Guided tour audio communication systems having optical reader programming

• US 10,417,925 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolfgang Michael Klante
• Original Assignee: Wolfgang Michael Klante
• Inventors: Klante, Wolfgang Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Egloff, Peter R
• Application Number:
  US15/588,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20170323575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 864 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/006 Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/125 the stations being mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Devices and methods for providing commentary for multiple points of interests utilize audio communication devices having an optic code reader, a microcontroller, a transmitter/receiver, a storage module and a speaker and/or headphone jack. Two or more audio communication devices may be synced to the same channel. A primary audio communication device sends a signal that triggers a dependent audio communication device to play a prerecorded commentary regarding a selected point of interest in a language selected by a person using the dependent audio communication device. A map having icons representing points of interest includes optic codes embedded within the icons. When an audio communication device scans an icon with an optic reader, a triggering signal causes the audio communication device and any dependent audio communication devices to play a corresponding commentary and a language selected by a user.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a guided tour comprising:

providing a tour library having a first plurality of optical reader codes, each optical reader code corresponding to a point-of-interest to be viewed during a guided tour,

providing an audio library having pre-recorded audio descriptions in a plurality of languages for each of the points-of-interest;

providing a language library having a second plurality of optical reader codes corresponding to each of the plurality of languages;

providing a channel library having a third plurality of optical reader codes, each corresponding to a wireless communication channel;

providing a handheld primary audio communication device having a body, an optical reader, a microcontroller, a storage module, a transmitter, a haptic feedback device, a microphone, a speaker, an inductive charging mechanism, an indicator light, a power button, and a volume control switch, wherein the tour library, the audio library, the language library and the channel library are stored on the storage module;

providing one or more handheld dependent audio communication devices each having a body, an optical reader, a microcontroller, a storage module, a transmitter, a haptic feedback device, a connection indicator light, a speaker, an inductive charging mechanism, a power indicator light, a power button, and a volume control switch, wherein the tour library, the audio library, the language library and the channel library are stored on the storage module, and wherein the one or more dependent audio communication devices communicate only with the primary audio communication device and are not capable of communicating with other dependent audio communication devices;

providing a physical tour map having a plurality of images, wherein each image corresponds to one of the points-of-interest and has an embedded optical code selected from the tour library and corresponding to the same point-of-interest;

providing a physical language map having a plurality of national flag images, each national flag image having an embedded optical code selected from the language library;

providing a physical channel map having a plurality of colored panels, each colored panel having an optical code selected from the channel library;

providing a tour guide with the primary communication device, the physical tour map library and the physical channel map library;

providing one or more tourists with a dependent communication device, a physical language map library and the physical channel map library;

coupling the primary communication device with the one or more dependent communication devices by scanning one of the colored panels of the channel map with the optical reader of the primary communication device, and instructing the one or more tourists to scan the same colored panel of the channel map, thereby automatically coupling the primary communication device with the one or more dependent communication devices;

wherein successful coupling is confirmed by actuating the connection indicator light on the one or more dependent communication devices;

instructing the one or more tourists to scan a national flag image corresponding to the tourist'"'"'s preferred language, thereby programming the tourist'"'"'s dependent communication device to play only audio descriptions of points-of-interest from the audio library in the preferred language;

the tour guide leading the one or more tourists on a tour that includes visiting at least one of the points-of-interest;

when one of the points-of-interest is visited along the tour, the tour guide transmits a triggering signal from the primary communication device to the one or more dependent communication devices instructing each of the dependent communication devices to play the audio description of the point-of-interest in the language selected by the one or more tourist.

2. The method of conducting a guided tour of claim 1 wherein the channel library comprises channels of a DECT communication system.

3. The method of conducting a guided tour of claim 2 further comprising the tour guide providing live audio commentary by speaking into the microphone of the primary communication device, transmitting the commentary to the one or more dependent communication devices, and emitting the audio commentary from the speakers of the one or more dependent communication devices.

4. The method of conducting a guided tour of claim 3 wherein the one or more dependent communication devices further comprises a microphone, and wherein the method further comprises one or more tourists asking the tour guide a question by speaking in to the microphone of the dependent communication device, transmitting the question to the primary communication device, and emitting the question from the speaker of the primary communication device.

5. The method of conducting a guided tour of claim 4 wherein the connection indicator lights of the one or more dependent communication devices blink if it decouples from the primary communication device is broken, and the one or more dependent communication devices automatically continuously attempt to re-couple with the primary communication device.