Assistive reading interface

Abstract

A screen reader for a computing device with a touch sensitive user interface. The screen reader operates in an investigatory mode in which touch inputs detected through the user interface are interpreted as inputs designating content on the display to verbally render. Each selection may be interpreted as designating a unit of content at the designated location. The size of the unit may be determined based on a direction of motion of pointing device arriving at the location on the display where the unit of content is designated. In this way, a user may, through simple and intuitively learned commands, designate content in units of different sizes such as characters, words, lines or paragraphs, when the content is text, and/or individual user interface elements when the displayed content being selected includes graphical elements.

1 . A method of operating a computing device to verbally render information on a display, the method comprising:
 receiving user input indicating motion of a pointing device across the display, the motion crossing over content;   when the motion is in a first direction, verbally rendering information on the display in units of a first size; and   when the motion is in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, verbally rendering information on the display in units of a second size.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the units of the first size comprise words.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the units of the second size comprise lines of text.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the information is presented on the display as lines of text; and   the first direction is parallel to a line of text.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 units of the first size comprise individual graphical elements.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the graphical elements comprise graphical user interface control objects; and   verbally rendering information on the display in units of the first size comprises rendering verbally a label associated with the control object.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring motion of the pointing device across the screen while operating in a first mode in which information is rendered in units of the first size as the pointing device indicates each unit of information of the first size;   based on the monitored motion, detecting motion of the pointing device in the second direction, and entering a mode in which information is rendered in units of the second size as the pointing device indicates each unit of information of the second size.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the display is a touch screen.   
     
     
         9 . At least one computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device having a display and a sound output, perform of method of operating a user interface, the method comprising:
 receiving values indicating indication of a location on the display with a pointing device;   identifying a characteristic of motion of the location of the indication;   identifying a unit of content based on the location of the indication;   selecting content, including the identified unit of content, the selected content comprising a quantity of content that is selected based on the identified characteristic of the motion; and   rendering verbally the selected content.   
     
     
         10 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the method further comprises receiving user input to designate a mode of interaction for investigation of displayed content.   
     
     
         11 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the mode of interaction comprises a first mode; and   the at least one computer storage medium further comprises computer executable instructions for operating the computing device is a second mode of interaction in which content is rendered verbally without receiving express user input through the display.   
     
     
         12 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the identified characteristic of the motion is direction; and   selecting content comprises selecting a word when the direction of motion is a first direction and selecting a line of text when the direction of motion is a second direction.   
     
     
         13 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the identified characteristic of the motion is direction;   the method further comprises determining a horizontal reference direction on the display; and   selecting content comprises selecting a word when the direction of motion is within 45 degrees of the horizontal reference direction and selecting a line of text when the direction of motion greater than 45 degrees from the horizontal reference direction.   
     
     
         14 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the identified characteristic of the motion is direction; and   selecting content comprises selecting a textual description of a control element when the direction of motion is a first direction and selecting the textual description of the control element in conjunction with a textual description of adjacent displayed information when the direction of motion is a second direction.   
     
     
         15 . A computing device, comprising:
 a touch screen;   a speaker;   a processor to:
 receive from the touch screen input indicating activation of the touch screen with a pointing device; 
 identify motion of the pointing device across the touch screen based on the received input; 
 identify a unit of content displayed on the touch screen based on a location of activation of the touch screen; 
 select content, including the identified unit of content, the selected content comprising a quantity of content that is selected based on a direction of motion of the pointing device across the touch screen; and 
 generate control signals to the speaker to verbally render the selected content. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the computing device further comprises a text-to-speech converter, and generating control signals to the speaker comprises providing the selected content to the text-to-speech converter.   
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the processor is configured to select content in units of a first size based on identified motion in a first direction and to select content in units of a second size based on identified motion in a second direction.   
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the computing device further comprises an orientation sensor;   the processor is further configured to determine a horizontal reference direction on the touch screen; and   selecting content comprises selecting a word when the direction of motion is within 45 degrees of the horizontal reference direction and selecting a line of text when the direction of motion greater than 45 degrees from the horizontal reference direction.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 when the identified unit of content is a control element, selecting content comprises selecting a textual description of the control element when the direction of motion is a first direction and selecting the textual description of the control element in conjunction with a textual description of adjacent displayed information when the direction of motion is a second direction.   
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the computing device has a tablet form factor.