Portable reading device with display capability

• US 20040098262A1
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medaline Elizabeth Philbert
• Original Assignee: Medaline Elizabeth Philbert
• Inventors: Philbert, Medaline Elizabeth
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A hand held device that captures information and provides the capability to read and/or display the information. The device enables blind and/or visual impaired persons to read print materials anytime, anywhere. The device includes a photoelement array to capture print information, text-to-voice-technology, a flat-panel display, a microphone for receiving dictated information, a computer processor, storage, and a headphone to listen to the transmission of captured information.

Claims

1. A portable reading device for printed information, comprising:

a photoelement array to capture print information;

a memory for saving said data;

text-to-voice technology to read captured information;

a flat-panel display to display captured information;

a processor in communication with said memory and text-to-voice technology;

a speaker in communication with the processor;

a microphone for receiving audible information;

a headphone for receiving the text-to-voice information.

2. A method for transferring captured information from a hand-held reading device to internal applications, comprising the steps of:

capturing print information with device;

temporarily saving captured information in a storage medium;

reading captured information via text-to-voice technology;

displaying captured information on flat-panel display;

reading captured information via text-to-voice technology and displaying captured information on flat-panel display.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a completion code such that said completion code beeps to signal the completion of capture information at the end of a page.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the device having a program code for pausing during image capture and appending when resuming capture of a large page, for example, a newspaper, or the following page of a textbook, the program comprising:

logic configured for interpreting interruption during capture process when operational buttons, Read and/or Display, are not activated; and

logic configured to append capture information when the device base resumes contact with the page all the while with the image capture buttons depressed.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor executes the text-to-voice technology to read information through the speaker, wherein a voice may be generated from speech synthesizer software or wherein a voice may be generated from the microphone.

6. The device of claim 2, further comprising of a flat-panel display such that captured information in memory executed by the processor displays on the flat-panel display in accordance with text-to-voice technology.

7. A portable reading device for printed information comprising:

a photoelement array to capture print information;

a memory for saving said data;

text-to-voice technology to read captured information;

a processor in communication with said memory, text-to-voice technology, and flat-panel display;

a speaker in communication with the processor;

a microphone for receiving audible information, with the microphone being in communication with the processor;

a headphone for receiving the text-to-voice information.

a flat-panel display such that captured information in memory executed by a processor residing in the device displays on the flat-panel display or in accordance with text-to-voice technology;

8. A portable reading device, as recited in claim 7, in which captured information is displayed on flat-panel display without the overlay of text-to-voice technology.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is a hand-held reading device.

10. A portable reading device according to claim 7, having a program for conversion of captured information to text-to-voice technology within the device, the program comprising:

logic configured for reading capture information utilizing text-to-voice technology; and

/or

display text as read on the flat-panel display in marquee style.