JPH05333765A - Data input / output device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The present invention makes it possible to continuously read a braille pattern that can be recognized by tactile sense without moving a finger and input data on the spot. By doing so, an object of the present invention is to provide a data input / output device capable of dramatically increasing the amount of information handled by communication means using Braille as a medium. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the data input / output device is a data input / output device formed by a plurality of actuators arranged in a matrix, wherein each actuator responds to a signal supplied thereto. The gist is to output a detection signal according to the external force when driven by an external force and driven by an external force.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data input / output device for persons who are blind (hereinafter referred to simply as blind persons) to whom Braille or dot painting is applied.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, Braille has been widely used as a communication means for blind people, and Braille has been incorporated into telephones and vending machines from the standpoint of supporting blind people, and its convenience has been measured.

However, since the Braille is composed of a pattern of dot-like protrusions set for each character, it is necessary to scan the pattern of the protrusions with a finger when reading Braille. Therefore, Braille is usually located away from the function buttons required for service selection and start instructions. Therefore, when actually using a telephone, a vending machine, or the like, it is necessary to confirm the position of the function button again after reading the Braille, and it takes a considerable amount of time and familiarity to finish the required processing.

Further, it is assumed that the Braille is placed directly on the function button. In this case, however, a part of the scanning force for reading the Braille is the pressing force on the function button.
It is necessary to increase the spring force of the function button in order to prevent the function button from inadvertently functioning due to this pressing force. Furthermore, since the Braille is read by scanning the finger, the shape of the function button is larger than that normally required for the function button. It is necessary to form a large size, which limits the degree of freedom when designing the device.

[0005]

As described above, the input / output of data in Braille is currently dependent on the scanning of a finger, which is more sufficient than a general communication means using voice or image as a medium. It is difficult to handle a large amount of information. For this reason, it is difficult to make full use of the advanced functions of current computers and word processors.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by displaying a Braille pattern that can be recognized by tactile by self-propelled display, it is possible to continuously read without moving the finger and on the spot. An object of the present invention is to provide a data input / output device capable of dramatically increasing the amount of information handled by communication means using Braille as a medium by inputting data.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, the first invention of the present application is a data output device formed by a plurality of actuators arranged in a matrix, wherein each actuator is a signal supplied. It is driven by the above method to form a specific pattern.

The second invention of the present application is a data input / output device formed by a plurality of actuators arranged in a matrix, wherein each of the actuators is driven in accordance with a signal supplied thereto and has a specific pattern. The gist of the present invention is to have a data input / output device which is characterized in that it forms a signal and outputs a detection signal according to the external force when driven by the external force.

[0009]

In the data output device of the first invention of the present application, a plurality of actuators arranged in a matrix form are driven in response to signals supplied thereto to form a specific pattern recognizable by touch.

In the data input / output device of the second invention of the present application, a plurality of actuators arranged in a matrix are driven in response to signals supplied thereto to form a specific pattern recognizable by touch, and the actuators are also formed. Is operated by a finger or the like, and when an external force is received, a detection signal corresponding to the external force is output, and thus has a function equivalent to a normal input switch.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data input / output device according to the present invention. Figure 1 is a tactile image 1
2 shows a basic configuration of a data input / output device using the, and FIG. 2 shows a state of inputting / outputting data by the tactile imager 1. In FIG. 1, the output data input to the Braille pattern generation circuit 9 is input to the actuator control circuit 3 via the FIFO memory 11. A braille pattern is formed on the tactile imager 1 based on the output data input to the actuator control circuit 3. The input from the tactile imager 1 is output as input data via the sensor signal processing circuit 5 and the decoder 7.

Next, an example of the configuration of the tactile imager 1 will be described with reference to FIG. This tactile imager 1 is about the size of a finger pad, and a plurality of actuators 1a are arranged in a matrix on the XY plane on the surface thereof.
Actuator 1a constituting this tactile imager 1
Shows that the actuator movable part A has a spring S as shown in FIG.
Is supported so as to be movable only in the Z-axis direction. Further, since the magnet M is embedded in the side wall surface of the actuator movable portion A, the actuator movable portion A is projected by the energization of the drive coil C or the position thereof is fixed. When pressed by the finger F, a current flows from the movement of the magnet M to the drive coil C, and the pressing is detected.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, each actuator 1a is provided with a scale for detecting the amount of movement in the Z-axis direction. The actuator control circuit 3, the sensor signal processing circuit 5, and the elements of the FIFO memory 11 have a one-to-one correspondence with the actuator 1a of the tactile imager 1, and the push-up amount stored in the FIFO memory 11 becomes a command value. It is configured to control each actuator 1a in a closed loop.

