WO2002069322A1 - A method to access web page text information that is difficult to read. - Google Patents
A method to access web page text information that is difficult to read. Download PDFInfo
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- WO2002069322A1 WO2002069322A1 PCT/US2002/006041 US0206041W WO02069322A1 WO 2002069322 A1 WO2002069322 A1 WO 2002069322A1 US 0206041 W US0206041 W US 0206041W WO 02069322 A1 WO02069322 A1 WO 02069322A1
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- G—PHYSICS
- G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
- G09B—EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS
- G09B5/00—Electrically-operated educational appliances
- G09B5/06—Electrically-operated educational appliances with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
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- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10L—SPEECH ANALYSIS OR SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- G10L13/00—Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
Definitions
- the screen reader When the screen reader is intended to read web pages, the screen reader also has to describe animations or videos, and signal when a "button” or “link” can be activated, as well as what the button does and where the link navigates. To do this, the screen reader "parses” the digital code that makes up the text and formatting instructions for the page. The actual text is put in the proper form for the text-to-speech software without the extra formatting codes needed for page display (e.g., margins, italics, etc.). Some of the formatting codes cause the parsing program to insert additional code for the text-to-speech reader.
- formatting code to place a word in boldface might be changed to add code that makes the text-to-speech program speak that word louder.
- the parsing program inserts words to describe what the formatting code sought to accomplish.
- an image tag in a web page may include not only the source of the image, but a textual description of what the image is or shows (the text following the "alt" tag).
- a screen reader would then indicate through aural tones, or spoken words that the page contained an image, and the screen reader would speak the description of image.
- a screen reader that encounters a hyperlink would indicate that an image or text is acting as a link in addition to reading the text or describing the image using the alt tag text.
- the screen reader might even read the address of the page to which the hyperlink links. (This is information that a sighted person would see on the browser's status line when the cursor is placed over the link.)
- Some screen readers have also been developed as reading aids for the sighted, particularly sighted persons who have difficulty learning to read. Two examples are the CAST eReader, available from CAST, Peabody, Massachusetts, and the HELPReadTM plug-in, available from the Hawaii Education Literacy Project (HELP), Honolulu, Hawaii.
- HELP Hawaii Education Literacy Project
- the CAST eReader will read documents or web pages.
- the user places the cursor focus in front of the text on a document that he or she wants the eReader to read. This is performed by placing the cursor at that location and then clicking the left mouse button.
- the eReader will then read the next letter, word or sentence (depending upon user settings, however, for web pages, only whole sentences are read). As the eReader vocalizes the text, it will "highlight" the letter, word or sentence being read (depending upon user settings, however, for web pages, only words are highlighted).
- the eReader can read one piece of text at a time, or automatically continue through an entire document. The user can also highlight a portion of text (by pointing and clicking with a cursor), and then click on a button for the eReader to read that text. The eReader can also be automatically set to begin reading from the top any web page it encounters.
- the HELPRead plug-in has a different interface but performs similar functions: user identification of text to be read by point-and-click or by highlighting, and highlighting text while it is being read. The HELPRead plug-in will also read any text placed in the clipboard.
- Octopus Octobus.com, LLC, Palo Alto, California
- Some "portal” websites like Octopus allow the user to create a personalized web page, by identifying other web pages and specifying material in that other web page.
- Octopus in the background creates the personalized web page for the user by parsing those other websites for the requested information and reconstituting it on an Octopus page, before delivering it to the user.
- Text-to-speech software has also been adapted as plug-ins for Internet browsers. These may be stand-alone speech synthesis programs, or may be coupled with an animation program, so that a "cartoon" will appear to speak the words. Two such programs are the Haptek Virtual Friend animation program (available from Haptek, Inc., Santa Cruz, California) which in February 2001 was coupled with DECtalk text-to-speech program (available from Fonix Corporation, Draper, Utah) and the Microsoft Agent animation program which is frequently coupled with the Lernout & Hauspie TruVoice text-to-speech program.
- Haptek Virtual Friend animation program available from Haptek, Inc., Santa Cruz, California
- DECtalk text-to-speech program available from Fonix Corporation, Draper, Utah
- Microsoft Agent animation program which is frequently coupled with the Lernout & Hauspie TruVoice text-to-speech program.
- a web page that uses this software includes a link, that when activated, launches a new browser window.
- the new browser window displays a modified version of the web page.
- This web page will "speak" when the browser registers various events (e.g., onLoad, onMouseover, onClick) with respect to specific page elements.
- This program only speaks certain page elements previously designated by the web page author.
- the Simtalk website www.simtalk.com
- the Simtalk software parsed the website, and placed it in a form compatible with text-to speech software.
- Some electronic texts provide alternate texts in a few different languages.
- Some web sites provide automated machine translation of any text or web page that is submitted to them, by displaying text in the requested language.
- text-to- speech software packages that a user can install and submit text to, whereby the text is converted to the sound of a synthesized voice speaking the words.
- These applications generally require that the user is competent with reading and manipulating high school level text in at least one language.
- Text-to-speech browsers are also an expense for those in the lower socio-economic levels, frequently costing end users over $100. Use of such specialized browsers is also likely to stigmatize the users who may otherwise effectively hide their reading difficulties.
- Some electronic texts embed audio clips, such as songs, interviews, commentary, or audio descriptions of graphics.
- production time and storage capacity requirements limit their use.
- the present invention provides a method of reformatting web pages and other text documents displayed on a computer that allows a user who has difficulty reading to (a) navigate between and among such documents and, (b) have such documents (or portions of them) read to him or her (in their original or translated form) while preserving to a large extent the original layout of the document.
