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Universal Access in the Information Society

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01-11-2013 | Long paper

Equivalent representations of multimodal user interfaces

Runtime Reification of Abstract User Interface Descriptions

Authors: Kris Van Hees, Jan Engelen

Published in: Universal Access in the Information Society | Issue 4/2013

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Abstract

While providing non-visual access to graphical user interfaces has been a topic of research for over 20 years, blind users still face many obstacles when using computer systems. Furthermore, daily life has become more and more infused with devices that feature some kind of visual interface. Existing solutions for providing multimodal user interfaces that ensure accessibility are largely based on either graphical toolkit hooks, queries to the application and environment, scripting, model-driven user interface development or runtime adaptation. Parallel User Interface Rendering (PUIR) is a novel approach based on past and current research into accessibility, promoting the use of abstract user interface descriptions. Based on a single consistent conceptual model, PUIR provides a mechanism to render a user interface simultaneously in multiple modalities. Each representation of the UI provides equivalent semantics to ensure that collaboration between users of different modalities is facilitated. The possible application of this novel technique goes well beyond the realm of accessibility, as multimodal interfaces become more popular and even needed. The design presented here has been implemented as a prototype for testing and further research in this fascinating area of HCI.

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Either through direct manipulation (“direct access”) or indirectly (“assisted access”) by means of some form of assistive technology solution.

Edwards et al. [20] list only three layers in, but they limited themselves to a description of the layers of modelling, where the conceptual layer forms the basis for those three layers of modelling.

Also known as the CAMELEON Reference Framework.

The Unifying Reference Framework comprises more elements than are presented here. The discussion of the state of the art does not require all elements of the framework, and the scope has therefore been limited to what is sufficient to describe, understand, and compare the various approaches.

The initial version of the Unifying Reference Framework [11]. defined the adaptation operation as a transformation between representations at the same level of abstraction. Revisions made in support of plasticity of user interfaces (being able to adapt to context changes without affecting usability) introduced adaptation as a cross-level operation.

This is an follow-up study using an updated list of UIDLs. It confirms the findings of Souchon and Vanderdonckt [63].

Each host where application code may be executed must have a session manager running.

It is possible for all components to run on a single system.

Even though some of the data capturing may take place between the application and the graphical toolkit (e.g. by means of an interposing library), and therefore prior to the graphical rendering, the data can still be considered visual because the application usually either tailors the data in function of the chosen representation or it passes it to specific functions based on a chosen visualisation.

This not only involves defining objects and activities (functionality of objects), but also developing strategies to introduce the new model to the anticipated user population.

“Computer reality” is defined by Gaver as [22, p. 85] “the domain in which computer events are described, either by reference to the physical hardware of the system or its operations expressed in some programming language.”

Sighted users may often not even realise that a mental model is involved due to the fact that a GUI is generally presented visually using iconic elements that are closely related to the underlying conceptual (mental) model.

Objects and the manipulations that are possible on and with those objects.

It is safe to assume for the purpose of this discussion that the element provides user interaction functionality only. Conveying information is an aspect of abstract UI semantics that can be represented in various ways—it is not purely related to visualisation.

It is important to note that although information may be lost, accessibility may not be impacted because often only perceptual information is affected.

Either between blind users or between a sighted and a blind user. Sighted users often tend to depend on a visual focal point when collaborating about the interaction with a system or an application.

The main requirement for the communication channel is that it provides for sufficient bandwidth to enable efficient and specific exchange of information. A phone connection is often much more constructive to collaboration than, for example, an online chat session.

Or at least, not possible in an equivalent and/or efficient manner.

Kochanek [34] provides a detailed description of the construction-process for an off-screen model for a GUI.

Specifically, the needs of the target group as those relate to UI interaction.

A pluggable component is one that can easily be replaced by an equivalent component. The term is commonly used in UI contexts to indicate exchangeable presentation components. It is a derivative of the “plug-n-play” hardware concept.

This AUI description effectively defines the user interface at the conceptual and semantic level. It is a formal description of the conceptual mode.

Note that this does not necessarily imply that the result of user interaction is immediate, although it has become common practice to provide near-immediate results in support of the WYSIWYG design principle.

It is important to note that it is not a requirement that all representations are generated at runtime, although development time construction of any representations could imply that dynamic updates to the UI structure are not possible.

The physical devices that the user employs to perform operations of user interaction with the application.

Device drivers at the OS level are meant to serve all possible consumers. The events they generate are most commonly very low-level events.

This is known as a contraction in English Braille, American Edition.

It is obvious that even amongst the blind or the sighted, not necessarily everyone will prefer everything the same way. This has been a driving force behind the efforts to provide user customisations for UIs.

Generically, this type of control is known as a “valuator.”

This is a common problem in any circumstance where essentially the same information is presented in tow different locations.

Although “appearance” is commonly interpreted as an aspect of visual perception, it actually carries a much broader meaning, across multiple modalities of perception.

This is fundamentally different from other approaches (e.g. the HOMER UIMS [59, 60]) where UI objects are described multiple times: once in abstract form, and once or more in modality-specific forms.

This is commonly known as a “call back” feature.

In this context, being “visible” means that the user can note the existence of the widget. Being part of the AUI, the widget obviously has no perceptual characteristics.

More specific research into the impact of mental context switching and related topics is outside the scope of this work.

A common problem would be that the modality in which the user interaction was initiated might render the feedback prior to the application logic responding to the operation, whereas all other renderings would render feedback afterwards. This is also commonly observed in assistive technology solutions such as screen readers that are implemented as a derivative to the graphical representation.

And in order to work towards a possible future adoption as an AT support solution.

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Title: Equivalent representations of multimodal user interfaces
Runtime Reification of Abstract User Interface Descriptions
Authors: Kris Van Hees
Jan Engelen
Publication date: 01-11-2013
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Universal Access in the Information Society / Issue 4/2013
Print ISSN: 1615-5289
Electronic ISSN: 1615-5297
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-012-0282-z

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