Viewfinder Assistant for Visually Impaired Screen Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Visually impaired individuals face difficulties in aligning their mobile devices with digital screens to extract dynamic information effectively, particularly in professional settings where timely access to information is crucial, such as reading vital signs from patient monitoring systems.
Innovation Solution
A system that employs object recognition and angle-sensitive optical character recognition (OCR) to identify digital screens and guide users to reorient their mobile devices for optimal image capture, using tactile and audio cues to ensure accurate text extraction and conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visually impaired users manually align mobile devices with digital screens, then text extraction can be achieved, but the process is time-consuming and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment by automatically detecting screen orientation and calculating the optimal device angle for text extraction, eliminating the need for manual user alignment and thereby improving both reliability and speed of information extraction
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to users through audio cues indicating whether the device is properly aligned with the screen, allowing users to quickly adjust their device position until extraction is successful, reducing both time and improving reliability
2Measurement precision
If users repeatedly adjust device orientation to capture clear images, then text extraction accuracy improves, but the operation becomes complex and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically calculates and communicates the precise angle needed for optimal text extraction, performing the complex alignment task itself rather than requiring the user to manually adjust the device multiple times
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary between the user and the alignment task by providing intermediate guidance cues that simplify the complex adjustment process into straightforward directional instructions
3Reliability
If angle-sensitive OCR is implemented to handle various screen orientations, then text extraction reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of text extraction by implementing angle-sensitive OCR that can process text at various orientations, allowing reliable extraction regardless of screen angle while managing complexity through algorithmic adjustments
Data Source
AI summary
In an approach for guiding a visually impaired user to position a mobile device appropriately in relation to a screen so that dynamic information on the screen can be reliably extracted and conveyed to the visually impaired user, a processor receives an image captured by a camera of a mobile device. A processor performs object recognition on the image to identify a digital screen and a location of the digital screen in the image. A processor retrieves a template of the digital screen. A processor performs angle-sensitive optical character recognition (OCR) on the location of the digital screen in the image. Responsive to a processor determining text on the digital screen can be extracted, a processor conveys the text to a user. Responsive to a processor determining text on the digital screen cannot be extracted, a processor guides the user to re-orient the mobile device to capture a better image.