A method of outputting data by the tactile imager 1 will be described. For example, in the tactile imager 1, if one actuator 1a or several actuators 1a surrounding it are pushed up in the Z-axis direction, one protrusion that is a Braille element can be displayed. Similarly, if a plurality of protrusions are generated in a predetermined pattern, Braille can be displayed. Further, if the thrust amount of each actuator 1a in the Z-axis direction is propagated in the X-axis direction, FIG.
Braille moves on the tactile imager 1 in the X-axis direction as shown in FIG.

In this case, first, the output data is taken into the Braille pattern generation circuit 9. The Braille pattern generation circuit 9 is configured as shown in FIG.
1, a Braille pattern memory 93 and a work memory 95. The braille pattern memory 93 stores protrusion patterns for generating braille as the amount of thrust of the actuator 1a in the Z-axis direction, and these protrusion patterns are selected by the address information generated by the decoder 91. The selected projection pattern is sent to the work memory 95, where it is scanned in the Y-axis direction while being read in the FIFO memory 1.
Forwarded to 1.

In the FIFO memory 11, the work memory 9
While scanning in the Y-axis direction in synchronism with 5, the projection pattern is reproduced from the transferred data, and at the same time, the projection pattern is sent to the output side of the FIFO memory 11 in synchronization with the scanning cycle. The Braille on the tactile imager 1 is moved in the X-axis direction by feeding the protrusion pattern into the FIFO memory 11. Therefore, the tactile imager 1
If you place your finger on the braille, you can read Braille data continuously without scanning the finger as in the past.

When the Braille data is continuously output by not outputting the Braille data in the X-axis direction but outputting a new Braille pattern at regular intervals, the moving speed of the actuator 1a in the Z-axis direction can be increased. All the data for one character may be block-transferred at a scanning speed much faster than that.

The data input method by the tactile imager 1 is as follows. For example, when a finger is strongly pressed against the tactile imager 1, the actuator 1a located under the finger sinks in the Z-axis direction as shown in FIG. Or a pressure sensor. The change in the detected state is binarized by the sensor signal processing circuit 5 and converted into input data by the decoder 7. In this case, if a rule is set for the number of times the tactile imager 1 is pushed, the length of time for pushing the tactile imager 1 like Morse code, etc.,
Not only can you perform operations such as start, stop, fast forward, rewind, etc. necessary to control the flow of braille,
It is possible to easily realize processing such as inputting characters as necessary.

As described above, according to the present invention, Braille can be continuously read without moving a finger, and data can be input at the Braille display position. Therefore, the smallest tactile imager can be used to quickly and easily read data. Can be input and output.

Although a case has been described here where the push-up amount is used as a command value for the closed loop control of each actuator 1a, open loop control using a predetermined current value as a command value is also possible. In this case, it is necessary to provide each actuator 1a with a switch for detecting the pushing state by the finger, but since the scale and the pressure sensor are not necessary, the tactile imager 1 can be easily configured, and the sensor signal processing circuit 5 is also greatly increased. To be simplified.

It is also possible to dispose a pressure sensor at the tip of the actuator 1a and control so that a contact pressure difference stored in the FIFO memory 11 is used as a command value to generate a contact pressure difference proportional to the amount of protrusion of Braille or a dot image. it can. In this case, the sensor signal processing circuit 5 becomes a little complicated, but there is a feature that the Braille data can be more reliably transmitted to the finger.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, for example, a large tactile imager 1 of A4 size is used to realize a hierarchical structure of Braille. In FIG. 5, circuits given the same numbers as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 have the same functions.

