EP-3933695-B1 - PRINTED MATTER WITH IDENTIFICATION CODE FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS ADDED

Inventors

• TAKAOKA,Kenji

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20190712

Claims (1)

1. A packaging for a consumer product upon which an identification code (10) for the visually impaired people is printed on the surface, to help the visually impaired people understand the information of the product handheld by the visually impaired people, wherein the identification code (10) to lead the information of the product comprises: a 2D code (11) that is readable by a mobile device having a camera, and is displayed on the surface of the product packaging; Braille-like convex points (12-15) at four corners around the 2D code (11); and a recess having a square-shaped bottom surface allocated on the product packaging as a marker for allowing the visually impaired people to know the location of the 2D code (11); the 2D code (11) is a square-shape whose whole displayed on the bottom surface of the recess and is 10 mm to 14 mm square and the distance from center to center of each convex point is 14 mm to 18 mm and each side of the bottom surface of the recess has a size that does not overlap the 2D code (11).

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to product packaging with an identification code specifically for people with visual impairments so that visually impaired people can easily access and understand the information written on the product or printed material. Background Technology Visually impaired people are often at a disadvantage in their daily lives because of the limited amount of information they can obtain from non-audible sources. In the past, excluding audible sources, visually impaired people mainly acquired information through Braille, and it was difficult to acquire information from items that did not have Braille on them. In addition, each country has its own system of Braille and writes it according to their system, and this, combined with the difficulty of writing Braille side by side, has become a hindrance for visually impaired people to obtain information overseas and purchase foreign products. Furthermore, when visually impaired tourists come from other countries, the means of providing information to them are very limited. In addition, it is said that only about 10% of people with visual impairments have a complete understanding of Braille, and there is an overwhelming lack of methods for providing information to visually impaired people, especially those who acquire visual impairments. On the other hand, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of visually impaired people who use the voice reading functions (VoiceOver and TalkBack) and related applications of mobile phones and devices to access and understand text posted on the internet by converting it into spoken information. (See Patent Reference 1, Non-Patent Reference 1, Non-Patent Reference 2, and Figure 11). With this change, the amount of information available to the visually impaired, including those who cannot understand Braille, is greatly increasing. In addition, since automatic translation functions (Patent Document 2) are originally included in smartphone applications or can be installed later, there are visually impaired people who utilize these functions to translate documents written in foreign languages and use the above-mentioned read-aloud function to obtain information audibly. However, even for visually impaired people who utilize the text-to-speech function of smartphones, it is still difficult to recognize non-digitized information on the internet through read-aloud technology. For example, product descriptions, ingredients, expiration dates, etc., on the packaging of products manufactured overseas are written in foreign languages, and although a portion of these products may be translated, it is difficult for the visually impaired to understand them. This is not limited to foreign products, as it is difficult to put Braille on various generic products or on ordinary printed matter even in one's own language, and it is also difficult for visually impaired people to immediately understand detailed information on products or information on printed matter when shopping or reading. There are, however, known methods of printing an identification code (2D code) on a published text and providing the document to a mobile device, such as a smartphone, that can decode the identification code using an identification code reading application. Among these methods, for example, Patent Document 3 describes the idea of displaying a 2D code on a document and using this 2D code to obtain a written or spoken translation of that document from the internet. In addition, in Patent Reference 4, the inventor provides a technology for a mobile device to read a 2D code on a document or the like posted in a public space, etc., and to display a translated version of that text in the language set on the mobile device. However, none of them are specifically intended for visually impaired people, and they are made to read identification codes such as two-dimensional codes when purchasing products and reading books for visually impaired people so that they can understand the contents of products and information in printed matter. It has not yet provided the best mode and its effectiveness to society. Prior Technology References Patent References Patent Reference 1: Patent No. 4011095Patent Reference 2: Patent No. 6443689Patent Reference 3: Patent Publication No. 2009-157894Patent Reference 4: Patent No. 4918174 Non-Patent References: Non-Patent Reference 1: Watanabe Tetsuya , Yamaguchi Toshimitsu , & Minatani Kazunori . (2014). Kenkyu hokokusho No.29 No.29. "Shikakushogaisha no keitaidenwa riyo jokyo chosa ." The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation.Non-Patent Reference 2: Watanabe, T. (2017). An Analysis of Differences among Residences in the usage of Communication Support Services and ICT Devices by Blind and Visually Impaired People. Journal of the National Institute of Public Health, Vol.66, No.5, pp.523-531. Moreover, the Japanese patent application No. JP 2016 003049 A discloses a resin molding capable of m