Flexible access system for touch screen devices

Claim 1

A touch screen for those with reduced ability to interpret visual expressions comprising: an electronic display screen having a smooth display area without spatially distinguishing tactile landmarks; a touch panel commensurate with the display area and providing a coordinate output indicating only a presence or absence of touch points in the display area; an access button positioned at a predetermined fixed location to be actuated by the user to enable an access mode; audio circuitry for generating speech in response to electrical commands from an electronic processor; an electronic processor communicating with the electronic display screen, the touch panel, and the access button and executing a stored program to: (a) display on the electronic display screen a set of virtual buttons, the buttons having graphical boundaries and a graphical legend and locations different from the location of the access button; (b) when the access mode is not enabled and when a touch point is detected within a boundary of a virtual button, the electronic processor executing a program action associated with the virtual button; and (c) when the access mode is enabled and when a touch point is detected within the boundary of the virtual button, the electronic processor outputting via the audio circuitry a spoken representation of the information of the graphical legend of the virtual button easier for the user to interpret.