RU2223552C2 - Method for presenting video information - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: representing color images in form perceived by persons with depraved vision. SUBSTANCE: image is represented in the form of plurality of dots on plane. Any dot out of this plurality may be in one of two states, either flat or convex. Pluralities of flat or convex dots correspond to outlines of separate image components or to image areas enclosed by these outlines. Video information is perceived by tactile sensing of image dots. The latter have flag in the form of audio signal unambiguously corresponding to dot color. Image surface is divided into areas whose boundaries with main surface of image are physically perceptible by touch. Boundaries of areas are marked by means of repetitive bulges whose repetition rate varies depending on area coordinates on image plane. EFFECT: enhanced self-descriptiveness of image perceived. 3 cl, 1 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to tiflotekhnika and is intended to represent video information, in particular color images, in a form that is accessible for perception by a person with visual disabilities.

 The method of presenting video information described in this application is applicable for the presentation of color images having a sufficiently distinct outline of individual image details. The proposed method uses tactile perception of the image with the possibility of auditory perception of information about the color of the image and tactile perception of the location of this image on the plane. In this case, the urgent task is to optimize the one-to-one representation of color information by sound signals in terms of accuracy and speed of auditory perception and the possibility of accompanying this information with the coordinates of the image area.

 A known method of representing symbolic video information, in which each symbol of video information corresponds to a certain combination of six points on the plane, perceived tactilely. Any of the points of this combination can be in one of two states: flat and convex. Many states of these points correspond to a specific alphanumeric character (Braille code). For example, the symbol of the alphabet - the letter "a" corresponds to a code with the convex first and the remaining flat points, etc. [1].

 However, this way of presenting video information is limited to the area of representation of alphanumeric characters and does not allow representing graphic images in a form accessible for perception by a person with visual disabilities (operator).

 Closest to the proposed method is a method of presenting video information in which an image is represented as a set of points on a plane, while any of the points of this set can be in one of two states: either flat or convex, and the sets of flat or convex points correspond to the contours individual image parts or areas limited by these contours, and the perception of video information is carried out by tactile contact with the image points, and the image points have Signs of a sound signal, the tactile perception and the image feature points is reproduced as an acoustic signal that is perceived through the auditory canal (see. the application DE 19624402, Cl. A 61 F 9/08, 1998).

 The disadvantage of this method is the lack of information about the color of the image (contour or individual areas), which does not allow for the operator to perceive color images, as well as the lack of operational information about the position of the image on the plane.

 The technical result of the invention is to increase the information content of the video image due to the possibility of presenting color images in a form that is accessible to the operator, providing prompt tactile determination of the coordinates of image areas on the plane and obtaining high accuracy and speed of perception of video information.

 To achieve the technical result, a method for presenting video information is proposed, in which the image is represented as a set of points on the plane. Any of the points of this set can be in one of two states: flat and convex, and the sets of flat or convex points correspond to the contours of individual parts of the image or image areas bounded by these contours, and the perception of video information is carried out by tactile contact with the image points. Moreover, it is new that the image points have a color sign in the form of an audio signal that uniquely corresponds to the color of the point, and with tactile perception of the image points, a color sign is distinguished in the form of an acoustic signal that is perceived through the auditory canal. The image plane is divided into zones, and the boundaries of the zones are necessarily physically distinguishable from the main image surface. It is desirable that the boundaries of the zones have a mark in the form of repeating protrusions, and it is advisable that the repetition rate of the repeating protrusions varies depending on the coordinates of the zone on the image plane. Moreover, it is desirable that when tactile contact with the image points is additionally reproduced noise characteristic of a given image area, and it is also advisable that when tactile contact with image points for which there is no noise characteristic of this image area, a comfortable noise is reproduced.

 The proposed method is illustrated by the example of the image shown in the drawing.

 The proposed method for presenting video information is as follows.

 To represent the video information, use (see drawing) a rectangular planar image matrix 1, consisting of a set of flat 2 and convex 3 points, while the image plane is divided into zones 4 using horizontal and vertical borders 5 of the zone, having a marking in the form of repeating protrusions 6.

 The points of the image 1 can be in one of two states: flat 2 or convex 3, and the set of flat or convex points correspond to the contours of individual parts of the image or to the areas bounded by these contours. For example, the sun in the drawing is presented in the form of a circle as a region of convex points, the horizon line - in the form of a line of convex points, etc.

 With tactile contact of the operator with the presented image (feeling the image with the fingers of the hand), the shape and size of the individual parts of the image are perceived.