- the invention implements a "point-and-read" paradigm, whereby the user indicates the text to be read by moving a mouse (or pointer device) over the icon or text. (In other instances, the indication occurs by clicking on an icon or text.) Hyperlink navigation and other program functions are accomplished in a similar manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
- Fig. 1 shows a flow chart of a preferred embodiment of the present invention
- Fig. 2 shows a flow chart of a particular step in Fig. 1, but with greater detail of the sub- steps;
- Fig. 3 shows a flow chart of an alternate embodiment of the present invention
- Fig.4 shows a screen capture of the present invention illustrated in Fig. 3;
- Fig. 5 shows a screen capture of the present invention displaying a particular web page with modified formatting, after having navigated to the particular web page from the Fig. 3 screen;
- Fig. 6 shows a screen capture of the present invention after the user has placed the cursor over a sentence in the web page shown in Fig. 5;
- Figs. 7-13 show screen captures of another preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
- a preferred embodiment of the present invention takes one web page which would ordinarily be displayed in a browser window in a certain manner ("WEBPAGE 1") and displays that page in a new but similar manner (“WEBPAGE 2").
- WEBPAGE 1 The new format contains additional hidden code which enables the web page to be easily read aloud to the user by text-to-speech software.
- the present invention reads the contents of WEBPAGE 1 (or more particularly, parses its HTML code) and then "on-the-fly" in real time creates the code to display WEBPAGE 2, in the following manner:
- buttons and hyperlinks that do contain an onMouseover event are given a substitute onMouseover event.
- the substitute onMouseover event executes a JavaScript function which first places text that is within the link (or the value of the button tag) into the queue to be read by the text-to-speech reader, and then automatically executes the original onMouseover event coded into WEBPAGE 1. Consequently, this type of hyperlink appears the same on WEBPAGE 2 as on WEBPAGE 1.
- WEBPAGE 2 will appear almost identical to WEBPAGE 1 except all standard text will be underlined, and there will be small icons in front of every link and button.
- the user can have any sentence, link or button read to him by moving the pointing device over it. This allows two classes of disabled users to access the web page, those who have difficulty reading, and those with dexterity impairments that prevent them from "clicking" on objects.
- both the original onMouseover function call (as in WEBPAGE 1) and the new onMouseover function call used in part (2) can be placed in the same onMouseover handler. For example, if a link in WEBPAGE 1 contained the text "Buy before lightning strikes” and a picture of clear skies, along with the code
- the invention avoids conflicts between function calls to the computer sound card in several ways. No conflict arises if both function calls access Microsoft Agent, because the two texts to be "spoken" will automatically be placed in separate queues. If both functions call the sound card via different software applications and the sound card has multi-channel processing (such as ESS Maestro2E), both software applications will be heard simultaneously.
- the two applications can be queued (one after another) via the coding that the present invention adds to WEBPAGE 2.
- a plug-in is created that monitors data streams sent to the sound card. These streams are suppressed at user option. For example, if the sound card is playing streaming audio from an Internet "radio" station, and this streaming conflicts with the text-to-speech synthesis, the streaming audio channel is automatically muted (or softened).
- the href value is omitted from the link tag for text (part 1 above).
- the href value is the address or URL of the web page to which the browser navigates when the user clicks on a link.
- browsers such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer
- the text in WEBPAGE 2 retains the original font color of WEBPAGE 1 and is not underlined. Thus, WEBPAGE 2 appears even more like WEBPAGE 1.
- a new HTML tag is created that functions like a link tag, except that the text is not underlined. This new tag is recognized by the new built in routines. WEBPAGE 2 appears very much like WEBPAGE 1.
- the text that is being read appears in a different color, or appears as if highlighted with a Magic Marker (i.e., the color of the background behind that text changes) so that the user knows visually which text is being read.
- a Magic Marker i.e., the color of the background behind that text changes
- the text returns to its original color.
- the text does not return to its original color but becomes some other color so that the user visually can distinguish which text has been read and which has not. This is similar to the change in color while a hyperlink is being made active, and after it has been activated. In some embodiments these changes in color and appearance are effected by Cascading Style Sheets.
- An alternative embodiment eliminates the navigation icon (part 4 above) placed before each link.
- the onMouseover event is written differently, so that after the text-to-speech software is finished reading the link, a timer will start. If the cursor is still on the link after a set amount of time (such as 2 seconds), the browser will navigate to the href URL of the link (i.e., the web page to which the link would navigate when clicked in WEBPAGE 1). If the cursor has been moved, no navigation occurs. WEBPAGE 2 appears identical to WEBPAGE 1.
- An alternative embodiment substitutes "onClick" events for onMouseover events. This embodiment is geared to those whose dexterity is sufficient to click on objects. In this embodiment, the icons described in (4) above are eliminated.
- An alternative embodiment that is geared to those whose dexterity is sufficient to click on objects does not place all text within link tags, but keeps the icons described in (4) in front of each sentence, link and button.
- the icons do not have onMouseover events, however, but rather onClick events which execute a JavaScript function that causes the text-to-speech reader to read the following sentence, link or button.
- clicking on the link or button on WEBPAGE 2 acts the same as clicking on the link or button on WEBPAGE 1.
- An alternative embodiment does not have these icons precede each sentence, but only each paragraph.
- the onClick event associated with the icon executes a JavaScript function which causes the text-to-speech reader to read the whole paragraph.
- An alternate formulation allows the user to pause the speech after each sentence or to repeat sentences.
- An alternative embodiment has the onMouseover event, which is associated with each hyperlink from WEBPAGE 1, read the URL where the link would navigate.
- a different alternative embodiment reads a phrase such as "When you click on this link it will navigate to a web page at" before reading the URL.
- this onMouseover event is replaced by an onClick event.
- the text-to-speech reader speaks nonempty "alt” tags on images.
