ELECTRONIC BRAILLE TYPING INTERFACE

• US 20130157230A1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Perkins School for the Blind
• Original Assignee: Perkins School for the Blind
• Inventors: Morgan, David
• Application Number:
  US13/650,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20130157230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/114
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/02 Devices for Braille writing typewriters for Braille B41J3/32

Abstract

A user interface system for entry of Braille input to electronic devices comprises a module with a single set of six tactile keys arranged in a 6 dot Braille configuration. The user interface system is configured to recognize data entered therein by user contact with one or more of the tactile keys as Braille input and to transmit said Braille input to an electronic device for display or further transmission. The interface further includes function keys which allow the user to manipulate, modify, or otherwise control the data entered and how the data is transmitted.

Claims

1. A user interface system for Braille entry to electronic devices comprising:

a module with a single set of six tactile keys arranged in a 6 dot Braille configuration and a communications interface for connection to an electronic device;

said user interface system configured to recognize data entered therein by user contact With one or more of the tactile keys as Braille input and to transmit said Braille input to said electronic device for display or further transmission,

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the module further comprises one or more audio outputs and one or more optional visual outputs.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said one or more audio outputs and one or more optional visual outputs provides voice and visual verification of said Braille key inputs.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said one or more audio outputs comprises one or more of a headphone port and audio speakers and said one or more visual outputs comprises a visual display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said module further comprises one or more components for input of volume adjustment, power adjustments, adding capitalization, word spacing, line spacing, punctuation and text correction to text output generated by Braille key inputs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured for interpreting Braille inputs as Braille contractions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to recognize all possible 6 dot Braille permutations of tactile key inputs and to transmit said inputs as audio or visible letter outputs.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises one or more of a data transmission cable, or a wireless communication interface.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said Braille key inputs include an auto-refresh function.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the module comprises a ease for the electronic device

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the single set of six tactile keys are configured to overlay a touch screen of the electronic device when the module is installed as a case for the electronic device.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

12. A user interface system for Braille entry, comprising;

a module comprising a communications interface for connection to an electronic device and a single set of six independent input keys arranged in a two-by-three side by side relationship, each input key corresponding to a dot of a Braille cell;

said input keys utilizing electronic actuators or haptic vibrators for transmission, of user contact with one or more of the six input keys to said electronic device in communication therewith.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communications interface communicates with an application executed by the electronic device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said electronic device converts activation of said keys in a manner conforming to a Braille character to a corresponding alphabet letter.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said electronic device converts activation of said input keys conforming to a Braille numerical character to a number.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein electronic device converts activation of said input keys conforming to a Braille entry to voice verification of said letters or words formed by said input key activation.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising audio outputs.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said audio outputs are hard wired or are connected to said module by wireless communication.

19. A Braille User Interface system, comprising:

an electronic device case, said case further comprising tactile entry points corresponding to keys in a 6 dot Braille input array, said ease capable of interfacing with an electronic device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said electronic device has a touch sensitive screen and the case is positioned over said electronic device touch sensitive screen with the tactile entry points interfacing with the touch sensitive screen.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein at least said tactile entry points comprise a material capable of transmitting sufficient beat energy from a user'"'"'s fingertips to activate the touch sensitive screen.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said electronic device has a pressure sensitive screen responsive to finger pressure and the case is positioned over said electronic device touch sensitive screen with the tactile entry points interfacing with the pressure sensitive screen.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein at least said tactile entry points comprise a material or mechanism capable of transmitting sufficient, pressure from a users fingertips to activate the pressure responsive touch sensitive screen.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the interface is a signal conductive component interconnecting data ports on the electronic device and the ease tor exchange of data.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein said case wirelessly exchanges data with said electronic device.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein communication between the case and the electronic device does interfere with the access to an electrical charging port on said electronic devices.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein said ease covets only a portion of the screen of said electronic device.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein said electronic device is a computer mouse.

29. A method of converting Braille input to letters or words as sound output or a visual display comprising:

providing a Braille input module comprising a communications interface for connection to an electronic device and a single array of six independent input keys arranged in a two-by-three side by side relationship said array m communication with Braille translation software, each input key corresponding to a dot of a Braille cell;

providing digital contact to the six independent input keys to generate a Braille output recognizable by the Braille translation software, said Braille translation software converting said Braille output to an electronic output.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the electronic output comprises a visual display of Roman alphabet characters and number characters in the form of a written display of the electronic device,

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising transmitting the Braille input to the electronic device.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising providing an audio or video output.