In this configuration, data output is basically performed statically. That is, the field memory 17 statically stores the command value for actuator control, and the projection pattern sent from the Braille pattern generation circuit 9 is stored in the field memory 17 according to the address information sent from the address generation circuit 15. .. In the case of dynamically outputting Braille, the projection pattern sent out from the Braille pattern generation circuit 9 is F every scan as in the first embodiment.
The data is sequentially sent to the IFO memory 11, and all the data in the FIFO memory 11 are block-transferred at high speed to an area defined by the address information issued from the address generation circuit 15 in accordance with the sending cycle. By such processing, Braille can be statically or dynamically displayed at an arbitrary position on the tactile imager 1.

On the other hand, at the time of data input, the content of the data is identified by the number of times the tactile image 1 is pressed and the length of the pressing time, and at the same time, the position where the data is generated is detected by the address detection circuit 13 and the address is detected. It is output as data.

As described above, in this apparatus, the tactile imager 1
A plurality of Braille characters can be arranged by arranging the position on the upper side, and the input position of the data by the finger can be detected. Therefore, if the address of the output data and the address of the input data are collated, for example, it is possible to identify which of the displayed braille the user has selected, and quickly determine what kind of processing is requested from the contents of the input data. can do.

FIG. 6 shows an example of data input / output by the tactile imager 1 of about A4 size. In this method, the soft key S by Braille or dot painting is displayed on the upper right of the drawing
K is configured, and a preset software process can be selected and executed by clicking these keys SK. In this case, for example, when the soft key is clicked once, Braille data for explaining the function of the soft key is continuously output at the position where the soft key is located, and 2
Click once to perform the softkey function.

Make Braille and Braille function as a holder HK,
It is also possible to arrange this holder HK at an arbitrary position of the tactile imager. The label of the holder HK can be read by clicking the holder HK once like the soft key SK, and the holder H can be read by clicking twice.
You can open K. Of course, similar to the conventional Braille notation, it is also possible to provide a plurality of Brailles and Braille with the functions of a label and a key. Further, for example, if the holder HK is moved while pressing the finger, the position of the holder HK can be arbitrarily moved. This is possible because the position pressed by the finger is detected as an input data address, and Braille or a dot image can be displayed at an arbitrary position by the output data address.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even in the Braille input / output system, the window function such as the soft key function, the holder function and the like installed in a general computer and the function such as the hierarchical display can be easily realized. Therefore, the operation of a conventional computer or word processor by a blind person can be easily and sufficiently utilized. Further, since the position of the input / output data can be detected at the same time as the content of the input / output data, it can be easily connected to a conventional computer system having a hierarchical display structure or soft keys.

As described above, according to each of the above embodiments, Braille can be continuously read without moving the finger, and data can be input at the Braille display position.
The operability of the data input / output device using Braille can be improved and the communication speed thereof can be significantly improved.

In the above embodiment, the case where the actuator movable portion is driven in the Z-axis direction has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the driving of the actuator is appropriately performed by the actuator. The vibration may be applied in the direction of, and an appropriate method such as forming the actuator by a soft protrusion and hardening the protrusion according to the pattern can be applied.

[0032]

As described above, in the data input / output device of the present invention, the braille pattern recognizable by touch can be self-propelled to be continuously read without moving the finger, and By being able to input data on the spot, the amount of information handled by communication means using Braille can be dramatically increased, and thus it is possible to greatly support the participation of blind people in the information society.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data input / output system in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the structure of an actuator.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a Braille pattern generation circuit.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second data input / output method in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tactile Imager 3 Actuator Control Circuit 5 Sensor Signal Processing Circuit 7 Decoder 9 Braille Pattern Generation Circuit 11 FIFO Memory 13 Address Detection Circuit 15 Address Generation Circuit 17 Field Memory 91 Decoder 93 Braille Pattern Memory 95 Work Memory F Finger M Magnet C Drive Coil A Actuator movable part S spring

Front page continued (72) Inventor Shigetoshi Fukui 1-1-6 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Takao Kakizaki 1-1-6 Uchisai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Telegraph Telephone Corp. (72) Inventor Kenichiro Shimokura 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A data output device formed by a plurality of actuators arranged in a matrix, wherein each actuator is driven according to a signal supplied to form a specific pattern. Data output device. 2. A data input / output device formed by a plurality of actuators arranged in a matrix, wherein each actuator is driven according to a signal supplied to form a specific pattern and is driven by an external force. A data input / output device characterized in that it outputs a detection signal according to the external force when being operated.