Patent ID: 7557775
Filing Date: 2009-07-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of evoking perceptions of affordances in a user/virtual environment interface, comprising the steps of: recognizing an absence or inadequacy of certain sensory stimuli in the user/virtual environment interface; creating substitute sensory stimuli in a virtual environment using design parameters to substitute for the recognized absence or inadequacy of the certain sensory stimuli, wherein the design parameters are selected from at least one of a sensory modality, a magnitude of the substitute sensory stimuli, and an optimal form of the substitute sensory stimuli, wherein the substitute sensory stimuli evoke perceptions of affordances for the recognized absence or inadequacy of the certain sensory stimuli in the user/virtual environment interface, wherein the substitute sensory stimuli represent substitutional cues to replace missing affordances, and wherein the affordances comprise inherent uses that an object in an environment furnishes to a user of the user/virtual environment interface; and enabling completion of a percept for cognitive activities using the substitute sensory stimuli, wherein the cognitive activities include at least one of decision-making and execution, wherein the cognitive activities influence the virtual environment by changing at least one of the virtual environment and the position of the user within the virtual environment, wherein the affordances are realized through integration of environmental stimuli of the user/virtual environment interface and internal state stimuli of the user interacting with user experience gained through the decision-making, and wherein the affordances are generated by integrating external stimuli from objects of the user/virtual environment interface, internal stimuli, and state stimuli.