Devices and methods for interfacing human users with electronic devices
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a target device using a communication system including an accessor total access port, an accessor device connected to said accessor total access port, a target total access port connected to said target device which is an unmodified electronic device, and a total access link between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the method comprising:
- converting, by said accessor device, user actions intended to control the target device into data of a device-dependent form specific to said accessor device, said data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device representing control of the target device, wherein the accessor device is a human user interface device that accepts intentions from the user in whatever form the user expresses them;
sending the data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device from the accessor device to the accessor total access port;
translating, by said accessor total access port, the data sent from the accessor device of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device into data of a device-independent form containing a user-functional representation of the data sent from the accessor device;
transmitting the translated data of the device-independent form over the total access link from the accessor total access port to the target total access port;
translating, by said target total access port, the data sent from the accessor total access port of the device-independent form into data of a device-dependent form specific to the target device; and
sending the data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device from the target total access port to the target device,wherein the target device is controlled by the data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device sent from the target total access port.
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Abstract
A method of interfacing human users with electronic devices liberates electronic devices from specific input and output devices and substitutes a universal communication system between them. The method combines the advantages of personal customization with the advantages of unlimited access to electronic devices. In particular, it provides disabled individuals with full access to suitably equipped electronic devices such as ATMs, telephones, fax machines, computers, copiers, TVs, VCRs, stereos, and microwave ovens. This method therefore provides the means for making these important electronic devices equally accessible to everyone. In a preferred embodiment, the communication system includes a speech synthesis and recognition system [56] which is connected to an accessor total access port [54], an ATM [70] connected to a target total access port [68], and a total access link [66] between the accessor total access port [54] and the target total access port [68]. The total access link [66] is an information link over which universal data packets are transmitted between the total access ports. The universal data packets have a device-independent form and contain user-functional representations of data. A dialog initiated by the accessor total access port [54] helps the user locate the ATM [70] and establish a total access link.
42 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a target device using a communication system including an accessor total access port, an accessor device connected to said accessor total access port, a target total access port connected to said target device which is an unmodified electronic device, and a total access link between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the method comprising:
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converting, by said accessor device, user actions intended to control the target device into data of a device-dependent form specific to said accessor device, said data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device representing control of the target device, wherein the accessor device is a human user interface device that accepts intentions from the user in whatever form the user expresses them; sending the data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device from the accessor device to the accessor total access port; translating, by said accessor total access port, the data sent from the accessor device of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device into data of a device-independent form containing a user-functional representation of the data sent from the accessor device; transmitting the translated data of the device-independent form over the total access link from the accessor total access port to the target total access port; translating, by said target total access port, the data sent from the accessor total access port of the device-independent form into data of a device-dependent form specific to the target device; and sending the data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device from the target total access port to the target device, wherein the target device is controlled by the data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device sent from the target total access port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of controlling a target device using a communication system including an accessor total access port, an accessor device connected to said accessor total access port, a target total access port connected to said target device which is an unmodified electronic device, and a total access link between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the method comprising:
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converting user actions intended to control the target device into electronic data of a device-dependent form specific to the accessor device using the accessor device, wherein the accessor device is a human user interface device; sending the electronic data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device from the accessor device to the accessor total access port; translating the electronic data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device sent from the accessor device from the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device into a device-independent form containing a user-functional representation of the electronic data sent from the accessor device; transmitting the translated electronic data of the device-independent form over the total access link from the accessor total access port to the target total access port; translating the transmitted electronic data of the device-independent form into a device-dependent form specific to the target device; and sending the translated electronic data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device from the target total access port to the target device, wherein the target device is controlled by the data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device sent from the target total access port, wherein the accessor device comprises; a speech recognition and synthesis system, and wherein the accessor total access port comprises; a sound and voice interface for facilitating the use of speech input. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method of controlling a target device using a communication system comprising an accessor total access port, an accessor device connected to said accessor total access port, a target total access port connected to said target device which is an unmodified electronic device, and a total access link between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the method comprising:
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converting user actions intended to control the target device into electronic data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device using the accessor device, wherein the accessor device is a human user interface device; sending the electronic data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device from the accessor device to the accessor total access port; translating the electronic data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device sent from the accessor device from the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device into a device-independent form containing a user functional representation of the electronic data sent from the accessor device; transmitting the translated electronic data of the device-independent form over the total access link from the accessor total access port to the target total access port; translating the transmitted electronic data of the device-independent form into a device-dependent form specific to the target device; sending the translated electronic data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device from the target total access port to the target device, wherein the target device is controlled by the data of the device-dependent form specific to the target device sent from the target total access port; and sending a radio frequency wake-up call from the accessor total access port to the target total access port.
