JP2006127170A - Information terminal input system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel that can be operated by a visually impaired person and an input system.
The object is to provide a dot-like protrusion with a minute height or a protrusion in the form of a numeral on the surface of the touch panel, and perform coordinate expression or numerical area expression with voice guidance, so that the normal operation mode and visual This is achieved by simply switching the disabled mode. Moreover, the fall of the visibility by a processus | protrusion can be prevented by making the height of a processus | protrusion into micro height.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device and an input system that can be used by a visually impaired person.

In recent years, with the development of the information system society, there are reception terminals that can accept various types of information, information terminals that connect to the Internet at street corners to perform searches, automatic teller machines (ATMs) such as banks, and ticket vending machines on train stations. Widely popular. A touch panel is frequently used as the main input means of these devices, and has almost no other ordinary buttons, switches, and the like. The touch panel is a device that can be input by an electrical signal by touching the display unit, and has a merit that it has a long life because there is no mechanical drive unit, and the button layout can be freely changed.

However, for visually handicapped persons, there is a problem that the position of the button is completely unknown and cannot be used. Therefore, as an operability improvement for visually impaired people such as automatic transaction devices,
A method has been proposed in which a dedicated button and Braille are provided and the operation is guided by voice guidance.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-13868 has devised a touch panel in which symbols and braille are provided on the touch panel and can be operated by visually impaired persons.

JP 2001-13868

In the automatic transaction apparatus provided with a dedicated button, since the button part has a mechanical drive,
There is a problem that the possibility of failure increases, the degree of freedom of button layout is limited, and a dedicated circuit is required, leading to an increase in cost.

Since the reference position is unknown even in known examples, it is difficult to press the expected position, and the freedom of button layout, which is an advantage of the touch panel, is limited by providing specific symbols and braille on the surface. There was a problem such as.

Also, for visually impaired people who do not know where to touch first, a system that detects the touch and executes the next process is not enough to simply provide symbols and braille on the touch panel. It was sufficient and difficult to use for visually impaired people.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a system in which a protrusion with a minute height is provided on a touch panel to switch between a normal operation mode and a visually impaired person mode. The protrusion is a dot or a number, and in the case of a dot, only the point that becomes the reference position has a different shape. Based on the information pressed on the touch panel, switch between the normal operation mode and the visually impaired person mode, and in voice guidance, use the coordinate expression in the case of dots and the area expression in the case of numbers. Inform. Further, the protrusion has a minute height, thereby preventing the visibility from being lowered.

According to the touch panel and the input system of the present invention, it is possible to easily input by arranging protrusions in the form of dots or numbers in a matrix on the touch panel and tracing the protrusions on the touch panel by voice guidance. It becomes possible. By not giving a unique meaning to the protrusion, without impairing the flexibility of the button layout, and by providing a reference position or indicating its position with a number, its guidance can be simplified. The button position can be guided to the user.

In addition, by enabling the user to switch between the normal operation mode used by the healthy person and the visually impaired person mode used by the visually handicapped person without being aware of it, the operability when the healthy person uses can be reduced. prevent. The protrusion on the touch panel has a very small height, which makes it possible to prevent a decrease in visibility when used by a healthy person.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on an example with reference to the drawings.

1A, 1B, and 1C are a front view, a cross-sectional view, and a detailed view of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a touch panel, 1a is a dot-shaped protrusion, 1b is a protrusion indicating a reference position in the case of a dot-shaped protrusion, and 2 is a liquid crystal display. The touch panel 1 includes 1d and 1e light emitting units and light receiving units in the x direction, 1f and 1g light emitting units and light receiving units in the y direction, and infrared rays emitted from the issuing units 1d and 1f are supplied to the 1e and 1g light receiving units. X- when the user touches and the infrared ray is blocked
The position is detected by y information.

As shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion groups 1a are arranged in a matrix, and 1b indicating the reference position is arranged at the center position thereof. For example, the coordinate expression from the reference position, for example, “one on the top and two on the right” The user is informed of the button position by the above-mentioned guidance. In addition, these protrusions are Braille,
By not using symbols and assigning unique meanings, the flexibility of the button layout on the touch panel is not impaired.

The protrusions 1a and 1b have a size of 5 mm square and a height of about 0.1 mm, and are formed at the same time as the plastic surface of the touch panel 1 is formed. Here, its size is 5mm square, height is about 0.1
Although it is described as mm, this is a size and a height that can be recognized by touching with a hand, and a height that does not block the light emission and light receiving portions of 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g, and is not limited thereto. Further, by making these protrusion groups have a minute height and the same body as the touch panel 1, it is possible to prevent a decrease in visibility due to these protrusion groups.

1b indicating the reference position is in the form of “+” in this example. However, unlike other dots, this is also in a form easy to understand for the user, and is not limited to this. In addition, although it is arranged at the center position of the touch panel 1, this is also limited to the lower left, upper left, lower right, and upper right as long as the button position can be clearly indicated to the user by the guidance by the coordinate expression. is not.

