ACCESSIBILITY AIDS FOR USERS OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20130332827A1
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nook Digital, LLC (f/k/a Barnesandnoble.com LLC) (Bahwan CyberTek Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nook Digital, LLC (f/k/a Barnesandnoble.com LLC) (Bahwan CyberTek Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Smith, Ian C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A simplified UI mode is provided for computing devices, where complex user interface elements are replaced with simpler ones. In one embodiment, content, functions, and/or other selectable items on the home screen or panel(s) of the device are assembled into a one-dimensional list. In some cases, the simplified UI mode can be configured to receive a parsing gesture (e.g., downward drag gesture or a three-finger tap) that causes an item of the list to be aurally presented to the user, and a selection gesture (e.g., release of the drag gesture or a two-finger tap) to select the last aurally presented item. The simplified UI mode may be used in conjunction with a screen protector configured with tactile aid(s) configured to facilitate use of the device by a vision-impaired user. In one case, one of the tactile aids of the screen protector indicates how to activate the simplified user interface mode.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a display for presenting content to a user;

a processor; and

a simplified user interface mode executable on the processor and configured to present selectable content for display in a list format, wherein that selectable content is presented for display in a non-list format when the system is not in the simplified user interface mode.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the simplified user interface mode is further configured to aurally present items in the list in response to a user swipe gesture.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the simplified user interface mode is further configured to disable panning.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the selectable content in list format comprises user-defined items.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is a touch screen display.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a screen protector for protecting the display and having one or more tactile aids configured to facilitate use of the system by a vision-impaired user.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more tactile aids include a braille message.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the braille message includes information on how to remove the screen protector from the display.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the braille message includes information on how to turn on the system.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the braille message includes information on how to activate the simplified user interface mode.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the braille message includes information on how to connect peripheral devices that will assist the vision-impaired user in use of the system.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more tactile aids include a raised directional element that identifies a location of a user interface control feature of the system.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the raised directional element includes a raised line that runs from proximate to a braille message to a location of a user interface control feature of the system.

14. The system of claim 6 wherein the screen protector is configured to only cover a portion of the display.

15. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more tactile aids of the screen protector tactilely indicate how to activate the simplified user interface mode.

16. A computing system, comprising:

a touch screen display for receiving input from a user;

a processor; and

a simplified user interface mode executable on the processor and configured to disable panning and present selectable content for display in a list format, wherein that selectable content is presented for display in a non-list format when the system is not in the simplified user interface mode, and wherein the simplified user interface mode is further configured to aurally present items in the list in response to a user parsing gesture.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the selectable content in list format comprises user-defined items.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a screen protector for protecting the display and having one or more tactile aids configured to facilitate use of the system by a vision-impaired user, wherein the one or more tactile aids tactilely indicate how to activate the simplified user interface mode.

19. A computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions non-transiently encoded thereon to facilitate operation of an electronic device according to the following process:

in a simplified user interface mode of the device, present user-selectable content for display in a list format, wherein that selectable content is presented for display in a non-list format when the device is not in the simplified user interface mode; and

aurally present items in the list in response to a user parsing gesture.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein in the simplified user interface mode, the process further comprises disable panning.