Method for the auditory navigation of text
OwnerSteven H. Siegelinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of navigating textual information via auditory indicators is provided. Through the pervasive and immediate articulation of virtually all textual elements in response to a comparatively passive action, such as a selection device rollover, a user may quickly peruse titles, headings, list items, and so on, as well as emphasized text, paragraphs, captions, and virtually any unit of visually contiguous text. A user may also hear a particular selected word via a slightly more active action, such as clicking a mouse button. Via use of this method, a child, or other user who may understand a language, but not be able to recognize its orthography, may successfully and easily navigate textual documents.
Claims46
A method for the auditory navigation of text, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a plurality of textual items, each of the items containing a plurality of words;
- receiving passive indication of at least one item of the plurality of textual items;
- responsive to the passive indication, producing an auditory signal commencing articulation of the text of the indicated item to the exclusion of other items of the plurality of textual items.
A method for the auditory navigation of text, comprising the steps of:
- displaying an item, the item including at least one unit of text, the unit including at least one sub-unit of text, wherein the unit includes text containing a plurality of words exclusive of the sub-unit, and the sub-unit includes text containing at least one word;
- receiving an indication of the displayed item, the indication being one of an indication of the item as a whole and an indication of the sub-unit;
- causing a response to the indication of the item, wherein the response to the indication of the item as a whole includes commencement of an articulation of substantially all of the text of the unit, and the response to the indication of the sub-unit includes commencement of an articulation of substantially the at least one word contained in the sub-unit exclusive of other text in the unit;
- and
- at least one of the response to the item as a whole and the response to the sub-unit is caused when the indication is a passive indication.
A method for the auditory navigation of text contained within a displayed item, the item including at least one unit of text, the unit including at least one sub-unit of text, wherein the unit includes text containing a plurality of words exclusive of the sub-unit, and the sub-unit includes text containing at least one word, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an indication of the displayed item, the indication being one of an indication of the item as a whole and an indication of the sub-unit;
- causing a response to the indication of the item, wherein the response to the indication of the item as a whole includes commencement of an articulation of substantially all of the text of the unit, and the response to the indication of the sub-unit includes commencement of an articulation of substantially the at least one word contained in the sub-unit exclusive of other text in the unit;
- and
- at least one of the response to the item as a whole and the response to the sub-unit is caused when the indication is a passive indication.
A method for the auditory navigation of displayed text, the displayed text including a plurality of textual items, each of the textual items containing a plurality of words, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving passive indication of at least one item of the plurality of textual items;
- responsive to the indication, producing an auditory signal commencing articulation of the text of the indicated item to the exclusion of other items of the plurality of textual items.
A method for the auditory navigation of text, comprising the steps of:
- displaying first and second pluralities of textual items, each item including at least one word;
- receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over one item of the first and second pluralities of textual items as an indication of the item;
- responsive to the indicated item being an item of the first plurality of items, producing an auditory signal commencing articulation of substantially all the text of the indicated textual item of the first plurality, to the exclusion of any other displayed text, and responsive to the indicated item being an item of the second plurality of items, producing an auditory signal commencing the articulation of substantially all of the text of the indicated textual item of the second plurality of textual items, plus predetermined additional information.
A method for the auditory navigation of displayed text, the displayed text including first and second pluralities of textual items, each item including at least one word, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over one item of the first and second pluralities of textual items as an indication of the item;
- responsive to the indicated item being an item of the first plurality of items, producing an auditory signal commencing articulation of substantially all the text of the indicated textual item, to the exclusion of any other displayed text, and responsive to the indicated item being an item of the second plurality of items, producing an auditory signal commencing the articulation of substantially all of the text of the indicated textual item, plus predetermined additional information.
A method for the auditory navigation of text, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a visually contiguous unit of text, the unit including a plurality of words of normal text, and at least one sequence of words of special text, the special text selected from the group consisting of text that is italic, bold, underlined, of a different color than text surrounding the special text, text that indicates a hyperlink, and text that stands out in some particular way from surrounding text;
- receiving indication of a pointing device cursor being placed over the contiguous unit;
- responsive to indication of normal text within the unit, producing an auditory signal commencing the articulation of substantially all the words of the contiguous unit;
- responsive to the indication of special text within the unit, producing an auditory signal commencing the articulation of the words of special text, exclusive of the words normal text in the contiguous unit;
- receiving indication of the pointing device cursor being a) placed outside the unit of contiguous text, or b) placed over special text within the unit of contiguous text;
- responsive to indication of the placement outside the unit or over the special text, stopping the articulation of substantially all the words in the unit;
- receiving indication of the pointing device cursor being placed outside the sequence of special text;
- responsive to indication of the placement outside the sequence of special text, stopping articulation of the words of the special text.