FIG. 8 shows an example in which the protrusions are in the form of numbers. As in the case of the dot-like projection, the projection 1c in the form of a number has a minute height and is the same body as the touch panel 1, and considers the influence on the visibility. Further, the button position is informed to the user by area expression, for example, “1 position” and “2 position” guidance.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a system apparatus for realizing the input system. As shown in the figure
The system unit includes a touch panel (1) that accepts user input, a liquid crystal display (2) that displays buttons and information, a CPU (3) that executes each process, a controller (4) that controls each process, and a normal operation mode , Memory mode, and other basic operation programs
DD (5), equipped with a speaker or handset (6) that plays voice guidance.

The procedure for switching between the normal operation mode and the visually impaired person mode in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the user presses the touch panel for the device on which the menu screen is displayed,
Processing is started (step 10). If the first pressed position by the user is the button position displayed on the liquid crystal display 2, the process proceeds to the normal operation mode (step 18) in step 11. Steps other than the button position or for irregular input at multiple locations
12 displays the visually impaired person mode selection screen (FIG. 5). The feature of FIG. 5 at this time is “OFF
"Is only a button. Next, in step 13, “Do you want to turn on the visually impaired mode?” “If you want to turn it on, touch the screen until you hear a confirmation sound. If you want to turn it off, press the OFF button. Voice guidance "
Pour from the handset. Here, in step 12, a visually handicapped person can press the touch panel for N seconds without worrying about the position of the button, and can switch to the visually handicapped person mode (step 16) with a confirmation sound (step 15). To do. Here, N seconds to confirm input is about 3
Although it is about seconds, the time is set to be longer than the button pressing time in normal operation, and is not limited to this. In the case of a healthy person, the “OFF” button is pressed (step 17) to switch to the normal operation mode (step 18). If any button other than the “OFF” button is pressed, the process returns to step 13 and the operation is explained again by voice guidance.

  Next, a detailed processing procedure in the visually impaired person mode will be described with reference to FIG.

In step 22, voice guidance for buttons displayed on the screen is played from a speaker or a handset. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the button positions are laid out so as to be arranged on the dot positions on the touch panel. Then, by voice guidance, the position advanced one point to the left and one left from the reference position 1b of the dot is `` Payment '', the position one step up and one right is `` Payment '', etc. The button position is guided using the relative coordinate expression.

The visually handicapped person searches for the target button on the touch panel from the reference position according to the guidance in step 20, but unlike the normal person, the button cannot be reached immediately. In order to accurately accept the input, it is determined whether or not the button position has been pressed for N seconds in step 22, and an input confirmation sound is sounded in step 23. Here, the N seconds for confirming the input is about 3 seconds, but the time is set to be longer than the button pressing time in the normal operation, and is not limited to this. Further, in step 24, the input content is notified to the user by the input reception guidance. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the “Cancel” button is always provided at the same position on each screen, so that the input acceptance guidance in Step 24 is heard, and if it is incorrect, it can be corrected (Step 25). By always using a “cancel” button at a specific position, it is possible to more easily perform correction processing when an erroneous input is made.

FIG. 7 shows a screen display example when a password is entered. As shown in the figure, place `` 5 '' at the position of the protrusion 1b indicating the reference position, and place other numbers in the same arrangement as on a normal keyboard, and other dot positions.
By arranging according to 1a, it will be easier to input.

(A) is a front view of a touch panel having dot-like projections according to an embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a side view of a touch panel having dot-like projections according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (c) is the present invention. The detailed view of the touchscreen which has a dot-shaped protrusion of one Example by. The block diagram of the apparatus which implement | achieves one Example by this invention. The flowchart which switches normal operation mode and visually impaired person mode in one Example of this invention. The flowchart of input operation in visually impaired person mode in one Example of this invention. Visually impaired person mode selection screen. An example of an input screen. An example of a password input screen. Touch panel with projections in the form of numbers.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Touch panel, 2 ... Display unit (LCD), 3 ... CPU, 4 ... Controller, 5 ... Storage unit (HDD), 6 ...
Speaker or handset, 10 to 18: Normal operation mode, visually impaired person mode switching flow steps, 21 to 24: visually impaired person mode input flow steps.

Claims (3)

In a device that has a display unit (LCD), CPU, storage unit (HDD), controller, speaker, or handset and performs input using a touch panel, dots or projections in the form of numbers arranged in a matrix on the touch panel Device with. In a device that has a display unit (LCD), CPU, storage unit (HDD), controller, speaker, or handset and performs input using a touch panel, dots or projections in the form of numbers arranged in a matrix on the touch panel An input system that provides guidance for the button position using voice or coordinate expression or area expression. In a device that has a display unit (LCD), CPU, storage unit (HDD), controller, speaker, or handset and performs input using a touch panel, dots or projections in the form of numbers arranged in a matrix on the touch panel And an input system and program for automatically switching between a normal operation mode and a visually impaired person mode by determining an operation state of the touch panel.

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