Voice recognition using your Tablet PC

Prior to using with HomeGauge:

First, you need to have the Microsoft Speech Recognition system enabled and running. To do so, click on the keyboard and stylus icon in the bottom left of the computer (just to the right of the Start button). From there, click on the gear icon on the far right and click on "Speech". That will enable it, and prompt the computer to set up the service if you have not already. There are also built in tutorials here. If that doesn't work properly, it can also be found by clicking Start > All Programs > Tablet PC > Tablet PC Tutorials.
Note: HomeGauge is not affiliated with Microsoft.

• The Basics
• Opening HomeGauge — Getting the program to run.
• Navigating HomeGauge — A quick example of how to get around in our software.
• Recommended Approach and Tips — Some further guidance to making the most of voice recognition.

The basics Back to Top

Microsoft's system allows you to dictate (spoken word into text) and command (give the computer orders that would normally be carried out by mouse or keyboard). You have to alternate between the two by clicking on either the Dictation or Command buttons in the Tablet PC Input Panel (where you can also use handwriting recognition or the on-screen keyboard). You can also say "Dictation" or "Voice Command" to switch between the two, and "Microphone" to turn it off. (Note: Once the microphone is off, you will have to manually turn it back on by clicking the appropriate Dictation or Command button.)

When in Command mode, you can say "What Can I Say?" and it will bring up a menu for what you can say, divided into several submenus:

Dictation into Foreground Application: In addition to turning your speech into text, you can also say things like "New line", "New paragraph", and "Spelling mode" (where you spell words that the software may otherwise not recognize).
Starting Applications: What to say to get a program to run for you, "Launch", "Open", and "Start" are the usual options.
Switch To: Say "Switch to" and then the application name to change it to the window you are focused on.
Selection and Correction: To highlight and alter text.
Navigation: How to move about the screen and/or document, based on the current window.
Uppercase and Lowercase: Change the capitalization of letters/words onscreen.
Editing Operations: Copy, paste, undo, etc.
Keyboard Simulation: Move up, next cell, page down, spacebar, tab, etc.
Controlling Speech: Say "Dictation" or "Voice Command" to change modes, or say "Microphone" to turn mic off.
Menus and Buttons: Will display the items it will be possible to use through speech, based on what is on the current page or window.

All of the above may or may not be available, depending on what you are currently looking at. For instance, if you are searching the web and there are no places to enter text, the Selection and Correction menu will not be available, because there would be nothing you could correct.

By learning and using all of the commands available to you, you will soon be using voice recognition intuitively and naturally.

Opening HomeGauge Back to Top

All you have to do to get started would be to say "Start Menu" to bring up the Windows Start Menu. If HomeGauge is listed, just say "Launch Homegauge 4". If it isn't, just say what you see that you'd like to click on, in this case "All Programs", and then "HomeGauge 4", and then "Launch Homegauge 4".

If you want to run it directly from a desktop shortcut (icon), simply say "Launch Homegauge 4". If HomeGauge is in none of those places, it might be easier to run it manually the same way you have in the past.

Now, we'll look at an example within the program.

Navigating HomeGauge Back to Top

Navigating HomeGauge is now easier than ever, just say the section you'd like to switch to, and you are there (make sure you are in "Command" mode). You can even go to specific parts of the report by saying the number of the component, and then the component name. For instance, let's say your report has these components: 1 Roofing, 2 Exterior, 3 Garage, 4 Interiors. All you would have to say to navigate between them is "One roofing", or "Three garage". And the program will switch over. You can also go to Customer, Report Info, and Misc (by saying "Miscellaneous").

You can also give the program commands, such as "Print" or "Upload" or view an entire menu of choices by saying "Template" or "Internet Tools".

The only way to edit template items is to go to the Template menu first, so to add, edit, or delete a template item, say "Template" and then "Add Template Item" (or "Delete..." or "Edit...").

You will be able to keep the "What Can I Say" menu open at all times, so you'll always know what is available for you to say. Keep reading to learn how we think you will benefit best from using speech recognition.

Recommended approach and tips Back to Top

The recommended approach: Keep your methods the same as they are now, except whenever you would use just the keyboard, speak the words instead. Odds are you speak faster than you type, and on the same token you can probably point and click faster than you can dictate directions. Of course, every inspector is different, the objective is to find what fits you the best.

Here are some other tips for you. We're always looking for ideas and feedback, so let us know if you would like to add to this list.

• Make things smarter, not harder. If you're having a hard time navigating the entire report using voice commands, utilize both techniques - the mouse and the mic. The idea is not to make this report take longer or more difficult.
  
• Train the system as much as you can. Read several of the trainings, and later go back and do more. The more the system gets to know you, the better your results will be.
• Give the program a second to catch up to you when you are navigating around a program that has changing options. For example, when you are going to a place in the report that has available template items to change, wait for the program to recognize that "Edit T" is an option and that "Add Template Item" is also an option. Same goes for when you open a template, now there are dozens of new commands from General and Components, to the components themselves.
• You will usually have to switch between commands and dictation for the software to fully input your information. As mentioned above, using both the mouse/stylus and your microphone will speed up the process, not slow it down.
• Do not use the built in microphone if you want the best results. Often your voice is drowned out by ambient noise, or the quality of the sound it receives is not good enough to get the desired actions.