Touch and Audio Interface for Visually Impaired Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are difficult or impossible for visually impaired users to navigate due to the reliance on touch screens and visible icons, limiting their access to internet services and content.
Innovation Solution
A touch and audio interface system that utilizes a touch screen and microphone, allowing visually impaired users to navigate and interact with content using directional swipes, long presses, and audio inputs, enabling access to remotely stored content through a client application and API, which processes speech inputs and touch gestures to perform tasks like content navigation, text composition, and audio control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch screen interface is used for mobile devices, then user-friendly interaction is achieved for sighted users, but the device becomes difficult or impossible to use for visually impaired users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal interface that serves both sighted and visually impaired users through multiple input modalities. The system accepts touch gestures (swipes, taps, presses) and audio commands, allowing the same device to be operated by different user groups with different capabilities. The interface adapts its interaction mode based on user needs while maintaining core functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces audio output and speech recognition as intermediary components that bridge the gap between the visual interface and visually impaired users. Audio feedback conveys interface state and options, while speech recognition converts verbal commands into system actions, effectively mediating the interaction between visually impaired users and the visual-centric touch screen interface.
2Loss of information
If visual icons and text are displayed on the screen, then information is accessible to sighted users, but visually impaired users cannot access text and icons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the visual-mechanical interface (displaying text and icons that require visual perception) with an audio-acoustic interface. Information that would traditionally be presented visually through text and icons is instead conveyed through audio output, allowing visually impaired users to access the same information through a different sensory modality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the output parameter of information presentation from visual (text/icons on display) to auditory (audio output through speaker). This parameter change allows the same information content to be accessible to users with different sensory capabilities, transforming the interface from visually-dependent to multi-sensory.
3Productivity
If a traditional touch screen keyboard is used, then text input is efficient for sighted users, but text input becomes difficult or impossible for visually impaired users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical touch screen keyboard interaction (visually locating and pressing keys) with speech recognition technology. Users can input text by speaking naturally, and the system converts the audio input into text, eliminating the need for visual guidance during text input while maintaining or improving efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces speech recognition as an intermediary that converts spoken language into text input. This intermediary component bridges the gap between the user's verbal communication and the system's text-based processing, enabling visually impaired users to input text efficiently without needing to see the keyboard or screen.
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface for a visually impaired user of a mobile computer system. A touch interface is enabled on a touch screen and an audio interface is enabled on a loudspeaker and a microphone. Remotely stored content is previously ordered in a list or tree. The previously ordered remotely stored content is accessible to the visually impaired person by playing the content on the loudspeaker using multiple inputs including a touch gesture on the touch screen and a speech input into the microphone. In accordance with the inputs, an order is changed of navigating the content within a list for a future use of the user interface