- “Alt” tags provide a text description of the image, but are not necessary code to display the image.) If the image is within a hyperlink on WEBPAGE 1 , the onMouseover event will add additional code that will speak a phrase such as "This link contains an image of a” followed by the contents of the alt tag. Stand-alone images with nonempty alt tags will be given onMouseover events with JavaScript functions that speak a phrase such as "This is an image of followed by the contents of the alt tag.
- An alternate implementation adds the new events to the arrays of objects in each document container supported by the browser.
- the parsing routines are built into a browser, either directly, or as a plug-in, as an applet, as an object, as an add-in, etc. Only WEBPAGE 1 is transmitted over the Internet.
- the parsing occurs at the user's client computer or Internet appliance —that is, the browser/plug-in combination gets WEBPAGE 1 from the Internet, parses it, turns it into WEBPAGE 2 and then displays WEBPAGE 2.
- the control objects for the browser are triggered by onMouseover events rather than the onClick or onDoubleClick events usually associated with computer applications that use a graphical interface.
- the user accesses the present invention from a web page with framesets that make the web page look like a browser ("WEBPAGE BROWSER").
- One of the frames contains buttons or images that look like the control objects usually found on browsers, and these control objects have the same functions usually found on browsers (e.g., navigation, search, history, print, home, etc.). These functions are triggered by onMouseover events associated with each image or button.
- the second frame will display web pages in the form of WEBPAGE 2.
- the CGI script navigates to the URL, downloads a page such as WEBPAGE 1 , parses it on-the-fly, converts it to WEBPAGE 2, and transmits WEBPAGE 2 to the user's computer over the Internet.
- the CGI script also changes the URLs of links that it parses in WEBPAGE 1.
- the links call the CGI script with a variable consisting of the originally hyperlink URL.
- the user activates this link it invokes the CGI script and directs the CGI script to navigate to the hyperlink URL for parsing and modifying.
- This embodiment uses more Internet bandwidth than when the present invention is integrated into the browser, and greater server resources.
- this embodiment can be accessed from any computer hooked to the Internet. In this manner, people with disabilities do not have to bring their own computers and software with them, but can use the computers at any facility. This is particularly important for less affluent individuals who do not have their own computers, and who access the Internet using public facilities such as libraries.
- An alternative embodiment takes the code from the CGI script and places it in a file on the user's computer (perhaps in a different computer programming language). This embodiment then sets the home page of the browser to be that file. The modified code for links then calls that file on the user's own computer rather than a CGI server.
- Alternative embodiments do not require the user to place a cursor or pointer on an icon or text, but "tab" through the document from sentence to sentence.
- a keyboard command will activate the text-to-speech engine to read the text where the cursor is placed.
- the present invention automatically tabs to the next sentence and reads it.
- the present invention reads aloud the document until a pause or stop command is initiated. Again at the user's option, the present invention begins reading the document
- Alternative embodiments add speech recognition software, so that users with severe dexterity limitations can navigate within a web page and between web pages.
- voice commands such as "TAB RIGHT” are used to tab or otherwise navigate to the appropriate text or link
- other voice commands such as "CLICK” or "SPEAK”
- voice commands such as "STOP”, “PAUSE”, “REPEAT”, or "RESUME”
- the present invention inserts multi-media advertisements as interstitials that are seen as the user navigates between web pages and websites.
- the present invention "speaks" advertising. For example, when the user navigates to a new web page, the present invention inserts an audio clip, or uses the text-to-speech software to say something like "This reading service is sponsored by Intel.”
- the present invention recognizes a specific meta tag (or meta tags, or other special tags) in the header of WEBPAGE 1 (or elsewhere). This meta tag contains a commercial message or sponsorship of the reading services for the web page. The message may be text or the URL of an audio message.
- the present invention reads or plays this message when it first encounters the web page.
- the web page author can charge sponsors a fee for the message, and the reading service can charge the web page for reading its message.
- This advertising model is similar to the sponsorship of closed captioning on TV.
- a link can be embedded in a web page, and the text-to-speech software can be launched by clicking on that link.
- a link can be embedded in a web page which will launch the present invention in its various embodiments. Such a link can distinguish which embodiment the user has installed, and launch the appropriate one.
- Text-to-speech software frequently has difficulty distinguishing heterophonic homographs (or isonyms): words that are spelled the same, but sound different.
- An example is the word “bow” as in “After the archer shoots his bow, he will bow before the king.”
- a text-to- speech engine will usually choose one pronunciation for all instances of the word.
- a text-to- speech engine will also have difficulty speaking uncommon names or terms that do not obey the usual pronunciation rules. While this is not practical in the text of a document meant to be read, a "dictionary" can be associated with a document which sets forth the phonemes (phonetic spelling) for particular words in the document.
- a web page creates such a dictionary and signals the dictionary's existence and location via a pre- specified tag, object, function, etc. Then, the present invention will get that dictionary, and when parsing the web page, will substitute the phonetic spellings within the onMouseover events.
- the above-identified U.S. Application No. 09/974, 132 discloses a method of embedding hidden text captions or commentary on a web page, whereby clicking on an icon or dragging that icon to another window would enable the captions to be read (referred to herein as "spoken captions").
- the hidden text could also include other information such as the language in which the caption or web page was written.
- An alternative embodiment of the present invention uses this information to facilitate real-time on-the-fly translation of the caption or the web page, using the methods taught in the above-identified U.S. Application No. 09/974,132.
- the text is translated to the language used by the text-to-speech engine.
- the present invention alters the code in the spoken captions as displayed in WEBPAGE 2, so that the commentary is "spoken" by the text-to-speech software when the user places a cursor or pointer over the icon.
- a code placed on a web page such as in a meta tag in the heading of the page, or in the spoken caption icons, identifies the language in which the web page is written (e.g., English, Spanish).
- the present invention then translates the text of the web page, sentence by sentence, and displays a new web page (WEBPAGE 2) in the language used by the text-to-speech engine of the present invention, after inserting the code that allows the text-to-speech engine to "speak" the text.
