Braille type device, system, and method

• US 7,341,456 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baraille Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: Baraille Communications, LLC
• Inventors: McAdams, John B., Pinto, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US10/808,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20050227207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 434/112, 434/113, 434/114, 434/115, 434/116, 434/117, 434/178, 235/462.01, 235/462.02, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/462.09
• US Class Current: 434/112
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A Braille type device including printed or displayed matter on a medium in combination with printed or displayed Braille type code, preferably machine readable Braille type bar code. The Braille type system includes the combination of the Braille type device and a Braille type-scanning device. The Braille type method includes printing or displaying a Braille type bar code on a medium.

Claims

1. A Braille type system, comprising:

a book including at least one page bound at an inner edge to a book cover to define a book spine;

printed matter including printed text for a sighted person printed on said at least one page;

Braille type bar code printed adjacent and along said book spine on said at least one page, said Braille type bar code being a linear high density multi-dimensional Braille type bar code, said linear high density multi-dimensional Braille type bar code being oriented parallel relative to said inner edge of said at least one page and located within a margin of said at least one page so that said book spine functions as a linear guide for a person using a contact type hand held scanning/reading device for scanning and reading said Braille type bar code, said Braille type bar code emulating said printed text and configured to be scanned by the contact type hand held scanning/reading device when the user places the contact type hand held scanning/reading device in contact with said at least one page and then slides the contact type hand held scanning/reading device along the upper surface of said at least one page and along said book spine; and

a hand-held contact type scanning/reading device for scanning and reading said Braille type bar code when placed in contact with said at least one page and then moved and guided along by said upper surface of said at least one page and by said book spine over the Braille type bar code by a user'"'"'s hand, said contact type scanning/reading device including a body having at least one guiding edge for positioning an omni-directional photo emitter/receptor of said contact type scanning/reading device a fixed distance from said inner edge of said at least one page and said book spine for accurately positioning and guiding said omni-directional photo emitter/receptor over said Braille type bar code during scanning/reading by said contact type scanning/reading device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said body of said scanning/reading device is provided with a left guiding edge for guiding said scanning/reading device while scanning and reading said Braille type bar code.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said printed Braille type bar code is configured so that said Braille type bar code is read top to bottom.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one page of said book is printed on both sides with said printer matter and corresponding said Braille type bar code, and said hand-held scanner is provided with a left guiding edge and a right guiding edge for guiding said scanning/reading device while scanning and reading said Braille type bar code on said front side and back side, respectively, of said at least one page.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said hand-held scanner includes a wider upper body scanning portion provided with said at least one guiding edge, and a thinner lower body gripping portion.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said book contains a plurality of said at least one page.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said Braille type bar code is located adjacent and along said inner binding edge of said at least one page, said inner binding edge functioning as a vertical guide and horizontal index for the hand held contact type scanning/reading device.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said Braille type bar code is provided in a single line and emulates said printed text on said at least one page in machine readable language.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one page includes at least one picture, and said Braille type bar code describes said at least one picture in machine readable language.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein a single line of said Braille type bar code located on said at least one page emulates said printed text located on said at least one page.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said Braille type bar code is a matrix type bar code.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one page is printed with said Braille type code at multiple locations on said at least one page.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein said Braille type bar code is printed in both side margins of said at least one page.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein said Braille type bar code is printed in a top margin, bottom margin, and side margin of said at least one page.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein said Braille type bar code is a two (2) dimensional type bar code.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said Braille type bar code includes multiple types of Braille type bar codes.