Method and system for providing an acoustic interface

• US 7,752,546 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Calvert, Kerry Wayne, Griffin, Jonathan Paul, Mannheimer, Steve, Weber, Barry Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roswell; Michael
• Application Number:
  US09/896,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20030001881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,294 Days
• Field of Search: 345/716, 345/727, 345/729, 345/810, 345/853, 345/978, 434/308, 434/309, 434/315, 434/316, 434/318, 434/319, 434/321, 715/716, 715/727, 715/729, 715/978, 715/810, 715/853
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a system and process for navigating through a large amount of information (e.g., audio files, text files, video files, device functions, etc.) using audio cues representative of the information. The audio cues are arranged in a multi-level tree data structure such that the user can select general categories (e.g., music classification) and navigate down to a specific data segment (e.g., a particular song or song list). Each audio cue is a brief burst of sound (e.g., a lyric from a particular song) representative of a predetermined number of additional audio cues or a particular data segment. The audio cues are selectable by a user and permit the user to navigate through the information or data segments without having to remember visual or alphanumeric elements (e.g., song title, artist name, or track number). The audio cues are stored in a storage device that can be accessed using a wireless device (e.g., a remote control or wireless mouse) or a wired device (e.g., keyboard, trackball, or touch pad). By manipulating the wireless or wired device, the user can navigate through the multi-level tree data structure of audio cues (generated by speakers) until a desired data segment is found.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to a plurality of music files, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of audio cues arranged in a tree structure in a memory, each audio cue being selected by a user to represent a music file or a predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure representing a music category; and

permitting a user to navigate through the tree structure by playing audio cues in response to user requests such that the user is provided access to a first predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure, permitted to play one of the first predetermined number of stored audio cues in response to a first user request, and permitted to retrieve one of a music file associated with the played audio cue or a second predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure representing a music category in response to a second user request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the plurality of audio cues further includes the step of:

creating the plurality of audio cues, prior to storage thereof, by sampling an audio data segment, recording a user voice, or recording a computer-generated voice.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the plurality of audio cues further includes the step of:

downloading a plurality of pre-existing audio cues.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of permitting the user to navigate through the tree structure includes the step of:

mapping the first predetermined number of audio cues onto a plurality of points on a virtual configuration.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of permitting the user to navigate through the tree structure includes the step of:

tracking the user'"'"'s navigation along the virtual configuration such that only an audio cue is played when user has navigated within a predetermined distance from a point on the virtual configuration, the point being associated with the played audio cue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is embedded in one of a computer system, a stereo system, a home entertainment center, an automobile music system, or an electronic device.

7. A system for providing access to a plurality of music files, the system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of audio cues arranged in a tree structure in a memory, each audio cue being selected by a user to represent a music file or a predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure representing a music category; and

means for permitting a user to navigate through the tree structure by playing audio cues in response to user requests such that the user is provided access to a first predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure, permitted to play one of the first predetermined number of stored audio cues in response to a first user request, and permitted to retrieve one of a music file associated with the played audio cue or a second predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure representing a music category in response to a second user request.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for storing the plurality of audio cues further comprises:

means for creating the plurality of audio cues, prior to storage thereof, by sampling an audio data segment, recording a user voice, or recording a computer-generated voice.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for storing the plurality of audio cues further comprises:

means for downloading a plurality of pre-existing audio cues.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for permitting the user to navigate comprises:

means for mapping the first predetermined number of stored audio cues onto a plurality of points on a virtual configuration.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein means for permitting the user to navigate comprises:

means for tracking a user'"'"'s navigation along the virtual configuration such that only an audio cue is played when user has navigated within a predetermined distance from a point on the virtual configuration, the point being associated with the played audio cue.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is integrated with one of a computer system, a stereo system, a home entertainment center, an automobile music system, or an electronic device.

13. A user interface system, comprising:

a music file interface communicatively connected to a source of music files;

a computer readable medium interface communicatively connected to a computer readable medium having a plurality of audio cues stored thereon in a tree structure, each audio cue being selected by a user to represent a music file or a predetermined number of audio cues in the tree structure representing a music category;

a user input interface for receiving user requests;

an audio interface communicatively connected to an audio system;

a processor communicatively connected to the music file interface, computer readable medium interface, user input interface and audio interface, the processor permitting a user to navigate through the tree structure by playing audio cues via the audio interface in response to user requests received from the user input interface such that the user is provided access to a first predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure via the computer readable medium interface, permitted to play one of the first predetermined number of stored audio cues via the audio interface in response to a first user request received from the user input interface, and permitted to retrieve one of a music file associated with the played audio cue via the music file interface or a second predetermined number of stored audio cues in the tree structure representing a music category via the computer readable medium interface in response to a second user request received from the user input interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer readable medium is one of a local memory device, a remote memory device, or a removable memory device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the audio cues is created by the user prior to the storage on the computer readable medium.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the audio cues is created by a provider of a music file.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the audio cues and a music file reside on the same computer readable medium.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is integrated with one of a computer system, a stereo system, a home entertainment center, an automobile music system, or an electronic device.