Braille input system, device and method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of braille input, and particularly relates to a braille input system, device and method, the input system comprises a braille input module, a braille display module, a communication module, a voice broadcast module, an algorithm processing unit and a core control unit, and the device is a contact display assembly and comprises a reset spring, a coil, a driving needle and an iron core. A plurality of round holes for accommodating the contact display components are formed in the shell, the iron cores, the reset springs and the driving needles are sequentially arranged in the round holes from bottom to top, the coils are sleeved on the iron cores, and the driving needles extend out under the action of the traction springs to form Braille convex points. According to the Braille input method, through hardware architecture optimization and multi-algorithm fusion, a Braille input solution with low cost, high portability and high recognition rate is realized, meanwhile, triple interaction modes of voice broadcast, visual display and tactile feedback are integrated, and the information interaction efficiency of visually impaired groups is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of Braille input technology, and in particular relates to a Braille input system, device and method. Background Art

[0002] Currently, there are a wide variety of braille input devices, including braille notepads, braille displays, barrier-free braille keyboards, and smart braille learning and reading machines. However, these braille input devices have the following technical deficiencies in practical applications: High equipment cost and poor portability: Traditional Braille input systems often use complex mechanical structures or expensive display modules, resulting in bulky equipment (for example, traditional Braille displays usually take up a large space) and high production costs, making it difficult to meet the portability and affordability needs of visually impaired users.

[0003] Low character recognition rate and insufficient input efficiency: Existing systems mostly rely on simple matching algorithms, which are easily affected by factors such as ambiguous sounds and spelling errors when processing pinyin input, resulting in low Chinese character conversion accuracy; at the same time, the input speed is slow and cannot meet daily information interaction needs.

[0004] Single interaction mode: Traditional devices only support tactile feedback or a single display mode and lack multimodal information interaction capabilities. Visually impaired users find it difficult to confirm input content through multiple channels, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0005] Insufficient intelligence: The existing system lacks the ability to understand contextual semantics and cannot achieve intelligent prediction and correction at the sentence level. Users need to adjust the input content word by word, which is cumbersome. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a Braille input system, device and method. Through hardware architecture optimization and multi-algorithm integration, it realizes a low-cost, highly portable and high-recognition Braille input solution. At the same time, it integrates three interaction modes: voice broadcast, visual display and tactile feedback, significantly improving the information interaction efficiency of the visually impaired group.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, a Braille input system is provided, comprising a housing, a space formed inside the housing, a button provided on a surface of the housing to access the interior space, an internal chip installed in the housing, and the internal chip having the following groups of chip modules: The Braille input module consists of two columns of keys, including pinyin input key, mode switch key, confirm key, delete key, and withdraw key. The key position code is obtained by row and column scanning; The Braille display module uses the magnetic force generated by permanent magnets and electromagnets to control the contact display assembly to form Braille bumps on the housing; A communication module for transmitting information to and from a computer or for sending and receiving information when the Braille input device is used independently; Voice broadcast module, external sound player, for voice feedback; The core control unit connects and controls the Braille input module, Braille display module, voice broadcast module, communication module and algorithm processing unit.

[0008] The algorithm processing unit integrates the KMP algorithm, the Word2vec word vector generation module, and the fuzzy matching algorithm module. The KMP algorithm implements string matching by constructing a Next array. The Word2vec word vector generation technology implemented in the algorithm generates a model using words from a training corpus (which may consist of a large number of articles on the internet). It mainly uses two architectures: the CBOW (Continuous Bag of Words) model and the Skip-gram model. During training, the CBOW model predicts words based on the context of the text, while the Skip-gram model takes the opposite approach, using a single word to predict its surrounding context. Fuzzy matching is a data matching technique that compares two or more records and calculates the likelihood that they belong to the same entity. Fuzzy matching does not produce a match or mismatch result, but rather a percentage (usually between 0 and 100%) that describes the likelihood that the records belong to the same customer, product, or employee. Effective fuzzy matching algorithms can handle a range of data ambiguities, such as first / last name reversals, acronyms, abbreviations, phonetic and intentional spelling errors, abbreviations, added / deleted punctuation, etc. When there is ambiguity or ambiguity in the input pinyin, fuzzy matching algorithms are used to find the most likely Chinese character sequence.

[0009] Furthermore, the key position code is obtained through row and column scanning, specifically including: periodically scanning the rows and columns of the Braille input module through the core control unit, reading back the scanning signal line results, judging the working status of the key, and calculating the position of the key to obtain the key position code.

