🚀 go-pugleaf

                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 1076

                           Monday, August 29, 1994

Today's Topics:


                                ******


                     X-Windows PCs Braille displays etc.
                          Fullpage scanner problem
                           Golosa Vol1 in braille
                 Re: Scanner/Speech synthesizer for PowerPC
                 Paperless Braille - More about Rose Reader
                         IBM Screen Reader for sale
                      Visually Handicap Computer sftwre


                                ******


To subscribe to the Blind News Digest mailing list or have your
thoughts in the next issue, please send electronic mail to
Bill McGarry at any of the following addresses:


UUCP:       uunet!bunker!wtm
INTERNET:   wtm@bunker.afd.olivetti.com
BITNET:     blindnws@ndsuvm1.bitnet
Fidonet:    The Handicap News BBS (141/420)   1-203-926-6168
            (300 - 14,400 baud, 24 hours)

                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 926-6187



------



Subject: X-Windows PCs Braille displays etc.
From: T.Pennick@axion.bt.co.uk (Tim Pennick)


All,

With apologies to all those that have read this plea more than once in the
past year or so, the moment is rapidly arriving where I will need to upgrade
my braille display hardware.  My old Papenmeier Braillex IB80 is in need of
another thorough service (the last time it went back to the suppliers was
this time last year so it hasn't done badly).  I was hoping to put this off
until I can upgrade my braille display in preparation for my onslaught on
Windows.  I am hoping to go for the Braillex 2D hardware from Papenmeier in
Germany, with the Windots software by the same company, however the funding
authorities (not unnaturally) need persuading that this kit is the best for
the job (at the price).

As I understand the current state of the market, there are two or three
companies who can (or will be able to in the next few months) supply braille
display hardware for use with PCs running Windows (or OS/2).  My problem is
that in order to come roughly into line with the technology my colleagues
are using, I need to be able to access X-Windows.  Most of my colleagues
achieve this via X Server software running under Windows, and I'd like to be
able to do the same.

My question, Do any of the systems currently available support this kind of
operation.  I have spoken to several suppliers over the past months who are
prepared to say that their system will almost certainly not have any trouble
with this configuration, but the kit is getting so complicated, but by the
time you show them they're wrong, you've wasted a day, so I'd really like to
hear from anyone who has got this working.

My belief is that none of the suppliers have cracked this yet, which leaves
me with the question of which one is likely to manage it first.  Thoughts on
this would be much appreciated as well.

While we're on the subject, I'd also be interested to hear from anyone who
has comparative experience of current Windows braille display technologies
such as the Baum system, Windowbridge, and Screenreader/2 with the Alva
braille terminal.  Not to mention of course, the Papenmeier system.  I have
heard it said for instance, that Windots (from Papenmeir) gives a better
idea of where Icons etc apear on the original screen, than does Windowbridge.

Any Views??

Adv(Thanks)ance

Tim Pennick




------



Subject: Fullpage scanner problem
From: STEVEDAS@ids.net (Steve Davis)



Hello People!
  I wrote not too long ago concerning transfering textbook/manuals to
disk. I did get responses, but I'm still without the means to do this.
I'm a programmer & desperately need to have access to manuals. A friend
said he could get some work if I could program in a certain database
languages as well. The main obsticle to my learning to do so is the
inability to reference the manuals. I've given up on text to ASCII file,
because I don't feel that would be needed in actuality. (I rather doubt
I'd be doing much editing to manuals anyway! :-)) It really only needs
to be viewed. I don't use a voice synthesizer, so it could remain in
graphic form & viewed as such. Does anybody know where I could acquire a
fullpage scanner, color is not a factor, black/white images would
suffice fine. I *live* at this computer & enjoy programing which thus far
has been primarily programs for myself & it's frustrating not to develope a
marketable commercial skill with the tools (manuals) within my sight,
but still beyond my reach simply because my hands
won't work! At the moment, money is a major factor, but eventually money
for such acquisitions would be nothing but an acceptable requirement for
continued performance. I would very much appreciate any & all
insights/suggestions to resolve this situation. I would rather get a
snowball rolling rather than just watch the snowflakes melt! :-)

Thanks much,

Steve Davis
STEVEDAS@ids.net / s3637d@etsuv2.etsu.edu




------



Subject: Golosa Vol1 in braille
From: pcwood@cyclone.mitre.org (Philip C. Wood)

The Russian textbook GOLOSA by Robin has been transcribed into
braille by National Braille Association , Rochester, NY.  Blind
students and instructors can contact them for copies in braille and
perhaps disk stored braille. Chaps 1-5 are available now and rest
of book in the fall.

