Character Input Audio Feedback for Eyes-Busy Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inputting characters on electronic devices, such as mobile phones, are error-prone and slow in eyes-busy situations, requiring visual contact and lacking tactile feedback, which can lead to accidents or distractions.
Innovation Solution
An enhanced audible feedback system that provides audio segments specific to selected characters before confirmation, allowing users to navigate and confirm inputs without visual attention, using a control unit to output audio via an audio output means before adding characters to a sequence, and optionally highlighting selected characters on a display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a regular keypad is used for character input, then the device structure remains simple, but input accuracy deteriorates and input speed decreases in eyes-busy situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements audio feedback that announces the currently selected character position and provides tactile feedback through vibration patterns. When a user navigates to a character position, the system audibly announces the position number and vibrates with a specific pattern, allowing users to confirm their selection without visual attention. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling accurate input (improving reliability) while maintaining ease of operation through non-visual confirmation methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional visual feedback mechanism with audio and tactile feedback systems. Instead of relying on visual display to confirm character selection, the system uses audible announcements of character positions and vibration patterns to indicate selection state. This substitution allows users to input characters accurately in eyes-busy situations by hearing and feeling the selection state rather than seeing it, thereby improving input accuracy without compromising operational ease.
2Productivity
If visual feedback is used to confirm character selection, then input speed may improve, but the user cannot maintain focus on the main activity
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous audio feedback that announces character positions and selection states without requiring the user to shift visual attention to the display. The tactile feedback through vibration patterns also continuously indicates the current state, allowing users to monitor their input progress while maintaining focus on the main activity. This resolves the contradiction by enabling users to maintain both input speed and focus on primary tasks simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the feedback channels into distinct audio and tactile components, each providing specific information about the input state. Audio feedback announces character positions and confirmation states, while tactile feedback provides additional state information through vibration patterns. This segmentation allows users to receive comprehensive feedback information without needing to visually check the display, thereby maintaining input speed while avoiding loss of time to visual checking.
3Reliability
If tactile feedback is provided for each key, then input accuracy improves, but the keypad complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a unified feedback mechanism where a single vibration motor serves multiple functions: indicating character position, confirming selection, and providing error feedback. The audio system similarly handles multiple feedback tasks through a single speech synthesis channel. This multi-functionality approach improves input accuracy through comprehensive feedback while avoiding the complexity of implementing separate feedback mechanisms for each key, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient character input in eyes-busy situations and aids visually impaired users by providing tactile-like feedback without additional accessories, reducing errors and maintaining focus on primary activities.
Implementation Method 1
The electronic device may comprise a speech synthesizer arranged to generate an audible speech output
Implementation Method 2
an audio output means arranged to provide an audible feedback on a current input state or on a currently selected character position in response to a current navigation input
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect of the invention, an enhanced audible feedback solution has been invented for electronic devices using an input device facilitating navigation though a plurality of available user interface input options and confirmation of a selected input option. The electronic device is arranged to define, as a response to detecting a selection of a character on the basis of a detection of a first input to an input device of the electronic device, an audio segment specific to the character. The electronic device is arranged to output the defined audio segment via the audio output means prior to a confirmation by a second input to the input device, the second input being associated with a function adding the character as part of a character sequence entered by the user.