Laser obstacle detector

Abstract

The present invention provides a device for assisting a person in determining the presence or identity of obstacles in the person's path, characterized by a housing, a laser projector for generating a laser pattern on a surface in said person's path, a receiver for at least receiving a plurality of images of the laser pattern reflected from the surface and for generating a signal corresponding to said laser pattern reflection and a processor for processing said signal to at least determine the presence or identity of an object, and a warning generator for generating a warning to the person. The present invention also provides a method for assisting a person in determining the presence of an object in a person's path comprising generating a laser pattern comprising a plurality of laser lines on a surface, distinguishing between one or more straight line segments in the laser pattern and distorted line segments of said laser pattern after they are reflected from said surface and evaluating the distortions in said line segments of said laser pattern to determine the presence or identity of an object in the person's path. The present invention can be used to assist the visually impaired in seeing objects in their path or can be used by a sighted user in game play or at night for detecting obstacles. Some of the functions of the present device can be provided in a smart phone which can be adapted with a laser projection as a separate attachment or as part of the smart phone circuitry.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A device for assisting a person in determining the presence or identity of obstacles in that person's path, characterized by:
 a housing  41 ;   a laser projector  14  for generating a laser pattern on a surface in said person's path;   a receiver  16  for at least receiving a plurality of images of said laser pattern reflected from said surface and for generating a signal corresponding to said laser pattern;   a processor  58  for processing said signal to at least determine the presence or identity of an object; and   a warning generator  45  for generating a warning to said person.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said laser projector comprises an infrared laser projector. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said receiver comprises a camera. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said laser pattern comprises a plurality of non-parallel laser lines. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of non-parallel laser lines are arranged in an intersecting pattern 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said processor can distinguish between continuous straight line segments generated by said laser projector, and distorted versions of said continuous straight line segments. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein said distorted versions of said continuous straight line segments represent an indication of an object in that person's path. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said receiver, processor, and warning generator comprise portions of a smart phone, and said laser projector comprises an attachment to said smart phone. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein said receiver comprises a built-in camera of said smart phone and said built-in camera records said person's path with and without the laser pattern, and digitally subtracts a background scene from said person's path to isolate said laser pattern reflected from its surface. 
     
     
         10 . A device for assisting a person to determine the presence or identity of an object in that person's path, characterized by:
 a smart phone  98  having a camera  106  and processor and warning generator for generating a signal which can be felt or heard by said person;   a laser projector attachment  100  for electrically connecting to said smart phone  98 , said laser projector attachment  100  providing a laser pattern  18  which can be recorded by the camera  106  and then processed by the processor to detect a non-uniformity  110  of the projected laser pattern indicative of an object in said person's path.   
     
     
         11 . A method for assisting a person in determining the presence of an object in that person's path, characterized by:
 generating a laser pattern comprising a plurality of laser lines on a surface in said person's path;   distinguishing between one or more straight line segments in said laser pattern and distorted line segments of said laser pattern after it is reflected from said surface; and   evaluating the distortions in said line segments of said laser pattern to determine the presence or identity of an object in said person's path.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said evaluation step comprises recording said reflected laser pattern as an image against a background scene and then digitally removing the background scene. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said distinguishing step comprises detecting a non-uniformity in one or more laser pattern line segments indicative of an obstacle in said person's path. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising applying an edge detection algorithm to a stored image to determine if the reflected pattern is an obstacle. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said method further comprises generating a warning signal to said person when an obstacle is detected. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said method comprises generating a warning signal to said person that helps said person identify said object.