Audible list traversal

• US 8,456,420 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Nachman, Lama, Graumann, David L., Raffa, Giuseppe, Healey, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Smits, Talivaldis Ivars
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBERTS, SHAUN A
• Application Number:
  US12/347,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/260, 715727-729, 736/49, 345156-158
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

Abstract

Many embodiments may comprise logic such as hardware and/or code to implement user interface for traversal of long sorted lists, via audible mapping of the lists, using sensor based gesture recognition, audio and tactile feedback and button selection while on the go. In several embodiments, such user interface modalities are physically small in size, enabling a user to be truly mobile by reducing the cognitive load required to operate the device. For some embodiments, the user interface may be divided across multiple worn devices, such as a mobile device, watch, earpiece, and ring. Rotation of the watch may be translated into navigation instructions, allowing the user to traverse the list while the user receives audio feedback via the earpiece to describe items in the list as well as audio feedback regarding the navigation state. Many embodiments offer the user a simple user interface to traverse the list without visual feedback.

Claims

1. A method for traversing a list to execute a selected list item, the method comprising:

determining a list traversal organization to map the list with audible indicators;

determining navigation data, the navigation data indicative of a direction and a speed with which to traverse the list, wherein determining the navigation data comprises;

determining whether a clockwise tilt with respect to a stationary navigation state is associated with a forward direction of list traversal or a reverse direction of list traversal;

receiving sensor data indicative of a tilt of a sensor; and

interpreting the sensor data indicative of the tilt of the sensor to determine the navigation data;

determining audible indicators based upon the navigation data and representative of list items within the list being traversed, wherein an audio content of the audible indicators is based upon the direction and the speed with which the list is being traversed and is based upon the list traversal organization;

outputting the audible indicators in an order with which the list items within the list are being traversed to indicate at least the direction, wherein the periodicity of the outputting in combination with the list items represented by the audible indicators being output is representative of a navigation speed with which the list is being traversed;

receiving a selection signal to indicate selection of the selected list item; and

executing the selected list item.

2. The method in claim 1, further comprising transmitting instructions to activate feedback in response to an increase of the navigation speed.

3. The method in claim 1, further comprising transmitting instructions to vibrate in response to an increase of the navigation speed.

4. The method in claim 1, further comprising translating a text item within the list to speech via a text-to-speech generator.

5. The method in claim 1, further comprising compensating for an overshoot of the selected list item as a result of a lag time associated with a time period between traversal of the selected list item and receipt of the selection signal.

6. The method in claim 5, wherein compensating for the overshoot comprises calculating the overshoot based upon a default user reaction time and the navigation speed.

7. The method in claim 5, wherein compensating for the overshoot comprises calculating the overshoot based upon a learned user reaction time and the navigation speed.

8. The method in claim 1, wherein determining the audible indicators comprises calculating a number of list items to skip based upon the list organization, wherein the list organization is a variable skip count organization.

9. The method in claim 1, wherein determining the audible indicators comprises selecting a hierarchical grouping of the items in the list from more than one hierarchical groupings based upon the navigation speed, the hierarchical grouping associating an audible indicator for each group within the hierarchical grouping, wherein the list organization is a hierarchical organization and each of the more than one hierarchical groupings is associated with a navigation speed corresponding to the level of each of the more than one hierarchial groupings within the hierarchical organization.

10. An apparatus for traversing a list to execute a selected list item, the apparatus comprising:

a navigation input interpreter to receive sensor data indicative of a tilt of a sensor and interpret the sensor data indicative of the tilt of the sensor to determine the navigation data;

an audible list interface to access the list and to transmit audible indicators representative of more than one items in the list, the audible list interface comprising an audible indicator determiner to determine the audible indicators representative of more than one items in the list traversed, wherein an audio content of the audible indicators is based upon the direction and the speed with which the list is being traversed and is based upon a list traversal organization; and

comprising an audio output to output signals representative of the audible indicators in an order with which corresponding list items within the list are traversed to indicate at least the direction, wherein the periodicity of outputting the signals in combination with the list items represented by the audible indicators output is representative of the speed with which the list is being traversed; and

a list traversal processor to communicatively couple with the navigation input interpreter to interpret the navigation data from the navigation input interpreter to determine whether to change the navigation state, the list traversal processor comprising;

a memory to store a location of a current list item;

a navigation adjuster coupled with the memory to adjust the speed and the direction of traversal through the list based upon the indications of the changes in navigation state for the list and to couple with the audible list interface to output the audible indicators, the navigation adjuster to determine whether a clockwise tilt with respect to a stationary navigation state is associated with a forward direction of list traversal or a reverse direction of list traversal; and

an item selector to interpret a selection signal to determine the selected list item based upon a current list item in response to receipt of the selection signal to execute the selected list item.

11. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the navigation input interpreter comprises logic to determine whether the navigation data is an indication of change in the navigation state.

12. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the item selector further comprises an overshoot compensator to compensate for an overshoot of the selected list item as a result of a lag time associated with a time period between traversal of the selected list item and receipt of the selection signal.

13. The apparatus in claim 12, wherein the overshoot compensator comprises logic to calculate the overshoot based upon a default user reaction time and the speed.

14. The apparatus in claim 12, wherein the overshoot compensator comprises logic to calculate the overshoot based upon a learned user reaction time and the speed.

15. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the audible indicator determiner comprises logic to calculate a number of list items to skip based upon the list traversal organization, wherein the list traversal organization is a variable skip count organization.

16. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the audible indicator determiner comprises logic to select a hierarchical grouping of the items in the list from more than one hierarchical groupings based upon the speed, the hierarchical grouping associating an audible indicator for each group within the hierarchical grouping, wherein the list traversal organization is a hierarchical organization and each of the more than one hierarchical groupings is associated with a navigation speed corresponding to the level of each of the more than one hierarchial groupings within the hierarchical organization.

17. A system for traversing a list to execute a selected list item, the system comprising:

a library comprising audio content associated with the list;

a list navigator to couple with the library to map a list with audible indicators based upon a list traversal organization to facilitate traversal of the list by determining the audio indicators based upon items of the list, the list navigator to traverse the list in response to interpretation, by the list navigator that determines whether a clockwise tilt with respect to a stationary navigation state is associated with a forward direction of list traversal or a reverse direction of list traversal, of navigation data from a sensor that senses tilt to determine changes in a navigation state, wherein the navigation state indicates a direction and a speed of traversal of the list, the list navigator to transmit the audible indicators to a speaker to output the audible indicators to represent the direction and the speed of traversal of the list as well as the location within the list to map the list, wherein the list navigator, in response to receipt of a selection signal, determines the selected list item based upon item identified as the current list item and executes the selected list item.

18. The system in claim 17, wherein the list navigator comprises a navigation input interpreter to receive navigation data and to determine whether the navigation data is an indication of change in the navigation state.

19. The system in claim 17, wherein the list navigator comprises an overshoot compensator to compensate for an overshoot of the selected list item as a result of a lag time associated with a time period between traversal of the selected list item and receipt of the selection signal.

20. The system in claim 19, wherein the overshoot compensator comprises logic to calculate the overshoot based upon a default user reaction time and the speed.

21. The system in claim 19, wherein the overshoot compensator comprises logic to calculate the overshoot based upon a learned user reaction time and the speed.

22. The system in claim 17, wherein the list navigator comprises an audible indicator determiner to calculate a number of list items to skip based upon the list traversal organization, wherein the list traversal organization is a variable skip count organization.

23. The system in claim 17, wherein the list navigator comprises an audible indicator determiner to select a hierarchical grouping of the items in the list from more than one hierarchical groupings based upon the speed, the hierarchical grouping associating an audible indicator for each group within the hierarchical grouping, wherein the list traversal organization is a hierarchical organization and each of the more than one hierarchical groupings is associated with a navigation speed corresponding to the level of each of the more than one hierarchical groupings within the hierarchical organization.

24. A computer program product for audible list traversal, wherein the computer program product does not comprise a transitory signal, the computer program product comprising:

a computer useable medium having a computer useable program code embodied therewith, the computer useable program code comprising;

computer useable program code configured to perform operations, the operations comprising;

determining a list traversal organization to map the list with audible indicators;

determining navigation data, the navigation data indicative of a direction and a speed with which to traverse the list, wherein determining the navigation data comprises;

determining whether a clockwise tilt with respect to a stationary navigation state is associated with a forward direction of list traversal or a reverse direction of list traversal;

receiving sensor data indicative of a tilt of a sensor; and

interpreting the sensor data indicative of the tilt of the sensor to determine the navigation data;

determining audible indicators based upon the navigation data and representative of list items within the list being traversed, wherein an audio content of the audible indicators is based upon the direction and the speed with which the list is being traversed and is based upon the list traversal organization;

outputting the audible indicators in an order with which the list items within the list are being traversed to indicate at least the direction, wherein the periodicity of the outputting in combination with the list items represented by the audible indicators being output is representative of a navigation speed with which the list is being traversed;

receiving a selection signal to indicate selection of the selected list item; and

executing the selected list item.

25. The computer program product in claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting instructions to activate feedback in response to an increase of the navigation speed.

26. The computer program product in claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting instructions to vibrate in response to an increase of the navigation speed.

27. The computer program product in claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise translating a text item within the list to speech via a text-to-speech generator.

28. The computer program product in claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise compensating for an overshoot of the selected list item as a result of a lag time associated with a time period between traversal of the selected list item and receipt of the selection signal.

29. The computer program product in claim 28, wherein compensating for the overshoot comprises calculating the overshoot based upon a default user reaction time and the navigation speed.

30. The computer program product in claim 28, wherein compensating for the overshoot comprises calculating the overshoot based upon a learned user reaction time and the navigation speed.