WO2019229501A1

WO2019229501A1 - Electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes

Info

Publication number: WO2019229501A1
Application number: PCT/IB2018/053891
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudio LOCONSOLE; Daniele LEONARDIS
Original assignee: Loconsole Claudio; Leonardis Daniele
Priority date: 2018-05-31
Filing date: 2018-05-31
Publication date: 2019-12-05

Abstract

An electromechanical device (1; 100) for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes comprising: a base plate (2) provided with a lower face (2a) which insists on a reference surface; a plurality of laminar modules (3) of Braille characters and/or graphic images refreshable in real time, mutually aligned along a linear axis (X) and coupled to the upper face (2b) of the base plate (2) by means of supporting means (4), each of the Braille characters and/or each of the graphic images consisting of a plurality of tactile pins (5; 104) at least partly housed in said laminar modules (3); actuation means (6) operatively connected to the tactile pins (5;104) of the laminar modules (3), adapted to be electronically actuated to arrange the tactile pins (5; 104), useful for reading a hypertext content, alternately in a raised position, in which the tactile pins (5; 104) protrude upwards from a front reading surface (3a; 102a) of the laminar modules (3) and are accessible to a user, and a retracted position, in which the tactile pins (5; 104), not useful or irrelevant for reading the aforesaid hypertext content, are entirely housed in said laminar modules (3) and are unavailable to the user; and a finishing plate (7) with forms an outer protective casing (8) with the base plate (2) to which it is coupled and which has a linear through opening (9) facing said laminar modules (3) so as to make the front reading surface (3a; 102a) always accessible to said user. In particular, the actuation means (6) include electromagnetic means (10) electrically connected to an electric power supply unit (11) and coupled to a shaped slider (12) operatively connected to driving means (13) which make it slide on guiding means (14) along the linear axis (X) for progressively arranging the tactile pins (5) useful for the comprehension of the hypertext content in the raised position, in the instant in which a magnetic field created by the electromagnetic means (10) supplied by the power supply unit (11), attracts said tactile pins (5; 104), made of ferromagnetic material, partly outside the laminar modules (3).

Description

ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE FOR READING AND/OR CONSULTING REFRESHABLE TACTILE CHARACTERS AND/OR SHAPES

The present invention relates to an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting - and thus for actually providing and allowing the real reading or tactile perception - dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes, such as Braille characters or general two-dimensional shapes.

In other words, the electromechanical device of the invention is useful or can be used to make prominent, put in relief or in evidence refreshable characters and/or shapes making them available (this meaning, in particular, making them temporarily protrude upwards from a reading surface under which they are normally positioned or at most are coplanar with) to allow consulting or reading by any person, either able-bodied, blind or partially visually-impaired.

If the characters to be composed or made available to the person by means of the aforesaid the device are Braille characters intended to be consulted by blind people, the electromechanical device of the invention falls into scope of those now commonly and universally known as RBD, standing for “Refreshable Braille Display’, or also as“Braille terminals”.

As is known, regretfully many people do have not yet have access to information, with particular regard to reading and writing: such people certainly including blind and visually-impaired people, who encounter serious difficulties in accessing various social aspects and human aspects of everyday civil life.

The convenience of assistance technology is a fundamental design requirement to help blind and visually-impaired people to interact, communicate and learn and to foster their social inclusion. This, in turn, heavily impacts on aspects such as equal access to opportunities, freedom of expression and the effective and independent participation of these people in a society mainly designed for the able-bodied people without sight problems.

Nowadays, consolidated but still rather expensive assistance devices are commercially available which allow dynamic reading and writing, such as Refreshable Braille Displays (RBDs), which foster a greater social inclusion for these people by providing the opportunity to benefit from information which needs to be available quickly, e.g. when consulting the Internet or searching for contents. RBDs are electromechanical devices designed for the so-called “dynamic rendering” of Braille language, the characters of which, consisting of raised dots, are read by the user by touching.

Unlike a printed sheet with permanent Braille characters, an RBD can refresh the Braille characters to be temporarily presented to the user for understanding or using a text in real time: in other words, the functions of these devices are similar to those of a PC monitor or the screen of an e-reader for able-bodied users.

The advantage is given by the possibility of being able to read textual information without necessarily having to print the contents permanently on paper (e.g. as would occur when searching for information on the Internet).

The RBDs present on the market consist of a single line of Braille characters (typically twenty or forty characters, although embodiments are available which include a number of Braille characters ranging from eighteen to eighty).

Each character consists of an array (or cell of the type with four rows and two columns when viewed under normal conditions of application) of eight pins and each pin is governed by an actuator which can arrange it either in a raised or high configuration, in which the pin is raised with respect to the reading surface (or plane), or in a retracted or low configuration, in which the pin is equal to (i.e. coplanar with) the reading surface: in the passage from the high or raised position to the low or retracted position, each pin passes through a respective through hole formed in the reading surface.

The actuation of each of the pins, which typically appear as small cylindrical elements with rounded tip, is independent from the others and so the line of Braille characters can be configured to represent the desired sequence of such characters.

The basic component of an electromechanical RBD of known type for reading, consulting and/or viewing dynamically refreshable characters and/or shapes, such as Braille characters, often integrates a single line (or row) of Braille characters. The output data are then obtained by means of a Refreshable Braille Display (RBD) consisting of a row of electromechanical character cells (or arrays), each of which can raise or lower a combination of eight pins with a rounded tip.

