Accessibility path guiding through microfluidics on a touch screen

• US 9,836,126 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ekambaram, Vijay, Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US15/422,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information

Abstract

Providing accessibility path guidance on a display presented on a touch screen of a device with microfluidics. The fluid is selectively applied to a portion of the touch screen by a computer of the device to raise a portion of the touch screen. The computer loads a display on the touch screen which requires user input. The flow information regarding the display is fetched and a computer of the device detects that the user has touched the touch screen at a point. The computer uses microfluidics to create a physical ridge on the touch screen corresponding to a flow path connecting the point on the touch screen in which the user is currently touching to a touch point within an object field which requires user input. Once the user has reached the object field by following the physical ridge through touch, the physical ridge is removed.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing accessibility path guidance on a display presented on a touch screen of a device with microfluidics, wherein fluid is selectively applied to a portion of the touch screen by a computer of the device to raise a portion of the touch screen, the computer system comprising a computer comprising at least one processor, one or more memories, one or more computer readable storage media having program instructions executable by the computer to perform the program instructions comprising:

loading, by the computer, a display on the touch screen which requires user input;

fetching, by the computer, flow information regarding the display;

detecting, by the computer, that the user has touched the touch screen at a point;

using, by the computer, microfluidics to create a physical ridge on the touch screen corresponding to a flow path connecting the point on the touch screen in which the user is currently touching to a touch point within an object field which requires user input;

once the user has reached the object field which requires user input by following the flow path through touch, removing, by the computer the physical ridge and providing details to the user regarding the input required in the object field; and

creating, by the computer, a physical ridge on the touch screen through microfluidics connecting a touch point within the object field which required user input to a touch point on the touch screen within another object field which requires user input.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising program instructions of, after the program instructions of fetching flow information, alerting the user, by the computer, that at least one flow path exists based on the fetched flow information.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the program instructions of alerting the user, by the computer, comprises the program instructions of:

creating, by the computer, a physical button at a position in which the user is touching the touch screen of the device through microfluidics; and

verbalizing, by the computer, the at least one flow path to the user.

4. The computer system of claim 3, further comprising the program instructions of receiving, by the computer, the user'"'"'s selection of the flow path.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the program instructions of receiving a user selection, by the computer, of the flow path is by depression of the physical button formed by microfluidics.

6. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising repeating the program instructions of creating and removing, by the computer, physical ridges and providing details about object fields, until the user has provided input for all of the object fields required by the flow path.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein after the program instructions of fetching, by the computer, flow information, the computer system further comprises the program instructions of sending, by the computer, a notification through the mobile device to the user that the display has been loaded on the touch screen.

8. A method of providing accessibility path guidance on a display presented on a touch screen of a device with microfluidics, wherein fluid is selectively applied to a portion of the touch screen by a computer of the device to raise a portion of the touch screen, the method comprising the steps of:

the computer loading a display on the touch screen which requires user input;

the computer fetching flow information regarding the display;

the computer detecting that the user has touched the touch screen at a point;

the computer using microfluidics to create a physical ridge with a width on the touch screen corresponding to a flow path connecting the point on the touch screen in which the user is currently touching to a plurality of touch points within object fields, wherein a flow path connecting the point on the touch screen in which the user is currently touching to a touch point within an object field which is optional for user input is of a first width and wherein the flow path connecting the point on the touch screen in which the user is currently touching to a touch point within an object field with required user input is of a second width, the first width being smaller than the second width;

once the user has reached the object field following the flow path through touch, the computer removing the physical ridge and providing details to the user regarding the input for the object field; and

the computer creating a physical ridge on the touch screen through microfluidics connecting a touch point within the object field to a next touch point on the touch screen within another object field for user input.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step, after the step of fetching flow information, of the computer alerting the user that at least one flow path exists based on the fetched flow information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of alerting the user comprises the steps of the computer:

creating a physical button at a position in which the user is touching the touch screen of the device through microfluidics; and

verbalizing the at least one flow path to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of the computer receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the flow path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving a user selection of the flow path is by depression of the physical button formed by microfluidics.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising repeating the steps of creating and removing physical ridges and providing details about object fields, until the user has provided input for all of the object fields required by the flow path.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein after the step of fetching flow information, the method further comprises the step of the computer sending a notification through the mobile device to the user that the display has been loaded on the touch screen.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer provides details regarding the input needed from the user by providing a description in Braille created through microfluidics.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer provides details regarding the input needed from the user by verbalizing a description of the input required to the user.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein an entire flow path selected by a user is displayed to the user through raised touchpoints within the object fields connected by ridges created by microfluidics on the touch screen of the device.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein any object fields on the touch screen may be connected through microfluidics.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the object fields have boundaries which are formed using microfluidics to create a physical ridge with a width, such that the boundaries of the object fields with optional user input have a first width and the boundaries of object fields with required user input have a second width, the first width of the boundaries of the object fields with optional user input being smaller than boundaries of the object fields with required user input.