Vision Substitution System Using Multi-Talker Audio Focus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vision substitution systems for blind individuals lack effective methods to direct attention to specific items within complex visual or non-visual representations while simultaneously providing awareness of other co-located or separate items, limiting their ability to navigate and interact with detailed information.
Innovation Solution
The system employs multi-level multi-talker focus effects, using categorically-distinct audio and tactile effects to differentiate primary and secondary items, allowing users to focus on specific properties while being aware of others, by applying effects like distinct voice types, stereophonic location, and special effects such as echo and reverberation, enabling interactive control and navigation through hierarchical or linked information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple items are presented simultaneously to blind users, then awareness of co-located items is improved, but ability to direct attention to specific items deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different audio characteristics (volume, pitch, timbre) to different items based on their spatial location and relevance. Primary items receive distinct audio cues that differentiate them from secondary items, allowing users to identify specific items of interest while maintaining awareness of the overall spatial arrangement of multiple items.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the audio presentation into primary items (requiring attention) and secondary items (background awareness). This segmentation is achieved through distinct audio coding strategies, where primary items use prominent audio characteristics while secondary items use subdued characteristics, enabling simultaneous presentation without confusion.
2Loss of information
If detailed information about all items is provided, then completeness of information is improved, but complexity of information processing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides partial information about all items simultaneously through audio presentation, rather than complete detailed information. Users can obtain sufficient information about multiple items at once through spatial audio cues, avoiding the need to process complete detailed information about each item sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes audio parameters (volume, pitch, timbre, spatial position) to encode different types of information about items. This allows multiple items to be presented with their key characteristics encoded in different audio dimensions, reducing the cognitive load of processing detailed information while maintaining completeness of essential information.
3Adaptability or versatility
If sensory effects are used to present items, then accessibility for blind users is improved, but differentiation between primary and secondary items deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies distinct audio characteristics to primary items versus secondary items. Primary items use prominent audio cues (higher volume, distinct pitch, specific timbre) while secondary items use subdued characteristics, enabling blind users to access spatial information about multiple items while clearly differentiating which items require their attention.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of a system for presenting audio and tactile representations of visual and non-visual items includes obtaining (1) items, acquiring (2) a primary item and acquiring (3) secondary items according to criteria, and processing (4) the acquired items into the form of categorically-perceived audio and/or tactile effects (for example speech sounds), the primary and secondary items being distinguishable via categorically-distinct effects such as echo, reverberation, voice character, tactile effects, and stereophonic and/or tactile location. The resultant effects are typically presented (6) to an auditory and/or tactile display, allowing people can have their focus of attention directed to primary items, and simultaneously be made aware of secondary items. The magnitude of the effects can relate to the values of certain properties of the items (5). Facilities are provided for presenting and navigating multi-level representations of visual scenes and non-visual entities, interfacing to other systems, and interpreting entities from different viewpoints. Other embodiments are described and shown.