[0010] Furthermore, the working status of the key is specifically divided into key pressing and key releasing. When the key is pressed, the core control unit sends two signals to send the position key position code to the Braille display module, and sends a signal again to interrupt the request when the key is released.

[0011] Furthermore, the communication module adopts a GSM module, operates in GSM900 and GSM1800 dual-bands, supports text and PDU format SMS transmission through AT commands, and its IGT pin needs to input a low level for more than 100ms to start.

[0012] Furthermore, a storage module is also provided on the internal chip, and the storage module has a built-in Braille and Pinyin library for storing mapping codes between Pinyin and Chinese characters.

[0013] Furthermore, the system has two working modes. In the independent operation mode, the core control unit sends the Chinese character code to the GSM module through the serial port to realize information communication with other terminals. In the computer connection mode, the core control unit uploads the Chinese character code to the computer through the serial port to realize Braille character input.

[0014] A Braille input device includes a housing and a contact display assembly mounted on an internal chip and extending to the surface of the housing. The contact display assembly includes a reset spring, a coil, a drive needle, and an iron core. The housing is provided with a plurality of circular holes for accommodating the contact display assembly. The iron core, the reset spring, and the drive needle are located in the circular holes from bottom to top. The coil is sleeved on the iron core, and the drive needle extends under the action of the traction spring to form Braille bumps.

[0015] A Braille input method comprises the following steps: S1. Input pinyin via the pinyin input key of the Braille input module. The core control unit obtains the key position code by row and column scanning, and pronounces the homophone Chinese character. The user listens to the pronunciation to determine whether it is the desired homophone Chinese character. If yes, the user confirms it. Otherwise, the user deletes the character and re-enters the character. S2, repeat the above steps in sequence until a complete sentence is input; S3: The KMP algorithm, Word2vec word vector generation module, and fuzzy matching algorithm module integrated in the algorithm processing unit are started, and matching is performed based on the mapping code between pinyin and Chinese characters in the built-in Braille pinyin library; S4. The Braille display module controls the contact display component to form Braille bumps on the housing through the magnetic force generated by the permanent magnet and the electromagnet. At the same time, the voice broadcast module is connected to an external sound player for voice feedback, and Chinese characters or sentences are displayed synchronously. S5. If the content is what you want, confirm it directly; if there are homophones or non-target sentences, you can modify them by pressing the delete key or the undo key, or use voice positioning to delete specific Chinese characters and re-enter; S6. In the independent operation mode, the core control unit sends the Chinese character code to the GSM module through the serial port to realize information communication with other terminals. In the computer connection mode, the core control unit uploads the Chinese character code to the computer through the serial port to complete the Braille character input.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Reduced device costs and improved portability: The electromagnetic Braille display device utilizes the magnetic force generated by permanent magnets and electromagnets to control the contact display assembly, replacing traditional complex mechanical structures or expensive display modules. This reduces the device size by 60% and reduces costs by 45%, making it easier for visually impaired users to carry and use.

[0017] 2. Improve character recognition and input efficiency: This system integrates the KMP algorithm, Word2vec word vector generation module, and fuzzy matching algorithm module. The KMP algorithm achieves fast string matching by constructing a Next array. Word2vec word vector technology understands contextual semantics. The fuzzy matching algorithm handles ambiguous pinyin sounds and spelling errors, improving matching accuracy. The Braille input speed reaches 28 words per minute, meeting daily information interaction needs.

[0018] 3. Enriched interaction modes and enhanced user experience: The device integrates voice announcements, OLED display, and tactile feedback. Visually impaired users can confirm input through multiple channels: hearing, vision, and touch. This significantly improves the user experience by changing the traditional single interaction mode of traditional devices.

[0019] 4. Improved intelligence and simplified operation: The algorithm processing unit has the ability to understand contextual semantics, enabling intelligent prediction and correction at the sentence level. Users no longer need to adjust input word by word, making operation more convenient and less tedious.

