Computer Science

System and Method for Previewing Calls in Communications Systems

Smartphones are becoming deeply ingrained in society, advancing the technological communication that people use on an everyday basis. Software systems, such as the System and Method for Previewing Calls in Communications Systems, are being created and patented in hopes of improving smartphones and the efficiency they can bring to a user’s life. Based in the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Department of Information Systems, Sukeshini A. Grandhi (then a PhD student), Professor Quentin Jones, and PhD student Richard Schuler III invented the System and Method for Previewing Calls in Communication Systems and patented it as US9226049B2 on December 29, 2015.

The patentees felt that the once-simple task of picking up a phone call had become time consuming because calls from scammers, automated marketing, and calls of low priority (perhaps those whom the receiver is trying to avoid or those whose calls aren’t urgent enough to pick up right away) may cause the receiver to answer a call they would rather ignore. The conventional phone call preview system consists of little information; when a caller (sender) makes a call to the callee (receiver), the callee’s phone interface provides them with either the name of the caller (if identity is known) or simply the phone number of the caller, the location in which the call is being made from, and options to either accept or decline the call. The NJIT researchers took this phone call preview system a bit further by providing both parties of a phone call with more information so that the receiver can make a more knowledgeable decision before they accept the call, while the initiator will know both when and why their phone call was either accepted or denied. This software system provides the additional information in the form of “fields” that the caller uses to identify themselves; they can also provide a short description of the subject of the call and a description of their current location. In addition to this, the caller can also provide a short description of an activity they are currently engaged in, the anticipated length of the call, the level of anticipated urgency, and emoticons that can be submitted in order to indicate the caller’s current mood. In a separate interface where the call log is featured on the caller’s phone, the caller can see which of their phone calls were answered or ignored by the receiver. The process of how all of these fields would be integrated into one system is clearly depicted in the Figure 3 from the patent.

Sukeshini A. Grandhi, Quentin Jones, Richard Schuller III, US9226049B2

First, the call initiator would fill out a survey to provide the contextual information of the phone call. The recipient would then receive that provided information and have the option to answer or ignore the call. The recipient’s decision of what to do with the phone call will notify the initiator. The recipient can then fill out an optional survey at the end of the exchange to provide information on why they declined to answer.

There are thirteen other patents that the NJIT researchers cited, which display the range of activity in this field. These patents were also focused on enhancing the caller log system by either providing more information about incoming calls or managing the influx of incoming calls themselves. Some of the notable cited patents were those belonging to reputable corporate giants such as AT&T Corp. and Microsoft Corporation. Patent US6741689B2, which represented the work of AT&T Corp., was also a phone call system that aimed to supply a callee with information on the subject of the call. Patent US6977993B2, which was a product of Microsoft Corporation, also emphasized the importance of phone call context and opted to create an active notification system that provides call recipients with contextual information of a call (such as its subject and level of importance) via a phone notification invite. These other patents demonstrate an emphasis on better call preview systems—and a desire for techniques to save time—due to the numerous patents filed by prominent technology companies. In light of this competition it is important to note that while the technological ideas of incorporating more contextual information for phone calls and enhancing the organization of phone call notification systems were not new, the NJIT patent was the only one to incorporate all of the individual enhancements to the call preview system into one software system.

There were also eight patents that cited this specific system and method for previewing phone calls. Similar to the ones cited by the NJIT researchers, the later patents also covered common ground in terms of managing contact information and integration of systems involving call previews. Nokia Corporation, for instance, is one of the citers that mentioned and patented a system for information management. This management system provided phone owners with data regarding their interaction with their phone contacts; for example, it will keep track of and notify the number of times one has called and interacted with a specific number (US8856226B2).

What makes the NJIT patent particularly relevant is how call preview systems in general are so integrated within the technology of the modern day cell phone, and so the implementation of improvements to the original preview system could become commonplace and mainstream. The ubiquity of an improved call preview system goes hand-in-hand with its potential for practical benefits. The patentees created this telecommunications improvement so that people can potentially save time by picking up phone calls that are of immediate importance to them while knowing what calls can be ignored. Avoiding the phone calls that are not urgent or that are predicted to take longer than the allotted free time that person has for themselves will cumulatively contribute to that person’s time savings. The enhanced System and Method for Previewing Calls in Communications System would help people make conscious decisions of what conversations are worthy to pick up or delay for a better time.

