VOICE INSTRUCTIONS DURING NAVIGATION

• US 20130325481A1
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: van Os, Marcel, Law, Brady A., Moore, Bradford A., Barbour, Sarah G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,230,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 : Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 : Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 : Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 : Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 : Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/00 : Stereophonic arrangements stereophonic pick-ups H04R9/16, H04R11/12, H04R17/08, H04R19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 : Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of providing navigation on an electronic device when the display screen is locked. The method receives a verbal request to start navigation while the display is locked. The method identifies a route from a current location to a destination based on the received verbal request. While the display screen is locked, the method provides navigational directions on the electronic device from the current location of the electronic device to the destination. Some embodiments provide a method for processing a verbal search request. The method receives a navigation-related verbal search request and prepares a sequential list of the search results based on the received request. The method then provides audible information to present a search result from the sequential list. The method presents the search results in a batch form until the user selects a search result, the user terminates the search, or the search items are exhausted.

Claims

1. A method of providing navigation on an electronic device comprising a display screen, the method comprising:

receiving a verbal request to start navigation;

determining that the display screen is locked;

identifying a route from a current location of the electronic device to a destination based on the received verbal request; and

while the display screen is locked, providing navigational directions on the electronic device from the current location of the electronic device to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing navigational directions comprises:

determining whether an option is set to provide audio-only navigation while the display screen is locked; and

providing navigational directions only in audible form when the option is set.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a map on the display screen while the display screen is locked;

identifying the route on the map; and

providing turn-by-turn directing for navigating along the route from the current location of the electronic device to the destination.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the verbal request to start navigation comprises one of a request for directions to a particular destination, a search request, and a request to start navigation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the verbal request is received when a sound level of the verbal request is above a pre-determined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the verbal request is received when a control is activated on the electronic device.

7. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for providing navigation on an electronic device comprising a display screen, the program executable by at least one processing unit of the electronic device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a verbal request to start navigation;

determining that the display screen is locked;

identifying a plurality of routes from a current location of the electronic device to a destination based on the received verbal request;

selecting a single route from the plurality of routes; and

providing navigational directions on the electronic device from the current location of the electronic device to the destination while the display screen is locked.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions for providing navigational directions comprises a set of instructions for providing navigational directions only in audible form when an option is set to provide audio-only directions while the display screen is locked.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, the program further comprising sets of instructions for:

displaying a map on the display screen while the display screen is locked;

identifying the route on the map; and

providing turn-by-turn directing for navigating along the route from the current location of the electronic device to the destination.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, the program further comprising sets of instructions for recognizing verbal requests when a sound level of the verbal request is above a pre-determined threshold.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, the program further comprising sets of instructions for recognizing verbal requests when a control is activated on the electronic device.

12. A voice-activated method of providing navigational directions on an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a request to navigate to a destination;

finding a plurality of routes from a current location of the electronic device to the destination;

when the request is a verbal request;

presenting only a single route from the plurality of routes; and

providing navigational directions on the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

when the request is not a verbal request, presenting at least two routes from the plurality of routes.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises a display screen, wherein providing navigational directions comprises providing navigational directions in audible form only when the display screen is locked.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises a display screen, wherein providing navigational directions comprises providing navigational directions in audible and visual forms when the display screen is locked.

16. A method of providing navigational directions on an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a navigation-related verbal search request;

preparing a sequential list of a plurality of search results based on the received request;

providing audible information to present a search result from the sequential list;

receiving a verbal response regarding the presented search result;

when the response indicates selecting the presented search result, providing navigational directions to the presented search result; and

when the response indicates skipping the presented search result providing audible information to present a next search result in the sequential list.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

repeating (i) providing audible information to present a next search result in the sequential list and (ii) receiving a verbal response regarding the presented search result until the response indicates selecting the search result; and

providing navigational directions to the presented search result when the response indicates selecting the search result.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising stopping providing audible information to present a next search when a verbal request is received to terminate the search request.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

repeating (i) providing audible information to present a next search result in the sequential list and (ii) receiving a verbal response regarding the presented search result until the response indicates selecting the search result; and

providing an audible indication when there are no more search results in the sequential list to present.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein providing navigational directions to the presented search result comprises displaying a map;

and

identifying a single route to the presented search result; and

providing turn-by-turn navigational directions to the search result.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein providing navigational directions to the presented search result comprises providing turn-by-turn audible directions.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein navigation along a route is in progress when the navigation-related verbal search request is request, wherein the plurality of search results are found along the route where navigation is in progress.

23. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for providing navigational directions on an electronic device, the program executable by at least one processing unit of the electronic device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a navigation-related verbal search request;

preparing a sequential list of a plurality of search results based on the received request;

providing audible information to present a search result from the sequential list;

receiving a verbal response regarding the presented search result;

providing, when the response indicates selecting the presented search result, navigational directions to the presented search result; and

providing, when the response indicates skipping the presented search result audible information to present a next search result in the sequential list.

24. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the set of instructions for providing navigational directions to the presented search result comprises sets of instructions for:

displaying a map; and

identifying a single route to the presented search result; and

providing turn-by-turn navigational directions to the search result.

25. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the set of instructions for providing navigational directions to the presented search result comprises a set of instructions for providing turn-by-turn audible directions.

26. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions finding the plurality of search results along a route when the search request is received while navigation is in progress along the route.