Method and apparatus for providing accessibility through a context sensitive magnifying glass

• US 6,704,034 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spinac, Clifford Jay, Rodriguez, Herman, Smith, Newton James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/671,070
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 345/856-866, 345/157-160, 345/764-767, 715/501.1, 715/512, 715/513
• US Class Current: 715/860
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a data processing system for presenting a set of objects within the data processing system. Responsive to detecting movement of a pointer over an object within the set of objects, an object type is identified for the object. Presentation of the object is then magnified based on the object type.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for presenting a set of objects on a display within the data processing system, the method comprising:

responsive to detecting movement of a pointer over an object within the set of objects, identifying an object for the object, wherein the object type is one of a plurality of object types, and wherein more than one object in the set of objects may have a same object type; and

magnifying presentation of the object based on the object type of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object type is one of a graphic object, image object, video object, text object, and an audio object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a text object and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

selecting a font size for the object; and

presenting information in the object using the font size.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the presenting step comprises:

displaying the information using the font in a window overlaying the object.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the presenting step comprises:

displaying the object using the font; and

reflowing the text in the text object.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the presenting step comprises:

displaying the object using the font; and

displaying the text using the font in an overlay window located over the text object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a text object and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

selecting a font type for the object; and

presenting information in the object using the font type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is an image object and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

identifying a magnified version of the image object; and

presenting the magnified version of the image object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is an audio object and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

adjusting a volume at which information in the audio object is presented.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the adjusting step includes:

reducing a volume at which information from other audio objects are presented while in a magnifying mode.

11. A method in a data processing system for presenting information, the method comprising:

monitoring for a change in focus on the information from a first portion of the information to a second portion of the information;

identifying a context of the second portion of the information, wherein the context is one of a plurality of contexts, and wherein more than one portion of information may have a same context; and

magnifying presentation of the information based on the context of the second portion of the information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

displaying the text in an increased font size and reflowed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

displaying the text in a selected font type and reflowed.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

displaying the text in an increased font size, wherein the new text is in a window that overlays the text.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

displaying new text in an different font type, wherein the new text is in a window that overlays the text.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the context of the information is an image having a first size and where the magnifying step comprises:

displaying the image in a size larger than the first size.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the context of the information is at least one of textual information, graphic information, image information, video information, and audio information.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the context of the information is an image having a first bit map size and wherein the magnifying step comprises:

displaying the image using a second bitmap size having more pixels than the fist bitmap size.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring step comprises:

determining whether a pointer has moved from the first portion to a second portion of the information.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of magnifying the information is performed selectively such that only a selected context is magnified.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the selected context is textual information.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the selected context is image information.

23. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to identify an object type for an object within a set of objects in response to detecting movement of a pointer over an object within the set of objects and magnify presentation of the object based on the object type of the object, wherein the object type is one of a plurality of object types, and wherein more than one object in the set of objects may have a same object type.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the bus system is a single bus.

25. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the bus system includes a primary bus and a secondary bus.

26. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the processing unit includes a plurality of processors.

27. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the communications unit is one of a modem or Ethernet adapter.

28. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to monitor for a change in focus on the information from a first portion of the information to a second portion of the information, identify a context of the information in the second portion, wherein the context is one of a plurality of contexts, and wherein more than one portion of information may have a same context, and magnify presentation of the information based on the context of the second portion of the information.

29. A data processing system for presenting a set of objects on a display within the data processing system comprising:

identifying means, responsive to detecting movement of a pointer over an object within the set of objects, for identifying an object type for the object, wherein the object type is one of a plurality of object types, and wherein more than one object in the set of objects may have a same object type; and

magnifying means for magnifying presentation of the object based on the object type of the object.

30. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the object type is one of a graphic object, image object, video object, text object, and an audio object.

31. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the object is a text object and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

selecting means for selecting a font size for the object; and

presenting means for presenting information in the object using the font size.

32. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the presenting means comprises:

displaying means for displaying the information using the font in a window overlaying the object.

33. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the presenting means comprises:

displaying means for displaying the object using the font; and

reflowing means for reflowing the text in the text object.

34. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the presenting means comprises:

displaying means for displaying the object using the font; and

second displaying means for displaying the text using the font in an overlay window located over the text object.

35. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the object is a text object and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

selecting means for selecting a font type for the object; and

presenting means for presenting information in the object using the font type.

36. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the object is an image object and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

second identifying means for identifying a magnified version of the image object; and

presenting means for presenting the magnified version of the image object.

37. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the object is an audio object and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

adjusting means for adjusting a volume at which information in the audio object is presented.

38. The data processing system of claim 37, wherein the adjusting means includes:

reducing means for reducing a volume at which information from other audio objects are presented while in a magnifying mode.

39. A data processing system for presenting information comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring for a change in focus on the information from a first portion of the information to a second portion of the information;

identifying means for identifying a context of the second portion of the information second, wherein the context is one of a plurality of contexts, and wherein more than one portion of information may have a same context; and

magnifying means for magnifying presentation of the information based on the context of the second portion of the information.

40. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

displaying means for displaying the text in an increased font size and reflowed.

41. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

displaying means for displaying the text in a selected font type and reflowed.

42. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

displaying means for displaying new text in an increased font size, wherein the new text is in a window that overlays the text.

43. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the context of the information is text and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

displaying means for displaying new text in an different font type, wherein the new text is in a window that overlays the text.

45. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the context of the information is at least one of textual information, graphic information, image information, video information, and audio information.

46. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the context of the information is an image having a first bit map size and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

displaying means for displaying the image using a second bitmap size having more pixels than the first bit map size.

47. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the monitoring means comprises:

determining means for determining whether a pointer has moved from the first portion to a second portion of the information.

48. The data processing system of claim 39, wherein the means of magnifying the information is performed selectively such that only a selected context is magnified.

49. The data processing system of claim 48, wherein the selected context is textual information.

50. The data processing system of claim 48, wherein the selected context is image information.

44. The data processing system of 39, wherein the context of the information is an image having a first size and wherein the magnifying means comprises:

displaying means for displaying the image in a size larger than the first size.

51. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for presenting a set of objects on a display within the data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions, responsive to detecting movement of a pointer over an object within the set of objects, for identifying an object type for the object, wherein the object type is one of a plurality of object types, and wherein more than one object is the set of objects may have a same object type; and

second instructions for magnifying presentation of the object based on the object type of the object over which the pointer is moved.

52. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for presenting information, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for monitoring for a change in focus on the information from a first portion of the information to a second portion of the information;

second instructions for identifying a context of the second portion of the information, wherein the context is one of a plurality of contexts, and wherein more than one portion of information may have a same context; and

third instructions for magnifying presentation of the second portion of the information based on the context of the second portion of the information.