The most common mechanism which is currently used to lift pins exploits the piezoelectric effect of some crystal actuators which expand when a voltage is applied to them. Each of these actuators is connected to a lever which in turn either raises, lifts or reveals the pin: currently, a piezoelectric actuator is provided for each pin of the RBD, so that eight piezoelectric actuators are provided for each Braille character (or array or cell).

The software which controls the RBD is commonly referred to as a screen reader. it collects the screen content from the operating system, converts it into Braille characters and sends it to the RBD. Screen readers for graphic operating systems are particularly complex since graphic elements (such as windows or scroll bars) must be interpreted and described in text form.

The Braille cells (or arrays or characters) activated by piezoelectric effect achieve a reasonable reliability due to the moderate complexity of the mechanical elements, the fast refreshing rate and the low power consumption, but to the detriment of design solutions which increase the overall size of the cell, of relatively high operating voltages and of high final costs of the finished product. Indeed, the current technology which, as mentioned above, requires the use of a single dedicated piezoelectric actuator for each pin in RBDs determines the disadvantage of a high number of actuators necessary for operating the device or apparatus (several hundred in a single device, e.g. 160 pins or 320 pins in the case of 20 or 40 Braille characters, respectively, which is the number of the most common and traditional RBDs) and hence a high overall cost of the device itself. Moreover, the volume of each actuator is much greater than the surface of the cell (or array) and therefore a given assembly clearance is needed about the line of characters, which inevitably increases the overall size of the RBD and represents an undesirable limitation.

Therefore, in the prior art, it is not possible to make an RBD with multiple lines of characters closer together, or even with a single array of pins, adapted to represent Braille characters but also graphic shapes of other nature, dynamically readable by touch and, if necessary (when desired or necessary) by able-bodied people as well as by blind people, given the complex cost and dimensions which would otherwise be generated.

Current scientific literature is also full of alternative technologies which have been suggested for the activation of Braille pins, comprising innovations on mechanical solutions applied to Braille displays, different types of actuators and innovative materials used to create the actuators specially designed for the dynamic rendering of Braille characters.

Electromagnetic actuators having a new optimized design and the actuators arranged for the dynamic rendering of Braille characters with a solution which can be applied also to two-dimensional tactile displays have been suggested, at least theoretically: their main limit is again dictated by size, weight, power consumption, as well as by the number of actuators linked to the number of pins.

Therefore, the present invention suggests to remedy fully and effectively the aforesaid disadvantages suffered by the prior art considered hereto.

In particular, it is primary purpose of the present invention to provide an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes which displays a much simpler constructional concept than that of equivalent devices of the prior art.

In other words, it is main purpose of the current invention to provide an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes, which has fewer components than the devices of known type, with particular reference to the actuation system of the pins which form a Braille character or any other graphic shape.

Within the scope of this purpose, it is a task of the invention to devise an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes which has an overall lower cost than that of the devices of the comparable prior art, the factors involved in calculating this cost, such as labor and raw materials, being equal.

In the cognitive sphere of the aforesaid main purpose, it is a further task of the present invention to indicate an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes which has a lighter weight or at least a weight equivalent to that of the devices of the prior art (the number of Braille cells being equal, of course) and which can therefore be easily operated and transported.

It is a second purpose of the present invention to construct an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes, which provides a higher number of consumable, temporary Braille characters or general graphic shapes than that which can be obtained by equivalent known devices in technically reliable and economically convenient manner.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes which is smaller in size than similar devices of the prior art.

It is another purpose of the present invention to provide an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes which is reliable to use.

It is an additional purpose of the invention to create an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes which has lower operating voltages than those of the known piezoelectrically actuated electromagnetic devices, comparable to those of batteries or communication standards, such as USB.

It is a last but not least purpose of the invention to provide an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes which, in general, has low energy consumption, in any case lower than that of similar experimental devices suggested in scientific literature.

Said purposes are achieved by means of an electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes according to the appended claim 1 , as hereinafter referred for the sake of brevity. Further detailed technical characteristics of the electromechanical device of the present invention are contained in the respective dependent claims.

The aforesaid claims, hereinafter specifically and concretely defined, form an integral part of the present description. Advantageously, the characteristic fundamental technology underlying the invention is represented by a single shaped slider actuated, i.e. made movable, which updates the Braille cells which, in turn and preferably, comprise simple passive tactile pins, which are idle, not actuated and not constrained, but simply housed in their housing, shaped as cylinders with rounded head made of metallic material: this design limits the number of actuators with respect to the prior art, making it independent from the provided number of Braille cells, with consequent constructional simplification of the electromechanical device of the invention with respect to that of comparable devices of the type.

In more detail, equally advantageously, a single actuated sliding slider, with which the electromechanical device of the invention is provided, allows the operator to raise or lower the passive tactile pins forming each Braille cell (or array or character) independently.

In the electromechanical device of the invention, to refresh the cells (or characters), the movable shaped slider is automatically moved along the Braille display and the tactile pins are reconfigured by means of miniaturized electromagnetic actuators mounted inside the slider itself.

Furthermore, equally advantageously, the pins are completely passive (or idle or free) and no complex mechanism is used to change the configuration of the pins. When the line of characters (Braille or graphics) is refreshed, the pins do not require energy to maintain their configuration and may withstand very high forces applied by the reading fingers of the able-bodied, blind or visually-impaired user.

In the course of in-depth empirical laboratory tests, the inventors of the present invention advantageously measured, under the energy consumption profile of the electromechanical device of the invention, that the reconfiguration of a single pin with respect to the reading surface, from the raised position to the lowered position and vice versa, requires an extremely low electric energy consumption of the operated solenoid (less than 0.1 MWh).

In addition to the relatively low power consumption to refresh the position of the passive pins, it is also worth noting that, again advantageously, for the constructional concept of the electromechanical device of the invention, energy is needed only to modify the status of each tactile (preferably passive) pin and no power supply is needed during the reading by the user.

Furthermore, in a preferred and advantageous manner, the electromechanical device of the present invention has a weight (especially if it includes a particularly high number of tactile pins) and an overall cost which is lower than that of the equivalent devices of known type, labor and raw materials used in its construction being equal, as a direct consequence of the provision of a single electromagnetic actuator which actuates all the installed pins.

Said purposes and advantages will become more apparent from the following description, relating to some preferred embodiments of the object of the present invention, i.e. of the electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically (and therefore temporarily) refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes, given by way of indicative and illustrative but non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figures 1 and 2 are two different perspective views of the electromechanical device (e.g. such as an RBD) of the invention;

- figure 3 is a front view of the electromechanical device in figures 1 and 2;

- figure 4 is a plan view of the electromechanical device in figures 1 and 2;

- figure 5 is a side view of the electromechanical device in figures 1 and 2;

- figure 6 is an exploded view of the electromechanical device in figures 1 and

2;

- figure 7 is a sectioned enlargement of figure 6;

- figure 8 is a simplified axonometric view of the electromechanical device in figures 1 and 2;

- figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the actuation system passive tactile pin in the electromechanical device of figures 1 and 2;

- figures 10a-10d are diagrammatic views in sequence of a first automatic actuation system of the passive tactile pins in the electromechanical device of the invention using a single miniaturized electromagnetic coil for each pin;

- figures 1 1 a-1 1 d are diagrammatic views in sequence of a second automatic actuation system of the passive tactile pins in the electromechanical device of the invention, using three single miniaturized electromagnetic coils for each single pin.

The electromechanical device (e.g. such as an RBD) of the invention, expressly and specifically used to make dynamically refreshable Braille tactile characters and/or shapes readable, comprehensible, visible and/or consumable is indicated as a whole by reference numeral 1 in figure 1 .

As it can be seen, the electromechanical device 1 comprises:

- a base plate 2, shown in greater detail in figures 6 and 8, provided with a lower face 2a, adapted to rest on a reference surface, not shown and typically consisting of an office desk, a general table or anything else useful to the purpose;

- a plurality of laminar modules 3 of Braille characters and/or graphic images which are refreshable in real time, mutually aligned along a linear axis X and coupled to the upper face 2b of the base plate 2 by means of supporting means, shown in figures 6 and 7 in which they are indicated by reference numeral 4 as a whole, each of said Braille characters and/or each of said graphic images consisting of a plurality of tactile pins 5 organized in form of grid, as shown in greater detail below, and at least partially housed in said laminar modules 3;

- actuation means, indicated by reference numeral 6 as a whole, operatively connected to the tactile pins 5 of the laminar modules 3 and adapted to be electronically actuated to arrange the tactile pins 5, which are useful for reading and/or consulting a hypertext content, alternately available, for instance on the screen of a personal computer, in a raised position, in which said tactile pins 5 protrude upwards from a front reading surface 3a of the laminar modules 3 and are accessible to a user, and a retracted position, in which said tactile pins 5, which are irrelevant for reading and/or consulting said hypertext content, remain completely housed in the laminar modules 3 with their upper surface 5a coplanar with the front reading surface 3a so as to be unavailable to the user;

- a finishing plate 7 with forms an outer protective casing 8 with the base plate 2 to which it is coupled and which has a linear through opening 9 (clearly visible in figure 1 , 2 and 6) facing said laminar modules 3 so as to make the front reading surface 3a always accessible to the user.

According to the invention, the actuation means 6 comprise electromagnetic actuation means, indicated by reference numeral 10 as a whole, electrically connected to an electric power supply unit 1 1 and coupled to a shaped slider 12 operatively connected to driving means, indicated by reference numeral 13 as a whole, which make it slide on guiding means, indicated by reference numeral 14 as a whole, along the linear axis X for progressively arranging the tactile pins 5 useful for the comprehension of the aforesaid hypertext content in the raised position, in the instant in which (or as soon as) a magnetic field created by the electromagnetic means 10 supplied by the power supply unit 1 1 attracts the tactile pins 5, made of ferromagnetic material, partially outside the laminar modules 3.

It derives that the appropriate deactivation of the electromagnetic means 10 allows the shaped slider 12, in its motion along the linear axis X, to position the tactile pins 5 which are not associated with the hypertext content to be reproduced and made available to the user, and which are thus irrelevant for the comprehension of such this hyperlink content, progressively in the retracted position.

In particular, the electromagnetic means 10 include one or more miniaturized electromagnetic coils 15 electrically connected to the electric power unit 1 1 , contained in an inner housing 17 defined by a main cap 16 of the movable shaped slider 12 and mechanically coupled to an intermediate plate 18 belonging to the shaped slider 12 itself.

Preferably but not necessarily, the electromagnetic coils 15 are of miniaturized type and four are present, distributed according to a regular pattern in the inner housing 17 of the main cap 16 of the sliding shaped slider 12. This is also as a function of the typical composition of a Braille character, as illustrated in greater detail below, which consists of a cell of dots (in this case determined by the tactile pins 5) arranged according to a geometric array of the type with four rows and two columns.

