A VISUAL AND/OR ACOUSTIC AID FOR PERSONAL USE, AND USE OF THE SAME

Abstract: A visual and/or acoustic aid for personal use consists of an activation device (1, 12, 18) which, via signals received from a control unit (10, 13, 20), can be caused to assume an active state in which it transmits activation signals back to the control unit, which can activate a message device capable of emitting an acoustic/visual message and/or an activation signal and/or an information message. The invented system is particularly useful for handicapped persons in connection with the control of e.g. traffic lights, where a blind person can start a sound signal for the passage of a road by means of the activation device and the control unit. Other uses of the invented system are e.g. opening of doors, e.g. to bathrooms for the handicapped or sliding doors for both public and privates offices, start/stop of various automation systems, etc.

Description: A visual and/or acoustic aid for personal use, and use of the same The invention concerns a visual and/or acoustic aid for personal use, preferably for handicapped persons, and of the type where a person is in possession of an activation device which is capable of activating an information source. The European Patent Application No. 338 997 and US Patent No. 5 409 380 describe systems of the above-mentioned type. In these known systems, a handicapped person is in possession of a transmitter which can transmit signals via infrared signals to a receiver, which is mounted e.g. on traffic lights at crossings controlled by such lights. However, for the system to work, a blind person himself has to activate his transmitter and thereby activate a receiver which can then emit sound signals enabling the blind person to hear when the crossing is clear. Of course, it is necessary for the blind person to know where the receiver is, if he is to activate it, because the transmitter carried by him is to point to precisely the receiver concerned. Further, there are systems where sound signals are con¬ stantly emitted in crossings controlled by lights, said sound signals being controlled in response to the colour signal of a traffic light, where red and yellow signals generate a first sound frequency, while green light gen¬ erates a second sound frequency which is easy to distin¬ guish from the first one. In general, the strength of the sound signals depends on the ambient noise, so that the sound signals are intensified when the ambient noise in- creases. These last-mentioned systems have been found to have the drawback that they can be a nuisance to persons having their residence in the vicinity of the traffic lights, in particular at night where the ambient noise is relatively small. Accordingly, the object of the invention is to improve the previously known equipment such that e.g. a blind person or another handicapped person does not have to ac¬ tivate the activation device himself to make it change to a functional position where it transmits signals to an information source. Another object is to reduce the emission of sound to a minimum. The object is achieved by a visual and/or acoustic aid of the type defined in the introductory portion of claim 1, which is characterized in that the information source comprises a control unit to which one or more antennas are connected, said antennas being adapted to transmit signals to the activation device which, upon reception of the signals, assumes an active state in which it can af¬ fect the antenna, which transmits a signal back to the control unit, which can then activate a message device capable of emitting an acoustic/visual message and/or an activation signal and/or an information message. This structure provides a system which "does not need tending". The person carrying the activation device thus does not have to take any steps to activate an informa- tion source. If, as stated in claim 2, a variable time delay is intro¬ duced into the message device to emit message signals at a time later than the time at which the activation device activates the control unit, it is ensured that the mes¬ sage to the handicapped person may be synchronized with e.g. green light, so that the blind person does not get any information that the road is clear e.g. just before the light signal changes from green to red. This means that the message may be started at the time when the green signal is turned on. As stated in claim 3, the activation of the control unit by the activation device while the message signal is emitted, prolongs the duration of the message signal by a span of time which corresponds to a whole new period. The handicapped person can hereby always be certain that there is no premature switching from "green" to "red". If, as stated in claim 4, the activation device is con¬ structed as a transponder which is energized from the control unit via the antenna, it is ensured that the ac¬ tivation device does not have to be provided with bat¬ teries which have to be exchanged. As stated in claim 5, the activation device can recognize a series of signals from the control unit, some of which make the activation device active for emission of a con¬ trol signal to the control unit, while others of the sig- nals allow the activation device to remain passive. The aid may hereby be adapted to various conditions. For example, a visionally impaired or blind person who is to pass a crossing controlled by lights, will need a sound signal. It will also be an advantage for the visionally impaired or blind person to be able to open a door to a bathroom without "having to search for" the handle. On the other hand, a wheel chair user will hardly need to have activated a signal in connection with a crossing of a road, while a door to a bathroom may expediently be opened by means of the invented device. In an embodiment of the invention, the activation device may have a permanently programmable unit or a freely pro¬ grammable unit. The activation device may hereby be adapted to various uses which may involve activation devices of a certain standard type or more specific user-adapted activatable units, which is achieved particularly by using a freely programmable unit. Expedient embodiment of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. As mentioned, the invention also concerns a use of a vis- ual and/or acoustic information transfer equipment ac¬ cording to the invention. These uses are defined more fully in claims 9, 10 and 11. The invention will now be explained more fully with ref- erence to an example of the invention shown in the draw¬ ing, in which fig. 1 shows the basic structure of a visual and/or acoustic information transfer equipment according to the invention, fig. 2 schematically shows the equipment of the invention placed at a crossing, fig. 3 shows the equipment arranged to open a door, fig. 4 shows the equipment of the invention in connection with activation of a visual information system, while fig. 5 shows the equipment of the invention in connection with the activation of an acoustic informatics system. As shown in fig. 1, the equipment of the invention con¬ sists of the main components of a transponder which is designated by the reference numeral 1, an antenna 2 and a control unit 3. The basic function of the equipment shown in fig. 1 will now be explained briefly. The control unit 3 currently emits εignals via the antenna 2, which can be captured by the transponder 1 when it gets into a region in which the signal strength of the control unit 3 is high enough. The transponder 1 is energized by the control unit 3, and af¬ ter the transponder 1 has gone into the active state, the control unit 3 will be able to control various devices capable of providing messages of e.g. acoustic/visual type, which may be a tone signal and a synthetic speech signal or even activation signals e.g. to open a door, turn off light, etc. Fig. 2 shows an aid used in a crossing controlled by lights. The equipment consists of a plurality of antennas here designated by 6. Expediently, the antennas are con¬ cealed in the road, e.g. by being embedded. Further, the drawing shows a plurality of acoustic signal generators having the reference numeral 9. A control unit 10 con- trols the signals of the antenna and the visual and/or acoustic signal sources, as will be explained more fully below. In some cases, some amplifiers/relays 7 may addi¬ tionally be provided to avoid radio noise interference, because the signals emitted by the antennas are rela- tively weak. The mode of operation of the system is as follows: If e.g. a blind person wishes to cross the sidewalk 5 in fig. 2, and the person has a transponder 1 according to the invention, the transponder 1, owing to its presence in the crossing 4, will be affected by the control unit 10, which currently emits signals through the antennas 6, and then the transponder 1 assumes an active state so that it can transmit signals through the antennas 6 back to the control unit 10, which can then activate the sound generators 9 in a manner, which will not be described in detail. The equipment is adapted such all the signal gen¬ erators are affected when a person crosses the pedestrian crossing 5. Further, the system of the invention is op- erationally reliable in that the signalling is adapted such that the emission of sounds takes place only when the control system of the crossing beings a new periods of green light, so that a passing person will not be "tempted" to enter a crossing where the green light is about to change to red light. Further, a blind person ar¬ riving at the crossing in the middle of a sound emission period will make the system begin on a fresh period so that there will be ample time to pass the crossing. Fig. 3 shows another use of the equipment of the inven¬ tion. In the figure, 11 designates a wheel chair which is equipped with a transponder 12, which may very well be concealed on the wheel chair 11. Further, the figure shows the antenna 16 which communicates with the control unit 13. The system operates in the manner that when a wheel chair user approaches a door having a lock 15, the transponder 12 will enter into an active state, in which it is affected by the antenna 16, which hereby activates the transponder 12 and transmits a signal back to the control unit 13 ensuring that the lock 15 of the door will be opened by mans of a suitable electronic unlocking mechanism. Further, the door automatically opens. It closes again after a predetermined period of time, so that the handicapped person himself does not have to af- feet the door mechanically in any manner. Fig. 4 shows another use of the equipment of the inven¬ tion, where a person 17 wishes to see a map of the town in which he is present. For this purpose, the person 17 has a transponder 18 which, when it approaches the stan- dard 19 equipped with the control unit 20, turns on the standard for display of visual information. Fig. 5 shows a system similar to that in fig. 3, but with the difference that it is a sound signal generator 23 which lends itself for use particularly by blind or visu¬ ally impaired persons . The system operates in the same manner as the system in fig. 4. Although the invention has been explained particularly in connection with specific uses for handicapped persons, it is within the scope defined by the claims to use the sys¬ tem in many other application without departing from the idea of the inventions . Examples of other applications include: - residential homes for persons suffering from dementia senilis, where the equipment alarms the nursing staff if the patient tries to leave a ward/an area of the residen- tial home - in the hospital sector to identify both beds and pa¬ tients and thus door opening possibilities/lift reserva¬ tions with automation access control systems

