Abstract: Systems, methods, and storage media for providing an interface for textual editing through speech may: store a narrative textual message; transmit the narrative textual message to a client computing platform to facilitate visual presentation; receive user speech information representing audible speech uttered by the user during the presentation; perform speech recognition on the user speech information to determine words spoken by the user contemporaneous with visual presentation of the narrative textual message; analyze the words spoken by the user contemporaneous to visual presentation of the narrative textual message to detect whether an editing command was spoken by the user during visual presentation of the narrative textual message; process the editing command; and transmit information to the client computing platform that causes visual presentation of the narrative textual message including edits caused by processing editing commands.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and storage media for providing an interface for textual editing through speech are disclosed. One aspect of the disclosure may include storing a narrative textual message and presenting the narrative textual message via a client computing platform. Speech uttered by a user may be received. Speech recognition may be performed on the speech to determine words spoken by the user. The words determined from the speech may be analyzed to detect whether an editing command was spoken. The editing command may include a parameter and an edited value for the parameter. The editing command may be processed to insert the edited value for the parameter or replace an initial value to the parameter with the edited value. Information may be transmitted to the client computing platform that causes the narrative textual message to be visually presented including edits based on the editing command.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing accessible reading modes in electronic computing devices. The user can transition between a manual reading mode and an automatic reading mode using a transition gesture. The manual reading mode may allow the user to navigate through content, share content with others, aurally sample and select content, adjust the reading rate, font, volume, or configure other reading and/or device settings. The automatic reading mode facilitates an electronic device reading automatically and continuously from a predetermined point with a selected voice font, volume, and rate, and only responds to a limited number of command gestures that may include scrolling to the next or previous sentence, paragraph, page, chapter, section or other content boundary. For each reading mode, earcons may guide the selection and/or navigation techniques, indicate content boundaries, confirm user actions or selections, or to otherwise provide an intuitive and accessible user experience.

Abstract: A system and method of associating an NFC tag to a product and transmitting information about the product are described. An electronic device is used to scan a generic NFC tag affixed to a product to obtain a unique ID code as well as other indicia identifying the product itself, such as a bar code. The unique ID and bar code are then transmitted to a central server, where they are associated with one another and stored in a database. Once associated, a customer may use a separate electronic device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, to scan a product of interest, transmit the unique ID code to the central server, and retrieve from the central server information about the product.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing accessible reading modes in electronic computing devices. The user can transition between a manual reading mode and an automatic reading mode using a transition gesture. The manual reading mode may allow the user to navigate through content, share content with others, aurally sample and select content, adjust the reading rate, font, volume, or configure other reading and/or device settings. The automatic reading mode facilitates an electronic device reading automatically and continuously from a predetermined point with a selected voice font, volume, and rate, and only responds to a limited number of command gestures that may include scrolling to the next or previous sentence, paragraph, page, chapter, section or other content boundary. For each reading mode, earcons may guide the selection and/or navigation techniques, indicate content boundaries, confirm user actions or selections, or to otherwise provide an intuitive and accessible user experience.