An Apple patent (number 2011054880) has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office that shows that Apple is planning on beefing up its Mac OS X and iOS technology for special needs students. The patent is for a system to accommodate disabilities of several students at once.

Techniques and systems for content transformation between devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a system includes a host device that sends content to client devices, and client devices that receive content from the host device in one format and transform the content into a different format. The client devices present the transformed content to users.

In another aspect, the host device presents content in a native format, determines that a client device requires the content to be in a different format, converts the content to a reference format, and sends the converted content to the client device. Christopher B. Fieizach is the inventor.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "Computers and other devices are becoming increasingly capable of accommodating disabilities of individual users, as well as individual user preferences for how content is presented. For example, technologies such as screen reading software and electronic Braille devices make it possible for visually disabled users to experience content presented on a device that otherwise might be inaccessible to them.
However, these technologies typically only accommodate disabilities and/or preferences of a single user at a time. In addition, these technologies typically require the device presenting the content to assume the overhead of accommodating a user's needs and preferences.

"Techniques and systems for content transformation between devices are disclosed. These techniques can be used to transform content presented on a host device into formats that satisfy the needs and preferences of users of client devices, especially disabled users. In one aspect, a system includes a host device that sends content to client devices, and client devices that receive content from the host device in one format and transform the content into a different format. The client devices present the transformed content to users. In another aspect, the host device presents content in a native format, determines that a client device requires the content to be in a different format, converts the content into a reference format, and sends the converted content to the client device.

"Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. Users of client devices can experience content received from the host device in user specified formats that are specific to each user. The formats can accommodate specific disabilities of the users, or specific preferences of the users. Multiple users can experience content at the same time, each according to their individual needs and preferences.

"A host device can share content with many users, without needing to do significant processing on the host device to accommodate users' needs and preferences. A host device can share content with many users having different needs and preferences, even when the host device is unable to accommodate the different needs and preferences. A host device can share content with many users having different needs and preferences, even when the host device is unaware of the different needs and preferences.

"Users that are remote from the host device can experience content presented on the host device according to their own needs and preferences. Content presented on a host device can be presented in a format that accommodates user needs and preferences in real-time, or can be stored for later presentation according to user needs and preferences. Content presented on a host device can be transformed multiple times in order to accommodate specific needs or preferences of a user.

-- Dennis Sellers