Method and apparatus for displaying a gain control interface with non-linear gain levels

• US 7,328,412 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2003
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jacklin, Kelly B., Powell, Roger A., Cannistraro, Alan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US10/409,706
• Time in Patent Office: 1,767 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/833, 381/103, 381/109, 381/98, 381/119, 345/586
• US Class Current: 715/833
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A method for displaying a gain control interface having a gain level display with non-linear gain levels. The gain level display has a first end having an associated first pixel offset value and a second end having an associated second pixel offset value. A range of pixel offset values span from the first pixel offset value through the second pixel offset value. The method includes receiving a plurality of pixel offset values in the range of pixel offset values, calculating a gain level value for each of the plurality of pixel offset values (whereby a difference between two pixel offset values of two gain level values having a gain level difference is not equal to a difference of two pixel offset values of any other two gain level values having the same gain level difference), and mapping a gain level value to a pixel offset value.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a gain control interface comprising a gain level display with non-linear gain levels, the gain level display comprising a first end associated with a first end pixel offset value and a second end associated with a second end pixel offset value, the method comprising:

receiving a first pixel offset value, the first pixel offset value being in a range of pixel offset values that span from the first end pixel offset value through the second end pixel offset value;

calculating a first gain level value for the first pixel offset value based on a predetermined non-linear equation;

mapping the first gain level value to the first pixel offset value; and

displaying the gain control interface comprising the gain level display that shows the first gain level value at a pixel in the gain level display with the first pixel offset value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined non-linear equation is a predetermined logarithmic equation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined logarithmic equation is defined by the equation:

gain level[i]=(i/x)^(20*k/log₁₀(e))

where i=a pixel offset value, x=h/(10 ^(m/k)), h=a difference between the first end pixel offset value and the second end pixel offset value, m=a predetermined maximum gain level value, and k=a predetermined scaling value.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

repeating the receiving, calculating, and mapping for each pixel offset value in the range of pixel offset values.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the gain control interface shows a control item adjacent to the gain level display, the method further comprising:

generating an audio signal comprising the first gain level value when the control item is shown adjacent to a pixel in the gain level display with the first pixel offset value.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a second pixel offset value before displaying the gain control interface, the second pixel offset value being in a range of pixel offset values that span from the first end pixel offset value through the second end pixel offset value.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising determining whether the second pixel offset value is larger than the second end pixel offset value.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising saving said mapped gain levels within a computer readable medium when the second pixel offset value is larger than the second end pixel offset value.

6. A method for displaying a gain control interface comprising a gain level display with non-linear gain levels, the gain level display comprising a first end associated with a first end pixel offset value and a second end associated with a second end pixel offset value, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of pixel offset values being in a range of pixel offset values that span from the first end pixel offset value through the second end pixel offset value;

calculating a gain level value for each of the plurality of pixel offset values whereby a difference between two pixel offset values of two gain level values with a particular gain level difference is not equal to a difference of two pixel offset values of any other two gain level values with the same particular gain level difference;

mapping a gain level value to a pixel offset value for each of the plurality of pixel offset values; and

displaying the gain control interface comprising the gain level display that shows a succession of gain level values, each gain level value in the succession of gain level values being shown at a pixel in the gain level display with a pixel offset value to which the gain level value is mapped.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a gain level value is calculated for each of the plurality of pixel offset values based on a predetermined logarithmic equation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined logarithmic equation is defined by the equation:

gain level[i]=(i/x)^(20*k/log₁₀(e))

where i=a pixel offset value, x=h/(10^(m/k)), h=a difference between the first end pixel offset value and the second end pixel offset value, m=a predetermined maximum gain level value, and k=a predetermined scaling value.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the gain control interface shows a control item adjacent to the gain level display, the method further comprising:

generating an audio signal when the control item is shown adjacent to a pixel in the gain level display comprising a pixel offset value in the plurality of pixel offset values, the audio signal comprising a gain level value that is mapped to the pixel offset value.

22. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving a second pixel offset value before displaying the gain control interface, the second pixel offset value being in a range of pixel offset values that span from the first end pixel offset value through the second end pixel offset value.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining whether the second pixel offset value is larger than the second end pixel offset value.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising saving said mapped gain levels within a computer readable medium if the second pixel offset value is larger than the second end pixel offset value.

