Voice output device, information input device, file selection device, telephone set, and program and recording medium of the same

• US 8,494,860 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Asakawa, Chieko, Ifukube, Tohru, Ino, Shuichi, Takagi, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US12/136,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20080241803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 704/271
• US Class Current: 704/271
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A device, computer program and method for outputting linguistic information. The voice output device, for example, includes an output information acquisition unit acquiring linguistic information and attribute information. Attribute information includes an attribute added to each linguistic element included in the linguistic information. A tactile pattern storage unit stores a predetermined tactile pattern corresponding to each linguistic element. A tactile pattern acquisition unit acquires the tactile pattern from the tactile pattern storage unit. A voice output unit reads aloud the linguistic elements and a tactile pattern output unit outputs, in parallel with reading aloud each linguistic element, the tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to the linguistic element, thereby allowing a user to sense the tactile pattern by the sense of touch.

Claims

1. A voice output device for outputting linguistic information, said linguistic information including a plurality of linguistic elements such as characters and phrases by voice, the voice output device comprising:

an output information acquisition unit configured to acquire said linguistic information and attribute information, the attribute information including an attribute added to each of said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information;

a tactile pattern storage unit configured to store a predetermined tactile pattern corresponding to each of attributes added to said linguistic elements;

a tactile pattern acquisition unit configured to acquire said tactile pattern corresponding to an attribute added to said plurality of linguistic elements from said tactile pattern storage unit;

a voice output unit configured to read aloud said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information; and

a tactile pattern output unit configured to output, in parallel with reading aloud each of said linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest to allow a user of the voice output device to sense the tactile pattern by the sense of touch; and

wherein the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest includes information about how the linguistic elements are visual presented on a screen.

2. The voice outputting device according to claim 1, wherein said tactile pattern output unit includes:

a plurality of tactile pins configured to be placed in proximity with said user; and

a tactile pin drive unit configured to drive each of said plurality of tactile pins in any one of a direction that the tactile pin is brought into contact with said user and a direction that the tactile pin is moved away from the user to allow said plurality of tactile pins to output said tactile pattern.

3. A voice output device for outputting linguistic information including a plurality of linguistic elements such as characters or phrases by voice, comprising:

an output information acquisition unit configured to acquire record information which includes said linguistic information recorded and attribute information which includes an attribute added to each of said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information;

a tactile pattern storage unit configured to store a predetermined tactile pattern corresponding to each of attributes added to the linguistic elements;

a tactile pattern acquisition unit configured to acquire, for each of said plurality of linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to an attribute added to the linguistic element of interest from said tactile pattern storage unit;

a voice output unit configured to reproduce said record information and output said reproduced record information by voice; and

a tactile pattern output unit configured to output, in parallel with reproduction of each of said plurality of linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to the linguistic element of interest to allow the user of the voice output device to sense the tactile pattern by the sense of touch;

wherein

said tactile pattern output unit includes;

a plurality of tactile pins configured to be brought into contact with said user; and

a tactile pin drive unit configured to drive each of said plurality of tactile pins in any one of a direction that the tactile pin is brought into contact with said user and a direction that the tactile pin is moving away from the user to allow said plurality of tactile pins to output said tactile pattern; and

wherein the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest includes information about how the linguistic elements are visual presented on a screen.

4. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory tangible media comprising:

computer readable program codes coupled to the tangible media for causing a computer to function as a voice output device outputting linguistic information including a plurality of linguistic elements such as characters or phrases by voice, the computer readable program codes including;

an output information acquisition module configured to acquire said linguistic information and attribute information, the attribute information including an attribute added to each of said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information;

a tactile pattern storage module configured to store a predetermined tactile pattern corresponding to each of attributes added to the linguistic elements;

a tactile pattern acquisition module configured to acquire said tactile pattern corresponding to an attribute added to each of said plurality of linguistic elements from said tactile pattern storage module;

a voice output module configured to read aloud said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information; and

a tactile pattern output module configured to output, in parallel with reading aloud each of said plurality of linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to the linguistic element of interest to allow a user of the computer program product to sense the tactile pattern by the sense of touch; and

wherein the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest includes information about how the linguistic elements are visual presented on a screen.

5. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory tangible media comprising:

computer readable program codes coupled to the tangible media for causing a computer to function as a voice output device outputting linguistic information including a plurality of linguistic elements such as characters or phrases by voice, the computer readable program codes including;

an output information acquisition module configured to output record information which includes said linguistic information recorded and attribute information which includes an attribute added to each of said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information;

a tactile pattern storage module configured to store a predetermined tactile pattern corresponding to each of attributes added to linguistic elements;

a tactile pattern acquisition module configured to acquire, for each of said plurality of linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to an attribute added to the linguistic element of interest from said tactile pattern storage module;

a voice output module configured to reproduce said record information and output said reproduced record information by voice; and

a tactile pattern output module configured to output, in parallel with reproduction of each of said plurality of linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to the linguistic element of interest to allow the user of the computer program product to sense the tactile pattern by the sense of touch, wherein said tactile pattern output module is coupled to;

a plurality of tactile pins configured to contact said user; and

a tactile pin drive unit configured to drive each of said plurality of tactile pins in any one of a direction that the tactile pin is brought into contact with said user and a direction that the tactile pin is moving away from the user to allow said plurality of tactile pins to output said tactile pattern; and

wherein the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest includes information about how the linguistic elements are visual presented on a screen.

6. A method for outputting linguistic information, said linguistic information including a plurality of linguistic elements such as characters and phrases by voice, the method comprising:

acquiring said linguistic information and attribute information, the attribute information including an attribute added to each of said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information;

storing a predetermined tactile pattern corresponding to each of the attributes added to said linguistic elements;

acquiring said tactile pattern corresponding to an attribute added to said plurality of linguistic elements;

reading aloud said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information; and

outputting, in parallel with reading aloud each of said linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest to allow a user of the method to sense the tactile pattern by the sense of touch; and

wherein the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest includes information about how the linguistic elements are visual presented on a screen.