It derives that each of the miniaturized electromagnetic coils 15 is arranged at each row of tactile pins 5 of the cells or arrays of Braille characters belonging to the various laminar modules 3 of the electromechanical device 1 of the invention. In other words, the electromagnetic actuation means 10 thus include miniaturized solenoids 19 which, for example and by way of preference only, each have an outer diameter equal to 6 mm, rated voltage equal to 3.3 Volt in direct current and resistance equal to 12 Ohms; such miniaturized solenoids 19 are provided with a ferromagnetic core 20 (shown in figure 9) of diameter equal to, for example, 2 mm. In this embodiment, the electromagnetic means 10 are preferably arranged above the front reading surface 3a (which is visible or perceptible to the touch from the outside by the user) of the laminar modules 3, being exclusively contained in the main cap 16 of the shaped slider mobile 12.

Figures 1 and 2 preferably and appropriately show the shaped slider 12 which can slide by means of the driving means 13 inside the through linear opening 9 to protrude upwards from the upper front reading surface 3a of the laminar modules 3.

By way of non-binding example, as shown in figures 6 and 7, the shaped slider 12 which can slide along the linear axis X comprises:

- the aforesaid main cap 16 which remains in sight being arranged at said linear through opening 9 along which it slides;

- a recessed portion 21 , made in one piece with the main cap 16 and substantially contained in the outer protective casing 8, coupled to the intermediate plate 18 by means of fixing means, identified by reference numeral 22 as a whole, and of type known in itself to a person skilled in the art;

- a moving pad 23, on the one hand, coupled by means of such fixing means 22 to the recessed portion 21 , and on the other hand, by means of the guiding means 14 to a supporting rod 24 which is fixed to the upper face 2b of the base plate 2 and on which the moving pad 23 slides when said driving means 13 are actuated.

More specifically, the length of the supporting rod 24 is greater than the extension in length of the plurality of laminar modules 3 arranged side-by-side along the linear axis X and is coupled to the upper face 2b of the base plate 2 by means of the interposition of the supporting means 4, similarly to the laminar modules 3, as shown in figures 6 and 7. Specifically, the supporting means 4 preferably comprise an inner intermediate frame 25 made of rigid plastic material and hidden from sight, stably coupled to the upper face 2b of the base plate 2 by means of joining means, e.g. by means of bolts 26 inserted in through nuts 27 formed in terminal appendages 28 of the inner intermediate frame 25.

In a preferred but not exclusive manner, the guiding means 14 comprises:

- a pair of longitudinal teeth 29, 30 facing each other and arranged symmetrically with respect to a first longitudinal axis X’, parallel to the linear axis X and protruding from opposite walls 23a, 23b towards the inside of a central housing 31 having a profile open downwards and obtained in a moving pad 23 belonging to the movable shaped slider 12;

- a pair of mutually opposite longitudinal grooves 32, 33 formed on two lateral sides 24a, 24b arranged symmetrically with respect to the first longitudinal axis X’ of the moving pad 23 and belonging to the supporting rod 24 fixed to the upper face 2b of the base plate 2.

Specifically, the longitudinal teeth 29, 30 of the moving pad 23 engage the longitudinal grooves 32, 33 of the supporting rod 24 in which are they are stably contained by means of coupling undercuts, shown in figure 7 in which they are not highlighted for simplicity.

The moving pad (or carriage) 23 is in a preferred but non-limiting manner of the recirculating ball type and has a cross section with a prismatic profile which increases its mechanical strength.

The driving means 13 preferably comprise a synchronous bipolar electric motor of the stepper type 34 (with a 1.8° pitch), electrically connected to the electric power supply means 1 1 , as it can be seen in figures 6 and 8.

In more detail, the driving means 13 are coupled to the upper face 2b of the base plate 2 by means of a shaped bracket 35 and are operatively connected to the shaped slider 12 by means of transmission means, indicated by reference numeral 36 as a whole.

Preferably but not exclusively, the transmission means 36, with which the shaped slider 12 is integral, are: • coupled to the upper face 2b of the base plate 2 also by means of the aforementioned supporting means 4, in particular by means of the inner intermediate frame 25;

• arranged by the side of said guiding means 14;

• substantially contained in the outer protective casing 8 and, therefore, predominantly hidden from sight and protected from risks of undesired damage or contact with dirt which could compromise its functionality even seriously and/or irreparably.

Particularly, the transmission means 36 are arranged along a second longitudinal axis X” parallel to said linear axis X (and therefore also to the first longitudinal axis X’) and are of the type which transforms a rotatory motion of the driving means 13 into a linear motion of said shaped slider 12 and comprise any one of the groups of mechanical members chosen from the group which consists of belt-pulley pair mutually spaced apart by a pitch, more properly toothed belt 37-toothed wheel pair 38, 39 mutually spaced apart by a pitch and/or the like.

It is worth noting in figure 6 the presence of a pair of appropriate belt tensioners 40, 41 at the respective toothed wheels 38, 39.

As shown in figure 6, the power supply unit 1 1 belongs to an electronic control board 42 which is fixed to the top face 2b of the base plate 2 and which manages the operation of at least the electromagnetic means 10 and the driving means 13 (and of the transmission means 36 therewith).

It is worth noting that the control board 42 is designed with modular components which can be easily installed aboard, with terminal blocks by interlocking without soldering.

The adopted solution tends in all cases to facilitate the replacement of possibly damaged elements or the modification and expansion of the basic functions of the electronic control board 42 with respect to design specifications.

In particular, the electronic control board 42 comprises:

• the aforementioned electric power supply unit 1 1 of the electromagnetic actuators means 10 (operating at 9 Volt in direct current) and a stabilized logic (operating at 3.3 Volt in direct current), with reverse polarity and overload protection; • the microcontroller module of commercial type, e.g. 32 bits and 180 MHz;

• driver modules of commercial type;

• a device of the H-Bridge type for controlling the electromagnetic coils 15 of the shaped slider mobile 12;

• a driver module of commercial type for controlling the electric stepper motor 34 (also known as stepper motor or brushless motor) which determines the sliding of the shaped slider 12 along the linear axis X and therefore on the line of Braille characters;

• a Bluetooth communication module for wireless connection.

By way of example only, figures 1 and 2 show that each of the laminar modules 3 comprises, in this case, eight cells or arrays 43 of Braille characters, one coplanar with and by the side of the other along the linear axis X preferably to form a row of forty Braille characters: each of such cells 43 further comprises eight of the aforesaid tactile pins 5 which, as already mentioned, are organized as an array on four rows and two columns.

Additionally, each of the laminar modules 3 is preferably made of polymeric material with a low friction coefficient (e.g. Acetal) composed of:

- an upper grid 44 having the front reading surface 3a and which has a plurality of through holes 45 through which the tactile pins pass 5 from the retracted (so-called low as well) position to the raised (so-called high as well) position and vice versa to be respectively accessible and inaccessible to the user, especially (although not exclusively) a blind or visually-impaired person;

- a lower grid 46 coupled to the upper grid 44 by means of joining means indicated by reference numeral 47 as a whole and arranged near to said supporting means (4).

In particular, the upper grid 44 and the lower grid are shaped in their respective inner faces facing each other so as to define a plurality of inner pockets 48 hidden from sight and having a double branch, one for each of the through holes 45 of the upper grid 44 with respect to which of each inner pocket 48 is directly underneath: a first branch 48a of each of the inner pockets 48 has, according to a hypothetical vertical direction, a first height greater than a second height of a second branch 48b of the inner pockets 48 and accommodates one of the tactile pins 5 when such tactile pin 5 is in the retracted position; on the contrary, when tactile pin 5 assumes the raised position, it is housed in the second branch 48b of the inner pockets 48.

In particular, preferred but non-limiting manner, the difference in length between the first height and the second height just mentioned above is between 0.5 mm and 1 mm and, still more preferably, is equal to 0.7 mm.

More in detail, figure 9 shows that the section profile of each of the inner pockets 48 is substantially shaped as an inverted Y in which the mutually diverging and intersecting branches 48a, 48b have a different length and are concerned by the passive tactile pin 5 alternately, when it assumes the retracted position (in the case of the branch 48a having a longer height) and when it is in the raised position (in the case of the branch 48b having a shorter height).

Similarly to the fixing means 22, the joining means 47 (shown in particular in figure 7) are also of the type known to a person skilled in the art, comprising for example screws 49 meshing in peripheral through holes 50 formed in the top grid 44 and coaxially also in the lower grid 46.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, each one of the tactile pins 5 is contained in idle and in passive (i.e. non-actuated) manner in the first branch 48a and in the second branch 48b (according to the operating conditions assumed each time by the electromechanical device 1 , determined by the hypertext text to be reproduced on the laminar modules 3) of each of the inner pockets 48 between which it is moved by turning the power of the electromagnetic means 10 on and off by means of the power supply unit 1 1. This aspect also contributes to achieving one of the aforementioned objects of the invention, which consists in simplifying the constructional design of the electromechanical device 1 with respect to that of the similar electromechanical devices of known type and is a direct consequence of the actuation system of the tactile pins 5 adopted in the innovative idea solution suggested here by the applicant.

Preferably and conveniently, each one of the tactile pins 5 is made of any the ferromagnetic material selected from the group consisting of steel (preferred material), cobalt, nickel, manganese, chromium, lanthanides, magnetite and/or the like and has a cylindrical shape, provided with a rounded head and having a diameter of 1 mm and a length equal to 5 mm.

As shown in attached figures 3, 4 and 6-8, the electromechanical device 1 of the invention also advantageously comprises a plurality of user interface buttons 51 electrically connected to the power supply unit 1 1 and protruding upwards from the finishing plate 7 in which they are inserted in mutually parallel through openings 52, so as to be available to the user for sending controls.

Finally, it is worth noting that, with reference in particular to figures 3 and 5, the extremely compact structure of the electromechanical device 1 of the invention, which is also rather light, considering that the base plate 2 and the finishing plate 7 (coupled together, e.g. by interlocking means or other suitable connecting means) are also made of plastic material.

The sequence of figures 10a-10d diagrammatically and briefly shows the system by means of which the electromechanical device 1 of the present invention operates, with actuation of the passive tactile pin 5 operated by a single electromagnetic coil 15.

In this case, the movement of such electromagnetic coil 15 with respect to the tactile pin 5 to configure in raised position or in retracted position forms an integral part of the operating principle of this embodiment of the invention.

Initially (figure 10a), the shaped slider 12 slides along the linear axis X (e.g. from the right leftwards), thus arranging the electromagnetic coil 15, integral therewith, at the passive tactile pin 5 to reconfigure (and be arranged in this step in raised position which allows, together with other tactile pins 5, the reading, consulting, comprehension and/or viewing of a hyperlink text available on a screen of a personal computer).

