Abstract: One embodiment of a system for presenting audio and tactile representations of visual and non-visual items includes obtaining (1) items, acquiring (2) a primary item and acquiring (3) secondary items according to criteria, and processing (4) the acquired items into the form of categorically-perceived audio and/or tactile effects (for example speech sounds), the primary and secondary items being distinguishable via categorically-distinct effects such as echo, reverberation, voice character, tactile effects, and stereophonic and/or tactile location. The resultant effects are typically presented (6) to an auditory and/or tactile display, allowing people can have their focus of attention directed to primary items, and simultaneously be made aware of secondary items. The magnitude of the effects can relate to the values of certain properties of the items (5).

Abstract: One embodiment of a system for presenting audio and tactile representations of visual and non-visual items includes obtaining (1) items, acquiring (2) a primary item and acquiring (3) secondary items according to criteria, and processing (4) the acquired items into the form of categorically-perceived audio and/or tactile effects (for example speech sounds), the primary and secondary items being distinguishable via categorically-distinct effects such as echo, reverberation, voice character, tactile effects, and stereophonic and/or tactile location. The resultant effects are typically presented (6) to an auditory and/or tactile display, allowing people can have their focus of attention directed to primary items, and simultaneously be made aware of secondary items. The magnitude of the effects can relate to the values of certain properties of the items (5).

Abstract: One embodiment of a vision substitution system for presenting audio and/or tactile representations of visual items (21) includes processing each visual item (25) into the form of a group of stationary property-presenting energetic effects (for example speech sounds 29), and outputting said effects to audio and/or tactile displays (37 & 35). Said visual items may include: identified entities such as people's faces (23), distributions of color categories or other visual properties (21), areas of movement, and data that can be presented visually; optionally providing facilities for identifying and presenting prominent colors (and other properties) and their distribution, and facilities for blind people to create and access audiotactile images. Other embodiments are described and shown.

Abstract: One embodiment a vision substitution system for communicating audio and tactile representations of features within visual representations includes selecting (1) activity-related parameters; obtaining (2) images or other visual representations according to the activity-related parameters; acquiring (3) features including shapes and corners related to the visual representations according to the activity-related parameters; and outputting (4) effects related to the features on audio and/or tactile displays according to the activity-related parameters. The corners of shapes and other lineal features are emphasized via special audio and tactile effects while apparently-moving effects trace out perimeters and/or shapes. Coded impulse effects communicate categorical visual information. Special speech and braille codes can communicate encoded categorical properties and the arrangements of properties.

Abstract: One embodiment a vision substitution system for communicating audio and tactile representations of features within visual representations includes selecting (1) activity-related parameters; obtaining (2) images or other visual representations according to the activity-related parameters; acquiring (3) features including shapes and corners related to the visual representations according to the activity-related parameters; and outputting (4) effects related to the features on audio and/or tactile displays according to the activity-related parameters. The corners of shapes and other lineal features are emphasized via special audio and tactile effects while apparently-moving effects trace out perimeters and/or shapes. Coded impulse effects communicate categorical visual information. Special speech and braille codes can communicate encoded categorical properties and the arrangements of properties.