Polysemous Symbol Navigation for Augmentative Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmentative communication systems face challenges in efficiently accessing a large set of fringe vocabulary words, particularly for children with autism, due to overwhelming polysemous symbols and cognitive demands of navigating multiple pages, which limits effective communication.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with sequentially linked electronic screen overlays that utilize polysemous and non-polysemous symbols, allowing for efficient access to fringe vocabulary with fewer keystrokes by displaying a second electronic screen overlay in response to initial polysemous symbol selection, and providing symbol/key location embellishments for disambiguation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If polysemous symbols are used to access large vocabulary, then vocabulary coverage is improved, but cognitive complexity and navigation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the large vocabulary into multiple pages, with each page containing a manageable subset of symbols. Users navigate between pages to access different vocabulary subsets, reducing the cognitive load on any single screen while maintaining comprehensive vocabulary coverage across the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension (page navigation) to organize polysemous symbols. Instead of presenting all symbols on one screen, the system uses multiple pages arranged in a navigable sequence, allowing comprehensive vocabulary access while keeping each individual view simple and manageable.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple pages of symbols are used to expand vocabulary access, then vocabulary coverage is improved, but navigation time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary organization of vocabulary into thematic pages before user interaction. Frequently accessed symbols and logically related symbols are pre-grouped on the same page, reducing the number of navigation steps required and enabling faster access to commonly used vocabulary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback through icons and positioning that indicate the current page context and available navigation options. This feedback mechanism helps users understand their location in the multi-page structure and makes navigation more intuitive, reducing the time required to navigate between pages.
3Productivity
If polysemous symbols are used to reduce keystrokes, then operational efficiency is improved, but symbol disambiguation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each page is designed with local quality characteristics, where symbols are contextually relevant to that specific page's theme. This contextual localization helps users disambiguate polysemous symbols by providing local context clues, reducing the difficulty of determining the correct meaning while maintaining the efficiency benefits of polysemous notation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces visual indicators and contextual markers as intermediaries between the polysemous symbols and their meanings. These intermediaries provide additional information that helps users disambiguate symbol meanings without requiring additional keystrokes, thus maintaining operational efficiency while reducing disambiguation difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus and computer readable medium are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes providing polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; storing, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and displaying a second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols. In at least one embodiment, the second electronic screen overlay is the electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol.