Adaptive Audio Feedback System and Method

• US 20130159861A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rottler, Benjamin A., Lindahl, Aram M., Haughay, Allen Paul Jr., Ellis, Shawn A., Wood, Policarpo Bonilla Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Various techniques for adaptively varying audio feedback data on an electronic device are provided. In one embodiment, an audio user interface implementing certain aspects of the present disclosure may devolve or evolve the verbosity of audio feedback in response to user interface events based at least partially upon the verbosity level of audio feedback provided during previous occurrences of the user interface event. In another embodiment, an audio user interface may be configured to vary the verbosity of audio feedback associated with a navigable list of items based at least partially upon the speed at which a user navigates the list. In a further embodiment, an audio user interface may be configured to vary audio feedback verbosity based upon the contextual importance of a user interface event. Electronic devices implementing the present techniques provide an improved user experience with regard to audio user interfaces.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device having one or more processors and memory;

detecting a respective occurrence of a user interface event requesting audio feedback on the electronic device at a first time;

in response to detecting the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the first time, identifying a plurality of audio items and a first visual notification associated with the user interface event, wherein each of the plurality of audio items has a different level of verbosity, and wherein the plurality of audio items include at least a first audio item having a first verbosity level corresponding to a verbosity level of the first visual notification, and a second audio item having a second verbosity level lower than the first verbosity level;

selecting the second audio item in accordance with at least a determination that the user interface event previously occurred within the particular time interval prior to the first time and that the first audio item was provided during said previous occurrence; and

concurrently providing the second audio item with the first visual notification on the electronic device, wherein the first audio item was provided with the first visual notification during said previous occurrence of the user interface event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with at least a determination that the user interface event did not previously occur within the particular time interval prior to the first time, selecting an audio item having the highest level of verbosity from the plurality of audio items for playback.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a subsequent occurrence of the user interface event on the electronic device at a second time; and

selecting a respective one of the plurality of audio items that corresponds to a respective desired verbosity level determined based upon the duration between the first time and the second time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting said respective one audio item comprises:

in accordance with at least a determination that the duration between the first and second times is less than or equal to the particular time interval, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items that is at least one step less verbose relative to the second audio item; and

in accordance with at least a determination that the duration between the first and second times is greater than the particular time interval, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items that is at least one step more verbose relative to the second audio item.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing said respective one audio item without concurrently providing the first visual notification on the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the respective one audio item comprises:

determining whether a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence at the second time, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items having a lower level of verbosity regardless of the verbosity level of the previously selected second audio item.

7. The method of claim 3, comprising:

determining whether a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was not detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time, providing the first visual notification concurrently with the playback of the selected respective one audio item; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time, providing a second visual notification concurrently with the playback of the selected respective one audio item, wherein the second visual notification is less verbose relative to the first visual notification.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the second visual notification further comprises:

displaying the second visual notification at a second location in the graphical user interface that is less prominent than a first location at which the first visual notification was previously displayed.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

detecting a respective occurrence of a user interface event requesting audio feedback on the electronic device at a first time;

in response to detecting the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the first time, identifying a plurality of audio items and a first visual notification associated with the user interface event, wherein each of the plurality of audio items has a different level of verbosity, and wherein the plurality of audio items include at least a first audio item having a first verbosity level corresponding to a verbosity level of the first visual notification, and a second audio item having a second verbosity level lower than the first verbosity level;

selecting the second audio item in accordance with at least a determination that the user interface event previously occurred within the particular time interval prior to the first time and that the first audio item was provided during said previous occurrence; and

concurrently providing the second audio item with the first visual notification on the electronic device, wherein the first audio item was provided with the first visual notification during said previous occurrence of the user interface event.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

in accordance with at least a determination that the user interface event did not previously occur within the particular time interval prior to the first time, selecting an audio item having the highest level of verbosity from the plurality of audio items for playback.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a subsequent occurrence of the user interface event on the electronic device at a second time; and

selecting a respective one of the plurality of audio items that corresponds to a respective desired verbosity level determined based upon the duration between the first time and the second time.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein selecting said respective one audio item comprises:

in accordance with at least a determination that the duration between the first and second times is less than or equal to the particular time interval, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items that is at least one step less verbose relative to the second audio item; and

in accordance with at least a determination that the duration between the first and second times is greater than the particular time interval, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items that is at least one step more verbose relative to the second audio item.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing said respective one audio item without concurrently providing the first visual notification on the electronic device.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein selecting the respective one audio item comprises:

determining whether a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence at the second time, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items having a lower level of verbosity regardless of the verbosity level of the previously selected second audio item.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was not detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time, providing the first visual notification concurrently with the playback of the selected respective one audio item; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time, providing a second visual notification concurrently with the playback of the selected respective one audio item, wherein the second visual notification is less verbose relative to the first visual notification.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein displaying the second visual notification further comprises:

displaying the second visual notification at a second location in the graphical user interface that is less prominent than a first location at which the first visual notification was previously displayed.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting a respective occurrence of a user interface event requesting audio feedback on the electronic device at a first time;

in response to detecting the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the first time, identifying a plurality of audio items and a first visual notification associated with the user interface event, wherein each of the plurality of audio items has a different level of verbosity, and wherein the plurality of audio items include at least a first audio item having a first verbosity level corresponding to a verbosity level of the first visual notification, and a second audio item having a second verbosity level lower than the first verbosity level;

selecting the second audio item in accordance with at least a determination that the user interface event previously occurred within the particular time interval prior to the first time and that the first audio item was provided during said previous occurrence; and

concurrently providing the second audio item with the first visual notification on the electronic device, wherein the first audio item was provided with the first visual notification during said previous occurrence of the user interface event.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

in accordance with at least a determination that the user interface event did not previously occur within the particular time interval prior to the first time, selecting an audio item having the highest level of verbosity from the plurality of audio items for playback.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a subsequent occurrence of the user interface event on the electronic device at a second time; and

selecting a respective one of the plurality of audio items that corresponds to a respective desired verbosity level determined based upon the duration between the first time and the second time.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein selecting said respective one audio item comprises:

in accordance with at least a determination that the duration between the first and second times is less than or equal to the particular time interval, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items that is at least one step less verbose relative to the second audio item; and

in accordance with at least a determination that the duration between the first and second times is greater than the particular time interval, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items that is at least one step more verbose relative to the second audio item.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing said respective one audio item without concurrently providing the first visual notification on the electronic device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein selecting the respective one audio item comprises:

determining whether a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence at the second time, selecting an audio item from the plurality of audio items having a lower level of verbosity regardless of the verbosity level of the previously selected second audio item.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was not detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time, providing the first visual notification concurrently with the playback of the selected respective one audio item; and

in accordance with at least a determination that a playback termination event was detected during the respective occurrence of the user interface event at the second time, providing a second visual notification concurrently with the playback of the selected respective one audio item, wherein the second visual notification is less verbose relative to the first visual notification.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein displaying the second visual notification further comprises:

displaying the second visual notification at a second location in the graphical user interface that is less prominent than a first location at which the first visual notification was previously displayed.