Handheld braille converting device, braille converting method, braille converting program, and storage medium

A Braille converting method executed by a handheld Braille converting device movable while being held by a user by a single hand and including a Braille display unit which is arranged at a position capable of being contacted by at least one finger of a hand of the user holding the device and which displays Braille, the method comprising:

• an image capturing process which captures a predetermined range around the handheld Braille converting device;
• a character recognition process which detects presence/absence of character(s) existing in an image captured by the image capturing process and recognizes the character(s);
• a Braille converting process which converts a part of or all the characters recognized by the character recognition process to Braille;
• and
• a display control process which displays the Braille converted by the Braille converting process on the Braille display unit,
• wherein the Braille display unit includes multiple single Braille display units each corresponding to one Braille character;
• wherein each single Braille display unit includes multiple movable members;
• and
• wherein the display control process displays whether or not the relative position of the handheld Braille converting device is correct with respect to a character or character string existing in the captured image, by operating members included in a part of the single Braille display units, and displays Braille by operating members included in the other single Braille display units.

A Braille converting program stored on a non-transitory storage medium and executed by a handheld Braille converting device movable while being held by a user by a single hand and including a Braille display unit which is arranged at a position capable of being contacted by at least one finger of a hand of the user holding the device and which displays Braille, the program making the Braille converting device function as:

• an image capturing means which captures a predetermined range around the handheld Braille converting device;
• a character recognition means which detects presence/absence of character(s) existing in an image captured by the image capturing means and recognizes the character(s);
• a Braille converting means which converts a part of or all the characters recognized by the character recognition means to Braille;
• and
• a display control means which displays the Braille converted by the Braille converting means on the Braille display unit,
• wherein the Braille display unit includes multiple single Braille display units each corresponding to one Braille character;
• wherein each single Braille display unit includes multiple movable members;
• and
• wherein the display control means displays whether or not the relative position of the handheld Braille converting device is correct with respect to a character or character string existing in the captured image, by operating members included in a part of the single Braille display units, and displays Braille by operating members included in the other single Braille display units.