SCREENREADER USER INTERFACE

• US 20160259535A1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: EVERITT, Aaron, FLEIZACH, Christopher, SEYMOUR, Eric T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,466,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to screenreader techniques and volume control techniques for electronic devices. In some embodiments, a device displays a plurality of user interface objects in an ordered progression. A rotation of a rotary input mechanism is detected. In response to the rotation of the rotary input mechanism, if a rotary screenreader navigation mode is activated, a visual highlight is displayed and an auditory output is produced. In some embodiments, a device has a volume setting. A gesture is detected, and a volume adjustment mode is activated. The gesture ends with a contact being maintained, and the volume setting is adjusted in accordance with detected movement of the contact.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable multifunction device with a display, an audio output part, and a rotatable input mechanism, cause the device to:

at an electronic device having a display, an audio output part, and a rotary input mechanism;

display, on the display, a plurality of user interface objects in an ordered progression;

display a visual highlight associated with a first user interface object of the plurality of interface objects and produce auditory output associated with the first user interface object;

detect rotation of the rotary input mechanism in a first rotational direction; and

in response to detecting rotation of the rotary input mechanism in the first rotational direction;

if a rotary navigation mode is activated, display a visual highlight associated with a second user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects and produce auditory output associated with the second user interface object, wherein the second user interface object follows the first user interface object in the ordered progression,

if a rotary navigation mode is not activated, forgo displaying a visual highlight associated with the second user interface object and forgo producing auditory output associated with the second user interface object.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

while displaying the visual highlight associated with the second user interface object, detect rotation of the rotary input mechanism in a second rotational direction substantially opposite the first rotational direction;

in response to detecting rotation of the rotary input mechanism in the second rotational direction;

if the rotary navigation mode is activated, display a visual highlight associated with one of the first user interface object and a third user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects and produce auditory output associated with one of the first user interface object and the third user interface object, wherein the third user interface object precedes the second user interface object in the ordered progression; and

if the rotary navigation mode is not activated, forgo displaying a visual highlight associated with either of the first or the third user interface objects and forgo producing auditory output associated with either of the first or the third user interface objects.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the second user interface object immediately follows the first user interface object in the ordered progression.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the third user interface object immediately precedes the second user interface object in the ordered progression.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

detect a first touch input; and

in response to detecting the first touch input, activate the rotary screenreader navigation mode.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the first touch input comprises a substantially simultaneous multi-touch input.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the first touch input comprises a two-finger triple-tap gesture detected on the display of the device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein rotary screenreader navigation mode is a sub-mode of a screenreader mode.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

detect a depression input of the rotary input mechanism;

in response to detecting the depression input of the rotary input mechanism, activate screenreader mode.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the depression input comprises a plurality of successive depressions of the rotary input mechanism.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

detect a second touch input at a location corresponding to a fourth user interface object,

in response to detecting the second touch input, display a visual highlight associated with the fourth user interface object and produce auditory output associated with the fourth user interface object.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second touch input comprises a single-finger single-tap gesture.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

while displaying a visual highlight associated with the first user interface object, detect a swipe input;

in response to detecting the swipe input;

if the swipe input is in a first predefined direction and comprises a first predefined number of contacts, display a visual highlight associated with the second user interface object and produce auditory output associated with the second user interface object; and

if the swipe input is in a second predefined direction that is substantially opposite the first predefined direction and comprises the first predefined number of contacts, display a visual highlight associated with one of the third user interface object and a fifth user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects and produce auditory output associated with one of the third user interface object and fifth user interface object, wherein one of the third user interface object and the fifth user interface object immediately precedes the first user interface object.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first and second predefined directions are substantially horizontal with respect to the display of the device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of claim 13, wherein the first predefined number of contacts is one.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

in response to detecting the swipe input;

if the swipe input is in a third predefined direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first predefined direction and comprises a second predefined number of contacts, produce auditory output associated with a first contextual action; and

if the swipe input is in a fourth predefined direction that is substantially opposite to the third predefined direction and comprises the second predefined number of contacts, produce auditory output associated with a second contextual action that precedes or follows the first contextual action in a second ordered progression.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the third and fourth predefined directions are substantially vertical with respect to the display of the device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the second predefined number of contacts is one.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second contextual actions correspond to the first user interface object.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second contextual actions correspond to a user interface that is displayed when the swipe input is detected.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

in response to detecting the swipe input, if the swipe input comprises a third predefined number of contacts, cease to display a first user interface and displaying a second user interface.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the third predefined number of contacts is two.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

detect a third touch input; and

in response to detecting the third touch input, activate a first function corresponding to a most recent auditory output.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the third touch input comprises a double-tap gesture.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the third touch input is detected at a location that does not correspond to a pre-selected user interface object or an activated function.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the rotary input mechanism comprises a knob on a wrist-wearable device, the knob being rotatable about a single axis.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the single axis is substantially parallel to a plane of the display of the device.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the rotary input mechanism comprises a watch crown.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the rotary input mechanism comprises a depressible button, depressible along an axis of rotation.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the rotary input mechanism comprises a touch-sensitive surface.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the display is a pressure-sensitive display.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the display is smaller than 3 inches by 3 inches.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of 1, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determine whether a characteristic intensity of the contact is above an intensity threshold; and

in accordance with a determination that the characteristic intensity of the contact is above the intensity threshold, activate a second function corresponding to a most recent auditory output.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the contact is detected at a location that does not correspond to a pre-selected user interface object or an activated function.

36. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device having a display, an audio output part, and a rotary input mechanism;

displaying, on the display, a plurality of user interface objects in an ordered progression;

displaying a visual highlight associated with a first user interface object of the plurality of interface objects and producing auditory output associated with the first user interface object;

detecting rotation of the rotary input mechanism in a first rotational direction; and

in response to detecting rotation of the rotary input mechanism in the first rotational direction;

if a rotary navigation mode is activated, displaying a visual highlight associated with a second user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects and producing auditory output associated with the second user interface object, wherein the second user interface object follows the first user interface object in the ordered progression, and

if a rotary navigation mode is not activated, forgoing displaying a visual highlight associated with the second user interface object and forgoing producing auditory output associated with the second user interface object.

37. A device comprising:

a display;

an audio output part;

a rotary input mechanism;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to;

display, on the display, a plurality of user interface objects in an ordered progression;

display a visual highlight associated with a first user interface object of the plurality of interface objects and producing auditory output associated with the first user interface object;

detect rotation of the rotary input mechanism in a first rotational direction; and

in response to detecting rotation of the rotary input mechanism in the first rotational direction;

if a rotary navigation mode is activated, display a visual highlight associated with a second user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects and produce auditory output associated with the second user interface object, wherein the second user interface object follows the first user interface object in the ordered progression,

if a rotary navigation mode is not activated, forgo displaying a visual highlight associated with the second user interface object and forgo producing auditory output associated with the second user interface object.

38-52. -52. (canceled)