Audible clues during fast forward/reverse

[HB: One feature we haven't considered is the desirability of detectable
audio structural patterns during playback at fast forward and reverse.
These need not have pitch restoration, as would be desirable while
comprehending speeded-up or slowed-down text-to-speech. Discussion
below is from the NISO/DAISY draft standard. This could be handled as a
note to UAAG checkpoint 4.6, 4.8, or in the "else for any others not covered"
of 4.9.]

Regards/Harvey Bingham

---- Extract ----

Digital Talking Books Standards Committee
Navigation Features List
NISO Digital Talking Book Standard on Navigation

     http://www.loc.gov/nls/niso/navigation.htm

Draft 4, December 29, 1999

2. Fast Forward and Fast Reverse
It would be useful to have a simple tape-recorder-type navigation feature 
(cue and review function). For example, there could be a slider-like 
control or push buttons that would allow the user to fast-forward or 
fast-reverse through the book at a high speed. As the text was traversed, 
speech could be generated at a high speed using some form of time scale 
modification. Readers can learn much about the structure of the text that 
is passing. For example, lists can be detected as a series of short, 
staccato bursts. Paragraphs, chapter headings, etc. could be indicated by 
strategically-generated tones. Thus, an individual could just zip forward 
or backward through the book rather than typing commands to accomplish the 
same tasks. For some individuals, this interface would be much simpler and 
easier to use. It might also be much more useful in a document that is long 
and does not have particularly good titling or sectioning.

An alternative method of allowing the user to skim a document would be to 
have the playback device read the types of text elements that are passed. 
For example, the user might hear, "part, chapter, section, paragraph, 
paragraph,..., section, paragraph, paragraph,..., table, paragraph, 
paragraph,..., sidebar, etc."

It is recommended that the fast forward and reverse feature allow the book 
to be traversed anywhere from 10-25 times the normal or real-time reading 
speed.

Regards/Harvey