Accessibility System for Consumer Electronics Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumer electronic device user interfaces are often inaccessible to users with disabilities, such as blindness, deafness, or low vision, as they lack necessary tactile or audio feedback, and existing accessibility features are insufficient for all users with disabilities.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that converts non-accessible user interfaces into accessible forms by capturing images of the interface, analyzing them to identify elements, and generating alternative presentations, such as audio or visual outputs, to facilitate interaction for users with disabilities, using image and audio analysis to provide accessible interface elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If consumer electronic devices implement traditional user interfaces, then device functionality is maintained, but accessibility for users with disabilities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary accessibility system that captures images of the traditional user interface, analyzes them to identify interface elements, and converts them into accessible formats (audio descriptions, tactile feedback, simplified visual displays). This mediator enables users with disabilities to interact with devices without requiring the devices themselves to be redesigned with multiple accessibility features built-in.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates accessible copies of the original user interface elements by capturing images and generating alternative presentations. Instead of modifying the original interface, the system produces parallel accessible versions that convey the same information and functionality through different sensory modalities, such as audio descriptions for visual elements or simplified displays for complex interfaces.
2Device complexity
If consumer electronic devices are designed without built-in accessibility features, then device complexity is reduced, but accessibility for users with disabilities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The accessibility system serves multiple functions: it captures interface images, analyzes interface elements, generates audio descriptions, provides tactile feedback, and creates simplified visual displays. This single multi-functional system can accommodate various types of disabilities (visual, auditory, cognitive) and work with different consumer electronic devices without requiring each device to implement separate accessibility features.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adapts the presentation parameters of interface information based on user needs. It transforms visual interface elements into audio signals, adjusts the complexity level of information presentation, modifies the sensory modality (visual, auditory, tactile), and dynamically changes how interface elements are conveyed based on the type of disability and user preference.
3Ease of operation
If accessible interface elements are generated through image analysis, then accessibility is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and analyzing interface images in advance before the user needs to interact with them. It pre-processes the interface elements, generates accessible versions, and prepares the information so that when the user needs to interact with the interface, the accessible elements are already ready for immediate use, reducing real-time delays.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are systems, methods and computer program products for generating accessible interface elements to facilitate presentation of alternative versions of a user interface or portions thereof to a user, such as a user having a disability. The disclosed systems, methods, and products allow users having a disability to more easily interact with and/or understand the user interfaces of consumer electronic devices. The disclosed systems, methods, and computer program products may facilitate obtaining images of the user interface and analyzing the images to convert, modify, or otherwise generate an accessible interface, or a portion thereof, for presentation to the user. For example, alternative interface presentations may be generated to allow a blind, deaf, low-vision, or color blind user to more easily understand and interact with the user interface.