Method and arrangement for guiding a user along a target path

• US 7,096,120 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hull, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/635,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 342385-386, 342/412, 342407-408, 342/398, 705/14, 705 26- 27, 701/207, 701/211, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

An audio-based guide arrangement is provided for guiding a user along a target path by the use of virtual audio beacons. The user'"'"'s current location is sensed and compared to the target path. Sounds are fed to the user, for example through stereo headphones, to simulate one or more audio beacons appearing to be located in a direction at least approximating the direction of the target path onward from the user'"'"'s current position. Preferably, each successive location of the audio beacon is determined by determining a segment onward from the user'"'"'s current position of a piecewise linear approximation to the target path, and setting the apparent location of the beacon at or relative to the end of this segment.

Claims

1. An arrangement for guiding a user along a target path, the arrangement comprising:

user-location determining means for determining the position of the user relative to the target path;

beacon-location determining means for determining locations at which to position multiple virtual audio beacons such that the audio beacons together form a succession of beacons with each beacon being successively further down said target path onward from the user; and

audio-beacon means comprising audio output devices carried by the user for rendering virtual audio beacons at the locations determined by the beacon-location determining means.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the beacon-location determining means is arranged to effect at least a partial piecewise linear approximation of the target path and to determine the locations from which the audio beacons are to appear to emanate at or relative to the end of respective successive segments of said approximation.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the beacon-location determining means is so arranged that as the user approaches or arrives at the first audio beacon in said succession that beacon is removed, the beacon-location determining means being operative to add a new further beacon to the end of succession in time proximity to the removal of the first beacon in said succession, and the beacon-location determining means being further operative to effect this removal and addition of audio beacons repeatedly as the user moves along the target path.

4. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1, wherein the audio-beacon means is arranged to cause an audible characteristic of said audio beacons to differ between beacons to indicate the order in which they occur along said path.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the audio-beacon means is arranged to cause the audio beacons to sound in the order they occur in said succession and in a cyclic manner.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the beacon-location determining means is arranged to determine said location taking into account potential obstructions whereby no such obstructions lie between the user and the audio beacon.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein as the user approaches or arrives at the first audio beacon in said succession that beacon is removed, a new further beacon being added to the end of succession in time proximity to the removal of the first beacon in said succession, this removal and addition of audio beacons being repeated as the user moves along the target path.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein an audible characteristic of said audio beacons is varied between beacons to indicate the order in which they occur along said path.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the audio beacons sound in the order they occur in said succession and in a cyclic manner.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said location is determined taking into account potential obstructions whereby no such obstructions lie between the user and the audio beacon.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein (b) involves effecting at least a partial piecewise linear approximation of the target path and determining the locations from which the audio beacons appear to emanate at or relative to the end of respective successive segments of said approximation.

7. A method of guiding a user along a target path, comprising:

(a) determining the position of the user relative to the target path;

(b) determining locations at which to position multiple virtual audio beacons such that the audio beacons together form a succession of beacons with each beacon being successively further down said target path onward from the user; and

(c) rendering audio beacons at the locations determined in (b) through audio output devices carried by the user.