SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A DYNAMIC BRAILLE DISPLAY

• US 20150206453A1
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Gilbert Yip
• Original Assignee: John Gilbert Yip
• Inventors: YIP, JOHN GILBERT
• Granted Patent: US 10,083,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/002 Writing aids for blind persons devices for Braille writing G09B21/02
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods for a tactile braille display that reduces the number of actuators used to position movable pins. In embodiments, the actuators may be configured to move a plurality of movable pins at different times while also being configured to move independent movable pins.

Claims

1. A tactile braille display comprising:

a movable pin configured to be in a first position and a second position within a display substrate, the movable pin including a first end, a shaft, and a second end,

the first end being configured to provide a raised dot of a braille character when the movable pin is in the second position,

the shaft being configured to secure the movable pin within the display substrate and move in a helical path within the display substrate,

the second end including a cam;

a write head configured to engage with the cam to position the movable pin in the first position and the second position, wherein the write head is configured to move in a direction that is perpendicular to the movement of the movable pin.

2. The tactile braille display of claim 1, wherein a first top surface of the first end is configured to be coplanar with a second top surface of the display substrate when the movable pin is in the first position.

3. The tactile braille display of claim 1, wherein the write head is configured to rotate the cam in a first direction to move the movable pin from the first position to the second position.

4. The tactile braille display of claim 3, wherein the write head is configured to rotate the cam in a second direction to move the movable pin from the second position to the first position.

5. The tactile braille display of claim 4, wherein the write head includes a first actuator and a second actuator, the first actuator being configured to move the cam in the first direction, the second actuator being configured to move the cam in the second direction.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first actuator is a retractable actuator configured to be extended or retracted to move the movable pin, and the second actuator is secured in a fixed position on the write head.

7. The tactile braille display of claim 1, comprising:

a braille module comprising a set of movable pins, the braille module pins representing a single braille character, wherein each of the plurality of movable pins is configured to independently move between the first position and the second position.

8. The tactile braille display of claim 7, wherein the display substrate includes a plurality of rows, a first column, and a second column, the rows being configured to extend from the first column to the second column in a direction that is perpendicular to the first column and the second column, the write block is configured to move along a row.

9. The tactile braille display of claim 8, comprising:

a plurality of braille modules, wherein the movable pins within a first of the plurality of braille modules are configured to be moved independently of the movable pins within a second of the plurality of braille modules, wherein the first braille module and the second braille module are positioned on a first row of the plurality of rows.

10. The tactile braille display of claim 9, wherein the write block interfaces with the movable pins within the first braille module before interfacing with the movable pins within the second braille module.

11. A method utilizing a tactile braille display comprising:

moving a movable pin between a first position and a second position within a display substrate;

engaging a write head with a cam positioned on a second end of the movable pin to move the movable pin between the first position and the second position, wherein the write head is configured to move in a direction that is perpendicular to the movement of the movable pin;

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

moving a first top surface of a first end of the movable pin to a position that is coplanar with a second top surface of the display substrate when the movable pin is in the first position.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

rotating, via the write head, the cam in a first direction to move the movable pin from the first position to the second position.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

rotating, via the write head, the cam in a second direction to move the movable pin from the second position to the first position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the write head includes a first actuator and a second actuator, and

moving, via the first actuator, the cam in the first direction;

moving, via the second actuator, the cam in the second direction.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising:

retracting or extending the first actuator, wherein the second actuator is secured in a fixed position.

17. The method of claim 11, comprising:

representing a single braille character with a braille module, the braille module comprising a set of movable pins;

independently moving each of the plurality of movable pins within the set between the first position and the second position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the display substrate includes a plurality of rows, a first column, and a second column, the rows being configured to extend from the first column to the second column in a direction that is perpendicular to the first column and the second column;

and

moving the write block along a row.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

moving a first set of movable pins within a first braille module independently from a second set of movable pins within a second braille module, wherein the first braille module and the second braille module are positioned on a first row of the plurality of rows.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

interfacing, via the write block, the first set of movable pins within the first braille module before interfacing with the second set of movable pins within the second braille module.