JPH11305652A - Device and method for transcribing braille into character - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a sighted person having no knowledge or experience of braille or a computer to easily and simply transcribe the braille into characters without totally requiring large-sized or specific equipment and complicated operation by transcribing the positional data of the inputted braille into character data by braille transcribing software and displaying the character data on a display. SOLUTION: A user reads out the position of each braille dot and inputs the read position by ten keys 1 to send the data to a computer 2. In this case, the braille is recognized as a graphic constituted of six dots at maximum and inputs the braille data to the computer 2 in a shape for falsely reproducing quite the same graphic on the ten keys 1. When an optional key other than six keys at maximum is depressed after the end of the input, a transcribed character is displayed on the display by exclusive software. Since the device can be operated by a finger, the user inexperienced in the operation of the computer and having no knowledge of braille can easily used the device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for a sighted person (a person with visual acuity) to easily translate braille on a convex surface (reading characters) into ink characters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an apparatus for translating a braille of a convex surface (reading character) into an ink character, (a) as a known example, a braille translation system using a light source as disclosed in B) A Braille character reading sensor using a pressure-sensitive mechanism and a piezoelectric element that passes over Braille, as described in JP-A-6-289775, hereinafter, Fukumura Shuppan, Kazuo Homma, et al., "Learning Braille and Reading", p. 99 As a commercial product described in Kenji Endo's "Introduction to Braille and Braille Translations" by Kosaido Publishing Co., Ltd., p. 63, using a personal computer, as shown in FIG.
Using arbitrary six keys (for example, SDFJKL) arranged in a line, the user can input braille data and display the corresponding ink characters.

[0003]

In the above method (a), since the object is limited to braille paper capable of absorbing light, a commonly used white braille paper cannot be used, which is very inconvenient. However, since braille sentences created using ordinary braille paper created in the past cannot be read at all, they lacked versatility and generality. Further, since a device for generating a light source is required, the device becomes large.

In the method (b), since the pressure-sensitive mechanism passes over the Braille paper, pressure is applied to the Braille points. May not be read again by tactile reading. Also, depending on the person, the force of hitting braille may be weak, and a high-sensitivity piezoelectric sensor capable of detecting such points is required.However, when it is used, a foreign substance adhering to braille paper, It may be possible to detect uplift when correcting a typographical error (Note: in Braille, when correcting a typographical error, crush the dots and apply thinner glue to solidify). There is.

In the method (c), two rows and three columns are provided.
Up to six points of braille composed of lines had to be replaced with a row of keys arranged in a horizontal row on the keyboard, so unless you are a person with considerable knowledge of braille and computer operation, Difficult to use.

An object of the present invention is to enable a sighted person who has no knowledge or experience of Braille or a computer to easily and easily use Braille without any such large or special equipment and complicated operations. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive device that can translate Japanese characters into print characters.

[0007]

For the above purpose, the positions of up to six points of Braille are accurately read by using the special scales described in claim 9 and claim 10. According to the method of claims 2, 3 and 4, the position of the point is input to the computer. The input Braille position data is translated into ink character data by Braille translation software and displayed on a display.

[0008]

According to the above configuration, Braille is recognized as a graphic composed of up to six points, and Braille data is input to a computer in such a manner that the same graphic is reproduced in a pseudo manner on an input device. It is possible to perform translation.
Further, since the operation can be performed with one finger, even a user who is not accustomed to computer operation and has no knowledge of Braille can use it easily.

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device of this embodiment includes an input device, a computer, a display device, a storage device, and a dedicated scale.

First, an outline of the braille grammar will be described. As described above, Braille is composed of a maximum of six points, and is written by striking dots using a device called a Braille device (the paper surface at the time of writing is called a concave surface). When reading,
The paper is turned over, and the protruding portion of the struck point is read by tactile reading (the paper surface at the time of reading is called a convex surface). Therefore, the written characters and the read characters are symmetric. In the present invention, only reading characters (convex surfaces) are handled.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a dedicated scale for determining the position of Braille shown in claims 9 and 10. It is made of a transparent board or a similar material, and a square or a similar figure containing one Braille character is printed or filled in according to the Braille character pitch, or engraved, or a method similar thereto Are located.

FIG. 3 is a sample of a Braille sentence. (If translated into print, it is written as "Aichiken.") People who do not have knowledge of Braille will find it difficult to determine where character breaks and dot positions are by simply looking at them.

FIG. 4 shows the scale shown in FIG.
This state is not the correct position because there is a point that is out of the square of the scale, although this state is superimposed on the Braille sentence indicated by.