- the new web page (WEBPAGE 2) is shown in the original language, but the onMouseover commands have the text-to-speech engine read the translated version.
- the translation does not occur until the user places a pointer or cursor over a text passage. Then, the present invention uses the information about what language WEBPAGE 1 is written in to translate that particular text passage on-the-fly into the language of the text-to-speech engine, and causes the engine to speak the translated words. While the above embodiments have been described as if WEBPAGE 1 were an HTML document, primarily designed for display on the Internet, no such limitation is intended.
- WEBPAGE 1 also refers to documents produced in other formats that are stored or transmitted via the Internet: including ASCII documents, e-mail in its various protocols, and FTP-accessed documents, in a variety of electronic formats.
- ASCII documents e-mail in its various protocols
- FTP-accessed documents in a variety of electronic formats.
- the Gutenberg Project contains thousands of books in electronic format, but not HTML.
- many web-based e-mail (particularly "free" services such as Hotmail) deliver e-mail as HTML documents, whereas other e-mail programs such as Microsoft Outlook and Eudora, use a POP protocol to store and deliver content.
- WEBPAGE 1 also refers to formatted text files produced by word processing software such as Microsoft Word, and files that contain text whether produced by spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel, by database software such as Microsoft Access, or any of a variety of e-mail and document production software. Alternate embodiments of the present invention "speak” and "read” these several types of documents. WEBPAGE 1 also refers to documents stored or transmitted over intranets, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and other networks, even if not stored or transmitted over the Internet. WEBPAGE 1 also refers to documents created, stored, accessed, processed or displayed on a single computer and never transmitted to that computer over any network, including documents read from removable discs regardless of where created.
- word processing software such as Microsoft Word
- spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel
- database software such as Microsoft Access
- WEBPAGE 1 may include tables, framesets, referenced code or files, or other objects.
- WEBPAGE 1 is intended to refer to the collection of files, code, applets, scripts, objects and documents, wherever stored, that is displayed by the user's browser as a web page.
- the present invention parses each of these and replaces appropriate symbols and code, so that WEBPAGE 2 appears similar to WEBPAGE 1 but has the requisite text-to-speech functionality of the present invention.
- JavaScript functions include not only true function calls but also method calls, applet calls and other programming commands in any programming languages including but not limited to Java, JavaScript, VBscript, etc.
- JavaScript functions also includes, but is not limited to, ActiveX controls, other control objects and versions of XML and dynamic HTML.
- Fig. 1 shows a flow chart of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- the user launches an Internet browser 105, such as Netscape Navigator, or Microsoft Internet Explorer, from his or her personal computer 103 (Internet appliance or interactive TV, etc.).
- the browser sends a request over the Internet for a particular web page 107.
- the computer server 109 that hosts the web page will process the request 111. If the web page is a simple HTML document, the processing will consist of retrieving a file. In other instances, for example, when the web page invokes a CGI script or requires data from a dynamic database, the computer server will generate the code for the web page on-the-fly in real time.
- This code for the web page is then sent back 113 over the Internet to the user's computer 103.
- the portion of the present invention in the form of plug-in software 115 will intercept the web page code, before it can be displayed by the browser.
- the plug-in software will parse the web page and rewrite it with modified code of the text, links, and other objects as appropriate 117.
- the web page code After the web page code has been modified, it is sent to the browser 119. There, the browser displays the web page as modified by the plug-in 121. The web page will then be read aloud to the user 123 as the user interacts with it.
- the user may decide to discontinue or quit browsing 125 in which case the process stops 127.
- the user may decide not to quit 125 and may continue browsing by requesting a new web page 107.
- the user could request a new web page by typing it into a text field, or by activating a hyperlink. If a new web page is requested, the process will continue as before.
- the process of listening to the web page is illustrated in expanded form in Fig. 2.
- the code e.g., JavaScript code placed in the web page by the plug-in software
- the text-to-speech module may be a stand-alone piece of software, or may be bundled with other software.
- the Virtual Friend animation software from Haptek incorporates DECtalk
- Microsoft Agent animation software incorporates TruVoice.
- Both of these software packages have animated "cartoons" which move their lips along with the sounds generated by the text-to-speech software (i.e., the cartoons lip sync the words).
- Other plug-ins or similar ActiveX objects
- Speaks for Itself by DirectXtras, Inc., Menlo Park, California generate synthetic speech from text without animated speakers.
- the text-to-speech module 205 converts the text 207 that has been fed to it 203 into a sound file. The sound file is sent to the computers sound card and speakers where it is played aloud 209 and heard by the user.
- instructions will also be sent to the animation module, which generate bitmaps of the cartoon lip-syncing the text.
- the bitmaps are sent to the computer monitor to be displayed in conjunction with the sound of the text being played over the speakers.
- the user must decide if he or she wants to hear it again 211. If so, the user moves the cursor off the text 213 and them moves the cursor back over the text 215. This will again cause the code to feed the text to the text-to-speech module 203, which will "read” it again. (In an alternate embodiment, the user activates a specially designated “replay” button.) If the user does not want to hear the text again, he or she must decide whether to hear other different text on the page 217. If the user wants to hear other text, he or she places the cursor over that text 201 as described above. Otherwise, the user must decide whether to quit browsing 123, as described more fully in Fig.
- FIG. 3 shows the flow chart for an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
- the parsing and modifying of WEBPAGE 1 does not occur in a plug-in (Fig. 1, 115) installed on the user's computer 103, but rather occurs at a website that acts as a portal using software installed in the server computer 303 that hosts the website.
- the user launches a browser 105 on his or her computer 103. Instead of requesting that the browser navigate to any website, the user then must request the portal website 301.
- the server computer 303 at the portal website will create the home page 305 that will serve as the WEBBROWSER for the user. This may be simple HTML code, or may require dynamic creation.
