1. Introduction and important settings
5. Keys and gestures notations
7. Comparison of user interaction with the TouchScreen
8. Comparison of user interaction with the NumPads
9. Comparison of user interaction with the Standard keyboard
A TouchPad (sometimes called a TrackPad) is usually integrated into a laptop or sometimes with an external keyboard. Although operating SpeakOn with a TouchPad works well, operating SpeakOn using either the Standard keyboard or the NumPad would probably be faster. However, operating SpeakOn with the TouchPad can be still useful especially if a user might want to evaluate interacting with SpeakOn with touch before investing in a tablet or a laptop with a TouchScreen.
Touch gestures are predefined motions used to interact with touch devices such as a TouchPad.
With a TouchPad, all SpeakOn's common operations can be performed using one finger with a combination of swipe and Tap gestures.
More specifically, there are nine keys used in TouchPad interaction. These keys are drawn on the computer screen and are invoked using the TouchPad with a combination of Key swipe gesture and Tap gestures. Features which are not available using these keys can be performed using Action swipe gestures.
For comparison of user interaction with the Standard keyboard, NumPad and TouchScreen see page index above.
SpeakOn is self-voicing and when operated with the TouchPad handles its own mouse interactions.
To allow SpeakOn to operate correctly, you need to either set your screen reader to sleep mode if supported or shut down your screen reader altogether. Some screen readers can be configured so that they are set to be in sleep mode automatically when the focus is on self-voicing applications such as SpeakOn.
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 gestures as described below.
Swipe gesture comprises 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.
It is assumed that a TouchScreen is not available and therefore Key swipe gestures on the TouchPad are used to invoke a key on 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 some of the lines of the upper case letter I.
After a key is invoked it becomes the active key; see the Tap Gesture 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 TouchPad with a finger and then lifts it without sliding. Tap gesture anywhere on the TouchPad invokes the active key. An active key can be removed by sliding the finger and lifting it from the panel outside the on-screen KeyGrid. If there is no active key, the tap is ignored, making the TouchPad insensitive to touch until a key is invoked.
Only single tap is supported as single tap operation is much faster than double tap.
Note - your tap experience with your TouchPad might vary. Depending on your type of TouchPad and sometimes the TouchPad settings of your computer, lighter or harder touch might be required. Also although SpeakOn is programmed to accept a single tap, your TouchPad might require a double tap to achieve the same. Furthermore the author found that on his laptop sometimes a single tap is sufficient and sometimes a double touch is required to achieve the same.
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 TouchPad There are two methods of touch interaction: gesture and tap.
With the TouchScreen There are three methods of touch interaction: on-screen KeyGrid, gesture and tap.
You cannot use on-screen KeyGrid interaction with a TouchPad.
The names, layout and action of the NumPad keys (1) to (9) are the same as on the on-screen KeyGrid.
With a TouchPad, an on-screen key can be invoked by either using 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 TouchPad.
The long press actions on the NumPad are provided by the Action swipe gestures on the TouchPad.
As described above with a TouchPad, an on-screen key can be invoked by either using 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 the function groups: None (no function), Info, Clock, Audio and Speech. When a function group 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 group is set to Clock, the Up key tells the time and the Left key tells the date. When a function group 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 TouchPad 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 TouchPad, 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 TouchPad 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 TouchPad, 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 TouchPad, 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 TouchPad, 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 TouchPad, 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 TouchPad, these actions are performed by the 'End Task' and 'Shutdown SpeakOn' Action swipe gestures.
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