USABILITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR VISUAL INTERFACES

• US 20160378274A1
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Akiner, Veli, Confino, Benjamin A., Whitehouse, Bradley G., Jiang, Fenghui, Ross, Martin A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,231 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

One or more aspects relate to a screen reader. Markup code for a visual interface containing at least one visual control is located. A screen reader menu for the visual interface is created. A visual control name and screen location, both corresponding to the at least one visual control, are extracted from the markup code. A menu item is generated in the screen reader menu corresponding to the at least one visual control. The menu item is set to simulate an action at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control on selection of the menu item whereby on user selection of the menu item the action is simulated at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control.

Claims

1. A screen reader comprising:

a markup code probe to locate markup code for a visual interface containing at least one visual control;

a menu factory to create a screen reader menu for the visual interface;

a visual control extraction engine to extract properties from the at least one visual control, the properties including a visual control name and a screen location, both corresponding to the at least one visual control;

a menu item factory to generate a menu item in the screen reader menu corresponding to the at least one visual control; and

a menu controller to set the menu item to simulate an action at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control on selection of the menu item whereby on user selection of the menu item the action is simulated at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control.

2. The screen reader according to claim 1, wherein the visual control extraction engine is further to perform extracting, generating and setting for each visual control in the markup code for the visual interface.

3. The screen reader according to claim 2, wherein the visual control extraction engine is further to extract from the markup code further descriptive information relating to a visual control and making such further descriptive information available from the menu item.

4. The screen reader according to claim 1, wherein the markup code probe is further to locate at least one dependent visual control depending from the at least one visual control, and the visual control extraction engine is further to extract from the markup code a dependent visual control name and screen location, both corresponding to the at least one visual control.

5. The screen reader according to claim 4, wherein the visual control extraction engine is further to extract from the markup code further descriptive information relating to a visual control and making such further descriptive information available from the menu item.

6. The screen reader according to claim 4, wherein the markup code probe is further to locate at least one doubly dependent visual control depending from at least one dependent visual control, and the visual control extraction engine is further to extract from the markup code a doubly dependent visual control name and screen location, both corresponding to the at least one doubly dependent visual control.

7. The screen reader according to claim 6, wherein the visual control extraction engine is further to extract from the markup code further descriptive information relating to a visual control and making such further descriptive information available from the menu item.

8. The screen reader according to claim 1, wherein the visual control extraction engine is further to extract from the markup code further descriptive information relating to the at least one visual control and making such further descriptive information available from the menu item.

9. A computer-implemented method for a screen reader comprising:

locating markup code for a visual interface containing at least one visual control;

creating a screen reader menu for the visual interface;

extracting from the markup code, a visual control name and a screen location, both corresponding to the at least one visual control;

generating a menu item in the screen reader menu corresponding to the at least one visual control; and

setting the menu item to simulate an action at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control on selection of the menu item whereby on user selection of the menu item the action is simulated at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the extracting, generating and setting are performed for each visual control in the markup code for the visual interface.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising extracting from the markup code further descriptive information relating to a visual control and making such further descriptive information available from the menu item.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising locating a dependent visual control depending from the at least one visual control, and extracting from the markup code a dependent visual control name and screen location, both corresponding to the at least one visual control.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 12, further comprising extracting from the markup code further descriptive information relating to a visual control and making such further descriptive information available from the menu item.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 12, further comprising locating at least one doubly dependent visual control depending from at least one dependent visual control, and extracting from the markup code a doubly dependent visual control name and screen location, both corresponding to the at least one doubly dependent visual control.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, further comprising extracting from the markup code further descriptive information relating to the at least one visual control and making such further descriptive information available from the menu item.

16. A computer program product for a screen reader, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

locate markup code for a visual interface containing at least one visual control;

create a screen reader menu for the visual interface;

extract from the markup code, a visual control name and a screen location, both corresponding to the at least one visual control;

generate a menu item in the screen reader menu corresponding to the at least one visual control; and

set the menu item to simulate an action at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control on selection of the menu item whereby on user selection of the menu item the action is simulated at the screen location corresponding to the at least one visual control.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the extracting, generating and setting are performed for each visual control in the markup code for the visual interface.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the processor is to locate a dependent visual control depending from the at least one visual control, and extract from the markup code a dependent visual control name and screen location, both corresponding to the at least one visual control.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further to locate at least one doubly dependent visual control depending from at least one dependent visual control, and extract from the markup code a doubly dependent visual control name and screen location, both corresponding to the at least one doubly dependent visual control.

20. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the processor is further to extract from the markup code further descriptive information relating to the at least one visual control and make such further descriptive information available from the menu item.