Abstract:
A hand held device that captures information and provides the capability to read and/or display the information. The device enables blind and/or visual impaired persons to read print materials anytime, anywhere. The device includes a photoelement array to capture print information, text-to-voice-technology, a flat-panel display, a microphone for receiving dictated information, a computer processor, storage, and a headphone to listen to the transmission of captured information.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    [0001]                                                               5550938   August 1996   Hayakawa et al.   382/313           6218964   April 2001   Ellis   340/990           6248996   June 2001   Johnson   250/234           6396518   May 2002   Dow et al.   345/772           6421235   July 2002   Ditzik   361/683                        
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention relates generally to a portable hand-held reading device that captures print information through digital scanning, and reproduces the information via text-to-voice technology and on a flat-panel display. All these processes are performed within the device without the intervention of additional external devices.  
           [0005]    The freedom to read anywhere, anytime, and regular information to include newspapers, is of vital importance that can be exploited by blind and visual impaired persons in many circumstances.  
           [0006]    Currently, blind and visual impaired persons are confined to the use of desktop PC to access information. The ease of access to information is dependent on certain standards that programmers adhere to that enable assistive technology, such as screen readers, to read and/or convert electronic information. The use of flatbed scanners, CCTV, and Kurzweil are required to read print materials. These devices are usually in a special or specific location of a work environment or academic institution.  
           [0007]    The digital scanner plays a vital role in the conversion between paper and electronic information. However, while scanners are ideal for users to communicate print information with colleagues through various electronic mediums, they lack portability and hence, blind and visual impaired users are confined to the location of the scanners. In effect, they lack the convenience and flexibility to blind and visual impaired persons to access information anytime, anywhere. Hand-held scanners are an improvement, U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,518 to Dow et al., but are dependent on external units, such as a computer, printer, or facsimile machine to communicate scanned images. U.S. Pat. No. 6,218,963 to Ellis discloses a digital reading pen that is designed to be dependent on a monitor or printer so that scanned information can be magnified for reading or printing.  
           [0008]    Moreover, what is sought is a portable, hand-held reading device that allows users to read in real time captured print information without the intervention of external devices.  
           [0009]    In addition, the portable hand-held reading device provides cordless operation with the exception of a headphone unit that may be connected into device to listen to the scanned information.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    An object of the present invention, a portable hand-held reading device, is to provide the user, in particular, a blind or visually impaired person the ability to read print information anywhere, anytime.  
           [0011]    Another advantage of the present invention includes both text-to-voice technology and flat-panel display, giving the user the option to listen to text read only, listen to text read and simultaneously read text on flat-panel display, or to read text only on the flat-panel display.  
           [0012]    Another advantage of the present invention is that all functions are done internally without the invention of external devices to convert text to voice and/or to display information on the flat-panel unit.  
           [0013]    Still another advantage of this invention is a microphone for receiving dictated information giving the user the option to listen to a familiar voice such as that of the user, or of a member of the user&#39;s family or friends, rather than listen to the voice programmed in the device.  
           [0014]    A further advantage of the invention is that the device automatically pauses when the device is not in contact with paper, and appends information when contact resumes while the image capture buttons are depressed.  
           [0015]    Yet another advantage of the invention is the ability of the device to automatically delete information when scanning resumes for new information after the conversion to text-to-voice technology and/or text display on the flat-panel display, thus efficiently utilizing storage.  
           [0016]    Still another advantage of the invention is the ability to save selected information before resuming to capture new information.  
           [0017]    A further advantage of the invention is the display of text one sentence at a time, in Marquee style, giving the user the ability to magnify the font to desirable size, without having to display an entire page on the panel.  
           [0018]    Another advantage of the invention is the navigation buttons. The left button allows the user to read the previous sentence, the right button the next sentence, the up button the previous paragraph, and the down button the next paragraph. The up and down buttons give the user the option to scan information rather than read sentence by sentence.  
