Spatial Auditory Cues for Database Search on Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic database searches are often cumbersome due to the need to navigate through multiple layers of indexes and menus on small, portable devices, making it time-consuming to retrieve desired information.
Innovation Solution
The use of spatial auditory cues, where sounds are produced at specific physical locations in space to assist users in locating information, reducing the need for layers of indexes and menus by mapping database items to auditory cues, allowing users to recall information by remembering sound locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If visual search interface is used on portable device, then device portability is improved, but search efficiency deteriorates due to limited display space requiring navigation through multiple layers of indexes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a spatial auditory dimension to the traditional visual search interface. By mapping database items to three-dimensional spatial locations and presenting auditory cues at these locations, the system transforms a two-dimensional display problem into a three-dimensional search space, allowing users to navigate large databases more efficiently without requiring additional display layers on the portable device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces auditory cues as an intermediary between the user and the database content. These auditory cues serve as mediators that guide users through the search process by providing spatial feedback about the location of database items, reducing the need to visually navigate through multiple layers of indexes on the limited display.
2Loss of information
If hierarchical database organization is used, then information categorization is improved, but search complexity increases due to needing to navigate through many layers of indexes and folders
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maps hierarchical database categories to three-dimensional spatial regions, transforming the linear navigation through hierarchical layers into spatial navigation. Users can perceive the hierarchical structure through spatial relationships between auditory cues rather than navigating through multiple interface layers, reducing search interface complexity while maintaining information categorization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different spatial auditory characteristics to different hierarchical levels and categories. Each category or folder is associated with specific spatial location and auditory properties, allowing users to quickly identify and navigate to desired information based on its spatial and auditory characteristics rather than systematically browsing through all layers.
3Ease of operation
If database index is displayed on screen, then information accessibility is improved, but user fatigue increases due to prolonged visual attention required to browse large number of items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces auditory cues as an intermediary that shares the information presentation burden between visual and auditory channels. By providing spatial auditory feedback about database item locations, the system reduces the cognitive load and visual attention required to navigate large databases, making information accessibility more sustainable and reducing user fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the modality parameter from purely visual to multimodal (visual+auditory). By presenting search feedback through both visual display and spatial auditory cues, the system leverages auditory processing which can handle larger amounts of information more efficiently and with less fatigue than visual processing alone.
Data Source
AI summary
Spatial auditory cues are produced while a user searches a database for stored information. The spatial auditory cues assist the user in quickly locating stored information by producing sounds that are perceived at specific physical locations in space around the user as the search proceeds. Each location may be associated with different information. Thus, using the techniques disclosed herein, a user can more easily recall stored information by remembering the locations of sound produced by particular spatial auditory cues. The spatial auditory cues may be used in conjunction with a visual search interface. A method of producing auditory cues includes receiving a search action at a user interface included in a device, translating the search action into a spatial auditory cue corresponding to a specific location within a space, and rendering the spatial auditory cue as an audio output signal.