No agreement to produce Vol 2 , workbook, or teachers manual has been reached.

Pc Wood



------



Subject: Re: Scanner/Speech synthesizer for PowerPC
From: rrock@clark.net (Kerby Hill)
Organization: my room, (please clean it for me) 410-538-4301

In article <33559@handicap.news>,
Daniel W. Elwell <Dan.Elwell@gsfc.nasa.gov> wrote:
>Index Number: 33559
>
>Hi,
>
>My fiance and I have are planning to upgrade her IBM PS2 Model 55
>and are thinking about getting a power PC.  She's been using a
>Kurzweil scanner/speech synthesizer.  Although its probably not going
>to be compatible with the power PC, I though maybe there were similar
>products.   Compatibility with her Braille 'n' Speak would be a real
>plus as well.

well, the braille 'n speak is compatible with any ibm compatible computer.
Does she have the braille 'n speak 640?


--
Kerby Hill rrock@clark.net: Howard Stern is the only true radio god of the
morning anywhere.  Compuserve: 73162,536: Don and Mike are the only true
radio gods of the afternoon.  David Letterman is the only true god of late
night television.  Genie: k.hill3



------



Subject: Paperless Braille - More about Rose Reader
From: braillinc@ins.infonet.net
Organization: INS Info Services, Des Moines, IA USA





  To: Persons interested in full-page paperless braille devices
  From: Leonard Rose, Braille Inc.
  Subject:  Further information about the ROSE READER

  Patents Issued covering our inventiveness:

       Patent #1128679 issued in Canada.
       Patent #79.27369  issued in France.
       Patent #2953288 issued in Germany.
       Patent #1450953 issued in Japan.
       Patent #8004856-4 issued in Sweden.
       Patent #652.228 issued in Switzerland.
       Patent #2,047,454 issued in the United Kingdom.
       Patent #4,266,936 issued in the United States.

  The claims of invention in the United States patent are typical
  and are the following:

  1.   A device for displaying a plurality of braille characters,
       comprising:

       a surface on which the plurality of characters are
            displayed;

       means, cooperative with data storage medium having data
            stored therein representative of a plurality of braille
            characters, for reading the data representative of the
            braille characters from the data storage medium and for
            periodically producing electrical pulse signals
            representative thereof;

       display means for being thermally activated by said periodi-
            cally-produced electrical pulse signals to cause a
            mechanical displacement to provide a tactilely-sensible
            representation of a plurality of braille characters;

       means for maintaining, after said display means is activated
            by said periodically-produced pulse signals, the tacti-
            lely-sensible representation of a plurality of braille
            characters currently provided thereby without the
            necessity of electrical power being applied thereto;
            and

       means for applying the electrical pulse signals from the
            reading means to the display means.

  2.   The device of claim 1 wherein the data storage medium in-
       cludes magnetic tape;  and

       wherein the means for reading includes a tape transport for
            moving the magnetic tape and for producing electrical
            signals representative of data stored on the magnetic
            tape.

  3.   The device of claim 2 further including means for producing
       a page turning signal in response to actuation by a braille
       reader;

       wherein the means for reading is further operative for
            reading data representative of a new plurality of
            braille characters in response to the occurrence of a
            page turning signal; and

       wherein the display means is further operative to display
            the new plurality of braille characters from the read-
            ing means in response to actuation of the page turning
            means.

  4.   The device of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the display means is
       operative for concurrently displaying at least 25 rows of
       braille characters, each row having at least 40 characters
       therein.

