# US 6,992,592 B2 · Radio frequency identification aiding the visually impaired with sound skins

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- Number: US 6,992,592 B2
- Document ID: US6992592B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/703,758
- Filed: 2003-11-06
- Published: 2005-05-12
- Granted: 2006-01-31
- Earliest claimed: 2003-11-06
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Michael Gilfix; Jerry Walter Malcolm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6992592B2

## CPC

- A61H 3/061: {with electronic detecting or guiding means}
- A61H 3/068: {Sticks for blind persons}
- G06K 7/10079: {the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions}
- G08G 1/005: including pedestrian guidance indicator
- G09B 21/007: {using both tactile and audible presentation of the information}
- A61H 2003/063: {with tactile perception}
- A61H 2003/065: {in the form of braille}
- A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B)

## Abstract

Methods, systems, and products for radio frequency identification aiding the visually impaired, storing a recording of a sound representing at least one attribute of an object having associated with the object a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag; activating the RFID tag with an electronic travel aid (“ETA”) for the visually impaired; retrieving the recording from storage; and playing the recording through an audio interface of the ETA. Storage of sound recording may be local or remote, and sound recordings may be sorted or indexed and retrieved from storage according to an RFID tag identification code, a classification code for the object, and a type code (a sound skin identifier) for the recording.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for radio frequency identification aiding the visually impaired, the method comprising:
storing a recording of a sound representing at least one attribute of an object, having associated with the object a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag;
storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
activating the RFID tag with an electronic travel aid (“ETA”) for the visually impaired to read the RFID tag identifier;
retrieving the recording form storage in dependence upon the RFID tag identifier and the type code of the sound skin for the recording; and
playing the recording through an audio interface of the ETA.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein;
storing a recording comprises storing a recording on the RFID tag; and
retrieving the recording comprises receiving the recording in the ETA from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is activated.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
storing a recording comprises storing a recording on the ETA;
activating the RFID tag comprises receiving in the ETA from the RFID tag an identification code for the tag; and
retrieving the recording comprises retrieving the recording from storage in the ETA in dependence upon the identification code for the tag.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
storing a recording comprises storing the recording in a remote location;
activating the RFID tag comprises receiving in the ETA from the RFID tag an identification code for the tag; and
retrieving the recording comprises retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the identification code for the tag.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
storing a recording comprises storing a recording in a remote location;
storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording comprises storing on the RFID tag a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
the method further comprises storing on the RFID tag a classification code for the object;
activating the RFID tag comprises receiving from the RFID tag in the ETA the classification code for the object and the type code for the recording; and
retrieving the recording from storage comprises retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the classification code for the object.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
storing a recording comprises storing a recording in a remote location;
storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording comprises storing in the ETA a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
the method further comprises storing on the RFID tag a classification code for the object;
activating the RFID tag comprises receiving from the RFID tag in the ETA the classification code for the object; and
retrieving the recording from storage comprises retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the classification code for the object.

### Claim 7

A system for radio frequency identification aiding the visually impaired, the system comprising:
means for storing a recording of a sound representing at least one attribute of an object, having associated with the object a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag;
means for storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
means for activating the RFID tag with an electronic travel aid (“ETA”) for the visually impaired to read the RFID tag identifier;
means for retrieving the recording from storage in dependence the RFID tag identifier and upon the type code of the sound skin for the recording; and
means for playing the recording through an audio interface of the ETA.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein;
means for storing a recording comprises means for storing a recording on the RFID tag; and
means for retrieving the recording comprises means for receiving the recording in the ETA from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is activated.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means for storing a recording on the ETA;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means for receiving in the ETA from the RFID tag an identification code for the tag; and
means for retrieving the recording comprises means for retrieving the recording from storage in the ETA in dependence upon the identification code for the tag.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means for storing the recording in a remote location;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means for receiving in the ETA from the RFID tag an identification code for the tag; and
means for retrieving the recording comprises means for retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the identification code for the tag.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means for storing a recording in a remote location;
means for storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording comprises means for storing on the RFID tag a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
the system further comprises means for storing on the RFID tag a classification code for the object;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means for receiving from the RFID tag in the ETA the classification code for the object and the type code for the recording; and
means for retrieving the recording from storage comprises means for retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the classification code for the object.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means for storing a recording in a remote location;
means for storing a type code for the recording comprises means for storing in the ETA a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
the system further comprises means for storing on the RFID tag a classification code for the object;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means for receiving from the RFID tag in the ETA the classification code for the object; and
means for retrieving the recording from storage comprises means for retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the classification code for the object.

### Claim 13

A computer program product for radio frequency identification aiding the visually impaired, the computer program product comprising:
a recording medium:
means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing a recording of a sound representing at least one attribute of an object, having associated with the object a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for activating the RFID tag with an electronic travel aid (“ETA”) for the visually impaired to read the RFID tag identifier;
means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving the recording from storage in dependence the RFID tag identifier and upon the type code of the sound skin for the recording; and
means, recorded on the recording medium, for playing the recording through an audio interface of the ETA.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer program product of claim 13 wherein;
means for storing a recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing a recording on the RFID tag; and
means for retrieving the recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving the recording in the ETA from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is activated.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing a recording on the ETA;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in the ETA from the RFID tag an identification code for the tag; and
means for retrieving the recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium for retrieving the recording from storage in the ETA in dependence upon the identification code for the tag.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing the recording in a remote location;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in the ETA from the RFID tag an identification code for the tag; and
means for retrieving the recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the identification code for the tag.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing a recording in a remote location;
means for storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing on the RFID tag a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
the computer program product further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing on the RFID tag a classification code for the object;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving from the RFID tag in the ETA the classification code for the object and the type code for the recording; and
means for retrieving the recording from storage comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the classification code for the object.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:
means for storing a recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing a recording in a remote location;
means for storing a type code of a sound skin for the recording comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing in the ETA a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
the computer program product further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing on the RFID tag a classification code for the object;
means for activating the RFID tag comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving from the RFID tag in the ETA the classification code for the object; and
means for retrieving the recording from storage comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving the recording from the remote location in dependence upon the classification code for the object.

### Claim 19

A method for radio frequency identification aiding the visually impaired, the method comprising:
storing in a remote location a recording of a sound representing at least one attribute of an object, having associated with the object a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag;
storing in an electronic travel aid (“ETA”) having a directional antenna a type code of a sound skin for the recording;
storing on the RFID tag a classification code for the object;
activating the RFID tag with an electronic travel aid (“ETA”) for the visually impaired including receiving from the RFID tag in the ETA the classification code for the object;
retrieving the recording from storage in a remote location in dependence upon the classification code for the object and the type code of the sound skin for the recording; and
playing the recording through an audio interface of the ETA.