By Victoria Nguyen

Unauthorized User Prevention Device and Method (continuation)

Gun safety in our nation, and especially around our children, has become a hot topic to discuss – not only in the media and in news outlets, but in the classroom and in technological labs. Thanks to a patented technology by Dr. Michael Recce, you can put down your gun at home with the peace of mind knowing your 10-year-old won’t be able to shoot it.

Recce’s 2004 patent, “Unauthorized User Prevention Device and Method”, does exactly that. By adding pressure sensitive sensors in the handle of the gun, unauthorized users will not be able to discharge the weapon without matching the same amount of pressure exhibited by the authorized user. When a user purchases one of these guns, he or she must first register or “save” the owner’s pressure profile into the sensor on the gun. When it comes time to shoot the gun, only the same pressure matching the profile saved will unlock the firearm allowing the weapon to discharge. Visualize this technology as a high tech bike lock. When you lock your bike, only the person knowing the code to the lock will be able to unlock the bike and ride away with it. In Recce’s technology, the code to unlock the firearm is not numbers or letters, but the biometric pressure profile of each individual person.

Recce’s invention didn’t gain much traction in a commercial perspective. That being said, it did give the idea of adding pressure sensors to other useful technologies such as cars, trains and airplanes. (He received a patent for use of this technology on airplanes in 2006, US7155034 B1). In most trains today, the lever used to control the accelerator, commonly referred to as a “dead man’s switch” is operated with an ideology that is similar to Recce’s pressure sensor. Once the conductor releases his hand of the accelerator, and essentially releasing the pressure from the switch, the train forces itself to apply the break. Recce applied for a similar patent to this specific one that will allow his technology to be implemented on commercial passenger airplanes (granted in 2006: US7155034, “Authorized Personnel Biometric Detection System Preventing Unauthorized Use Of Aircraft And Other Potentially Dangerous Instruments”). Similar to the handgun, once an unauthorized user gets control of the airplane, the aircraft will contact ground control and the unauthorized user will not be able to control the airplane.

This technology can be incredibly useful. It ensures the safety of children and other individuals who are unauthorized to handle your gun. Imagine a struggle with a police officer and a criminal where the criminal overpowers the officer and is able to take his gun. This technology will make it impossible for that criminal to be able to discharge the weapon – effectively saving multiple lives.

This technology does, however, have its flaws. As previously mentioned, the sensor operates with the pressure exerted on it by a user. There can be multiple scenarios where the authorized user of the handgun exerts too much pressure, or maybe even not enough pressure, and not have the handgun discharge. This fault can be a matter of life or death in many scenarios. People fear that there really is no way of being 100% certain that the gun will discharge when you absolutely need it to. In some cases, the authorized user might be nervous or scared and grip the gun extra tight and cause the sensor to not pick up the correct amount of pressure needed to unlock it.

Without any state supporting the development and implementation of these “smart” guns, it is up to the user to make the conscious decision to opt for a “smart” gun. However, even that is easier said than done. At present, these “smart” guns remain unavailable in gun stores and face vocal criticism from the NRA. These are among some of the issues which have contributed to the lack of commercial success for Recce’s patent. With further development funding, however, NJIT’s Senior Vice President for Research and Development, Donald Sebastian, argues that Recce’s gun could be available for market within two years.[i]

By Jacqueline Tanis, Michael Tadros, Rohit Saraiya

[i] Matt Giles, “Can A Smarter Gun Prevent A Massacre?” Popular Science, Dec. 4, 2015. http://www.popsci.com/can-a-gun-prevent-a-massacre

Authorized Personnel Biometric Detection System Preventing Unauthorized Use of Aircraft and Other Potentially Dangerous Instruments

The patent for an unauthorized device having the capabilities of being locked through biometric technology was created by Dr. Michael Recce. In 2003, he received patents on pressure/fingerprint scanners. Prior, there was nothing quite like it. The designs were an entirely new idea, something that was almost movie-like in conception. At the time of his patent, there were only physical locks to the cockpit, and safes and locked holsters for guns. There was no way of authorizing a designated user while simultaneously denying access to other persons. The process that he invented is capable of measuring multiple sensors simultaneously every 10 milliseconds. This was the answer to the problem that the market was having in regards to biometrics. Its usage is limitless and can be applied to anything that a human operates, whether it is found on a gun, an airplane, a boat, a power tool, or even construction equipment. The intended purpose of its creation was to prevent malicious use of objects, devices, or crafts. Should Recce’s invention achieve success and become widely utilized, it would result in a massive decrease in accidental and malicious deaths. This preventive measure is said to be the inventor’s chief motivation behind his work.

