Touch user interface
Encyclopedia
A touch user interface is a computer-pointing technology based upon the sense of touch (haptics
). Whereas a graphical user interface
(GUI) relies upon the sense of sight
, the TUI enables not only the sense of touch to innervate and activate computer-based functions, it also allows the user, particularly those with visual impairment
s, an added level of interaction based upon tactile or Braille
input.
Generally, the TUI requires pressure or presence with a switch located outside of the printed paper
. Not to be confused with electronic paper
endeavors, the TUI requires the printed pages to act as a template or overlay to a switch array
. By interacting with the switch through touch or presence, an action is innervated. The switching sensor cross-references with a database
. The database retains the correct pathway to retrieve the associated digital content or launch the appropriate application.
TUI icon
s may be used to indicate to the reader of the printed page what action will occur upon interacting with a particular position on the printed page.
Turning pages and interacting with new pages that may have the same touch points as previous or subsequent pages, a z-axis
may be used to indicate the plane
of activity. Z-axis can be offset around the boundary of the page. When the unique z-axis is interacted with, x,y-axis can have identical touch points as other pages. For example, 1,1,1 indicates a z-axis of 1 (page 1) and the x,y-axis is 1,1. However, turning the page and pressing a new z-axis, say page 2, and then the same x,y-axis content position as page 1, gains the following coordinate structure: 2,1,1.
An integrated circuit
(IC) is located either within the printed material or within an enclosure that cradles the printed material. This IC receives a signal when a switch is innervated. The firmware
located within the IC communicates via Universal Serial Bus
(USB) either connected to a cable, or using a wireless
protocol adapter to a reference database that can reside on media within a computer or appliance. Upon receipt of the coordinate structure from the firmware, the database correlates the position with a pre-determined link or pathway to digital content or execution command for an application. After correlating the link with the pathway, a signal is sent to retrieve and render the terminal of the path.
The TUI technology has some interesting implications. For example, it can provide a solution similar to Public key infrastructure
(PKI) where the printed page and its associated database serve as a digital rights management
(DRM) solution without the need for usernames, passwords, or digital certificate
s. Presumably, if readers have the printed page and the technology, they are entitled to access the referenced and linked digital content.
The TUI technology may also be a facilitator for bridging the digital divide. Those with special requirements can use touch with fingers or pointer to gain access to the digital environment. Typing, currently a traditional method for accessing the digital world, can be replaced for users who are missing fingers or are not capable of typing. Touching a link on printed paper takes advantage of the ubiquitous presence of printed paper while it removes barriers of entry to the digital world. Further, removing the need to type pathways removes errors from the entry process, potentially protecting companies and organizations that have potential users going to a cybersquatting
site due to a misspelling. Typing is also time consuming. A touch interface provides a reduction in time to get where the reader wants to go in the digital world.
The coupling of printed advertising
with online advertising is promising. A reader can touch a printed advertisement and connect directly to the online experience provided by the advertiser. This can include initiating a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Instant Messaging
(IM), or Electronic Mail
(e-mail) by simply touching the page. Further, electronic commerce
(e-commerce) transactions can be initiated and completed with the TUI. This type of interaction can also exist in the Television Commerce (tcommerce) space with a magazine, catalog, or television guide.
The TUI technology applied to the printed world serves to converge the printed world with the digital world. This provides an alternative to the either print or digital paradigm shift currently experienced by today's users. It also serves to facilitate the vast majority of the world's peoples to a linguistic
and culturally
non-specific experience that can provide an on-ramp to the digital world.
In the United States
, legislation took effect in December 2006, that requires educational publishers in the K-12
education industry to provide a National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard
(NIMAS). In essence, educational publishers must provide an inclusive experience to those students who are blind
. If they are unable to provide this experience, they are required to provide the digital content source files to a clearing house that will convert the materials into an accessible experience for the student. The TUI has the promise of enabling the publishers to maintain control of their content while providing an inclusive, tactile, or Braille experience to students who are visually impaired. Further, using a Braille approach may serve to help enhance Braille literacy while meeting the mandates of NIMAS.
Haptic perception
Haptic perception is the process of recognizing objects through touch. It involves a combination of somatosensory perception of patterns on the skin surface and proprioception of hand position and conformation....
). Whereas a graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
(GUI) relies upon the sense of sight
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
, the TUI enables not only the sense of touch to innervate and activate computer-based functions, it also allows the user, particularly those with visual impairment
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
s, an added level of interaction based upon tactile or Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
input.
Generally, the TUI requires pressure or presence with a switch located outside of the printed paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
. Not to be confused with electronic paper
Electronic paper
Electronic paper, e-paper and electronic ink are a range of display technology which are designed to mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper. Unlike conventional backlit flat panel displays, electronic paper displays reflect light like ordinary paper...
endeavors, the TUI requires the printed pages to act as a template or overlay to a switch array
Touch switch
A touch switch is a type of switch that only has to be touched by an object to operate. It is used in many lamps and wall switches that have a metal exterior as well as on public computer terminals...
. By interacting with the switch through touch or presence, an action is innervated. The switching sensor cross-references with a database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
. The database retains the correct pathway to retrieve the associated digital content or launch the appropriate application.
TUI icon
Icon (computing)
A computer icon is a pictogram displayed on a computer screen and used to navigate a computer system or mobile device. The icon itself is a small picture or symbol serving as a quick, intuitive representation of a software tool, function or a data file accessible on the system. It functions as an...
s may be used to indicate to the reader of the printed page what action will occur upon interacting with a particular position on the printed page.
