Method and apparatus for dimensional proximity sensing for the visually impaired
View Patent ↗A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for providing a dimension and a proximity of an object are disclosed. For example, the method receives a three dimensional depth map expressed as a two dimensional array of gray values, rasterizes the two dimensional array of gray values into vertical scan lines and horizontal scan lines for a left speaker and a right speaker and converts the vertical scan lines and the horizontal scan lines into a double beep, wherein a first beep of the double beep represents a vertical dimension of the object, the second beep of the double beep represents a horizontal dimension of the object, an intensity of each beep of the double beep represents the proximity of the object and a frequency spectrum of the double beep represents a shape of the object.
1. A method for providing a dimension and a proximity of an object, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a three dimensional depth map expressed as a two dimensional array of gray values;
rasterizing, by the processor, the two dimensional array of gray values into vertical scan lines and horizontal scan lines for a left speaker and a right speaker; and
converting, by the processor, the vertical scan lines and the horizontal scan lines into a double beep, wherein a first beep of the double beep represents a vertical dimension of the object, the second beep of the double beep represents a horizontal dimension of the object, an intensity of each beep of the double beep represents the proximity of the object and a frequency spectrum of the double beep represents a shape of the object.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two dimensional array of gray values is divided into a left section, a center section and a right section and the rasterizing and the converting are performed for the left speaker on the left section and the right speaker on the right section.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a left double beep in the left speaker represents a first object in the left section and a right double beep in the right speaker represents a second object in the right section.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rasterizing comprises:
performing, by the processor, a first rasterization on the two dimensional array of gray values to obtain the vertical scan lines; and
performing, by the processor, a second rasterization on the two dimensional array of gray values to obtain the horizontal scan lines.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object is a closest object in a field of view.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving, the rasterizing and the converting are continuously performed on a series of consecutively captured three dimensional depth maps, wherein each one of the series of consecutively captured three dimensional depths maps represents a particular instance of the object or a new object.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shape comprises a square shape, a rectangular shape, a pyramidal shape, a combination of shapes or a random shape.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a change in the intensity of each beep of the double beep over a period of time while the a visually impaired person remains at a location represents a movement of the object.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing a dimension and a proximity of an object, the operations comprising:
receiving a three dimensional depth map expressed as a two dimensional array of gray values;
rasterizing the two dimensional array of gray values into vertical scan lines and horizontal scan lines for a left speaker and a right speaker; and
converting the vertical scan lines and the horizontal scan lines into a double beep, wherein a first beep of the double beep represents a vertical dimension of the object, the second beep of the double beep represents a horizontal dimension of the object, an intensity of each beep of the double beep represents the proximity of the object and a frequency spectrum of the double beep represents a shape of the object.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the two dimensional array of gray values is divided into a left section, a center section and a right section and the rasterizing and the converting are performed for the left speaker on the left section and the right speaker on the right section.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein a left double beep in the left speaker represents a first object in the left section and a right double beep in the right speaker represents a second object in the right section.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the rasterizing comprises:
performing a first rasterization on the two dimensional array of gray values to obtain the vertical scan lines; and
performing a second rasterization on the two dimensional array of gray values to obtain the horizontal scan lines.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the object is a closest object in a field of view.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the receiving, the rasterizing and the converting are continuously performed on a series of consecutively captured three dimensional depth maps, wherein each one of the series of consecutively captured three dimensional depths maps represents a particular instance of the object or a new object.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the shape comprises a square shape, a rectangular shape, a pyramidal shape, a combination of shapes or a random shape.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein a change in the intensity of each beep of the double beep over a period of time while a visually impaired person remains at a location represents a movement of the object.
17. A pair of glasses for providing a dimension and a proximity of an object comprising:
a time of flight camera for generating a three dimensional depth map;
a left speaker;
a right speaker; and
a processor coupled to the time of flight camera for converting the three dimensional depth map into a two dimensional array of gray values, rasterizing the two dimensional array of gray values into vertical scan lines and horizontal scan lines for the left speaker and the right speaker and converting the vertical scan lines and the horizontal scan lines into a left side double beep outputted by the left speaker and a right side double beep outputted by the right speaker, wherein a first beep of the left side double beep and the right side double beep represents a vertical dimension of the object, the second beep of the left side double beep and the right side double beep represents a horizontal dimension of the object, an intensity of each beep of the left side double beep and the right side double beep represents the proximity of the object and a frequency spectrum of a series of left side double beeps and a series of right side double beeps represents a shape of the object.
18. The pair of glasses of claim 17 , wherein the two dimensional array of gray values is divided into a left section, a center section and a right section and the rasterizing and the converting are performed for the left speaker on the left section and the right speaker on the right section, wherein the left side double beep represents a first object in the left section and the right side double beep represents a second object in the right section.
19. The pair of glasses of claim 17 , wherein the left side double beep and the right side double beep are outputted simultaneously.
20. The pair of glasses of claim 17 , wherein the rasterizing by the processor comprises a first rasterization on the two dimensional array of gray values to obtain the vertical scan lines and a second rasterization on the two dimensional array of gray values to obtain the horizontal scan lines.