Patent ID: 6486784
Filing Date: 2002-11-26
Classification: A61H

Abstract:
System enabling blind or partially sighted subjects (40) to find their bearings and way in an unknown environment (41, 46), said system comprising:firstly, a plurality of micro-transmitters (20, 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d), particularly in the form of chips positioned along the path (41, 46) to be followed by blind or partially sighted subjects; said chips comprising a memory (25) containing bearing information concerning the position and the path to follow, and transmission means (26, 27) to transmit said bearing information, secondly, a portable object (1, 11) provided to blind or partially sighted subjects comprising (40), means to receive (7, 8) the information transmitted by the micro-transmitters (20), means to select (16) a destination, calculation means (6) to calculate the direction of movement (45a, 45b, 45c, 45d) of blind or partially sighted subjects with reference to the direction of a bearing (12), particularly a compass, and to calculate the direction to follow (17, 44, 47) according to the direction of the bearing (12), the selected destination and the information transmitted by the micro-transmitters (20), means for transmitting (2) the direction to follow (17, 44, 47) to blind or partially sighted subjects (40), particularly tactile means or audio means.