Method of generating an audible indication of data stored in a database

• US 6,741,264 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1999
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FYI Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gific Corporation
• Inventors: Lesser, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US09/309,576
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 345/727, 345/729, 345/978, 345/728, 345/977, 345/968, 340/384.5, 600/514, 846/00
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0025 Automatic or semi-automatic music composition, e.g. producing random music, applying rules from music theory or modifying a musical piece automatically producing a series of tones G10H1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/131 for abstract geometric visualisation of music, e.g. for interactive editing of musical parameters linked to abstract geometric figures

Abstract

A method of generating an audible indication of data stored in a database and representing a group of data points. Preselected audible sounds are assigned to indicate various degrees of variation in the values of the data for the respective data points from normal or expected values for such data. A visual display is created having an arrangement indicative of the data points providing the data in the database. The visual display is scanned, and for each scanned data point the preselected audible sound is generated which indicates the degree of variation in the value of the data from the normal value for such data. Display figure icons can be included in the visual display, corresponding to the data points, each icon indicating the degree of variation in the value of the data for the corresponding data point from the normal or expected value for such data, thus providing a visual indication of the value of the data for the data point presently being scanned, as well as an audible indication.

Claims

1. A method of generating an audible indication of data in a database, the data representing a plurality of data points, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning preselected audible sounds to indicate various degrees of variation in the values of the data for the respective data points from normal or expected values for such data;

(b) creating a visual display having an arrangement indicative of the data points providing the data in the database;

(c) scanning the visual display;

(d) for each scanned data point, generating the preselected audible sound indicating the degree of variation in the value of the data for the scanned data point from the normal value for the data for the scanned data point.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audible sounds are musical tones.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein normal or expected data values are represented by a musical tone of a first pitch, data values greater than the normal or expected value are indicated by musical tones of a pitch higher than the first pitch, and data values less than the normal or expected value are indicated by musical tones of a pitch lower than the first pitch.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising assigning preselected musical instrument tones to indicate various types of data points.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising assigning further sounds to indicate the states of multi-state data.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display includes a plurality of display figure icons corresponding to the plurality of data points, each icon indicating the degree of variation in the value of the data for the corresponding data point from the normal or expected value for the data for such data point.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (d) a segment of no sound is provided between segments of audible sound indicative of sequentially scanned data points.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the segments of audible sound have fixed durations.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the duration of the segments of audible sound is adjustable.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises scanning the display with a raster scan.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises scanning the display with a sub-raster scan.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (c) includes moving a visual indicator across the visual display in synchronism with the scanning.

13. A method of generating an audible indication of data about a system, the system having a plurality of data points, the indication including a plurality of segments corresponding with the respective data points, the segments being in a fixed sequence corresponding with the sequence of the data points, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the value of each data point in the system to create a database of data about the system;

(b) assigning preselected audible sounds to correspond with the degree of variation in the values of the data for the respective data points from normal or expected values for such data;

(c) creating a visual display indicative of the system;

(d) scanning the visual display;

(e) for each scanned segment, generating the preselected audible sound indicating the degree of variation in the value of the data for the corresponding data point from the normal or expected value for the data for such data point.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system is a physical system, and step (c) comprises creating a visual display having a morphological arrangement approximating the physical system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the physical system includes a plurality of physical components.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the audible sounds are musical tones.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein normal or expected data values are represented by a musical tone of a first pitch, data values greater than the normal or expected value are indicated by musical tones of a pitch higher than the first pitch, and data values less than the normal or expected value are indicated by musical tones of a pitch lower than the first pitch.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising assigning preselected musical instrument tones to indicate various types of data points.

19. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising assigning further sounds to indicate the states of multi-state data.

20. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the display includes a plurality of display figure icons corresponding to the plurality of data points, each icon indicating the degree of variation in the value of the data for the corresponding data point from the normal or expected value for the data for such data point.

21. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein in step (d) a segment of no sound is provided between segments of audible sound indicative of sequentially scanned data points.

22. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the segments of audible sound have fixed durations.

23. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the duration of the segments of audible sound is adjustable.

24. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein step (c) comprises scanning the display with a raster scan.

25. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein step (c) comprises scanning the display with a sub-raster scan.

26. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein step (d) includes moving a visual indicator across the visual display in synchronism with the scanning.