Patents Assigned to Freedom Scientific
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Patent number: 9891438Abstract: Disclosed is a video processor for a magnifier camera. In particular, the disclosure relates to a video processor that eliminates the use of a frame buffer. This, in turn, reduces the latency otherwise present in the video signal. The disclosed video processor also allows selected portions of the display to be shaded. This highlights the non-shaded portions of the display while at the same time allowing the entire object to be perceived by the user.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2015Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Patrick Murphy, Todd Conard, Douglas J. Glazar
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Patent number: 9894263Abstract: Disclosed is a magnifier for use by blind or low vision users. The magnifier includes a camera, such as a CMOS image sensor, that displays enlarged images upon a screen for easy viewing. The magnifier further includes a handle that is pivotally interconnected to a housing to allow for handheld use in a variety of different configurations.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2016Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventor: Robert Leon
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Patent number: 9848107Abstract: A desktop electronic magnifier in a first embodiment includes a monitor and a control panel mounted to the monitor so that access to the control panel cannot be blocked by any position of the monitor. In a second embodiment, a monitor is positioned atop a flat platform that surmounts the camera so that access to the control panel cannot be blocked by any position of the monitor. In a third embodiment, the control panel is mounted to the camera and the monitor is supported by a support surface independent of the magnifier. Access to the control panel is blocked only if the user positions the monitor in blocking relation to the control panel.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2016Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Michael Goldenberg, Bradley S. Davis, Lee Hamilton, Carlos M. Rodriguez, Patrick Murphy, Waldemar H. Tunkis
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Patent number: 9818314Abstract: Disclosed is a magnification device for use by blind and/or low vision individuals. The device includes an X-Y table upon which an item to be magnified can be placed. A stationary camera arm and a pivotal monitor arm are oriented over the X-Y table. The monitor arm includes a video monitor pivotally mounted at its distal end. The camera arm also includes two laterally disposed lighting arms. A series of controls are provided along a lower edge of the monitor via a mounting bracket.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2014Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Carlos M. Rodriguez, Bradley S. Davis, Mathieu Turpault, Mathieu Zastawny
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Patent number: 9818313Abstract: A screen reader software product feature referred to as a custom summary view, or custom summary, has been developed. The custom summary feature solves the major problem faced by blind users when working with large sets of data. That problem occurs as a result of an inefficiency of gleaning important data from within these larger sets. The custom summary provides the ability to gather such data into a summary that can be navigated easily. This ease of navigation greatly levels the playing field in the competitive workplace for blind workers and students alike. Also taught is a feature, referred to as a multiple region support, which allows users to define blocks of contiguous cells containing data as “regions” when a document such as a spreadsheet is displayed by a screen reader. Regions can either be named by the user or be defined simply by the top left and bottom right cell addresses that represent the boundaries of the block of contiguous cells containing data.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2007Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Eric Damery, Joseph Stephen, Olga Espinola
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Patent number: 9804761Abstract: Screen magnification software on a touchscreen device detects when a low-vision user reaches the boundary of a magnified viewport. If additional canvas or menus lay on the other side of the boundary the present invention enables the low-vision user to maintain the same exploration gesture on the touchscreen while causing the underlying canvas to scroll into view in the direction of the gesture. This invention enables the low-vision user to navigate about the entire underlying canvas of a touchscreen graphic user interface with a single, intuitive touchscreen gesture even under magnification.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2014Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Garald Lee Voorhees, Robert Steinberger
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Patent number: 9804727Abstract: Mechanisms to allow a user to flexibly display visual content on multiple display devices connected to a computer. Each of the multiple displays may be configured to display a portion of visual content from a computer desktop or from an external content source. Each portion of visual content to be outputted may first be enhanced, such as via magnification, before being displayed on one of the multiple display devices. The user may be provided with a first control that enables the user to adjust a portion of visual content displayed on a first display device independently of a portion of visual content displayed on a second display device. A second control may also be provided that enables the user to adjust the portion of visual content displayed on the second display device independently of the portion of visual content displayed on the first display device.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2010Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Richard Demar, Jost Eckhardt, Scott David Moore
