FR2574967A1 - HAND-HELD COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND SYSTEM USING SUCH DEVICES - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand-held communication device which serves as an alternative to a keyboard and, in addition, allows the user to receive communications via the sense of touch. While keyboards and associated equipment have been employed for communication between persons who are deaf, such systems are not suitable for communications between persons who are also blind. The device including a handle-like body (10) supporting eight switch actuators (16A-16D and 18A-18D) arranged as four pairs, with each of the pairs corresponding to a particular finger. The two switch actuators are positioned for selective activation by distal and proximal segments of a single finger. With this arrangement, the eigth switch actuators can be selected in any desired combination to directly generate an eight-bit binary code, such as ASCII. In addition, to facilitate two-way communication, the device includes a plurality of selectively controlled tactile stimulation elements (40A-40D and 42A-42D), such as vibrators or controlled "click" devices, corresponding to particular ones of the switch actuators and mechanically connected thereto. Although not so limited, the device is well-adapted for use by persons who are speechless, deaf and speechless, or even blind, deaf and speechless.

Description

HAND-HELD COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND SYSTEM USING THE SAME
DEVICES OF THIS TYPE
The present invention relates to a hand-held communication device which is suitable both for a one-way transmission in the manner of a keyboard, or for a two-way transmission where the user also receives transmission data by the direction of touch. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are particularly suitable for use by people who are dumb, deaf and dumb, or even blind, deaf and dumb.

 Keyboards are communication devices or, more correctly, human-machine interface devices, used in many situations. In addition to typewriters, keyboards are generally used to transmit data to computers, word processors, and remote locations. A keyboard is intended to be operated by touch alone; a competent operator does not need to look at the keyboard to operate it.

 Although conventional keyboards do their job quite well in many applications, they are not without drawbacks and limitations. Significant limitations of conventional keyboards are their dimensions and the need to use two hands for conventional typing by touching at a reasonable speed. There are portable computers known as "to place on his knees" commonly available whose dimensions seem to be mainly limited by the minimum dimensions required to support a standard keyboard and a viewing window, such as a liquid crystal display device.

 Thus, different alternatives have been proposed previously. For example, the U.S. patent No. 4,458,238 to Learn defines a main data entry unit including a handle with four push button switches corresponding respectively to four lines of a display device of the associated matrix type which is scanned in operation and visually observed by the 'user. Rotary switches also included serve as "keyboard positioning" keys.

In the particular context of devices for assisting people with disabilities, a variety of communication devices have been proposed and used. Thus, an example of what is called a matrix communication device is defined in US Patent No. 4,241,521 to Dufresne. Typical examples of male devices having this role are defined in the patent of
EUA No. 4,075,621 to Salmon, in US Pat. No. 3,925,779 to Gerstenhaber, and to United Kingdom patent No. 1,475,886 to
Whittlestone et al.

 A fundamental limitation of a keyboard, which is a limitation generally shared by the patented devices cited above, is that it is a one-way communication device. The user must receive transmission data by some other means, such as through a computer screen or through printer output. Thus, although keyboards and associated equipment have been used for dialogue between deaf people, these systems are not suitable for dialogue between people who are also blind.

 The present invention overcomes these limitations and makes possible a one-way or two-way transmission between a person and a computer, or other device, without the use of sight, hearing, speech or any mode of communication other than touch. The device of the invention, which is small and hand-held, further facilitates dialogue with small computers and the like which are carried by the person, in some cases concealed.

 Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an improved keyboard device.

 Another object of the invention is to provide a keyboard device which is extremely small and which can be held in and controlled by a hand.

 Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which facilitates bidirectional transmission or dialogue.

 Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which is capable of exchanging data in conventional 8-bit or 16-bit binary codes, for example in the ASCII code.

 In summary, and in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a hand-held communication device includes a handle-shaped body having a suitably contoured portion around which the proximal, middle and distal segments of a person's finger can be bending, and a set of switch actuators carried by the body used for selective manual control separately or according to predetermined combinations. In order to increase the number of switch actuators which can be actuated by the fingers of one hand, at least one pair of switch actuators is placed on the body for respective selective control by the distal and proximal segments. with one finger.

