Facilitating tactile identification of a document attribute

• US 8,932,061 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abernethy, Michael Negley Jr., Aupperle, Bryan Eric, Grigsby, Travis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gishnock, Nikolai A
• Application Number:
  US11/774,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20090011390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,748 Days
• Field of Search: 434/114, 434/110, 434/113
• US Class Current: 434/113
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/004 Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/02 Devices for Braille writing typewriters for Braille B41J3/32
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/04 Devices for conversing with the deaf-blind

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments described herein provide an apparatus and method for facilitating tactile identification of a document attribute. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a document. The document has a set of document attributes. The apparatus also includes a fluid incorporated within the document at a designated location associated with a document attribute in the set of document attributes. The fluid changes rigidity in the presence of an electric field to facilitate tactile identification of the document attribute.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating tactile identification of a document attribute, comprising:

a document, wherein the document has a set of document attributes;

an electrorheological fluid incorporated within the document at a designated location associated with a document attribute in the set of document attributes, and wherein the electrorheological fluid changes rigidity in a presence of an electric field to facilitate tactile identification of the document attribute;

a base unit externally located from the document, wherein the base unit serves a first pole for the electric field; and

an amplifier externally located from the document, wherein the amplifier serves as a second pole for the electric field.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrorheological fluid increases rigidity to facilitate tactile identification of the document attribute when the electric field is applied to the fluid at the designated location.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the amplifier further comprises:

a metallic ring, wherein the metallic ring is capable of attachment to the finger of a user, and wherein the metallic ring allows the user to tactilely perceive the document attributes from within a center of the metallic ring.

3. A method of facilitating tactile identification of a document attribute, comprising:

inserting an electrorheological fluid into a document at a designated location associated with a document attribute in a set of documents attributes, wherein the fluid changes rigidity in a presence of an electric field to facilitate tactile identification of the document attribute; and

positioning the document between a base unit and an amplifier, wherein the base unit is externally located from the document, wherein the base unit serves a first pole for the electric field, and wherein the amplifier is externally located from the document, wherein the amplifier serves as a second pole for the electric field.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the electrorheological fluid increases rigidity in the presence of the electric field to facilitate tactile identification of the document attribute.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

applying an ink layer over the electrorheological fluid, wherein the ink layer holds the electrorheological fluid within the document.

17. The method of claim 3, wherein the amplifier further comprises:

a metallic ring, wherein the metallic ring is capable of attachment to the finger of a user, and wherein the metallic ring allows the user to tactilely perceive the document attributes from within a center of the metallic ring.

6. A method of facilitating tactile identification of a document attribute, comprising:

receiving a document, wherein the document has a set of document attributes; and

generating an electric field in an electrorheological fluid incorporated within the document, wherein a rigidity of the electrorheological fluid increases at a designated location associated with a document attribute in the set of document attributes and wherein the electrorheological fluid with increased rigidity is used for tactile identification of the document attribute, wherein the electric field is generated between a base unit and an amplifier, wherein the base unit is externally located from the document and serves a first pole for the electric field, and wherein the amplifier is externally located from the document, wherein the amplifier serves as a second pole for the electric field.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

removing the electric field from the electrorheological fluid to decrease the rigidity of the fluid.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the electric field is generated by an electric field generator that includes the base unit and the amplifier, and further comprising:

placing the document between the base unit and the amplifier.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the amplifier further comprises:

a metallic ring, wherein the metallic ring is capable of attachment to the finger of a user, and wherein the metallic ring allows the user to tactilely perceive the document attributes from within a center of the metallic ring.

9. An apparatus for facilitating tactile identification of a currency attribute, comprising:

currency, wherein the currency has a set of currency attributes; and

an electrorheological fluid incorporated within the currency at a designated location associated with a currency attribute in the set of currency attributes, and wherein the electrorheological fluid changes rigidity in a presence of an electric field to facilitate tactile identification of the currency attribute;

a base unit externally located from the document, wherein the base unit serves a first pole for the electric field; and

an amplifier externally located from the document, wherein the amplifier serves as a second pole for the electric field.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electrorheological fluid increases rigidity to facilitate tactile identification of the currency attribute when the electric field is applied to the electrorheological fluid at the designated location.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an ink layer, wherein the ink layer covers the electrorheological fluid, wherein the ink layer holds the electrorheological fluid within the document.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the designated location of the electrorheological fluid indicates a monetary value of the currency.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the designated location of the electrorheological fluid indicates a printing location of the currency.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the designated location of the electrorheological fluid indicates a serial number of the currency.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the designated location of the electrorheological fluid indicates a unique identifier of the currency, and wherein the unique identifier is based on at least one of a serial number of the currency, a printing location of the currency, and a monetary value of the currency.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the amplifier further comprises:

a metallic ring, wherein the metallic ring is capable of attachment to the finger of a user, and wherein the metallic ring allows the user to tactilely perceive the document attributes from within a center of the metallic ring.