Tactile and visual display with a paired, active stylus
View Patent ↗An active, specialized stylus and sharp color graphics may be combined with a tactile display in order to increase accessibility to the blind and visually impaired. A tactile display may consist of an array of pins that may be raised to varying heights to represent contours and outlines of images that are recognizable when touched. A specialized stylus may allow the user to instantly create, touch and save tactile drawings or alter with multi-sensory feedback. A tactile and visual display may consist of an array of pins, with circular or squared-off tops. Physical attributes may be given to individual pins, the screen itself (LED), or a LCD WXGA or other type of projector may be incorporated so that enhanced visual imaging is combined with tactile graphics to give those with different levels of visual impairment a multisensory feedback when experiencing images or drawings. Also this technology may be used with autistic students and those with learning disabilities, as well as serve as a means of entertainment.
1. A device for displaying an image on a tactile display, comprising:
an array of pins that can be individually raised and lowered, wherein the relative heights of the pins convey a graphic image when touched; and
multi-color, interactive, light generating technology that generates an illuminated image that is correlated with the graphic image.
2. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
haptics technology that provides haptic feedback to a user.
3. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage device for saving images.
4. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pins may move to a variety of heights.
5. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a paired, active stylus to manipulate the pins.
6. The device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the pins raise and lower variably in response to a user pressing one or more buttons on the stylus.
7. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
an operating system.
8. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein each pin has a physical attribute comprising of materials that transmit light.
9. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a projector is linked to the device that creates an image that overlays the pins.
10. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multi-color light generating technology comprises:
an optical fiber system.
11. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multi-color light generating technology comprises:
an aperture optical receiver.
12. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
piezoelectric actuators that raise and lower the pins.
13. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the array of pins comprise:
a plurality of illuminated pins.
14. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
controls that allow a user to easily adjust brightness, color and contrast.
15. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
network circuitry that can connect the device to a wireless network.
16. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a braille keyboard.
17. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
technology that enables the device to be connected to a Wi Fi network.
18. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry for communicating via Bluetooth.
19. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry for communicating with a detachable braille keyboard.
20. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a front-facing multi-lens 3D camera.
21. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a rear-facing camera.
22. The device as recited in claim 21 , wherein the rear-facing camera is a multi-lens 3D camera.
23. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor for auto focus.
24. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera, wherein images captured by the camera are digitized and utilized to create a corresponding tactile image.
25. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera that comprises at least one edge- detecting filter to detect contours of objects that enable the device to simplify and display a tactile image.
26. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
technology that can display multiple lines of braille.
27. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a subset of the array of pins forms a touch sensitive braille keyboard.
28. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
GPS technology.
29. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
an embedded line of refreshing braille cells.
30. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
piezoelectric actuators that are operable to move each pin in a linear way.
31. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor that causes linear movement of each of said pins.
32. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
optical plastic fiber that is operable to transfer light.
33. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a microphone; and
speakers.
34. The device as recited in claim 33 , further comprising:
voice-recognition software operable to enable at least one of voice controls, voice to text, and voice to braille capability.
35. The device as recited in claim 33 , further comprising:
voice-recognition software.
36. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one button that comprises refreshing braille cells indicative of different functions of the device.