ultrasonic sensors, proximity sensors etc.). However,
these techniques may not be feasible in providing guidance and assistance to the blind people.
[006] Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a time-efficient, cost-effective,
simple, safe and accurate system, device, and method for aiding and guiding
visually/speech/hearing impaired persons (or any other persons such as mentally challenged,
elderly persons etc.) in an intelligent manner. Further, there is a need in the art to provide the
system, device and method to protect the persons from hitting of obstacles in real-time.
[007] All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if
each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated
to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated
reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the
definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference
does not apply.
[008] In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities or dimensions of
items, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be
understood as being modified in some instances by the term "about." Accordingly, in some
embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached
claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be
obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should
be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary
rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth
the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical
values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The
numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors
necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing
measurements.
[009] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the
meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on"
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0010] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a
shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification
as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in
any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by
context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. "such as") provided
with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the
invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No
language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element
essential to the practice of the invention.
[0011] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed
herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and
claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other
elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from,
a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion
occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the
written description of all groups used in the appended claims.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0012] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment
herein satisfies are as listed herein below.
[0013] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system, smart and
ergonomic walking stick and method for guiding a user i.e. especially a blind person in order
to reduce stress to the user.
[0014] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a learning system,
smart walking stick and method for guiding a user especially a blind person to prevent
collisions between the blind person and obstacles in real-time.
[0015] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a simple, secure and
cost-effective system, smart walking stick and method for guiding a user (such as visually
impaired user, speech impaired user, hearing impaired user etc.) with enhanced accuracy and
efficiency.
[0016] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a precise and timeefficient
system, smart walking stick and method for alerting a user about upcoming obstacles
and for guiding the user without causing any injuries, accidents or fatalities to the user.
[0017] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an automatic system
and smart walking stick for guiding a user to prevent collisions between the user and both
long range and short range obstacles with easy maintenance and with less-response time.
SUMMARY
[0018] The present disclosure relates to the field of systems and/or devices for aiding
visually, speech, hearing impaired persons and other people as well. More particularly, the
present disclosure relates to an interactive and automatic system, smart walking stick and
method for aiding and guiding a visually/speech/hearing impaired person or any other person
in real-time to avoid hitting of statistic and/or dynamic obstacles with the help of a camera,
stepper motors etc.
[0019] This summary is provided to introduce simplified concepts of a system for
time bound availability check of an entity, which are further described below in the detailed
description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed
subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining/limiting the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0020] An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a system for guiding a user and
for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles accurately in real-time. The system
can include: a walking stick (or cane or aid) that can include a handle to allow the user to
hold the walking stick; one or more wheels (such as castor wheels etc.) that can be fitted to a
lower portion of the walking stick; and a rotary device that can be operatively coupled to the
one or more wheels. The rotary device can be configured to control steering and movement of
the one or more wheels. The system can include at least one recording unit that can be
detachably attached (coupled or fitted) to the walking stick and can be operatively coupled to
the rotary device. The at least one recording unit can be configured to record surrounding
premises (such as home, mall, traffic congested areas like roads, etc.) of the user, and
generate data packets in real-time based on the recording of the surrounding premises. The
system can include a control unit that can be configured with a machine learning model,
operatively coupled to the at least one recording unit and coupled to the walking stick. The
control unit includes one or more processors and a memory coupled with the one or more
processors, and the memory storing instructions executed by the one or more processors
identify at least one obstacle selected from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a
dynamic obstacle based on the generated data packets.
[0021] In an aspect, the control unit is configured to: obtain one or more attributes
associated with the at least one identified obstacle; and control direction of rotation of the
rotary device thereby controlling steering and movement of the one or more wheels fitted to
the walking stick automatically based on the one or more obtained attributes of the at least
one identified obstacle. This can enable guiding of the user holding the walking stick to an
obstacle free path (or direction etc.) based on the controlling of the steering and movement of
the one or more wheels automatically to prevent collision of the user with the at least one
identified obstacle.
[0022] In another aspect, the at least one recording unit can be a camera that is
configured to capture the surrounding premises of the user, and generate one or more images
in real-time based on the capturing of the surrounding premises. A video recording device,
image-capturing device, imaging device, camcorder etc. devices that are known in the art, can
replace the camera. The camera can be attached or coupled on a top portion of the walking
stick in order to capture entire 360 degrees surrounding the user in real-time.
