Clickless navigation toolbar for clickless text-to-speech enabled browser

Abstract

A clickless, text-to-speech enabled browser includes a navigation toolbar having a plurality of button graphics and a web page region which allows for the display of web pages. Each button graphic including a predefined active region, an associated text message related to the command function of the button graphic, and an event handler that invokes text-to-speech software code for automatically speaking the associated text message and then executing the command function associated with the button graphic.

1 . A clickless, text-to-speech enabled browser comprising:
 (a) a navigation toolbar having a plurality of button graphics, each button graphic including:
 (i) a predefined active region; 
 (ii) an associated text message related to the command function of the button graphic; and 
 (iii) an event handler that invokes text-to-speech software code for automatically speaking the associated text message and then executing the command function associated with the button graphic; and 
   (b) a web page region which allows for the display of web pages.   
     
     
         2 . The browser of  claim 1  wherein a user interacts with the browser via a pointing device, the browser further comprising:
 (c) a timer which detects the length of time in which the pointing device is within the active region of a button graphic, wherein the command associated with the button graphic is executed only if the pointing device is within the active region of the button graphic for greater than a preset time period. 
 
     
     
         3 . The browser of  claim 2  wherein the preset time period is a human perceivable time period. 
     
     
         4 . The browser of  claim 2  wherein the preset time period is at least about one second. 
     
     
         5 . A method of allowing a user to interact with a navigation toolbar of a browser that displays web pages on a display device, the navigation toolbar having a plurality of button graphics, each button graphic including (i) a predefined active region, and (ii) an associated text message related to the command function of the button graphic, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning a pointing device over an active region of a button graphic, the button graphic being automatically highlighted whenever the pointing device is over the active region;   (b) automatically loading the associated text message of the button graphic into a text-to-speech engine, the associated text message thereby being automatically spoken; and   (c) automatically initiating the command function of the button graphic, wherein steps (a), (b) and (c) occur sequentially and without requiring any further user manipulation of the pointing device or any other user interfaces associated with display device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein step (c) occurs only if the pointing device persists over the link for greater than a preset time period. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the preset time period is a human perceivable time period. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the preset time period is at least about one second. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the button graphic is a forward or backward navigation command. 
     
     
         10 . An article of manufacture for providing a clickless, text-to-speech enabled browser, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:
 (a) a navigation toolbar having a plurality of button graphics, each button graphic including:
 (i) a predefined active region; 
 (ii) an associated text message related to the command function of the button graphic; and 
 (iii) an event handler that invokes text-to-speech software code for automatically speaking the associated text message and then executing the command function associated with the button graphic; and 
   (b) a web page region which allows for the display of web pages.   
     
     
         11 . The article of manufacture of  claim 10  wherein a user interacts with the browser via a pointing device, the browser further comprising:
 (c) a timer which detects the length of time in which the pointing device is within the active region of a button graphic, wherein the command associated with the button graphic is executed only if the pointing device is within the active region of the button graphic for greater than a preset time period. 
 
     
     
         12 . The article of manufacture of  claim 11  wherein the preset time period is a human perceivable time period. 
     
     
         13 . The article of manufacture of  claim 11  wherein the preset time period is at least about one second. 
     
     
         14 . An article of manufacture for allowing a user to interact with a navigation toolbar of a browser that displays web pages on a display device, the navigation toolbar having a plurality of button graphics, each button graphic including (i) a predefined active region, and (ii) an associated text message related to the command function of the button graphic, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:
 (a) positioning a pointing device over an active region of a button graphic, the button graphic being automatically highlighted whenever the pointing device is over the active region;   (b) automatically loading the associated text message of the button graphic into a text-to-speech engine, the associated text message thereby being automatically spoken; and   (c) automatically initiating the command function of the button graphic, wherein steps (a), (b) and (c) occur sequentially and without requiring any further user manipulation of the pointing device or any other user interfaces associated with display device.   
     
     
         15 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein step (c) occurs only if the pointing device persists over the link for greater than a preset time period. 
     
     
         16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15  wherein the preset time period is a human perceivable time period. 
     
     
         17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15  wherein the preset time period is at least about one second. 
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14  wherein the button graphic is a forward or backward navigation command.