Audio feedback for continuous scrolled content

• US 10,175,941 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Molesky, Lory, Moroze, Benjamin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Level, Barbara M
• Application Number:
  US15/163,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

An example system and method for providing audio feedback to a software user when scrolling, panning, or zooming a content area. An example method includes determining one or more dimensions of the content area, which includes one or more sections; detecting a scroll command; scrolling the content such that a user interface viewport moves across the content area in accordance with the scroll command; and playing plural sounds during the scrolling to indicate a scroll direction, a scroll velocity, and to indicate a start position and an end position of the viewport relative to the content area.

Claims

1. A method for providing audio feedback when scrolling or panning an object in a content area simultaneously in two dimensions on a computing device display, the method comprising:

determining a first dimension the content area, the content area including one or more sections;

determining a second dimension of the content area;

associating a first sound with the first dimension;

associating a second sound with the second dimension;

detecting a scroll command indicating that the object is moving across the content area by traversing both the first and second dimensions simultaneously;

playing the first sound at a first pitch corresponding to a position of the object along the first dimension while simultaneously playing the second sound at a second pitch corresponding to a position of the object along the second dimension; and

receiving a signal from an input device to cause a playback of an audio history indicative of a scroll history that includes the scroll commands.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

playing plural sounds to indicate one or more of a scroll direction, a scroll velocity, a start position, an end position, such that one or more properties of the plural sounds change during scrolling to indicate a number of scrolled content sections.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein playing plural sounds further includes using a sound-to-position mapping that maps a position of the viewport relative to the content area, the content area representing a body of scrollable content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein playing plural sounds further includes:

selectively playing a first sound during scrolling in a first direction; and

varying a first property of the first sound as the first sound is played to indicate a scroll direction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first property includes frequency.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first sound includes a musical note.

7. The method of claim 6, further including playing the first sound at one or more boundaries of the one or more sections as the one or more sections are scrolled into or out of the viewport, wherein the first sound includes a percussion.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein playing plural sounds further includes:

selectively playing a second sound during scrolling.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sound includes a continuous tone that continuously increases or decreases in frequency, and wherein the second sound includes a percussion played when one or more boundaries of one or more sections transition across a boundary or boundaries of the viewport used to view the content area.

10. The method of claim 8, further including continuously varying a frequency of a continuously increasing or decreasing tone when a boundary of the viewport is within the one or more sections.

11. The method of claim 8, further including playing the second sound when scrolling in a second direction, wherein the second direction includes a horizontal direction, and wherein the first direction includes a vertical direction.

12. The method of claim 11, further including selectively playing a combination of the first sound and the second sound when scrolling diagonally across the content area, the content area characterized by multiple dimensions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the multiple dimensions include horizontal and vertical dimensions.

14. The method of claim 12, further including playing a third sound when scrolling in a third direction along an axis corresponding to a third dimension of the scrollable content, thereby indicating a current zoom level as the content area is zoomed.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the first sound is confined to within a first audio frequency range, and wherein the second sound is confined to within a second audio frequency range.

16. The method of claim 8, further including:

varying a first property of the first sound to indicate a first scroll direction and scroll velocity; and

varying a second property of the second sound to indicate a second scroll direction and scroll velocity.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first sound includes a musical instrument sound, and wherein the first property includes a musical note of the musical instrument.

18. An apparatus for providing audio feedback when scrolling or panning an object in a content area simultaneously in two dimensions on a computing device display, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a tangible processor-readable storage device including instructions for;

determining a first dimension the content area, the content area including one or more sections;

determining a second dimension of the content area;

associating a first sound with the first dimension;

associating a second sound with the second dimension;

detecting a scroll command indicating that an object is moving across the content area by traversing both the first and second dimensions simultaneously;

playing the first sound at a first pitch corresponding to a position of the object along the first dimension while simultaneously playing the second sound at a second pitch corresponding to a position of the object along the second dimension; and

receiving a signal from an input device to cause a playback of an audio history indicative of a scroll history that includes the scroll commands.

19. A tangible processor-readable storage device including instructions executable by one or more processors for providing audio feedback when scrolling or panning an object in a content area simultaneously in two dimensions on a computing device display, the instructions when executed causing the following acts:

determining a first dimension the content area, the content area including one or more sections;

determining a second dimension of the content area;

associating a first sound with the first dimension;

associating a second sound with the second dimension;

detecting a scroll command indicating that an object is moving across the content area by traversing both the first and second dimensions simultaneously;

playing the first sound at a first pitch corresponding to a position of the object along the first dimension while simultaneously playing the second sound at a second pitch corresponding to a position of the object along the second dimension; and

receiving a signal from an input device to cause a playback of an audio history indicative of a scroll history that includes the scroll commands.