[0023] In another aspect, the rotary device can include at least one stepper motor that
is configured to automatically control steering and movement of the one or more wheels of
the walking stick.
[0024] In another aspect, each of the one or more attributes can be selected from any
of a speed, dimensions and directions of the at least one identified obstacle.
[0025] In another aspect, the system can include a power supply unit that can be
operatively coupled to the walking stick. The power supply unit can include one or more
lithium-ion batteries configured to provide power to any or a combination of one or more
wheels, the rotary device, at least one recording unit and the control unit.
[0026] Another aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a smart walking stick
(white cane, walking aid etc.) for guiding a user. The walking stick can include: a handle to
allow the user to hold the walking stick; one or more wheels coupled or fitted at a lower
(bottom) portion of the walking stick; a rotary device operatively coupled to the one or more
wheels; at least one recording unit operatively coupled to the rotary device; and a control unit
operatively coupled to the at least one recording unit. The rotary device is configured to
control steering and movement of the one or more wheels. The at least one recording unit can
be configured to record surrounding premises of the user, and generate data packets in realtime
based on the recording of the surrounding premises of the user. The control unit can be
configured with one or more machine-learning models. The control unit includes one or more
processors and a memory operatively coupled with the one or more processors, the memory
storing instructions executed by the one or more processors to identify at least one obstacle
selected from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a dynamic obstacle based on the
generated plurality of data packets.
[0027] In an aspect, the control unit is configured to obtain one or more attributes
associated with the at least one identified obstacle. Further, the control unit controls direction
of rotation of the rotary device thereby automatically controlling steering and movement of
the one or more wheels that are fitted to the walking stick from bottom based on the one or
more obtained attributes of the at least one identified obstacle. This can enable guiding of the
user holding the walking stick to an obstacle free path (or direction etc.) based on the
controlling of the steering and movement of the one or more wheels automatically to prevent
collision of the user with the identified obstacle.
[0028] In another aspect, the stick can include a power supply unit that can be
operatively coupled to the control unit. The power supply unit can include one or more
lithium-ion batteries that are configured to provide power to any or a combination of the
wheels, the rotary device, at least one recording unit and the control unit.
[0029] Another aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a method for guiding a
user holding a walking stick and for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles
accurately in real-time. The method can include steps of: recording, by using at least one
recording unit detachably attached or fitted to the walking stick, surrounding premises of the
user to generate data packets in real-time based on the recording of the surrounding premises;
identifying, by a control unit including one or more processors, at least one obstacle selected
from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a dynamic obstacle based on the generated
plurality of data packets; obtaining, by the control unit, one or more attributes associated with
the at least one identified obstacle; and controlling, by the control unit, direction of rotation
of a rotary device thereby controlling steering of one or more wheels fitted to a lower portion
of the walking stick based on the one or more obtained attributes of the at least one identified
obstacle.
[0030] In an aspect, the method can include a step of guiding, by the control unit, the
user holding the walking stick to an obstacle free path based on the controlling of the steering
and movement of the one or more wheels automatically to prevent collision of the user with
the at least one identified obstacle.
[0031] In an aspect, the method can include a step of providing, by a power supply
unit having one or more lithium-ion batteries, power to any or a combination of the wheels,
the rotary device, at least one recording unit and the control unit.
[0032] In an embodiment, the system within the scope of this application it is
expressly envisaged that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out
in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings,
and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any
combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all
embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.
[0033] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject
matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent
like components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] The diagrams are for illustration only, which thus is not a limitation of the
present disclosure, and wherein:
[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary module representation of system for guiding a
user and for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles in accordance with an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram representation of method for
guiding a user holding a walking stick and for preventing collisions between the user and
obstacles in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation of smart walking stick for
guiding a user and for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles in accordance
with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates a computer system in which or with which embodiments of
the present invention can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure
depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly
communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit
the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all
modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0040] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be
apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced
without some of these specific details.
[0041] Embodiments of the present invention include various steps, which will be
described below. The steps may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied
in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to cause a general-purpose or specialpurpose
processor programmed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, steps
may be performed by a combination of hardware, software, and firmware and/or by human
operators.
