Reading device usability

• US 9,471,275 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abou Mahmoud, Alaa, Bastide, Paul R., Lu, Fang
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cortes, Howard
• Application Number:
  US14/971,185
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

As disclosed herein a method, executed by a computer, for enabling enhanced reading device usability includes detecting, on an electronic device, a read operation that audibly reads visually presented information. The method further includes retrieving from a user profile a first threshold value and a second threshold value. The method further includes analyzing potential distractions to determine an estimated distraction level. The method further includes pausing the read operation if the estimated distraction level is greater than or equal to the first threshold value. The method further includes resuming the read operation if the estimated distraction level is less than or equal to the second threshold value. A computer system, and a computer program product corresponding to the method are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, on an electronic device, a read operation that audibly reads visually presented information, wherein the read operation is detected using system commands;

retrieving from a user profile a first user-defined threshold value and a second user-defined threshold value, wherein the first user-defined threshold value identifies an estimated distraction level at which the read operation is paused and the second user-defined threshold value identifies the estimated distraction level at which the read operation is resumed, and wherein the first user-defined threshold value is greater than the second user-defined threshold value, and wherein the user profile comprises a list of one or more local distractions, the one or more local distractions each comprising a user-defined numerical weight, and wherein the user profile comprises a selectable mobile profile extension, the selectable mobile profile extension providing a list of one or more mobile distractions each comprising a user-defined numerical weight;

analyzing local and mobile distractions to determine the estimated distraction level, wherein analyzing the local and mobile distractions comprises assessing the user'"'"'s environment to detect if any of the distractions included in the list of local distractions and the list of mobile distractions have occurred, and wherein determining the estimated distraction level comprises accumulating the numerical weight corresponding to the one or more local distractions and the one or more mobile distractions that are detected;

determining if the estimated distraction level is greater than or equal to the first threshold value;

pausing the read operation responsive to determining the estimated distraction level is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, wherein pausing the read operation comprises halting the read operation and identifying a location in the visually presented information where the read operation was halted;

determining if the estimated distraction level is less than or equal to the second threshold value; and

resuming the read operation, responsive to determining the estimated distraction level is less than or equal to the second threshold value, wherein resuming the read operation comprises starting the read operation beginning at the location in the visually presented information where the read operation was halted.