Device, method and medium providing customized audio tours

• US 20090112466A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David John Ii Cutitta
• Original Assignee: David John Ii Cutitta
• Inventors: Cutitta, David John II
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, medium and portable device for providing customized audio tours. The portable device includes a display displaying a map, a user input module allowing a user to select a particular point of the map displayed on the display, and a playback module playing a stored audio file corresponding to the particular point of the map selected by the user, the audio file including custom information regarding an area of the map corresponding to the particular point selected.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device providing customized audio tours, the device comprising:

a display displaying a map;

a user input module allowing a user to select a particular point of the map displayed on the display; and

a playback module playing a stored audio file corresponding to the particular point of the map selected by the user, the audio file including custom information regarding an area of the map corresponding to the particular point selected.

2. The device in claim 1, further comprising a position identification module detecting a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device and displaying the detected location of the user on the displayed map.

3. The device in claim 2, wherein the position identification module comprises a global positioning system (gps) receiver.

4. The device in claim 1, further comprising a memory storing a plurality of audio files, each file having information of interest to the user related to a point located within the displayed map and wherein the played audio file is selected from one of the stored audio files based on a preselected theme chosen by the user.

5. The device in claim 1, further comprising a memory storing a plurality of audio files, each audio file having information of interest to the user corresponding to a particular theme, and wherein the audio files are organized in memory according to theme.

6. The device in claim 5, further comprising a menu wherein the user may select a theme of the themes and wherein a narrative providing information of interest corresponding to the selected theme is played back to the user when the user selects the particular point of the map.

7. The device in claim 1, wherein the user input module allows the user to select the particular point of the map displayed on the display by touching the screen.

8. A method of providing customized audio tours, the method comprising:

displaying a map;

receiving a particular point of the displayed map as an input according to a user selection; and

playing back a stored audio file corresponding to the particular point of the map selected by the user, the audio file including custom information regarding an area of the map corresponding to the particular point selected.

9. The method in claim 8, further comprising detecting a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device and displaying the detected location of the user on the map.

10. The method in claim 8, further comprising storing a plurality of audio files having information of interest to the user, wherein each of the audio files are categorized according to a particular theme and each of the audio files corresponds to a particular location.

11. The method in claim 10, further comprising prompting the user to select a theme from among the stored themes and playing back to the user a narrative providing information of interest corresponding to the selected theme when the user selects the particular point of the map.

12. The method in claim 8, wherein the user selects the particular point of the map displayed on the display by touching the screen.

13. At least one medium comprising computer readable code to control at least one processing element in a computer to implement the method of claim 8.

14. A portable electronic device providing customized audio tours, the device comprising:

a position identification module detecting a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device;

a tracking module associating the detected location of the user with one of a plurality of predetermined locations;

a memory storing one or more audio files, each of the audio files being associated with one of the plurality of predetermined locations, and the each of the audio files having particular information of interest to the user regarding the associated predetermined location; and

a playback module automatically playing back an audio file associated with a predetermined location when the tracking module associates the detected location of the user with the predetermined location.

15. The device in claim 14, wherein the user input module allows the user to select the particular point of the map displayed on the display by touching the screen.

16. The device in claim 14, wherein the position identification module automatically notifies the user that the user is in range of one of the plurality of predetermined locations having the associated audio files.

17. A portable electronic device providing customized audio tours, the device comprising:

a position identification module detecting a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device;

a display displaying a map of an area including the detected position of the user;

a user input module allowing the user to select a particular point of the map displayed on the display;

a memory storing a plurality of audio files, each file having information of interest to the user related to a point located within the area found on the map; and

a playback module playing back a stored audio file corresponding to the particular point of the map selected by the user, the audio file including information of interest to the user related to the particular point of the map selected.