PROVIDING A LOCATION AND ITEM IDENTIFICATION DATA TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED SHOPPERS IN A SITE HAVING BARCODE LABELS
First Claim
1. A system for providing information within a site, wherein said system comprises:
- a plurality of barcode labels placed at a plurality of locations within said site, wherein each barcode label within said plurality of barcode labels includes a pattern of parallel markings representing a coded value, and a portable device including;
a barcode reader producing electrical signals in response to patterns of said parallel markings;
an audio amplifier;
an audio speaker driven by said audio amplifier;
data storage including a barcode location data structure having a first field containing data representing a plurality of coded values, a second field containing data representing a plurality of values of a first location coordinate, a third field containing data representing a plurality of values of a second location coordinate, wherein each coded value in said plurality of coded values is represented by a pattern of parallel markings on a barcode label within said plurality of barcode labels, wherein each first location coordinate within said second field and each corresponding second location coordinate within said third field form a set of location coordinates representing a location of a label having a corresponding coded value in said first field; and
a processor programmed to generate a most recently read coded value represented by a pattern of parallel markings read by said barcode reader in response to said electrical signals produced by said barcode reader, to find a set of location coordinates within said second and third fields of said first data structure corresponding to said coded value, to generate a pattern of synthetic speech describing a location represented by said set of location coordinates, and to cause said audio amplifier to drive said speaker in response to a generated pattern of synthetic speech.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable unit assists a visually impaired user within a store by providing an output, using speech synthesis, of his location based on reading various barcode labels. The location of each barcode label is determined from data stored within the portable unit. The portable unit also determines a path between the user'"'"'s location and an item he selects to find, describing the path using speech synthesis. The user can select, by speech or by depressing a button, items for a target list. Preferably, some barcode labels identify an end of an aisle, which cause the portable unit to describe, using speech synthesis, items on the aisle and items in the target list on the aisle.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A system for providing information within a site, wherein said system comprises:
-
a plurality of barcode labels placed at a plurality of locations within said site, wherein each barcode label within said plurality of barcode labels includes a pattern of parallel markings representing a coded value, and a portable device including;
a barcode reader producing electrical signals in response to patterns of said parallel markings;
an audio amplifier;
an audio speaker driven by said audio amplifier;
data storage including a barcode location data structure having a first field containing data representing a plurality of coded values, a second field containing data representing a plurality of values of a first location coordinate, a third field containing data representing a plurality of values of a second location coordinate, wherein each coded value in said plurality of coded values is represented by a pattern of parallel markings on a barcode label within said plurality of barcode labels, wherein each first location coordinate within said second field and each corresponding second location coordinate within said third field form a set of location coordinates representing a location of a label having a corresponding coded value in said first field; and
a processor programmed to generate a most recently read coded value represented by a pattern of parallel markings read by said barcode reader in response to said electrical signals produced by said barcode reader, to find a set of location coordinates within said second and third fields of said first data structure corresponding to said coded value, to generate a pattern of synthetic speech describing a location represented by said set of location coordinates, and to cause said audio amplifier to drive said speaker in response to a generated pattern of synthetic speech. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
14. A method performed within a portable device for providing information for providing information within a site based on a plurality of barcode labels within said site, wherein said method comprises:
-
downloading information describing coded values of barcode labels within said site and locations of said barcode labels within said site;
storing said information in a barcode location data structure;
reading a barcode label;
generating a most recently read coded value from said barcode label;
determining a location of said barcode label from said information stored within said barcode location data structure;
generating a pattern of synthetic speech describing said location of said barcode label; and
driving an audio speaker in response to said pattern of synthetic speech describing said location of said barcode label.
-
-
19. A method performed within a portable device for providing information within a site based on a plurality of barcode labels within said site, wherein said method comprises:
-
storing, within a barcode location data structure, a plurality of coded values in a first field, a plurality of first coordinate values in a second field, and a plurality of second coordinate values in a third field, wherein each coded value in said plurality of coded values is represented by a pattern of parallel markings on a barcode label in said plurality of barcode labels, and wherein each first location coordinate within said second field and each corresponding second location coordinate within said third field form a set of location coordinates representing a location of a label having a corresponding coded value in said first field;
reading a barcode label within said plurality of barcode labels;
generating a most recently read coded value from said barcode label most recently read;
finding a stored coded value matching said most recently read coded value from a plurality of coded values stored within said first field of said barcode location data structure;
finding a first location coordinate matching said most recently read coded value within data stored in a second field of said barcode location data structure at a location corresponding to said stored coded value matching said most recently read coded value;
finding a second location coordinate matching said most recently read coded value within data stored in a third field of said barcode location data structure corresponding to said stored coded value matching said most recently read coded value;
generating a pattern of synthetic speech describing a location represented by said first and second location coordinates matching said most recently read coded value; and
driving an audio speaker in response to said pattern of synthetic speech.
-
Specification