Navigation of electronic device menu without requiring visual contact

• US 8,677,238 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nicholson, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUONG, TRUC T
• Application Number:
  US12/909,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/864, 715/865
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs for controlling a device without requiring visual contact are presented. One method includes an operation for identifying available options for a user according to a state of a program executing on a device, where the available options correspond to possible menu items. Further, the method provides an audible output of the available options and the detection of a touch-based input, where the input is received at the device without providing an identifiable visual cue to the user. Further yet, the method includes operations for determining the selected option from the available options based on the timing of the input relative to the audible output, and for performing the selected option by the computer program. In another method, the options are presented to the user via different vibration patterns or via vibrations of a second device connected to the device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a portable device, the method comprising:

identifying available options for presentation to a user according to a state of a computer program executing on the portable device, the available options belonging to a plurality of possible menu options;

detecting a sustained touch on a touchscreen of the portable device, the detecting including sensing a lack of touch on the touchscreen and sensing, after the lack of touch, the sustained touch anywhere in the touchscreen;

reciting the available options to the user via an audible output in response to the sustained touch, wherein the audible output is a verbal delivery of the available options;

detecting an end to the sustained touch while reciting the available options;

selecting one of the available options that was recited to the user when the end to the sustained touch was detected, the end to the sustained touch defining an input for the portable device, the input received at the portable device without providing an identifiable visual cue to the user, wherein the selected available option is selected based on a timing of the end to the sustained touch relative to the audible output; and

performing the selected available option by the computer program.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the available options include:

a set of options corresponding to a level in a tree of options;

a global option to go to a main menu; and

a go-back option to return to a last set of options.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the audible output includes the set of options corresponding to a level in the tree of options.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further including:

detecting a second sustained touch on a wireless headset wirelessly connected to the portable device;

providing second available options in response to the second sustained touch; and

detecting an end to the sustained touch in the wireless headset to determine a second selected option.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

determining a new set of available options after performing the selected available option, wherein the selected available option is part of a menu tree and the new set of available options are defined in the menu tree for the selected available option.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the audible output is a verbal delivery of the available options.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

detecting a second touch by the user on a table to define a second input for the portable device, the detecting of the second touch being performed by image analysis of an image taken by a camera in the portable device.

8. A method for controlling a portable device, the method comprising:

identifying available options for presentation to a user according to a state of a computer program executing on the portable device, the available options belonging to a plurality of possible menu options;

detecting a sustained touch on a touchscreen of the portable device, the detecting including sensing a lack of touch on the touchscreen and sensing, after the lack of touch, the sustained touch anywhere in the touchscreen;

reciting the available options to the user by vibrating the portable device in response to the sustained touch to cue the user for selecting one of the available options, wherein a different vibration pattern is defined for each available option;

detecting an end to the sustained touch while reciting the available options;

selecting one of the available options that was recited to the user when the end to the sustained touch was detected, the end to the sustained touch defining a user input received at the portable device without providing an identifiable visual cue to the user, wherein the selected available option is selected based on a timing of the end to the sustained touch relative to the vibrating of the portable device; and

performing the selected available option by the computer program.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the different vibration pattern includes a number of vibration pulses, wherein each available option is associated with a different number of vibration pulses.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further including:

vibrating the portable device with a unique vibrating pattern to indicate that the option was selected.

11. A method for controlling a portable device, the method comprising:

identifying available options for presentation to a user according to a state of a computer program executing on the portable device, the available options belonging to a plurality of possible menu options;

detecting a first touch that is sustained on a touchscreen of the portable device, the detecting including sensing a lack of touch on the touchscreen and sensing, after the lack of touch, the sustained touch anywhere in the touchscreen;

reciting the available options to the user via an audible output in response to the first touch, wherein the audible output is a verbal delivery of the available options;

detecting a second touch on the touchscreen while the first touch is sustained on the touchscreen and while reciting the available options;

selecting one of the available options that was recited to the user when the second touch was detected, the first touch and the second touch defining an input for the portable device, the input received at the portable device without providing an identifiable visual cue to the user, wherein the selected available option is selected based on a timing of the second touch relative to the audible output; and

performing the selected available option by the computer program.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further including:

sensing an end to the first touch; and

determining a new set of available options.