AUDIO FEEDBACK FOR CONTINUOUS SCROLLED CONTENT

• US 20170344339A1
• Filed: 05/24/2016
• Published: 11/30/2017
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 10,175,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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 content to reveal new content of a content area illustratable via a computing device display, the method comprising:

determining one or more dimensions of the content area, the content area including 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.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

detecting one or more scroll operations responsive to plural scroll commands; and

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

3. The method of claim 1, further including playing the plural sounds, such that one or more properties of the plural sounds change during scrolling to indicate a number of scrolled content sections.

4. The method of claim 1, 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.

5. The method of claim 4, 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.

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

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first sound includes a musical note.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein playing plural sounds further includes:

selectively playing a second sound during scrolling.

10. The method of claim 9, 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.

11. The method of claim 9, further including continuously varying a frequency of the continuously increasing or decreasing tone when a boundary of the viewport is within the one or more sections.

12. The method of claim 9, 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.

13. The method of claim 12, 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.

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

15. The method of claim 13, 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.

16. The method of claim 9, 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.

17. The method of claim 9, 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.

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

19. An apparatus for presenting data visualization graphics, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a tangible processor-readable storage device including instructions for;

determining one or more dimensions of the content area, the content area including 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.

20. A tangible processor-readable storage device including instructions executable by one or more processors for:

determining one or more dimensions of the content area, the content area including 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.