- the home page code is returned to the user's computer 307, where it is displayed by the browser 309.
- the home page may be created in whole or part by modifying the web page from another website as described below with respect to Fig. 3 items 317, 111, 113, 319.
- An essential part of the home page is that it acts as a "browser within a browser" as shown in Fig. 4.
- Fig. 4 shows a Microsoft Internet Explorer window 401 (the browser) filling about % of a computer screen 405. Also shown is "Peedy the Parrot" 403, one of the Microsoft Agent animations.
- the title line 407 and browser toolbar 409 in the browser window 401 are part of the browser.
- the CGI script has suppressed other browser toolbars.
- the area 411 that appears to be a toolbar is actually part of a web page.
- This web page is a frameset composed of two frames: 411 and 413.
- the first frame 411 contains buttons constructed out of HTML code. These are given the same functionality as a browser's buttons, but contain extra code triggered by cursor events, so that the text-to-speech software reads the function of the button aloud. For example, when the cursor is placed on the "Back" button, the text-to-speech software synthesizes speech that says, "Back.”
- the second frame 413 displays the various web pages to which the user navigates (but after modifying the code).
- the header for that frame contains code which allows the browser to access the text-to-speech software.
- "object" tags are placed of the top frame 411.
- the onMouseover event triggers the CursorOver function.
- This function places the text “Back” into the “delayedText” variable and starts a timer. After 1 second, the timer will “timeout” and invoke the Speak function.
- the onMouseout event triggers the CursorOut function, which cancels the Speak function before it can occur.
- the "delayedText” variable is sent to Microsoft Agent, the "Peedy.Speak(%)" command, which causes the text-to-speech engine to read the text.
- the present invention will alter the HTML of WEBPAGE 1 as follows, before displaying it as WEBPAGE 2 in frame 413. Consider a news headline on the home page followed by an underlined link for more news coverage.
- the "P” tags indicate the start and end of a paragraph
- the "A” tags indicate the start and end of the hyperlink, and tell the browser to underline the hyperlink and display it in a different color font.
- the "href value tells the browser to navigate to a specified web page at the New York Times (www.nytimes.com/quake54.html), which contains more details.
- the present invention substitutes a ⁇ SPAN> tag (and ⁇ /SPAN> complement).
- ⁇ SPAN> tag and ⁇ /SPAN> complement.
- the home page is then read by the text-to-speech software 311. This process is not shown in detail, but is identical to the process detailed in Fig. 2.
- FIG. 5 An example of a particular web page (or home page) is shown in Fig. 5. This is the same as Fig. 4, except that a particular web page has been loaded into the bottom frame 413.
- Fig. 6 when the user places the cursor 601 over a particular sentence 603 ("When you access this page through the web Reader, the web page will "talk" to you.”), the sentence is highlighted. If the user keeps the cursor on the highlighted sentence, the text-to- speech engine "reads" the words in synthesized speech. In this embodiment (which uses Microsoft Agent), the animated character Peedy 403, appears to speak the words. In addition, Microsoft Agent generates a "word balloon" 605 that displays each word as it is spoken. In Fig. 6, the screen capture has occurred while Peedy 403 is halfway through speaking the sentence 603.
- the user may then quit 313, in which case the process stops 127, or the user may request a web page 315, e.g., by typing it in, activating a link, etc.
- this web page is not requested directly from the computer server hosting the web page 109. Rather, the request is made of a CGI script at the computer hosting the portal 303.
- the link in the home page contains the information necessary for the portal server computer to request the web page from its host.
- the CGI script requests the web page which the user desires 317 from the server hosting that web page 109. That server processes the request 111 and returns the code of the web page 113 to the portal server 303.
- the portal server parses the web page code and rewrites it with modified code (as described above) for text and links 319.
- the modified code for the web page is returned 321 to the user's computer 103 where it is displayed by the browser 121.
- the web page is then read using the text-to-speech module 123, as more fully illustrated and described in Fig. 2.
- the user may request a new web page from the portal 315 (e.g., by activating a link, typing in a URL, etc.). Otherwise, the user may quit 125 and stop the process 127.
- the text of the source code that is designated for display is parsed into one or more grammatical units.
- the grammatical units are sentences. However, other grammatical units may be used, such as words or paragraphs.
- a tag is associated with each of the grammatical units.
- the tag is a span tag, and, more specifically, a span ID tag.
- An event handler is associated with each of the tags.
- An event handler executes a segment of a code based on certain events occurring within the application, such as onLoad or onClick.
- JavaScript event handers may be interactive or non-interactive.
- An interactive event handler depends on user interaction with the form or the document. For example, onMouseOver is an interactive event handler because it depends on the user's action with the mouse.
- the event handler used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention invokes text-to-speech software code.
- the event handler is a MouseOver event, and, more specifically, an onMouseOver event.
- additional code is associated with the grammatical unit defined by the tag so that the MouseOver event causes the grammatical unit to be highlighted or otherwise made visually discernable from the other grammatical units being displayed.
- the software code associated with the event handler and the highlighting (or equivalent) causes the highlighting to occur before the event handler invokes the text-to-speech software code.
- the highlighting feature may be implemented using any suitable conventional techniques.
- the original web page source code is then reassembled with the associated tags and event handlers to form text-to-speech enabled web page source code. Accordingly, when an event associated with an event handler occurs during user interaction with a display of a text-to- speech enabled web page, the text-to-speech software code causes the grammatical unit associated with the tag of the event handler to be automatically spoken.
- an event handler that invokes text-to-speech software code is associated with each of the images that have an associated text message.
- the original web page source code is reassembled with the image-related event handlers. Accordingly, when an event associated with an image-related event handler occurs during user interaction with an image in a display of a text-to-speech enabled web page, the text-to-speech software code causes the associated text message of the image to be automatically spoken.
