The present invention discloses an indoor Electronic Traveling Aid (ETA) system for blind and visually impaired (BVI) people. The system comprises a headband, intuitive tactile display with myographic (EMG) feedback, controller, and server-based methods corresponding to three operation modalities. In 1.sup.st modality, sighted users mark routes, map navigational directions, and create semantic comments for BVIs. This information of routes is continuously collected and estimated in ETA servers. In the 2.sup.nd modality, BVIs choose the routes from servers, thereby, are supplied with real-time navigational guidance. Also, an EMG interface is used, where the user's facial muscles are enabled is to send commands to the ETA system. In the 3.sup.rd modality, BVIs receive real-time audio guidance in complex or unforeseen situations: ETA provides a crowd-assisted interface and real-time sensory (e.g., video) data, where crowd-assistants analyze the situation and help the BVI to navigate.

Systems and methods are disclosed for selectively reading text. A system may comprise an image capture device, an audio capture device, and a processor. The processor may be configured to receive images captured by the image capture device and audio signals captured by the audio capture device. The processor may analyze the image to identify text represented in the image; identify, based on the image, a structural element of the text; identify a request to read a first portion of the text associated with the structural element, the request being identified by at least one of analyzing the audio signals to detect a spoken request or detecting a gesture in the plurality of images; and present the first portion of text to the user of the wearable device.

The technology disclosed herein enables narration of occurrences in a telecommunications soft client operating in a GUI-less mode. In a particular embodiment, a method includes, in a user system, operating the telecommunications soft client in a first mode. In the first mode, the user system does not present a GUI to a user for the telecommunications soft client. A screen reader application is also executing on the user system. While in the first mode, the method includes audibly describing a first occurrence for the telecommunications soft client and receiving global user input into the telecommunications soft client. The screen reader application describes a second occurrence for a first application executing, and displaying an application window, on the user system.

A device and associated methods for entering a PIN via tapping are disclosed. The device can be configured to determine a number of taps provided by a PIN holder on a touch sensor in representation of a PIN digit and to store the number of taps as a digit in a sequence that represents the PIN. Indications for interaction with the device can be provided to PIN holders in the form of auditory cues. A visually impaired PIN holder may be able to complete a PIN entry process by following the indications for interaction, tapping on a touch sensor a number of times equal to the value of the digit of the PIN to be entered, and performing gestures mapped to commands for the device.

Computer-implemented method of browsing a resource through voice interaction comprising the following steps: A. acquiring (100) from a user a request aimed at browsing a resource; B. downloading (130) the requested resource; C. performing a syntactic parsing (135) of the downloaded resource; D. extracting (150) from the downloaded resource one or more lists, if any, of selectable shortcuts pointing to portions inside or outside the downloaded resource through a syntactic analysis and/or a semantic analysis and/or a morphological-visual analysis of extraction of lists of selectable shortcuts on the basis of an ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource; E. on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource, building (225) a list of one or more lists of selectable shortcuts extracted in step D ordered according to a list prioritisation; F. extracting (150) from the downloaded resource one or more content elements through a syntactic analysis and/or a semantic analysis and/or a morphological-visual analysis of extraction of content elements on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource; G. on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource, building (290) a list of content elements extracted in step F ordered according to a content element prioritisation; H. on the basis of the lists built in steps E and G and on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource, building a final structure of lists of selectable shortcuts and of content elements; I. playing (125) a voice prompt based on the final structure and starting a voice interaction with the user for browsing the resource.

Computer-implemented method of browsing a resource through voice interaction comprising the following steps: A. acquiring (100) from a user a request aimed at browsing a resource; B. downloading (130) the requested resource; C. performing a syntactic parsing (135) of the downloaded resource; D. extracting (150) from the downloaded resource one or more lists, if any, of selectable shortcuts pointing to portions inside or outside the downloaded resource through a syntactic analysis and/or a semantic analysis and/or a morphological-visual analysis of extraction of lists of selectable shortcuts on the basis of an ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource; E. on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource, building (225) a list of one or more lists of selectable shortcuts extracted in step D ordered according to a list prioritisation; F. extracting (150) from the downloaded resource one or more content elements through a syntactic analysis and/or a semantic analysis and/or a morphological-visual analysis of extraction of content elements on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource; G. on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource, building (290) a list of content elements extracted in step F ordered according to a content element prioritisation; H. on the basis of the lists built in steps E and G and on the basis of the ontology (245) corresponding to the type of resource, building a final structure of lists of selectable shortcuts and of content elements; I. playing (125) a voice prompt based on the final structure and starting a voice interaction with the user for browsing the resource.

A hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a wearer comprises a processor configured to generate a sequence of audio cues that audibly guide the wearer through a series of actions involving the wearer's head and neck in accordance with a predetermined corrective or therapeutic maneuver. A speaker is configured to play back the sequence of audio cues for reception by the wearer. One or more sensors are configured to sense movement of the head during each of the actions. The processor is configured to determine if head movement for an action associated with each audio cue has been correctly executed by the wearer, and produce an output indicative of successful or unsuccessful execution of the actions by the wearer.

In one aspect, a device includes at least one processor and storage accessible to the at least one processor. The storage includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to receive input from at least one sensor, identify a characteristic of a user based on the input from the at least one sensor, and alter at least one setting of the device based on the identification of the characteristic. The at least one setting is related to presentation of content using the device.

A reading order extrapolation and management system and process for facilitating auditory comprehension of electronic documents. As an example, a user may access contents of an electronic document via an application and request a speech-synthesized recitation of any media in the electronic document. The application may make use of a reading order that has been specifically generated and improved by reference to eye tracking data from users reading the document. A reading order can be assigned to a document and implemented when, for example, a screen reader is engaged for use with the document. Such systems can be of great benefit to users with visually impairments and/or distracted users seeking a meaningful audio presentation of textual content.

Described herein is a system and method for detecting a layout table by a screen reader. Information regarding a document being displayed by an application is received from an application programming interface of a user interface automation system that provides information regarding user interface elements of application and/or the application. The information includes an indication that the document comprises a table. A determination is made as to whether the table is a data table or a layout table based upon the received information using a rule-based heuristic. When it is determined that the table is a layout table, presentation information associated with the layout table can be skipped over, and, cell data content within the layout table provided. Thus, for a determined layout table, the system and method allow the screen reader to act as if the containing table doesn't exist, but still read the content.