Interface layer and operating system facilitating use, including by blind and visually-impaired users, of touch-screen-controlled consumer electronic devices

A method of facilitating eye-free use of an electronic device, including by blind users, the method comprising:

• providing a computerized user interface including a hierarchy of operating modes wherein each operating mode presenting a portion of a respective hierarchy of possible choices to a user, each portion comprising a sequence of possible users' choices within said hierarchy;
• accepting, via a touch screen, a sequence of selected options generated by the user responsive to the sequence of possible choices respectively, each of the possible choices is associated with a function of the electronic device and activating functions of the electronic device accordingly,
• wherein the hierarchy of possible choices includes at least some sequences of n possible choices which are presented within respective sequences of n operating modes which having n respective predetermined archetypical formats, each archetypical format is interpreted based on user's motions and representing a predetermined relative arrangement of input options, wherein the respective archetypical formats include at least one of a star format, a list format and a menu format;
• wherein for the list format, accepting via the touch screen, at least one instruction for the computerized user interface to move up or down a list at a selectable one of two progress modes, by moving one finger or two fingers of the user, respectively, up or down relative to an initial location of the finger/s, the list comprises alphabetized items and wherein a first of the two progress modes moves from item to item whereas a second of the two progress modes moves from letter to letter thereby to yield more rapid motion within the list when an operating mode is represented by the list format within said hierarchy;
• and
• generating, by the user interface, a plurality of orientation signals sensible by the user, which are uniquely associated with the n archetypical formats respectively, wherein generation of each orientation signal coincides with presentation of its associated predetermined archetypical format, thereby to orient the user, even if blind, within said hierarchy.

A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for facilitating eye-free use of an electronic device, including by blind users, the method comprising:

• providing a computerized user interface including a hierarchy of operating modes wherein each operating mode presenting a portion of a respective hierarchy of possible choices to a user, each portion comprising a sequence of possible users' choices within said hierarchy;
• accepting, via a touch screen, a sequence of selected options generated by the user responsive to the sequence of possible choices respectively, each of the possible choices is associated with a function of the electronic device and activating functions of the electronic device accordingly,
• wherein the hierarchy of possible choices includes at least some sequences of n possible choices which are presented within respective sequences of n operating modes having n respective predetermined archetypical formats, each archetypical format is interpreted based on user's motions and representing a predetermined relative arrangement of input options, wherein the respective archetypical formats include at least one of a star format, a list format and a menu format;
• wherein for the list format, accepting via the touch screen, at least one instruction for the computerized user interface to move up or down a list at a selectable one of two progress modes, by moving one finger or two fingers of the user, respectively, up or down relative to an initial location of the finger/s, the list comprises alphabetized items and wherein a first of the two progress modes moves from item to item whereas a second of the two progress modes moves from letter to letter thereby to yield more rapid motion within the list when an operating mode is represented by the list format within said hierarchy;
• and
• generating, by the user interface, a plurality of orientation signals, sensible by the user, which are uniquely associated with the n archetypical formats respectively, wherein generation of each orientation signal coincides with presentation of its associated predetermined archetypical format, thereby to orient the user, even if blind, within said hierarchy.