Text Reading and Translation in a Visual Prosthesis

• US 20130157229A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortigent Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Robert J., Sahel, Jose Alain, Lauritzen, Thomas, Dorn, Jessy D., Harris, Jordan
• Granted Patent: US 9,715,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/112
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

The present invention is a visual prosthesis which restores partial vision to patients blinded by outer retinal degeneration. While visual prosthesis users have achieved remarkable visual improvement to the point of reading letters and short sentences, the reading process is still fairly cumbersome. In the present invention the visual prosthesis is adapted to stimulate visual braille as a sensory substitution for reading written letters and words. The visual prosthesis system, used in the present invention, includes a 10×6 electrode array implanted epiretinally, a tiny video camera mounted on a pair of glasses, and a wearable computer that processes the video and determines the stimulation current of each electrode in real time.

Claims

1. A method of processing written words in a visual prosthesis comprising:

providing a visual prosthesis including a camera video processor and stimulation system;

recording a scene with the camera and transferring data representing the scene to the video processor;

scanning the data for patterns representing written characters;

converting the written characters to braille characters; and

presenting the braille characters to a user through the stimulation system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the braille characters includes presenting only braille characters without the visual scene.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the braille letters are presented sequentially.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the braille letters are presented for less than one second per letter.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the braille letters are present for about 500 ms.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the braille letters are presented for about 250 ms.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the gap between letters is different than the gap between words.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the gap between letters is less than one second.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a choice between viewing braille characters and the visual scene is user-selectable.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a choice between viewing braille characters and the visual scene is automatic.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

scanning a scene for written characters;

notifying the users that written characters are present in the visual scene; and

waiting for user input before converting written characters to braille characters.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the braille characters is presenting a visual scene with braille characters overlaid over the written characters in the visual scene.

13. A visual prosthesis comprising:

a camera;

a video processing unit receiving visual data from the camera, processing the visual data to produce stimulation patterns; and

an implantable stimulation system receiving stimulation patterns from the video processing unit suitable to stimulate neural tissue with the stimulation patterns;

means in the video processing unit for scanning the visual data for patterns representing written characters;

means in the video processing unit for converting the written characters to braille characters and including the braille characters in the stimulation patterns

14. The visual prosthesis according to claim 13, wherein the stimulation patterns include only braille characters without the visual scene.

15. The visual prosthesis according to claim 14, wherein stimulation patterns include braille letters are presented sequentially.

16. The visual prosthesis according to claim 15, wherein the stimulation patterns include braille letters presented for less than one second per letter.

17. The visual prosthesis according to claim 16, wherein the stimulation patterns include braille letters present for about 500 ms.

18. The visual prosthesis according to claim 16, wherein the stimulation patterns include braille letters present for about 250 ms.

19. The visual prosthesis according to claim 13, further comprising an input on the video processing unit for selecting between viewing braille characters and the visual scene.

20. The visual prosthesis according to claim 13, further comprising means for automatically switching between viewing braille characters and the visual scene is automatic.