[0042] Various methods described herein may be practiced by combining one or more
machine-readable storage media containing the code according to the present invention with
appropriate standard computer hardware to execute the code contained therein. An apparatus
for practicing various embodiments of the present invention may involve one or more
computers (or one or more processors within a single computer) and storage systems
containing or having network access to computer program(s) coded in accordance with
various methods described herein, and the method steps of the invention could be
accomplished by modules, routines, subroutines, or subparts of a computer program product.
[0043] If the specification states a component or feature "may", "can", "could", or
"might" be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not
required to be included or have the characteristic.
[0044] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the
meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on"
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0045] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. These
exemplary embodiments are provided only for illustrative purposes and so that this disclosure
will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those of
ordinary skill in the art. The invention disclosed may, however, be embodied in many
different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.
Various modifications will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. The general
principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, all statements herein reciting
embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to
encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that
such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed
in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of
structure). Also, the terminology and phraseology used is for the purpose of describing
exemplary embodiments and should not be considered limiting. Thus, the present invention is
to be accorded the widest scope encompassing numerous alternatives, modifications and
equivalents consistent with the principles and features disclosed. For purpose of clarity,
details relating to technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the
invention have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present
invention.
[0046] Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art
that the diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and the like represent conceptual views or
processes illustrating systems and methods embodying this invention. The functions of the
various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated
hardware as well as hardware capable of executing associated software. Similarly, any
switches shown in the figures are conceptual only. Their function may be carried out through
the operation of program logic, through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program
control and dedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique being selectable by
the entity implementing this invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art further understand
that the exemplary hardware, software, processes, methods, and/or operating systems
described herein are for illustrative purposes and, thus, are not intended to be limited to any
particular named element.
[0047] Embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a computer program
product, which may include a machine-readable storage medium tangibly embodying thereon
instructions, which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) to
perform a process. The term "machine-readable storage medium" or "computer-readable
storage medium" includes, but is not limited to, fixed (hard) drives, magnetic tape, floppy
diskettes, optical disks, compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical
disks, semiconductor memories, such as ROMs, PROMs, random access memories (RAMs),
programmable read-only memories (PROMs), erasable PROMs (EPROMs), electrically
erasable PROMs (EEPROMs), flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, or other type of
media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions (e.g., computer
programming code, such as software or firmware).A machine-readable medium may include
a non-transitory medium in which data may be stored and that does not include carrier waves
and/or transitory electronic signals propagating wirelessly or over wired connections.
Examples of a non-transitory medium may include, but are not limited to, a magnetic disk or
tape, optical storage media such as compact disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD), flash
memory, memory or memory devices. A computer-program product may include code and/or
machine-executable instructions that may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a
program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination
of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to
another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data,
arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc.
may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing,
message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.
[0048] Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software,
firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination
thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware or microcode, the program
code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks (e.g., a computer-program product)
may be stored in a machine-readable medium. A processor(s) may perform the necessary
tasks.
[0049] Systems depicted in some of the figures may be provided in various
configurations. In some embodiments, the systems may be configured as a distributed system
where one or more components of the system are distributed across one or more networks in
a cloud computing system.
[0050] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for
infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or
limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the
"invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases, it
will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one
or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.
[0051] All methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless
otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and
all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided with respect to certain
embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a
limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification
should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the
invention.
[0052] Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used in a
claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent
art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of
filing.
[0053] The present disclosure relates to the field of systems and/or devices for aiding
visually, speech, hearing impaired persons and other people as well. More particularly, the
present disclosure relates to an interactive and automatic system, smart walking stick and
method for aiding and guiding a visually/speech/hearing impaired person or any other person
in real-time to avoid hitting of statistic and/or dynamic obstacles with the help of a camera,
stepper motors etc.
[0054] An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a system for guiding a user and
for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles accurately in real-time. The system
can include: a walking stick (or cane or aid) that can include a handle to allow the user to
hold the walking stick; one or more wheels (such as castor wheels etc.) that can be fitted to a
lower portion of the walking stick; and a rotary device that can be operatively coupled to the
one or more wheels. The rotary device can be configured to control steering and movement of
the one or more wheels. The system can include at least one recording unit that can be
detachably attached (coupled or fitted) to the walking stick and can be operatively coupled to
the rotary device. The at least one recording unit can be configured to record surrounding
premises (such as home, mall, traffic congested areas like roads, etc.) of the user, and
generate data packets in real-time based on the recording of the surrounding premises. The
system can include a control unit that can be configured with a machine learning model,
operatively coupled to the at least one recording unit and coupled to the walking stick. The
control unit includes one or more processors and a memory coupled with the one or more
processors, and the memory storing instructions executed by the one or more processors
identify at least one obstacle selected from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a
dynamic obstacle based on the generated data packets.
