The present disclosure relates generally to providing maps, via an electronic device with a touchscreen, that can be utilized by visually impaired users by, e.g., providing non-visual signals to indicate trajectories of paths and nearby points of interest.
Maps allow users to understand and adjust to unfamiliar areas. For example, a map that visually depicts roads' relative positions can enable a user to determine how to commute from a starting location to an ending location. Maps can also identify places that may be of interest to a user, such that a user can decide to travel to and stop at an identified place.
However, maps are typically two-dimensional and visual, thereby providing limited information to a visually-impaired user. The user's access to location information can be even more limited when the user is not looking for any particular information. For example, while directions from a specific starting point to a specific destination point can be spoken, it is difficult to concisely convey general spatial relationships within an area that have the potential of being of interest to the user. Thus, the user can find it difficult or impossible to obtain a general understanding of streets and places in an unfamiliar area, and the user can feel lost and confused in a new environment.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds