Interface including non-visual display for use in browsing an indexed collection of electronic content

• US 7,089,292 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2001
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vulcan Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Vulcan Patents LLC
• Inventors: Roderick, Jayne B., Verplank, William L., Snibbe, Scott S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISMAIL, SHAWKI SAIF
• Application Number:
  US09/918,681
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88, 745/727, 745/728, 709/217, 709/219, 345/156, 345/169, 345/173, 345/184
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

The invention facilitates browsing of an indexed collection of electronic content by displaying information identifying a current location within the collection of electronic content using a non-visual display (e.g., audio display and/or haptic display). The information identifying the current location can be displayed with variable resolution and the content of the display of the information identifying the current location can be dependent on the resolution. The invention can be used to browse any type of electronic content, including, for example, audio content, visual content, text content or some combination of such content. The invention can be used to browse electronic content that is indexed in any way, such as, for example, electronic content that is indexed (partly or entirely) alphabetically, numerically or by date.

Claims

1. An interface for facilitating browsing of an indexed collection of electronic content, comprising:

determining a current location within an index associated with the indexed collection of electronic content while browsing the indexed collection of electronic content;

a non-visual display device for displaying information identifying the current location;

a location display resolution controlling device for controlling the resolution with which the information identifying the current location is displayed by the non-visual display device;

a non-visual resolution feedback device for providing non-visual feedback representative of a current resolution with which the information identifying the current location that is currently being displayed by the non-visual display device;

wherein the non-visual device display further comprises a haptic display device; and

wherein the haptic display device further comprises identifying individual records by providing a distinct haptic feedback for each record while navigating through the records in the indexed collection of electronic content.

2. An interface as in claim 1, wherein the non-visual display device further comprises an audio display device.

3. An interface as in claim 1, wherein the content of the display of the information identifying the current location is dependent on the location display resolution.

4. An interface as in claim 1, further comprising a browsing device for controlling the current location within the indexed collection of electronic content.

5. An interface as in claim 4, wherein the location display resolution controlling device and the browsing device are embodied in the same apparatus.

6. An interface as in claim 4, wherein the non-visual display device, the location display resolution controlling device and the browsing device are embodied in the same apparatus.

7. An interface as in claim 4, wherein the location display device and the browsing device are embodied in the same apparatus.

8. An interface as in claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying a selected record from the collection of electronic content.

9. An interface as in claim 1, wherein the electronic content comprises audio content.

10. An interface as in claim 1, wherein the electronic content comprises visual content.

11. An interface as in claim 1, wherein the electronic content comprises text content.

12. An interface as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the electronic content is indexed alphabetically.

13. An interface as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the electronic content is indexed numerically.

14. An interface as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the electronic content is indexed by date.

15. A method for facilitating browsing of an indexed collection of electronic content, comprising the steps of:

determining a current location within an index associated with the indexed collection of electronic content while browsing the indexed collection of electronic content;

displaying information identifying the current location with a non-visual display device;

controlling the resolution with which the information identifying the current location is displayed by the non-visual display device with a location display resolution controlling device;

providing non-visual feedback representative of a current resolution with which the information identifying the current location that is currently being displayed by the non-visual display device with a non-visual resolution feedback device;

wherein the non-visual device display further comprises a haptic display device; and

wherein the haptic display device further comprises identifying individual records by providing a distinct haptic feedback for each record while navigating through the records in the indexed collection of electronic content.

16. A computer readable storage medium or media on which is stored one or more computer programs for providing an interface for facilitating browsing of an indexed collection of electronic content, the one or more computer programs comprising:

instruction for determining a current location within an index associated with the indexed collection of electronic content while browsing the indexed collection of electronic content;

instructions for displaying information identifying the current location with a non-visual display device;

instructions for controlling the resolution with which the information identifying the current location is displayed by the non-visual display device with a location display resolution controlling device;

instructions for providing non-visual feedback representative of a current resolution with which the information identifying the current location that is currently being displayed by the non-visual display device with a non-visual resolution feedback device;

wherein the non-visual device display further comprises a haptic display device; and

wherein the haptic display device further comprises identifying individual records by providing a distinct haptic feedback for each record while navigating through the records in the indexed collection of electronic content.