[0020] 5. Enhanced system flexibility and applicability: The system has both standalone operation mode and computer connection mode. In standalone mode, it can communicate with other terminals via the GSM module. In computer connection mode, Braille characters can be input into the computer, meeting the needs of different scenarios and improving system flexibility and applicability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the planar layout structure of the Braille input module; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the contact display component; Figure 3 This is the overall control flow chart of the Braille input system; Figure 4 This is the circuit diagram for connecting the microcontroller and the GSM module; Figure 5 Display subroutine logic diagram for Braille; Figure 6 Input program logic diagram for Pinyin; Figure 7 This is the logic diagram of the voice module subroutine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, the present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments and drawings. The contents mentioned in the embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0023] like Figure 1 — Figure 7 A Braille input system includes a housing, a space formed inside the housing, a button leading to the interior space is provided on the surface of the housing, an internal chip is installed in the housing, and the internal chip is provided with the following groups of chip modules: The Braille input module consists of two columns of keys, including the pinyin input key 1, mode switch key 2, confirm key 3, delete key 4, and undo key 5. The key position code is obtained by row and column scanning; The Braille display module uses the magnetic force generated by the permanent magnet and the electromagnet to control the contact display component 6 to form Braille bumps on the housing; A communication module for transmitting information to and from a computer or for sending and receiving information when the Braille input device is used independently; Voice broadcast module, external sound player, for voice feedback; The algorithm processing unit integrates the KMP algorithm, Word2vec word vector generation module and fuzzy matching algorithm module. The KMP algorithm implements string matching by constructing the Next array; The core control unit, namely the single-chip microcomputer, connects and controls the Braille input module, Braille display module, voice broadcast module, communication module and algorithm processing unit.

[0024] The key position code is obtained by row and column scanning. Specifically, the core control unit periodically scans the rows and columns of the Braille input module, reads back the scanning signal line results, determines the working status of the key, and calculates the position of the key to obtain the key position code.

[0025] Determining the key's operating status is specifically divided into key-press and key-release. When a key is pressed, the core control unit sends a key position code to the Braille display module in two separate signals. When the key is released, it sends another signal as an interrupt request. Specifically, key presses and row and column positions are identified using position codes returned by the Braille input device (keyboard). While periodically scanning rows and columns, the microcontroller reads back the scan signal lines to determine whether a key is pressed and calculates the key's position to obtain a key position code. When a key is pressed, the keyboard sends a position scan code to the keyboard interface in two separate signals: one for each key press, called an on-scan code; another for each key release, called an off-scan code. Therefore, hardware or software methods can be used to scan the rows and columns of the keyboard to locate the pressed key, output a scan position code, and return the position code to determine the pressed key.

[0026] The communication module uses a GSM module (TC35i) to transmit information between the Braille input system and the computer, as well as to send and receive information when the Braille input system is used independently. It operates in both GSM900 and GSM1800 frequency bands and supports text and PDU format SMS transmission via AT commands. The TC35i module has 40 pins, divided into five categories: power, data input, output, SIM card, audio interface, and control. Its operating voltage is 4.2V; if the supply voltage drops below 3.3V, the module will automatically shut down. Because the module's peak current can reach up to 2A when transmitting, it has high power requirements. Therefore, this system uses the LM2941CS, a switch-type, adjustable, high-performance voltage regulator specifically designed for microwave circuits, which provides high-current, stable voltage output. When using the TC35i module, its enable pin, IGT, must be kept low for at least 100ms to activate the module. The TC35i module's data input and output interfaces conform to the ITU-TRS232 interface standard and support the standard AT command set.

[0027] The internal chip is also provided with a storage module, which has a built-in Braille and Pinyin library for storing mapping codes between Pinyin and Chinese characters.

[0028] The system has two working modes. In the independent operation mode, the core control unit sends the Chinese character code to the GSM module through the serial port to realize information communication with other terminals. In the computer connection mode, the core control unit uploads the Chinese character code to the computer (PC) through the serial port to realize Braille character input.

[0029] The system software's operating principle is as follows: In terms of software design, the system is powered on, begins running, and performs system initialization, primarily including initialization of the Braille input section, the Chinese character display section, initialization of computer data upload, initialization of the voice recognition module, and initialization of the GSM module. Once system initialization is complete, the program determines whether the Braille input system is currently operating in standalone mode or connected to a PC. If connected to a PC, Braille input determination continues. If the Braille input system receives Pinyin character information, the microcontroller receives the Pinyin character information, calls the independently developed Chinese Pinyin library, and utilizes the KMP algorithm for precise and rapid search. Finally, the microcontroller sends the found Chinese character code to the peripheral device for processing. The voice module provides feedback, and the Braille display module displays Braille contact information in three rows and two columns. Simultaneously, the Chinese character code is uploaded to the PC for Braille character input.

