# US 12,111,978 B2 · Vision-impaired user typing mode for computing systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,978 B2 - Document ID: US12111978B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/888,807 - Filed: 2022-08-16 - Published: 2024-02-22 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-16 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: Mauricio Martins Da Costa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111978B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0235: {using chord techniques (G06F3/0234 takes precedence)} - G06F 3/0219: {Special purpose keyboards} - G06F 3/0238: {Programmable keyboards (key guide holders G06F3/0224)} - G09B 21/02: Devices for Braille writing (typewriters for Braille B41J3/32) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract An apparatus comprises a processing device configured to activate a vision-impaired user typing mode responsive to detecting a designated combination of key presses of one or more of a plurality of keys of a keyboard. The processing device is also configured to obtain, responsive to activating the vision-impaired user typing mode, a mapping of a subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard to respective positions of a matrix cell used in a tactile writing system. The processing device is also configured to decode, in response to detecting a combination of key presses and releases of one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system, input of one or more characters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory; the at least one processing device being configured to perform steps of: activating a vision-impaired user typing mode responsive to detecting a designated combination of key presses of one or more of a plurality of keys of a keyboard; obtaining, responsive to activating the vision-impaired user typing mode, a mapping of a subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard to respective positions of a matrix cell used in a tactile writing system; and decoding, in response to detecting a combination of key presses and releases of one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system, input of one or more characters; wherein decoding the input of one or more characters is based at least in part on detecting start and stop of a key lock of a given non-alphanumeric one of the plurality of keys of the keyboard, the key lock enabling entry of the given non-alphanumeric key in combination with one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys which are mapped to the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system, the start and stop of the key lock being detected based at least in part on one or more designated sequences of key presses of the given non-alphanumeric key. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tactile writing system comprises a Braille writing system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of keys of the keyboard are arranged in a QWERTY keyboard layout. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the designated combination of key presses of the plurality of keys of the keyboard comprises a combination of a function key in the QWERTY keyboard layout and at least one of an F key in the QWERTY keyboard layout and a J key in the QWERTY keyboard layout. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard mapped to respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system comprises keys in a Z row of keys in the QWERTY keyboard layout. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system comprises a 3×2 matrix cell, wherein a first subset of the positions of the matrix cell are mapped to V, C and X keys in a Z row of keys in a QWERTY keyboard layout, and wherein a second subset of the positions of the matrix cell are mapped to M, comma and period keys in the Z row of keys in the QWERTY keyboard layout. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system comprises a 4×2 matrix cell, wherein a first subset of the positions of the matrix cell are mapped to V, C, X and Z keys in a Z row of keys in a QWERTY keyboard layout, and wherein a second subset of the positions of the matrix cell are mapped to M, comma, period and question mark keys in the Z row of keys in the QWERTY keyboard layout. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein mapping the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard to respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system comprises disabling one or more of the plurality of keys of the keyboard not in the subset of the plurality of keys. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of keys of the keyboard are arranged in a designated layout, and wherein mapping the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard to respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system further comprises re-mapping one or more non-alphanumeric ones of the plurality of keys of the keyboard from original positions in the designated layout to new positions closer to the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein detecting the start of the key lock of the given non-alphanumeric key is in response to detecting a sequence of two key presses of the given non-alphanumeric key prior to detecting key presses of one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein detecting the stop of the key lock of the given non-alphanumeric key is in response to at least one of: detecting an additional key press of the given non-alphanumeric key prior to detecting key presses of one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system; and decoding a key combination including the given non-alphanumeric key and one or more additional ones of the plurality of keys of the keyboard. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein decoding the input of one or more characters comprises decoding a given character represented in the tactile writing system by raised features in two or more of the positions of the matrix cell responsive to detecting at least partially overlapping key presses of two or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the two or more positions of the matrix cell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to perform the step of deactivating the vision-impaired user typing mode responsive to detecting the designated combination of key presses of the plurality of keys of the keyboard. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys are configured with tactile features for a user to locate said one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys. ### Claim 15 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes the at least one processing device to perform steps of: activating a vision-impaired user typing mode responsive to detecting a designated combination of key presses of one or more of a plurality of keys of a keyboard; obtaining, responsive to activating the vision-impaired user typing mode, a mapping of a subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard to respective positions of a matrix cell used in a tactile writing system; and decoding, in response to detecting a combination of key presses and releases of one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system, input of one or more characters; wherein decoding the input of one or more characters is based at least in part on detecting start and stop of a key lock of a given non-alphanumeric one of the plurality of keys of the keyboard, the key lock enabling entry of the given non-alphanumeric key in combination with one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys which are mapped to the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system, the start and stop of the key lock being detected based at least in part on one or more designated sequences of key presses of the given non-alphanumeric key. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the plurality of keys of the keyboard are arranged in a QWERTY keyboard layout, and wherein the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard mapped to respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system comprises keys in a Z row of keys in the QWERTY keyboard layout. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15 wherein decoding the input of one or more characters comprises decoding a given character represented in the tactile writing system by raised features in two or more of the positions of the matrix cell responsive to detecting at least partially overlapping key presses of two or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the two or more positions of the matrix cell. ### Claim 18 A method comprising steps of: activating a vision-impaired user typing mode responsive to detecting a designated combination of key presses of one or more of a plurality of keys of a keyboard; obtaining, responsive to activating the vision-impaired user typing mode, a mapping of a subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard to respective positions of a matrix cell used in a tactile writing system; and decoding, in response to detecting a combination of key presses and releases of one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system, input of one or more characters; wherein decoding the input of one or more characters is based at least in part on detecting start and stop of a key lock of a given non-alphanumeric one of the plurality of keys of the keyboard, the key lock enabling entry of the given non-alphanumeric key in combination with one or more of the subset of the plurality of keys which are mapped to the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system, the start and stop of the key lock being detected based at least in part on one or more designated sequences of key presses of the given non-alphanumeric key; and wherein the method is performed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of keys of the keyboard are arranged in a QWERTY keyboard layout, and wherein the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard mapped to respective positions of the matrix cell used in the tactile writing system comprises keys in a Z row of keys in the QWERTY keyboard layout. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein decoding the input of one or more characters comprises decoding a given character represented in the tactile writing system by raised features in two or more of the positions of the matrix cell responsive to detecting at least partially overlapping key presses of two or more of the subset of the plurality of keys of the keyboard which are mapped to the two or more positions of the matrix cell.