 For the operator to perceive the location of the image details on the image plane, as well as the relative position of the image details relative to each other, information on the direction of movement of the fingers of the operator’s hand can be used. In addition, the operational control of the location of the fingers on the image in the process of tactile contact with the image is carried out using a coordinate grid plotted on a plane with the image. For this, the image plane 1 is divided into zones 4 using horizontal and vertical borders 5, which are physically distinguishable from the main surface of the image. The boundaries of the 5 zones are marked in the form of repeating protrusions 6, the repetition rate of which varies depending on the coordinates of the zone on the image plane. For example, protrusions along the boundaries of zones follow more often when approaching the upper left corner of the image plane.

 And finally, for the operator to perceive information about the color of individual parts of the image, audio signals are used that accompany the tactile (tactile) contact of the operator with these parts of the image. To unambiguously represent the color of different parts of the image with sound signals, for example, a representation of the seven primary colors of the spectrum using seven notes of a musical octave can be used. Moreover, a color with a longer optical wavelength should correspond to a longer sound wave, i.e. bass notes correspond to red color, and higher sounds correspond to blue and violet. For example, red - do, orange - re, yellow - mi, green - fa, blue - salt, blue - la, purple - si.

 The total number of reproduced sound frequencies is determined by the number of different colors in the image, and it is necessary to take into account the sensitivity threshold of the average hearing when distinguishing sound frequencies.

 The human auditory system (ear) is designed so that it perceives the entire spectrum of sound frequencies with a set of a large number of biological bandpass filters tuned over the entire range of sound frequencies. When perceiving sounds, masking effects of individual tones appear. So, strong sounds suppress weak ones, which allows them to be discarded during playback without significant damage to the sound quality of the signal. In addition, individual frequencies can be masked by signals of frequencies that are close to them. These effects lead to an average representation of the colors of individual portions of the image when they are displayed by sound signals. This ensures a sufficiently high accuracy and speed of perception of the color of the image areas.

 Moreover, brighter colors can be reproduced by stronger (louder) sounds, less bright, muffled colors - by weak (quiet) sounds.

 To increase the information content of images, the reproduction of audio signals displaying colors is carried out against the background of noise accompanying the tactile contact of the operator with the image areas. In this case, the nature of the noise should correspond to the perceived portion of the image. For example, the area depicting the sea corresponds to the sound of the surf, the bird - the chirping of birds, the forest - the rustle of leaves, the car - the noise of the car engine, etc.

 To improve the perception of sound signals, it is advisable to use comfortable noise. The reproduction of sound signals displaying colors is carried out against a background of non-annoying comfortable noise. Comfortable noise should be different from the noise characteristic of different parts of the image (airplane, car, bird).

 In the proposed method, each image section is represented by the size and shape of the individual image parts, the position coordinates of the perceived image section, and information about the color of the image section transmitted by the audio signal. This representation of the image allows for a more complete perception by the operator of color images. It should be noted that the need for tactile determination of the coordinates of the image area is due to the creation of prerequisites for the development of creative abilities among the visually impaired (for example, blind artists, designers, architects).

 The achieved result of the proposed method for presenting video information is to increase the information content of the perceived image. When transmitting color with sound signals, a higher accuracy and speed of auditory color perception is achieved, which provides the possibility of a unique connection of the audio signal with the color of the image sections.

Sources of information
1. Petzold C. Code. - M .: Publishing and trading house "Russian Edition", 2001, p. fifteen.

 2. Parkes D., Brull M. It may not be easy, but it is possible. The World Blind, 14, 1997, p. 48.

Claims (3)

1. A method of presenting video information, in which the image is represented as a set of points on the plane, while any of the points of this set can be in one of two states: either flat or convex, and the set of flat or convex points correspond to the contours of individual parts of the image, or areas limited by these contours, and the perception of video information is carried out by tactile contact with the image points, and the image points have a sign in the form of an audio signal, and when tactile the perception of image points reproduces a sign in the form of an acoustic signal, which is perceived through the auditory canal, characterized in that the audio signal uniquely corresponds to the color of the image point, the image plane is divided into zones, and the boundaries of the zones are physically distinguishable from the main surface of the image, and the boundaries of the zones are marked in the form of repeating protrusions and the repetition rate of repeating protrusions varies depending on the coordinates of the zone on the image plane. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that upon tactile contact with the image points, noise is additionally reproduced, characteristic of a given image area. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that upon tactile contact with the image points, comfortable noise is reproduced, with the exception of portions of the image, which correspond to noise characteristic of a given portion of the image.