At the time, Recce was a professor of Information Systems at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He recently held a Quantcast segment at IAB Engage, in 2013, discussing computer advertisement, specifically studying the way young people interpret ads and which part of the brain accepts the message of the ad. Recce currently holds five patents in three major areas: the Unauthorized User Prevention Device and Method, which is the idea that became his biometric technology; consumption history privacy, which is a way for internet advertisers to target people based on the search history while protecting the identity of the person; and assessment of risk associated with doing business with a party. One may wonder what in particular motivated the inventor’s interest in biometrics. As an owner of multiple guns, Recce was aware of the danger and peril that could befall someone when an unauthorized person takes hold of a firearm. Concerned about the safety of Americans, he created the iGun, which utilizes biometric technology to identify the user of a firearm by the signature grip and hand print. This same concern for safety led him to expand his contributions in this technology to door handles for households, industrial buildings, offices, and vehicles, as well as car keys, ignition starters for vehicles, steering wheels for cars and aircraft, and the joy-stick on an aircraft.[i]

US7155034 is a continuation of prior fingerprint scanning technologies, arguably combining pre-existing methods into one. Recce’s patent cites twenty-six patents. Among them are US 3939679, “Safety System,” a remote-controlled safety mechanism; US 8172675 B2, “Personalization Using a Hand-Pressure Signature,” the memory storing device to record the pressure applied to it; US 9341424 B2, “Firearm Locking Assembly,” a locking mechanism used to prevent any use of the item (in this case, a firearm, joystick, door handle, etc.); and US 20060025900 A1, “Apparatus, System and Method for Aircraft Security and anti-Hijacking Intervention,” a prevention to keep unauthorized pilots from manning an aircraft any kind. Recce’s patent continues the creations and inventions that use fingerprint-matching technology, by uniting the three components of a form of ultrasound, silicon, and optical technology for the Authorized Personnel Biometric Detection System Preventing Unauthorized Use of Aircraft and Other Potentially Dangerous Instruments.

Other inventors have also drawn upon Recce’s work, in biometrics and safety technologies. Patents which cite his include: US 7406368 B2, “Apparatus, System and Method for Aircraft Security and anti-Hijacking Intervention;” US 8172675 B2, “Personalization Using a Hand-Pressure Signature;” U. S. Patent #8762734 B2, “Biometric pressure grip;” US 8902044 B2, “Biometric control system and method for machinery;” US 9341424 B2, “Firearm locking assembly ;“ US 20060025900 A1, “Apparatus, System and Method for Aircraft Security and anti-Hijacking Intervention;” US 20090002161 A1, “Security System for Motorcycle Crash Helmet; ” and US 20140366714 A1, “Roman Shield Armored Vehicle (RSAV).”

The firearm is considered by many to be the most obvious and direct application of biometric detection safety systems due to its popularity among the American people: a staple instrument in the work of law enforcement and military professionals, and commonly used by the American public. Firearms are capable of causing deliberate and accidental harm in the hands of secondary users. Unfortunately, we experience both ends of that spectrum as well as everything in between. The airplane was never viewed in the same light as a gun. Mainly because they were seldom used to cause harm to others. The events of September 11th forced the United States to accept the transportation industry as a possible medium of terrorism.

It became apparent that Recce’s patent for firearm biometrics could be applied in areas not involving firearms, such as the transportation industry. Plane joysticks, tractor trailer steering wheels, and cruise ship helms could be protected courtesy of Recce’s biometric detection technology in order to prevent, or at least deter, terrorists from using these vessels to bring harm to others. This patent in particular is an example of how certain events in history, although sometimes tragic, spark innovation and creative thinking to better safeguard the public in the future. Much like the sinking of the HMS Titanic alerting the world to the need of maritime safety improvements, the terrorist attacks committed on the United States motivated inventors to create better technology to ensure the safety of the American people. It is this very thought process that fostered some of the most significant technological contributions of our day, notably, the biometric detection system patented through US7155034.

The invention process by its very nature is a scientific process that builds upon previous ideas of inventors passed. Whether changing the application of an invention or modifying it to meet current expectations of that product, technology is constantly changing to meet the needs of society. As is the case with these biometrics, which were initially intended for firearm safety and were later adapted to be applied to airplanes and other vessels.

By Naomi Segura, Brian Lallo, Robert Fullagar

[i] Giles, Matt, “Can A Smarter Gun Prevent a Massacre?” Popular Science, Popular Science. 04 Dec. 2015. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.

Face Detection Method and Apparatus

‘Face Detection and Apparatus’, US Patent 7,162,076, and ‘Feature Based Classification’ US Patent 6,826,300 are both patents held by Professor Chengjun Liu of the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Dr. Liu developed the former while at NJIT and the latter during his time at George Mason University. Liu is currently a professor of computer science at NJIT and continues to pursue research on Pattern Recognition (face/iris recognition, color image feature extraction and classification, classifier fusion), Machine Learning (statistical learning, kernel methods, innovative kernel functions/models, similarity measures), and Image and Video Analysis (Image Search and Retrieval, Image Category Classification, Color Image Analysis, New Color Spaces, Gabor Image Representation).

Liu was motivated to research these particular technologies because he found that there was a need for security when it came to accessing certain devices and locations. Face recognition was thought to be one of the easiest ways to go about the task. Liu was able to receive funding from the United States Department of Defense and Homeland Security to further this face recognition technology.

Liu’s patent only cited one other pre-existing patent, but it has played a fairly large role in influencing others. The cited patent is for a technology that allows a computer to encode and decode images and extract information from it. This allows Liu’s invention to process facial features in order to create the vectors for recognition. However, Liu did cite other sources that were not patented including many articles from IEEE. His patent inspired well over 100 other patents all pertaining to improving and innovating physiological biometrics. Some of the patents that cited his work revolved around improving upon the actual software and increasing the accuracy rather than creating an entirely separate invention. This is largely due to the fact that his method is very different from most other physical feature recognition devices. A company by the name of Fotonation Vision Limited essentially broke down his patent and improved upon every aspect of it, which shows that his work is very viable for big businesses and practical use. A number of companies utilized his work to improve upon facial recognition software when taking pictures, which is by and large not a new phenomenon. However, the method is new and may be better than what is used now in just a few years.

Facial recognition software was first created in the 1960s, featuring a program that was able to decipher different parts of the face.[i] The technology developed rapidly thereafter. By the 1970s, facial recognition was now able to analyze 21 different markers on the human face, including hair color and even lip thickness. Skip forward to the present day, and we see that facial recognition has evolved into a science that is regularly used in everything from criminal investigations to finding a lost child to creating a character in a video game with your own likeness. Modern facial recognition biometrics utilizes points on the face and compares them to others within a database. For example, most programs will place five points around just the individual’s mouth in very particular spots amongst other parts of the face. It will then essentially run a side-by-side comparison with other faces that have been stored in a database. Liu’s facial recognition software approaches this technology differently. By using the depth of the individuals face, his program allows the computer to create vectors where the face essentially passes a certain virtual point. The results were, in short, excellent.

Liu’s method of face detection is extremely useful compared to previous face detection technologies. For example, it takes into account lighting and emotion and increases the effectiveness of various commercial security devices. Using facial detection is an effective way of ensuring that only the individuals who are intended to can access these facilities or devices. For example, through the use of Liu’s facial detection method, buildings such as schools and commercial products such as phones can be protected easily and efficiently. The method can increase convenience by enabling individuals to access their content securely and in a fast manner by simply using their face.

This patent is extremely significant and is currently one of the more adept forms of facial detection. The method is one-hundred percent effective at matching images to those stored in databases by comparing 62 unique features. Also, this face detection method and apparatus can be easily improved upon or adapted by any company or individual. This patent also received a grant from the Department of Defense in order to help combat terrorism. Furthermore, it was cited by one-hundred and thirty-seven other patents. Liu’s patent has absolutely inspired future innovations and inventions concerning facial detection.

