INTERFACE LAYER AND OPERATING SYSTEM FACILITATING USE, INCLUDING BY BLIND AND VISUALLY-IMPAIRED USERS, OF TOUCH-SCREEN-CONTROLLED CONSUMER ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20140215329A1
• Filed: 08/12/2012
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Project Ray Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Project Ray Ltd.
• Inventors: ZILBERMAN, Boaz, VAKULENKO, Michael, SIEGEL, Arik, NACHUM, Ehud
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

A computerized system for facilitating eye-free use, e.g. by the blind, of an electronic device, the system comprising an interface layer including a hierarchy of operating modes presenting a portion of a hierarchy of possible choices, each portion comprising possible users'"'"' choices within the hierarchy; and an OS for accepting, via a touch screen, selected options generated by the user responsive to the sequence of possible choices respectively, and for activating electronic device functionalities accordingly. The hierarchy of possible choices includes sequences of n possible choices presented within sequences of n operating modes having n predetermined archetypical formats each having at least one fixed characteristic. The interface layer includes an orientation signal generator for generating orientation signals, sensible by the user and uniquely associated with the archetypical formats. Generation of each orientation signal coincides with presentation of its associated archetypical format, to orient the user within the hierarchy.

Claims

1. A computerized system for facilitating eye-free use of an electronic device, including by blind users, the system comprising:

a computerized interface layer including a hierarchy of operating modes for presenting at least a portion of a respective hierarchy of possible choices to a user, each portion comprising a sequence of possible users'"'"' choices within said hierarchy; and

an operating system for accepting, via a touch screen, a sequence of selected options generated by the user responsive to the sequence of possible choices respectively, and for activating functionalities of the electronic device accordingly,

wherein the hierarchy of possible choices includes at least some sequences of n possible choices which are presented within respective sequences of n operating modes having n respective predetermined archetypical formats each having at least one fixed characteristic,

and wherein the interface layer includes an orientation signal generator operative for generating a plurality of orientation signals, sensible by the user, which are uniquely associated with the n archetypical formats respectively, wherein generation of each orientation signal coincides with presentation of its associated archetypical format, thereby to orient the user, even if blind, within said hierarchy.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said formats include a star format in which choices are virtually arranged in a north-south-east-west star such that motion of a user'"'"'s finger on the touch screen, relative to an initial location, is classified as being one individual direction from among up to 8 directions defined by the star and is interpreted, if not accompanied by a selection gesture, as a request to the computerized interface layer to orally present a choice associated with the individual direction and if accompanied by a selection gesture, as a request to the operating system to effect the choice associated with the individual direction.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said formats include a list format in which choices are virtually arranged to form a vertical, up-down list such that motion of a user'"'"'s finger on the touch screen, relative to an initial location is classified as being one individual direction from among {up, down}, and is interpreted, if not accompanied by a selection gesture, as a request to the computerized interface layer to orally present a choice associated with the individual direction, and, if accompanied by a selection gesture, as a request to the operating system to effect the choice associated with the individual direction.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said formats include a menu format in which choices are virtually arranged to form a horizontal, left-right menu such that motion of a user'"'"'s finger on the touch screen, relative to an initial location is classified as being one individual direction from among {left, right}, and is interpreted, if not accompanied by a selection gesture, as a request to the computerized interface layer to orally present a choice associated with the individual direction, and, if accompanied by a selection gesture, as a request to the operating system to effect the choice associated with the individual direction.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein said sequence of archetypical formats includes one of the star and menu formats, followed by the list format.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein said sequence of archetypical formats includes one of the star and menu formats, followed by the list format, followed by another one of the star and menu formats.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein said sequence of archetypical formats includes the star format, followed by the list format, followed by the menu format.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the hierarchy of possible choices to a user includes only one sequence of possible choices within said hierarchy.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of orientation signals, sensible by the user, which are uniquely associated with the n archetypical formats respectively, each include a musical tone varying in at least one predetermined characteristic so as to uniquely represent each of the n archetypical formats.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein the predetermined characteristic comprises pitch.

11. A system according to claim 3 wherein the orientation signal generator comprises a directional vibration generator operative to generate a selectable one of an up-directed vibration and a down-directed vibration, to signify a user'"'"'s motion up or down said list.

12. A system according to claim 4 wherein the orientation signal generator comprises a directional vibration generator operative to generate a selectable one of a right-directed vibration and a left-directed vibration, to signify a user'"'"'s rightward or leftward motion within said menu.

13. A system according to claim 3 wherein a user can instruct the computerized interface layer to move up or down the list at a selectable one of two progress modes, by moving one finger or two fingers, respectively, up or down relative to an initial location of the finger/s.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the list comprises alphabetized items and wherein a first of the two progress modes moves from item to item whereas a second of the two progress modes moves from letter to letter thereby to yield more rapid motion within the list.

15. A system according to claim 1 wherein choices are made by motion of a user'"'"'s finger, relative to an initial location, of at least a predetermined threshold magnitude, whereas motion of a user'"'"'s finger, relative to an initial location, of less than the predetermined threshold magnitude, are not interpreted as choices.

16. A system according to claim 1 wherein the computerized interface layer is operative to orally present choices in a predetermined sequence and wherein the orientation signal generator comprises a directional vibration generator operative to generate a vibration having at least two controllable directions, to signify that the choices are being presented forward or backward respectively.

17. A method for facilitating eye-free use of an electronic device, including by blind users, the method comprising:

providing a computerized interface layer including a hierarchy of operating modes for presenting at least a portion of a respective hierarchy of possible choices to a user, each portion comprising a sequence of possible users'"'"' choices within said hierarchy; and

using an operating system for accepting, via a touch screen, a sequence of selected options generated by the user responsive to the sequence of possible choices respectively, and for activating functionalities of the electronic device accordingly,

wherein the hierarchy of possible choices includes at least some sequences of n possible choices which are presented within respective sequences of n operating modes having n respective predetermined archetypical formats each having at least one fixed characteristic,

and wherein the interface layer includes an orientation signal generator operative for generating a plurality of orientation signals, sensible by the user, which are uniquely associated with the n archetypical formats respectively, wherein generation of each orientation signal coincides with presentation of its associated archetypical format, thereby to orient the user, even if blind, within said hierarchy.

18. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for facilitating eye-free use of an electronic device, including by blind users, the method comprising:

providing a computerized interface layer including a hierarchy of operating modes for presenting at least a portion of a respective hierarchy of possible choices to a user, each portion comprising a sequence of possible users'"'"' choices within said hierarchy; and

using an operating system for accepting, via a touch screen, a sequence of selected options generated by the user responsive to the sequence of possible choices respectively, and for activating functionalities of the electronic device accordingly,

wherein the hierarchy of possible choices includes at least some sequences of n possible choices which are presented within respective sequences of n operating modes having n respective predetermined archetypical formats each having at least one fixed characteristic,

and wherein the interface layer includes an orientation signal generator operative for generating a plurality of orientation signals, sensible by the user, which are uniquely associated with the n archetypical formats respectively, wherein generation of each orientation signal coincides with presentation of its associated archetypical format, thereby to orient the user, even if blind, within said hierarchy.