Re: Audible clues during fast forward/reverse

A high speed or skimming speech rate is not a capability of currently 
available synthesized speech engines.  I think this would also be a new 
requirement for  UAAG and should be put as an issue that needs to be 
reviewed for the next version of the guidelines.

Jon


At 12:54 AM 11/30/2000 -0500, Harvey Bingham wrote:
>[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

Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
MC-574
College of Applied Life Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
1207 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL  61820

Voice: (217) 244-5870
Fax: (217) 333-0248

E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu

WWW: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
WWW: http://www.w3.org/wai/ua

Received on Thursday, 30 November 2000 11:37:43 UTC