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9. An accessor total access port for permitting a user to control a target device in a system including an accessor device connected to the accessor total access port, the target device connected to a target total access port, said target device being an unmodified device, and a total access line between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the accessor total access port comprising:
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a microprocessor; wherein said accessor device converts user actions intended to control the target device into data of a device-dependent form specific to said accessor device, said data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device representing control of the target device, wherein the accessor device is a human user interface device that accepts intentions from the user in whatever form the user expresses them; an accessor device interface between the microprocessor and the accessor device for communicating device-dependent electronic data specific to the accessor device between the accessor device and the microprocessor; a memory containing data about the accessor device and instruction code including instructions for the microprocessor to translate the data of the device dependent form specific to the accessor device from the accessor device into data of a device-independent form containing a user-functional representation of the data from the accessor device; and a communications interface between the microprocessor and the total access link for transmitting the data of the device-independent form over the total access link to the target total access port, thereby permitting the user to control the target device.
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10. An accessor total access port for permitting a user to control a target device in a system including an accessor device connected to the accessor total access port, the target device connected to a target total access port, and a total access link between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the accessor total access port comprising:
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a microprocessor; an accessor device interface between the microprocessor and the accessor device for communicating device-dependent electronic data between the accessor device and the microprocessor; a memory containing data about the accessor device and instruction code including instructions for the microprocessor to translate the device-dependent electronic data from the accessor device into device-independent data containing a user-functional representation of the electronic data from the accessor device, wherein the data about the accessor device includes device-dependent accessor data, device-independent link data, and user-functional descriptions; and a communications interface between the microprocessor and the total access link for transmitting the device-independent data over the total access link to the target total access port, thereby permitting the user to control the target device, wherein the communications interface comprises an infrared transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. An accessor total access port for permitting a user to control a target device in a system including an accessor device connected to the accessor total access port, the target device connected to a target total access port, and a total access link between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the accessor total access port comprising:
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a microprocessor; an accessor device interface between the microprocessor and the accessor device for communicating device-dependent electronic data between the accessor device and the microprocessor; a memory containing data about the accessor device and instruction code including instructions for the microprocessor to translate the device-dependent electronic data from the accessor device into device-independent data containing a user-functional representation of the electronic data from the accessor device, wherein the data about the accessor device includes device-dependent accessor data, device-independent link data, and user-functional descriptions; and a communications interface between the microprocessor and the total access link for transmitting the device-independent data over the total access link to the target total access port, thereby permitting the user to control the target device, wherein the microprocessor formats the device-independent data into a data packet chosen from the group including a keyboard packet, a mouse packet, a video packet, a target data packet, a control packet, and an accessor-to-accessor packet.
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13. An accessor total access port for permitting a user to control a target device in a system including an accessor device connected to the accessor total access port, a target device connected to a target total access port, and a total access link between the accessor total access port and the target total access port, the accessor total access port comprising:
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a microprocessor; an accessor device interface between the microprocessor and the accessor device for communicating device-dependent electronic data between the accessor device and the microprocessor; a memory containing data about the accessor device and instruction code including instructions for the microprocessor to translate the device-dependent electronic data from the accessor device into device-independent data containing a user-functional representation of the electronic data from the accessor device, wherein the data about the accessor device includes device-dependent accessor data, device-independent link data, and user-functional descriptions; and a communications interface between the microprocessor and the total access link for transmitting the device-independent data over the total access link to the target total access port, thereby permitting the user to control the target device, wherein the accessor device comprises a speech recognition and synthesis system and the total access port comprises a sound and a voice interface for facilitating the use of speech input.
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14. A system for permitting a human user to control an electronic device, the system comprising:
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an accessor device interfaced directly with the user, wherein said accessor device converts user actions intended to control the electronic device into data of a device-dependent form specific to said accessor device, said data of the device dependent form specific to the accessor device representing control of the electronic device, wherein the accessor device is a human user interface device that accepts intentions from the user in whatever form the user expresses them; a first microprocessor connected to the accessor device and programmed to translate between data of the device-dependent form specific to the accessor device and data of a device-independent form containing a user-functional representation that represents interactions of the user and the accessor device; a second microprocessor connected to the electronic device and programmed to translate between the data of the device-independent form and data of a device dependent form specific to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is controlled by the data of a device-dependent form specific to the electronic device; and a communication link connecting the first and second microprocessors, wherein universal data packets are transmitted over the communication link between the first microprocessor and the second microprocessor each universal data packet including at least data of the device-independent form.
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15. A method of permitting a human user to control an electronic device, the method comprising:
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receiving input signals from an input/output device customized to the human user, wherein said input/output device accepts intentions intended to control the electronic device from the user in whatever form the user expresses them and converts the user intentions into device-dependent data specific to the input/output device; translating, by a first microprocessor, the input signals into device independent data containing a user-functional representation representing user intentions; transmitting the device-independent data over a communications link from the first microprocessor to a second microprocessor; translating, by the second microprocessor, the device-independent data into device-dependent data specific to the electronic device; and sending the device-dependent data specific to the electronic device to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is controlled by the data of a device-dependent form specific to the electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification