Title of Invention	"A DRIVING DEVICE FOR THE BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTION OF INDIAN LANGUAGE TEXTS FOR BLIND EDUCATION."
Abstract	This invention relates to a driving device for the braille transcription of the Indian language comprising a micro processor controller adapted to be connected to the personal computer, electromagnetic drivers unit connected to the output terminal of said controller being connected to a perkins brailler, another electromagnetic drivers unit connected to the said output of the microprocessor controller being connected to the braille process provided for printing the text in the braille format.

Title of Invention

"A DRIVING DEVICE FOR THE BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTION OF INDIAN LANGUAGE TEXTS FOR BLIND EDUCATION."

Abstract

This invention relates to a driving device for the braille transcription of the Indian language comprising a micro processor controller adapted to be connected to the personal computer, electromagnetic drivers unit connected to the output terminal of said controller being connected to a perkins brailler, another electromagnetic drivers unit connected to the said output of the microprocessor controller being connected to the braille process provided for printing the text in the braille format.

Full Text	This invention relates to a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts •for blind education. Written communications with blind persons in their mother tongue is presently totally in a manual mode. The present manual method is very slow and each page of document must, be thoroughly proof--read and the errors, are to be manually corrected. The1 result is even the minimum transcribed material cannot, be provided to the blind provided to the blind students. Another great disadvantage is that, many blind education societies aiming to teach blinds modern technologies like computers have prescribed their knowledge of English as an essential qualification for admission to much coursies. This is mast prohibitive in view of the -fact that majority of blind person are unable to afford such costs and know only their mother tongue -for verbal communication. An object of this invention is to propose? a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations. Another object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind education and which ability to transcribe English text in both uncontracted and contracted Braille forms. Still another object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations and capable of producing output, on paper (for small number of copies) and metallic sheets (for large to very large number of copies). Yet another object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations which has the ability to read inputs directly from printed English text, A further object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations which has ability to obtain information from other computers on-1 i ne. A still further object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations which baa ability to store and edit information directly in the Braille form. According to this invention there is provided a driving device for the braille transcription of the Indian language comprising a micro processor controller adapted to be connected to the personal computer, electromagnetic drivers unit connected to the output terminal of said controller being connected to a perkirts brailler, another elertromagnetic driver, unit connected to the said output o-f the microprocessor controller being connected to the braille process provided for printing the text, in the braille format. The device of the present invention is a computerised system built around an ordinary personal computer . The invention relates- to the PC-AT compatible driving device for Perkins Brailler and Marburg Stereotyper -for Braille trnascription of texts in any constitutionally recognised Indian languages ass well as English as an aid for blind education. It automates Braille translation by eliminating the need to have specialised knowledge of Braille code and Braille? translation procedure on the part of the operator. Any ordinary user can type in a text using a normal typewriter -like computer keyboard and with the help o-f a special software developed for the purposes, the text gets converted into the equivalent Grade II contracted Braille -form, which is the standard followed world-wide to teach visually handicapped students at the (secondary level of education. Languages such as Bengali, Assamese, Manipuri arid Oriya ran all be transcribed in this manner. Devnagari scripts can also be similarly transcribed into Braille. The same keyboard of the computer system is used to enter text in any of these languages. The mapping of the English keyboard for these Indian languages is available as separate charts. In accordance with this invention the driving device has a microprocessor controller adapted to be connected with a personal computer. Electromagnetic drivers unit is connected with the output, of the microprocessor controller. The outputs of the drivers unit are connected to the parkins brailler. Another unit of electromagnetic drivers is connected to the said output of the microprocessor controller so as to actuate the braille press connected therewith. As a basic unit, this system uses a normal Personal Computer (PC) with keyboard, two serial & one parallel parts the standard inter-face controller cards including a GIST card or equivalent Indian language S/W preloaded or the system, and art inter-face card developed presently. The add in device of the following invention using above? PC are as follows: i) Perkins Bred Her modified mechanism for direct actuation by computer. ii) A microprocessor based interface between the Perkins Brail1er and the Personal Computer end in case of Marburg Stereotyper corresponding Interface, Control1er. The driving device for the braille transcription according to a preferred embodiment is herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereins Fig.l shows the block diagram of the driving device. Referring to the drawing the driving device has a microprocessor controller i adapted to be connected with a personal computer -2 through e* RS 232. C interface. The output, of the controller 1 is connected to a electromagnetic drivers unit-3. The outputs of the drivers unit. 3 are connected to the perkins brai11er 4. Another electromagnetic driver unit 5 is connected to the said output of the microprocessor controller 1. The output, terminals of the drivers unit. 5 are connected to the braille press 6 provided to print the text. The matter to be converted into the braille from when entered into the PC is stored in the disk as a data -file of ASCII characters for English text and ISCII characters codes; for texts in other Indian languages. The system first queries the operator and accepts his Ste-reotyper input such as the tissue of the input data store, the language to be converted from, the grade to be converted into, margine-setting a information, page length and whether printout. is required in Braille form or on Marburg Stereotyper. The presently modified set-up with said devices and the PC converts the text on a line by line basis. After a line of Braille output is produced, it is displayed in Braille form on the Computer Screen. Simultaneously the line is transmitted serially over RS-232C interface to the microcontroller of the Braille output: device which may either to be a Per kin Brailler or a Marburg Ste-reotyper machine as mentioned above. The microcontroller receives the information about the each Braille character for a complete line. The transmission and reception over the serial line? takes place following a strict handshaking protocol to ensure that all the information regarding dots to be embossed ere properly received by the microcontroller and also that synchronization between the PC, the microcontroller and the speed of embossing as dirated by the mechanical structure of the output device is correctly maintained. After sending a line of Braille output information, the PC waits until the microcontroller sends an "embossing complete" signal marking the end o-f printing o-f the current line o-f Braille. Only after receiving this completion signal does the PC send the next line of information. After the completion of printing of the specified number of lines per page, a blank page is displayed on the screen and then the user replaces the printed page with a fresh blank page and presses a key on the computer keyboard to print next page and so on. For the Marburg Ste-reotyper the "page" actually means metallic: sheets. Instead of manual removal of page as done in the Perkins Brailler, the PC emits an "eject" signal to the controller of the stereotyper which has built-in mechanism to eject the page on receiving this signal. Perkins Brail1er is a mechanical typewriterlike device with six keys, a short space bar, a linefeed mechanism and a back—space lever for error correction. The electrical version of the considerably reduces the mechanical pressure necessary to depress the keys and is particularly suitable for visually handicapped people of old and tender age- The actuating mechanism bass been changed by the connected the selecting levers For the dots to be embossed to electromechanical relays which through electronic driver circuits have been connected to the controller interface cards. Once the selection process is completed by activating the proper driver circuits the computer actuates the electrical relay on the Perkins* Brailler to complete the embossing process. The Marburg Stereotyper is an electrically activated machine for manual operation with the help of press-button switches. Depending on the key combination pressed, the embossing heads imprint. the required Braille dots on a metal foil. At the end of a line the embossing head is brought to lower—most portion of a new line before further embossing begins. The time taken for the head to go back to the beginning of the next, line depends on the distance it had covered during the embossing of the previous line and is controlled manually be keeping the carriage-return switch pressed for the required length of time. At the? end of embossing a complete page, the metal sheet can be ejected by pressing a special eject button. The-inter-face controller in present, system with the computer system mi mimics) this entire manual operation by suitably operating the manual switches. The controller also provide® the variable times required to bring the embossing head to the beginning of the new line and the election of the sheet at the end of page. We Claim; 1. A driving device for the brailles transcription of the Indian language comprising a micro processor- controller adapted to be connected to the personal computer, electromagnetic, drivers unit, connected to the output terminal of said controller being connected to a perkins brailler, another electromagnetic drivers unit connected to the said output of the microprocessor controller being connected to the braille process provided for printing the text in the braille format. 2. A driving device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microprocessor controller is connected to said personal computer through an interface. 3. A driving device for the braille transcription of the Indian language substantially as herein described and illustrated.

Full Text

This invention relates to a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts •for blind education.
Written communications with blind persons in their mother tongue is presently totally in a manual mode. The present manual method is very slow and each page of document must, be thoroughly proof--read and the errors, are to be manually corrected. The1 result is even the minimum transcribed material cannot, be provided to the blind provided to the blind students. Another great disadvantage is that, many blind education societies aiming to teach blinds modern technologies like computers have prescribed their knowledge of English as an essential qualification for admission to much coursies. This is mast prohibitive in view of the -fact that majority of blind person are unable to afford such costs and know only their mother tongue -for verbal communication.
An object of this invention is to propose? a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations.
Another object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription
of Indian language texts for blind education and which ability to transcribe English text in both uncontracted and contracted Braille forms.
Still another object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations and capable of producing output, on paper (for small number of copies) and metallic sheets (for large to very large number of copies).
Yet another object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations which has the ability to read inputs directly from printed English text,
A further object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations which has ability to obtain information from other computers on-1 i ne.
A still further object of this invention is to propose a driving device for the Braille transcription of Indian language texts for blind educations which baa ability to store and edit information directly in the Braille form.
According to this invention there is provided a driving device for the braille transcription of the Indian language comprising a micro processor controller adapted to be connected to the personal computer, electromagnetic drivers unit connected to the output terminal of said controller being connected to a perkirts brailler, another elertromagnetic driver, unit connected to the said output o-f the microprocessor controller being connected to the braille process provided for printing the text, in the braille format.
The device of the present invention is a computerised system built around an ordinary personal computer . The invention relates- to the PC-AT compatible driving device for Perkins Brailler and Marburg Stereotyper -for Braille trnascription of texts in any constitutionally recognised Indian languages ass well as English as an aid for blind education. It automates Braille translation by eliminating the need to have specialised knowledge of Braille code and Braille? translation procedure on the part of the operator. Any ordinary user can type in a text using a normal typewriter -like computer keyboard and with the help o-f a special software developed for the purposes, the text
gets converted into the equivalent Grade II contracted Braille -form, which is the standard followed world-wide to teach visually handicapped students at the (secondary level of education. Languages such as Bengali, Assamese, Manipuri arid Oriya ran all be transcribed in this manner. Devnagari scripts can also be similarly transcribed into Braille. The same keyboard of the computer system is used to enter text in any of these languages. The mapping of the English keyboard for these Indian languages is available as separate charts.
In accordance with this invention the driving device has a microprocessor controller adapted to be connected with a personal computer. Electromagnetic drivers unit is connected with the output, of the microprocessor controller. The outputs of the drivers unit are connected to the parkins brailler. Another unit of electromagnetic drivers is connected to the said output of the microprocessor controller so as to actuate the braille press connected therewith.
As a basic unit, this system uses a normal Personal Computer (PC) with keyboard, two serial & one parallel parts the standard inter-face controller cards including a GIST card or equivalent Indian language S/W preloaded or the system, and art inter-face card developed presently.
The add in device of the following invention using above? PC are as follows:
i) Perkins Bred Her modified mechanism for direct actuation by computer.
ii) A microprocessor based interface between the Perkins Brail1er and the Personal Computer end in case of Marburg Stereotyper corresponding Interface, Control1er.
The driving device for the braille transcription according to a preferred embodiment is herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereins
Fig.l shows the block diagram of the driving device.
Referring to the drawing the driving device has a microprocessor controller i adapted to be connected with a personal computer -2 through e* RS 232. C interface. The output, of the controller 1 is connected to a electromagnetic drivers unit-3. The outputs of the drivers unit. 3 are connected to the perkins brai11er 4. Another electromagnetic driver unit 5 is connected to the said output of the microprocessor controller 1. The output, terminals of the drivers unit. 5 are connected to the braille press 6 provided to print the text.
The matter to be converted into the braille from when entered into the PC is stored in the disk as a data -file of ASCII characters for English text and ISCII characters codes; for texts in other Indian languages. The system first queries the operator and accepts his Ste-reotyper input such as the tissue of the input data store, the language to be converted from, the grade to be converted into, margine-setting a information, page length and whether printout. is required in Braille form or on Marburg Stereotyper.
The presently modified set-up with said devices and the PC converts the text on a line by line basis. After a line of Braille output is produced, it is displayed in Braille form on the Computer Screen. Simultaneously the line is transmitted serially over RS-232C interface to the microcontroller of the Braille output: device which may either to be a Per kin Brailler or a Marburg Ste-reotyper machine as mentioned above.
The microcontroller receives the information about the each Braille character for a complete line. The transmission and reception over the serial line? takes place following a strict handshaking protocol to ensure that all the information regarding dots to be
embossed ere properly received by the microcontroller and also that synchronization between the PC, the microcontroller and the speed of embossing as dirated by the mechanical structure of the output device is correctly maintained. After sending a line of Braille output information, the PC waits until the microcontroller sends an "embossing complete" signal marking the end o-f printing o-f the current line o-f Braille. Only after receiving this completion signal does the PC send the next line of information.
After the completion of printing of the specified number of lines per page, a blank page is displayed on the screen and then the user replaces the printed page with a fresh blank page and presses a key on the computer keyboard to print next page and so on.
For the Marburg Ste-reotyper the "page" actually means metallic: sheets. Instead of manual removal of page as done in the Perkins Brailler, the PC emits an "eject" signal to the controller of the stereotyper which has built-in mechanism to eject the page on receiving this signal.
Perkins Brail1er is a mechanical typewriterlike device with six keys, a short space bar, a linefeed mechanism and a back—space lever for error
correction. The electrical version of the considerably reduces the mechanical pressure necessary to depress the keys and is particularly suitable for visually handicapped people of old and tender age- The actuating mechanism bass been changed by the connected the selecting levers For the dots to be embossed to electromechanical relays which through electronic driver circuits have been connected to the controller interface cards. Once the selection process is completed by activating the proper driver circuits the computer actuates the electrical relay on the Perkins* Brailler to complete the embossing process.
The Marburg Stereotyper is an electrically activated machine for manual operation with the help of press-button switches. Depending on the key combination pressed, the embossing heads imprint. the required Braille dots on a metal foil. At the end of a line the embossing head is brought to lower—most portion of a new line before further embossing begins. The time taken for the head to go back to the beginning of the next, line depends on the distance it had covered during the embossing of the previous line and is controlled manually be keeping the carriage-return switch pressed for the required length of time. At the? end of embossing a complete page, the metal sheet can be ejected by pressing a special eject button. The-inter-face controller in present, system with the computer system mi mimics) this entire manual operation by suitably operating the manual switches. The controller also provide® the variable times required to bring the embossing head to the beginning of the new line and the election of the sheet at the end of page.

We Claim;
1. A driving device for the brailles transcription of
the Indian language comprising a micro processor-
controller adapted to be connected to the personal
computer, electromagnetic, drivers unit, connected to the
output terminal of said controller being connected to a
perkins brailler, another electromagnetic drivers unit
connected to the said output of the microprocessor
controller being connected to the braille process
provided for printing the text in the braille format.
2. A driving device as claimed in claim 1 wherein
said microprocessor controller is connected to said
personal computer through an interface.
3. A driving device for the braille transcription of
the Indian language substantially as herein described
and illustrated.

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Patent Number

213478

Indian Patent Application Number

1560/DEL/1997

PG Journal Number

03/2008

Publication Date

18-Jan-2008

Grant Date

02-Jan-2008

Date of Filing

11-Jun-1997

Name of Patentee

THE SECRETARY , DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS, GOVT, OF INDIA

Applicant Address

ELECTRONICS NIKETAN, 6, CGO COMPLEX, LODHI ROAD, NEW DELHI-110003 INDIA.

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	PRADIP KUMAR DASS	DEPTT. OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGG., JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY, CALCUTTA 750 032.
2	ATAL CFHAUDHURY	COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGG., JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY, CALCUTTA 750 032.
3	RINA DAS	COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGG., JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY, CALCUTTA 750 032.

PCT International Classification Number

G09B21/02

PCT International Application Number

N/A

PCT International Filing date

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1			NA