[0055] In an aspect, the control unit is configured to: obtain one or more attributes
associated with the at least one identified obstacle; and control direction of rotation of the
rotary device thereby controlling steering and movement of the one or more wheels fitted to
the walking stick automatically based on the one or more obtained attributes of the at least
one identified obstacle. This can enable guiding of the user holding the walking stick to an
obstacle free path (or direction etc.) based on the controlling of the steering and movement of
the one or more wheels automatically to prevent collision of the user with the at least one
identified obstacle.
[0056] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary module representation of system for guiding a
user and for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles in accordance with an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0057] According to an embodiment, the system 100 can include one or more
processor(s) 102. The one or more processor(s) 102 can be implemented as one or more
microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central
processing units, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate data based on
operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processor(s) 102 are
configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory 104 of the
system 100. The memory 104 can store one or more computer-readable instructions or
routines, which can be fetched and executed to create or share the data units over a network
service. The memory 104 can include any non-transitory storage device including, for
example, volatile memory such as RAM, or non-volatile memory such as EPROM, flash
memory, and the like.
[0058] Various components /units of the proposed system 100 can be implemented as
a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to
implement their one or more functionalities as elaborated further themselves or using
processors 102. In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and
programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming
for the units may be processor executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machinereadable
storage medium and the hardware for units may include a processing resource (for
example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the
machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the
processing resource, implements the various units. In such examples, the system 100 may
include the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing
resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be
separate but accessible to the system 100 and the processing resource. In other examples, the
units may be implemented by electronic circuitry. A database 116 may include data that is
either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the other
components /units of the proposed system 100.
[0059] In an embodiment, the system 100 for guiding the user (such as visually
impaired/blind person, elderly person, speech/hearing impaired person, dementia patients
etc.) and for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles accurately in real-time is
disclosed. The system 100 can include: a walking stick (cane, aid, rod etc.) that can have a
handle adapted to allow the user to hold the walking stick; one or more wheels that are fitted
to a lower portion of the walking stick; a rotary device 108 that can be operatively coupled to
the one or more wheels; at least one recording unit 110 that can be detachably attached (fitted
or coupled) to the walking stick and operatively coupled to the rotary device 108; and a
control unit 106 that can be operatively coupled to the at least one recording unit 110 and to
the rotary device 108, and coupled to the walking stick.
[0060] In an embodiment, the walking stick (or a white cane or staff) can be replaced
by any other smart support structure that can help in guiding the user. The walking stick is
flexible and bendable.
[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more wheels can be coupled to any
other portion of the walking stick as well in order to make the walking stick moveable.
[0062] In an embodiment, the rotary device 108 can be configured to control steering
of the one or more wheels in order to control direction of the movement of the walking stick
associated with the one or more wheels.
[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the rotary device 108 can include at least one
stepper motor and/or any other motors that are known in the art, and the at least one stepper
motor can be operatively connected/coupled to the one or more wheels.
[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the system 100 can implement any other motor
that is known in the art that can be able to control steering and direction of the movement of
the one or more wheels in order to control the direction of the movement of the walking stick.
[0065] In an embodiment, the recording unit 110 can be configured to record (monitor
continuously) surrounding premises (such as home, shopping mall, traffic-congested areas
like roads etc.) of the user, and generate data packets based on the recording of the
surrounding premises of the user in real-time.
[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, the recording unit 110 can be any or a
combination of a camera, camcorder, image capturing device, imaging device, video recorder
and any other device well known in the art that can record the premises of the user. The
recording unitl 10 can have long-range capability as well.
[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, the recording unit 110 can be configured to
record the obstacles that are in both the long range and short-range distance from the user.