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Patent number: 9785623Abstract: Some described embodiments relate to techniques for editing markup elements of a markup language document to emphasize a portion of the visible content elements of the markup language document. The techniques may be implemented in any suitable manner, including via scripting language code (e.g., JavaScript) that is incorporated into the markup language document but is not preconfigured with information regarding the markup language document or any other markup language document. The scripting language code may perform the editing automatically, and based on an automatic analysis of markup elements of the markup language document. Some embodiments may include determining the portion of the markup language document to be emphasized by identifying content of interest to a user, including by determining a set of related content through analyzing a structure of markup elements of the markup language document and/or layout of visible content elements of the markup language document.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2015Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventor: Aaron M. Leventhal
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Patent number: 9704415Abstract: A method of dynamically establishing an auto-advance interval of a refreshable braille display. The method involves the step of establishing a default auto-advance value, during which a full line of braille characters remains displayed on the braille display prior to being replaced by the next line. The method further involves determining whether a current line of braille characters ends with a blank cell or a used cell and calculating the current auto-advance interval based on the number of used cells in the current line. The next line of braille characters is output after the current auto-advance interval has lapsed.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2016Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventor: Joseph K. Stephen
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Publication number: 20170131880Abstract: A method of locking magnified screen views including the steps of magnifying a portion of a graphic user interface on a first monitor to establish a first magnified view having upper, lower, left and right boundaries, magnifying a portion of the graphic user interface on a second monitor to establish a second magnified view having upper, lower, left and right boundaries, whereby the graphic user interface of the first monitor is extended in the direction of the second monitor, responsive to an end-user selectable setting, restricting pointer indicia movement to an area defined by the boundaries of each view that are not between first and second monitor, and responsive to pointer indicia moving from first monitor towards second monitor displaying pointer indicia within second magnified view responsive to pointer indicia crossing the boundary of first magnified view in the direction of second monitor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2017Publication date: May 11, 2017Applicant: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Garald Lee Voorhees, Glen Gordon, Eric Damery, Daniel Simkovitz
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Patent number: 9626069Abstract: A method of locking magnified screen views including the steps of magnifying a portion of a graphic user interface on a first monitor to establish a first magnified view having upper, lower, left and right boundaries, magnifying a portion of the graphic user interface on a second monitor to establish a second magnified view having upper, lower, left and right boundaries, whereby the graphic user interface of the first monitor is extended in the direction of the second monitor, responsive to an end-user selectable setting, restricting pointer indicia movement to an area defined by the boundaries of each view that are not between first and second monitor, and responsive to pointer indicia moving from first monitor towards second monitor displaying pointer indicia within second magnified view responsive to pointer indicia crossing the boundary of first magnified view in the direction of second monitor.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2012Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Garald Lee Voorhees, Glen Gordon, Eric Damery, Daniel Simkovitz
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Publication number: 20170069228Abstract: Vision assistive device and user interface are disclosed. In some embodiments, a vision assistive device includes a housing having a base for positioning the housing on a surface; one or more imaging units disposed along a top portion of the housing, each imaging unit being angled downward so a central axis of the imaging unit forms an acute angle with the surface so the imaging unit captures a target image from a target object; and a control system accommodated within the housing, the control system being connected to the one or more imaging units to process the target image captured by each imaging unit and to output the target image to a user.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2016Publication date: March 9, 2017Applicant: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Leon Reznik, Lev Lvovsky, Helen Reznik, Levy Ulanovsky
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Patent number: 9583024Abstract: Disclosed is a magnification device for use by blind and/or low vision individuals. The device includes an X-Y table upon which an item to be magnified can be placed. A stationary camera arm and a pivotal monitor arm are oriented over the X-Y table. The monitor arm includes a video monitor pivotally mounted at its distal end. The camera arm also includes two laterally disposed lighting arms. A series of controls are provided along a lower edge of the monitor via a mounting bracket.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Michael Goldenberg, Bradley S. Davis, Lee Hamilton, Carlos M. Rodriguez, Patrick Murphy, Waldemar H. Tunkis
