Abstract: A system provides a first person video depiction of a planned travel route from a designated start location to a designated destination location in response to a user's travel planning request. A user interface receives a start location and a destination location for the travel route from a user. A routing component plans the travel route based between the start location and the destination location. A first person image database stores still images associated with locations between the start location and the destination location. The still images display first-person photographic imagery in a driving direction of the travel route. A video generator generates high-speed video media depicting at least a portion of the travel route from the start location to the destination location along a planned travel path. The video media is generated by sequencing a series of the still images associated with locations between the start location and the destination location.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and apparatus that enable a user of a portable computing device to collect and view demographic data representing the statistical makeup of a group of other users in his or her surroundings. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention enable a user of a first portable computing device to collect and view demographic data representing the statistical makeup of a group of users of other portable computing devices, said portable computing devices engaged in an ad-hoc network. Embodiments of the present invention allow a user to log statistics with respect to time, date, and/or location. Embodiments of the present invention also allow a user to view statistics in graphical form.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing force feedback to a user operating a human/computer interface device in conjunction with a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by a host computer system. A physical object, such as a joystick or a mouse, controls a graphical object, such as a cursor, within the GUI. The GUI allows the user to interface with operating system functions implemented by the computer system. A signal is output from the host computer to the interface device to apply a force sensation to the physical object using one or more actuators. This desired force sensation is associated with at least one of the graphical objects and operating system functions of the graphical user interface and is determined by a location of the cursor in the GUI with respect to targets that are associated with the graphical objects. The graphical objects include icons, windows, pull-down menus and menu items, scroll bars (“sliders”), and buttons.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product for a portable exercise scripting and monitoring including includes a processor, a separate and user affixable wireless motion sensor configured to wirelessly send motion signals to the processor in dependence on detection of exercise motions associated with either a user's body part or a dynamic element of an exercise apparatus to which the motion sensor is affixed. A datastore is provided and coupled to the processor and configured to retrievably store one or more user configurable or selectable exercise regimens, each exercise regimen including a plurality of prescribed exercise activity sets, each set including a prescribed exercise type and a number of prescribed repetitions to be performed by the user.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided which establishes a user interface for portable media players in which a user can mix, shuffle, randomize, or otherwise alter the selection and/or ordering of media items stored within and/or played by the portable media player by simply shaking the portable media player in a characteristic manner. It is a common human metaphor to mix the contents of a physical object, like a bottle of salad dressing or a carton of orange juice, by physically shaking the object. The various embodiments leverage this common and well known human activity by enabling a user to “mix” media items through a characteristic shaking motion as a type of user interface. This capability enables a user to have a portable media player automatically shuffle the order of songs stored within a play arrangement by shaking the portable media player using a characteristic shaking motion.

Abstract: Spatially associated reminder systems and methods enable users to create reminders and associate those reminders with entering/exiting particular trigger areas. A user's portable computing device triggers an alert/displays a reminder based upon a user entering and/or exiting a trigger area. A user interface supported by the portable computing device allows a user to terminate the reminder so it will not trigger again, to defer the reminder so it triggers again after an elapsed time, to reset the reminder so that it triggers again only if a user leaves the area and then returns, to request a last chance, causing the portable computing device to remind the user again upon exiting the area to ensure the user did not forget to act upon the reminder, or to edit the reminder. The user interface also enables users to graphically define trigger areas within the physical world to be associated with personal digital reminders using geospatial imagery.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided which establishes a shake jamming portable media player in which a user can listen to a playing musical media file while simultaneously incorporating audio representations of percussion instrument sounds into an audio output stream by physically shaking the portable media player. In response to the physical shaking, the portable media player generates percussion audio signals which are mixed with an audio signal stream of a currently playing musical media file and output to the user.

Abstract: A method of providing spatially metered haptic sensations to a user includes detecting motion of a surgical instrument within two degrees of freedom; repeatedly determining whether the surgical instrument has moved by an incremental distance in a particular direction with respect to some portion of a patient's body; and imparting a discrete haptic sensation upon a user each time it is determined that the surgical instrument has moved by the incremental distance in a particular direction.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for enabling a plurality of users engaged in real-time voice communications over a wireless communications link to collaboratively select one or more musical media files and to jointly listen to the collaboratively selected musical media in approximate synchronicity as a mutually perceivable background musical stream. The background musical stream is audibly output to each of the plurality of users in audio combination with the exchanged real-time voice communications such that the exchanged voice communications is intelligible to each user along with the background musical stream. Each user is situated proximal to a portable communication device that enables the real-time voice communications, the collaborative selection of musical media, and the audio combination of voice communications and musical media.

Abstract: A user's document preferences are affected by his or her personality. The present invention provides improved organization of documents collected in response to a search query based at least in part upon identified Personality Type data of the user performing the search and Personality Usage Data collected from a plurality of other users who previously accessed said documents. A search query is received from a user along with personality information for that user. In response to said query, a list of responsive documents is identified and organized based at least in part upon one or more personality characteristics of the user performing the search and a correlation with Personality Usage Data for the responsive documents. As used herein, Personality Usage Data for a particular document comprises a tally and/or frequency of users who previously accessed that document for each of a plurality of different personality characteristics and/or combinations of characteristics.

