Interactive control of audio outputs on a display screen

• US 6,081,266 A
• Filed: 04/21/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sciammarella, Eduardo
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/845,072
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326-358, 345/968, 345/970, 345/978, 345/974
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/46 Volume control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/106 using icons, e.g. selecting, moving or linking icons, on-screen symbols, screen regions or segments representing musical elements or parameters

Abstract

Audio outputs representing various sounds are displayed on a screen as graphical objects. The user manipulates the size or location of the object on the screen such that the corresponding audio output is modified accordingly. If, for example, the size of the graphical object is increased, the sound becomes louder; conversely, if the graphical object is decreased, the sound becomes softer. By further moving the graphical object between the left and right edges of the screen, the audio balance between the channels is modified. If the object is moved to the left of the screen, only the left audio output channel is enabled. Conversely, only the right audio output channel is enabled if the graphical object is moved to the right side of the screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a plurality of sounds each corresponding to a respective graphical object on a display screen, said apparatus comprising:

a controllable processor programmed to select on said display screen a respective graphical object corresponding to a desired sound, each graphical object containing an image for visually identifying a sound in said plurality of sounds, said controllable processor further being programmed to effect modification of one or more parameters associated with said sound by moving said graphical object on said display screen, wherein the size of said graphical object is modified to depict the modification of at least one of said one or more parameters and the size modification is performed simultaneous to the movement of said graphical object, and wherein said controllable processor is programmed to effect disablement of said desired sound by moving said graphical object to a predetermined area of said display screen.

2. A method for controlling a plurality of sounds each corresponding to a respective graphical object on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

selecting on said display screen a respective graphical object corresponding to a desired sound, each graphical object containing an image for visually identifying a sound in said plurality of sounds; and

effecting modification of one or more parameters associated with said sound by moving said graphical object on said display screen, wherein the size of said graphical object is modified to depict the modification of at least one of said one or more parameters and the size modification is performed simultaneous to the movement of said graphical object,

wherein said desired sound is disabled by moving said graphical object to a predetermined area of said display screen.

3. A method for controlling a plurality of sounds by manipulating a plurality of graphical objects, each corresponding to a respective sound, on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

selecting on said display screen a graphical object corresponding to a desired sound, each graphical object containing an image for visually identifying a sound in said plurality of sounds; and

effecting modification of a level of said sound by moving said graphical object on said display screen, wherein the size of said graphical object is modified to depict the modification of said level and the size modification is performed simultaneous to the movement of said graphical objects

wherein said desired sound is disabled by moving said graphical object to a predetermined area of said display screen.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the size modification includes one of enlarging or reducing the selected graphical object.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said level is increased if said size of the selected graphical object is enlarged, and wherein said level is decreased if said size of the selected graphical object is reduced.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said level is no longer increased if said level has reached a maximum predetermined threshold corresponding to a maximum predetermined size of the selected graphical object, and wherein said level is no longer decreased if said level has reached a minimum predetermined threshold corresponding to a minimum predetermined size of the selected graphical object.

7. A method for controlling a plurality of sounds by manipulating a plurality of graphical objects, each corresponding to a respective sound, on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

providing on said display screen a graphical representation of multiple sound levels for said plurality of sounds;

selecting on said display screen a graphical object corresponding to a desired sound, each graphical object containing an image for visually identifying a sound in said plurality of sounds; and

effecting modification of a level of said desired sound by moving the selected graphical object on said display screen between said multiple sound levels such that a sound level is changed in correspondence with the movement, wherein the size of said graphical object is modified to depict the modification of said level and the size modification is performed simultaneous to the movement of said graphical object,

wherein said desired sound is disabled by moving said graphical object to a predetermined area of said display screen.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said sound level is increased if the selected graphical object is moved vertically from a first location to a second location on said display screen which are indicative of said multiple sound levels, and wherein said sound level is decreased if the selected graphical object is moved vertically from said second location to said first location.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said level is no longer increased if a maximum predetermined sound level has been reached corresponding to a maximum predetermined level on said display screen, and wherein said sound level is no longer decreased if a minimum predetermined sound level has been reached corresponding to a minimum predetermined level on said display screen.

10. A method for controlling a plurality of sounds reproduced via at least a right and left channel by manipulating a plurality of graphical objects, each corresponding to a respective sound, on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

selecting on said display screen a graphical object corresponding to a desired sound, each graphical object containing an image for visually identifying a sound in said plurality of sounds;

effecting modification of a parameter associated with said desired sound, other than the balance between left and right audio channels, by moving said graphical object on said display screen, wherein the size of said graphical object is modified to depict the modification of said parameter and the size modification is performed simultaneous to the movement of said graphical object; and

moving said graphical object between left and right edges of said display screen such that a sound balance changes between said left and right channels in correspondence with the movement between the left and right edges,

wherein said desired sound is disabled by moving said graphical object to a predetermined area of said display screen.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a center of said display screen represents a sound having an equal volume level in said left and right channels.

12. A method for controlling a plurality of sounds reproduced via at least a right and left channel by manipulating a plurality of graphical objects, each corresponding to a respective sound, on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

selecting on said display screen a graphical object corresponding to a desired sound, each graphical object containing an image for visually identifying a sound in said plurality of sounds;

moving said selected graphical object between left and right edges of said display screen such that a balance between said left and right channels of said desired sound changes in correspondence with the movement between the left and right edges; and

effecting modification of a level of said desired sound by moving said graphical object on said display screen, wherein the size of said graphical object is modified to depict the modification of said level and the size modification is performed simultaneous to the movement of said graphical object,

wherein said desired sound is disabled by moving said graphical object to a predetermined area of said display screen.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the modification includes one of enlarging or reducing a size of the selected graphical object.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said sound level is increased if said size of the selected graphical object is enlarged, and wherein said sound level is decreased if said size of the selected graphical object is reduced.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein a predetermined center position of said display screen represents said desired sound having an equal volume level in said left and right channels.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein said graphical object located at a predetermined center position of said display screen corresponds to a 3-D reproduction of said plurality of sounds.