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing accessible reading modes in electronic computing devices. The user can transition between a manual reading mode and an automatic reading mode using a transition gesture. The manual reading mode may allow the user to navigate through content, share content with others, aurally sample and select content, adjust the reading rate, font, volume, or configure other reading and/or device settings. The automatic reading mode facilitates an electronic device reading automatically and continuously from a predetermined point with a selected voice font, volume, and rate, and only responds to a limited number of command gestures that may include scrolling to the next or previous sentence, paragraph, page, chapter, section or other content boundary. For each reading mode, earcons may guide the selection and/or navigation techniques, indicate content boundaries, confirm user actions or selections, or to otherwise provide an intuitive and accessible user experience.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a fixed format viewing mode in electronic computing devices. The fixed format viewing mode may be engaged upon receiving virtual ink annotations at the touch screen of the electronic device. The annotations may be input using an active stylus. Upon receiving virtual ink annotations, the current page of digital content may be converted into a fixed format page wherein the formatting characteristics are held constant and the annotations remain in the same location with respect to the underlying digital content. Formatting characteristics for other pages of the digital content may be altered, however the fixed format page maintains the same format as when the annotations were added. The user may hide and/or edit virtual ink annotations, and when the annotations are hidden the content of the fixed format page may flow normally and match the formatting characteristics of the rest of the digital content.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a page flipping mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The user can engage the page flipping mode by performing an activation gesture, which causes the device to display a magazine page flipping mode or a fast page flipping mode. The page flipping modes may show paginated content such as an opened book or magazine in a single stack or side-by-side layout. The fast page flipping modes may show a single page lying relatively flat or somewhat curled with the edges of subsequent pages visible at the right edge of the page. A page flipping gesture may prompt an animation showing one or more pages folding up to display subsequent pages to the user. In some cases, the number of pages being flipped and/or the speed at which the pages are flipped, is dependent upon the speed and/or length and/or duration of the page flipping gesture.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing electronic comic book reading by dynamically expanding text bubbles (“bubbles”) to make them easier to read, especially on a small mobile device. The methods include skimming a sequence of expanded bubbles, flinging through a sequence of expanded bubbles and positioning expanded bubbles so as not to hide the comic character(s) uttering the phrase. The methods are performed with irregular bubble outlines (like curly, bumpy, or jagged text bubbles commonly found in comics). Further the method includes pre-processing the content in an automated fashion to enable skimming and flinging through the sequences of expanded bubbles.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a page flipping mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The user can engage the page flipping mode by performing an activation gesture, which causes the device to display a magazine page flipping mode or a fast page flipping mode. The page flipping modes may show paginated content such as an opened book or magazine in a single stack or side-by-side layout. The fast page flipping modes may show a single page lying relatively flat or somewhat curled with the edges of subsequent pages visible at the right edge of the page. A page flipping gesture may prompt an animation showing one or more pages folding up to display subsequent pages to the user. In some cases, the number of pages being flipped and/or the speed at which the pages are flipped, is dependent upon the speed and/or length and/or duration of the page flipping gesture.

Abstract: A system and a method facilitating navigation in an electronic device and for enabling users of electronic devices to navigate quickly, smoothly, and naturally through electronic books and other documents using multi-touch gestures on a touch sensitive surface of the electronic device. The multi-touch gestures are movements of the multiple touches such as, preferably, a two-finger slide or flick gesture. This gesture is interpreted by the system as a command to navigate to the next or to a previous section of the electronic document, for example, the next chapter in a book or an article or section in a magazine. The device has firmware and/or software capable of analyzing and interpreting the motion, and forwarding the analyzed contents or interpretation to an appropriate software application or other software subsystem that associates the gestures with a set of commands.

