Environmental control system for the handicapped

An environmental control system of the type adapted for connection to plural appliances for allowing a disabled person to control said appliances, said system including:

• a user-operable control alternately generating first and second switch control signals in response to user manipulation;
• an audio source which generates sound signals in response to audio control signals provided thereto;
• and
• a digital processor operatively coupled to said user-operable control and coupled to provide said audio control signals to said audio source, said digital processor being operable to perform the following functions:
• controlling said audio source to provide, to a user in a sequence, audio prompts corresponding to a first sequence of options,
• selecting one of said options within said first sequence of options in response to receipt of said first switch control signal in substantial synchronism with the time said one option is provided to said user,
• thereafter selectively controlling a said appliance corresponding to said selected option in response to receipt of said second switch control signal, and
• subsequently presenting at least a subset of said first sequence of options to said user, including the steps of:
• waiting a time delay before presenting a first of said subset of options, said delay having a sufficient duration to permit said person to operate said user-operable control interface during said delay, and
• selecting said first of said subset of options in response to receipt of said user interface control signal during said delay.

In an environmental control system of the type adapted for connection to plural devices, a method of allowing a physically impaired person to control said devices, said method including the following steps:

• (a) generating switch control signals in response to manipulation of a user-operable control by said physically impaired person;
• (b) initially presenting a first sequence of plural options R.sub.1 -R.sub.N to said person by providing a sequence of audio prompts corresponding to said first sequence of options,
• (c) selecting one of said options R.sub.J within said first sequence of options in response to receipt of a switch control signal in substantial synchronism with the time said option R.sub.J is presented to said user,
• (d) selectively controlling at least one of said plural devices in a manner corresponding to said selected option R.sub.J in response to receipt of a further switch control signal, and
• (e) subsequently presenting said first sequence of plural options R.sub.1 -R.sub.N to said user by providing, in time sequence, audio prompts corresponding to said options R.sub.1 -R.sub.N, wherein:
• said subsequently presenting step (e) includes the step of waiting a time delay before presenting said option R.sub.1, said delay having a sufficient duration to permit said person to operate said control during said delay;
• and
• said method further includes the step of selecting said option R.sub.1 in response to receipt of said switch control signal during said delay.