Turning pages and interacting with new pages that may have the same touch points as previous or subsequent pages, a z-axis
Cartesian coordinate system
A Cartesian coordinate system specifies each point uniquely in a plane by a pair of numerical coordinates, which are the signed distances from the point to two fixed perpendicular directed lines, measured in the same unit of length...
may be used to indicate the plane
Plane (mathematics)
In mathematics, a plane is a flat, two-dimensional surface. A plane is the two dimensional analogue of a point , a line and a space...
of activity. Z-axis can be offset around the boundary of the page. When the unique z-axis is interacted with, x,y-axis can have identical touch points as other pages. For example, 1,1,1 indicates a z-axis of 1 (page 1) and the x,y-axis is 1,1. However, turning the page and pressing a new z-axis, say page 2, and then the same x,y-axis content position as page 1, gains the following coordinate structure: 2,1,1.
An integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
(IC) is located either within the printed material or within an enclosure that cradles the printed material. This IC receives a signal when a switch is innervated. The firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
located within the IC communicates via Universal Serial Bus
Universal Serial Bus
USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
(USB) either connected to a cable, or using a wireless
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
protocol adapter to a reference database that can reside on media within a computer or appliance. Upon receipt of the coordinate structure from the firmware, the database correlates the position with a pre-determined link or pathway to digital content or execution command for an application. After correlating the link with the pathway, a signal is sent to retrieve and render the terminal of the path.
The TUI technology has some interesting implications. For example, it can provide a solution similar to Public key infrastructure
Public key infrastructure
Public Key Infrastructure is a set of hardware, software, people, policies, and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates. In cryptography, a PKI is an arrangement that binds public keys with respective user identities by means of a certificate...
(PKI) where the printed page and its associated database serve as a digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
(DRM) solution without the need for usernames, passwords, or digital certificate
Public key certificate
In cryptography, a public key certificate is an electronic document which uses a digital signature to bind a public key with an identity — information such as the name of a person or an organization, their address, and so forth...
s. Presumably, if readers have the printed page and the technology, they are entitled to access the referenced and linked digital content.
The TUI technology may also be a facilitator for bridging the digital divide. Those with special requirements can use touch with fingers or pointer to gain access to the digital environment. Typing, currently a traditional method for accessing the digital world, can be replaced for users who are missing fingers or are not capable of typing. Touching a link on printed paper takes advantage of the ubiquitous presence of printed paper while it removes barriers of entry to the digital world. Further, removing the need to type pathways removes errors from the entry process, potentially protecting companies and organizations that have potential users going to a cybersquatting
Cybersquatting
Cybersquatting , according to the United States federal law known as the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else...
site due to a misspelling. Typing is also time consuming. A touch interface provides a reduction in time to get where the reader wants to go in the digital world.
The coupling of printed advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
with online advertising is promising. A reader can touch a printed advertisement and connect directly to the online experience provided by the advertiser. This can include initiating a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Instant Messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
(IM), or Electronic Mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
(e-mail) by simply touching the page. Further, electronic commerce
Electronic commerce
Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce, eCommerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. However, the term may refer to more than just buying and selling products online...
(e-commerce) transactions can be initiated and completed with the TUI. This type of interaction can also exist in the Television Commerce (tcommerce) space with a magazine, catalog, or television guide.
The TUI technology applied to the printed world serves to converge the printed world with the digital world. This provides an alternative to the either print or digital paradigm shift currently experienced by today's users. It also serves to facilitate the vast majority of the world's peoples to a linguistic
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and culturally
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
non-specific experience that can provide an on-ramp to the digital world.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, legislation took effect in December 2006, that requires educational publishers in the K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
education industry to provide a National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard
The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard helps facilitate timely access to alternate formats of instructional materials for students with visual impairments or other print disabilities. NIMAS outlines a set of consistent and valid XML-based source files created by K-12...
(NIMAS). In essence, educational publishers must provide an inclusive experience to those students who are blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
. If they are unable to provide this experience, they are required to provide the digital content source files to a clearing house that will convert the materials into an accessible experience for the student. The TUI has the promise of enabling the publishers to maintain control of their content while providing an inclusive, tactile, or Braille experience to students who are visually impaired. Further, using a Braille approach may serve to help enhance Braille literacy while meeting the mandates of NIMAS.
See also
- Gesture recognitionGesture recognitionGesture recognition is a topic in computer science and language technology with the goal of interpreting human gestures via mathematical algorithms. Gestures can originate from any bodily motion or state but commonly originate from the face or hand. Current focuses in the field include emotion...
- Human-Computer Interaction
- List of multi-touch computers and monitors
- Multi-touchMulti-touchIn computing, multi-touch refers to a touch sensing surface's ability to recognize the presence of two or more points of contact with the surface...
- Multi-touch gestures
- Natural User InterfaceNatural user interfaceIn computing, a natural user interface, or NUI, is the common parlance used by designers and developers of computer interfaces to refer to a user interface that is effectively invisible, or becomes invisible with successive learned interactions, to its users. The word natural is used because most...
- Surface ComputingSurface computingSurface computing is the term for the use of a specialized computer GUI in which traditional GUI elements are replaced by intuitive, everyday objects. Instead of a keyboard and mouse, the user interacts directly with a touch-sensitive screen...
External links
- Golshani, Forouzan, TUI or GUI -- It's a Matter of Somatics, IEEE Computer Society 2007
- Mott, M.S. and Benus, M.A., Digital Books with Media-rich Paper: Enhancing Reading Comprehension through Touch User Interface Technology The Journal of Literacy and Technology, Volume 7, Number 2, 2006
- Mott, M., & Barkeloo, J., Developmental Phonics Instruction with Touch User Interface Technology: Moving Toward a Multi-Sensory Approach for Grades Pre-K-2, Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2004 (p. 1395). Norfolk, VA: AACE., 2004
- Bartholow, J.M., http://www.bookmarkbaby.com/Touch Screen Web Interface: 2008