Facilitating Interaction between Users and their Environments Using a Headset having Input Mechanisms

• US 20160124707A1
• Filed: 04/19/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ermilov, Andrei Stefan, Cotier, Bradley Neville, Doroftei, Catalin Nicolae, Chaaban, Hani Nabil, Chudge, Jarnail Singh, Farmer, Matthew Robin, Parker, Michael James Belfield, Salandin, Oscar James Francis, Wilcox, Robert John
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• 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 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• 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: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 : Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 : Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 : Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 : including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 : having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 : Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 : using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 : Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• 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 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 : Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 : Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 : For headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A headset is described herein for presenting audio information to the user as the user interacts with a space, e.g., as when a user navigates over a route within a space. The headset may include a set of input mechanisms for receiving commands from the user. The commands, in turn, invoke respective space-interaction-related functions to be performed by a space interaction (SI) module. The headset may operate with or without a separate user computing device.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a user in interacting with a space, comprising:

a headset for presenting audio information to the user as the user interacts with the space,

the headset having at least;

a set of input mechanisms for receiving commands from the user,

the command invoking respective space-interaction-related functions to be performed by a space interaction module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the headset uses a bone conducting mechanism to deliver the audio information to the user.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein at least one command instructs the space interaction module to start a listening mode,

wherein, in the listening mode, the space interaction module receives instructions that are verbalized by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one command instructs the space interaction module to stop delivering the audio information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one command instructs the space interaction module to repeat one or more prior-delivered items of audio information.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein at least one command instructs the space interaction module to start an explore mode,

wherein, in the explore mode, the space interaction module provides information regarding a set of items of interest that are associated with a subspace to which attention of the user is currently directed.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein at least one command instructs the space interaction module to start an orientation mode,

wherein, in the orientation mode, the space interaction module provides information regarding a set of items of interest that are associated with an entire space around the user, at a current time.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein at least one command instructs the space interaction module to perform a more-information function,

wherein the space interaction module performs the more-information function by providing additional information regarding a topic associated with a previously delivered items of interest.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one input mechanism can invoke plural functions depending on a manner in which a user interacts with the input mechanism.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the space interaction module is implemented by the headset.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the headset further includes one or more of:

a headset orientation determination mechanism for determining an orientation of the headset, to provide headset orientation information;

a headset motion determination mechanism for determining a movement of the headset, to provide headset movement information; and

/or

a headset position determination mechanism for determining a position of the headset, to provide headset position information.

12. The system of claim 11,

wherein the system further comprises at least one user computing device,

the user computing device providing a display output mechanism for displaying information pertaining to interaction, by the user, with the space,

wherein the user computing device implements at least part of functionality associated with the space interaction module, and

wherein the headset includes a first communication mechanism for communicating with the user computing device, and the user computing device includes a second communication mechanism for communicating with the headset.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user computing device is configured to perform processing based on the headset orientation information and/or the headset movement information and/or the headset position information to generate a result, and to forward the result to the headset.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user computing device further includes:

a device orientation determination mechanism for determining an orientation of the user computing device, to provide device orientation information;

a device motion determination mechanism for determining a movement of the user computing device, to provide device movement information; and

/or

a device position determination mechanism for determining a position of the user computing device, to provide device position information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the headset is configured to perform functions based on the device orientation information and/or the device movement information and/or the device position information, as supplied by the user computing device, when counterpart information is not available from the headset.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein at least the headset and/or the user computing device is configured to receive information and/or to use functionality provided by an external computing device.

17. A method, implemented by a system, for assisting a user in interacting with a space, comprising:

receiving an instruction based on actuation, by the user, of at least one input mechanism that is coupled to a headset;

performing a function based on the instruction, to provide an output result; and

based on the output result, delivering audio information, via the headset, which assists the user in interacting with the space.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said performing of the function entails performing the function using a space interaction module that is implemented, at least in part, by the headset.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said performing of the function entails performing the function using a space interaction module that is implemented, at least in part, by a separate user computing device which is communicatively coupled to the headset.

20. A headset, comprising:

an audio output mechanism for presenting audio information that assists a user as the user interacts with a space;

a set of input mechanisms for receiving commands from the user, the commands invoking respective space-interaction-related functions to be performed by a space interaction module,

wherein at least one command instructs the space interaction module to start an explore mode,

wherein, in the explore mode, the space interaction module provides information regarding a set of items of interest that are associated with a subspace to which attention of the user is currently directed,

wherein at least one other command instructs the space interaction module to start an orientation mode, and

wherein, in the orientation mode, the space interaction module provides information regarding a set of items of interest that are associated with an entire space around the user, at a current time.