[0068] In an embodiment, the control unit 106 can be programmed and trained with
one or more machine learning models (supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised machine
learning models). The control unit 106 can be operatively coupled to the at least one
recording unit 110 and to the rotary device 108, and coupled to the walking stick. The control
unit 106 can include the one or more processors 102 and the memory 104 that can be
operatively coupled with the one or more processors 102.
[0069] In an embodiment, the memory 104 storing computer-implemented
instructions which when executed by the one or more processors 102 to: identify at least one
obstacle selected from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a dynamic obstacle based
on the generated plurality of data packets; and obtain one or more attributes associated with
the at least one identified obstacle.
[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the control unit 106 can be configured to
implement the image processing techniques in processing the generated data packets (such as
image, video data etc) recorded by the recording unit 110 in order to obtain the one or more
attributes associated with the at least one identified obstacle.
[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, the machine learning model can be a supervised
learning model. The database 116 can be operatively coupled to the control unit 106 in order
to store the data related to the type of static and dynamic obstacles. Further, the machine
learning model can be trained with the stored data related to all the static and dynamic
obstacles in order to identify the type of obstacles that are present in the vicinity (or
surrounding premises) of the user. The obstacle can be two-wheeler, car, tree, animal, home,
park, shopping mall, traffic-divider, people, furniture, or any other obstacles that are known
in the art and the data of obstacles can be fed to the machine learning model for training and
learning purposes.
[0072] In an embodiment, the control unit 106 can be further configured to control
direction of rotation of the rotary device thereby automatically controlling steering and
movement of the one or more wheels fitted to the walking stick based on the one or more
obtained attributes of the at least one identified obstacle. This can enable guiding/assisting of
the user who is holding the walking stick to an obstacle free path (or in any other direction to
escape from obstacles) based on the controlling of the steering and movement of the one or
more wheels (either in left or in right direction) automatically to prevent collision of the user
with the at least one identified obstacle.
[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one stepper motor can be rotated
either clockwise or anti-clockwise 180 degrees in order to control the rotation of the one or
more wheels and to move the user away from the obstacles accurately and in less time for
preventing collisions between the user and obstacles.
[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one stepper motor can be rotated
until the user along with the walking stick moves to a suitable obstacle free
path/direction/area.
[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, each of the one or more attributes can be
selected from any of a speed, dimensions and directions of the at least one identified obstacle.
[0076] In an embodiment, the system 100 can include a power supply unit 112 that
can be operatively coupled to the walking stick. The power supply unit 112 can include one
or more lithium-ion batteries that are configured to provide power to any or a combination of
the one or more wheels, the rotary device 108, the recording unit 110 and the control unit
106.
[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, the power supply unit 112 can be integrated or
fitted or coupled to the walking stick as well.
[0078] In an exemplary embodiment, the system 100 can also include an alarm signal
(vibration, sound such as audio, optical signals etc.) generating unit operatively coupled to
the control unit 106 and to the power supply unit 112. The alarm signal generating unit
configured to generate alert or notification signals (sound signals, electromagnetic signals
etc.) in order to notify and guide the user when the user is in close proximity to the obstacles.
[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, the obstacles can be hanging objects (objects
hanging from ceiling etc.), pit holes, objects (either moving objects or stationary objects) on
the ground.
[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the control unit 106 can be operatively coupled
to a navigation unit. The navigation unit is configured to provide real-time location
information of the user. This real-time location information can be shared to computing
devices of other users, by using a communication unit operatively coupled to the control unit
106, in order to help in tracking of the user (such as blind, dementia patient etc.) in real-time.
[0081] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication unit can include any or a
combination of wired or wireless communication modules (such as GSM module, GPRS
module, Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth module etc.). The navigation unit is satellite navigation
system selected from any or a combination of GPS, GLONASS, and BieDou satellite
navigation system.
[0082] It would be appreciated that although the proposed system 100 has been
elaborated as above to include all the main units, it is conceivable that actual implementations
are well within the scope of the present disclosure, which can include without any limitation,
only a part of the proposed units or a combination of those or a division of those into subunits
in various combinations across multiple devices that can be operatively coupled with
each other, including in the cloud. Further, the units can be configured in any sequence to
achieve objectives elaborated. Also, it can be appreciated that proposed system 100 can be
configured in a computing device or across a plurality of computing devices operatively
connected with each other, wherein the computing devices can be any of a computer, a
laptop, a smart phone, an Internet enabled mobile device and the like. Therefore, all possible
modifications, implementations and embodiments of where and how the proposed system 100
is configured are well within the scope of the present invention.