- each tag has an active region and the event handler preferably delays invoking the text-to- speech software code until the pointing device persists in the active region of a tag for greater than a human perceivable preset time period, such as about one second. More specifically, in response to a mouseover event, the grammatical unit is first immediately (or almost immediately) highlighted. Then, if the mouseover event persists for greater than a human perceivable preset time period, the text-to-speech software code is invoked. If the user moves the pointing device away from the active region before the preset time period, then the text is not spoken and the highlighting disappears.
- a human perceivable preset time period such as about one second. More specifically, in response to a mouseover event, the grammatical unit is first immediately (or almost immediately) highlighted. Then, if the mouseover event persists for greater than a human perceivable preset time period, the text-to-speech software code is invoked. If
- the event handler invokes the text- to-speech software code by calling a JavaScript function that executes text-to-speech software code.
- a fifth step is added to the translation process.
- the associated address of the link is replaced with a new address that invokes a software program which retrieves the source code at the associated address and then causing steps 1 -4, as well as the fifth step, to be repeated for the retrieved source code.
- the new address becomes part of the text-to-speech enabled web page source code. In this manner, the next web page that is retrieved by selecting on a link becomes automatically translated without requiring any user action.
- a similar process is performed for any image-related links.
- a conventional browser includes a navigation toolbar having a plurality of button graphics (e.g., back, forward), and a web page region that allows for the display of web pages.
- Each button graphic includes a predefined active region.
- Some of the button graphics may also include an associated text message (defined by an "alt" attribute) related to the command function of the button graphic.
- an "alt" attribute related to the command function of the button graphic.
- a special browser is preferably used to view and interact with the translated web page.
- the special browser has the same elements as the conventional browser, except that additional software code is included to add event handlers that invoke text-to-speech software code for automatically speaking the associated text message and then executing the command function associated with the button graphic.
- the command function is executed only if the event (e.g., mouseover event) persists for greater than a preset time period, in the same manner as described above with respect to the grammatical units.
- the special browser immediately (or almost immediately) highlights the button graphic and invokes the text-to- speech software code for automatically speaking the associated text message.
- the command function associated with the button graphic is executed. If the user moves the pointing device away from the active region of the button graphic before the preset time period, then the command function associated with the button graphic is not executed and the highlighting disappears.
- the point and read process for interacting with translated web pages is preferably implemented in the environment of the special browser so that the entire web page interaction process may be clickless.
- the grammatical units are sentences
- the pointing device is a mouse
- the human perceivable preset time period is about one second.
- a user interacts with a web page displayed on a display device.
- the web page includes one or more sentences, each being defined by an active region.
- a mouse is positioned over an active region of a sentence which causes the sentence to be automatically highlighted, and automatically loaded into a text-to-speech engine and thereby automatically spoken.
- This entire process occurs without requiring any further user manipulation of the pointing device or any other user interfaces associated with display device.
- the automatic loading into the text-to-speech engine occurs only if the pointing device remains in the active region for greater than one second.
- the sentence may be spoken without any human perceivable delay.
- a similar process occurs with respect to any links on the web page, specifically, links that have an associated text message. If the mouse is positioned over the link, the link is automatically highlighted, the associated text message is automatically loaded into a text-to- speech engine and immediately spoken, and the system automatically navigates to the address of the link. Again, this entire process occurs without requiring any further user manipulation of the mouse or any other user interfaces associated with display device. Preferably, the automatic navigation occurs only if the mouse persists over the link for greater than about one second. However, in certain instances and for certain users, automatic navigation to the linked address may occur without any human perceivable delay.
- a human perceivable delay such as one second, is programmed to occur after the link is highlighted, but before the associated text message is spoken. If the mouse moves out of the active region of the link before the end of the delay period, then the text message is not spoken (and also, no navigation to the address of the link occurs).
- a similar process occurs with respect to the navigation toolbar of the browser. If the mouse is positioned over an active region of a button graphic, the button graphic is automatically highlighted, the associated text message is automatically loaded into a text-to-speech engine and immediately spoken, and the command function of the button graphic is automatically initiated. Again, this entire process occurs without requiring any further user manipulation of the mouse or any other user interfaces associated with display device.
- the command function is automatically initiated only if the mouse persists over the active region of the button graphic for greater than about one second. However, in certain instances and for certain users, the command function may be automatically initiated without any human perceivable delay.
- a human perceivable delay such as one second, is programmed to occur after the button graphic is highlighted, but before the associated text message is spoken. If the mouse moves out of the active region of the button graphic before the end of the delay period, then the text message is not spoken (and also, the command function of the button graphic is not initiated).
- the button graphic is a universally understood icon designating the function of the button, there is no associated text message. Accordingly, the only actions that occur are highlighting and initiation of the command function.
- Fig. 7 shows an original web page as it would normally appear using a conventional browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
- the original web page is a page from a storybook entitled "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," by Beatrix Potter.
- the Point and Read Logo itself may be a clickless link, as is well-known in the prior art.
- Fig. 8 shows a translated text-to-speech enabled web page.
- the visual appearance of the of the text-to-speech enabled web page is identical to the visual appearance of the original web page.
- the conventional navigation toolbar has been replaced by a point and read/navigate toolbar.
- the new toolbar allows the user to execute the following commands: back, forward, down, up, stop, refresh, home, play, repeat, about, text (changes highlighting color from yellow to blue at user's discretion if yellow does not contrast with the background page color), and link (changes highlighting color of links from cyan to green at the user's discretion if cyan does not contrast with the background page color).
- the new toolbar also includes a window (not shown) to manually enter a location or address via a keyboard or dropdown menu, as provided in conventional browsers.
