SCREEN READER HAVING CONCURRENT COMMUNICATION OF NON-TEXTUAL INFORMATION

摘要

A screen reader software product for low-vision users, the software having a reader module collecting textual and non-textual display information generated by a web browser or word processor. Font styling, interface layout information and the like are communicated to the end user by sounds broadcast simultaneously rather than serially with the synthesized speech to improve the speed and efficiency in which information may be digested by the end user.

主权项

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to being executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
collecting textual display information and associated non-textual display information, wherein the associated non-textual display information is selected from the group consisting of font styling, punctuation marks, paragraph format, bulleting, numbering, borders, shading, column format, page breaks, section breaks, tab settings, table structure, image data, case settings, comment field locations, hyperlink settings, data entry forms, and graphic user interface configuration; communicating the textual display information to an output device speech synthesizer; and sending the associated non-textual display information substantially contemporaneously with the textual display information to the output device speech synthesizer, whereby a broadcast of the textual display information is modified to audibly output the associated non-textual display information by altering characteristics of the speech synthesizer, the characteristics selected from the group consisting of pitch, speed, volume, emphasis, simulated gender, simulated accent, simulated age, and pronunciation.