Adjusting graphical characteristics for indicating time progression

• US 9,841,879 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, Timothy Thomas, Elliott, Forrest
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Rayeez
• Application Number:
  US14/137,769
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

A computing device can include a recognition mode interface utilizing graphical elements, such as virtual fireflies, to indicate recognized or identified objects. The fireflies can be animated to move across a display, and the fireflies can create bounding boxes around visual representations of objects as the objects are recognized. In some cases, the object might be of a type that has specific meaning or information to be conveyed to a user. In such cases, the fireflies might be displayed with a particular size, shape, or color to convey that information. The fireflies also can be configured to form shapes or patterns in order to convey other types of information to a user, such as where audio is being recognized, light is sufficient for image capture, and the like. Other types of information can be conveyed as well via altering characteristics of the fireflies.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a microphone;

a display screen; and

memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to;

acquire audio data using the microphone;

cause graphical elements to be animated on the display screen, the graphical elements being at least partially dispersed across the display screen;

recognize an acoustic fingerprint in the acquired audio data;

cause the graphical elements to form an animated circle based at least in part upon the recognized acoustic fingerprint, the graphical elements forming the animated circle being initially animated in a first state;

cause, while the computing device is in a recognition mode, an increasing number of the graphical elements to be animated in a second state as the recognition mode progresses over a period of time, the graphical elements in the second state being animated to differ in at least one of motion or appearance from the graphical elements in the first state;

identify a portion of the audio data; and

present information for the identified portion.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:

determine at least a portion of the audio data is unidentifiable; and

cause the graphical elements to (a) be dispersed across the display screen while presenting information indicating that the at least a portion was unable to be identified or (b) form a shape indicating that the at least a portion was unable to be identified.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:

receive an instruction to enter an audio recognition mode, wherein the audio data is acquired using the microphone in response to entering the audio recognition mode.

4. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

acquiring sensor data via a sensor of a computing device;

causing, based on acquiring the sensor data, graphical elements to form a shape on a display screen of the computing device, the graphical elements forming the shape being animated in a first state;

causing, while the computing device is in a recognition mode, an increasing number of the graphical elements to be animated in a second state on the display screen while the recognition mode progresses over a period of time, the graphical elements in the second state being animated to differ in at least one of motion or appearance from the graphical elements in the first state; and

presenting information for the sensor data on the display screen in response to at least a portion of the sensor data being identified.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

causing the graphical elements to be animated on the display screen in a third state after the period of time elapses, wherein the graphical elements return to the first state in response to additional sensor data being acquired.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the shape corresponds to at least one of a circle, a line segment, an ear, a microphone, or an audio speaker.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

recognizing an acoustic fingerprint in the sensor data, the second state being selected based at least in part upon the acoustic fingerprint.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

causing the graphical elements to be dispersed across the display screen in response to at least a portion of the sensor data being identified.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining the sensor data is unidentifiable; and

causing information to be presented on the display screen indicating that the sensor data was unable to be identified.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining the sensor data is unidentifiable; and

causing the graphical elements to form a second shape indicating that the sensor data was unable to be identified.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the motion includes at least one an amount of motion, a direction of motion, or a speed of motion.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the appearance includes at least one of an amount of vibrancy, an amount of brightness, an amount of color, a range of color, or an amount of dullness.

13. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a sensor;

a display screen; and

memory including instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

acquire sensor data via the sensor;

cause, based on acquiring the sensor data, graphical elements to form a shape on the display screen, the graphical elements forming the shape being animated in a first state;

cause, while the computing device is in a recognition mode, an increasing number of the graphical elements to be animated in a second state on the display screen while the recognition mode progresses over a period of time elapses, the graphical elements in the second state being animated to differ in at least one of motion or appearance from the graphical elements in the first state; and

present information for the sensor data on the display screen in response to at least a portion of the sensor data being identified.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

cause the graphical elements to form the shape while the sensor data is acquired.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

recognize an acoustic fingerprint in the sensor data, wherein the second state is selected based at least in part on the acoustic fingerprint.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

determine the sensor data is unidentifiable; and

cause at least one of;

(a) information to be presented on the display screen indicating the sensor data was unable to be identified or (b) the graphical elements to form a second shape indicating the sensor data was unable to be identified.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the appearance includes at least one of an average amount of brightness, color, size, or height at which the graphical elements are rendered.

18. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the motion includes at least one of an amount of motion, a direction of motion, or a speed of motion.

19. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

cause the graphical elements to be dispersed across the display screen in response to at least a portion of the sensor data being identified.

20. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

cause the graphical elements to return to the first state in response to the period of time lapsing, and in response to additional sensor data being acquired.