INSTANTANEOUS SPEAKING OF CONTENT ON TOUCH DEVICES

• US 20150339049A1
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: FLEIZACH, Christopher B., KASEMSET, Clare T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,592,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/02 Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers

Abstract

Systems and processes are disclosed for initiating and controlling content speaking on touch-sensitive devices. A gesture can be detected on a touchscreen for causing text to be spoken. Displayed content can be analyzed, and a determination can be made based on size, position, and other attributes as to which portion of displayed text should be spoken. In response to detecting the gesture, the identified portion of text can be spoken using a text-to-speech process. A menu of controls can be displayed for controlling the speaking. The menu can automatically be hidden and a persistent virtual button can be displayed that can remain available on the touchscreen despite the user navigating to another view. Selecting the persistent virtual button can restore the full menu of controls, thereby allowing the user to continue to control the speaking even after navigating away from the content being spoken.

Claims

1. A method for speaking touchscreen content, the method comprising:

at an electronic device;

detecting a gesture on a touchscreen;

determining a portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken based on a size of the portion of text and a position on the touchscreen of the portion of text; and

in response to detecting the gesture, speaking the determined portion of text using a text-to-speech process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gesture comprises a swipe of two input points on the touchscreen from an edge of the touchscreen toward a center of the touchscreen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gesture comprises a tapping of three input points on the touchscreen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

in an email application, selecting one of a sender field, a subject field, and a message body field as the determined portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

in a messaging application, selecting one or more text messages in reverse chronological order as the determined portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

where two or more applications are displayed on the touchscreen, selecting text in an application with focus as the determined portion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to reaching an end of the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen, speaking additional text associated with the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional text comprises a next paragraph, a next page, a next message, or a next email.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while text is being spoken, displaying a menu of controls on the touchscreen for controlling the speaking, wherein the menu of controls comprises a pause control and a speed control;

in response to a predetermined time elapsing without selection of a menu control, ceasing to display the menu of controls on the touchscreen and displaying a persistent virtual button;

in response to selection of the persistent virtual button, ceasing to display the persistent virtual button and displaying the menu of controls on the touchscreen;

receiving a user command to display new content on the touchscreen; and

in response to receiving the user command, displaying the new content, wherein the persistent virtual button is overlaid over the new content.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the menu of controls further comprises a skip forward control and a skip backward control.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a text skipping distance based on a length of the portion of text being spoken;

in response to selection of the skip forward control, causing the speaking to skip forward in the portion of text by the text skipping distance; and

in response to selection of the skip backward control, causing the speaking to skip backward in the portion of text by the text skipping distance.

12. A method for speaking displayed content, the method comprising:

at an electronic device;

receiving a voice command, the voice command, when received, causing text displayed on a display to be spoken;

determining a portion of displayed text to be spoken based on a size of the portion of text and a position on the display of the portion of text; and

in response to receiving the voice command, speaking the determined portion of text using a text-to-speech process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the portion of displayed text to be spoken comprises:

in a messaging application, selecting one or more text messages in reverse chronological order as the determined portion.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the portion of displayed text to be spoken comprises:

where two or more applications are displayed on the display, selecting text in an application with focus as the determined portion.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for

detecting a gesture on a touchscreen;

determining a portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken based on a size of the portion of text and a position on the touchscreen of the portion of text; and

in response to detecting the gesture, speaking the determined portion of text using a text-to-speech process.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the gesture comprises a swipe of two input points on the touchscreen from an edge of the touchscreen toward a center of the touchscreen.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the gesture comprises a tapping of three input points on the touchscreen.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

in an email application, selecting one of a sender field, a subject field, and a message body field as the determined portion.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

in a messaging application, selecting one or more text messages in reverse chronological order as the determined portion.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

where two or more applications are displayed on the touchscreen, selecting text in an application with focus as the determined portion.

21. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

detecting a gesture on a touchscreen;

determining a portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken based on a size of the portion of text and a position on the touchscreen of the portion of text; and

in response to detecting the gesture, speaking the determined portion of text using a text-to-speech process.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the gesture comprises a swipe of two input points on the touchscreen from an edge of the touchscreen toward a center of the touchscreen.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the gesture comprises a tapping of three input points on the touchscreen.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

in an email application, selecting one of a sender field, a subject field, and a message body field as the determined portion.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

in a messaging application, selecting one or more text messages in reverse chronological order as the determined portion.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the portion of text displayed on the touchscreen to be spoken comprises:

where two or more applications are displayed on the touchscreen, selecting text in an application with focus as the determined portion.