FIG. 5 shows the scale shown in FIG. 2 slightly shifted to the left from the state shown in FIG. In this state, since all the points are inside the square, the user can read the positions of up to six points in Braille.

FIG. 6 shows point numbers for representing positions of up to six points in Braille.

FIG. 7 schematically shows a numeric keypad as an example of the input device. The user reads the position of each point of Braille in the state of FIG. For example, when reading the third braille from the left in the state of FIG.
Points 1, 2, 3, and 5 are Braille data. The user recognizes this as a graphic, and encloses up to six keys arbitrarily combined in two horizontal rows and three vertical rows in each key combined in the same arrangement on the numeric keypad, for example, surrounded by a bold line. 7, 8, 4, 5, 1, 2, among the keys 7, 4, 5, 1 can be pressed. In this case, the order of key input does not matter. For example, even in the order of 1, 4, 7, 5, 5, 4, 7,
It may be one. The input data of each point is displayed on the display each time in the form of, for example, a black circle. When the input is completed, if any key other than the maximum of six described above, for example, a + key is pressed, the translated ink characters are displayed on the display by the dedicated software.

As an input device, other than the above,
General-purpose keyboards, mice, light pens, touch panels, touch screens, digitizers, tablets, and the like, are also available.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show the configuration of Braille translation software used in the present invention. In FIG. 8A, when the program starts, in step S1,
The ink character data read from the storage device or written in advance in the computer device is stored in a memory or a register in the computer.
Next, key input of braille data is performed. Here, as in the above-described example, the case where the keys 7, 4, 5, 1 are pressed will be described. In step S2, the key "7" is pressed, and in step S3,
The data (7) obtained by the key input of "7" is determined and stored in a memory, a register, or a storage device. This value is a unique value obtained by one key, such as a number, a character, a symbol, and a code. Step S4
Thus, one point of the Braille character corresponding to the key position of “7” is indicated on the display device by, for example, a black circle. An example is shown in FIG.
Indicated by In this figure, white circles represent points where no key is pressed.

After confirming the display on the display device, a key input is performed again through step S5. In this example, next, the key “4” is pressed in step S9, and step S10
Then, the data (4) obtained by the key input of "4" is determined and stored in the memory, the register, or the storage device. In step S11, a point corresponding to the key position of "4" is indicated on the display device. In this case, the display of the point at the position of “7”, which is the previous input key, remains as it is, and the point of “4” is newly synthesized and displayed. An example is shown in FIG. Hereinafter, steps S5, S12, S13, S1
4, S5, S15, S16, and S17 are repeated in the same manner.
This completes the input of the braille data of this example. FIG. 11 shows a display example at that time.

Next, in step S5, when any key other than the above, for example, a “+” key is pressed, in step S6, a maximum of six (four in this example) determined data is stored in a memory or a register. Alternatively, the data X is taken out from the storage device and data X is created. At this time, data X
Is a unique value for one input Braille character regardless of the determined order of the data.

In step S7, based on the data X, the ink character data stored in the memory or the register in step S1 is searched and extracted.
Becomes In step S8, it is displayed on the display device. An example is shown in FIG.

FIG. 8B shows an outline of a software configuration when characters, numbers, foreign characters, and the like representing special sounds are represented by a combination of two or more braille characters. In step T1, the ink character data is stored in the memory or the register as described above, and in step T2, the nth character of Braille is input. In step T3, the Braille data is processed as described above, and in step T4, data Xn is created. In step T5, the created data Xn is
It is stored in a memory, a register, or a storage device. In step T6, it is determined whether the input has been completed.
If not, the process returns to step T2 to input the next braille. If the input is completed, the plurality of data Xn stored in step T5 are taken out from a memory or a register or a storage device, and based on the data,
In step T7, the corresponding ink character data is searched, and it is displayed in step T8.

[0024]

According to the present invention, Braille can be translated very easily and inexpensively as compared with the conventional method.
Conventional devices or known methods required special equipment and complicated operations.However, in the present invention, they are not required at all, and can be easily used even by those who do not have knowledge of Braille or computers. is there. In addition, since there is no need to manufacture any special equipment, a system can be constructed using only commercially available products. Therefore, the cost is low and the system that anyone can read Braille is easy to spread.

Up to now, many devices have been known or marketed by sighted persons for translating ink letters into Braille for visually impaired persons. Conversely, sighted persons wrote by visually impaired persons. Few devices are dedicated to reading Braille. The commercially available device (c) cited in the section "Prior Art" is originally intended for translating ink characters into Braille, and has only the above-mentioned function as an attachment. An object of the present invention is to allow a sighted person who has never learned Braille to easily and inexpensively read Braille,
It is to provide a full-fledged Braille translation device.

In general, it is said that braille is hard to read and difficult to read. In other words, to write, it is sufficient to search for a desired Braille from a list or the like arranged in the order of the Japanese syllabary from kana characters and the like, and look at it, but it is difficult to read. Because Braille is a group of dots, it is very difficult for unfamiliar people to see, and more than 200 types of Braille characters in Japanese are included, including 50 sounds, special sounds, numbers, foreign characters, symbols, etc. This is because it is extremely difficult for a beginner to find the corresponding print from a list of such a large number of Braille. Even if you want to learn Braille with volunteers, it is likely that many people quit halfway because of that situation.

The present invention has been devised so that more people can perceive Braille as familiar. Traditionally, the word braille refers to the visually impaired,
Alternatively, it has been used as a means of communicating intentions between visually impaired persons, but is considered as a means for visually impaired persons to communicate their intentions to sighted persons based on further advanced ideas. As a use destination of the present invention,
It can be applied to sighted persons who want to interact with the visually impaired by text, distributors such as post offices and courier companies, and any other business that requires documents.

As an application example of the present invention, for example, a post office will be described. In 1984, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued a notice stating that "As soon as the conditions are met, mail should be accepted in Braille at the post office jurisdiction." In fact, there are very few post office workers who can read Braille, so mailing with Braille is not generally accepted by most post offices.

However, the present invention is both necessary and sufficient to satisfy the aforementioned “conditions” of the notification. The present invention
If installed at post offices nationwide, it is possible to build a system that allows visually impaired people to freely send mail in Braille at low cost. The same applies to other industries.

In addition, since the apparatus can be manufactured at low cost, even if a sighted person uses it personally, the burden is not so large. If the present invention spreads to many sighted people, visually impaired people will have more opportunities to interact with sighted people by text, mutual understanding will advance, and it will lead to significant help for visually impaired people's social independence. It is.

Further, the greatest advantage of the present invention is that, while translating a large number of braille, the user will eventually learn how to read braille. This is largely due to the input method in claims 1, 2, 3, and 4. That is, the same effect as tracing Braille with a finger is recognized because Braille is regarded as a graphic and is reproduced in a pseudo manner on the input device. That is, the present invention is extremely useful as a learning tool for Braille. The use of the present invention to increase the number of sighted persons who can understand Braille is a great step forward for public welfare.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an apparatus for carrying out the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a dedicated scale shown in claims 9 and 10;

FIG. 3 is a sample of a Braille sentence.

FIG. 4 shows a state where the scale shown in FIG. 2 is superimposed on the braille sentence shown in FIG. 3, but in a wrong position.

FIG. 5 shows a state where the scale has reached a correct position from the state of FIG.

FIG. 6 shows point numbers for representing positions of up to six points in Braille.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a numeric keypad.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of software used in the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a state in which input one-point data is displayed on the display device in the form of, for example, a black circle.

FIG. 10 shows a state in which input two points of data are displayed on the display device in the form of, for example, black circles.

FIG. 11 shows a display example when data input is completed.

FIG. 12 shows a state in which a corresponding ink character is retrieved from input Braille data and displayed on a display device.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a known input method using a keyboard.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Input device 2 Computer 3 Display device 4 Storage device 5 Dedicated scale 6 Transparent board or its equivalent 7 Rectangle of the size which can hold one character of Braille, or the shape according to it (the number is arbitrary) 8 Braille characters Dimensions equal to or close to the spacing

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 10, 1998

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0002

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an apparatus for translating a braille of a convex surface (reading character) into an ink character, (a) as a known example, a braille translation system using a light source as disclosed in B) A Braille character reading sensor using a pressure-sensitive mechanism and a piezoelectric element that passes over Braille, as described in JP-A-6-289775, hereinafter, Fukumura Shuppan, Kazuo Homma, et al., "Learning Braille and Reading", p. 99 As a commercial product described in Kenji Endo's "Introduction to Braille and Braille Translations", published by Kosaido Publishing Co., Ltd., p. 63, using a personal computer, as shown in FIG.
Using arbitrary six keys (for example, SDFJKL) arranged in a line, the user can input braille data and display the corresponding ink characters.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0019