 In an exemplary embodiment, the predetermined combinations generate representations in a binary code, such as the ASCII code, which is directly understood by computers, by different forms of terminal equipment, and by printers.

In a particular embodiment, there are eight switch actuators arranged in four pairs, each of the pairs corresponding to a particular finger. With this arrangement, one can select 256 different combinations or configurations (including the configuration of no switches), providing a complete eight-bit binary code. It is also advantageous to provide a ninth switch actuator positioned to be actuated by the thumb, this ninth switch actuator serving to provide a "sampling" signal indicating to the equipment to which the hand device is connected that a combination of switches has been selected and is valid at this time.

 Experience has shown that, with this particular arrangement of switches, messages coded in binary (for example in ASCII) can be generated quite quickly. Exemplary embodiments of the invention currently in operation have been used to directly operate a standard printer with parallel inputs otherwise intended to be controlled by a computer.

According to another important aspect of the invention, the hand-held communication device further comprises a set of selectively controlled tactile stimulation elements, such as vibra
towers or controlled "click" devices, corresponding to specific actuators of switch actuators and mechanically connected to switch actuators to validate data transmission to the operator of the communication device. Thus, the same device hand-held communication is capable of ensuring two-way transmission using the sense of touch, completely avoiding the use of the senses of sight and hearing.

 As just noted above, an important aspect of the present hand-held communication device as a transmission device is the arrangement of the switches by which at least one pair of switches can be actuated separately and selectively by the segments distal and proximal of the same finger, allowing up to nine switch actuators to be conveniently operated in any combination using only one hand. However, these exemplary embodiments of the invention, which also include selectively controlled tactile stimulation elements such that the hand device can be used as an information receiver, are not limited to a particular arrangement of actuators. light switch. Thus, for the bidirectional transmission of limited information according to the invention, it is possible to use simpler arrangements of the switch actuator elements.

 Although the hand-held communication devices of the invention are well suited for use wherever a conventional keyboard could be used, for example for exchanging data with a computer, the devices have particular utility when used by users. people who are dumb, deaf and dumb, or even blind, deaf and dumb. For example, a hand-held device of the invention can serve as an interface for a simple computer-controlled display screen which simply presents messages when they are "hit" on the portable transmission device implementing cooe ASCII.

Thus, another person can simply read the display screen to understand the communication.

 These two people, each having a hand-held device whose structure is that of a two-way transmission device, can easily communicate, simply when their devices are electrically interconnected. Thus, the switch actuators of each of the devices are connected to the corresponding tactile stimulation elements of the opposite device.

Electrical communication can also be relatively direct, such as when the two people are in the same room. In addition, the electrical interconnection can be over much greater distances, for example, over ordinary telephone lines, using a modulator-demodulator device generally intended for computer-to-computer or terminal-to-computer transmissions. These systems are completely compatible since, in each case, it is essentially a binary code which is generated and received.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be highlighted in the following description, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an end view of a hand-held communication device according to the invention showing how it is grasped and retained in the palm of one hand;
Figure 2 is a side perspective view of the hand device of Figure 1 showing the arrangement of switch actuators thereon;
Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but of a different orientation;
Figure 4 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram of an exemplary embodiment showing the electrical interconnection of the various elements; and
Figure 5 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram showing another embodiment.

 We will first refer to Figures 1-3 where a hand-held communication device 8 according to the invention comprises a handle-shaped body 10, having a length corresponding as a whole to the width of a palm, and resembling a bit like a pistol grip. There is provided a strap 12 suitable for retaining the body 10 against the palm of the hand. Thus, the device 8 is retained in a suitable operating position while leaving the fingers essentially free. The body 10 is suitably profiled, and it includes a support area for the thumb 14. An electric cable 15 connects the circuits contained in the body 10 to external devices. FIG. 1 artificially represents a finger representative of a person's hand curving around the profiled body 10, the finger comprising proximal, median and distal segments.