10. A computer readable medium storing a computer program which when executed by at least one processor displays a gain control interface comprising a gain level display with non-linear gain levels, the gain level display comprising a first end associated with a first end pixel offset value and a second end associated with a second end pixel offset value, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a first pixel offset value, the first pixel offset value being in a range of pixel offset values that span from the first end pixel offset value through the second end pixel offset value;

calculating a first gain level value for the first pixel offset value based on a predetermined non-linear equation;

mapping the first gain level value to the first pixel offset value; and

displaying the gain control interface comprising the gain level display that shows the first gain level value at a pixel in the gain level display with the first pixel offset value.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the predetermined non-linear equation is a predetermined logarithmic equation.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the predetermined logarithmic equation is defined by the equation:

gain level[i]=(i/x)=(i/x)^(20*k/log₁₀(e))

where i=a pixel offset value, x=h/(10^(m/k)), h=a difference between the first end pixel offset value and the second end pixel offset value, m=a predetermined maximum gain level value, and k=a predetermined scaling value.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer program further comprises:

a set of instructions for repeating the receiving, calculating, and mapping for each pixel offset value in the range of pixel offset values.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein the gain control interface shows a control item adjacent to the gain level display, the computer program further comprising:

a set of instructions for generating an audio signal with the first gain level value when the control item is shown adjacent to a pixel in the gain level display with the first pixel offset value.

15. A computer readable medium storing a computer program which when executed by at least one processor displays a gain control interface comprising a gain level display with non-linear gain levels, the gain level display comprising a first end associated with a first end pixel offset value and a second end associated with a second end pixel offset value, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a plurality of pixel offset values being in a range of pixel offset values that span from the first end pixel offset value through the second end pixel offset value;

calculating a gain level value for each of the plurality of pixel offset values whereby a difference between two pixel offset values of two gain level values with a particular gain level difference is not equal to a difference of two pixel offset values of any other two gain level values with the same particular gain level difference;

mapping a gain level value to a pixel offset value for each of the plurality of pixel offset values; and

displaying the gain control interface comprising the gain level display that shows a succession of gain level values, each gain level value in the succession of gain level values being shown at a pixel in the gain level display with a pixel offset value to which the gain level value is mapped.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein a gain level value is calculated for each of the plurality of pixel offset values based on a predetermined logarithmic equation.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the predetermined logarithmic equation is defined by the equation:

gain level[i]=(i/x)^(20*k/log₁₀(e))

where i=a pixel offset value, x=h/(10^(m/k)), h=a difference between the first end pixel offset value and the second end pixel offset value, m=a predetermined maximum gain level value, and k=a predetermined scaling value.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the gain control interface shows a control item adjacent to the gain level display, the computer program further comprising:

a set of instructions for generating an audio signal when the control item is shown adjacent to a pixel in the gain level display comprising a pixel offset value in the plurality of pixel offset values, the audio signal comprising a gain level value that is mapped to the pixel offset value.

25. A computer readable medium storing a computer program, said computer program having a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

), said GUI comprising;

a gain level display comprising a set of pixels, wherein each pixel within the gain level display is mapped to a particular gain level value by using a non-linear equation to calculate the particular Rain level value for the pixel; and

a selectable item displayed adjacent to the gain level display, wherein the selectable item is movable along the gain level display, wherein a position of the selectable item along the gain level display identifies a specific pixel corresponding to a gain level value.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the gain level value is calculated using a logarithmic equation.

27. A method comprising:

identifying a set of pixel offset values corresponding to a set of pixels in a graphical user interface;

mapping each pixel offset value to a gain level by using a non-linear equation to calculate a particular gain level value for each pixel offset value; and

displaying a gain control interface that shows each mapped gain level values at a pixel in the graphical user interface corresponding to a pixel offset values.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising showing a selectable item adjacent to the gain control interface.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising generating an audio signal with a gain level value associated with a pixel offset value adjacent to the selectable item.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising moving the selectable item along the gain control interface to select a gain level value.

31. A computer readable medium storing a computer program which when executed by at least one processor displays a gain control interface comprising a gain level display with non-linear gain levels, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

identifying a set of pixel offset values corresponding to a set of pixels in a graphical user interface;

mapping each pixel offset value to a gain level by using a non-linear equation to calculate a particular gain level value for each pixel offset value; and

displaying the gain control interface that shows each mapped gain level values at a pixel in the graphical user interface corresponding to a pixel offset values.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for showing a selectable item adjacent to the gain control interface.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the computer program further comprises a sets of instructions for generating an audio signal with a gain level value associated with a pixel offset value adjacent to the selectable item.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the computer program further comprises a sets of instructions for moving the selectable item along the gain control interface to select a gain level value.