Audio Visual Focus Transition Mapping for GUI Accessibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) pose challenges for blind or visually impaired users in discerning focused components due to reliance on visual indicators, necessitating an alternative method to provide feedback on focus movement.

Innovation Solution

An audio and visual representation system that generates a continuous audible tone and visual path to indicate focus transitions between components, using spatial coordinates to determine frequency and amplitude parameters, allowing users to mentally visualize the GUI layout.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If visual indicators are used to show focus components, then sighted users can easily navigate the GUI, but blind or visually impaired users cannot discern focused components

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveGUI navigationVSAvoidAccessibility for visually impaired users

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces visual indicators with audio feedback mechanisms. When a user tabs through or otherwise navigates focus components, audible tones are generated to indicate the current focused element and its position relative to other components. This substitution of visual to acoustic channels enables blind users to navigate the GUI effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The audio feedback system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it indicates focus state, provides spatial information about component positions, and guides navigation. The same audio tone conveys multiple pieces of information that would traditionally require separate visual cues, making the system universally accessible to both sighted and visually impaired users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If audio feedback is added to indicate focus movement, then blind users can navigate the GUI, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAccessibility for blind usersVSAvoidSystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses variations in audio parameters (pitch, volume, duration, and temporal patterns) to encode multiple types of information about focus components. By changing these parameters rather than adding separate audio channels or complex processing systems, the solution achieves high information density with minimal added complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges focus indication, position information, and navigation guidance into a single integrated audio feedback mechanism. Rather than implementing separate systems for each function, the patent combines them into one cohesive audio language that conveys multiple meanings simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10691406B2Audio and visual representation of focus movements

Publication Date: 2020.06.23 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

An audio and visual representation of the transition between focus components in a GUI is provided in order to assist a user in understanding the design and layout of the GUI. A focus component is associated with a spatial position in a GUI or window and audio characteristics are generated to represent the focus component that is based on the spatial position. The transition between focus components can be represented visually in the GUI as a path of time-ordered user-selections. The transition between the focus components may also be represented by a continuous audible tone that changes in frequency and pitch between the focus components.