Method and system for providing map interactivity for a visually-impaired user

• US 9,087,455 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsaran, Victor, Sai, Jayant
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/207,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 715/729
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using 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 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

Map interactivity for a visually-impaired user is provided. A map is displayed on a display module of a device and a grid is overlaid onto the displayed map using a rendering module. Each cell of the grill corresponds to a location on the map. Further, a user selection is received using the input module concerning a cell of the grid from the displayed map. Information associated with a selected cell is retrieved using the location module within the device and a speech segment relating to the information is output using an output module.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by a processor, a map on a device;

overlaying, by the processor, a grid onto the displayed map, each cell of the grid corresponding to a region having contained therewith a location on the map, wherein boundaries between adjacent cells are based on one of (i) a geometric array, and (ii) natural lines which follow geographical features of regions;

receiving, by the processor, a user selection concerning a cell of the grid from the displayed map, wherein the user selection is received from a user and concerns any point within the region of the cell;

retrieving, by the processor, information associated with the selected cell; and

outputting, by the processor, a speech segment relating to the information, wherein the speech segment relating to the information which is output includes (i) a label and, following a delay, (ii) a hint, both of which change in relation to the layers of the map or zoom-levels associated with the map, the hint comprising a broader representation of the information compared with the label; and

notifying, by the processor, the user via an alert signal when the hint and label are loaded.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing a mode in the device to assist visually-impaired users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the map comprises:

displaying the map on a touch screen display device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the map comprises:

displaying a first layer of the map; and

responsive to a user selection, displaying a second layer of the map having greater detail than the first layer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second layers each comprise one of a city layer, a neighborhood layer, and a street address layer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current location of the device;

centering the map on the cell representing the region containing the current location; and

responsive to a change in the current location, updating the map centering.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a location contained with the region on the map associated with the cell.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a fact concerning a location contained within the region on the map associated with the cell.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that when executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

displaying, by the processor, a map on a device;

overlaying, by the processor, a grid onto the displayed map, each cell of the grid corresponding to a region having contained therewithin a location on the map, wherein boundaries between adjacent cells are based on one of (i) a geometric array, and (ii) natural lines which follow geographical features of regions;

receiving, by the processor, a user selection concerning a cell of the grid from the displayed map, wherein the user selection is received from a user and concerns any point within the region of the cell;

retrieving, by the processor, information associated with the selected cell; and

outputting, by the processor, a speech segment relating to the information, wherein the speech segment relating to the information which is output includes (i) a label, and, following a delay, (ii) a hint, both of which change in relation to the layers of the map or zoom-levels associated with the map, the hint comprising a broader representation of the information compared with the label; and

notifying, by the processor, the user via an alert signal when the hint and label are loaded.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

initializing a mode in the device to assist visually-impaired users.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein displaying the map comprises:

displaying the map on a touch screen display device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein displaying the map comprises:

displaying a first layer of the map;

responsive to a user selection, displaying a second layer of the map having greater detail than the first layer.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first and second layers each comprise one of a city layer, a neighborhood layer, and a street address layer.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a current location of the device;

centering the map on the cell representing the region containing the current location; and

responsive to a change in the current location, updating the map centering.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the information comprises a location contained within the region on the map associated with the cell.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the information comprises a fact concerning a location contained within the region on the map associated with the cell.

17. A device comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

a display module executed by the processor to output a map;

a rendering module executed by the processor to overlay a grid onto the displayed map, each cell of the grid corresponding to a region having contained therewithin a location on the map, wherein boundaries between adjacent cells are based on one of (i) a geometric array, and (ii) natural lines which follow geographical features of regions;

an input module executed by the processor to receive a user selection concerning a cell of the grid from the displayed map, wherein the user selection is received from a user and concerns any point within the region of the cell;

a location module executed by the processor to retrieve information associated with the selected cell; and

an output module executed by the processor to generate a speech segment relating to the information, the speech segment relating to the information which is output includes (i) a label, and, following a delay, (ii) a hint, both of which change in relation to the layers of the map or zoom-levels associated with the map, the hint comprising a broader representation of the information compared with the label; and

a notifying module executed by the processor to notify the user via an alert signal when the hint and label are loaded.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the display module comprises a touch screen display module.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the display module outputs a first layer of the map, and responsive to a user selection, the display module outputs a second layer of the map having greater detail than the first layer.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first and second layers each comprise one of a city layer, a neighborhood layer, and a street address layer.