Display screen translator

• US 8,629,839 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Levin, Burton Lee, Pierson, Charles Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, ALLISON WALTHALL
• Application Number:
  US11/156,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,133 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 715864-866, 715/729, 379/52, 434/112, 434/116, 341/21, 341/27, 340/407.2, 340/384.5, 178/18.01, 704/271
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A system and method are provided for audibly interpreting a screen display. The method comprises: locating a display interpreter (DI) with a tactile matrix of sensors overlying a display screen; in response to sensing a proximate pointer, accepting a tactile matrix region selection; loading a first reference map, cross-referencing DI tactile matrix regions with a first field of screen icons; loading a second reference map, cross-referencing screen icons with audible recordings identifying the screen icons; mapping a screen icon to the selected tactile matrix region; and, audibly identifying the mapped screen icon. That is, the DI uses the second reference map to cross-reference the located screen icon to the audible recording identifying the screen icon, and plays the recording. In one aspect, the DI can be located over a touchscreen with touchscreen icons. Then, the method may further comprise engaging a touchscreen icon.

Claims

1. In a screen display interpreter device, a method for audibly interpreting a computing device screen display, the method comprising:

locating a display interpreter (DI) with a tactile matrix of sensors overlying a display touchscreen of a computing device with visible touchscreen icons, wherein the DI is electrically independent of the computing device and display touchscreen;

in response to sensing a proximate pointer, the display interpreter accepting a tactile matrix region selection;

the display interpreter mapping a touchscreen icon to the selected tactile matrix region;

the display interpreter audibly identifying the mapped touchscreen icon;

engaging the computing device touchscreen icon; and

,

the display interpreter acknowledging the computing device touchscreen icon engagement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

loading a first reference map, cross-referencing DI tactile matrix regions with a first field of touchscreen icons; and

loading a second reference map, cross-referencing screen icons with audible recordings identifying the touchscreen icons.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein accepting the tactile matrix region selection includes monitoring a tactile matrix region sensor for a proximately located pointer;

and

wherein mapping the touchscreen icon to the selected tactile matrix region comprises, in response to sensing a proximately located pointer, cross-referencing the selected tactile matrix region to locate the touchscreen icon, using the first reference map.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein audibly identifying the screen icon includes:

using the second reference map, cross-referencing the located touchscreen icon to the audible recording identifying the touchscreen icon; and

playing the recording.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein acknowledging the touchscreen icon engagement includes:

defining an opening through the DI associated with the mapped touchscreen icon;

accepting a pointer in the defined opening; and

wherein engaging the touchscreen icon includes directing the pointer to the touchscreen icon through the defined opening.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein locating the DI with the tactile matrix overlying a touchscreen display includes locating a DI with a matrix of openings interposed between tactile matrix regions and cross-referenced touchscreen icons.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein acknowledging the touchscreen icon engagement includes:

accepting a stylus with a transmitter, into a DI opening; and

,

generating an acknowledgement signal from the stylus in response to directing the stylus through the defined opening.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein acknowledging the touchscreen icon engagement includes:

associating a sensor with each opening through the DI;

accepting a pointer in the defined opening;

in response to sensing the pointer in the defined opening, generating an acknowledgement signal from the hole sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

loading a first reference map, cross-referencing DI tactile matrix regions with a first field of touchscreen icons; and

loading a second reference map, cross-referencing touchscreen icons with audible recordings identifying the touchscreen icons;

wherein locating the DI with the tactile matrix overlying the touchscreen display includes locating a DI with a communication medium transmitter communicating the tactile matrix region selections; and

wherein loading the first and second reference maps includes loading the reference maps into a DI map module, embedded in a device communicating with the DI via the first communication medium.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

following the acknowledgement of the touchscreen icon engagement;

loading a third reference map, cross-referencing tactile matrix regions with a second field of touchscreen icons; and

loading a fourth reference map, cross-referencing touchscreen icons with audible recordings identifying the touchscreen icons.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein accepting the tactile matrix region selection in response to sensing the proximate pointer includes:

accepting a stylus with a transmitter, located proximate to a tactile matrix region; and

,

generating a region select signal from the stylus in response to locating the stylus proximate to the tactile matrix region.