[0083] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram representation of method for
guiding a user holding a walking stick and for preventing collisions between the user and
obstacles in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0084] In an aspect, the method 200 as elaborated hereunder can be described in
general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable
instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures,
modules, functions, etc., that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract
data types. The method 200 can also be practiced in a distributed computing environment
where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a
communications network. In a distributed computing environment, computer executable
instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including
memory storage devices.
[0085] According to an embodiment, the method 200 can include at a step 202,
recording, by using at least one recording unit detachably attached to a walking stick,
surrounding premises of the user, and generate a plurality of data packets in real-time based
on the recording of the surrounding premises of the user.
[0086] In an embodiment, the method 200 can include steps of: at a step 204,
identifying, by a control unit including one or more processors, at least one obstacle selected
from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a dynamic obstacle based on the generated
plurality of data packets; and at a step 206 obtaining, by the control unit, one or more
attributes associated with the at least one identified obstacle.
[0087] In an embodiment, the method 200 can include steps of: at a step 208,
controlling, by the control unit, direction of rotation of a rotary device thereby controlling
steering and movement of one or more wheels fitted to a lower portion of the walking stick
based on the one or more obtained attributes of the at least one identified obstacle; and at a
step 210, guiding, by the control unit, the user holding the walking stick to an obstacle free
path based on the controlling of the steering and movement of the one or more wheels
automatically to prevent collision of the user with the at least one identified obstacle.
[0088] In an embodiment, each of the one or more attributes can be any of a speed,
dimensions and directions of the at least one identified obstacle.
[0089] In an embodiment, the method 200 can further include a step of providing, by
a power supply unit having one or more lithium-ion batteries, power to any or a combination
of the one or more wheels, the rotary device, at least one recording unit and the control unit.
[0090] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation of smart walking stick for
guiding a user and for preventing collisions between the user and obstacles in accordance
with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0091] In an embodiment, the smart walking stick 300 can include: a handle 302 to
allow the user to hold the walking stick 300; one or more wheels 304; a rotary device 308 that
can be operatively coupled to the one or more wheels 304; at least one recording unit 310 that
can be operatively coupled to the rotary device 308; and a control unit 306 that can be
operatively coupled to the at least one recording unit 310 and to the rotary device 308.
[0092] In an embodiment, the rotary device 308 can be configured to control steering
and movement of the one or more wheels 304 automatically.
[0093] In an embodiment, the at least one recording unit 310 can be configured to
record surrounding premises of the user, and generate a plurality of data packets in real-time
based on the recording of the surrounding premises of the user.
[0094] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one recording unit 310 is a camera
that is configured to capture the surrounding premises of the user in real-time, and generate at
least one image in real-time based on the capturing of the surrounding premises of the user.
[0095] In an embodiment, the control unit 306 can be configured, programmed and
trained with one or more machine learning models (supervised, unsupervised, semisupervised
machine learning models). The control unit 306 can include the one or more
processors and the memory that can be operatively coupled with the one or more processors.
[0096] In an exemplary embodiment, the control unit 306 can be a microcontroller
(such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi-3, etc.), a microcomputer or any other computing device that
is known in the art.
[0097] In an embodiment, the control unit 306 can be configured to: identify at least
one obstacle selected from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a dynamic obstacle
based on the generated plurality of data packets; and obtain one or more attributes associated
with the at least one identified obstacle.
[0098] In an embodiment, the control unit 306 can be configured to: a control
direction of rotation of the rotary device 308 thereby controlling steering and movement of
the one or more wheels 304 fitted to the walking stick 300 automatically based on the one or
more obtained attributes of the at least one identified obstacle; and guide the user holding the
walking stick 300 to an obstacle free path based on the controlling of the steering and
movement of the one or more wheels 304 automatically to prevent collision of the user with
the at least one identified obstacle. Each of the one or more attributes can be selected from
any of a speed, dimensions and directions of the at least one identified obstacle.
[0099] In an embodiment, the rotary device 308 can include at least one stepper motor
that is configured to control steering and movement of the one or more wheels 304
automatically.
