Cloud-Based User Interface Augmentation

Abstract

In a general aspect, a computer-implemented method can include storing, on one or more remote servers, preferences specific to a user for augmented user interface (AUI) functionality on a local computer and receiving, at the one or more remote servers via a web browser running on the local computer, a request to login the user. The computer-implemented method can also include, in response to the request, providing from the one or more remote servers to the local computer, one or more application programming interface (API) plug-ins to provide, in the web browser, the AUI functionality on the local computer, wherein the provided AUI functionality conforms to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 storing, on one or more remote servers, preferences specific to a user for augmented user interface (AUI) functionality on a local computer;   receiving, at the one or more remote servers via a web browser running on the local computer, a request to login the user; and   in response to the request, providing from the one or more remote servers to the local computer, one or more application programming interface (API) plug-ins to provide, in the web browser, the AUI functionality on the local computer, wherein the provided AUI functionality conforms to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins provide the AUI functionality on the local computer in conjunction with one or more AUI component applications according to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a cloud-based AUI component application, a native AUI component application and a browser plug-in AUI component application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a native screen reader, a native screen magnifier, a native speech recognizer, a browser plug-in version of a screen reader, a browser plug-in version of a screen magnifier, a browser plug-in version of a speech recognizer, a web based screen reader, a web based screen magnifier and a web based speech recognizer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins include at least one browser plug-in. 
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon operable to cause a programmable processor to:
 store, on one or more remote servers, preferences specific to a user for augmented user interface (AUI) functionality on a local computer;   receive, at the one or more remote servers via a web browser running on the local computer, a request to login the user; and   in response to the request, provide from the one or more remote servers to the local computer, one or more application programming interface (API) plug-ins to provide, in the web browser, the AUI functionality on the local computer, wherein the provided AUI functionality conforms to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins provide the AUI functionality on the local computer in conjunction with one or more AUI component applications according to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a cloud-based AUI component application, a native AUI component application and a browser plug-in AUI component application. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a native screen reader, a native screen magnifier, a native speech recognizer, a browser plug-in version of a screen reader, a browser plug-in version of a screen magnifier, a browser plug-in version of a speech recognizer, a web based screen reader, a web based screen magnifier and a web based speech recognizer. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins include at least one browser plug-in. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, at a web browser running on a local computer, a request to login a user;   sending the request to login the user to one or more remote servers, the one or more remote servers storing preferences specific to a user for augmented user interface (AUI) functionality on a local computer; and   in response to the request, downloading from the one or more remote servers to the local computer, one or more application programming interface (API) plug-ins to provide, in the web browser, the AUI functionality on the local computer, wherein the provided AUI functionality conforms to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins provide the AUI functionality on the local computer in conjunction with one or more AUI component applications according to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a cloud-based AUI component application, a native AUI component application and a browser plug-in AUI component application. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a native screen reader, a native screen magnifier, a native speech recognizer, a browser plug-in version of a screen reader, a browser plug-in version of a screen magnifier, a browser plug-in version of a speech recognizer, a web based screen reader, a web based screen magnifier and a web based speech recognizer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins include at least one browser plug-in. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon operable to cause a programmable processor to:
 receive, at a web browser running on a local computer, a request to login a user;   send the request to login the user to one or more remote servers, the one or more remote servers storing preferences specific to the user for augmented user interface (AUI) functionality on the local computer; and   in response to the request, download from the one or more remote servers to the local computer, one or more application programming interface (API) plug-ins to provide, in the web browser, the AUI functionality on the local computer, wherein the provided AUI functionality conforms to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins provide the AUI functionality on the local computer in conjunction with one or more AUI component applications according to the user's preferences stored on the one or more remote servers. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a cloud-based AUI component application, a native AUI component application and a browser plug-in AUI component application. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more AUI component applications include one or more of a native screen reader, a native screen magnifier, a native speech recognizer, a browser plug-in version of a screen reader, a browser plug-in version of a screen magnifier, a browser plug-in version of a speech recognizer, a web based screen reader, a web based screen magnifier and a web based speech recognizer. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more API plug-ins include at least one browser plug-in.