  5.   The device of claim 4 wherein the 25 rows of 40 characters
       are displayed on the surface within an area approximately 11
       inches by 11 1/2 inches.

  6.   The device of claim 1 wherein the braille characters are
       displayed on the surface arranged in a plurality of rows.
       each row having a plurality of characters therein.

  7.   A device for displaying to a braille reader a tactilely-
       scnsible representation of a page of braille characters
       arranged in a plurality of rows of a plurality of characters
       in each row, each character being composed of six possible
       dots arranged in two columns of three dots in each column,
       each braille character being displayed by the presence of
       tactilely-sensible representations of braille dots for
       selected ones of the possible dots in each character,
       comprising:

       a top piece having a top surface and having a generally flat
            area on the top surface thereof on which the page of
            braille characters is displayed;

       means responsive to actuation by the braille reader for
            producing a page turning signal;

       means, responsive to the page turning signal and cooperative
            with a data storage medium having stored thereon data
            representative of a page of braille characters, for
            reading data representative of a page of braille char-
            acters from the data storage medium and for producing
            electrical signals representative thereof;

       a plurality of display means, each display means being
            activated in response to electrical signals applied
            thereto, for producing a tactilely-sensible representa-
            tion of a dot, and each display means being associated
            with a respective one of the possible dots on said
            representation of a page of braille characters and
            being located substantially directly beneath the posi-
            tion on the top surface where the associated dot is
            displayed;

       control means responsive to the signals from the reading
            means for applying electrical signals to selected ones
            of the display means to cause the display means to
            produce representation of page of braille characters;
            and

       wherein each of the display means includes a bimetallic
            element to which are applied the electrical signals
            from the control means.

  8.   The device of claim 7 wherein the display means are further
       operative to maintain the representation of a page of
       braille characters without dissipation of electrical power
       after removal of the electrical signals applied thereto by
       the control means.

  9.   The device of claim 7 wherein each row of braille characters
       is further subdivided into three sub-rows of individual
       possible dots each sub-row including a respective dot, from
       each of the columns of each of tire characters in that row;

       and wherein the control means further includes means for
            applying the electrical signals to the selected ones of
            the display means in an order in which the display
            means corresponding with the dots to be displayed are
            activated sequentially, the control means applying the
            electrical signals to consecutive display means to be
            activated in each sub-row and proceeding consecutively
            from each sub-row to the next sequential sub-row.

  10.  A device for producing a tactilely-sensible representation
       of a raised dot forming part of a braille character, com-
       prising:

       a top piece having a generally planar surface and a hole
            therethrough;

       activation means, including a bimetallic element. for
            responding to a change in temperature by deforming from
            a first position to a second position;

       display means for being extended in said hole to provide a
            tactilely-sensible protrusion above the surface of the
            top piece;  and

       extension means responsive to deformation of the activation
            means from the first position to the second position
            for extending the display means to an extended position
            in said holes to provide the tactilely-sensible repre-
            sentation of a braille dot.

  11.  The device of claim 10 wherein the extension means is fur-
       ther operative to retain the display means in an extended
       position when the activation means returns to the first
       position.

  12.  The device of claim 11 wherein the extension means includes
       a spring-loaded plunger.

  13.  The device of claim 12 wherein the display means includes a
       pin mounted to the spring-loaded plunger and extending into
       the hole in the top piece.

  14.  The device of claim 13 wherein the spring-loaded plunger
       includes latch means for engaging the activation means when
       the activation means is in the first position to retain the
       plunger in a retracted position such that the pin within the
       hole does not extend above the surface of the top piece, and
       for disengaging the activation means when the activation
       means is deformed to the second position to allow the sprin-
       gloaded plunger to extend the pin thru the hole above the
       surface of the top piece.

  15.  The device of claim 14 wherein the latch means is further
       operative to reengage the activation means upon movement of
       the springloaded plunger from the extended position to the
       retracted position.

  16.  The device of claim 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15 further in-
       cluding means for passing a current through the bimetallic
       element to provide resistive heating thereof, the bimetallic
       element deforming from the first position to the second
       position in response to such heating.