In a second and successive step (figure 10b), the electromagnetic coil 15 is supplied by the power supply unit 1 1 (as a result of the control imparted by the control board 42) and generates a magnetic field, which attracts the passive tactile 5 pin made of ferromagnetic material even more upwards and outwards (according to the direction given by the arrow H) with respect to inner pocket 48.

In the third step (figure 10c), the electromagnetic coil 15 continues to be electrically powered and the progressive axial advancement of the shaped slider 12 along the direction given in this case, by way of example only, by the arrow F (from left rightwards) in figures 10a-10d, and with it of the electromagnetic coil 15, with respect to the inner pocket 48 defined by the upper grid 44 and by the lower grid 46 of the laminar modules 3 and accommodating the tactile pin 5, determines its inclination towards one of the two housing branches 48a, 48b, the one corresponding to the retracted (or low) position, and thus of greater height of the two.

In the fourth step (Figure 10d), the power of the electromagnetic coil 15 is interrupted and the passive tactile pin drops by gravity into the other housing branch 48a thus assuming the retracted position.

If a further part of the same hyperlink text or a new hypertext text must be reproduced on the front reading surface 3a to be made available to the user, the driving means 13 move the shaped slider 12 in the direction opposite to the previous one (e.g. from the right leftwards) and the electromagnetic means 10 are activated by the electric power supply unit 1 1 , thus updating the passive tactile pins 5 in a new retracted or raised position, according to the Braille characters which are associated with such a hyperlink text.

By means of the system described above, in general, an unlimited number of passive tactile pins can be configured (hence, of components which are simpler and more economical than the tactile pins implemented with dedicated system, which is the typical solution of equivalent devices of known type), independently from one another and by means of a single actuation device (the movable shaped slider) sequentially and alternately positioned at the different tactile pins to update the configuration or position.

Finally, the sequence of figures 1 1 a- 1 1 d diagrammatically and briefly shows the system with which another electromechanical device of the invention operates, generally indicated by reference numeral 100 and alternative to the one described and indicated by reference numeral 1 above: such electromechanical device 100 envisages an actuation of the tactile pin 104 by means of three electromagnetic coils 1 14, one of which is located above the front reading surface 102a, while the remaining two are underneath such front surface 102a. In this case, for each passive tactile pin 104, the operating method of the electromechanical device 100 of the invention still envisages a single shaped slider (not shown for simplicity) but consisting of three electromagnetic coils 1 14 integral therewith, arranged over and under the front reading surface 102a.

In the initial step (Figure 1 1 a), the group of electromagnetic coils 1 14 integral with the movable shaped slides to the passive tactile pin 104, the position of which must be reconfigured.

In the successive second step (figure 1 1 b), the upper electromagnetic coil 1 14 is supplied by the power supply unit (also not shown for simplicity) and generates a magnetic field which attracts the passive tactile pin 104 made of ferromagnetic material even more upwards (according to the direction given by the arrow K) and towards the outside of the inner pocket 147, which pin, in this case, is initially located in the raised position, already protruding from the front upper surface 102a of the laminar modules 102 and is available to the user.

In the third step (figure 1 1 c), the electric supply to the upper electromagnetic coil 1 14 is interrupted, and one of the two lower electromagnetic coils 1 14 is activated and attracts the tactile pin 104 downwards (in the direction of the arrow W in figure 1 1 c) arranging it in this case in the housing branch 147a at highest height (corresponding to the retracted or low passive tactile pin 104).

In the fourth step (figure 1 1 d), the passive tactile pin 104 permanently falls by gravity and contextual magnetic attraction toward the lower actuated electromagnetic coil 1 14 and, therefore, into the housing branch 147a corresponding to its retracted position.

It is apparent that if the hypertext content to be reproduced requires the passive tactile pin 104 to assume the raised position, protruding upwards from the front reading surface 102a of the laminar modules 102, so as to be accessible by the user, the operation explained above is, starting from the operating position of figure 1 1 d, to be applied with respect to the housing branch 147b into which the tactile pin 5 stably falls as a result, in the last step of activating the right lower single electromagnetic coil 1 14 only (observing the plane of the sheet) and deactivating the upper electromagnetic coil 1 14, while the shaped slider remains stationary in position. As indicated, the operation of the electromechanical device 1 (or 100) of the invention is governed by the electronic control board 42 which controls the electromagnetic actuator means 10 and the reading of possible sensors and of the user interface buttons 51.

The electromechanical device 1 (or 100) of the invention was programed in particular for rendering (or tactile perception) and automatic, dynamic refreshing in real time, of the row of Braille characters.

The Braille characters to be made available for reading and consulting to the user are sent each time by means of a communication interface with a remote device (e.g. USB/Serial set up for use as Bluetooth module/serial device).

The functions of the firmware (or program integrated directly in the control board 42) are split between low-level control - consisting in managing the electromagnetic actuators means 10 for moving the active shaped slider 12 and in the synchronized actuation of such electromagnetic actuator means 10 for refreshing the passive tactile pins 5 - and interface functions, consisting in the communication and interface functions with external electronic devices controlled by the user.

The interface functions are also used to acquire and send of the status of the user interface buttons 49 present on the finishing plate 7 of the electromechanical device 1.

By virtue of the description above, it is thus apparent that the electromechanical device for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes of the present invention achieves the aims and offers the previously mentioned advantages.