A method for the auditory navigation of displayed text, the displayed text including a visually contiguous unit of text, the unit including a plurality of words of normal text, and at least one sequence of words of special text, the special text selected from the group consisting of text that is italic, bold, underlined, of a different color than text surrounding the special text, text that indicates a hyperlink, and text that stands out in some particular way from surrounding text, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving indication of a pointing device cursor being placed over the contiguous unit;
- responsive to indication of normal text within the unit, producing an auditory signal commencing the articulation of substantially all the words of the contiguous unit;
- responsive to the indication of special text within the unit, producing an auditory signal commencing the articulation of the words of special text, exclusive of the words normal text in the contiguous unit;
- receiving indication of the pointing device cursor being a) placed outside the unit of contiguous text, or b) placed over special text within the unit of contiguous text;
- responsive to indication of the placement outside the unit or over the special text, stopping the articulation of substantially all the words in the unit;
- receiving indication of the pointing device cursor being placed outside the sequence of special text;
- responsive to indication of the placement outside the sequence of special text, stopping articulation of the words of the special text.
A method for the auditory navigation of text, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a plurality of textual items including a plurality of headings and corresponding subtexts, each of the items including a plurality of words;
- receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over multiple ones of the headings as passive indications of the headings;
- responsive to the respective indications of the headings, producing auditory signals commencing articulations of the text of the respective headings;
- subsequent to commencement of the articulation of text of the multiple headings, receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over one item of subtext as a passive indication of the subtext;
- responsive to the indication of the item of subtext, producing an auditory signal commencing articulation of the text of the item of subtext.
A method for the auditory navigation of displayed text, the displayed text including a plurality of textual items including a plurality of headings and corresponding subtexts, each of the items including a plurality of words, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over multiple ones of the headings as passive indications of the headings;
- responsive to the respective indications of the headings, producing auditory signals commencing articulations of the text of the respective headings;
- subsequent to commencement of the articulation of text of the multiple headings, receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over one item of subtext as a passive indication of the subtext;
- responsive to the indication of the item of subtext, producing an auditory signal commencing articulation of the text of the item of subtext.
A method for the auditory navigation of text, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a plurality of items, each item including special text and normal text;
- receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over one item of the plurality as an indication of the item;
- responsive to the indication, commencing an articulation of information providing a context for the special text, the articulation including the special text.
A method for the auditory navigation of displayed text, the displayed text including a plurality of items, each item including special text and normal text, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over one item of the plurality as an indication of the item;
- responsive to the indication, commencing an articulation of information providing a context for the special text, the articulation including the special text.
An article of manufacture, including computer program instructions, the computer program instructions causing a computer to implement a method for the auditory navigation of text contained within a displayed item, the item including at least one unit of text, the unit including at least one sub-unit of text, wherein the unit includes text containing a plurality of words exclusive of the sub-unit, and the sub-unit includes text containing at least one word, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an indication of the displayed item, the indication being one of an indication of the item as a whole and an indication of the sub-unit;
- causing a response to the indication of the item, wherein the response to the indication of the item as a whole includes commencement of an articulation of substantially all of the text of the unit, and the response to the indication of the sub-unit includes commencement of an articulation of substantially the at least one word contained in the sub-unit exclusive of other text in the unit;
- and
- at least one of the response to the item as a whole and the response to the sub-unit is caused when the indication is a passive indication.
An article of manufacture, including computer program instructions, the computer program instructions causing a computer to implement a method for the auditory navigation of displayed textual items, the displayed items including a plurality of headings and corresponding subtexts, each of the items including a plurality of words, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over multiple ones of the headings as passive indications of the headings;
- responsive to the respective indications of the headings, producing auditory signals commencing articulations of the text of the respective headings;
- subsequent to commencement of the articulation of text of a plurality of headings, receiving information on placement of a pointing device cursor over one item of subtext as a passive indication of the subtext;
- responsive to the indication of the item of subtext, producing an auditory signal commencing articulation of the text of the item of subtext.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.