[00100] In an embodiment, the walking stick 300 can include a power supply unit that
can be operatively coupled to the control unit 306. The power supply unit can include one or
more lithium-ion batteries configured to provide power to any or a combination of the one or
more wheels 304, the rotary device 308, at least one recording unit 310 and the control unit
306.
[00101] FIG. 4 illustrates a computer system in which or with which embodiments of
the present invention can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure
[00102] As shown in FIG. 4, computer system includes an external storage device 410,
a bus 420, a main memory 430, a read only memory 440, a mass storage device 450,
communication port 460, and a processor 470. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that
computer system may include more than one processor and communication ports. Examples
of processor 470 include, but are not limited to, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2
processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® or Athlon MP® processor(s), Motorola® lines of
processors, FortiSOC™ system on a chip processors or other future processors. Processor
470 may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present invention.
Communication port 460 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dialup
connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fibre, a serial
port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. Communication port 460 may be chosen
depending on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or
any network to which computer system connects.
[00103] Memory 430 can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic
storage device commonly known in the art. Read only memory 440 can be any static storage
device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for
storing static information e.g., start-up or BIOS instructions for processor 470. Mass storage
450 may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store
information and/or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not
limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced
Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external,
e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and/or Firewire interfaces), e.g. those available from
Seagate (e.g., the Seagate Barracuda 7200 family) or Hitachi (e.g., the Hitachi Deskstar
7K1000), one or more optical discs, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage,
e.g. an array of disks (e.g., SATA arrays), available from various vendors including Dot Hill
Systems Corp., LaCie, Nexsan Technologies, Inc. and Enhance Technology, Inc.
[00104] Bus 420 communicatively couples processor(s) 470 with the other memory,
storage and communication blocks. Bus 420 can be, e.g. a Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI),
USB or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives and other subsystems as well as other
buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects processor 470 to software system.
[00105] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g. a display, keyboard,
and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to bus 420 to support direct operator
interaction with computer system. Other operator and administrative interfaces can be
provided through network connections connected through communication port 560. External
storage device 410 can be any kind of external hard-drives, floppy drives, IOMEGA® Zip
Drives, Compact Disc - Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc - Re-Writable (CDRW),
Digital Video Disk - Read Only Memory (DVD-ROM). Components described above
are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned
exemplary computer system limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[00106] Thus, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the
diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and the like represent conceptual views or processes
illustrating systems and methods embodying this invention. The functions of the various
elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well
as hardware capable of executing associated software. Similarly, any switches shown in the
figures are conceptual only. Their function may be carried out through the operation of
program logic, through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program control and
dedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique being selectable by the entity
implementing this invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art further understand that the
exemplary hardware, software, processes, methods, and/or operating systems described
herein are for illustrative purposes and, thus, are not intended to be limited to any particular
named.
[00107] While embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and
described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to these embodiments only.
Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent
to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as
described in the claim.
[00108] In the foregoing description, numerous details are set forth. It will be apparent,
however, to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, that the
present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, wellknown
structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, to avoid
obscuring the present invention.
[00109] As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term "coupled
to" is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to
each other contact each other)and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element
is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms "coupled to" and "coupled with"
are used synonymously. Within the context of this document terms "coupled to" and "coupled
with" are also used euphemistically to mean "communicatively coupled with" over a
network, where two or more devices are able to exchange data with each other over the
network, possibly via one or more intermediary device.
[00110] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications
besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts
herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of
the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all
terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In
particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to
elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced
elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements,
components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers
to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C .... and N, the text
should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus
N, etc.
[00111] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and
further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope
thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is
not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable
a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with
information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[00112] The present disclosure provides a system, smart and ergonomic walking stick
and method for guiding a user i.e. especially a blind person in order to reduce stress to the
user.
[00113] The present disclosure provides a learning system, smart walking stick and
method for guiding a user especially a blind person to prevent collisions between the blind
person and obstacles in real-time.
[00114] The present disclosure provides a simple, secure and cost-effective system,
smart walking stick and method for guiding a user (such as visually impaired user, speech
impaired user, hearing impaired user etc.) with enhanced accuracy and efficiency.
[00115] The present disclosure provides a precise and time-efficient system, smart
walking stick and method for alerting a user about upcoming obstacles and for guiding the
user without causing any injuries, accidents or fatalities to the user.
