Method and apparatus for audibly communicating comparison information to a user

• US 6,184,876 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1996
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, John David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/677,772
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 395/806, 395/133, 395/2.8, 345/302, 345/433, 345/348, 345/349, 345/978, 707/502, 340/825.19
• US Class Current: 715/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/978 Audio interaction as part of an operator interface

Abstract

Information objects are compared according to user a specified distance measure and the magnitude of this distance measure is reported to a user by producing audio tones representative of the magnitude of the distance measure between the information objects. In one embodiment, a user interface for computers, including audio feedback in which a substantially fixed pitch audio tone is associated with a first selected object, and a second audio tone, associated with a second selected object, varies in pitch as the second object is moved relative to the first object. User configurable audio tone parameters allow the use of any function relating variations in audio tone to a distance measure.

Claims

1. A method of positioning an object, said method comprising:

a) selecting a first object;

b) generating a first audible tone;

c) selecting a second object, said second object being positioned a distance from said first object;

d) generating a second audible tone, said second audible tone being associated with said second object; and

e) aligning said second object to said first object;

f) wherein the first audible tone and the second audible tone are different when the first and second objects are not aligned, the first and second tones are the same when the first and second objects are aligned and the first and second audible tones are produced substantially simultaneously.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first audible tone has a substantially fixed pitch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second audible tone has a pitch that varies as a function of the distance between said first and second objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of moving said second object comprises moving said second object along a pre-selected axis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating said second audible tone comprises the steps of:

comparing a first and a second set of coordinates associated respectively with said first and second objects, said coordinates being representative of the relative positions of said first and second objects;

determining the distance between said first and second objects;

translating said distance into audio control information representative of pitch;

outputting said audio control information to a tone generator; and

producing said second audible tone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first audio tone has a substantially fixed pitch.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said distance is a distance along a pre-selected axis.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said step (e) of moving said objects, the step of selecting an axis in which to move said second object.

9. A method of co-locating, in at least one axis, computer generated graphical objects in a computer generated scene representing a three-dimensional scene, comprising:

a) selecting an axis in three dimensional space along which a distance between a first graphical object and a second graphical object is to be determined;

b) selecting a first graphical object;

c) generating a first audible tone associated with said first graphical object;

d) selecting a second graphical object;

e) generating a second audible tone associated with said second graphical object, said second audible tone being a function of the distance between said first graphical object and said second graphical object;

f) moving said second graphical object along said selected axis until said first and second audible tones are substantially equal; and

g) displaying an indication of the selected axis.