1. Introduction and important settings
3. on-screen KeyGrid interaction
6. Keys and gestures notations
8. Comparison of user interaction with the TouchPad
9. Comparison of user interaction with the NumPads
10. Comparison of user interaction with the Standard keyboard
TouchScreen is supported from Windows 8 and is available with some laptops and tablets.
Touch gestures are predefined motions used to interact with touch devices such as a TouchScreen.
With a TouchScreen, all SpeakOn's common operations can be performed using one finger with a combination of on-screen KeyGrid interaction, swipe and Tap gestures.
More specifically, there are nine keys used in TouchScreen interaction known as KeyGrid. These keys are drawn on the computer screen and are invoked using the TouchScreen with a combination of on-screen KeyGrid interactions, Key swipe gestures and Tap gestures. Features which are not available using these keys can be performed using Action swipe gestures. On-screen KeyGrid interaction is optional; all operations can be performed using only swipe gestures and Tap gestures.
For comparison of user interaction with the Standard keyboard, NumPad and TouchPad see page index above.
SpeakOn is self-voicing and when operated with the TouchScreen handles its own interactions.
Using a TouchScreen, SpeakOn interacts directly with Windows and therefore Touch interaction in SpeakOn only works if your screen reader does not intercept touch. In addition,putting the screen reader in sleep mode might be required or the screen reader might have to be switched off altogether.
There is more information about how to do this with popular screen readers in the Tutorial section of this manual:
here
By default, touch support is disabled in SpeakOn. To enable it, use the menu in the manager:
Global settings > Touch Settings
A small 3 by 3 keyboard known as a KeyGrid is always drawn on the screen. Each key is labelled as follows starting from the top:
Function Up Menu
Left Select Right
Modifier Down Focus
There are two groups of keys used by SpeakOn: Main and Context keys. Main keys perform the same actions anywhere in SpeakOn and the Context keys are used to navigate and operate individual controls and menus.
The Main keys are: Function, Menu, Focus.
Context keys include the four arrow keys which conveniently form the imaginary sides of a square; the 'Up' key, the 'Down' key, the 'Left' key and the 'Right' key. The 'Select' key is in the centre of this imaginary square. The Home, End, Cancel and Escape key actions are performed using gestures - see further below.
The modifiers that can be set are None (No modifier), Shift, Ctrl and Shift + Ctrl.
One of these modifiers is set first using the Modifier key followed by the key itself.
A function group contains one or more related functions. The function groups that can be set are None (No function group), Info, Clock, Speech, Audio, Find and Custom.
Each of these function groups is set first using the Function key followed by one of the context keys to perform the action required.
The actions of these keys are described further below as part of the Notation and Comparison with the Standard keyboard sections.
You interact with these keys using either the on-screen KeyGrid interaction, swipe or Tap gestures.
The location on the screen of the grid keyboard described above is not fixed. When SpeakOn is started, the keyboard is placed in the centre of the screen. Then with keyboard interaction its location follows the user's finger as explained below.
When the user wants to invoke a key, he touches the screen and slides his finger towards the desired key; the keys announce themselves as the user slides his finger over them. Upon detecting a slide movement, the keyboard is placed with its centre at the user's finger. Therefore the first key encountered is always the Select key which is at the centre of the keyboard. If the user wishes to invoke the Select key, he simply lifts his finger from the screen. If another key is required, the user continues to slide his finger towards the key required, making adjustments to his sliding direction. When the key required is reached, the user simply lifts his finger from the screen and the key is invoked.
After a key is invoked it becomes the active key. An active key can be removed by sliding the finger and lifting it from the panel outside the keyboard. See the Tap gestures section further below for active key use.
Swipe gesture comprise swiping the finger in one straight line or more without lifting it until the end of the gesture. The swiping action must be fairly swift.
Each gesture is given a name which relates to its functionality and its touch sequence is enclosed in curly brackets {}.
Swipe gestures are divided into two groups: Key swipe gestures and Action swipe gestures.
Key swipe gestures are an alternative method to Key interaction to invoke a key in the on-screen KeyGrid. The following Key swipe gestures are available:
Up key {swipe up}
Down key {swipe down}
Left key {swipe left}
Right key {swipe right}
Select key {swipe up > down}
Function key {swipe up > left}
Menu key {swipe up > right}
Modifier key {swipe down > left}
Focus key {swipe down > right}
Tip - All Key swipe gestures point to the location of the key on the on-screen KeyGrid and follow the lines of the upper case letter I.
After a key is invoked it becomes the active key; see the Tap gestures section further below for active key use.
Action swipe gestures provide the functionality of missing keys and a quick way to perform common operations that can usually be done using a sequence of keys.