 In this exemplary embodiment shown, eight switch actuators of the push button type are mounted on the body 10. These include finger tip switch actuators 16A, 16B, 16C and 16D positioned to be selectively actuated by the finger distal segments as shown, and finger middle part switch actuators 18A, 18B, 18C and 18D positioned to be selectively actuated by the proximal finger segments as shown. Preferably, a thumb switch actuator 20 is also provided. In order to increase the tactile response, particularly when the communication device 8 is used to receive signals, as can be seen in FIG. 3, provides slightly extended elongate switch-actuator actuators 18A-18D, which increases the contact surface.

 Consequently, it will be noted that an important aspect of the invention is this arrangement of switch actuators by which two actuators can be actuated by means of a single finger, and by which eight switch actuators can be actuated in any combination desired, providing a full 8-bit binary code using one hand.

 We will now refer in addition to FIG. 4 where the switch actuators 16A-16D and 18A-18D constitute respective electrical switch elements connected to separate bit inputs B0 to B7 of a 3D interface circuit. suitable, shown by way of example as a parallel to serial converter. As is known, this device comprises a shift register with parallel inputs and serial output which, when triggered, generates in-synchronized output of data in the form of a serial bit stream along a serial output line 32. In FIG. 4, the thumb switch actuator 20 constitutes part of a switch connected to a SAMPLING sampling input which triggers the serial output operation.

 The serial output line 32 can be connected to any of a variety of devices, as shown by the rectangular block 38. Thus, typical examples are a computer, printer, modulator- transmission demodulator (modem), another handheld device, or another interface circuit. Similarly, it will be noted that the parallel series converter 30 is only representative, and that other forms of interfaces can be used, such as direct interfaces in parallel.

 A set of tactile stimulation elements, represented as vibrators 40A-40D and 42A-42D, mechanically connected to the respective switch actuators, are provided so that they correspond one-to-one to these switch actuators 16A- 16D and 18A-18D. The tactile stimulation elements are typically constituted by vibrators or by mechanical "click" devices. Appropriate tactile stimulation devices are generally used in electronic devices for dialogue with the blind, such as the "0pticon" device which implements vibrating rods to allow the blind to read typed pages.

 The vibrators 40A-40D and 42A-42D are selectively and separately controlled by a serial-parallel converter 44 which generally performs the reverse operation of the parallel-serial converter 30. Thus, the serial-parallel converter 44 receives signals in the form of 'a bit stream in series along a line 46, and generates at the output parallel signals by its separate bit outputs Bo to B7.

 The actual physical configuration is subject to wide variations, depending on the particular application. For example, the converters 30 and 44 of FIG. 4 can be included inside the body 10, in which case the conductors 32 and 46 are part of the cable 15. As another example, the converters 30 and 44, or another circuit , may be entirely external to the body 10.

 It is believed that the operation of the present invention will be better appreciated by considering the following Table I which indicates part of the seven bit ASCII code generally used for data transmission.

 As indicated in Table I, according to the standard ASCII code, each character is coded as a particular combination of seven bits in binary, Bo being the least significant bit and B6 being the most significant bit. The eighth bit B7 is not defined in standard ASCII code, but is available for special ordering purposes to suit particular applications. Thus, the standard ASCII code has a total of 128 defined characters (including control characters).

 Those skilled in the art of data transmission will note that Table I below is, for reasons of representation, only an extract from the standard ASCII code.

 Although the switch actuators 16A-16D and 18A-18D can be assigned to particular bits in binary B0 to B7 in any arbitrary manner desired, the following is not shown in Table II, by way of example, that an assignment that is considered suitable.