           [0019]    Still another advantage of the invention is the ease of use by both left and right-handed users afforded by image capture buttons on either side of the device.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1A is an elevation view of the portable hand-held reading device according to the invention, which depicts a side of the unit containing the display screen, operation buttons, navigation buttons, power switch, microphone, headset outlet, and partial view of the capture buttons;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1B is an elevation view of the device of FIG. 1A depicting the opposing side to that illustrated in FIG. 1A, which contains photoelement array, and partial views of capture buttons and headphone outlet;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1C is an elevation view of the device of FIGS. 1A and 1B depicting an end of the unit, which contains a capture button accommodating a left-handed user;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1D is an elevation view of the device of FIGS. 1A, 1B, and  1 C depicting the opposing end of that illustrated in FIG. 1C, which contains a capture button accommodating a right-handed user;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1E is an elevation view of the device of FIGS. 1A, 1B,  1 C,  1 D depicting the bottom end of the unit, which contains a headphone outlet; and  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the internal hardware and software architecture of the appliance illustrated in FIGS.  1 A- 1 E, which shows the input, processing, and output functions.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]    As shown in FIG. 1A, a portable hand-held reading device depicts one side (i.e. front) of appliance  1  where a flat-panel display  2  along with user operation buttons  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 , user navigation buttons  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 , and microphone  13  are located. Display  2  is preferably of the flat-panel assortment to accommodate larger fonts and marquee style display of scanned information of device  1 . Display  2  is one of the means by which scanned print information is communicated to the user. As used herein, the term information means print text. The power switch  3  turns the device on and off. The user operation buttons comprise Braille and text imposed Read button  4 , Braille and text imposed Display button  5 , and Braille and text imposed Word button  6 . The buttons will be large enough to accommodate the shortest and communicable Braille word (for example, word is substituted for dictionary because it is shorter). Help button  7  provides the user with access to how-to instructions on the operation of device  1 . The navigation buttons include an up button  8 , a down button  9 , a left button  10 , and a right button  11  and are controlled by the user. To view previous read and/or displayed information a sentence at a time, the users presses button  10 ; to view the next or following sentences, the users presses button  11 ; to view previous information a paragraph at a time the user presses button  8 , and to view or skim information paragraphs at a time the user presses button  9 . Microphone  13  for receiving audible information either from the user or the family of the user so that information read back to the user is in a familiar voice.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1B shows the side of device  1  opposite that illustrated in FIG. 1A (i.e. back). The opposite side of device  1  includes photoelement array  15  through which information is captured into memory.  
         [0028]    A capture button  12  included at one side of device  1  as depicted in FIG. 1C, and a capture button  12  located at the other side of device  1  as depicted in FIG. 1D are both accommodating to right-handed and left-handed users to satisfy the ergonomic requirements of users. A headphone outlet  14  as depicted in FIG. 1E is located at the bottom end of device  1  minimizing the interference of the headphone line/cord with the physical process of the user scanning information.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 shows two inputs to device  1 , with the inputs being the photoelement array  15  for capturing information and the microphone  13  for receiving audible information from the human voice. However, it should be noted that device  1  is not limited to photoelement array  15  input; other inputs in the market that will perform the same function more efficiently and economically can be substituted.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2 further shows two outputs for the reading device  1 , with these two outputs being the speaker  14  and display  2 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 shows that the processor and memory, to include application software such as text-to-voice technology, are in communication with each other and other components of device  1 .  
         [0032]    When the user turns device  1  on through power switch  3 , the user has the option to press Read button  4 , scan information and have the information read back to the user utilizing text-to voice technology either in user&#39;s own voice, the voice of user family, or the default voice through a headphone connected to headphone outlet  14 . While scanning both capture buttons  12  are depressed, applying more pressure to one than the other will not affect scanning. Both buttons are provided to accommodate different user strengths and preferences. If device  1  loses contact with the paper temporarily while capture buttons  12  are depressed, scanning pauses and will append when contact is made again on paper (this is to make the scanning of large paper such as newspapers easier). If the user wants to display text only on the display panel, the user presses Display button  5  after the power switch  3  is turned on. Text is displayed white on black, the preferred mode of visual impaired persons, one line at a time (Marquee style) thus allowing the user to increase font size from default size of 16 points to either font size of 18 or 20 points. If the user wants to both listen to and display text, after turning device  1  on through power switch  3 , the user presses Read button  4  and Display button  5  within seconds of each other to have the information read back to the user through the use of a headphone that is connected to headphone outlet  14 . While in the process of reading, to verify the meaning of a word, the user presses Word button to activate the dictionary, and the meaning of the last word read is given.  
         [0033]    Information read through the headphone connected to headphone outlet  14 , and/or displayed on display  2  is automatically deleted when scanning resumes, thus freeing storage space unless the user specifies information to save. To save previous paragraph read the user presses navigation button  8  twice.  
         [0034]    The disclosure set forth is simply an illustration of the invention and is not intended to be limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications of the disclosed embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention. Any modifications should be included within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims and equivalents thereof.