BRAILLE-CHARACTER DISPLAY DEVICE, AND PORTABLE TERMINAL INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20080206722A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Fukami, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/114
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/02 Devices for Braille writing typewriters for Braille B41J3/32

Abstract

A Braille-character display device includes a movable pin array, a plurality of movable pin pressing parts, a Braille-character generating part and a movable pin controlling part. The movable pin array has a plurality of movable pins arranged in a matrix form. The plurality of movable pin pressing parts presses the plurality of movable pins, respectively. The Braille-character generating part generates Braille characters. The movable pin controlling part allows the movable pin pressing parts to press the movable pins corresponding to a pattern of the generated Braille characters.

Claims

1. A Braille-character display device comprising:

a movable pin array having a plurality of movable pins arranged in a matrix form;

a plurality of movable pin pressing parts pressing the plurality of movable pins, respectively;

a Braille-character generating part generating Braille characters; and

a movable pin controlling part allowing the movable pin pressing parts to press the movable pins corresponding to a pattern of the generated Braille characters.

2. The Braille-character display device according to claim 1, wherein

the movable pin controlling part shifts the pattern of the Braille characters formed by the movable pins in a certain direction.

3. The Braille-character display device according to claim 2, wherein

the movable pins move successively in a vertical direction to form a sentence.

4. The Braille-character display device according to claim 3, wherein

the certain direction is one of an up direction, a down direction, a left direction and a right direction each corresponding to the arrangement direction of the movable pin.

5. The Braille-character display device according to claim 4, further comprising

a plurality of tilt detecting parts detecting a tilt direction and a tilt angle of the movable pins, wherein

the movable pin controlling part shifts the pattern of the Braille characters formed by the movable pins, in a direction opposite to the tilt direction detected by the tilt detecting parts, at a shift speed corresponding to the tilt angle.

6. The Braille-character display device according to claim 4, further comprising

a movement detecting part detecting a movement direction and a movement amount of the Braille-character display device itself, wherein

the movable pin controlling part shifts the pattern of the Braille characters formed by the movable pins, in a direction opposite to the movement direction detected by the movement detecting part, by the movement amount.

7. The Braille-character display device according to claim 1, wherein

the movable pin has a section smaller than a bottom surface of each dot of the Braille characters,

the plurality of movable pins form the respective dots of the Braille characters, and

a contour formed by the plurality of movable pins is a substantially hemispherical shape.

8. The Braille-character display device according to claim 1, wherein

the Braille-character generating part generates the pattern of the Braille characters from data of a character string in the Braille-character display device.

9. The Braille-character display device according to claim 1, further comprising

a voice recognizing part recognizing voice of audio data in the Braille-character display device, wherein

the Braille-character generating part generates the pattern of the Braille characters from the recognized voice.

10. The Braille-character display device according to claim 1, wherein

the movable pin pressing part presses the movable pin by an electromagnetic force.

15. A portable terminal comprising

the Braille-character display device according to claim 1,

the portable terminal having portability.

11. A Braille-character display device comprising

a plurality of movable pins, wherein

the plurality of movable pins are adjusted in height at not less than three levels to form one character.

12. The Braille-character display device according to claim 11, wherein

the plurality of movable pins are adjusted in height at four levels.

13. The Braille-character display device according to claim 12, wherein

a hemispherical shape is substantially formed by the movable pins with different levels in height.

14. The Braille-character display device according to claim 11, wherein

the plurality of movable pins move successively in a vertical direction to form a sentence.