  17.  A device for producing a tactilely-sensible representation
       of a braille character made up of raised dots, comprising:

       a top piece having a plurality of holes therethrough, each
            hole corresponding with a possible position of a
            braille dot in a braille character;

       an equal plurality of actuator means, each associated with a
            respective one of said holes and having first and
            second positions which can be tactilely differentiated,
            each of the actuator means including:

            a bimetallic element responsive to a change in tempera-
                 ture by deforming from an ambient-temperature
                 position;

            a pin located within the associated bole; and

            extension means for moving the pin from a retracted
                 position to an extended position in response to
                 deformation of the bimetallic element to provide a
                 tactilely-sensible representation of a braille
                 dot; and

            means for changing the temperature of selected ones of
                 the bimetallic elements to provide a representa-
                 tion of a braille character.

  18.  The device of claim 17 wherein the extension means is fur-
       ther operative for maintaining the pin in the extended
       position when the bimetallic element returns to the ambient-
       temperature position.

  19.   The device of claim 18 wherein the means for changing the
       temperature includes means for selectively passing a current
       through the selected ones of the bimetallic elements to
       cause an increase in the temperature thereof.

  20.  The device of claim 19 wherein each of the actuator means
       includes first and second engagement means respectively
       attached to the extension means and to the bimetallic ele-
       ment of the actuator means, for retaining the pin in the
       retracted position as long as the bimetallic element is in
       the ambient-temperature position.

  21.  The device of claim 20 wherein the extension means includes
       a spring-loaded plunger connected to the pin.

  22.  The device of claim 21 wherein one of the springloaded
       plunger and the bimetallic clement includes a latch pin
       attached thereto. and wherein the other of the spring-loaded
       plunger and the bimetallic element has a hole formed therein
       for receiving the pin to retain the spring-loaded plunger in
       a nonextended position when the bimetallic element is in the
       ambient-temperature position.

  23.  The device of claim 22 further including means for mechani-
       cally retracting the spring-loaded plungers of each of the
       extension means which is in an extended position;

       and wherein the latch pin is cooperate with the hole receiv-
            ing the latch pin to reengage the latch pin when the
            spring-loaded plunger is retracted.

  24.  The device of claim 21 wherein the first engagement means
       includes a depression formed in the extension means for
       receiving the second engagement means;

       and wherein the second engagement means includes a protru-
            sion from the bimetallic clement for engaging the
            depression to retain the associated extension means in
            the retracted position.

  25.  The device of claims 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, or 24, wherein the
       device is operative to produce tactilely-sensible represen-
       tations of a plurality of braille characters, each character
       being composed of six possible dots arranged in a matrix of
       two columns of three dots each;

       the bimetallic elements of the actuators of each column
            being positioned beside the respective actuator in a
            direction away from the character.

  The claims in the other listed patents are similar to those
  above.

  A simplified explanation of how the Rose Reader display works is:

  Essentially, each braille "dot" is a pin sitting on a spring in a
  hole.  Each pin extends upward, pushed by its spring tension,
  through a hole in a display surface above.

  The display surface is as large as a standard paper braille page
  and has a matrix of holes which replicate the size and spatial
  relationship of the 6000 dots of a standard full-page paper
  braille display.

  Each pin is as wide as a braille dot.  The shaft of each pin has
  a flange on its side.  This flange contacts the underside of the
  display surface and limits the upward movement of the pin.  The
  pin is allowed to protrude through the display surface only to
  the height of a standard braille dot.

  The spring pressure keeps the pin in a displayed mode without
  power.

  In order to retain the pin in a nondisplayed mode, a flat bimetal
  strip is fixed next to the shaft of the pin, with a latching
  "hook" formed at the upper end.  This latch engages the flange on
  the side of the shaft of the pin when the pin is compressed
  downward.  The relationship of the latch and the flange is de-
  signed so that when the pin is latched down, the top of the pin
  is even with the display surface.  This creates a nondisplay
  mode.