TABLE I
Bits B7 B6 B5 B4 B3 B2 B1 B0
RES CHARACTER AREA
SPACE 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
"0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 @ 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
OO 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
2 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 o
3 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1
7 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1
8 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
9 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1
AO 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
BO 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
C 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
DO 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
L 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
M 0 1 0 0 1 1 0
NO 1 0 0 1 1 1 0
WO 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
X o 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
YO 1 0 1 1 0 0 1
zo 1 o 1 1 o 1 n
TABLE II
Switch assignments
Finger tip switches: 16D 16C 168 16A
Least significant bits: B3 82 B1 Bo
Intermediate finger switches: 18D 18C 188 18A
Most significant bits: B7 86 B5 B4
We will now consider the operation of the invention with respect to the preceding tables. By way of example, it is assumed that the user proposes to transmit the letter L of the upper box which, according to table I, has the combination of bits ASCII, 0100 1100. Thus, by using the group of switches finger tip 16A-16D to select the least significant bits, the user operates the finger tip switches 16C and 160. At the same time, using the group of finger intermediate switches 18A-18D, the user operates the finger intermediate part switch 18C. When the appropriate combination is selected, the user operates the thumb switch 20 to send the sampling signal.

 Although the exemplary embodiment shown implements a manual sampling button, automatic sampling at regular intervals, for example once, twice or more per second, can be used for faster operation.

Thus, an experienced user can produce a rhythm synchronized with the automatic sampling interval.

In such cases, user adjustment of the sampling interval is provided. Depending on the particular application, an automatic sampling signal is generated repeatedly by a circuit (not shown) contained in the housing 8, or by an external circuit to which the device is connected.

 To receive information, the tactile stimulation elements, such as the vibrators 40A-40D and 2A-42D are selectively actuated according to an external signal, for example, by vibrating or emitting a "click" so that they can be perceived tactually.

 Although the represented form of a unit 8 for a hand comprising eight coding switches plus a ninth (sampling) is quite suitable for most applications, it will be noted that more complicated arrangements can be used.

For example, a person can use two units 8 simultaneously, one in each day. Thus, combinations of sixteen bits can be generated, for a total of 65,536 different combinations.

 As another alternative, more switches can be included in a single hand unit. One possible arrangement consists in implementing a bridge-shaped structure, the switches being positioned so that the elevation of a finger actuates a switch. It is obvious that this arrangement gives fewer possible combinations than what would simply be indicated as a function of the number of switches provided, since it would generally not be possible to simultaneously actuate two switches on opposite sides of the same part of a finger.

 We will now refer to FIG. 5 which indicates another circuit suitable for practical use of the invention.

In Fig. 5, a set of finger tip push button switches 116A-116D and normally closed finger middle portion switches 118A-118D are mounted on a handle-shaped body such as the body 10 shown in Figures 1-3.

A normally closed depoucel20 switch is also provided.

All of these switches are electrically connected via a group 120 of isolation diodes and a connector 124 suitable for a circuit included in a separate housing 126.

 As output device, a printer 128 with a standard parallel interface is provided, which is connected by an appropriate cable 130 via another connector 132.

 In principle, the circuit included in the housing 126 includes an eight-bit D-type parallel latch which makes parallel data ready for the printer 128 when the sampling thumb switch 120 is operated. Thus, a pair of four-bit type D registers 134 and 136 is provided, which are standard integrated circuit devices, such as low power metal-oxide-semiconductor complementary symmetry (CMOS) devices of the NO MC14076 type. , manufactured by Motorola.

 More particularly, the finger tip switches 116A-116D and the finger intermediate part switches 118A-118D are connected by means of the isolation diodes 122 to the data inputs Do to D3 of the locking circuits 134 and 136, as indicated. Input boost resistors 138 are provided, which can have any suitable resistance value such as 100 Kohms. Although normally closed switches are used in Figure 5, it should be noted that it is just as possible to use normally open switches, providing an appropriate logic inversion.

 The outputs Qû to Q3 of the latch circuits with integrated circuit 134 and 136 are connected directly to appropriate pins of the output connector 132.

 A sampling conditioning circuit, indicated as a whole at 140, comprises six inverters with integrated circuit 141-146 connected in series as a whole. To validate a selective inversion of the logical direction, a switch 150 is provided to selectively bypass the first inverter 141. In order to produce a sampling pulse of a predetermined duration independent of the period during which the sampling thumb switch 120 is activated, an appropriate RC 152 synchronization network is connected between the inverters 142 and 143.

 ta crimped 154 of the sampling conditioning circuit 140 is connected to the printer 128 by the connector 132, while an intermediate output 156 is connected to the clock inputs (C) of the D type registers 134 and 136.

