Elevator Touchscreen Voice Mode for Visually Impaired Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers with visual impairments face challenges in using elevators, escalators, and moving walkways due to the inability to see buttons or navigate these systems effectively, while passengers with mobility issues may struggle to enter or exit them in time.
Innovation Solution
A touch screen interface for personnel movement systems that can operate in both a non-voice mode and a voice mode, allowing visually impaired users to navigate using vocal commands or touch, with haptic indicators guiding them to the voice mode activator, and providing audio cues for navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional touch screen interface is used, then the device complexity is low and ease of manufacture is good, but visually impaired passengers cannot locate or operate the buttons effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces audio output as an intermediary between the touch screen interface and visually impaired passengers. The audio output provides verbal cues about button locations and functions, enabling visually impaired users to locate and operate buttons without seeing them, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing directional audio cues that correspond to specific button locations on the touch screen. The audio output delivers information localized to the spatial position of each button, allowing visually impaired passengers to identify button positions through spatial audio relationships rather than visual perception
2Ease of operation
If audio cues are added to guide visually impaired users, then ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional audio output components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling the touch screen interface to operate in multiple modes: a first mode for visually impaired passengers that utilizes audio output for guidance, and a second mode for other passengers that functions as a conventional visual interface. This allows the same interface to serve diverse user needs without requiring separate dedicated systems for each user type
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the interface mode switchable and adaptable. The system can dynamically transition between the first mode (with audio guidance) and the second mode (visual interface) based on user needs, allowing the interface characteristics to change rather than being fixed, thereby accommodating different user requirements within a single flexible system
Data Source
AI summary
A personnel movement system is provided and includes a personnel movement element to transport passengers from one location to another, a controller configured to control operations of the personnel movement element in accordance with received signals and a touch screen interface operably disposed at an entrance/exit of the personnel movement element. The touch screen interface is operable in at least a first mode and a second mode to send the signals to the controller and is configured to be toggled therebetween.