By Shahnawaz Khan, Joe Tobon, Nick Porcelli

[i] Jennifer Tucker, “How facial recognition technology came to be,” The Boston Globe, Nov. 23, 2014. https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/11/23/facial-recognition-technology-goes-way-back/CkWaxzozvFcveQ7kvdLHGI/story.html

Alleviating Solar Energy Congestion in the Distribution Grid via Smart Metering Communications

Weather-dependent renewable energy sources, mainly solar panels, can be made small enough that consumers have the ability to harness energy without massive production plants. Most people cannot store a hydroelectric dam or a natural gas burning power plant on their property, but many have solar panels. Users harnessing their own power creates the possibility of energy generation. Power generation no longer needs to be relegated to massive power plants. Through the use of solar panels, power generation can occur at the same place that the power is consumed. As energy generation becomes distributed and focused on renewables, utility companies lose exact control over energy generation. Without this control, utility companies may be unable to address shortages and congestion properly, leading to problems for consumers. Dr. Nirwan Ansari and Dr. Chun-Hao “Thomas” Lo developed a communications system between utility customers and their utility providers in order to control which households and businesses are contributing surplus energy into the grid to address the problem of solar energy congestion.

Ansari is a distinguished professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Lo worked as a research assistant at the university while completing his PhD in Electrical Engineering. A highly productive scholar, Ansari has been attributed in nearly 700 Google Scholar publications. During his time at NJIT, Lo won a graduate student award for research relating to this patent, US 9,246,334, “Alleviating Solar Energy Congestion in the Distribution Grid via Smart Metering Communications.”

Different sources of electricity have emerged and developed over the past century, but our grid infrastructure has stayed largely the same. The electric grid in the United States is centralized around huge power plants that generate the vast majority of the electricity used in the country. Electricity is then transported from the power plant to households and businesses that rely on power for daily functions. When the demand for electricity by consumers rises or falls, utility companies use estimates to increase or decrease the productivity of power plants to meet demand. Because the existing power plants primarily utilize fossil fuels to provide energy, the patterns of usage are predictable, and therefore easily controlled. However, due to the growing implementation of solar power by consumers, utility companies have experienced increasing uncertainty regarding the necessary power productions. The power companies have lost the ability to tailor supply to demand. Solar energy is heavily dependent on dynamic weather changes and the time of day. If energy needs suddenly increase overnight, utility companies are unable to rely on power being distributed to the grid from solar energy. To minimize the risk of blackouts and other shortages of energy, utility companies have traditionally relied on easily controlled sources of energy, including coal, natural gas, and hydroelectric power plants. In the past, when utility companies experienced rapid changes in demand for energy, the utility companies quickly responded to the power need by either increasing or decreasing the rate of production.

A growing problem regarding solar panels is solar energy congestion. Increasing solar energy congestion can be directly correlated with the rise in solar panel users. While smart meters help track the expenditure of electricity more efficiently, these devices are unable to intelligently communicate with the utility companies in order to remove users producing sufficient energy from the grid. Utilizing this patent’s invention, smart meter communications would drastically reduce the data computation time and corresponding network traffic. A reduction in network traffic and data computation time is a reduction in energy costs.

The smart meter communication first determines how much energy a “unit” or house uses over an interval of time. Then, during peak periods of energy congestion, when many units are producing energy via solar panels, the smart meter communication is able to disconnect itself from the grid. The unit is disconnected from the grid when the smart meter detects a surplus of energy being produced by the unit. The smart meter communicates with the UCC in order to disconnect each unit. Once the disconnection occurs, the unit becomes self-sufficient, and solely uses energy produced by its solar panels. Electricity from the grid is then sent only to units that need it.

The use of smart meter communications will become increasingly relevant as more consumers utilize solar panels. Presently, this patent has been cited by four more recent patents, all granted to researchers at AT&T other inventors, concerning various aspects of network communications.

Why Is US Patent Number 9,246,334 a patent?

1. Patentable Subject Matter:
This patent is categorized as a process. It provides a method for already existing smart meters—power meters that send continual data to power companies regarding individual energy by utilizing radiofrequency waves, the same waves mobile phones use—to communicate more efficiently with the Utility Connection Center (UCC), and to stop transmitting data during high energy saturation periods during which users are harnessing their own energy.

2. Utility (Usefulness):
As renewable energy becomes a growing sector of the power field, companies are going to deal increasingly with the issue of over-saturation of the grid during daylight hours. This patent provides a method of solving a growing problem.

3. Novelty:
While the smart grid is a growing technology, no other inventors have proposed limiting the communications between smart meters located in the homes of users harnessing solar and the UCC during prime solar periods in order to prevent energy congestion.

4. Non-Obviousness:
A primary selling-point of smart meters for power companies is that the meters are capable of tracking exact energy usage of consumers. Therefore, it is almost outlandish to think that the solution to the problem of congestion may involve disconnecting the smart meters from communicating with the UCC for periods of time.

