Audio output configured to indicate a direction

• US 10,107,639 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khawand, Charbel
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US12/560,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,325 Days
• Field of Search: 701201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00

Abstract

An audio output that is configured to indicate a direction is described. In an implementation, a direction of a target is determined in relation to a computing device. An output of sound is configured by the computing device to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the computing device.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to;

receive location data, via a network, for a target, and

communicate with a peripheral device attached to a user, separate from the mobile device, having functionality to determine an orientation of the peripheral device;

a global positioning system module configured to determine a current position of the mobile device;

an audio rendering system configured to instruct the user of a route to the target; and

a processor configured to execute a positional awareness module having;

an orientation module configured to ascertain, from the orientation of the peripheral device attached to the user, an orientation of the user,

a relative direction module to compute a direction of the target in relation to the mobile device using the location data for the target, the current position of the mobile device, and the orientation of the user, and

a sound engine to configure an audio imaging of an audio output from the audio rendering system to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the user, wherein the audio imaging comprises at least one of weighting of the audio output, acoustic wave interference techniques, or directional sound projection.

2. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the location data includes global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the target.

3. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is moving.

4. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the audio rendering system is positioned directionally around the user.

5. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the audio rendering system is configured to adjust a volume of the audio output to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the mobile device.

6. The mobile device as described in claim 1, wherein the audio output is configured to indicate a relative distance from the target.

7. A computing device having a memory configured to store instructions that when performed by the computing device execute a positional awareness module, the computing device further configured to:

communicate with a peripheral device attached to a user, separate from the computing device, having functionality to determine an orientation of the peripheral device;

receive location data for a target, wherein the target is a mobile communication device, the location data describing a location of the mobile communication device as determined by the mobile communication device;

instruct the user of a route to the target;

ascertain an orientation of the user from the orientation of the peripheral device attached to the user;

compute the direction of the target in relation to the computing device using the location data for the target, a current position of the computing device, and the orientation of the user; and

configure an audio imaging of an audio output to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the user, wherein the audio imaging comprises at least one of weighting of the audio output, acoustic wave interference techniques, or directional sound projection.

8. The computing device as described in claim 7, the computing device further configured to:

determine a current position of the computing device using global positioning system (GPS) functionality of the computing device.

9. The computing device as described in claim 7, the computing device further configured to:

adjust a volume of the audio output to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the mobile device.

10. The computing device as described in claim 7, the computing device further configured to:

indicate a relative distance from the target.

11. A method implemented by a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

communicating with a peripheral device attached to a user, separate from the mobile communication device, having functionality to determine an orientation of the peripheral device;

receiving location data for a target, wherein the target is a mobile device, the location data describing a location of the mobile device as determined by the mobile device;

instructing the user of a route to the target;

ascertaining an orientation of the user from the orientation of the peripheral device attached to the user;

computing a direction of the target in relation to the mobile communication device using the location data for the target, a current position of the computing device, and the orientation of the user; and

configuring an audio imaging of an audio output to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the user, wherein the audio imaging comprises at least one of weighting of the audio output, acoustic wave interference techniques, or directional sound projection.

12. The method as described in claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting a volume of the audio output and configuring the audio imaging of the audio output from an audio rendering system to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the mobile communication device by weighting the audio output to be greatest from an audio output device, among a plurality of audio output devices available to the audio rendering system, that is closest to the direction of the target.

13. The method as described in claim 11, further comprising:

determining a current position of the mobile device using a global positioning module.

14. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the location data includes global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the target.

15. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the mobile communication device is moving.

16. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the audio rendering system is positioned directionally around the user.

17. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the audio rendering system is configured to indicate a relative distance from the target.