Equal access to speech and touch input

• US 10,209,954 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Anne, Stifelman, Lisa, Elman, Adam, Thai, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosario, Nelson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/372,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20130207898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,562 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-180, 700 1- 89, 700 90-306, 715700-860
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

Input access may be provided. A user interface may be displayed on a user device. Upon receiving a selection of at least one element of the user interface, a plurality of input receiving modes of the user device may be activated.

Claims

1. A method for providing input access, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface on a user device;

receiving a selection of at least one element of the user interface;

in response to receiving the selection, identifying a type of the at least one element of the user interface;

determining a plurality of input receiving modes associated with the identified type, wherein the plurality of input receiving modes includes at least two of;

a hardware keyboard, a touchscreen keyboard and a microphone;

activating a plurality of input receiving modes for the at least one element based on the identified type, wherein the plurality of input receiving modes are ready to receive an input without further interaction with the user interface; and

when speech input is received using at least one of the plurality of input receiving modes, removing a display of at least one example input from the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one first element of the input receiving modes of the user device comprises a listening state.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a spoken input to the at least one first modes of the receiving modes; and

providing the spoken input to a speech recognizer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one second mode of the input receiving mode of the user device comprises a keyboard element displayed on the user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input from the user via at least one first element of the plurality of input receiving modes; and

deactivating at least one second mode of the plurality of input receiving elements.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one second element of the user interface; and

re-activating the plurality of input receiving modes of the user device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input from the user via at least one first mode of the plurality of input receiving modes; and

displaying the received input in the selected at least one element of the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input from the user via at least one first mode of the plurality of input receiving modes; and

displaying an indicator that the at least one element of the user interface is actively receiving the input.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least one example input according to the at least one element of the user interface.

10. A system for providing input access, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operable to;

display a user interface;

receive a selection of an element of the user interface and identify a type of the at least one element of the user interface;

in response to receiving the selection, identify a type of the at least one element of the user interface;

determining a plurality of input receiving modes associated with the identified type, wherein the plurality of input receiving modes includes at least two of;

a hardware keyboard, a touchscreen keyboard and a microphone;

activate a plurality of input receiving modes for the at least one element based on the identified type, wherein the plurality of input receiving modes are ready to receive an input without further interaction with the user interface; and

receive an input via a first input receiving mode of the plurality of input receiving modes, wherein receiving the speech input causes deactivation of at least one second input receiving mode of the plurality of input receiving modes, and removal of a display of at least one example input from the user interface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

display an availability indicator associated with at least the first input mode proximate to the element of the user interface.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

display a second availability indicator associated with at least one available output mode proximate to the element of the user interface.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

identify a type of the element of the user interface; and

activate a subset of the plurality of input receiving modes according to the type of the element of the user interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the activated subset of the plurality of input receiving modes comprises a keyboard input mode comprising a non-standard keyboard layout.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

receive a selection of the element of the user interface; and

display an example input appropriate to the element of the user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the example input comprises a text display.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the example input comprises a plurality of input options.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of input options comprises a list of inputs selectable via at least one of the input receiving modes.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of input options comprise a list of frequently received inputs according to a type of the element of the user interface.

20. A computer storage device which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing input access, the method execute by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one first element of a plurality of user interface elements displayed on a user device wherein the user device is operative to receive the selection via at least one of a plurality of input modes comprising at least two of the following;

a hardware keyboard, a touchscreen keyboard, and a microphone;

identifying a first type of the at least one first element of the plurality of user interface elements;

activating at least a first subset of a plurality of input modes for the at least one element based on the identified type, wherein the first subset of the plurality of input modes are ready to receive an input without further interaction with the user interface, and wherein the first subset of the plurality of input modes comprise at least a speech input mode and a keyboard input mode;

displaying at least one example input according to the first type;

in response to receiving a spoken input to the at least one first element of the plurality of user interface elements via the speech input mode, removing the display of the at least one example input from the user interface;

de-activating at least the keyboard input mode;

displaying an indicator that the speech input mode is receiving the spoken input;

providing the spoken input to a speech recognizer, wherein the speech recognizer is optimized according to the first type of the at least one first element;

receiving a recognized input from the speech recognizer;

populating the user interface element with the recognized input;

receiving a selection of at least one second element of the plurality of user interface elements;

identifying a second type of the at least one second element of the plurality of user interface elements; and

activating at least a second subset of the plurality of input modes according to the second type for the at least one second element.