[00116] The present disclosure provides an automatic system and smart walking stick
for guiding a user to prevent collisions between the user and both long range and short range
obstacles with easy maintenance and with less-response time.

We Claim:
1. A system for guiding a user, the system comprising:
a walking stick comprises a handle to allow the user to hold the walking stick;
one or more wheels fitted to a lower portion of the walking stick;
a rotary device operatively coupled to the one or more wheels, the rotary device
configured to control steering and movement of the one or more wheels;
at least one recording unit detachably attached to the walking stick, the at least one
recording unit configured to record surrounding premises of the user, and generate a
plurality of data packets in real-time based on the recording of the surrounding
premises of the user; and
a control unit operatively coupled to the at least one recording unit and to the rotary
device, the control unit comprising one or more processors and a memory coupled
with the one or more processors, the memory storing instructions executed by the one
or more processors to:
identify at least one obstacle selected from any or a combination of a static
obstacle and a dynamic obstacle based on the generated plurality of data
packets;
obtain one or more attributes associated with the at least one identified
obstacle;
control direction of rotation of the rotary device thereby controlling steering
and movement of the one or more wheels fitted to the walking stick based on
the one or more obtained attributes of the at least one identified obstacle; and
guide the user holding the walking stick to an obstacle free path based on the
controlling of the steering and movement of the one or more wheels to prevent
collision of the user with the at least one identified obstacle.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one recording unit is a camera
configured to capture the surrounding premises of the user, and generate at least one
image based on the capturing of the surrounding premises of the user.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotary device comprises at least one
stepper motor configured to control steering and movement of the one or more wheels.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more attributes is selected
from any of a speed, dimensions and directions of the at least one obstacle.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises a power supply unit
operatively coupled to the walking stick, the power supply unit comprises one or more
lithium-ion batteries configured to provide power to any or a combination of the one or
more wheels, the rotary device, at least one recording unit and the control unit.
6. A smart walking stick for guiding a user, the walking stick comprising:
a handle to allow the user to hold the walking stick;
one or more wheels fitted to a lower portion of the walking stick;
a rotary device operatively coupled to the one or more wheels, the rotary device
configured to control steering and movement of the one or more wheels;
at least one recording unit operatively coupled to the rotary device, the at least one
recording unit configured to record surrounding premises of the user, and generate a
plurality of data packets in real-time based on the recording of the surrounding
premises of the user; and
a control unit operatively coupled to the at least one recording unit and to the rotary
device, the control unit comprising one or more processors and a memory operatively
coupled with the one or more processors, the memory storing instructions executed by
the one or more processors to:
identify at least one obstacle selected from any or a combination of a static
obstacle and a dynamic obstacle based on the generated plurality of data
packets;
obtain one or more attributes associated with the at least one identified
obstacle;
control direction of rotation of the rotary device thereby controlling steering
and movement of the one or more wheels fitted to the walking stick based on
the one or more obtained attributes of the at least one identified obstacle; and
guide the user holding the walking stick to an obstacle free path based on the
controlling of the steering and movement of the one or more wheels to prevent
collision of the user with the at least one identified obstacle.
7. The stick as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the one or more attributes is selected
from any of a speed, dimensions and directions of the at least one identified obstacle.
8. The stick as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rotary device comprises at least one stepper
motor configured to control steering and movement of the one or more wheels.
9. A method for guiding a user holding a walking stick using a handle of the walking stick,
the method comprising steps of:
recording, by using at least one recording unit detachably attached to the walking
stick, surrounding premises of the user, and generate a plurality of data packets in
real-time based on the recording of the surrounding premises of the user;
identifying, by a control unit comprising one or more processors, at least one
obstacle selected from any or a combination of a static obstacle and a dynamic
obstacle based on the generated plurality of data packets;
obtaining, by the control unit, one or more attributes associated with the at least
one identified obstacle;
controlling, by the control unit, direction of rotation of a rotary device thereby
controlling steering and movement of one or more wheels fitted to a lower portion of
the walking stick based on the one or more obtained attributes of the at least one
identified obstacle; and
guiding, by the control unit, the user holding the walking stick to an obstacle free
path based on the controlling of the steering and movement of the one or more wheels
to prevent collision of the user with the at least one identified obstacle.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the one or more attributes is selected
from any of a speed, dimensions and directions of the at least one identified obstacle.