DBillScan: A Camera Phone Based Currency Reader for the Visually Impaired

描述（由申请人提供）：为此，SBIR Limaging，LLC与约翰霍普金斯大学威尔默眼科研究所的眼科研究人员合作开发DBillScan，这是一种基于相机手机的货币阅读器，用于识别盲人和视力受损者（VI）的美钞。在许多国家，货币被印在不同尺寸的纸张上，或者有不同的触觉标记，以便于视力残疾人触摸和识别。但是，这些功能在美元钞票中不提供。尽管存在诸如滑入式笔记阅读器的货币阅读产品或甚至基于照相手机的解决方案，但是用户需要额外的设备，这些设备不是便携式的，它们使用缓慢，或者对于盲人来说不是用户友好的。我们建议开发一种解决方案，使盲人用户能够以低成本，轻便和便携的货币识别票据。DBillScan具有创新性和独特性，因为我们的移动的软件可以在扫描模式下读取账单，即使部分账单不可见。具体而言，它可以提供以下内容：1）盲人和视力受损群体操作的方便性和易用性2）具有重量轻、电池/充电寿命合理的算法3）在不到十秒的时间内读取一美元钞票并确定其面额4）提供不大于百分之一的误读率5）允许未来货币设计的升级6）具有可以在广泛的物理条件下读取当前流通货币的稳健设计7）用于移动的设备的广泛平台 公共卫生相关性：在许多国家，货币被印在不同尺寸的纸张上，或者有不同的触觉标记，以便于视力残疾人触摸和识别。然而，这些特征在美元纸币中并不具备，不同面值的纸币只能通过视觉来区分为此盲人社区对美国财政部发起了法律诉讼，联邦上诉法院裁定“美国财政部歧视，因为它未能设计和发行盲人容易区分的纸币”。我们承认，诉讼可能最终通过要求改变雕刻和印刷过程来解决这种情况，我们建议制定一个即时的解决方案，使盲人用户能够识别成本低、重量轻和便携的钞票。尽管存在诸如滑入式笔记阅读器的货币阅读产品或甚至基于照相手机的解决方案，但是用户需要额外的设备，这些设备不是便携式的，它们使用缓慢，或者对于盲人来说不是用户友好的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For this SBIR Limaging, LLC teams with researchers in Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University to develop DBillScan, a camera phone based currency reader to identify U.S. dollar bills for the blind and visual impaired (VI). In many countries the currency is printed on different sizes of paper or with different tactile mars for people with visual disabilities to touch and recognize. However, these features are not provided in U.S. dollar bills. Although currency reading products such as slide-in note readers or even camera phone based solution exist, the user either needs extra devices, the devices are not portable, they are slow to use, or are not user-friendly for the person who is blind. We propose to develop a solution that empowers the blind user to identify bills with a low cost, lightweight and portable currency. The DBillScan is innovative and unique because our mobile software can read a bill in scanning mode even when parts of the bill are invisible. Specifically, it can provide the following: 1) convenience and ease of use for the blind and vision-impaired community to operate 2) feature an algorithm that will be light weight with a reasonable battery/charge life 3) read a dollar bill and determine its denomination in less than ten seconds 4) provide a misread rate no greater than one in a hundred 5) allows for upgrades of future currency designs 6) have a robust design that can read current, circulating currency in a wide range of physical conditions 7) be used in a wide platform of mobile devices PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: In many countries the currency is printed on different sizes of paper or with different tactile mars for people with visual disabilities to touch and recognize. However, these features are not provided in U.S. dollar bills, and notes with different face values can only be distinguished visually For this reason the blind community initiated a law suit against the U.S. Treasury Department, and the federal appeals court ruled "The U.S. Treasury Department discriminates because it has failed to design and issue paper currency that is readily distinguishable by people who are blind". Acknowledging that litigation may eventually resolve the situation by requiring changes in the engraving and printing process, we propose to develop an immediate solution that empowers the blind user to identify bills with a low cost, lightweight and portable currency. Although currency reading products such as slide-in note readers or even camera phone based solution exist, the user either needs extra devices, the devices are not portable, they are slow to use, or are not user-friendly for the person who is blind.