 During the operation of the circuit of Figure 5, the user selects an appropriate combination of switches 116A-116D and 118A-118D. When an appropriate combination has been selected, the pojcel20 switch r is activated, which results in the generation of a pulse on the output lines 154 and 156.

 The pulse on line 156 connected to the clock inputs (C) of the latch circuits 134 and 136 causes the data to be transferred to inputs D to outputs Q, where they remain stable until the sampling pulse next. Approximately at the same time, the output sampling signal on line 154 indicates to printer 128 that valid and stable data is available.

 With this circuit arrangement, it will be noted that different combinations of switches 116A-116D and 118A-118D which may result momentarily while the proper combination is selected have no effect on the output or operation, since the data does not are not considered valid until the inch120 switch is pressed.

 In view of the foregoing, it will be noted that the present invention provides a very advantageous and versatile communication device which is suitable for a wide variety of communications, using only the sense of touch.

 Although specific examples of the invention have been shown and described previously, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It will therefore be noted that the claims which follow are intended to cover all these modifications and changes falling within the true spirit and the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

 1. Hand-held communication device, characterized in that it comprises:  a handle-shaped body (10) having a suitably contoured portion around which the proximal middle and distal segments of the fingers of a person's hand can bend;  a set of switch actuators (16A-16D, 18A-18D; 116A-116D, 118A-118D) mounted on the body and used for selective manual control separately or in predetermined combinations; and  at least one pair of switch actuators being positioned on the body to be actuated respectively and selectively by the distal and proximal segments of a single finger.  2. Hand-held communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises eight switch actuators (16A-16D, 18A-18D; 116A-116D, 118A-118D) arranged in four pairs, each of the corresponding pairs to a particular finger, the two actuators of each pair being positioned to be actuated respectively and selectively by the distal and proximal segments of the corresponding finger.  3. A hand-held communication device according to claim 2, characterized in that it is arranged to selectively actuate the switches in order to generate character representations in a binary code.  4. Hand-held communication device according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises an actuator. switch (20; 120) positioned to be operated by a thumb.  5. Hand-held communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises:  a set of selectively controlled tactile stimulation elements (40A-40D, 42A-42D) corresponding to particular actuators of said switch actuators and connected to the switch actuators to allow data transmission to the operator of the device communication (8), thereby facilitating bidirectional transmission or dialogue.  6. A bidirectional transmission or hand-held dialogue device according to claim 5, characterized in that the tactile stimulation elements (40A-40D, 42A-42D) are constituted by vibrators.  7. Hand-held communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a bracelet (12) for retaining the body against the palm of the hand.  8. Dialog system, characterized in that it comprises:  a pair of two-way hand-held transmission devices (8), each transmission device comprising:  a handle-shaped body (10), comprising a suitably profiled part around which the proximal, middle and distal segments of the fingers of a person's hand can bend,  a set of switch actuators (16A-16D, 18A18D, 20) mounted on the body for selective manual control separately or according to predetermined combinations,  a set of selectively controlled tactile stimulation elements (40A-40D, 42A-42D) corresponding to particular actuators of said switch actuators and connected to the switch actuators to allow data transmission to the operator of the device transmission,  at least one pair of switch actuators being positioned on the body for selective and respective tactile control and perception by the distal and proximal segments of a single finger; and  an electrical connection (30,15,38,44) between the switch actuator of each of the two-way hand-held transmission devices (8) and corresponding tactile stimulation elements of the opposite device of said pair of two-way hand-held transmission devices hand.  9. Dialog system according to claim 8, characterized in that each of the handle-shaped bodies (10) comprises eight switch actuators arranged in four pairs, each of the pairs corresponding to a particular finger, the two actuators of each pair being positioned for respective and selective tactile control and perception by the distal and proximal segments of the corresponding finger.  10. Dialog system according to claim 9, characterized in that each of the hand-held devices is arranged to selectively control the switches in order to generate character representations in binary code.