Compared to other technologies suggested in literature or already present on the market, the illustrated system underlying the electromechanical device of the invention uses an array of simple passive tactile pins and a single movable shaped slider provided with actuating (or activating) means of the electromagnetic type. The single shaped slider actuated and the simple design of the passive tactile pins solves the problem of the prior art of the high production costs necessary for the RBD and determined by using one actuator for each tactile pin. Indeed, considering the features of a known medium-sized RBD, consisting of about 40 Braille cells, it is necessary today to operate hundreds of tactile pins individually. The potential inherent scalability of the system suggested by the invention makes the cost of production independent from the number of Braille cells, in the case of portable devices (up to 40 cells) or desktop devices (more than 40 cells).

The actuation system devised by the invention based on the magnetic attraction of the passive tactile pins induced by electromagnetic coils, has the advantage of being able to reconfigure the position of each tactile pin (“raised” or“recessed” with respect to the front reading surface) without necessarily any contact or mechanical coupling any actuation means and tactile pin, thus considerably reducing the mechanical complexity of the disclosed electromechanical device and increasing operational robustness.

Another important aspect to consider is that the consolidated technology of piezoelectric actuators in RBD of known type is able to operate separate rows of Braille cells and not a complete array of tactile pins.

This is due to the shape of the piezoelectric actuators, provided with amplification levers of the deformation of the piezoelectric crystals, which require space to be implemented about the implemented row of Braille cells. This aspect prevents the possibility of developing haptic devices refreshable in real time which render or provide not only Braille cells but also other shapes and tactile information (such as geometric shapes, maps, graphs) by means of a similar but wider reconfigurable or refreshable array of tactile pins.

Vice versa, the electromechanical device suggested by the invention and the method implemented thereby allow to design and install a complete array of passive tactile pins, since there is no additional space around each passive tactile pin.

The first prototype of the electromechanical device of the invention, implemented by the inventors, has shown good results in terms of reliability (rendering errors of less than 5%) and energy consumption: electromagnetic actuators required pulses with power less than 1W and energy lower than 0.1 MWh to reconfigure each pin with a low voltage power supply (9 Volts). Furthermore, the constructional design of the passive tactile pins allows very high locking forces and no energy consumption once the passive pin itself has been reconfigured by the actively moving shaped slider.

In the executive step, changes may be made to the electromechanical device to make dynamically refreshable characters and/or tactile shapes readable and/or consumable of the invention, consisting, for example, in a plurality of laminar modules of Braille characters and/or graphic images which can be refreshed in real time which are mutually aligned along more than one linear axis, being arranged in this manner on two mutually parallel rows or lines : In this aspect relates to one - though not the only one - of the main advantages of the present invention, deriving, on one hand, from the particular actuation system of the passive tactile pins and, on the other hand, on the particular system by means of which these passive tactile pins are coupled to the shaped slider movable along the linear axis, technical characteristics which distinguish the electromechanical device of the invention and which can simplify the constructional design with respect to that of equivalent devices of known type.

Finally, it is apparent that many other variants could be made to the concerned electromechanical device, without departing from the principles of novelty inherent in the inventive idea, just as it is apparent that in the practical implementation of the invention, the materials, shapes and sizes of the details shown may be any according to the requirements and may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

Where the constructional features and techniques mentioned in any successive claims are followed by references signs or numerals, such reference signs were introduced for the sole purpose of increasing intelligibility of the claims themselves and therefore such reference signs have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example only by such reference signs.

Claims

1. An electromechanical device (1 ; 100) for reading and/or consulting dynamically refreshable tactile characters and/or shapes comprising:

- a base plate (2) provided with a lower face (2a) suitable to rest on a reference surface;

- a plurality of laminar modules (3; 102) of Braille characters and/or graphic images refreshable in real time, mutually aligned along at least one linear axis (X) and coupled to the upper face (2b) of said base plate (2) by means of supporting means (4), each of said Braille characters and/or each of said graphic images consisting of a plurality of tactile pins (5; 104) at least partially housed in said laminar modules (3; 102);

- actuation means (6) operatively connected to said tactile pins (5) of said laminar modules (3), adapted to be electronically actuated to arrange said tactile pins (5) alternately, useful for reading a hypertext content, in a raised position, in which said tactile pins (5) protrude upwards from a front reading surface (3a; 102a) of said laminar modules (3) being accessible to a user, and a retracted position, in which said tactile pins (5), not useful for reading said hypertext content, are entirely housed in said laminar modules (3; 102) being unavailable to the user;

- a finishing plate (7) with forms an outer protective casing (8) with said base plate (2) to which it is coupled and which has a linear through opening (9) facing said laminar modules (3) so as to make said front reading surface (3a; 102a) always accessible to said user,

characterized in that said actuation means (6) comprise electromagnetic means (10) electrically connected to an electric power supply unit (1 1 ) and coupled to at least one shaped slider (12) operatively connected to driving means (13) which make it slide on guiding means (14) along said linear axis (X) to progressively arrange said tactile pins (5) useful for the comprehension of said hypertext content in said raised position, in the instant in which a magnetic field created by said electromagnetic means (10) supplied by said power supply unit (11 ) attracts said tactile pins (5), made of ferromagnetic material, partially outside said laminar modules (3).

2. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 1 ), characterized in that said electromagnetic means (10) include one or more miniaturized electromagnetic coils (15; 1 14) electrically connected to said electric power unit, contained in an inner housing (17) defined by a main cap (16) of said shaped slider (12) and mechanically coupled to an intermediate plate (18) belonging to said shaped slider (12).

3. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 2), characterized in that there are four of said miniaturized electromagnetic coils (15) distributed in said inner housing of said main cap (16) of said shaped slider (12).

4. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 1 ), 2) or 3), characterized in that said electromagnetic means (10; 109) are arranged at least on top of said front reading surface (3a; 102a) of said laminar modules (3; 102).

5. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shaped slider (12) is made to slide by means of said driving means (13) inside said through linear opening (9) to protrude upwards from said front upper reading surface (3a) of said laminar modules (3).

6. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 2) or 3), characterized in that said shaped slider (12) comprises:

- said main cap (16) which remains in sight being arranged at said linear through opening (9) along which it slides;

- a recessed portion (21 ), made in a single body with said main cap (16) and substantially contained in said outer protective casing (8), coupled to said intermediate plate (18) by means of fixing means (22);

- a moving pad (23), on the one hand, coupled by means of said fixing means (22) to said recessed portion (21 ), and on the other hand, by means of said guiding means (14) to a supporting rod (24) which is fixed to said upper face (2b) of said base plate (2) and on which said moving pad (23) slides when said driving means (13) are actuated.

7. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 6), characterized in that the length of said supporting rod (24) is longer than the extension in length of said plurality of laminar modules (3; 102) along said linear axis (X) and is coupled to said upper face (2b) of said base plate (2) by means of said supporting means (4).

8. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said guiding means (14) comprise:

- a pair of longitudinal teeth (29, 30) facing each other and arranged symmetrically with respect to a first longitudinal axis (X’) parallel to said linear axis (X) and protruding from opposite walls (23a, 23b) towards the inside of a central housing (31 ) having a profile open downwards and formed in a moving pad (23) belonging to said shaped slider (12);

- a pair of mutually opposite longitudinal grooves (32, 33) formed on two lateral sides (24a, 24b) arranged symmetrically with respect to said first longitudinal axis (X’) and belonging to a supporting rod (24) fixed to said upper face (2b) of said base plate (2),

said longitudinal teeth (29, 30) of said moving pad (23) being engaged in said longitudinal grooves (32, 33) of said supporting rod (24) in which they are stably contained by means of coupling undercuts.

9. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said driving means (13) comprise a synchronous bipolar electric motor of the stepper type (34), electrically connected to said electric power supply means (1 1 ).

10. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said driving means (13) are coupled to said upper face (2b) of said base plate (2) by means of a shaped bracket (35) and are operatively connected to said shaped slider (12) by means of transmission means (36).

1 1. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 10), characterized in that said transmission means (36), to which said shaped slider (12) is integral, are:

• coupled to said upper face (2b) of said base plate (2) by means of said supporting means (4);

• arranged by the side of said guiding means (14);

• substantially contained in said outer protective casing (8).

12. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 10) or 1 1 ), characterized in that said transmission means (36) are arranged along a second longitudinal axis (X”) parallel to said linear axis (X) and are of the type which transforms a rotatory motion of said driving means (13) into a linear movement of said shaped slider (12) and comprise any one of the groups of mechanical member chosen from the group consisting of belt-pulley pair mutually spaced apart by a pitch, toothed belt (37)-toothed wheel pair (38, 39) mutually spaced apart by a pitch and/or the like.

13. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric power unit (1 1 ) belongs to a control board (42) which is fixed to said upper face (2b) of said base plate (2) and which manages the operation of at least said electromagnetic means (10) and of said driving means (13).

14. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said laminar modules (3) includes eight cells or arrays (43) of said Braille characters, one coplanar and by the side of the other along said linear axis (X), each of which comprises eight of said tactile pins (5).

15. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said laminar modules (3; 102) consists of:

- an upper grid (44) in which said front reading surface (3a) can be identified and which has a plurality of through holes (45) through which said tactile pins (5; 104) pass from said retracted position to said raised position and vice versa to be respectively either accessible or inaccessible to said user;

- a lower grid (46) coupled to said upper grid (44) by means of joining means (47) and arranged near said supporting means (4),

said upper grid (44) and lower grid (46) being shaped so as to identify a plurality of inner pockets (48; 147) with two branches, one for each of said through holes (45) of said top grid (44) respect to which it is directly underneath, a first branch (48a; 147a) of each said inner pockets (48; 147) having, according to a hypothetical vertical direction, a first height greater than a second height of a second branch (48b; 147b) of said inner pockets (48; 147) and accommodating one of said tactile pins (5; 104) when it assumes said retracted position which, on the contrary, is housed in said second branch (48b; 147b) of said inner pockets (48; 147) when it assumes said raised position.

16. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 15), characterized in that the difference in length between said first height and said second height is between 0.5 mm and 1 mm.

17. Device (1 ; 100) according to claim 15), characterized in that the section profile of each of said inner pockets (48; 147) is substantially in the shape of an inverted Y, in which the branches (48a, 48b; 147a, 147b) which mutually diverge and intersect have a different length.

18. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the claims 15) to 17), characterized in that each of said tactile pins (5; 104) is contained in idle and passive manner in said first and second branch (48a, 48b; 147a, 147b) of each of said inner pockets (48; 147) between which it is moved by turning the power of said electromagnetic means (10) on and off by means of said electric power unit (1 1 ).

19. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said tactile pins (5; 104) is made in any of the ferromagnetic materials selected from the group consisting of steel, cobalt, nickel, manganese, chromium, lanthanides, magnetite and/or the like and has a cylindrical shape with rounded head.

20. Device (1 ; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of user interface buttons (51 ) electrically connected to said electric power unit (1 1 ) and protruding upwards from said finishing plate (7) made available to said user for sending commands.