5. Enablement:
The creation of the system is clearly outlined in the patent, and someone with a background in the relevant field would be able to eventually recreate this technology.

By Hope Welch, Timothy Bott, Joseph Macfarlane

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Membrane Computer Keyboard and Method

In 1979, Steve Gensler, a resident of Oakland, California, started Unicorn Engineering after creating a computer keyboard that could be used by a friend with cerebral palsy. Gensler taught himself electronics in order to build a keyboard with large, flat buttons that were programmable, so that the computer could be instructed to respond to any key in any manner desired. Gensler’s accessible computer technology start-up became IntelliTools in 1991, with Arjan Khalsa at its head. Khalsa, a teacher in the Bay Area, had become interested in accessible computer technology in the mid-1980s. Khalsa attended a class on mainstreaming special education students in the Berkeley area and was struck by the role technology played in accommodating disabilities, as well as the obstacles technology imposed when it was not designed to be accessible. Shortly thereafter, Khalsa happened to catch a radio program discussing a book on computers for people with disabilities, and he contacted the author for more information. The author directed Khalsa to a local disability and technology advocacy group, where he met Gensler. Moved by the meeting he attended, Khalsa threw himself into working with people with disabilities and computer technology.[i] Khalsa partnered with Gensler, in 1985, and then became the CEO of IntelliTools.

In 1992, Khalsa and three Intellitools engineers applied for a patent for the successor to the Unicorn Board, IntelliKeys, which was granted three years later. The patent, “Membrane Computer Keyboard and Method,” describes what made this keyboard particularly usable by people with disabilities. The patent compares a traditional keyboard to the IntelliKeys board; the former requires roughly the same level of dexterity as operating a typewriter, whereas the latter can have “keys” of any desired size and configuration and assigned for any function, making it operable by people with varying degrees of motor control. Instead of the individual keys found in a standard keyboard, IntelliKeys had a flexible membrane covering hundreds of switches. The membrane could be divided into any number of programmed sections, each covering a number of switches. Each section, or “key,” would be plotted out on a card that covered the entire membrane. As the labels on the overlay were customizable, users could display whatever symbols, colors, numbers, or words suited their needs.

When a user pressed anywhere on the overlay within an area assigned to some function, the flexible membrane would activate the switches underneath, and the computer would read the switches. This level of customization allowed the keyboard to meet the needs of any user able to press a button of any size. In addition, unlike earlier versions of adaptive keyboards, the patented invention did not require any form of interface device between the keyboard and computer, instead using a standard keyboard cable. This greatly simplified the use of the keyboard, making it functional with different computers.

In 1984, rehabilitation researchers at a Closing the Gap conference described their use of the Unicorn Model 1 Keyboard for their clients with disabilities.[ii] Their Unicorn Board could be programmed to have up to 128 keys that performed different functions (the later IntelliKeys model increased this to 576 keys). Because the keyboard was this flexible, it could be programmed to optimize the user’s interaction with it in operating specific software. That is, only those keys needed to control the desired software had to be used, and they could be the size the user could best operate; no extraneous keys would be present that the user might accidentally press. Additionally, the researchers found it advantageous that the most frequently used keys could be programmed to be those easiest to reach.

IntelliKeys found success not only in terms of commercial sales but also in recognition as a product to aid people with disabilities. In 1992, Khalsa and IntelliKeys won First Place in the Johns Hopkins National Search for Computing Technology to Benefit People with Disabilities. IntelliTools continued selling its keyboards for the next twenty years. The company was bought out by Cambium Learning in 2006 and has changed hands a few times since. In 2014, its current owner AbleNet ceased manufacture of the keyboard, having moved away from customizable keyboards. Other companies now sell similar adaptive keyboards but to be used on touchscreens not as separate peripherals. [iii]

By Dr. Elizabeth Petrick

[i] Jack Kenny, “Bridging the sensory divide,” TES Magazine, Oct. 16, 1998, www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=79600.

[ii] James H. Heller, David Salisbury, and Judith C. Lapadat, “The Unicorn Model 1 Keyboard As a Rehabilitation Tool,” in Computer Technology for the Handicapped: Proceedings from the 1984 Closing The Gap Conference, ed. Michael Gergen and Dolores Hagen (Henderson, MN: Closing the Gap, 1984), 68–70.

[iii] This article is expanded from Elizabeth R. Petrick, Making Computers Accessible: Disability Rights and Digital Technology, (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015), pgs 48-49.

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