Dynamic auto-advance feature for refreshable braille displays
A method of dynamically establishing an auto-advance interval of a refreshable braille display. The method involves the step of establishing a default auto-advance value, during which a full line of braille characters remains displayed on the braille display prior to being replaced by the next line. The method further involves determining whether a current line of braille characters ends with a blank cell or a used cell and calculating the current auto-advance interval based on the number of used cells in the current line. The next line of braille characters is output after the current auto-advance interval has lapsed.
1. A method of dynamically advancing a refreshable braille display, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a braille display in communication with a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for outputting an electronic document;
setting a default auto-update interval for the braille display;
outputting a portion of the electronic document onto the braille display as a current line of braille characters;
determining whether the current line ends with a blank braille cell;
responsive to determining that the current line ends with the blank braille cell, calculating a current auto-advance interval for the current line, wherein the current auto-advance interval has a shorter duration than the default auto-advance interval; and
automatically outputting a next line of braille characters after the current auto-advance interval has lapsed.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the current auto-advance interval comprises the steps of:
calculating a ratio of a quantity of used cells to a total quantity of cells within the braille display; and
multiplying the ratio by a default auto-advance interval to obtain the current auto-advance interval for the current line.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the current auto-advance interval comprises the steps of:
identifying a last used braille cell in the current line;
calculating a ratio of a quantity of cells preceding and including the last used cell to a total quantity of cells within the braille display; and
multiplying the ratio by the default auto-advance interval to obtain a current auto-advance interval for the current line.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
setting a minimum auto-advance interval;
comparing the current auto-advance interval against the minimum auto-advance interval; and
responsive to the current auto-advance interval being greater than zero but less than the minimum auto-advance interval, using the minimum auto-advance interval as the current auto-advance interval for the current line.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to the current auto-advance interval being equal to zero, skipping the current line and outputting the next line of braille characters.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of responsive to a determination that the current line ends with a used cell, outputting the next line after the default auto-advance interval has lapsed.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the default auto-advance interval is user-adjustable.
8. One or more non-transitory tangible computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for outputting alphanumerical characters onto a refreshable braille display, the instructions comprising:
accessing an electronic document;
setting a default auto-update interval for the braille display;
outputting a portion of the electronic document onto the braille display as a current line of braille characters;
determining whether the current line ends with a blank braille cell;
responsive to determining that the current line ends with the blank braille cell, calculating a current auto-advance interval for the current line, wherein the current auto-advance interval has a shorter duration than the default auto-advance interval; and
automatically outputting a next line of braille characters after the current auto-advance interval has lapsed.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein calculating the current auto-advance interval comprises the steps of:
calculating a ratio of a quantity of used cells to a total quantity of cells within the braille display; and
multiplying the ratio by a default auto-advance interval to obtain the current auto-advance interval for the current line.
10. The media of claim 8 , wherein calculating the current auto-advance interval comprises the steps of:
identifying a last used braille cell in the current line;
calculating a ratio of a quantity of cells preceding and including the last used cell to a total quantity of cells within the braille display; and
multiplying the ratio by the default auto-advance interval to obtain a current auto-advance interval for the current line.
11. The media of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
setting a minimum auto-advance interval;
comparing the current auto-advance interval against the minimum auto-advance interval; and
responsive to the current auto-advance interval being greater than zero but less than the minimum auto-advance interval, using the minimum auto-advance interval as the current auto-advance interval for the current line.
12. The media of claim 8 , wherein responsive to the current auto-advance interval being equal to zero, skipping the current line and outputting the next line of braille characters.
13. The media of claim 8 , further comprising the step of responsive to a determination that the current line ends with a used cell, outputting the next line after the default auto-advance interval has lapsed.
14. The media of claim 8 , wherein the default auto-advance interval is user-adjustable.
15. A method of dynamically advancing a refreshable braille display, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a braille display in communication with a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing an electronic document;
outputting a portion of the electronic document onto the braille display as a current line of braille characters;
calculating a current auto-advance interval for the current line, wherein the current auto-advance interval is a function of a quantity of used cells within the current line; and
automatically outputting a next line of braille characters after the current auto-advance interval has lapsed.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
setting a minimum auto-advance interval;
comparing the current auto-advance interval against the minimum auto-advance interval; and
responsive to the current auto-advance interval being greater than zero but less than the minimum auto-advance interval, using the minimum auto-advance interval as the current auto-advance interval for the current line.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein responsive to the current auto-advance interval being equal to zero, skipping the current line and outputting the next line of braille characters.
18. The media of claim 15 , wherein calculating the current auto-advance interval comprises the steps of:
calculating a ratio of a quantity of used cells to a total quantity of cells within the braille display; and
multiplying the ratio by a default auto-advance interval to obtain the current auto-advance interval for the current line.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the default auto-advance interval is user-adjustable.