Method of presenting a web page for accessibility browsing

• US 9,489,131 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Seymour, Eric Taylor, Hoa, Patti P., Fabrick, Richard W. II
• Primary Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US12/366,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20100199215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,833 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/808, 715/865
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information

Abstract

A method of presenting a web page is described which incorporates navigation techniques and tools to allow impaired users to navigate throughout a web page in a convenient and geographically intuitive manner. Elements are sampled for in a region located in a user-specified direction, and a UI tool is presented for a detected element. Elements that are “hit” during sampling may be tested for materiality, and the material element with precedence will become the detected element.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices;

displaying, on the display, a web page that includes a plurality of selectable elements;

while a respective location in the web page is currently selected, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a command to identify a selectable element in a specified direction from the respective location within the web page;

in response to the command;

scanning through the web page to detect a next selectable element from the respective location, the scanning comprising sampling for elements of the web page in the specified direction, and wherein sampling includes hit detection at specific coordinates along a pattern; and

in accordance with a determination that a first selectable element is a next selectable element from the respective location in the respective location, selecting the first selectable element, and presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to the first selectable element; and

in accordance with a determination that a second selectable element is a next selectable element from the respective location in the respective location, selecting the second selectable element, and presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to the second selectable element.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to either the first selectable element or the second selectable element includes generating a visible indicator at the detected element.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to either the first selectable element or the second selectable element includes at least one of providing an audible output or providing a Braille output.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the sampling for elements of the web page comprises:

pattern-sampling for an element at a first area in a near portion of the region; and

pattern-sampling for an element at a different area in the near portion of the region.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein the pattern-sampling in the first area and in the different area are parabola patterns.

6. A method as in claim 4 wherein the sampling for elements of the web page further comprises:

pattern-sampling for an element in a distant portion of the region if no element is detected in the near portion, wherein the pattern sampling in the near portion is a first pattern and the pattern-sampling in the distant portion is a second pattern.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the first pattern is a parabola and the second pattern is a zig-zag.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating a hit element against at least one rule for materiality; and

identifying the hit element as the detected element if determined to be material.

9. A method as in claim 8, further comprising:

identifying the hit element as a section of the web page, the section comprising a plurality of lines of text;

requesting the bounds of each line;

determining a closest line of the plurality of lines of text to a detection point of the hit element;

wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page are presented at a beginning of the closest line.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user interface to allow a user to navigate a web page; and

executing an accessibility service to provide an accessibility presentation of user interface elements for the web page.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page include web page navigation options.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page include element interaction options.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein command to identify selectable elements includes selection of a navigation option in a menu that corresponds to a selectable element at the respective location.

10. A machine readable non-transitory medium having instructions stored therein which when executed cause a machine with a display and one or more input devices to perform a set of operations comprising:

displaying, on the display, a web page that includes a plurality of selectable elements;

while a respective location in the web page is currently selected, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a command to identify a selectable element in a specified direction from the respective location within the web page;

in response to the command;

scanning through the web page to detect a next selectable element from the respective location, the scanning comprising sampling for elements of the web page in the specified direction, and wherein sampling includes hit detection at specific coordinates along a pattern; and

in accordance with a determination that a first selectable element is a next selectable element from the respective location in the respective location, selecting the first selectable element, and presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to the first selectable element; and

in accordance with a determination that a second selectable element is a next selectable element from the respective location in the respective location, selecting the second selectable element, and presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to the second selectable element.

11. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10 wherein the presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to either the first selectable element or the second selectable element includes generating a visible indicator at the detected element.

12. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10 wherein the presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to either the first selectable element or the second selectable element includes at least one of providing an audible output or providing a Braille output.

13. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10 wherein the sampling for elements of the web page comprises:

pattern-sampling for an element at a first area in a near portion of the region; and

pattern-sampling for an element at a different area in the near portion of the region.

14. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 wherein the pattern-sampling in the first area and in the different area are parabola patterns.

15. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 13 wherein the sampling for elements of the web page further comprises:

pattern-sampling for an element in a distant portion of the region when element is detected, wherein the pattern sampling in the near portion is a first pattern and the pattern-sampling in the distant portion is a second pattern.

16. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 15 wherein the first pattern is a parabola and the second pattern is a zig-zag.

17. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10, having further instructions stored therein which when executed cause a machine to perform a set of instructions further comprising:

evaluating a hit element against at least one rule for materiality; and

identifying the hit element as the detected element if determined to be material.

18. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 17, having further instructions stored therein which when executed cause a machine to perform a set of instructions further comprising:

identifying the hit element as a section of the web page, the section comprising a plurality of line of text;

requesting the bounds of each line;

determining a closest line of the plurality of lines of text to a detection point of the hit element;

wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page are presented at a beginning of the closest line.

20. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a user interface to allow a user to navigate a web page; and

executing an accessibility service to provide an accessibility presentation of user interface elements for the web page.

24. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page include web page navigation options.

25. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page include element interaction options.

26. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 10, wherein command to identify selectable elements includes selection of a navigation option in a menu that corresponds to a selectable element at the respective location.

27. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

a display;

one or more input devices;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

displaying, on the display, a web page that includes a plurality of selectable elements;

while a respective location in the web page is currently selected, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a command to identify a selectable element in a specified direction from the respective location within the web page;

in response to the command;

scanning through the web page to detect a next selectable element from the respective location, the scanning comprising sampling for elements of the web page in the specified direction, and wherein sampling includes hit detection at specific coordinates along a pattern; and

in accordance with a determination that a first selectable element is a next selectable element from the respective location in the respective location, selecting the first selectable element, and presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to the first selectable element; and

in accordance with a determination that a second selectable element is a next selectable element from the respective location in the respective location, selecting the second selectable element, and presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to the second selectable element.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to either the first selectable element or the second selectable element includes generating a visible indicator at the detected element.

29. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the presenting a plurality of options for interacting with the web page with reference to either the first selectable element or the second selectable element includes at least one of providing an audible output or providing a Braille output.

30. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the sampling for elements of the web page comprises:

pattern-sampling for an element at a first area in a near portion of the region; and

pattern-sampling for an element at a different area in the near portion of the region.

31. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the pattern-sampling in the first area and in the different area are parabola patterns.

32. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the sampling for elements of the web page further comprises:

pattern-sampling for an element in a distant portion of the region if no element is detected in the near portion, wherein the pattern sampling in the near portion is a first pattern and the pattern-sampling in the distant portion is a second pattern.

33. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the first pattern is a parabola and the second pattern is a zig-zag.

34. The electronic device of claim 27, further comprising:

evaluating a hit element against at least one rule for materiality; and

identifying the hit element as the detected element if determined to be material.

35. The electronic device of claim 34, further comprising:

identifying the hit element as a section of the web page, the section comprising a plurality of lines of text;

requesting the bounds of each line;

determining a closest line of the plurality of lines of text to a detection point of the hit element;

wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page are presented at a beginning of the closest line.

36. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the plurality of options for interacting with the web page include web page navigation options.