Guidance device for the sensory impaired

Abstract

Sensor data is obtained regarding an environment around a guidance device. A model of the environment is generated based on the data. The model is mapped at least to an input/output touch surface of the guidance device. Tactile output is provided to a user of the guidance device via the input/output touch surface based at least on the mapping. Other output based on the model may also be provided. The guidance device may include a variety of different components such as sensors that obtain data regarding the environment, input/output mechanisms for receiving input from and/or providing input to the user, processing units and/or other components for generating the model and/or mapping the model to various input/output mechanisms, and so on. Additionally, the guidance device may cooperate and/or communicate with a variety of different electronic devices that have one or more such components in order to perform such functions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A guidance device for a sensory impaired user, comprising:
 an input/output touch surface;   a sensor data component that obtains data regarding an environment around the guidance device; and   a processing unit, coupled to the input/output touch surface and the sensor data component, that:
 generates a model of the environment based at least on the data; 
 maps the model to the input/output touch surface; and 
 provides tactile output to a user based at least on the mapping via the input/output touch surface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The guidance device of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile output comprises an arrangement of raised portions of the input/output touch surface or other tactile feedback configured to produce a tactile sensation of bumps. 
     
     
         3 . The guidance device of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile output includes a representation of an object in the environment and a region of the input/output touch surface where the representation is provided corresponds to positional information regarding the object. 
     
     
         4 . The guidance device of  claim 3 , wherein the positional information regarding the object corresponding to the region is first positional information when the tactile output includes a first positional information context indicator and second positional information when the tactile output includes a second positional information context indicator. 
     
     
         5 . The guidance device of  claim 3 , wherein a shape of the representation is associated with a detected shape of the object. 
     
     
         6 . The guidance device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor data component receives at least a portion of the data from another electronic device. 
     
     
         7 . The guidance device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit provides at least one audio notification based at least on the model via an audio component of the guidance device or another electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . An assistance device for a sensory impaired user, comprising:
 a surface operable to detect touch and provide tactile output;   a sensor that detects information about an environment; and   a processing unit, coupled to the surface and the sensor, that:
 determines a portion of the surface being touched; 
 selects a subset of the information for output; and 
 provides the tactile output to a user corresponding to the subset of the information via the portion of the surface. 
   
     
     
         9 . The assistance device of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor detects orientation information regarding the assistance device and the processing unit provides the tactile output via the portion of the surface according to the orientation information. 
     
     
         10 . The assistance device of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor detects location information regarding the assistance device and the tactile output includes a direction indication associated with navigation to a destination. 
     
     
         11 . The assistance device of  claim 8 , wherein the tactile output includes an indication of at least one of:
 a height of an object in the environment;   that the object is traveling in a course that will connect with a user; or   that the user is approaching the object and the object is below a head height of the user.   
     
     
         12 . The assistance device of  claim 8 , wherein the tactile output includes a first representation of a first object located in a direction of travel of the assistance device and a second representation of a second object located in an opposite direction of the direction of travel. 
     
     
         13 . The assistance device of  claim 12 , wherein regions of the portion of the surface where the first representation and the second representation are provided indicate that the first object is located in the direction of travel and the second object is located in the opposite direction of the direction of travel. 
     
     
         14 . The assistance device of  claim 8 , wherein the tactile output includes a representation of an object in the environment and a texture of the representation is associated with a detected texture of the object. 
     
     
         15 . The assistance device of  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit provides an audio notification via an audio component upon determining that the assistance device experiences a fall event during use. 
     
     
         16 . An environmental exploration device, comprising:
 a cylindrical housing;   a processing unit located within the cylindrical housing;   a touch sensing device, coupled to the processing unit, positioned over the cylindrical housing;   a haptic device, coupled to the processing unit, positioned adjacent to the touch sensing device; and   an image sensor, coupled to the processing unit, that detects image data about an area around the cylindrical housing;   wherein the processing unit:
 analyzes the image data using image recognition to identify an object; 
 creates an output image representing the object and positional information regarding the object in the area; 
 maps the output image to the haptic device; and 
 provides the output image as tactile output to a user via the haptic device. 
   
     
     
         17 . The environmental exploration device of  claim 16 , wherein the haptic device comprises piezoelectric cells. 
     
     
         18 . The environmental exploration device of  claim 16 , wherein the processing unit provides an audio description of the object and the positional information via an audio component. 
     
     
         19 . The environmental exploration device of  claim 16 , wherein the processing unit determines details of a hand of the user that is touching the touch sensing device and maps the output image to the haptic device in accordance with whether the hand is a left hand of the user, a right hand of the user, has a large palm size, has a small palm size, has less than four fingers, or does not have a thumb. 
     
     
         20 . The environmental exploration device of  claim 16 , further comprising a weight component coupled to the cylindrical housing operable to alter an orientation of the environmental exploration device. 
     
     
         21 . The environmental exploration device of  claim 16 , wherein the processing unit receives detected speech and provides a tactile representation of the detected speech via the haptic device.