Screen reader remote access system
The present invention provides an assistive technology screen reader in a distributed network computer system. The screen reader, on a server computer system, receives display information output from one or more applications. The screen reader converts the text and symbolic content of the display information into a performant format for transmission across a network. The screen reader, on a client computer system, receives the performant format. The received performant format is converted to a device type file, by the screen reader. The screen reader then presents the device type file to a device driver, for output to a speaker, braille reader, or the like.
1. A server based screen reading method, comprising:
receiving display information from an application operating on said server;
parsing said display information such that text and symbolics to be displayed are detected by said server;
extracting said text and symbolics from the display information by said server;
converting the text and symbolics into a first performant format comprising a representation of phonemes in the text and symbolics, the first performant format being selected based on a first bit rate of transmission across a network to a first client machine;
converting the text and symbolics into a second performant format comprising a representation of diphones in the text and symbolics, the second performant format being selected based on a second bit rate of transmission across the network to a second client machine;
transmitting the text and symbolics in the first performant format from said server on said network to the first client machine, the first client machine being configured to convert the text and symbolics in the first performant format to a first device specific format for rendering on the first client machine; and
transmitting the text and symbolics in the second performant format from said server on said network to the second client machine, the second client machine being configured to convert the text and symbolics in the second performant format to a second device specific format for rendering on the second machine, wherein the first device specific format is different from the second device specific format,
wherein the text and symbolics in the first performant format requires less memory and transmission capacity comparing to the text and symbolics in the second performant format.
2. The screen reading method according to claim 1 , wherein the second performant format is further selected based upon a rate of speech characteristic.
3. The screen reading method according to claim 1 , wherein the second performant format is further selected based upon an accent characteristic.
4. The screen reading method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
converting the symbolics into text using symbolic metadata.
5. The screen reading method according to claim 4 , wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of file name, file description, alt attribute, or long description.
6. A computer-readable memory having stored therein one or more sequences of instructions which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to implement a server based screen reading method, comprising:
receiving display information from an application operating on said server;
parsing said display information such that symbolics and text content of the display information are detected by said server;
extracting said text and symbolics from the display information by said server;
converting the text and symbolics into a first performant format comprising a representation of phonemes in the text and symbolics, the first performant format being selected based on a first bit rate of transmission across a network to a first client machine;
converting the text and symbolics into a second performant format comprising a representation of diphones in the text and symbolics, the second performant format being selected based on a second bit rate of transmission across the network to a second client machine;
transmitting the text and symbolics in the first performant format from said server onto said network to the first client machine, the first client machine being configured to convert the text and symbolics in the first performant format to a first device specific format for rendering on the first client machine; and
transmitting the text and symbolics in the second performant format from said server onto said network to the second client machine, the second client machine being configured to convert the text and symbolics in the second performant format to a second device specific format for rendering on the second client machine, wherein the first device specific format is different from the second device specific format,
wherein the text and symbolics in the first performant format requires less memory and transmission capacity comparing to the text and symbolics in the second performant format.
7. The computer-readable memory according to claim 6 , further comprising:
converting the symbolics into text using symbolic metadata.
8. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having stored therein a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement screen reading by:
receiving display information from an application;
parsing said display information such that text and symbolics to be displayed are detected;
extracting said text and symbolics from the display information;
converting the text and symbolics into a first performant format comprising a representation of phonemes in the text and symbolics, the first performant format being selected based on a first bit rate of transmission across a network to a first client machine;
converting the text and symbolics into a second performant format comprising a representation of diphones in the text and symbolics, the second performant format being selected based on a second bit rate of transmission across the network to a second client machine;
transmitting the text and symbolics in the first performant format on said network to the first client machine, the first client machine being configured to convert the text and symbolics in the first performant format to a first device specific format for rendering on the first client machine; and
transmitting the text and symbolics in the second performant format on said network to the second client machine, the second client machine being configured to convert the text and symbolics in the second performant format to a second device specific format for rendering on the second machine, wherein the first device specific format is different from the second device specific format,
wherein the text and symbolics in the first performant format requires less memory and transmission capacity comparing to the text and symbolics in the second performant format.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second performant format is further selected based upon a rate of speech characteristic.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second performant format is further selected based upon an accent characteristic.
11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
converting the symbolics into text using symbolic metadata.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of file name, file description, alt attribute, or long description.