[0030] If the Braille input system is operating independently and not connected to a PC, the system begins to determine the pinyin input. If the Braille input module receives pinyin character information, the microcontroller receives the pinyin character information, calls the independently developed Chinese Braille Pinyin library, and uses the KMP algorithm to perform an accurate and rapid search. Finally, the microcontroller sends the Chinese character converted from the pinyin character via the serial port to the GSM module. The GSM module can then send the information sent by the microcontroller to the corresponding designated receiving terminal. This enables the Braille input system to operate in independent mode and communicate with other terminals. The display system simultaneously displays the three-dot and two-column contact Braille display module, providing feedback to the blind person.

[0031] A Braille input device includes a housing and a contact display assembly 6 mounted on an internal chip and extending to the surface of the housing. The contact display assembly 6 includes a return spring 60, a coil 61, a drive needle 62, and an iron core 63. The housing is provided with a plurality of circular holes for accommodating the contact display assembly. The iron core, the return spring, and the drive needle are located in the circular holes from bottom to top. The coil is sleeved on the iron core, and the drive needle extends under the action of the traction spring to form Braille bumps.

[0032] The contact display assembly utilizes the electromagnetic effect, Ampere's law, and the phenomenon of like poles repelling each other. The magnetic forces generated by permanent magnets and electromagnets control the raising and lowering of the contacts. When not in operation, the permanent magnet's actuator pin exerts an attractive force on the iron core. Because the iron core is stationary, this attraction forces the actuator pin downward, retracting the contact into the hole. When in operation, direct current is passed through the electromagnetic coil. The magnetic field generated by the energized coil cancels out the magnetic field of the permanent magnet, causing the actuator pin, driven by a pull spring, to extend out of the hole, forming the raised Braille dots.

[0033] In this embodiment, the Braille input device is a keyboard, on which pinyin input keys, mode switching keys, confirmation keys, delete keys, withdraw keys, etc. are designed. A contact display component for Braille display is also designed. After the pinyin is input correctly, the electrical signal will be converted into Braille for easy touch confirmation.

[0034] A Braille input method comprises the following steps: S1. Input pinyin via the pinyin input key of the Braille input module. The core control unit obtains the key position code by row and column scanning, and pronounces the homophone Chinese character. The user listens to the pronunciation to determine whether it is the desired homophone Chinese character. If yes, the user confirms it. Otherwise, the user deletes the character and re-enters the character. S2, repeat the above steps in sequence until a complete sentence is input; S3: The KMP algorithm, Word2vec word vector generation module, and fuzzy matching algorithm module integrated in the algorithm processing unit are started, and matching is performed based on the mapping code between pinyin and Chinese characters in the built-in Braille pinyin library; S4. The Braille display module uses the magnetic force generated by the permanent magnet and electromagnet to control the contact display component to form Braille bumps on the housing. At the same time, the voice broadcast module is connected to an external sound player for voice feedback. If there is an OLED display module, Chinese characters or sentences are displayed synchronously. S5. If the content is what you want, confirm it directly; if there are homophones or non-target sentences, you can modify them by pressing the delete key or the undo key, or use voice positioning to delete specific Chinese characters and re-enter; S6. In the independent operation mode, the core control unit sends the Chinese character code to the GSM module through the serial port to realize information communication with other terminals. In the computer connection mode, the core control unit uploads the Chinese character code to the computer through the serial port to complete the Braille character input.

[0035] Chinese Character and Braille Display Subroutine: The Braille display concept involves the microcontroller recognizing input Braille characters or characters sent from a PC, converting and outputting them. This subroutine primarily consists of four parts: data preprocessing, Chinese character information extraction, character matching and recognition, and precise conversion, arrangement, and output. This involves inputting data, performing cross-recognition, converting pinyin characters into Chinese characters, and then outputting the corresponding results.

[0036] The specific design ideas are as follows: Figure 3 As shown, first, the single-chip microcomputer uses the KMP algorithm to accurately and quickly match the received data with the established Chinese Braille Pinyin library, and finally saves the matching result, that is, the corresponding number of the recognized single Pinyin character in the Chinese character data conversion library in the order arranged in the result array, and then displays the Chinese characters through OLED and voice broadcast. At the same time, the braille display driver module can also be controlled by the single-chip microcomputer, and the matching result in the braille character data conversion library is correspondingly reflected on the contact display component.

[0037] Speech Module Subroutine: This system's speech recognition module primarily enables blind users to use the pinyin input system, providing not only three rows and two columns of electromagnetic contact feedback but also real-time voice feedback, enabling them to perceive information from multiple perspectives. Speech recognition involves three main steps: extracting speech features, building a language model, and implementing decision rules. During the training phase, the system extracts various speech data features, converts them into a sequence of feature vectors, and then utilizes appropriate training algorithms to generate and store one or more reference models.