- Fig. 9 shows the web page of Fig. 8 wherein the user has moved the mouse to the active region of the first sentence, "ONCE upon a time... and Peter.” The entire sentence becomes highlighted. If the mouse persists in the active region for a human perceivable time period, the sentence will be automatically spoken.
- Fig. 10 shows the web page of Fig. 8 wherein the user has moved the mouse to the active region of the story graphics image.
- the image becomes highlighted and the associated text (i.e., alternate text), "Four little rabbits...fir tree,” becomes displayed. If the mouse persists in the active region of the image for a human perceivable time period, the associated text of the image
- FIG. 11 shows the web page of Fig. 8 wherein the user has moved the mouse to the active region of the "Next Page” link.
- the link becomes highlighted using any suitable conventional processes.
- the associated text of the image i.e., the alternate text
- the browser will navigate to the address associated with the "Next Page" link.
- Fig. 12 shows the next web page which is the next page in the story. Again, this web page looks identical to the original web page (not shown), except that it has been modified by the translation process to be text-to-speech enabled. The mouse is not over any active region of the web page and thus nothing is highlighted in Fig. 12.
- Fig. 13 shows the web page of Fig. 12 wherein the user has moved the mouse to the active region of the BACK button of the navigation toolbar.
- the BACK button becomes highlighted and the associated text message is automatically spoken. If the mouse remains over the active region of the BACK button for a human perceivable time period, the browser will navigate to the previous address, and thus will redisplay the web page shown in Fig. 8.
- the purpose of the human perceivable delay is to allow the user to visually comprehend the current active region of the document (e.g., web page) before the text is spoken. This avoids unnecessary speaking and any delays that would be associated with it.
- the delay may be set to be very long (e.g., 3-10 seconds) if the user has significant cognitive impairments. If no delay is set, then the speech should preferably stop upon detection of a mouseOut (onmouseOut) event to avoid unnecessary speaking.
- the purpose of the human perceivable delay is to inform the user both visually (by highlighting) and aurally (by speaking the associated text) where the link will take the user, thereby giving the user an opportunity to cancel the navigation to the linked address.
- the purpose of the human perceivable delay is to inform the user both visually (by highlighting) and aurally (by speaking the associated text) where the button graphic will take the user, thereby giving the user an opportunity to cancel the navigation associated with the button graphic.
- one preferred grammatical unit is a sentence.
- a sentence defines a sufficiently large target for a user to select. If the grammatical unit is a word, then the target will be relatively smaller and more difficult for the user to select by mouse movements or the like.
- a sentence is a logical grammatical unit for the text-to-speech function since words are typically comprehended in a sentence format.
- the entire region that defines the sentence becomes the target, not just the regions of the actual text of the sentence.
- the spacing between any lines of a sentence also is part of the active region. This further increases the ease in selecting a target.
- the translation process described above is an on-the-fly process.
- the translation process may be built into document page building software wherein the source code is modified automatically during the creation process.
- the translated text-to-speech source code retains all of the original functionality as well as appearance so that navigation may be performed in the same manner as in the original web page, such as by using mouse clicks. If the user performs a mouse click and the timer that delays activation of a linking or navigation command has not yet timed out, the mouse click overrides the delay and the linking or navigation command is immediately initiated.
- the original source code is translated into text-to-speech enabled source code.
- the source code below is a comparison of the original source code of the web page shown in Fig. 7 with the source code of the translated text-to-speech enabled source code, as generated by CompareRiteTM. Deletions appear as Overstrike text surrounded by ⁇ . Additions appear as Bold text surrounded by [].
- the text parsing required to identify sentences in the original source code for subsequent tagging by the span tags is preferably performed using Perl. This process is well known and thus is not described in detail herein.
- the Appendix provides source code associated with the navigation toolbar shown in Figs. 8-13.
- An alternative embodiment of the web reader is coded as a stand-alone client-based application, with all program code residing on the user's computer, as opposed to the online server-based embodiment previously described.
- the web page parsing, translation and conversion take place on the user's computer, rather than at the server computer.
- the client-based embodiment functions in much the same way as the server-based embodiment, but is implemented differently at a different location in the network.
- This implementation is preferably programmed in C++, using Microsoft Foundation Classes ("MFC"), rather than a CGI -type program.
- MFC Microsoft Foundation Classes
- the client-based Windows implementation uses a browser application based on previously installed components of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
- this implementation uses a custom button class, one which allows each button to be highlighted as the cursor passes over it.
- Each button is oversized, and allows an icon representing its action to be shown on its face.
- Some of these buttons are set to automatically stay in an activated state (looking like a depressed button) until another action is taken, so as to lock the button's function to an "on" state.
- a "Play” button activates a systematic reading of the web page document, and reading continues as long as the button remains activated.
- a set of such buttons is used to emulate the functionality of scroll bars as well.
- the document highlighting, reading and navigation is accomplished in a manner similar to the server-based embodiment following similar steps as the online server-based webreaders described above.
- the user's computer retrieves a document (either locally from the user's computer or from over the Internet or other network)
- the document is parsed into sentences using the "Markup Services" interface to the document.
- the application calls functions that step through the document one sentence at a time, and inserts span tags to delimit the beginning and end of each sentence.
- the document object model is subsequently updated so that each sentence has its own node in the document's hierarchy. This does not change the appearance of the document on the screen, or the code of the original document.
- the client-based application provides equivalent functionality to the onMouseOver event used in the previously described server-based embodiment.
- This client-based embodiment does not use events of a scripting language such as Javascript or VBScript, but rather uses Microsoft Active Accessibility features. Every time the cursor moves, Microsoft Active Accessibility checks which visible accessible item (in this case, the individual sentence) the cursor is placed "over.” If the cursor was not previously over the item, the item is selected and instructed to change its background color. When the cursor leaves the item's area (i.e., when the cursor is no longer "over” the item); the color is changed back, thus producing a highlighting effect similar to that previously described for the server-based embodiment.
