Road crossing assistance for the visually impaired

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques and systems to guide a visually impaired user through an urban area, such as, across a crosswalk. A mobile device may receive messages broadcast by wireless beacons deployed in an area and determine a path, for example, across a crosswalk, based on the messages. The mobile device can then provide feedback to guide a visually impaired user across the crosswalk.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving navigation feedback from a mobile device, the navigation feedback to include an indication of a path through an area; and   generating a traffic control directive for one or more traffic signals in the area based on the path.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , the indication of the path through the area to providing a guide between one or more wireless beacons. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , comprising receiving the navigation feedback via a network interface. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , the traffic control directive to include an indication to change states of at least one of the one or more traffic signals or to include an indication to not change states of at least one of the one or more traffic signals. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , comprising receiving one or more broadcast messages from one or more wireless beacons and generate the traffic control direct based on the navigation feedback and the one or more broadcast messages. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , comprising causing one or more traffic signals to change from one color to another color based on the traffic control directive. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , comprising causing one or more traffic signals to remain a same color based on the traffic control directive. 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus, comprising:
 circuitry;   memory coupled with the circuitry, the memory operable to store one or more instructions, that when executed cause the circuitry to:   receive navigation feedback from a mobile device, the navigation feedback to include an indication of a path through an area; and   generate a traffic control directive for one or more traffic signals in the area based on the path.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , the indication of the path through the area to providing a guide between one or more wireless beacons. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , the circuitry to receive the navigation feedback via a network interface. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , the traffic control directive to include an indication to change states of at least one of the one or more traffic signals or to include an indication to not change states of at least one of the one or more traffic signals. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , the circuitry to receive one or more broadcast messages from one or more wireless beacons and generate the traffic control direct based on the navigation feedback and the one or more broadcast messages. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , the circuitry to cause one or more traffic signals to change from one color to another color based on the traffic control directive. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , the circuitry to cause one or more traffic signals to remain a same color based on the traffic control directive. 
     
     
         40 . At least one machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed by a processing component of a device to cause the device to:
 receive navigation feedback from a mobile device, the navigation feedback to include an indication of a path through an area; and   generate a traffic control directive for one or more traffic signals in the area based on the path.   
     
     
         41 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 40 , the indication of the path through the area to providing a guide between one or more wireless beacons. 
     
     
         42 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 40 , the device to receive the navigation feedback via a network interface. 
     
     
         43 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 40 , the traffic control directive to include an indication to change states of at least one of the one or more traffic signals or to include an indication to not change states of at least one of the one or more traffic signals. 
     
     
         44 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 40 , the device to receive one or more broadcast messages from one or more wireless beacons and generate the traffic control direct based on the navigation feedback and the one or more broadcast messages. 
     
     
         45 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 40 , the device to cause one or more traffic signals to change from one color to another color based on the traffic control directive. 
     
     
         46 . The at least one machine readable medium of  claim 40 , the device to cause one or more traffic signals to remain a same color based on the traffic control directive.