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. A visual and/or acoustic aid for personal use, pref- erably for handicapped persons, and of the type where a person is in possession of an activation device (1, 12, 18) which is capable of activating an information source, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the information source comprises a control unit (10, 13, 20) to which one or more antennas (6, 10) are coupled, said antennas being adapted to transmit signals to the activation device (1, 12, 18), which, upon reception of the signals, assumes an active state in which it can affect the antenna, which transmits a signal back to the control unit, which can then activate a message device (9, 10, 23) capable of emitting an acoustic/visual message and/or an activation signal and/or an information message. 2. An aid according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d the message device (10, 19, 23) includes a vari¬ able time delay to emit message signals at a time which is later than the time at which the activation device ac¬ tivates the control unit. 3. An aid according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the activation of the control unit by the activation device while the message signal is emit¬ ted, prolongs the duration of the message signal by a span of time which corresponds to a whole new period. 4. An aid according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the activation device is a transponder (1, 12, 18) which is energized from the control unit via the antenna. 5. An aid according to claims l to 4, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the activation device (1, 12, 18) can recognize a series of signals from the control unit (10, 13, 20), some of which make the activation device active for emission of a control signal to the control unit, while others of the signals allow the activation device to remain passive. 6. An aid according to claims 1 to 5, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the activation device has a perma- nently programmable unit or a freely programmable unit. 7. An aid according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the antennas (6) are concealed, e.g. embedded in a road surface. 8. An aid according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the activation device is concealed on the person, or is concealed on an article carried by the person, such as a stick, or on a wheel chair. 9. Use of an aid according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to control sound signal emission in a road system con¬ trolled by traffic lights. 10. Use of an aid according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to open and close doors. 11. Use of an aid according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to control informatics systems.

Inventors: ANDERSEN STIG, ANDERSEN, STIG
Applicants: ANDERSEN STIG, DANSK SERVICE CENTER, ANDERSEN, STIG
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61F4
IPC codes: A61F4, G08G1, G09B21