Cancel {swipe right > left} - Stops speaking or cancels the internet connection.
Escape {swipe left > right} - Aborts or closes tasks, resets the Modifier key to none, removes the active key; see Tap gestures further below.
'Function Reset' {swipe left > up} - Resets the Function key to None, makes the Select key active.
Home {swipe left > down > Right} - Home action for relevant controls.
Tip - gesture traces the shape of a blunt arrow pointing left.
End {swipe right > down > Left} - End action for relevant controls.
Tip - gesture traces the shape of a blunt arrow pointing right.
'Where am I?' {swipe down > right > up} - With each successive gesture, cycles between the announcement of the current item, control and task in focus.
Tip - gesture traces the shape of a blunt arrow pointing down.
Content {swipe up > right > down} - Repeat last message content and spell it if no longer than 20 characters. This content usually includes a Control or media information.
Tip - gesture traces the shape of a blunt arrow pointing up.
Favourites {swipe up > down > up} - Opens a media task if necessary and moves the focus to the favourites directory in the library.
Help {swipe left > down} - Brings up the 'Help Context Menu'.
Time {swipe left > down > left} - Announces the time.
Timer {swipe down > up} - Sleep timer setting and information
Battery {swipe down > left > down} - AC Power and battery charge information
'End Task' {swipe right > up} - Closes a media task.
'Shutdown SpeakOn' {swipe right > down} - Shuts down SpeakOn MediaSuite
With tap gesture the user touches the screen with a finger and then lifts it without sliding. Tap gesture anywhere on the screen invokes the active key. If there is no active key, the tap is ignored making the screen insensitive to touch until a key is invoked.
Only single tap is supported as single tap operation is much faster than double tap.
A key is specified by its name. Modifier and function notation is enclosed in curley brackets {}.
Keys may have additional functionalities which are represented by the symbols '#' and/ or '*' before the key name; these relate to their use in combination with a modifier.
Unlike on the Standard keyboard, a modifier is set first using the Modifier key followed by the key itself.
Referring to the symbols above, three modifiers are supported:
'#' - M: Shift
'*' - M: Ctrl
'#*' - M: Shift + Ctrl
Note that the capital letter 'M' followed by a colon precedes the modifier to indicate the use of the Modifier key.
The character '>' is used to indicate that invoking a key is performed after setting the modifier.
For example the combination of Shift and the Select key is specified as follows:
# Select {M: Shift > Select}
As mentioned above, a gesture is specified by its name followed by its touch sequence enclosed in curly brackets.
Note that the word 'swipe' precedes the touch sequence to indicate the use of this type of gesture.
The character '>' is used to indicate that one straight line swipe follows another.
For example, the Key swipe gesture to bring up the Main menu is specified as follows:
Menu {swipe up > right}
The Action swipe gesture to cancel speech or internet connection is specified as follows:
Cancel {swipe right > left}
A function group contains one or more related functions. The function groups available are Info, Clock, Speech, Audio, Find and Custom.
Unlike on the Standard keyboard, a function group is set first using the Function key followed by one of the context keys to perform the action.
For example, to increase speech speed you need first to select the Speech function group and then invoke the Up key. This is specified as follows:
'Speech volume up' {F: Speech > Up}
Cancel - Stops speaking or cancels the internet connection.
Modifier - Cycles between modifiers.
Function - Cycles between function groups.
Menu - Toggles the Main menu.
Focus - Moves the focus to the next available control in the current task.
# Focus {M: Shift > Focus} - Moves the focus to the previous available control in the current task.
Functions:
'Media Format' {F: Info > Down} - Media format context information available in the Player.
'Media Info 1' {F: Info > Up} - Media context-related information available in the Player.
'Media Timing' {F: Info > Left} - Media timing or length context information available in the Player.
'Media Info 2' {F: Info > Right} - Media context-related information available in the Player.
Battery {F: Info > Focus} - AC Power and battery charge information
Time {F: Clock > Up} - Time
Date {F: Clock > Left} - Date
Timer {F: Clock > Right} - Sleep timer setting and information
'Speech Volume Minus' {F: Speech > Down} - Reduces the speech volume.
'Speech Volume Plus' {F: Speech > Up} - Increases the speech volume.
'Speech Rate Minus' {F: Speech > Left} - Reduces the speech rate.
'Speech Rate Plus' {F: Speech > Right} - Increases the speech rate.
'Audio Volume Minus' {F: Audio > Down} - Reduces the audio volume.
'Audio volume Plus' {F: Audio > Up} - Increases the audio volume.
'Audio Speed Minus' {F: Audio > Left} - Reduces the audio speed.
'Audio Speed Plus' {F: Audio > Right} - Increases the audio speed.
'Find' {F: Find > Left} - search available only in some tasks.
'Find Again' {F: Find > Right} - search again available only in some tasks.
'Custom 1' {F: Custom > Up} - optional custom operation in a media task
'Custom 2' {F: Custom > Right} - optional custom operation in a media task
'Custom 3' {F: Custom > Left} - optional custom operation in a media task
'Custom 4' {F: Custom > Down} - optional custom operation in a media task
Up - For navigation in a control if applicable.
Down - For navigation in a control if applicable.
Right - For navigation in a control if applicable.
* Right {M: Ctrl > Right} - For navigation in a control if applicable.
Left - For navigation in a control if applicable.
* Left {M: Ctrl > Left} - For navigation in a control if applicable.
Select - For specific operations in a control if applicable.
# Select {M: Shift > Select} - For specific operations in a control if applicable.
* Select {M: Ctrl > Select} - For specific operations in a control if applicable.
#* Select {M: Shift + Ctrl > Select} - For specific operations in a control if applicable.
With the TouchScreen There are three methods of touch interaction: on-screen KeyGrid, gesture and tap.
With the TouchPad There are only two methods of touch interaction: gesture and tap.
You cannot use on-screen KeyGrid interaction with a TouchPad.
The names, layout and actions of the NumPad keys (1) to (9) are the same as on the on-screen KeyGrid.
With a TouchScreen, an on-screen key can be invoked by using either the on-screen KeyGrid interaction, the Key swipe gesture or by a tap gesture which invokes the active key.
The action of the Cancel (0) key on the NumPad is provided by the Cancel gesture on the TouchScreen.
The long press actions on the NumPad are provided by the Action swipe gestures on the TouchScreen.
As described above with a TouchScreen, an on-screen key can be invoked by using either the on-screen KeyGrid interaction, the Key swipe gesture or by a tap gesture which invokes the active key.
With the Modifier key set to None (see further below) the following applies:
The action of the Up, Down, Left and Right keys are the same as the arrow keys on the Standard keyboard.
The action of the Select key is the same as the [Enter] key on the Standard keyboard.
The action of the Menu key is the same as the [Alt] key on the Standard keyboard.
The action of the Focus key is the same as the [Tab] key on the Standard keyboard.
On the Standard keyboard, the modifiers [Shift] and [Ctrl] are applied when these keys are pressed together with another key.
With the on-screen KeyGrid these modifiers are applied by invoking the Modifier key which cycles between None (no modifier), Shift, Ctrl and Shift + Ctrl. When a Modifier is announced, the Modifier is said to be set. After a modifier has been set using the Modifier key, this modifier is applied to the key that follows. In most cases the modifier is applied once after which the Modifier key is reset automatically to None.
On the Standard keyboard, the Function keys are used; each provides (in combination with a modifier if required) a different action.
With the on-screen KeyGrid, the same features are provided by invoking the Function key which cycles between None (no function), Info, Clock, Audio and Speech. When a function is announced, the Function is said to be set and this determines the action of the context keys Up, Down, Right, Left and Select. For example, when a function is set to Clock, the Up key tells the time and the Left key tells the date. When a function is set to Audio, the Up key increases the audio volume and the Left key reduces the audio speed.
On the Standard keyboard, the cancel action is provided when the user presses the [Ctrl] key on its own.
With a TouchScreen, the same action is provided by the Cancel Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard, the 'Where am I?' action for the item, control and task in focus is performed by the Help [Ctrl + Shift + F1], [Ctrl + F1] and [Shift + F1] keys respectively.
With a TouchScreen, the same action is provided by the 'Where am I?' Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard the Content action is performed by the [Ctrl + Shift + n] key.
With a TouchPad this action is performed by the Content Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard, the 'Go to Favourites' action is performed by the Nav [F4] key.
With a TouchScreen, this action is performed by the Favourites Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard, the Home action is provided by the [Home] key.
With a TouchScreen, the Home action is provided by the Home Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard, the End action is provided by the [End] key.
With a TouchScreen, the End action is provided by the End Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard, the Escape action is provided by the [Esc] key.
With a TouchScreen, the Escape action is provided by the Escape Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard, the Help action is provided by the Help [F1] key.
With a TouchScreen, the Help action is provided by the Help Action swipe gesture.
On the Standard keyboard, Ending a Task and Shutting down SpeakOn can be done using the Nav [Ctrl + F4] and [Alt + F4] keys respectively.
With a TouchScreen, these actions are performed by the 'End Task' and 'Shutdown SpeakOn' Action swipe gestures.
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