Binaural navigation cues

• US 9,464,912 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Smus, Boris, Costa, Antonio Bernardo Monteiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/705,481
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 701/428
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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 21/3661 Guidance output on an external device, e.g. car radio
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• 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 2420/11 Application of ambisonics in stereophonic audio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 For headphones

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing binaural navigational cures. In one aspect, a method includes presenting audio media in a non-directional playback state that presents the audible media in an original format, iteratively determining a navigational heading relative to a current navigational course, the navigational heading indicative of a direction to face to proceed along a navigational route, and for each iteration, determining whether a change is required to the current navigational course based on the navigational heading. For each determination that a change is not required to the current navigational course, presenting the audio media in the non-directional playback state, and for each determination that a change is required to the current navigational course, changing the non-directional playback state to a directional playback state that presents the audible media in a modified format that is directional from the navigational heading.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting audio media in a non-directional playback state that presents an audio media in an original format over a plurality of audio channels, wherein the presentation in the original format over the plurality of channels is not directionally related to a navigational route;

iteratively determining a navigational heading relative to a current navigational course, the navigational heading indicative of a direction to face to proceed along the navigational route, and for each iteration, determining whether a change is required to the current navigational course based on the navigational heading;

for each determination that a change is not required to the current navigational course, presenting the audio media in the non-directional playback state; and

for each determination that a change is required to the current navigational course, changing the non-directional playback state to a directional playback state that presents the audio media in a modified format that is directional from the navigational heading.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an audible sound in addition to the presentation of the audio media, where the audible sound is directional from a cardinal direction to which the current navigational course is relative.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the audible sound is presented intermittently according to a predetermined time interval.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining the navigational heading, providing a directional voice that describes a manner in which to alter the current navigational course in the direction of the navigational heading and that is directional from the navigational heading.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the audio media comprises pre-recorded audio media.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the audio media comprises live broadcast audio media.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an interaction with a geographical location depicted on an interactive map;

determining a direct navigational heading from a current location of the geographic location; and

changing the non-directional playback state to a directional playback state that presents the audio media in a modified format that modulates a sound level of at least one of the audio channels so that playback is directional from the direct navigational heading.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein iteratively determining the navigational heading relative to the current navigational course, comprises, for each iteration:

determining whether a current position is within a waypoint region;

if the current position is not within the waypoint region, determining that the change is not required to the current navigational course; and

if the current position is within the waypoint region, determining that the change is required to the current navigational course.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein when the current position is within the waypoint region, iteratively changing the navigational heading based on a changing of the current position in the waypoint region.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modified format comprises modulating a sound level of at least one of the audio channels.

11. A system, comprising:

a processing apparatus configured to;

present audio media in a non-directional playback state that presents an audio media in an original format over a plurality of audio channels, wherein the presentation in the original format over the plurality of channels is not directionally related to a navigational route;

iteratively determine a navigational heading relative to a current navigational course, the navigational heading indicative of a direction to face to proceed along the navigational route, and for each iteration, determining whether a change is required to the current navigational course based on the navigational heading;

for each determination that a change is not required to the current navigational course, present the audio media in the non-directional playback state; and

for each determination that a change is required to the current navigational course, change the non-directional playback state to a directional playback state that presents the audible media in a modified format that is directional from the navigational heading.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising presenting an audible sound in addition to the presentation of the audio media, where the audible sound is directional from a cardinal direction to which the current navigational course is relative.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the audible sound is presented intermittently according to a predetermined time interval.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising, in response to determining the navigational heading, providing a directional voice that describes a manner in which to alter the current navigational course in the direction of the navigational heading and that is directional from the navigational heading.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the audio media comprises pre-recorded audio media.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the audio media comprises live broadcast audio media.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

receive an indication of an interaction with a geographical location depicted on an interactive map;

determine a direct navigational heading from a current location of the geographic location; and

change the non-directional playback state to a directional playback state that presents the audio media in a modified format that modulates a sound level of at least one of the audio channels so that playback is directional from the direct navigational heading.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein iteratively determining the navigational heading relative to the current navigational course, comprises, for each iteration:

determining whether a current position is within a waypoint region;

if the current position is not within the waypoint region, determining that the change is not required to the current navigational course; and

if the current position is within the waypoint region, determining that the change is required to the current navigational course.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein when the current position is within the waypoint region, iteratively changing the navigational heading based on a changing of the current position in the waypoint region.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the modified format comprises modulating the audio by a head-related transfer function (HRTF).

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a data processing apparatus and upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

present audio media in a non-directional playback state that presents the audio media in an original format over a plurality of audio channels, wherein the presentation in the original format over the plurality of channels is not directionally related to a navigational route;

iteratively determine a navigational heading relative to a current navigational course, the navigational heading indicative of a direction to face to proceed along the navigational route, and for each iteration, determining whether a change is required to the current navigational course based on the navigational heading;

for each determination that a change is not required to the current navigational course, present the audio media in the non-directional playback state; and

for each determination that a change is required to the current navigational course, change the non-directional playback state to a directional playback state that presents the audio media in a modified format that is directional from the navigational heading.