A user interface, method, computer program for enabling user-selection of audio content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022326904-A1
Application number	US-202017634279-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2020
Priority date	Sep 9, 2019
Publication date	Oct 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus comprising means for: providing a user interface for enabling a user to select audio content, comprising an arrangement of multiple user-selectable visual elements at positions in the user interface that are indicative of different orientations from a user and have an appearance dependent upon audio content for the respective orientations; and responding to selection of a user-selectable visual element at a position in the user interface indicative of an orientation from the user to select, for processing, audio content for the orientation.

First claim

I/We claim:

1 .- 15 . (canceled)

16 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: provide a user interface, for enabling a user to select audio content, wherein the user interface comprises an arrangement of multiple user-selectable visual elements, at positions in the user interface that are indicative of different orientations from a user, wherein the user-selectable visual elements have an appearance dependent upon audio content for the respective orientations; and respond to selection of a user-selectable visual element at a position in the user interface indicative of an orientation from the user to select, for processing, audio content for the orientation.

17 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein at least one of the multiple user-selectable visual elements, at a position indicative of an orientation from a user, is configured to have an appearance that comprises a visual extract of visual content for the orientation that is dependent upon the audio content for the orientation.

18 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the visual extract of the visual content for the orientation comprises an image for the orientation, a looped clip of video for the orientation, or a repeated sequence of images for the orientation.

19 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the visual content for the orientation is visual content that would be rendered to the user using mediated reality when the user changes a real world point of view of the user so the real world point of view of the user corresponds to the orientation, wherein the mediated reality comprises rendering content in dependence upon the real world point of view of the user.

20 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein if the audio content for an orientation is changed without changing the orientation, there is a change in appearance of the user-selectable visual element at the position in the user interface indicative of the orientation.

21 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the audio content for an orientation is audio content that would be rendered to the user using mediated reality when the user changes a real world point of view of the user so that the real world point of view of the user corresponds to the orientation, wherein the mediated reality comprises rendering content in dependence upon a real world point of view of the user.

22 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 , comprising a head-mounted apparatus for rendering the user interface.

23 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein a first user-selectable visual element of the arrangement has a first position in the user interface indicative of a first orientation from the user and has a first appearance dependent upon first audio content for the first orientation, wherein a second user-selectable visual element of the arrangement has a second position in the user interface indicative of a second orientation from the user and has a second appearance dependent upon second audio content for the second orientation,
wherein the apparatus is configured to: respond to actuation of the first user-selectable visual element to select the first audio content but not the second audio content, and to respond to user selection of the second user-selectable visual element to select the second audio content but not the first audio content.

24 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein one or more characteristics of the appearance of the user-selectable visual element is indicative of one or more characteristics of the audio content selectable via the user-selectable visual element.

25 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the user-selectable visual elements of the arrangement comprises a first portion that is asymmetric and indicative of an orientation from a user and a second portion that has an appearance dependent upon audio content for the orientation.

26 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the first portion represents a segment of a circle having characteristics of appearance comprising one or more of segment size, width or length.

27 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the second portion has characteristics of the appearance comprises one or more of:
size, brightness, coloration, blurred edges, or image content.

28 . A method comprising:
providing a user interface, for enabling a user to select audio content, comprising an arrangement of multiple user-selectable visual elements, at positions in the user interface that are indicative of different orientations from a user, wherein each user-selectable visual element has an appearance dependent upon audio content for a respective orientation; and responding to selection of a user-selectable visual element at a position in the user interface indicative of an orientation from the user to select, for processing, audio content for the orientation.

29 . The method as claimed in claim 28 , wherein at least one of the multiple user-selectable visual elements, at a position indicative of an orientation from a user, is configured to have an appearance that comprises a visual extract of visual content for the orientation that is dependent upon the audio content for the orientation.

30 . The method as claimed in claim 29 , wherein the visual extract of the visual content for the orientation comprises an image for the orientation, a looped clip of video for the orientation, or a repeated sequence of images for the orientation.

31 . The method as claimed in claim 29 , wherein the visual content for the orientation is visual content that would be rendered to the user using mediated reality when the user changes a real world point of view of the user so the real world point of view of the user corresponds to the orientation, wherein the mediated reality comprises rendering content in dependence upon the real world point of view of the user.

32 . The method as claimed in claim 28 , wherein if the audio content for an orientation is changed without changing the orientation, there is a change in appearance of the user-selectable visual element at the position in the user interface indicative of the orientation.

33 . The method as claimed in claim 28 , wherein the audio content for an orientation is audio content that would be rendered to the user using mediated reality when the user changes a real world point of view of the user so that the real world point of view of the user corresponds to the orientation, wherein the mediated reality comprises rendering content in dependence upon a real world point of view of the user.

34 . The method as claimed in claim 28 , wherein one or more characteristics of the appearance of the user-selectable visual element is indicative of one or more characteristics of the audio content selectable via the user-selectable visual element.

35 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following:
providing a user interface, for enabling a user to select audio content, comprising an arrangement of multiple user-selectable visual elements, at positions in the user interface that are indicative of different orientations from a user, that have an appearance dependent upon audio content for the respective orientations; an

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Leppänen Jussi
• Eronen Antti
• Lehtiniemi Arto
• Vilermo Miikka

Classifications

• H04S7/303

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04S7/40

  Visual indication of stereophonic sound image · CPC title

• G06F3/012 Primary

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title