[0038] KMP Algorithm Subroutine: This system uses the KMP algorithm to quickly and accurately convert pinyin characters into Chinese characters. The basic idea of ​​the KMP algorithm is that when a mismatch is detected during the comparison between pattern p and text s, a rule is found to shift pattern p backward along text s so that characters before the missing character in text s are no longer included in the comparison. In other words, only the missing character is compared with the characters in pattern p. The KMP algorithm quickly and accurately matches the input pinyin characters against a proprietary Braille phonetic library, achieving both rapid and accurate conversion of pinyin characters into Chinese characters.

[0039] The above describes in detail the Braille input system, device, and method provided by the present invention. The description of the specific embodiments is intended only to facilitate understanding of the method and core concepts of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will appreciate that various improvements and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A Braille input system comprising a housing, a space formed within the housing, a button provided on a surface of the housing for accessing the interior space, and an internal chip mounted within the housing, characterized in that: The internal chip is provided with a Braille input module, which consists of two columns of keys, including a pinyin input key, a mode switch key, an OK key, a delete key, and an undo key, and the key position code is obtained by row and column scanning; The Braille display module uses the magnetic force generated by permanent magnets and electromagnets to control the contact display assembly to form Braille bumps on the housing; A communication module for transmitting information to and from a computer or for sending and receiving information when the Braille input device is used independently; Voice broadcast module, external sound player, for voice feedback; The algorithm processing unit integrates the KMP algorithm, Word2vec word vector generation module and fuzzy matching algorithm module. The KMP algorithm realizes string matching by constructing the Next array; The core control unit connects and controls the Braille input module, Braille display module, voice broadcast module, communication module and algorithm processing unit.

2. A Braille input system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Obtain the key position code by row and column scanning, specifically including: The core control unit periodically scans the rows and columns of the Braille input module, reads back the scan signal line results, determines the working status of the key, and calculates the position of the key to obtain the key position code.

3. A Braille input system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The working status of the key is specifically divided into key pressing and key releasing. When the key is pressed, the core control unit sends two signals to send the position key position code to the Braille display module, and sends a signal again to interrupt the request when the key is released.

4. A Braille input system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module adopts GSM module, works in GSM900 and GSM1800 dual-band, supports text and PDU format SMS transmission through AT commands, and its IGT pin needs to input a low level for more than 100ms to start.

5. A Braille input system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The internal chip is also provided with a storage module, which has a built-in Braille and Pinyin library for storing mapping codes between Pinyin and Chinese characters.

6. A Braille input system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The system has two working modes. In the independent operation mode, the core control unit sends the Chinese character code to the GSM module through the serial port to realize information communication with other terminals. In the computer connection mode, the core control unit uploads the Chinese character code to the computer through the serial port to realize Braille character input.

7. A Braille input device, comprising a housing, characterized in that: It also includes a contact display component installed on the internal chip and extending to the surface of the shell. The contact display component includes a reset spring, a coil, a driving needle and an iron core. Several circular holes are provided on the shell to accommodate the contact display components. The iron core, the reset spring and the driving needle are arranged from bottom to top in the circular holes. The coil is sleeved on the iron core. The driving needle extends out under the action of the traction spring to form Braille bumps.

8. A Braille input method, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Input pinyin via the pinyin input key of the Braille input module. The core control unit obtains the key position code by row and column scanning and announces the homophone Chinese character. The voice broadcast determines whether it is the desired homophone Chinese character. If yes, confirm. Otherwise, delete and re-enter. S2, repeat the above steps in sequence until a complete sentence is input; S3: The KMP algorithm, Word2vec word vector generation module, and fuzzy matching algorithm module integrated in the algorithm processing unit are started, and matching is performed based on the mapping code between pinyin and Chinese characters in the built-in Braille pinyin library; S4. The Braille display module controls the contact display component to form Braille bumps on the housing through the magnetic force generated by the permanent magnet and the electromagnet. At the same time, the voice broadcast module is connected to an external sound player for voice feedback, and Chinese characters or sentences are displayed synchronously. S5. If the content is what you want, confirm it directly; if there are homophones or non-target sentences, you can modify them by pressing the delete key or the undo key, or use voice positioning to delete specific Chinese characters and re-enter; S6. In the independent operation mode, the core control unit sends the Chinese character code to the GSM module through the serial port to realize information communication with other terminals. In the computer connection mode, the core control unit uploads the Chinese character code to the computer through the serial port to complete the Braille character input.

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