Abstract: A method, system and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided for controlling display of content on an electronic device with a touch screen display, which content may, in response to detection of a squeeze gesture, be reduced on the display screen to reveal additional content, tools and features associated with the one or more pages of the content.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for revealing extra margin area for paginated digital content, referred to herein as an extra margins mode. For example, the extra margins mode may be used to reveal/expose extra margin area (galley area) at the perimeter of one or more pages of an eBook or a photo of a photo album. Once galley area is exposed, a user can add content to the galley area, such as annotations using a stylus. In some cases, the extra margins mode may be configured to expose galley area for one or more pages in response to a reveal command input, such as a pinch gesture, a drag gesture, or an inward flick gesture from near the edge of a page using a stylus. The extra margins mode may also be configured to hide exposed galley areas in response to a hide command input, such as spread gesture.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a fixed format viewing mode in electronic computing devices. The fixed format viewing mode may be engaged upon receiving virtual ink annotations at the touch screen of the electronic device. The annotations may be input using an active stylus. Upon receiving virtual ink annotations, the current page of digital content may be converted into a fixed format page wherein the formatting characteristics are held constant and the annotations remain in the same location with respect to the underlying digital content. Formatting characteristics for other pages of the digital content may be altered, however the fixed format page maintains the same format as when the annotations were added. The user may hide and/or edit virtual ink annotations, and when the annotations are hidden the content of the fixed format page may flow normally and match the formatting characteristics of the rest of the digital content.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a page flipping mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The user can engage the page flipping mode by performing an activation gesture, which causes the device to display a magazine page flipping mode or a fast page flipping mode. The page flipping modes may show paginated content such as an opened book or magazine in a single stack or side-by-side layout. The fast page flipping modes may show a single page lying relatively flat or somewhat curled with the edges of subsequent pages visible at the right edge of the page. A page flipping gesture may prompt an animation showing one or more pages folding up to display subsequent pages to the user. In some cases, the number of pages being flipped and/or the speed at which the pages are flipped, is dependent upon the speed and/or length and/or duration of the page flipping gesture.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for engaging and displaying a visual table of contents in electronic touch sensitive devices. The user can engage the visual table of contents by, for example, performing an activation gesture, such as an inward two-contact pinch gesture. The visual table of contents may display the paginated content to the user as a grid of image tiles, each image corresponding to a page or spread of pages. Each page of content may be accompanied by its appropriate page number. The visual table of contents may display the paginated content as page spreads, wherein each page is paired with its opposite facing page. The user may scroll through the visual table of contents if the device screen is not large enough to display all of the pages on a single screen. Selecting a page from the table of contents may display the selected page to the user.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing electronic comic book reading by dynamically expanding text bubbles (“bubbles”) to make them easier to read, especially on a small mobile device. The method s include skimming a sequence of expanded bubbles, flinging through a sequence of expanded bubbles and positioning expanded bubbles so as not to hide the comic character(s) uttering the phrase. The methods are performed with irregular bubble outlines (like curly, bumpy, or jagged text bubbles commonly found in comics). Further the method includes pre-processing the content in an automated fashion to enable skimming and flinging through the sequences of expanded bubbles.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing an accessible menu navigation mode in electronic computing devices. The user can engage a manual reading mode, using a manual reading mode activation gesture, wherein the user may navigate through content, share content, or change reading rate, font, volume, or other device settings. The user may navigate through a menu structure using menu navigation gestures and the menu and sub-menu options may be read aloud to the user as they are navigated through. A selection gesture may allow the user to enable or adjust various menu and sub-menu options, and an earcon or sound effect may guide the navigation process and/or confirm a menu selection. The user may configure the navigation gestures and option selection gestures. The menu options may be structured to allow a user to access content navigation options with upward swipe gestures and access device settings using downward swipe gestures.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing accessible reading modes in electronic computing devices. The user can transition between a manual reading mode and an automatic reading mode using a transition gesture. The manual reading mode may allow the user to navigate through content, share content with others, aurally sample and select content, adjust the reading rate, font, volume, or configure other reading and/or device settings. The automatic reading mode facilitates an electronic device reading automatically and continuously from a predetermined point with a selected voice font, volume, and rate, and only responds to a limited number of command gestures that may include scrolling to the next or previous sentence, paragraph, page, chapter, section or other content boundary. For each reading mode, earcons may guide the selection and/or navigation techniques, indicate content boundaries, confirm user actions or selections, or to otherwise provide an intuitive and accessible user experience.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring digital content includes a physical token incorporating a Near Field Communication (“NFC”) tag that represents a virtual gift of digital content such as an eBook. The tag can include a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that can be used to gain access to the electronic content which can be stored on a remote server. A unique identifier on the tag is associated with gifted digital content. This association is preferably stored on a remote server in the “cloud”. A user receiving the physical and places it on or next to their electronic device, which includes an NFC receiver, and the device reads the tag and connects to the remote server. The remote server validates the information on the token and provides the user with access to the digital content, such as downloading the digital content to the user's electronic device.