  The inventiveness of the Rose Reader is connected with the bime-
  tallic latch.  By running an electric pulse through the bimetal-
  lic strip, the metal is heated.  The heat causes the bimetallic
  strip to deform, curving away from the flange on the side of the
  shaft of the pin, releasing the pin and causing the spring to
  drive the pin upward into a displayed mode.

  No power is required to keep the pins in a displayed or in a
  nondisplayed mode.  The power required to release any pin is very
  low and is pulsed to prevent build-up of heat.

  The dots are actuated by a "raster scan" method, sequentially
  heating the top row of dots, then the middle row of dots, and
  then the bottom row of dots on a single line.  It takes about
  five (5) seconds to display a full line.

  The display is cleared by lowering the top display surface by
  means of a cam action, which causes all of the pins to relatch.
  The surface moves downward only a distance equal to the height of
  a braille dot.

  Because the display is held in place by dot springs, reading can
  commence as soon as a line is displayed.

  As now designed, the dot pins are arranged in a vertical "dot
  column assembly".  The assembly holds two columns of pins which
  run from the top to the bottom of the page.  The "dot column
  assembly" plugs into a "mother board" below.  Thus, with a mini-
  mum of design modifications, any number of "dot column assem-
  blies" can be placed side by side to make up a braille display.
  For those needing an 80 cell display, one simply uses more of the
  same "dot column assemblies" mounted on a larger "mother board".

  The Rose Reader can be designed with a horizontal row of dots in
  the space between standard braille lines of characters, because
  that standard spacing is sufficient to allow an extra line of
  dots to be inserted without distorting any other spatial charac-
  teristics.

  It is possible to design the Rose Reader to have a display of 100
  rows of braille dots, while retaining the 40 characters per line
  horizontal spacing.  That would permit a display of 8-dot cells
  or 6-dot cells, depending on the needs of the reader.

  Graphics displays are limited to those permitted by the full-page
  dot matrix display.  However, with a 100 row display, there would
  be somewhat greater ability to display graphics.

  The important aspect of the Rose Reader is that it requires no
  new training in order to use it.  If one can read paper braille,
  one can be using the Rose Reader in a matter of minutes.

  Another important aspect of the Rose Reader is that it can be
  used with a tape recorder to teach the rules of braille to any
  blind person.  The recording can be in the user's own language.
  The Rose Reader can present the displays necessary to become
  expert in reading.  Human teachers can stay at central sites and
  answer questions by telephone.  The problem of teaching the blind
  in remote locations will be minimized.

  The first Rose Readers will be built as "read-only" devices.
  Later models will be interfaced with personal computers and will
  have read-write capability and telecommunication devices built
  into them for use by the deaf-blind.

  For further information, contact: BRAILLINC@INS.INFONET.NET
  or write to:

       LEONARD ROSE
       BRAILLE INC.
       184 SEAPIT ROAD
       P.O. BOX 457
       EAST FALMOUTH, MA 02536-0457
       USA






------



Subject: IBM Screen Reader for sale
From: bwhite@sisda.enet.dec.com (25-Aug-1994 1037)


   For sale:  IBM Screen Reader version 1.1 - complete with all original
disks, print manuals, cassette tape manuals, braille manuals and keypad.
Keypad plugs into PS/2 mouse port.  License transfers to new owner upon
delivery and installation of software and manuals (per IBM license agreement
in manual)
   $200.00 plus shipping....

  Please contact Ben White   Internet --> bwhite@sisda.enet.dec.com
                             Phone (508) 529-4439



------



Subject: Visually Handicap Computer sftwre
From: tonyd@dorsai.dorsai.org (Tony_DeVito)
Organization: The Dorsai Embassy, New York, NY


I am researching for a visually impaired friend software that will allow
them to use a pc to send and receive e-mail, word process, and perform
other basic computer functions.

Have received literature and info on an IBM product and on a similar
products called jaws.

I would love some feedback from actual users on what software and
hardware they have actual experience with.

thanks

tonyd@dorsai.dorsai.org





------






                                ******

                 End of Issue # 1076 of the Blind News Digest

                                ******