Context based gesture delineation for user interaction in eyes-free mode

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for facilitating the use of an electronic device having a user interface that is sensitive to a user's gestures. An “eyes-free” mode is provided in which the user can control the device without looking at the device display. Once the eyes-free mode is engaged, the user can control the device by performing gestures that are detected by the device, wherein a gesture is interpreted by the device without regard to a specific location where the gesture is made. The eyes-free mode can be used, for example, to look up a dictionary definition of a word in an e-book or to navigate through and select options from a hierarchical menu of settings on a tablet. The eyes-free mode advantageously allows a user to interact with the user interface in situations where the user has little or no ability to establish concentrated visual contact with the device display.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a touch sensitive display for displaying digital content and detecting gestures that are made on the touch sensitive display, wherein the digital content comprises a plurality of content segments;   a text-to-speech module configured to generate an audible rendering of at least a portion of the digital content, and to designate a particular content segment; and   a user interface that
 includes a reading overlay that displays at least a portion of the digital content, 
 includes an options overlay which is displayed in response to detecting a forward transition gesture, the options overlay including a vertically-oriented list comprising a plurality of command options that are rendered on the touch sensitive display, wherein at least one of the command options is a command applicable to the particular content segment, 
 is responsive to a vertical swipe gesture made while the options overlay is displayed, wherein the vertical swipe gesture (a) does not touch the vertically-oriented list, (b) causes a particular one of the command options to be identified by causing an audible announcement of the particular identified command option to be generated, and (c) must be performed multiple times to scroll through multiple items in the vertically-oriented list, and 
 applies the particular identified command option to the particular content segment in response to detecting a selection gesture that is distinct from the vertical swipe gesture. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker, wherein the user interface is configured to respond to the forward transition gesture by playing a sound using the speaker. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of command options include a word definition function and a word spelling function. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the user interface further includes a control overlay that is displayed in response to detecting the selection gesture in the options overlay, and   the control overlay displays a plurality of control options corresponding to the particular identified command option.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the text-to-speech module is configured to generate the audible rendering while the reading overlay is active, and pause the audible rendering when the options overlay is displayed. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the selection gesture and the forward transition gesture comprise a same gesture. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is selected from a group consisting of an e-reader, a tablet computer, and a smartphone. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an eyes-free control process to be carried out, the eyes-free control process comprising providing a user interface that is rendered on a touch sensitive display, the user interface including:
 a reading overlay in which an aural presentation of digital content is made, and in which the user interface is configured to respond to a forward transition gesture;   an options overlay which is displayed in response to detecting the forward transition gesture in the reading overlay, and in which a plurality of command options are displayed on the touch sensitive display, wherein the options overlay responds to the forward transition gesture by invoking a particular one of the command options; and   a control overlay which is displayed in response to detecting the forward transition gesture in the options overlay, and which displays a plurality of control options corresponding to the invoked particular command option;   wherein detection, at a first location that is anywhere on the touch sensitive display, of the forward transition gesture in the options overlay results in a response that is independent of the first location on the touch sensitive display where the forward transition gesture is detected, the first location encompassing all portions of the touch sensitive display that are contacted by the forward transition gesture;   wherein the reading overlay is displayed in response to detecting, at a second location that is anywhere on the touch sensitive display, at least one of a single-level backward transition gesture in the options overlay, and a multilevel backward transition gesture in the control overlay;   wherein the options overlay is also displayed in response to detecting the single-level backward transition gesture in the control overlay;   wherein the same forward transition gesture is used to transition from the reading overlay to the options overlay, and from the options overlay to the control overlay; and   wherein the same single-level backward transition gesture is used to transition from the control overlay to the options overlay, and from the options overlay to the reading overlay.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the plurality of command options are displayed in a vertically-oriented list; and   the options overlay is further configured to respond to a vertical swipe command option navigation gesture that does not touch any of the plurality of displayed command options.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein detection of the single-level backward transition gesture results in a response that is independent of the second location on the touch sensitive display where the single-level backward transition gesture is detected. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein detection of the multilevel backward transition gesture results in a response that is independent of the second location on the touch sensitive display where the multilevel backward transition gesture is detected. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the options overlay is further configured to highlight a selected one of the plurality of command options in response to a command option focusing gesture that does not touch the selected command option. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the control overlay is further configured to highlight a selected one of the plurality of control options in response to a control option focusing gesture that does not touch the selected control option. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the aural presentation is paused when the options overlay is displayed. 
     
     
         15 . A device comprising:
 a touch sensitive display for displaying digital content and detecting gestures that are made on the touch sensitive display;   a text-to-speech module configured to generate an audible rendering of at least a portion of the displayed digital content; and   a user interface that
 is configured to respond to a content selection gesture that is made at a first location that is anywhere on the touch sensitive display by selecting a portion of digital content that is displayed at a second location on the touch sensitive display, wherein the second location is defined as encompassing all of the selected portion of digital content; and 
 includes an options overlay which is displayed in response to detecting a first instance of a forward transition gesture, and in which a plurality of command options are displayed on the touch sensitive display, wherein the options overlay responds to detecting a second instance of the forward transition gesture by invoking a particular one of the command options, and wherein the invoked particular command option is applicable to the selected portion of digital content; 
   wherein the first and second instances of the forward transition gesture are location-independent of the selected portion of digital content to which the invoked particular command option is applied.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising a speaker, wherein the user interface is further configured use the speaker to play audio feedback that identifies the invoked particular command option in response to detecting the second instance of the forward transition gesture. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising a speaker configured to playback the audible rendering generated by the text-to-speech module. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the first location does not include any portion of the second location. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the first instance of the forward transition gesture is detected after the user interface responds to the content selection gesture. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the invoked particular command option is selected from amongst the plurality of command options on the basis of one or more instances of a vertical swipe gesture being detected on the touch sensitive display.