- a new timer begins counting. If the timer reaches its end before the cursor leaves the object, then the object's visible text (or alternate text for an image) is read aloud by the text-to-speech engine. Otherwise, the timer is cancelled. If the item (or object) has a default action to be performed, when the text-to- speech engine reaches the end of the synthetically spoken text, another timer begins counting. If this timer reaches its end before the cursor leaves the object, then the object's default action is performed. Such default actions include navigating to a link, pushing or activating a button, etc. In this way, clickless point-and-read navigation is achieved and other clickless activation is accomplished.
- the invention is not limited to computers operating a Windows platform or programmed using C++. Alternate embodiments accomplish the same steps using other programming languages (such Visual Basic), other programming tools, other browser components (e.g., Netscape Navigator) and other operating systems (e.g., Apple's Macintosh OS).
- other programming languages such Visual Basic
- other programming tools such as Visual Basic
- other browser components e.g., Netscape Navigator
- other operating systems e.g., Apple's Macintosh OS.
- An alternate embodiment does not use Active Accessibility for highlighting objects on the document. Rather, after detecting a mouse movement, a pointer to the document is obtained. A function of the document translates the cursor's location into a pointer to an object within the document (the object that the cursor is over). This object is queried for its original background color, and the background color is changed. Alternately, one of the object's ancestors or children is highlighted.
- the present invention may be implemented with any combination of hardware and software. If implemented as a computer-implemented apparatus, the present invention is implemented using means for performing all of the steps and functions described above.
- the present invention may be implemented with any combination of hardware and software.
- the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer useable media.
- the media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the mechanisms of the present invention.
- the article of manufacture can be included as part of a computer system or sold separately.
- delayedTextTimer null
- delayedTextTimer2 null
- delayedUrl ""
- PageDown() break; case "page up”: document.images['PageUpButton'].onmousedown();
- StopCurrentSentence(); currentSpanReference++; delayedUrl “continue playing”; PlayCurrentSentenceO; break; case "continue repeating":
- ⁇ loc theUrl. indexOfC'http://"); if (loc > -1
- ResetColors (whichltem); clearTimeout(delayedTextTimer); ⁇ function CursorOverLink(whichItem, theText, theUrl, theTarget) // Called by the lower frame when the mouse moves over a link, passing // a reference to the link, a string of the text in that area, the link's // url, and the specified target. It will highlight the text and start a // timer to call the speech engine.
Abstract
Description
Claims
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CA2438888A CA2438888C (en) | 2001-02-26 | 2002-02-26 | A method to access web page text information that is difficult to read |
GB0319807A GB2390284B (en) | 2001-02-26 | 2002-02-26 | Web page display method that enables user access to text information that the user has difficulty reading |
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US27167701P | 2001-02-26 | 2001-02-26 | |
US60/271,677 | 2001-02-26 |
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WO2002069322A1 true WO2002069322A1 (en) | 2002-09-06 |
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PCT/US2002/006041 WO2002069322A1 (en) | 2001-02-26 | 2002-02-26 | A method to access web page text information that is difficult to read. |
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GB (1) | GB2390284B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002069322A1 (en) |
Citations (8)
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US5287102A (en) * | 1991-12-20 | 1994-02-15 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and system for enabling a blind computer user to locate icons in a graphical user interface |
US5528739A (en) * | 1993-09-17 | 1996-06-18 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Documents having executable attributes for active mail and digitized speech to text conversion |
US5715370A (en) * | 1992-11-18 | 1998-02-03 | Canon Information Systems, Inc. | Method and apparatus for extracting text from a structured data file and converting the extracted text to speech |
US5748186A (en) * | 1995-10-02 | 1998-05-05 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Multimodal information presentation system |
US5899975A (en) * | 1997-04-03 | 1999-05-04 | Sun Microsystems, Inc. | Style sheets for speech-based presentation of web pages |
US6018710A (en) * | 1996-12-13 | 2000-01-25 | Siemens Corporate Research, Inc. | Web-based interactive radio environment: WIRE |
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US6115686A (en) * | 1998-04-02 | 2000-09-05 | Industrial Technology Research Institute | Hyper text mark up language document to speech converter |
-
2002
- 2002-02-26 WO PCT/US2002/006041 patent/WO2002069322A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2002-02-26 GB GB0319807A patent/GB2390284B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2002-02-26 CA CA2438888A patent/CA2438888C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US5287102A (en) * | 1991-12-20 | 1994-02-15 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and system for enabling a blind computer user to locate icons in a graphical user interface |
US5715370A (en) * | 1992-11-18 | 1998-02-03 | Canon Information Systems, Inc. | Method and apparatus for extracting text from a structured data file and converting the extracted text to speech |
US5528739A (en) * | 1993-09-17 | 1996-06-18 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Documents having executable attributes for active mail and digitized speech to text conversion |
US5748186A (en) * | 1995-10-02 | 1998-05-05 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Multimodal information presentation system |
US6018710A (en) * | 1996-12-13 | 2000-01-25 | Siemens Corporate Research, Inc. | Web-based interactive radio environment: WIRE |
US5899975A (en) * | 1997-04-03 | 1999-05-04 | Sun Microsystems, Inc. | Style sheets for speech-based presentation of web pages |
US6115686A (en) * | 1998-04-02 | 2000-09-05 | Industrial Technology Research Institute | Hyper text mark up language document to speech converter |
US6085161A (en) * | 1998-10-21 | 2000-07-04 | Sonicon, Inc. | System and method for auditorially representing pages of HTML data |
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CA2438888C (en) | 2011-01-11 |
GB2390284B (en) | 2005-12-07 |
CA2438888A1 (en) | 2002-09-06 |
GB0319807D0 (en) | 2003-09-24 |
GB2390284A (en) | 2003-12-31 |
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