Portable audio database device with icon-based graphical user-interface

• US 6,453,281 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1996
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Conpact, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VXI Corporation (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Anil K., Russell, Thomas, Walters, Timothy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): S{haeck over (m)}its, Tãlivaldis Nars
• Assistant Examiner(s): Storm, Donald L.
• Application Number:
  US08/688,299
• Time in Patent Office: 2,240 Days
• Field of Search: 704/200, 704/235, 704/251, 704/278, 704/270, 345/864, 345/169, 345/184
• US Class Current: 704/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for storing and retrieving information to and from a memory of a hand-held audio database device. The audio database device includes a graphics display provided on a hand-held housing for displaying graphical information. A microphone and a speaker are provided on the housing to receive and broadcast audio information from and to a user, respectively. The audio database device includes a memory configured to store graphical icons and to support a hierarchical memory structure comprising categories, wherein the icons graphically represent the categories. A user-actuated navigation control is provided on the housing and permits a user to navigate the categories in the hierarchical memory structure and to select a desired category. A processor is coupled to the memory, the display, and the navigation control and effects displaying of one of the icons on the display when the user is navigating a corresponding one of the categories, and storing of the audio information in the desired category of the memory.

Claims

1. A portable voice database device, comprising:

a hand-held housing;

a speaker provided on said housing;

a memory configured to support an audio database for storing verbal messages, said audio database including a hierarchical storage location structure having at least two categories;

a display, provided on said housing, to display graphical information, alphanumeric information, and icons that graphically represent distinct categories;

a microphone, provided on said housing, to receive a verbal message from a user;

a user-actuated navigation control panel, provided on said housing;

said user-actuated navigation control panel including,

a first input device to navigate a visual feedback indicator around a display area having a plurality of distinct icon categories corresponding to said hierarchical storage location structure and to select one of the displayed distinct icon categories,

a second input device, outside the display area, to select directly a first category of said hierarchical storage location structure, and

a third input device, outside the display area, to select directly a second category of said hierarchical storage location structure; and

a processor, coupled to said memory, said display, and said user-actuated navigation control panel, to effect displaying of one of the icons on said display when navigating selecting a corresponding one of the categories of said hierarchical storage location structure, and to effect storing of the verbal message received by said microphone in the selected category within said hierarchical storage location structure of the memory.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises non-volatile memory.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication adaptor coupled to the processor to communicate the verbal messages stored in the memory to a device external to the voice database device.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a voice conversion device coupled to said processor to convert the verbal message received from the user to corresponding command signals, wherein said processor effects the navigation of the categories of said hierarchical storage location structure and selection of a category of said hierarchical storage location structure using the command signals.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a voice conversion device coupled to the processor to convert the verbal message received from the user to corresponding ASCII information.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising an interface provided on the housing to receive text information from an information source external to the voice database device.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a text conversion device coupled to the processor to convert the text information to corresponding verbal information.

8. A method for storing and retrieving voice information to and from a memory of a portable hand-held voice recording device, comprising the steps of:

providing a memory for storing icons and for storing verbal messages in hierarchically organized storage location structure categories, the icons graphically representing the hierarchically organized storage location structure categories;

displaying graphical information, alphanumeric information, and icons that graphically represent distinct hierarchically organized storage location structure categories;

providing a user-actuated navigation control panel that includes a first input device to navigate a visual feedback indicator around a display area having a plurality of distinct icon hierarchically organized storage location structure categories and to select one of the displayed distinct icon hierarchically organized storage location structure categories, a second input device, outside the display area, to select directly a first hierarchically organized storage location structure category, and a third input device, outside the display area, to select directly a second hierarchically organized storage location structure category;

selecting a hierarchically organized storage location structure category using the provided user-actuated navigation control panel;

receiving a verbal message from a user; and

storing the verbal message in the selected hierarchically organized storage location structure category of the memory.

9. The method of claim 8, including the further steps of:

storing verbal prompts in the memory, the verbal prompts indicating the categories; and

broadcasting one of the verbal prompts when selectively navigating the corresponding one of the categories.

10. The method of claim 8, including the further step of editing the verbal message stored in the selected category by any of the steps of deleting the verbal message, deleting a portion of the verbal message, or inserting a verbal message portion into the verbal message.

11. The method of claim 8, including the further steps of:

linking a first icon with a first category; and

selectively linking the first icon with a category other than the first category.

12. The method of claim 8, including the further steps of:

setting an alarm for the verbal message stored in the selected category; and

broadcasting a verbal alarm message associated with the alarm at a pre-established time of day.

13. The method of claim 8, including the further steps of:

selecting a second category; and

moving at least a portion of the verbal message stored in the selected category to the second category.

14. A method for storing and retrieving information to and from a memory of a portable hand-held audio database device, comprising the steps of:

providing a memory to store icons and configured to support a hierarchical memory structure having categories, the icons graphically representing the categories;

displaying graphical information, alphanumeric information, and icons that graphically represent distinct categories within the hierarchical memory structure;

providing a user-actuated navigation control panel that includes a first input device to navigate around a display area representing the hierarchical memory structure and to select one of the displayed distinct icon categories, a second input device, outside the display area, to select directly a first category of the hierarchical memory structure, and a third input device, outside the display area, to select directly a second category of the hierarchical memory structure;

selecting a category of the hierarchical memory structure using the provided user-actuated navigation control panel;

receiving audio information; and

storing the audio information in location within the memory associated with the selected category of the hierarchical memory structure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving step includes the step of receiving the audio information from an information source external to the audio database device.

16. The method of claim 14, including the further step of converting the received audio information to corresponding text information, and the storing step includes the step of storing the audio information as the corresponding text information in the selected category.

17. The method of claim 14, including the further steps of:

receiving text information; and

storing the text information in the selected category.

18. The method of claim 14, including the further steps of:

converting the stored audio information into corresponding text information; and

transmitting the text information to a device external to the audio database device.

19. The method of claim 14, including the further steps of:

converting the stored audio information into corresponding text information; and

displaying the text information.

20. The method of claim 14, including the further steps of:

marking a portion of the audio information; and

storing the marked portion of the audio information in the selected category or in a category other than the selected category.

21. The method of claim 14, including the further steps of:

linking a first icon with a first category; and

selectively linking the first icon with a category other than the first category.