Tactile interface system

• US 20060134586A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barbero, Jose M. Varona, Pedrazzoli, Fernando D., Armingaud, Francois-Dominique G.
• Application Number:
  US11/289,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20060134586A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/113
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

A tactile interface system is disclosed comprising a information transmission unit and a tactile interface. The information transmission unit may be located in any information system and transmits information for reception by the tactile interface. The tactile interface has a plurality of tactile character reproduction devices which are controlled by a reception unit to reproduce the information transmitted by the information transmission unit to a user of the tactile interface. In a preferred embodiment the tactile interface is a Braille interface.

Claims

1. A tactile interface comprising:

an attaching means for attaching the tactile interface to at least one digit of a user;

at least one tactile character reproduction device, located on the attaching means and proximal to a sensitive region of the at least one digit; and

a reception means for receiving transmitted information, wherein the reception means provides the received information to the at least one tactile character reproduction device.

2. The interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tactile interface is a Braille interface.

3. The interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attaching means is at least part of a glove.

4. The interface as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a storage means for storing information from the reception means and a playback means for resending the stored information to the at least one tactile character reproduction device.

5. The interface as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a translation means, wherein received information or stored information which is not in a format acceptable to the at least one tactile character reproduction device is translated by the translation means to a suitable format before being sent to the at least one tactile character reproduction device.

6. The interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reception means is a wireless reception means.

7. The interface as claimed claim 6, wherein the wireless reception means is adapted to receive transmitted information in one or more of the following communication means:

RFID, Bluetooth, WiFi or Wireless networking, or infrared.

8. An information transmission unit comprising a transmission means for transmitting information to a tactile interface including an attaching means for attaching the tactile interface to at least one digit of a user;

at least one tactile character reproduction device, located on the attaching means and proximal to a sensitive region of the at least one digit; and

a reception means for receiving transmitted information, wherein the reception means provides the received information to the at least one tactile character reproduction device.

9. The unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tactile interface is a Braille interface.

10. The unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the attaching means is at least part of a glove.

11. The unit as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a storage means for storing information from the reception means and a playback means for resending the stored information to the at least one tactile character reproduction device.

12. The unit as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a translation means, wherein received information or stored information which is not in a format acceptable to the at least one tactile character reproduction device is translated by the translation means to a suitable format before being sent to the at least one tactile character reproduction device.

13. The unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the reception means is a wireless reception means.

14. The unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the wireless reception means is adapted to receive transmitted information in one or more of the following communication means:

RFID, Bluetooth, WiFi or Wireless networking, or infrared.

15. The unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transmission means is adapted to repeat the transmission of the stored information at a predetermined interval.

16. The unit as claimed in claim 15, further comprising an input means and a storage means, wherein the input means can receive information for transmission, the storage means can store the latest information received, and the transmission means can transmit the stored information.

17. The unit as claimed in claim 16, further comprising an output means, wherein an external source can access the storage means enabling verification of the stored information.

18. A tactile interface system comprising:

an information transmission unit having a transmission means for transmitting information to a tactile interface including an attaching means for attaching the tactile interface to at least one digit of a user;

at least one tactile character reproduction device, located on the attaching means and proximal to a sensitive region of the at least one digit; and

a reception means for receiving transmitted information, wherein the reception means provides the received information to the at least one tactile character reproduction device.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the tactile interface is a Braille interface.

20. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the attaching means is at least part of a glove.