Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Mariah Sigourney Moon

Ravi Gupta

Carolina Hernandez

Lukasz Zygmunt Makar

Jason Anthony Grieves

Elbio Renato Torres Abib

Vanguri Madhuri

Matthew Walker Campbell

Sichen Lu

Wesley Allan Witt

Cullen Sauls

Jane Jayoung Yoon

Jeffrey Allen Bishop

Zhaoyu Li

Lindy Rose Le

Douglas Harold Geoffray

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.

Detection of layout table(s) by a screen reader

Described herein are systems and methods for determining a logical starting location to start providing (e.g., reading) content to a user. When the user navigates to a particular web page and/or email message, a screen reader can automatically read content associated with the web page and/or email message beginning at the determined logical starting location. A heuristic can be applied in order to determine the logical starting location. The heuristic can analyze information regarding user interface element(s) (e.g., property(ies) and/or attribute(s)) of the particular webpage and/or email message to find a logical location to start reading once the webpage and/or email message have loaded.

Identification of logical starting location for screen reader

Described herein is a screen reader system for providing contextually relevant information for ambiguous link(s). Input is received from a user requesting information about a particular link of a web page. In response to the received user input, a request for contextually relevant information regarding the particular link (e.g., page identifier) is provided to a search engine. The request can include a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the particular link. Contextually relevant information regarding the particular link is received from the search engine. The received contextually relevant information is provided (e.g., displayed and/or read) to the user in response to the received request for information.

Providing contextually relevant information for ambiguous link(s)

Described herein is a screen reader providing a summary with popular link(s). The screen reader can provide a request for popular link information regarding a particular web resource to a search engine. The request can include a URL associated with the particular web resource. The request can be provided in response to a user request for a summary and/or the request can be provided based upon a user configurable setting (e.g., a quantity of popular links to be displayed). The screen reader can receive popular link information regarding the particular web resource from the search engine. The screen reader can then provide a summary comprising at least some of the received popular link information to the user. In response to selection of a particular popular link, the screen reader can redirect the browser to display a web resource associated with the particular popular link.

Screen reader summary with popular link(s)

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Mariah Sigourney Moon