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG. 8 shows the configuration of Braille translation software used in the present invention. When the program starts, in step S1, ink character data read from a storage device or written in advance in a computer device is stored in a memory or a register in the computer. Next, key input of braille data is performed. Here, as in the above-described example, the case where the keys 7, 4, 5, 1 are pressed will be described. In step S2, the key "7" is pressed. In step S3, the data (7) obtained by the key input of "7" is determined and stored in a memory, a register, or a storage device. This value is a unique value obtained by one key, such as a number, a character, a symbol, and a code. In step S4, one point of the Braille character corresponding to the key position of "7" is indicated on the display device by, for example, a black circle. An example is shown in FIG. In this figure, white circles represent points where no key is pressed.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0020

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

After confirming the display on the display device, a key input is performed again through step S5. In this example, next, the key “4” is pressed in step S9, and step S10
Then, the data (4) obtained by the key input of "4" is determined and stored in the memory, the register, or the storage device. In step S11, a point corresponding to the key position of "4" is indicated on the display device. In this case, the display of the point at the position of “7”, which is the previous input key, remains as it is, and the point of “4” is newly synthesized and displayed. An example is shown in FIG. Hereinafter, steps S5, S12, S13, S1
4, S5, S15, S16, and S17 are repeated in the same manner.
This completes the input of the braille data of this example. FIG. 12 shows a display example at that time.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0022

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

In step S7, based on the data X, the ink character data stored in the memory or the register in step S1 is searched and extracted.
Becomes In step S8, it is displayed on the display device. An example is shown in FIG.

[Procedure amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0023

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG. 9 shows an outline of a software configuration when characters, numbers, foreign characters, and the like representing special sounds are represented by a combination of two or more braille characters. Step T
In step 1, in the same manner as described above, ink character data is stored in a memory or a register, and in step T2, the nth character of Braille is input. In step T3, the Braille data is processed as described above, and in step T4, data Xn is created. The created data Xn is stored in a memory, a register, or a storage device in step T5. In step T6, it is determined whether the input has been completed. If not, the process returns to step T2 to input the next braille. If the input is completed, the plurality of data Xn stored in step T5 are fetched from a memory, a register, or a storage device, and based on the data, step T5 is performed.
7, the corresponding ink character data is searched, and it is displayed in step T8.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A user inputs Braille data using an input device having an array having the same mutual positional relationship as a point of a convex surface of Braille to be translated, and the corresponding ink character (ordinary character) Device to translate and display. 2. A maximum of three vertical rows and two horizontal columns having the same mutual positional relationship or a similar arrangement to a maximum of six points of the convex surface of the Braille to be translated. A device for inputting braille data using six consecutive vertical and horizontal keys or an input device based on the keys and translating the data into the corresponding ink characters and displaying them. 3. A user inputs Braille data using an input device having an array having the same mutual positional relationship as a point of a convex surface of Braille to be translated, and translates the Braille data into a corresponding ink character. How to display. 4. A maximum of three rows and two columns having the same mutual positional relationship with the maximum six points of the convex surface of the Braille to be translated or having an arrangement similar thereto. A method of inputting Braille data using six consecutive vertical and horizontal keys or an input device based on the keys, and translating the Braille data into corresponding ink characters for display. 5. In a convex braille character represented by one character, every time a point is input, data Xt unique to the point is created, and when input of all points in one character is completed, one point is input.
A device that creates unique data X from one or a plurality of data Xt, translates the data into corresponding ink characters, and displays the translated characters. 6. In a convex braille character represented by one character, every time one point is input, data Xt unique to the point is created, and when input of all points in one character is completed, one point is input.
A method in which unique data X is created from one or a plurality of data Xt, translated into corresponding ink characters, and displayed. 7. In a convex braille character represented by combining a plurality of characters, every time the nth character is inputted, data Xn unique to the character is created, and when the character input is completed, a plurality of characters are generated. A device that translates and displays the data Xn into corresponding ink characters. 8. In a convex braille character represented by combining a plurality of characters, every time the nth character is input, data Xn unique to the nth character is created. A method in which data Xn is translated into corresponding ink characters and displayed. 9. A transparent plate used by the user to carry out the above-mentioned work has a plurality of squares sized so as to accommodate one character in Braille, which is arranged at the same character interval as Braille. Dedicated scale for determining the position of points on the convex surface of Braille and the position of characters. 10. A rectangle or a rectangle large enough to fit one Braille character arranged at the same character spacing as a transparent plate or equivalent, which is used by the user to perform the above-mentioned work. A dedicated scale having a plurality of conforming shapes for determining the positions of up to six points and the positions of characters on the convex surface of Braille.