Display device suited for a blind person

• US 6,712,613 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Intellectual Property GmbH (Allgeier SE)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Depta, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/941,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 434/112-118, 345/156, 345/163, 382/114, 341/22, 200/5.A, 709/223, 400/124.14
• US Class Current: 434/114
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

A display device which displays image information in a form perceivable by a blind person. For this purpose, the display device has a plurality of areally arranged elements (1), which are individually actuatable, and an actuation device for actuation of the elements (1), whereby through the elements (1), electronic image information (7) fed into the evaluation device (16) is tangibly represented through the elements (1). The actuator elements may be arranged areally on a flexible substrate (13), which are individually actuatable, whereby through the actuator elements (11), vibrations and/or heat and/or electrical impulses can be generated.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a plurality of elements arranged on a surface area of a support, said elements being individually actuatable to generate on said surface area a representation of an image defined by input electronic image information, said representation of said image being adapted to be detected from said elements by touch, and said elements also being individually operable to generate an output in response to mechanical touching of said elements;

an actuation device configured to receive the input electronic image information and to actuate said elements to generate the representation of the image defined by the input electronic image information that is detectable by touch; and

an evaluation device for evaluating the output generated by said elements in response to mechanical touching of said elements, said evaluation device converting said output into output electronic image information defining an image generated by said mechanical touching.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said elements are arranged in a matrix.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said actuation device is configured to actuate selected ones of said elements in correspondence with the input electronic image information, the image defined by the input electronic image information having signs and graphics.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said actuation device is configured to actuate said elements with vibrations, electrical impulses or heat.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein said actuation device controls at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of (a) frequency and amplitude of the vibrations, (b) frequency and amplitude of heat, and (c) frequency and amplitude of the electric impulses.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said elements are separated from each other by an insulation frame.

7. The display device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein said display device is connected with at least one of a Braille input device and a function keypad.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said support is made of silicon.

9. A display device comprising:

a plurality of actuator elements, arranged in a surface area on a flexible substrate, said actuator elements being individually actuatable to generate at least one of vibrations, heat, and electrical impulses upon actuation, said actuator elements being further operable to generate an output in response to mechanical touching of said actuator elements,

an actuation device configured to receive input electronic image information defining an image and to actuate said actuator elements such that said actuator elements generate a representation of the image defined by the input electronic image information that is adapted to be sensed from said actuator elements by touch, and

an evaluation device for evaluating the output generated by said actuator elements in response to mechanical touching of said actuator elements, said evaluation device converting said output into output electronic image information defining an image generated by the mechanical touching.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the image defined by said input electronic image information describes a user'"'"'s surroundings.

11. The display device according to claim 9, wherein said actuation device controls at least one set of parameters selected from a group consisting of (a) frequency and amplitude of the vibrations, (b) frequency and amplitude of heat, and (c) frequency and amplitude of the electrical impulses.

12. The display device according to claim 9, wherein said actuator elements are separated from each other by a casing.

13. The display device according to claim 9, wherein each of said actuator elements has a suction cup casing for creating suction on a skin.

14. A display device for displaying information, comprising:

actuatable means for representing an image defined by an input electronic image information, said actuatable means being arranged in a surface area of a support and individually actuatable, said actuatable means further comprising sensorial means for sensing mechanical touching and generating an output in response to the mechanical touching;

actuation means for receiving the input electronic image information and for actuating the said actuatable means such that said actuatable means generates a representation of the image defined by the input electronic image information that is detectable from said actuatable means by touch; and

evaluation means for evaluating said output generated by said sensorial means in response to the mechanical touching of said sensorial means and converting said output into electronic image information defining an image generated by the mechanical touching.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein said actuatable means is actuated with vibrations, electrical impulses or heat.

16. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the actuation means controls at least one parameter from a group consisting of (a) frequency and amplitude of the vibrations, (b) frequency and amplitude of heat, and (c) frequency and amplitude of the electric impulses.

17. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the actuatable means is connected with at least one of a Braille input means and a function keypad.

18. A display device for displaying information, comprising

actuatable means for representing an image defined by an input electronic image information, said actuatable means being individually actuatable to generate at least one of vibrations, heat, and electrical impulses upon actuation, said actuatable means further comprising sensorial means for sensing mechanical touching and generating an output in response to the mechanical touching;

support means for flexibly supporting said actuatable means, wherein said actuatable means are arranged in a surface area on said support means;

actuation means for receiving the input electronic image information and for actuating said actuatable means such that said actuatable means generates a representation of the image defined by the input electronic image information that is detectable from said actuatable means by touch; and

evaluation means for evaluating said output generated by said sensorial means in response to the mechanical touching of said sensorial means and converting said output into electronic image information defining an image generated by the mechanical touching.

19. The display device according to claim 18, wherein said actuation means controls at least one set of parameters from a group consisting of (a) frequency and amplitude of the vibrations, (b) frequency and amplitude of the heat, and (c) frequency and amplitude of the electrical impulses.

20. The display device according to claim 18, wherein said actuatable means has a suction cup casing means for creating a suction on a skin.

21. A method for generating an image perceptibly representable for a sense of touch comprising:

generating, based on an electronic image information, a stream of signals carrying at least one of vibration, electrical impulses and heat information; and

actuating a plurality of elements arranged on a surface area of a substrate, which are individually actuatable, based on said stream of signals, so that the elements generate a representation of an image defined by the electronic image information that is detectable from the elements by touch;

generating, by the elements, an output in response to mechanical contact of the elements; and

converting the output from the elements to electronic image information defining an image generated by the mechanical contact.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising a step of controlling at least one parameter from a group consisting of (a) frequency and amplitude of the vibrations, (b) frequency and amplitude of heat, and (c) frequency and amplitude of the electric impulses applied to the elements.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the elements comprise sensor elements that are individually readable, the method further comprising:

scanning, through mechanical contact, the sensor elements that are individually readable to provide scanned information; and

converting the scanned information, having vibration, electric impulses or heat information components, from the sensor elements to another electronic image information.

24. A display device, comprising:

a plurality of elements arranged on a surface area of a support, said elements being individually actuatable to generate on said surface area a representation of an image defined by input electronic image information, said representation of said image being adapted to be detected from said elements by touch; and

an actuation device configured to receive the input electronic image information and to actuate said elements to generate the representation of the image defined by the input electronic image information that is detectable by touch, wherein said actuation device controls at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of (a) frequency and amplitude of vibrations, (b) frequency and amplitude of heat, and (c) frequency and amplitude of electric impulses.

25. The display device according to claim 24, wherein the input electronic information represented by the elements includes three dimensional properties or color differences that are detectable by touch from variation of said at least one parameter.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the input electronic information represented by the elements includes three dimensional properties or color differences that are detectable by touch from variation of the at least one parameter.

26. A method for generating an image perceptibly representable for a sense of touch comprising:

generating, based on electronic image information, a stream of signals carrying vibration, heat, or electrical impulses;

actuating a plurality of elements arranged on a surface area of a substrate, which are individually actuatable, based on the stream of signals, so that the elements generate a representation of an image defined by said electronic image information that is detectable from the elements by touch; and

controlling at least one parameter from a group consisting of (a) frequency and amplitude of the vibrations, (b) frequency and amplitude of heat, and (c) frequency and amplitude of the electric impulses applied to the elements.