Touch-screen user interface

• US 9,262,063 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, John T., Green, Christopher, Hebenstreit, Joseph J., Keller, Kevin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US12/553,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser

Abstract

A user interface for a touch-screen display of a dedicated handheld electronic book reader device is described. The user interface detects human gestures manifest as pressure being applied by a finger or stylus to regions on the touch-screen display. In one implementation, the touch-screen user interface enables a user to turn one or more pages in response to applying a force or pressure to the touch-screen display. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface is configured to bookmark a page temporarily by applying a pressure to the display, then allowing a user to turn pages to a new page, but reverting back to a previously-displayed page when the pressure is removed. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface identifies and filters electronic books based on book size and/or a time available to read a book. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface converts text to speech in response to a user touching the touch-screen display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying text of an electronic document on a touch-screen display;

detecting an object as the object moves across the touch-screen display, the object indicating an excerpt of the text being displayed; and

generating a spoken representation of the excerpted text, wherein a speed of the spoken representation corresponds to an average speed of the object moving across the touch-screen display such that the speed of the spoken representation increases or decreases in proportion to an increase or decrease of the speed of the object moving across the touch-screen display.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises at least one of a stylus or a finger.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic document is an electronic book, and the touch-screen display is embodied as part of a dedicated electronic book reader device.

4. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible by the processor;

a touch-screen display to present a visible representation of an electronic document;

an audio output device;

one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving an indication of a text from the electronic document presented on the touch-screen display, the indication generated by movement of an object relative to the touch-screen display; and

generating a spoken representation of the text, wherein a speed of the spoken representation corresponds to an average speed of the object moving relative to a plurality of words or a plurality of characters presented on the touch-screen display.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the object comprises at least one of a stylus or a finger.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the speed of the spoken representation increases when the speed of the object increases.

7. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the speed of the spoken representation decreases when the speed of the object decreases.

8. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the speed of the object is a speed of the object moving relative to a progress bar presented on the touch-screen display.

9. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein a visual representation of the text changes when the indication of the text is received.

10. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the audio output device comprises one of a speaker or a headphone jack.

11. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the touch-screen display has a pressure detector to sense pressure applied to the touch-screen display, the electronic device further comprising a page turn detector to turn one or more pages in the electronic document in response to sensing of pressure on the touch-screen display.

12. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising a bookmarking module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to bookmark a first page of the electronic document temporarily in response to continuous pressure being applied to the touch-screen display, while allowing one or more pages to be turned to display a second page, the bookmarking module causing a return to display of the first page upon removal of the pressure.

13. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device comprises a dedicated handheld electronic book reader.

22. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the average speed of the object is an average speed relative to a predefined previous number words prior to a word indicated by the indication of the text such that the speed of the spoken representation remains constant even when there are momentary changes in the speed of the object.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform acts comprising:

receiving a selection of an excerpt of text displayed on a touch-screen display by moving an object over words in the excerpt; and

generating a sound corresponding to a voice reading the excerpt of text, wherein a reading speed of the voice reading is based on a speed of the object moving relative to the words in the excerpt of text and the speed of the object moving relative to the words in the excerpt of text is derived as an average speed of the object moving relative to a plurality of words in the excerpt of text.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the object moves in a generally horizontal direction when the text is displayed horizontally on the touch-screen display.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the object moves in a generally vertical direction when the text is displayed vertically on the touch-screen display.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the object comprises at least one of a finger or a stylus.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the reading speed increases when the speed of the object moving relative to the words in the excerpt of text increases.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the reading speed decreases when the speed of the object moving relative to the words in the excerpt of text decreases.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the excerpt is highlighted during user selection.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to perform acts further comprising:

sensing, by a pressure detector, pressure applied to the touch-screen display, and turning one or more pages in the electronic document in response to the sensing of pressure on the touch-screen display; and

bookmarking a first page of the electronic document temporarily in response to continuous pressure being applied to the touch-screen display, while allowing one or more pages to be turned to display a second page, and responsive to removal of the pressure redisplaying the first page.