Conversion of platform-independent accessibility logic into platform-specific accessibility functionality

• US 10,459,600 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Frem, Peter, Eulitz, Andreas, Hosany, Khalef
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US14/928,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An accessibility framework exposes a uniform application interface to applications with accessibility functionality. It receives abstract user interface components and provides them, through a platform-specific interface, to an accessibility framework, for processing.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

an application component configured to run, in a runtime environment with a particular platform,

an application that generates a user interface, wherein the application creates a platform-independent accessibility object in response to a request for the platform-independent accessibility object, wherein the platform-independent accessibility object is independent of the particular platform, and

caches accessibility information corresponding to the user interface generated by the application;

a processor; and

memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, provide;

an accessibility system that is separate from the application and comprises;

a uniform application interface exposed to the application and configured to receive the platform-independent accessibility object from the application;

a set of platform-specific mappings, wherein each platform-specific mapping maps the accessibility information in the platform-independent accessibility object to a different platform having an accessibility client; and

a platform adaptor component configured to;

based on the set of platform-specific mappings, wrap the platform-independent accessibility object in a platform adaptor that comprises a platform-specific wrapper, consumable by a platform-specific interface that is specific to the particular platform;

wherein the platform-specific interface is exposed to a platform-specific accessibility framework and configured to provide access to the accessibility information in the platform-independent accessibility object to the accessibility client of the particular platform through the platform-specific accessibility framework.

2. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the instructions provide:

a development system configured to receive a developer input to generate an application with accessibility information.

3. The computing system of claim 2 wherein the development system is configured to generate the accessibility information as a tree with a root node and descendant nodes.

4. The computing system of claim 3 wherein the development system is configured to, in response to a developer input, wrap the root node of the tree in a platform adaptor.

5. The computing system of claim 4 wherein the development system is configured to, in response to a set of developer inputs, wrap multiple instances of the root node of the tree, each in a different platform adaptor.

6. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the accessibility client comprises a screen magnifier.

7. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the accessibility client comprises a screen reader.

8. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the application component is configured to:

based on a user interface focus of the application, control the accessibility information cached in the platform-independent accessibility object.

9. A method performed by an accessibility system, the method comprising:

receiving a platform-independent accessibility object from an application that is running on a computing system platform and is separate from the accessibility system, wherein the application creates the platform-independent accessibility object in response to a request for the platform-independent accessibility object, the platform-independent accessibility object is

received through a uniform application interface, that is exposed to the running application by the accessibility system,

caches accessibility information corresponding to a user interface in the application running on the computing system platform, and

independent of the computing system platform;

wrapping the platform-independent accessibility object in a platform-specific wrapper that is specific to the computing system platform and consumable by a platform-specific interface that is;

specific to the computing system platform, and

exposed to a platform-specific accessibility framework; and

providing the platform-specific wrapper to the accessibility framework through the platform-specific interface, wherein an accessibility client associated with the platform-specific accessibility framework is configured to provide users access to application functionality based on the accessibility information.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9 wherein providing the platform-specific wrapper to the accessibility framework comprises:

mapping the accessibility information in the platform-independent accessibility object to a platform-specific application programming interface (API) used by the accessibility framework.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10 wherein mapping comprises:

wrapping the platform-independent accessibility object in a platform-specific adaptor that is specific to the platform-specific API.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 9 and further comprising:

providing accessibility information from the platform-independent accessibility object to the accessibility framework through the platform-specific adaptor.

13. A computing system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when execute, configure the computing system to;

run, in a runtime environment with a particular platform, an application that generates a user interface, wherein the application creates a platform-independent accessibility object in response to a request for the platform-independent accessibility object, wherein the platform-independent accessibility object;

is independent of the particular platform, and

caches accessibility information corresponding to the user interface generated by the application;

receive, by a uniform application interface that is exposed to the application, the platform-independent accessibility object from the application;

based on a set of platform-specific mappings, wrap the platform-independent accessibility object in a platform adaptor that comprises a platform-specific wrapper, consumable by a platform-specific interface that is specific to the particular platform,

wherein each platform-specific mapping, in the set of platform-specific mappings, maps the accessibility information in the platform-independent accessibility object to a different platform having an accessibility client; and

provide, by the platform-specific interface that is exposed to an accessibility framework, access to the accessibility information in the platform-independent accessibility object to the accessibility client of the particular platform through the platform-specific accessibility framework.

14. The computing system of claim 13 wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:

wrap the platform-independent accessibility object in a platform-specific adaptor that is specific to the platform-specific interface.

15. The computing system of claim 13 wherein a platform-specific adaptor is configured to, communicate accessibility information with an accessibility client, through the accessibility framework.