Patent ID: 8825389

Claim:
A mobility device for directing a visually impaired person past an obstacle, the mobility device comprising: an elongate handle housing having an outer surface adapted to be grasped by the visually impaired person; and a laser detection apparatus operably mounted in the handle housing of the mobility device for detecting the presence of the obstacle, the laser detection apparatus comprising: a computer microcontroller; a mobile power supply operably connected with the computer microcontroller; a transmitter operably connected with the computer microcontroller; a laser diode operably connected with the transmitter for transmitting a laser pulse responsive to the transmitter; an optical detector for receiving a reflected pulse reflected from the obstacle; a receiver operably connected with the optical detector and also operably connected with the computer microcontroller for transmitting a signal to the computer microcontroller upon receipt of the reflected pulse, so that the computer microcontroller can determine a distance that the laser pulse travelled before being reflected; a plurality of vibrating tactile transmitters arrayed on the outer surface of the handle for indicating to the visually impaired person the distance to the obstacle from the laser detection apparatus; and a gyroscope operably connected with the computer microcontroller for determining an angle of the laser pulse with respect to a ground surface wherein the computer microcontroller functions to determine when the laser detection apparatus is detecting a ground surface rather than an obstacle, based upon the angle detected using the gyroscope, and wherein the vibrating tactile transmitters vibrate at a different rate, or in a different pattern, or both, to indicate when the mobility device is detecting the ground rather than the obstacle.