12. An audible screen display interpreter (DI) system for operating a computer device with screen icons, the system comprising:

a display touchscreen interface for mounting on a computer device screen displaying touchscreen icons;

a tactile matrix interface (TMI) for accepting tactile matrix region selections;

a mapping module for mapping a selected tactile matrix region to an underlying touchscreen icon and generating an audio signal identifying the mapped touchscreen icon;

an audio output generator to project the audio signal;

wherein the display screen interface, TMI, mapping module, and audio output generator are electrically independent of the computer device and the computing device touchscreen; and

,

wherein the tactile matrix interface generates an acknowledgement in response to the engagement of a touchscreen icon on the computing device touchscreen.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the map module comprises a first reference map, cross-referencing tactile matrix regions with a first field of touchscreen icons, and a second reference map, cross-referencing touchscreen icons with audible recordings identifying the touchscreen icons;

and,

wherein the map module supplies an audio recording identifying a touchscreen icon, in response to accepting a tactile matrix region selection.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the tactile matrix interface includes a sensor for monitoring a pointer proximate to a tactile matrix interface region and generating a proximate pointer signal;

and

wherein the map module and uses the first reference map to cross-reference a touchscreen icon to a tactile matrix region generating the proximate pointer signal.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the map module uses the second reference map to cross-reference a touchscreen icon to the audible recording identifying the touchscreen icon;

and

wherein the audio output generator plays the recording identifying the touchscreen icon.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the tactile matrix interface generates an acknowledgement signal in response to accepting a pointer in a first opening in the tactile matrix interface associated with the first region;

and,

wherein the touchscreen interface engages a first touchscreen icon by guiding a pointer through a first opening in the touchscreen interface directed at the first touchscreen icon.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the tactile matrix interface and touchscreen interface form a matrix of cooperating openings, where each opening is associated with a tactile matrix region and directed at a corresponding touchscreen icon.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the tactile matrix interface further comprises a hole sensor associated with each opening to generate an acknowledgement signal in response to sensing a pointer in the opening.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the map module is embedded in a first device with a first communication medium receiver, the map module comprising a first reference map, cross-referencing tactile matrix regions with a first field of touchscreen icons, and a second reference map, cross-referencing touchscreen icons with audible recordings identifying the screen icons;

and,

wherein the tactile matrix interface is embedded in a second device that includes a first communication medium transmitter to supply the tactile matrix region selections to the map module.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the audio output generator is embedded with the map module.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the map module includes a first reference map, cross-referencing tactile matrix regions with a first field of screen icons, and a second reference map cross-referencing touchscreen icons with audible recordings identifying the touchscreen icons;

and,

wherein the map module, in response to accepting an engagement acknowledgement from the touchscreen interface, loads a third reference map, cross-referencing tactile matrix regions with a second field of touchscreen icons, and loads a second reference map cross-referencing touchscreen icons with audible recordings identifying the touchscreen icons.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the tactile matrix interface comprises a stylus with a transmitter to send an acknowledgement of a touchscreen icon engagement in response to being inserted through a touchscreen interface opening.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the stylus includes a wireless transmitter for generating an acknowledgement signal;

and,

wherein the mapping module includes a wireless receiver accepting the acknowledgement signal from the stylus.

24. The system of claim 12 wherein the tactile matrix interface comprises a stylus with a switch and a transmitter to send an acknowledgement of a touchscreen icon engagement in response to:

selecting a tactile matrix region; and

,

engaging the switch.

25. The system of claim 12 wherein the tactile matrix interface comprises a stylus with a transmitter to send a region select signal to the map module in response to being located proximate to a tactile matrix region.