Abstract: A portable navigation device and associated methods are provided for enabling users to find geospatial orientations within the real physical world using their tactile senses. In one embodiment the portable navigation device acts as a geospatial compass, enabling users to find cardinal directions such as North in response to processor controlled tactile feedback sensations provided with respect to geospatial orientation sensor readings. In another embodiment the portable navigation device acts as a geospatial trajectory assisting device, enabling users to find travel direction indicated by a preplanned route or map in response to processor controlled tactile feedback sensations provided with respect to geospatial orientation sensor readings. In this way a user may perform a manual scanning operation wherein they manipulate the portable navigation device through a range of physical orientations and find a desired geospatial target orientation based upon their sense of touch.

Abstract: A touch screen device provides bi-modal user interaction. The touch screen device includes (a) a touch screen interface, (b) a detector to detect an area of finger interaction with the touch screen surface, and (c) a processor. The processor determines, based on at least one of a size, a shape, and an orientation of the detected area of finger interaction, whether a current finger interaction is of one of: a finger-tip interaction type and a finger-pad interaction type. The processor also selects and implements, based on a determined interaction type, one of two different targeting modes, including a first targeting mode selected and implemented in response to a determined finger-tip interaction type and a second targeting mode selected and implemented in response to a determined finger-pad interaction type. In a preferred embodiment, the first targeting mode is direct-targeting mode and the second targeting mode is an offset-targeting mode.

Abstract: A portable computing device provides behind screen zooming. A display screen is disposed upon a frontal surface of the portable computing device. A rear-mounted manual control is disposed upon a rear surface of the portable computing device and is positioned at a location directly behind at least a portion of the display screen such that a user viewing the display screen while pressing upon the rear-mounted manual control is provided with an illusion of pressing upon the backside of the display screen. A detector detects a finger interaction upon the rear-mounted manual control. A processor enlarges an image displayed upon the display screen in response to and time-synchronized with the detected finger interaction upon the rear-mounted manual control. The enlarging is coordinated with the finger interaction so as to provide an illusion that the user is pushing upon the image from behind thereby causing it to zoom-in.

Abstract: A method and system provides sensory cues to a user via a portable computing device as they wander a physical space, alerting the user as to the presence of spatially associated information linked to a location that is within a proximity region defined around that user's then current physical location. The size and/or shape of the proximity region can be defined in accordance with the speed and/or direction of motion of the user.

Abstract: A portable media player has a gaze-responsive power conservation feature. The portable media player includes a casing, processor, visual display, audio display, main memory functionally coupled to the processor, and secondary memory functionally coupled to the processor, where the secondary memory has media content retrievably stored therein. A gaze sensor transmits signals to the processor responsive to a gaze of a user. A program has instructions executable by the processor to: (a) present media content to a user by displaying visual content on the visual display and by playing audio content through the audio display; and (b) reduce power consumption of the visual display by lowering an intensity of display output when the gaze sensor indicates the user is not gazing in the general direction of the visual display, while continuing to play audio content to the user through the audio display at a substantially unchanged power level.

Abstract: A portable media player has an orientation-responsive power conservation feature. The portable media player includes a casing, processor, visual display, audio display, main memory functionally coupled to the processor, and a secondary memory functionally coupled to the processor. Media content is retrievably stored in the second memory. An orientation sensor transmits signals to the processor responsive to a spatial orientation of the casing with respect to gravity. A program has instructions executable by the processor to: (a) present media content to a user by displaying visual content on the visual display and playing audio content through the audio display; and (b) reduce power consumption of the visual display by lowering an intensity of display output when the orientation sensor indicates the spatial orientation of the casing is within certain boundaries, for example inverted with respect to gravity, while continuing to play audio content normally through the audio display.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of organizing a set of documents, comprising receiving verbal utterances from a user; processing the verbal utterances using gender analysis routines, thereby determining a verbally identified gender of the user; processing the verbal utterances using speech recognition routines, thereby determining the content of a search query uttered by the user; identifying a set of documents responsive to the search query based at least in part upon the content of the search query uttered by the user; assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between gender-usage data for each document in the set and the verbally identified gender of the user, the gender-usage data describing at least one of a number and frequency of users who have previously accessed the document who are of a particular gender; and organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.

Abstract: A system, method, and service for computer moderated matchmaking in which at least one final candidate is selected from a plurality of potential candidates based upon both social compatibility and epidemiological compatibility determinations made with respect to a user. In some embodiments communication is selectively facilitated between the user and the at least one final candidate. In some embodiments the user may set threshold values and/or other customizable preference values with respect to the epidemiological compatibility determination.

Abstract: A digital mirror system is provided that emulates a traditional mirror by displaying real-time video imagery of a user who stands before it. The digital mirror system provides a plurality of digital mirror modes, including a traditional mirror mode and a third person mirror mode. The digital mirror system provides a plurality of digital mirroring features including an image freeze feature, an image zoom feature, and an image buffering feature. The digital mirror system provides a plurality of operational states including a digital mirroring state and an alternate state, the alternate state including a power-conservation state and/or a digital picture frame state. The digital mirror system provides a user sensor that automatically transitions between operational states in response to whether or not a user is detected before the digital mirror display screen for a period of time.

Abstract: A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer's display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses, vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.