Electronic document delivery system employing distributed document object model (DOM) based transcoding and providing assistive technology support

A client machine, comprising:

• an assistive technology;
• and
• a user agent coupled to the assistive technology, and adapted for coupling to a transcoder proxy, wherein the user agent is configured to:
• receive an original script from the transcoder proxy, wherein the original script includes an element and an identifier assigned to the element;
• form a transcoded DOM in response to the original script, wherein the transcoded DOM is a representation of the portion of the electronic document;
• use the transcoded DOM to produce output commands;
• provide the output commands to the assistive technology;
• generate an assistive technology event in response to user input via the assistive technology;
• associate the assistive technology event with the element within the original script;
• provide assistive technology event information and the identifier assigned to the element associated with the assistive technology event to the transcoder proxy;
• receive a modification script from the transcoder proxy;
• modify the transcoded DOM in response to the modification script.

A system for delivering an electronic document, comprising:

• a transcoder proxy, including:
• a synchronous document object model (DOM) generator coupled to receive the electronic document in a first digital format, wherein the electronic document includes at least one element, and wherein the synchronous DOM generator comprises an identifier (ID) generator configured to assign a unique identifier to each element, and wherein the synchronous DOM generator is configured to:
• form a pre-transcoded DOM representing a logical structure of the electronic document, wherein elements are associated with corresponding identifiers within the pre-transcoded DOM;
• provide a portion of the electronic document in the first digital format;
• a transcoder coupled to receive the portion of the electronic document in the first digital format and configured to:
• translate the portion of the electronic document from the first digital format to an original script in a second digital format, wherein the original script includes an element and the identifier assigned to the element;
• provide the original script;
• an assistive technology interface generator coupled to the synchronous DOM generator and to receive assistive technology event information pertaining to an assistive technology event associated with the identifier assigned to the element within the original script, wherein the assistive technology interface generator is configured to use the assistive technology event information and the identifier assigned to the element to produce DOM access commands, and to provide the DOM access commands to the synchronous DOM generator;
• and
• a client machine coupled to receive the original script, wherein the client machine comprises:
• an assistive technology;
• a user agent coupled to the assistive technology, the transcoder, and the assistive technology interface generator, wherein the user agent is configured to:
• form a transcoded DOM in response to the original script from the transcoder, wherein the transcoded DOM is a representation of the portion of the electronic document;
• use the transcoded DOM to produce output commands;
• provide the output commands to the assistive technology;
• generate the assistive technology event in response to user input via the assistive technology;
• associate the assistive technology event with the element within the original script;
• and
• provide the assistive technology event information and the identifier assigned to the element associated with the assistive technology event to the assistive technology interface generator.

A method for presenting an electronic document to a user, comprising:

• receiving the electronic document in a first digital format;
• assigning a unique identifier to each element of the electronic document;
• forming a model of a logical structure of the electronic document, wherein elements are associated with corresponding identifiers within the model;
• using the model to produce an original script, wherein the original script includes at least a portion of the electronic document expressed in a second digital format, and wherein the original script includes at least one element and the identifier assigned to the at least one element;
• providing the original script;
• receiving assistive technology event information and an identifier assigned to an element associated with an assistive technology event;
• accessing the model using the identifier;
• using the model to produce a modification script, wherein the modification script differs from the original script;
• and
• providing the modification script.

A method for presenting an electronic document to a user, comprising:

• receiving an original script, wherein the original script includes at least a portion of the electronic document expressed in a digital format, an element of the document, and an identifier assigned to the element;
• using the original script to present the portion of the electronic document;
• generating an assistive technology event in response to user input;
• associating the assistive technology event with the element;
• providing assistive technology event information and the identifier assigned to the element in response to the assistive technology event;
• receiving a modification script;
• and
• using the modification script to modify the presented portion of the electronic document.

A method for presenting an electronic document to a user, comprising:

• receiving the electronic document in a first digital format;
• assigning a unique identifier to each element of the electronic document;
• forming a model of a logical structure of the electronic document, wherein elements are associated with corresponding identifiers within the model;
• using the model to produce an original script, wherein the original script includes at least a portion of the electronic document expressed in a second digital format, and wherein the original script includes an element of the document and an identifier assigned to the element;
• using the original script to present the portion of the document;
• generating an assistive technology event in response to user input;
• associating the assistive technology event with the element within the original script;
• accessing the model using the identifier assigned to the element associated with the assistive technology event;
• using the model to produce modification script;
• and
• using the modification script to modify the presented portion of the document.