Device, method and medium providing customized audio tours

• US 7,962,284 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Cutitta II
• Original Assignee: David Cutitta II
• Inventors: Cutitta, II, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen, Lin B
• Application Number:
  US11/976,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 709/209, 725/60, 434/116
• 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 to display a map;

a user input module to allow a user to select a particular point of the map displayed on the display and to allow a user to select a first theme of a plurality of themes and a second theme of the plurality of themes; and

a playback module to consecutively play a first audio file corresponding to the first theme of the plurality of themes and a second audio file corresponding to the second theme of the plurality of themes, wherein each of the played audio files is selected from a plurality of audio files stored in the portable device and includes 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 the user carrying the portable electronic device and displaying the detected location of the user on the 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 the plurality of audio files, wherein each of the plurality of audio files has information of interest to the user related to a point located within the displayed.

5. The device in claim 1, further comprising a memory storing the 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, wherein when the user selects the particular point of the map, the first audio file and the second audio file are consecutively played, whereby a narrative providing information of interest corresponding to the selected first theme and second theme is played.

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

8. The device in claim 1, wherein the plurality of stored audio files are compressed audio files.

9. The device in claim 1, wherein the plurality of stored audio files are categorized in memory according to the plurality of themes.

10. 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 selection of a user;

receiving a first theme and a second theme, each selected by the user from a plurality of themes; and

consecutively playing a first audio file corresponding to the first theme of the plurality of themes and a second audio file corresponding to the second theme of the plurality of themes, wherein each of the played audio files is selected from a plurality of audio files stored in the portable device and includes information regarding an area of the map corresponding to the particular point selected.

11. The method in claim 10, further comprising detecting a location of the user and displaying the detected location of the user on the map.

12. The method in claim 10, 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.

13. The method in claim 12, wherein when the selection of the particular point of the map is received from the user, the first audio file and the second audio file are consecutively played, whereby a narrative providing information of interest corresponding to the selected first theme and second theme is played.

14. The method in claim 10, wherein the particular point of the map is received as an input when the particular point is touched on a display displaying the map.

15. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable code to control at least one processing element in a computer to implement the method of claim 10.

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

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

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

a user input module to allow the user to select a first theme of a plurality of themes and a second theme of the plurality of themes;

a memory to store a plurality of 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 to consecutively play back a first audio file corresponding to the first theme of the plurality of themes and a second audio file corresponding to the second theme of the plurality of themes when the tracking module associates the detected location of the user with the predetermined location.

17. The device in claim 16, wherein the user input module allows the user to select a particular point of a map displayed on a display of the portable electronic device by touching the display.

18. The device in claim 16, 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.

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

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

a display to display a map of an area including the detected location of the user;

a user input module to allow the user to select a first theme of a plurality of themes and a second theme of the plurality of themes;

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 corresponding to one of the plurality of themes; and

a playback module to consecutively play back a first audio file corresponding to the first theme of the plurality of themes and a second audio file corresponding to the second theme of the plurality of themes, wherein each of the audio files is related to the point located within the area found on the map corresponding to the detected location of the user.

20. 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 including the detected location of the user;

a user input module allowing a user to select a first theme of a plurality of themes and a second theme of the plurality of themes;

a playback module consecutively playing a first audio file corresponding to the first theme of the plurality of themes and a second audio file corresponding to the second theme of the plurality of themes, wherein each of the audio files includes custom information regarding an area of the map corresponding to the detected location of the user and is selected from a plurality of audio files stored in the portable device.