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Patent number: 9575624Abstract: The amount of speech output to a blind or low-vision user using a screen reader application is automatically adjusted based on how the user navigates to a control in a graphic user interface. Navigation by mouse presumes the user has greater knowledge of the identity of the control than navigation by tab keystroke which is more indicative of a user searching for a control. In addition, accelerator keystrokes indicate a higher level of specificity to set focus on a control and thus less verbosity is required to sufficiently inform the screen reader user.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2014Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: Freedom ScientificInventors: Garald Lee Voorhees, Glen Gordon, Eric Damery
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Patent number: 9483470Abstract: A document navigation tool that automatically navigates a document based on previous input from the user. The document navigation tool is utilized each time a page loads. The method recognizes user behavior on pages using patterns, which are based on four criterion: location, frequency, consistency, and scope. If the user has visited the page previously and has established a pattern, the method automatically focuses on the portion of the page indicated by the pattern, e.g. the location on a web page of the link clicked by the user in the user's last three visits to the page. If the user has not visited the page previously, the method logs the events that occur during this visit to the page.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2012Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Robert Gallo, Glen Gordon
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Patent number: 9451156Abstract: Disclosed is a magnifier for use by blind or low vision users. The magnifier includes a camera, such as a CMOS image sensor, that displays enlarged images upon a screen for easy viewing. The magnifier further includes a handle that is pivotally interconnected to a housing to allow for handheld use in a variety of different configurations.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2015Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventor: Robert Leon
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Patent number: 9449531Abstract: Vision assistive device and user interface are disclosed. In some embodiments, a vision assistive device includes a housing having a base for positioning the housing on a surface; one or more imaging units disposed along a top portion of the housing, each imaging unit being angled downward so a central axis of the imaging unit forms an acute angle with the surface so the imaging unit captures a target image from a target object; and a control system accommodated within the housing, the control system being connected to the one or more imaging units to process the target image captured by each imaging unit and to output the target image to a user.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2014Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Leon Reznik, Lev Lvovsky, Helen Reznik, Levy Ulanovsky
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Patent number: 9424759Abstract: Disclosed is a Braille display device. The device supports an array of individual Braille cells with corresponding tactile pins. The pins can be selectively lifted by way of reeds to generate Braille characters that can be felt by the user. The Braille characters can correspond to visible characters, such as characters on a computer screen. The display is refreshable to allow for the sequential display of lines, paragraphs, or pages. In accordance with the disclosure, the Braille cells are constructed in a manner that minimizes manufacturing costs and that also permits the size of the display to be greatly reduced.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2014Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Patrick Murphy, Todd Conard, Waldemar H. Tunkis, Michael Goldenberg
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Patent number: 9413973Abstract: Disclosed is a magnifier for use by blind or low vision users. The magnifier includes a camera, such as a CMOS image sensor, that displays enlarged images upon a screen for easy viewing. The magnifier further includes a handle that is pivotally interconnected to a housing to allow for handheld use in a variety of different configurations.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2014Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Carlos M. Rodriguez, Patrick Murphy, Waldemar H. Tunkis, Todd Conard, Michael Goldenberg, Jeffery McDaniel
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Patent number: 9390171Abstract: The present invention discloses methods of archiving and optimizing lectures, presentations and other captured video for playback, particularly for blind and low vision individuals. A digital imaging device captures a preselected field of view that is subject to periodic change such as a whiteboard in a classroom. A sequence of frames is captured. Frames associated with additions or erasures to the whiteboard are identified. The Cartesian coordinates of the regions of these alterations within the frame are identified. When the presentation is played back, the regions that are altered are enlarged or masked to assist the low vision user. In another embodiment of the invention, the timing of the alterations segments the recorded audio into chapters so that the blind user can skip forward and backward to different sections of the presentation.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Freedom Scientific, Inc.Inventors: Garald Lee Voorhees, Robert Steinberger, Ralph Ocampo